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Peel Art Gallery, Museum and Archives PAMA – Peel Art Gallery, Museum and Archives by Jerry Eberts apital in the building industry has been difficult to come by over the past few years, so when the Region of Peel (Brampton, Caledon and Mississauga) wanted to consolidate its art gallery, museum and historical archives several years ago, initial prospects of finding the money for such a large project did not look likely. "As luck would have it, three years ago the Infrastructure Stimulus Fund was created," says Josie Premzell, supervisor of development and visitor services for PAMA, the Peel Art Gallery, Museum and Archives. "This was aimed at getting things going in the recession. We received funding from three levels of government, each giving us one-third of the cost." The entire PAMA complex consists of four historic buildings. Two of the buildings were already owned by PAMA, including the original Country Jail and the Registry Building. The interiors of these buildings had been previously renovated in the 1980s and were connected via a dark one-storey structure. The other parts of the complex were the 1867 County Courthouse and a regional office block built in 1959 that was, at one stage, the Hydro building . Architect for the ambitious project was Christopher Borgal, the principal and owner of Goldsmith Borgal & Company Ltd. Architects (GBCA). He says the first step toward creating PAMA's new space from four old buildings began with a feasibility study in 2008. "Because of the problems with the economy, the project was on hold until PAMA got a grant towards the construction," says Borgal. "The plan was to turn the Hydro building into the art gallery and make the old County Courthouse into a place for meetings, offices and rental space. The old County Jail and Registry Building were turned into the museum and archives." "Prior to this new space, we had to store half our art collection off-site," says Premzell. "We have tripled our art storage space with new rolling racks and doubled the exhibition space for the art gallery. The construction cost was larger than we expected, but overall it is a fabulous space," she says. The original courtyard was isolated but Borgal says they created a landscaped public walkway by cutting through the space between the old Courthouse and Hydro building. "A new sunlit tunnel connects the art gallery and museum, so if the weather is bad there is no need to go outside," says Borgal. "The old Hydro building was restored as a modern heritage building and is linked to the other buildings via a new doubleheight lobby and staircase. There were special environmental requirements for display, gallery rooms and the main collections storage, including humidity and temperature controls. We tapped into a geothermal heat source for PAMA and used a lot of big windows so that light pours in." Arthur O'Connor, project director for Crossey C 78/ p78-79PAMA.indd 78 august 2013 Engineering Ltd. that handled both electrical and mechanical duties, says two of the buildings were essentially gutted. "The Hydro building and the Registry Building are entirely redone inside. Our job was to put in all new wiring, fire alarms and life safety systems, as well as other mechanical and electrical systems." The ventilation system was also a challenge for the galleries and museum. "Everything is set up with a highspeed, state-of-the-art phone and data system. We also introduced a green-source heating system that is very energyefficient. As the entire complex is a heritage site, the exteriors were kept intact," says O'Connor. The project is also very sustainable. Premzell says there were funds available to exploit the geothermal possibilities and boreholes under what is now the courtyard/parking lot to help heat and cool PAMA . The project also has a green roof and low-energy, low-impact LED lights are used in public areas. As for the grounds surrounding the exteriors, two landscape architects worked on the site. Owen R. Scott, president and project principal for The Landplan Collaborative, Ltd., and his colleague Nina Pulver, project designer. "A change of use of the existing heritage buildings required a major landscape alteration to accommodate new circulation paths, new outdoor activity spaces and altered relationships between the buildings," says Scott. "The project needed extensive coordination. Existing mature vegetation required protection and the urban site is very tight, with virtually no construction staging areas." Premzell says there are two small studio spaces in the new structure for the use of school groups, community projects and public programs. "The Region of Peel has a very diverse population," says Premzell. "From the very beginning, we wanted PAMA to be inclusive for all the different community groups. We want to help tell all the different stories of the people here." ■ Location 9 Wellington Street East, Brampton, Ontario Owner/developer Peel Art Gallery, Museum and Archives Architect Goldsmith Borgal & Company Ltd. Architects General contractor MJ Dixon Construction Ltd. Structural consultant Carr McLean.indd 1 Ojdrovic Engineering Inc. Mechanical/ Electrical Consultant Crossey Engineering Ltd. Landscape architect The Landplan Collaborative, Ltd. Total area 59,000 square feet Construction cost $16 million PAMA – Peel Art Gallery, Museum and Archives 13-07-12 1:56 PM