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86 | AUGUST 2016 KPMG Tower – Vaughan Metropolitan Centre PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY SMARTREIT KPMG Tower – Vaughan Metropolitan Centre by PETER STENNING I magine 100 acres of underdeveloped suburban land, the equivalent of a large chunk of Toronto's downtown core. Superimpose over it an urban mixed-use community, with a nine- acre park flanked by sparkling office towers and capped by a sprawling public square, an expansive galleria and a 15-storey anchor tower. That, in a nutshell, is the ultimate vision of the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre (VMC), a master-planned project from SmartCentres (which owns the 100 acres that are crucial to the overall development of this 400-acre site) and Diamond Schmitt Architects. Although the VMC is expected to be 20 years in the making, key components are already coming to fruition: the LEED Gold anchor tower, whose main tenant is KPMG, is nearing completion, as is the plaza and galleria. The nine-acre park designed by Claude Cormier + Associes Inc. is in the preliminary planning stages. Even more importantly, the 100- acre site is the terminus of the most northerly station of the University/ Spadina subway extension, slated to open in December 2017; it is also home to the new York Region Rapid Transit bus terminal (designed by Diamond Schmitt as a magnificent timber horseshoe-shaped structure) and accommodates the new VIVA dedicated bus lanes that will connect Markham, Vaughan and Richmond Hill. The VMC, which will ultimately accommodate 35,000 workers and residents, is a far cry from what was originally intended for the site in the 1990s: a big box retail complex. But the area's urban growth node designation by the Ontario government along with the subway extension fundamentally changed SmartCentres' approach. "It was a true alignment of the stars," says Paula Bustard, SmartCentres' VP of development. In 2014, Mitchell Goldhar, founder of SmartCentres, explained why the project is so unique when design work commenced back in 2011: "The VMC is not an area of low- or mid-rise buildings that may eventually give way to increased densities through redevelopment over a generation or two. Here we are starting with the end product – a high-density, fully urban, mixed-use community." With connectivity being the main consideration of development, the first component of the master plan to be designed was the nine-acre park. Claude Cormier associate Sophie Beaudoin points out that it was critical for the park and the KPMG Tower to flow as an organic unit, and in this regard, Beaudoin says: "We discussed architecture with Diamond Schmitt and they discussed landscaping with us, with a precision to the details and high quality materials being the priorities." PCL Constructors LOCATION 100 New Park Place, Toronto, Ontario OWNER/DEVELOPER SmartCentres ARCHITECT Diamond Schmitt Architects CONSTRUCTION MANAGER PCL Constructors Canada Inc. STRUCTURAL CONSULTANT Read Jones Christoffersen Ltd. MECHANICAL/ELECTRICAL/ LEED CONSULTANT Smith + Andersen Consulting Engineering LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT Claude Cormier + Associes Inc. TOTAL SIZE 365,000 square feet (KPMG Tower) TOTAL COST Undisclosed Canada Inc. joined the team early on as the construction managers and provided crucial pre-construction services and value engineering. Michael Szabo, principal at Diamond Schmitt, explains the basic concept of the KPMG Tower: "It would be a business hub, with ground level retail space that would enhance the people experience, which in turn would be further augmented by the civic square designed for concerts, farmers markets and a temporary ice rink to the east of the tower, as well as an open galleria connecting the square to the park." Diamond Schmitt experimented with colour, ceramic frit and spandrel panel both for practical (heat diffusion) and esthetic purposes. Inside, raised floors and acoustical ceiling tile would predominate throughout the building, creating an excellent combination of flexibility and efficiency. Szabo singles out Mitchell Goldhar "for being incredibly hands-on during the design process, from the overall concept of the central park right down to the finishes – which was great for us, as we strongly believe that small details have a big impact in defining the character of a place. For example, very careful consideration was given to bringing the design of the security desk located in the main lobby to ensure it was both highly effective, ergonomic and esthetically consistent with the overall design concept." Kevin Farbridge, LEED green associate principal for Smith + Andersen Consulting Engineering, says his biggest challenge stemmed from the tower's fairly small floor plate, "which drove the decision to a side-located core. Servicing a floor plate from only one side off the core always ends up being a bit more congested, and with an underfloor air distribution system for improved air quality there was the additional limitation to the height of the raised floor. Building capacity into the infrastructure for a future component [residential tower] can always be a challenge when that component is not fully planned." As for meeting LEED Gold standards, Farbridge remarks: "The building was modelled to perform 35 per cent better than the model National Energy Code. With magnetic bearing chillers, heat recovery, UFAD, and LED lighting the owner has a building that should attract and retain tenants." The power distribution for the building is designed for 100 per cent redundancy, and LED luminaries were chosen for the lobby and exterior lighting. Smith + Andersen also provided a fully addressable, two- stage fire alarm system with data gathering panels located every five floors, for maximum flexibility during tenant improvements and future renovations. The security system is comprised of video surveillance, electronic card access control, intrusion detection, duress alarm and intercom. Having overcome numerous challenges (including dealing with an aquifer that made for less than ideal soil conditions), PCL was putting the finishing touches on the tower in July of 2016 – just two years after it broke ground on site; meanwhile, SmartCentres and colleagues were planning for the development of a second building, 257,000 square feet in size, that will contain a YMCA, library, recreational studio space and office space. Given that over $3 billion in new infrastructure is planned for the area, the completion of the tower and impending development of the park is only the beginning for VMC. Nonetheless, these elements, along with the transit facilities, will set the tone for future development of the surrounding lands. "We've dealt with a million and one issues, but the result is an absolutely beautiful tower that will complement a unique urban centre," says Bustard. "We can safely state that there's no other project like this in Canada." A STREETSCAPING, CONCRETE & UNIT PAVING FOR THE KPMG TOWER - VAUGHAN METROPOLITAN CENTRE CONSTRUCTION LTD. CANADIAN ROAD CONSTRUCTION & ENGINEERING CO. 57 Corstate Avenue, Suite A, Concord, Ontario L4K 4Y2 Tel: 905-669-0001 Fax: 905-669-0003 Construction.indd 1 16-07-19 1:50 PM "CAULKING SAVES ENERGY" 35 YEARS EXPERIENCE We are proud of our contribution to the KPMG Tower - Vaughan Metropolitan Centre project. 10 Kenmore Ave., Unit #1, Stoney Creek, ON L8E 5N1 Tel: 905-643-8085 Fax: 905-643-8086 info@fmcl.ca F_M Caulking.indd 1 16-07-22 7:49

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