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S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 2 | 61 P H OTO G R A P H Y CO U RT E S Y Y M C A O F G R E AT ER TO RO N TO THE STEVE & SALLY STAVRO FAMILY YMCA by NATALIE BRUCKNER T he YMCA of Greater Toronto is known as a charity that brings communities together to lead healthier lives, every day, in every way. In fact, everything the Y does is designed to help community members reach their fullest potential, and one of its latest centre of community proj- ects, The Steve & Sally Stavro Family YMCA (formerly The East City YMCA), embodies this in every sense. It was a project that required mass collaboration – not only with the base building team who would be con- structing the five-storey Beech House condominiums above, but also with the local community. Having had a presence in Toronto's Upper Beach area since the 1950s, the YMCA set out to ensure its new two- storey space would meet the needs of the community today, and for many, many years to come. "It's a very unique community, and a very active one. We reached out to the community, even attending high schools in the area, to gauge their needs. One of the things that came up was the desire for more water spaces and so we responded. This is the most robust com- munity engagement we've done on any project to better understand the needs to shape the space," explains Alex Versluis, SVP, property management and devel- opment at the YMCA of Greater Toronto. Discussions for the new building that would replace the existing East City YMCA actually began a decade ago, as Jason Wah, associate at MJMA Architecture & Design, explains: "The initial engagement was back in 2012 after we began working with the Y on the Cooper Koo Family Cherry Street YMCA project located on the site of the 2015 Pan Am Games Athlete's Village. Over the next several years, we worked on co-ordination with the base build- ing team on the planning and layout of the major spaces in the building, with construction starting in 2015." Versluis says that having the oppor- tunity to work with a commercial developer with very different goals really opened his eyes to the residen- tial world, and the team was more than ready to take on the challenge of creating a mixed-use facility that would also allow the Y to shine. Following demolition of the exist- ing building, construction could begin. The design itself is incredibly unique in that the Y is located on the main floor and the lower level, which sits below grade. "Having the area below grade was a smart decision as it gave us the ability to put in the pool and gym and have open glazing so the public can see inside from the street. It creates an interesting sightline with lots of active animation," says Versluis. Being in downtown Toronto, access to the site was of course tight, and Matthew Aquino, project manager at JR Certus Construction Co. Ltd., explains "openings were created in the building to allow us to bring larger equipment in. The YMCA co-ordi- nated with the base builders to bring in the air handling units as they put up the superstructure." Members and visitors access the building from Kingston Road and come directly into the lobby recep- tion area. From here there are direct sightline axes and visual cues to all of the main program spaces. They will encounter a viewing gallery over- looking the pool below to the east, the fitness conditioning space and activ- ity studio to the south, and to the west, a beautiful studio located on the cor- ner that features an angled ceiling throughout with windows that allow natural light to stream in. You can't miss the illuminated glass feature wall that accompanies the stair and adjacent elevator leading to the change rooms, gymnasium, aquatic pool hall, and youth and program rooms on the level below. "Because there's not a whole lot of perimeter glazing, aside from the one side along Kingston Road, we opted for lots of glazing inside to provide trans- parency throughout," says Wah. This not only helps with the goals of the Y when it comes to transparency, flexibility, and the safety and security of its members and staff, but also gives the impression that the space is larger than it is. In fact, from the very onset, the team was committed to utilizing every inch of space: this included, among many other considerations, ensuring there were no columns in the aquatic area and the gymnasium, and the use of materials that act almost like an optical illusion. "MJMA really made a great selection of products for the inside. From the porcelain tile and white oak millwork, to the terrazzo on the floor. Even the corridors fea- ture stunning four-by-eight slabs on the walls [in dark palettes and black and white for contrast] that lend to the volume of the space and make it feel larger than it is," says Aquino. Versluis adds that there is also plenty of glazing with frit patterns to give further ani- mation to the space. "There are three pool basins: one main 25-metre, four-lane lap pool; a fitness pool with a movable floor to accommodate a wide range of pro- gramming; and a whirlpool/spa area. We managed to carve out some leftover space and designed the whirlpool like a cosy grotto with a low ceiling and nice mosaic tile and lighting," says Wah. As with every Y facility, sustain- ability was top of mind and as such, not only were the materials carefully selected to be sustainable and dura- ble, but the systems were carefully selected, too. They include a CHP gen- erator, four EV chargers in the public parking area are planned, and a strip of roof that in the future can accom- modate a solar array. "I also worked closely with the condo developer and while we couldn't intermingle our systems, we agreed to share each others' waste heat. We have a cooling tower on the roof and during certain times of the year, when there is more hot water than we need, the developer can draw on our hot water and heat exchange into his systems," explains Versluis. Succeeding as they did, during trying pandemic times, with lim- ited space, and alongside the base builder, was quite the feat. And when the doors officially opened on August 15, the team involved was proud of what they managed to achieve. "We were able to put a lot into the space available. In terms of thinking about the future of our urban planning and development in Toronto with the limited amount of new space available, I think The Steve & Sally Stavro Family YMCA will become a reference for future projects when considering how mixed-use devel- opment can address various needs and challenges, and most impor- tantly become an integral part of our communities," concludes Wah. A LOCATION 907 Kingston Road, Toronto, Ontario OWNER /DEVELOPER YMCA of Greater Toronto ARCHITECT MJMA Architecture & Design CONSTRUCTION MANAGER JR Certus Construction Co. Ltd. STRUCTUR AL CONSULTANT Blackwell Structural Engineers MECHANICAL /ELECTRICAL CONSULTANT Smith and Andersen Consulting Engineers BUILDING INSPECTION IRC Building Sciences Group TOTAL SIZE 60,000 square feet TOTAL COST $21.3 million The Steve & Sally Stavro Family YMCA

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