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D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 2 | 73 Ethennonnhawahstihnen' Community Recreation Centre & Library R EN D ER I N GS CO U RT E S Y M J M A A RC H I T EC T U R E & D E S I G N ETHENNONNHAWAHSTIHNEN' COMMUNITY RECREATION CENTRE & LIBRARY by ROBIN BRUNET C oncord Park Place in North York is a neighbourhood still very much in growth mode, fore- cast to accommodate 10,000 residents across 20 towers when the develop- ment is completed. Regional services are critical to its success, which is why the City of Toronto is especially proud of its new community recre- ational centre and library named in the Huron-Wendat Nation language: Ethennonnhawahstihnen'. The 218,400-square-foot facility, located in Concord Park Place, contains a 27,000-square-foot aquatic centre with a six-lane lap pool, leisure pool, spectator viewing area, and change rooms, as well as a 38,000-square- foot recreation centre with a double gym, fitness centre, indoor running track, and many other amenities. A new Toronto Public Library branch occupies 13,000 square feet, while a 6,400-square-foot childcare facility con- tributes to Ethennonnhawahstihnen' being the largest such community centre in Toronto. Mario Pecchia, program man- ager, capital projects – Parks, Forestry and Recreation for the City of Toronto, says, "We had our fair share of chal- lenges on this project but worked our way through them methodically, and we were fortunate to have archi- tects as experienced as that of MJMA Architecture & Design: they recognized the need to balance good design with budget. They were also great collabo- rators and brought a lot to the table." Robert Allen, partner at MJMA Architecture & Design, says, "We were tasked with designing a facility that would not only be functional and aes- thetically pleasing, but also incorporate numerous sustainability elements as well as fitting in with the diverse heights of surrounding buildings." Viktors Jaunkalns, founding part- ner at MJMA Architecture & Design, elaborates, "Our site was small at about 100,000 square feet or so, with high-density mixed-use towers to the east and single-family homes to the west. So our design was very much influenced by these circumstances, and we wound up doing what could be described as 'creative stacking.'" Essentially, the architects designed two bar-shaped volumes of unequal heights: to the west a lower, narrower bar allows for a nine-metre setback facing the single-family homes, buff- ered by a landscaped area of terraces and a playground for the childcare centre (the western bar also houses meeting, art, and game rooms, plus a public kitchen). The upper levels of the taller four- storey eastern bar are split into two volumes of unequal height. The east- ern bar features full-height windows along its primary façade for transpar- ency to an interior gymnasium and running track, multipurpose activity room, and dance and fitness studios. These windows are interspersed with undulating porcelain panels separated by zinc battens, which correspond to the cladding of the western bar. Allen notes that both volumes intersect with a street level aquatics centre and library. "Also, a vegetated roof runs the length of the build- ing, providing pedestrian cover at grade and leading toward the main entrance." Here, a central atrium with a four-storey staircase connects all floors and serves as a community hub. Jaunkalns adds that because reg- ulations stated that 10 percent of the facility's power had to be generated on site, the roof was topped with pho- tovoltaic panels. Some of the facility's other sustainability measures focus on the site's water strategy, including bio- swales and stormwater drainage and retention; additionally, passive light and temperature control was incorpo- rated both inside and out. Eastern Construction Company Limited broke ground in late 2018, tasked with erecting a steel structure with post tensioned concrete beams for the double-height swimming pool and gym (which are stacked on top of each other). Pecchia says, "During excavation for the three levels of underground parking we encountered more ground water than anticipated, but this was taken care of with de-watering. The greatest challenge of the construction was maintaining a safe site during the worst of the COVID outbreaks. There were also material and labour short- ages during this time, but we worked through the processes." Pecchia adds that the tight site meant very little room for laydown or staging, and this required careful co- ordination of just-in-time deliveries. As the Ethennonnhawahstihnen' Community Recreation Centre & Library nears completion, Allen expresses gratitude for a success- ful outcome. "There wasn't nearly enough room on site for ideal con- struction circumstances, yet Eastern and the trades pulled it off," he says. "As for the City of Toronto, we've worked on numerous proj- ects together and they're a terrific client. This particular project is very special – and memorable." A LOCATION 100 Ethennonnhawahstihnen' Lane, Toronto, Ontario OWNER /DEVELOPER City of Toronto ARCHITECT MJMA Architecture & Design GENER AL CONTR ACTOR Eastern Construction Company Limited STRUCTUR AL CONSULTANT Blackwell Structural Engineers MECHANICAL /ELECTRICAL CONSULTANT Smith + Andersen TOTAL SIZE 218,400 square feet TOTAL COST $96 million

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