Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/493534
A PR IL 2015 | 69 IMPROVE Inc. PHOTOGRAPHY GEORGE DIDOK/COURTESY TORPLAN CONSULTANTS INC. IMPROVE Inc. by LAURIE JONES F or the last three years, people driving along highways 7, 407 or 401 in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) have been watching a metamorphosis of the former Crown Cork & Seal Company building to the ultra-unique IMPROVE Inc. Soon to be home to 401 strata-based units, the complex offers 320,000 square feet of space for suppliers of products to enhance any new construction or reno- vation project. Scheduled to open in the summer of 2015, IMPROVE Inc. will be a mecca for consumers, designers and builders at what amounts to a perma- nent home show. "The home improvement industry in this region has approximately 30,000 businesses but they are spread out," says Oleg Chekhter, president. "Unlike the standard big box stores where peo- ple can go in, purchase goods and leave with their items, IMPROVE Inc. will be made up of hundreds of businesses that are showcasing products in the same way as a twice-yearly home show that takes place in cities across the country, only this is year-round." Each of the units at IMPROVE Inc. is 430 square feet, but buyers have the option to purchase more than one spot to a maximum of four that could be com- bined into one store by removing par- tition walls. "By having space here, the monthly running cost per unit would be approximately $1,000," says Chekhter. "Comparatively, one trade show could be the equivalent cost of a year's space at IMPROVE." All of the sellers' units are on the main floor and a 5,000-square-foot mez- zanine at the centre of the building fea- tures a 240-seat presentation area and six meeting rooms. At the front entrance of the complex, the second floor will be home to 25,000 square feet of space for IMPROVE Canada Inc.'s offices and rental office space for the retailers. "Because the building dates back to the 1960s, we had a number of concerns about meeting current code require- ments and passing environmental con- ditions," says Tony D'Andrea, architect with Torplan Consultants Inc. "We were able to convince the owner that we had to strip the building down to bare bones with a steel skeleton remaining. Once construction began, we added the sec- ond storey portion. We were hoping to keep the original roof to a great extent but it didn't have the insulation factor that would make the space economical." The reconstruction also included tak- ing off the exterior skin and recladding it with insulated siding and glazing. The result of this work essentially created a brand new building. D'Andrea feels there are several wow factors in the building's design, including the angular, 80-foot leaning tower at the entrance to the facility. Another feature is the con- cave glass structure at the entry to the site off of Keele Street. The exterior of the IMPROVE Inc. building has almost an organized/dis- organization approach to architecture, says Steve Sutton, partner, GH+A Design. "We went through many planning options with Oleg Chekhter, but ultimately what we wanted was a destination that had its own identity," he says. "We also tried to articulate each of the nine entrances to be distinct so you would know where you are from the parking lot." Project designer at GH+A, Isabelle Gosselin, says they wanted to make sure the experience on the outside was conducive to having people come in at different points, rather than using one main entrance like a standard large store. "We were trying to create something that was not a period piece or trendy because styles come and go," she says. Belrock Design Build Inc. has been affiliated with Torplan Consultants on a number of occasions so the work on the IMPROVE Inc. project flowed well.