Community Centre Renovation Proposal

Urban Design Proposal

293 Shakespeare Drive, Waterloo Jianbang Guo PLAN 485 Dr. John Lewis December 18, 2020

Table of Content 2

1. Project Context Analysis 1.1. Site Definition and On-Site Characteristics (3) 1.1.1. Land Use and Activities 1.1.2. Parking and Seating 1.1.3. Topography and Vegetation 1.1.4. The Surrounding Context 1.2. Response to Policy Context (7) 1.3. Project Understanding (8) 1.4. Opportunities and Constrains (9) 2. Design Concept 2.1. Project Goals and Objectives (10) 2.2. Project / Design Precedents (11) 2.3. Abstract Site Layout (12) 3. Site Design Analysis 3.1. Site Plan (13) 3.2. Pedestrian Circulation and Access (15) 3.3. Land use and Services (16) 3.4 Vegetation (19)

1. The Project Context Description

1.1. Site Definition and On-Site Characteristics The project site is located at 293 Shakespeare Drive in Waterloo, Ontario. The site has a general shape of a pentagon with an approximate total area of 3,290 m2. The north and eastern boundaries of the site are connected by sidewalks while the eastern boundary connects to Shakespeare Drive. The perimeter of the site is fenced to prevent trespass except for the foreyard and parking lot. The site can be accessed by two gateways. The main entrance is situated adjacent to the Beechwood Park Homes Association (BPHA) building, while the second entrance can be accessed directly from the parking. The site predominantly consists of recreational land uses, including features such as a swimming pool, tennis court, the BPHA building, and a gazebo for social gathering. The site also has large vegetated areas concentrated on the northeast side of the property with an inclined/declined slope.

Figure 1, Site view of 293 Shakespeare Drive, Waterloo.

Image source: Google Map

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Topography and Vegetation

Figure 2, View from the Front, Image source: Professor John Lewis

Land Use and Activities The property is primarily used for recreational purposes. There is a fence around the property that prevents access to the property, which has somewhat generated a gated character. The main entrance is located in the east towards the driveway. The gazebo and storage are located in the back; they are not well maintained and shown a sign of erosion. Those wooden structures take up a considerable amount of space on site but provide limited functionality.

The activities are more frequent during the summer and less during the winter, and they are generally outdoor activities.

The tennis courts and the swimming pool have the highest usage as they are the main recreational facilities installed onsite. In Canada, outdoor activities have limitations due to the severe winter climate and early spring.

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Parking and Seating The property has a small parking space relative to the lot size, with a maximum occupancy of four vehicles. Also, there are two sets of bike racks close to the tennis court, which can hold 14 bikes. No other parking facilities were found on site.

There are many seating areas around the site; most of them are installed surrounding either the swimming pool or the tennis court. The trees grew on-site only cast shades on some chairs during certain times of the day. Therefore, many sitting benches are exposed under the sun most of the time and can be uncomfortable and can cause physical discomfort from long time exposure. The only other shaded sitting space is under the gazebo, which provides some capacity. The benches around the swimming pool are movable.

As shown in Figure 5, the site is built on a slope, and the elevation is generally high towards the north corner. Then, the platform which the swimming pool is installed is flattened; and it is slightly higher than the tennis court, which is the lowest flattened platform in this site. Standing on the slope, it provides an open view of the entire site and activities happening on the tennis court, the swimming pool, and the gazebo (figure 4).

There are trees generally spread in the northern section of the site. There are two mature trees located at the back of the property in between the wooden pavilion and the storage. There is another mature tree located in the center of the property, which is the only tree that provides shade coverage to some of the seats at a certain time of the day. There is also a group of mature trees at the foreyard of the property.

The two trees right next to the sidewalk bear apples which is interesting and have the potential to create a sense of place or a gateway feeling. The sapling trees are planted on the slope with a tree trunk.

Figure 4, Site View from the North Image source: Jianbang (Chris) Guo

Figure 3, View from the Back, Image source: Professor John Lewis

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1.2 Response to Policy Context

The Surrounding Context There is another community center called Beechwood 2 Pool, which is just northwest of the subject site. To its south, there is a narrow conservation park called Clair Lake Park. Further to the southwest, there is another recreational zone next to the Mary Johnston Public School that has a large open space, which also includes a baseball diamond and a soccer field. The largest OS1 zone is the Waterloo Park, which contains many facilities for different purposes such as sports, social gathering, and workshops, etc.

Zoning:

Cemetery

Municipal Recreation Facility

According to the City of Waterloo Zoning By-law 2018050. The subject site is classified as a Parks & Recreation (OS1) Zone.

The zoning by-law provided an overview of open space zoning categories and specified regulatory standards and permitted land uses in section 11. Under the Parks & Recreation zone (OS1), the restrictions apply in the following.

Crematoria, Funeral Home, and Mausoleum ancillary to a Municipal Cemetery Parkland

Private Recreation Facility

Community Centre

Utility Corridor, including hydro transmission and distribution corridors CITY Arboretum and Greenhouse

Minimum Street Line Setback: Minimum Side Yard Setback: Minimum Rear Yard Setback: Maximum Building Height:

Maximum Coverage: Minimum Parking Spaces:

Figure 5, the Slope, Image Source: Jianbang (Chris) Guo

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Figure 6, Zoning Class (OS1), Image Source: The City of Waterloo

6 metres 3 metres or half of the height of the Building, whichever is greater 7.5 metres or half of the height of the Building, whichever is greater In metres, equal to the numerical suffix as shown on the Zoning Map attached as Schedule ‘A’ to this BY-LAW. Where no suffix is shown on the Zoning Map, the maximum BUILDING HEIGHT shall be 10 metres.

40% 3 PARKING SPACES per 100 square metres of BUILDING FLOOR AREA

The Zoning By-law has identified permitted uses for OS1, includes:

Government Use

Trails and Pathways

Official Plans: Sustainability:

Waterloo Official Plan 8.7.3 The City encourages sustainable design and application of sustainable management practices for development, building renovation and infrastructure. The City also encourages the use of green spaces to provide amenities to community and environment as well as the provision of shades include natural and other materials to offer protection from sun exposure and mitigate the urban heat.

Recreational: Waterloo Official Plan 4.3.2 The City supports the decentralization of recreation and leisure activities at the local neighbourhood level, and the city also supports improvements to access to recreations and the delivery of services.

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1.3 Project Understanding First, the client wishes to create a more diverse and inclusive community by attracting more members, whether they are local community members or tourists outside the neighbourhood, to use the facilities and to attend a wide range of activities. The proposal needs to reflect on the demand for the growing membership as the BPHA anticipates an addition of 250 households registers to membership.

Second, the client wishes to expand the range of activities and make some activities accessible throughout the year. Currently, most of the facilities include a pool and tennis courts, which can only be accessed from late Spring to Fall. The proposal should create facilities and spaces can be used for winter season activities and social gathering and also an emphasis on family-oriented activities/facilities during summer seasons.

Thirdly, the client wants to keep certain features of the site, including the swimming pool and the courts; however, they are being modified to improve uses.

Fourth, the client wishes to improve mobility and accessibility. That includes adding more bike parking spaces for locals and find potential solutions for members living outside the community to commute with private vehicles.

Lastly, the client wants to focus on long-term community-oriented design. The proposal should provide design principles and visions to make the community unique and leading in North American suburbs.

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1.4 Opportunities and Constraints

The BPHA anticipates the growth of memberships and a more diverse mix of a community; the BPHA is currently looking for ways to expand the amenities and services provided by the recreation center to adapt to a broader range of expectations and abilities. The following displays the key consideration and design principles from the client.

Opportunities: • There are several opportunities and benefits from the underdeveloped slope.

• The slope general provides a great view of the entire parcel, parents can oversee all the activities happening within the space, as well as watch their children play freely. The gradual elevation of the slope, if implemented with sitting facilities can be efficiently used for that the audience in the back will not get blocked by the people in front. With a canopy cover over head, the slope can become a great location for sitting as well as relaxing for it received the natural amenities provided by the water (pool) and green environment.

• The slope provides substantial space for redevelopment, additional facilities such as a children’s play zone can be implemented as there is currently none.

• The swimming pool and the planted trees are imperative elements to the recreational park for they provide natural amenities.

• The tennis court and the swimming pool, though they took a considerable amount of space of the property, they are generally well maintained and are the main facilities for recreational activities.

• The wooden gazebo and the storage building can provide space for redevelopment and add or replace facilities if removed.

Constrains: • • • •

The site has limited space to develop for that there are several facilities installed in the parcel already.

The site does not have enough indoor space to support activities during poor weathers, especially in Winter.

The site lacks family-oriented facilities such as a playground for children.

The site’s parking space is relatively small, parking accessibility and capacity need to be considered with the expansion of services and membership.

• The seating areas generally lacks a canopy cover to protect from precipitation and shade from excess sunlight.

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2. Design Concept

2.1 Project Goals and Objectives

The overarching theme of the project redevelopment is “green prosperity” because it offers natural ambiance from several amenities featured in the park, including a swimming pool, a vegetative slope, and native landscaping, while encouraging environmental sustainability by reducing energy consumption and environmental impacts. Moreover, the project provides various uses for diverse demographic population groups, such as a play zone for children, social space for adults, as well as a range of accessible services and opportunities for events throughout the seasons to promote general wellbeing and physical wellness.

Objective 1: Promoting active and passive uses for the sites and opportunities for events.

The BPHA is anticipating membership growth and promoting better uses for the site to incorporate the principle of a more inclusive community. The site provides additional passive site uses through additional seating around the park for socializing and relaxation. A section of the under-utilized slope will be developed as a seating space with canopy cover, benefiting from its elevation; the spot has an excellent overview of the site, which parents can watch their children roaming within the park while relaxing. A gazebo will replace the current community building around the foreyard entrance; the feature provides space for local farmers to sell freshly produced vegetables or other artisan goods, which was popular for this community. Another administrative building is proposed to replace the wooden gazebo and storage at the back to expand the services provided to members and additional indoor spaces to be utilized for events and activities during winter. The site has improved accessibility for elders and the disabled and provided spaces for family-oriented activities. A playground is purposed where children can be constantly monitored by on-site staff at the new building and parents in the seating area. An expansion will be added to the swimming pool, a shallow water zone with equipment designed for elders and children to enjoy the pool’s amenities.

Objective 2: Enhance site definition through improving access to natural amenities

The proposal aims to enhance the site definition of a harmonies space through landscape design. The harmonies feeling of nature is contributed from several senses of viewing, hearing, and smell. An addition of trees will be planted around the site boundary to enclose the environment partially, so the airflow can stabilize. The plants bloom at different seasons, which contributes to various colours and aromas throughout the year. As an important water feature, the pool contributes to a peaceful environment; its peaceful feeling is intensified through water splashes created by the water facilitate as part of the pool’s extension. Some trees are special features for producing fruits such as apples to be picked up by people and attract small animals.

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Prompted by the need of the client and the city to expand the range of activities and improve the quality of service provided by the recreation park, as well as the urge for developing a more diverse and inclusive community, the proposed community-oriented design satisfy the long term need for sustainability and activities. It provides a balance of passive/positive space for activities, a balance of equal opportunities for summer and winter uses, and a balance of natural/urban amenities. It provides an overall welcoming and inclusive feeling to locals and registered members as well as to adults and children.

2.2 Project/Design Precedents

“The Flow” A Multipurpose Pavilion -----by the Department of “Corktown Common”– Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, Architecture of Thailand Inc. The roof of this project took an idea from a tree shading and created the roof pieces similar to leaves. The seating area is raised as moving further back, so everyone can enjoy the sea view without blocking others. The ground layout can be used for various activities, including lecturing, picnics, and other social activities. The second layer of the roofs folds with different angles to imitate the feeling of sitting under a tree.

The idea of this pavilion can be implemented in the seating area on the slope of my site to enhance the site’s natural amenities and its sense of place, and it provides decent coverage to protect people from sun exposure.

Figure 7,8,9 The Flow. Image Source: ArchDaily

Corktown Common Park provides both a playground and a splash pad zone for kids. The Pavilion Terrace with patio seating as a sheltered area for people to gather, relax, and socialize. The Pavilion is generally open through most seasons, but it can also form an enclosure to create indoor space for gathering and warmth in winter.

The idea of water parks for kids can be implemented in the shallow water zone to create additional play facilities for children and family-oriented activities. Moreover, the Pavilion inspired the design of the new building to have retractable walls/windows for different seasons.

Figure 10,11,12 Corktown Common, Image Source: mvvainc

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2.3 Abstract Site Layout The bubble diagram displays a general overview of the subject site and the separation of functions. Comparing to the current site layout, the BHPA building is replaced by a gateway, and the wooden structures at the rear site are replaced with the new BPHA recreation centre. The gateway has an arc to provide coverage for the seating area along the pillars. The new BPHA recreation centre is a two-storey compacted multi-purpose building that provides facilities such as washroom, changing and shower rooms, as well as office. The new creation centre has retractable windows and doors so that they can be closed in the winter to create indoor spaces for social activities. The tennis courts and the parking space largely remain the same; the parking lot has additional bike racks installed. The slope will separate into two sections, the children’s play zone and seating area.

The play zone provides space and facilities for children to play while the parents can interact or choose to watch in the shaded seating area. The part of the swimming pool close to the play zone has an extension for the shallow water play zone; in a way, those two play zones are connected. There is a new entrance open at the north corner to improve accessibility.

The gateway and the front yard will be utilized vegetation and buffers for gardening designed to create a gateway feeling, a definition for the place, and to enhance natural amenities for the site.

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Figure 13, Bubble Diagram

3. Site Design Analysis 3.1 Site Plan

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3.2 Pedestrian Circulation and Access

Figure 14, Rendered Model

The proposed redevelopment of the site hosts several passive and active uses to maximize community engagement for participating members. Some of the original activities that are retained in the redevelopment proposal include the two tennis courts enclosed with a permeable mesh fence in addition to the swimming pool. This pool facility is being modified and extended to include a shallow water zone exclusively for families and young children. The redevelopment plan also includes facilities such as an outdoor children’s play zone, an indoor community center with an outdoor patio space equipped, and a gazebo near the front yard. As mentioned by the Urban Design Goals (UDGs) of the client, the primary design objective for this redevelopment is to engage a diversity of community members through the provision of active and passive activities appealing to members of different age groups. The patio space additionally supports the design objective as it provides an opportunity for members to enjoy the landscape of the built form and the architecture of the recreational complex. Furthermore, the recreational complex effectively helps deliver indoor, year-round activities as a winter retreat for participating members. Many of the outdoor activities that cannot be used during harsh winter climates can be provided indoors in the recreational complex.

Figure 15, Pedestrain Circulation

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The placement and orientations of key site elements have been strategically placed to create an engaging site circulation for a positive pedestrian experience. The site can be accessed by the primary entrance located just adjacent to the recreational complex building, and the secondary entrance is located by the gazebo. The two entrances can be watched from the leaf and the community centre building.

As a result, participating families have an unimpaired visual of the peripheral locations of the site. There are additional entrances to the property that offer connectivity to the tennis courts and swimming pool as retained from the original site layout. Site circulation for both pedestrians and vehicles are supported by vegetative elements.

Much of the existing vegetation along the periphery is retained to create a vegetative buffer for the site. The majority of the passageways and circulations surround the swimming pool and offer connectivity to all site facilities and amenities.

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3.3 Land Use and Services New Community Centre

Figure 16, New Community Centre (Summer Form)

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Figure 17, New Community Centre (Winter Form)

Addition to Active Uses

The new community centre is located at the parcel’s rear entrance replacing the original gazebo and wooden storage shed. These facilities were in poor condition and required a replacement. It provides excessive in-door space compared to the existing community centre that can be utilized for indoor activities. The first floor has a sizeable washroom and change room that features accessibility stalls and respects participating members’ privacy. A storage room is provided and can only be accessed through the front desk by on-site staff. The second floor has a walk-out balcony for people who enjoy a birds-eye view of the site. This balcony is also equipped with patio seating. There is an administrative office unit that can be used for whole meetings and provide staff workers privacy.

Figure 18, Swimming Pool

The building hosts all seasonal activities. During the summer, a section of the building’s façade features floor-to-ceiling retractable panels so that the insides of the building pours itself outwards into the natural environment. The community center features a movable roof; the roof can also be lifted to allow natural airflow. During the winter weather, the roof can be lowered, and the retractable panels can seal the first floor to form more enclosed spaces. Outdoor facilities such as the tennis courts and swimming pools cannot be utilized; therefore, the building hosts these activities indoors so participating members can seek advantages of the services year long. Additionally, during the winter, the swimming pool is converted into an outdoor ice rink, while the gazebo and patio spaces offer warmth to the environment through heat installations and natural fire pits.

Figure 19, New Gazebo

As mentioned previously, the swimming pool facility from the original site layout is retained while modifications will be made to expand the facility further in order to incorporate a wider range of uses for children and families. Additionally, a section of the playground is developed on the north part of the green slope, which was underutilized. The playground, which connects to the shallow water zone, is located near the centre of the park. It was located in the centre in order to better allow people sitting under the “leaf ” and in the community centre to avoid unexpected accidents.Finally, the gazebo replaces the current BHPA building and provides space for seating as well as opportunities for local farmers to sell artisan goods.

Figure 20, Playground

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Landscape - “Leaf ”

3.4 Vegetation Design

Figure 21, 22, “Leaf“

The landscape architecture “leaf ” symbolize a ginkgo leaf that has golden colour once detached from the tree; this seating area is built on unutilized slope ground, advantaged from its elevation, the seating area has a nice view over the entire site, which parents can over watch their children roaming around the site. The landscape provides protection from sunburns or heavy rains. The landscape itself is also attractive aesthetically.

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Taking advantage of the natural landform, the planting plan retained partial elevation and green spaces. An English Garden styled vegetation design will be applicable to the site to enhance the natural experience by improving natural amenities consistent with the goal. The trees and shrubs around the park provide interaction experiences: the sweet apple trees and wild strawberry shrubs bear fruits that can be picked up, the maple trees and retained oak have large canopies at maturity along with other flowers creates a peaceful and harmonious space for people to socialize, relax or meditate. The layout creates a microclimate for the trees formed a barrier isolates noises and blocks north wind; with a series of colours throughout the seasons, the feeling of life and prosperity is greatly enhanced.

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Urban Design Proposal

293 Shakespeare Drive, Waterloo

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