Re-Creation Waterfront - Undergraduate Architecture Thesis by Robert Oleksiak

Contemporary residential developments in urban centers, such as Toronto’s new waterfront community, are predominantly controlled by developers who produce buildings for profit and not for people.

As such, these developments are often constructed without the social amenities needed for strong communities to form and thrive.

This thesis explores the process of taking away an ideal portion of Toronto’s coveted waterfront from developers and returning it to the public by naturalizing the mouth of the Keating Channel and creating a new community and recreation center. Working towards an end goal of Re-Creating Lake Ontario’s ecology and introducing the idea of Recreation as a device to strengthen communal bonds and civic pride.

Site Study Diagrams

Bicycle Lanes Goodman Trail

&

Existing

Existing Green Spaces

Front Entrance

Martin

Vehicular Roads

Go Train Route

Public Transit Routes

Proposed Development Projects in the area

Retail locations

Social Ammenities

Sound Study

Views Study

Sun & Shadow Study

Wind Study

Case Studies & Prescedents Cherry St. YMCA MJMA

York Recreation Centre Perkins & Will

Borden Park (NSP) GH3

Stade de Soccer de Montreal Saucier + Perrotte

Oodi Helsinki Central Library ALA Architects

Antwerp Port House Zaha Hadid Architects

Shane Homes YMCA GEC Architecture

Emerald Hills Leisure Centre MJMA

Thesis Massing Iterations - Diagram 01

02 (Semester 1 Mid-Term)

03

04

05 (Semester 2 Mid-Term)

06 (Final)

Retaining the existing concrete pier and building outward onto Lake Ontario placing a new community centre at the edge of the pier.

Buildings become larger to accomodate full size sport facilities. Each building expresses exterior circulation through stairs and ramps.

Opening up and naturalizing the Keating channel by seperating concrete pier from landmass. Buildings now act as a bridge across the site

Simplifying program and reducing to 3 buildings.

Massing becomes more dynamic splitting in half to create an illusion of 6 buildings.

Buildings now bridge across water and site. Roofs are dropped to allow pedestrian access. Idea to turn the buildings roofs into a public space is created.

Eliminating concrete pier entirely to liberate the entire site and give it back to nature and to the public.

Building floats above the site to priveldge the best possible views for the public.

Lake Side

01

02

Design Concept

Ecological Re-Creation Is promoted by demolishing a decaying concrete pier to infill and naturalize the mouth of the Keating channel. This creates opportunities to a new introduce pond with marshes and plants to promote positive filtration of the Lake. Additionally, the creation of this new natural amenity provides placemaking at the community scale.

Concrete Pier Removal

Retaining Concrete Silos & Lake Infill

03

04

Martin Goodman Trail Extension & Pond creation

Monolithic Concrete Structure

05

06

Parking

Program Separated in Volumes

07

08

Outdoor Spaces

Highlighted Structure

Recreation is created by a new community and recreation center that “floats� on a plane above the infilled site to privilege the greatest possible views for the public. Recreation is also promoted at the site level by detouring the Martin Goodman Trail ( a prominent recreation feature of the Waterfront community) through the site.

Playground (to be developed)

N

DN DN

DN

DN

UNIV.

UP DN

JANITORIAL STORAGE ROOM

GYMNASSIUM EQUIPMENT STORAGE ROOM UNIV.

JUICE/ SNACK BAR

MENS

ELEV.

SEATING AREA

RECEPTION

UP

ELEV.

WOMENS

ELEV.

FIELD SPORTS EQUIPMENT STORAGE ROOM

PLANTER

KITCHEN

ELEV.

LAP POOL ELEV.

MENS

ELEV. LOBBY

WOMENS 25M COMPETITION POOL

UP

LARGE INDOOR SOCCER FIELD

STADIUM STAIR SEATING

SLIDE CIRCULATION + VIEWING AREA

UNIV.

LARGE MULTI-ACTIVITY GYMNASIUM

CIRCULATION + VIEWING AREA

CHILDRENS POOL

NATATORIUM

UP

UNIV. JACUZZI

ELEV.

DN

ELEV.

UP

ELEV.

UNIV.

ELEV.

UP

BENCHES & STRETCHING AREA

BLEACHERS

ELEV.

BENCHES & STRETCHING AREA

ADMINISTRATION - OPEN PLAN OFFICE

TEACHING / LEISURE POOL

MECHANICAL ROOM + WATER FILTRATION

WOMENS MENS

UP

POOL EQUIPMENT STORAGE

STAFF ROOM

OFFICE

MANAGEMENT

Recreation Building Floor Plan Scale 1 : 200

Recreation Building Lobby

Recreation Building Indoor Soccer

Mezzanine Floor Plan - Recreation Building Scale 1 : 200 UNIV.

UNIV.

UNIV.

ELEV.

UP

ELEV.

UNIV. WOMENS

DN

MENS

LOUNGE AREA

ELEV.

UP

DN

UP

ELEV.

ELEV.

SLIDE

BLEACHERS & CIRCULATION

BLEACHERS & CIRCULATION

DN VIEWING PLATFORM

DN

ELEV. ELEV.

UP

ELEV.

UNIVERSAL CHANGE ROOM

ELEV.

DN

ELEV.

BLEACHERS

LOCKERS

CHANGE STALLS

DN UP

WOMENS SHOWERS

VIEWING PLATFORM

MENS SHOWERS W.C. STALLS

Recreation Building Gymnasium

Recreation Building Mezzanine Level

Recreation Building Natatorium

UP

QUIET ACTIVITY AREA

LARGE MOTOR ACTIVITY AREA

STORAGE OUTLINE OF FLOOR ABOVE

RECEPTION 4-5 CLASSROOM

CHILD CARE

INFANT CLASSROOM

TODDLER CLASSROOM

2-3 CLASSROOM

STAFF ROOM

UP

WOMENS RECEPTION

ELEV.

CONFERENCE ROOM

ELEV.

GROUP EXCERCISE ROOM

DN UP

MULTIPURPOSE COMMUNAL ROOM

ELEV.

DN

UP

ELEV.

FITNESS GYM

GREEN ROOF

GROUP EXCERCISE ROOM

MENS

GYM ADMIN. & STAFF ROOM

SAWTOOTH SKYLIGHTS

MULTIPURPOSE COMMUNAL ROOM

MULTIPURPOSE COMMUNAL ROOM

OUTDOOR BASKETBALL COURTS

CORRIDOR

SMALL OUTDOOR SOCCER FIELD

UNIVERSAL CHANGEROOM FOR ROOFTOP SPORTS

CHANGE STALLS

WORKING AREA

WOMEN SHOWERS

MENS

MEN SHOWERS

WOMENS

PUBLIC TERRACE

ELEV.

MEDIA & COMPUTERS

PUBLIC LIBRARY ELEV.

DN

UP

RECEPTION

JANITORIAL STORAGE ROOM

ELEV.

ELEV.

UNIV. W.C.

ADMINISTRATION & STORAGE UNIV. W.C.

MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT

UP DN

UP

FOOD HALL

VEGAN

ESPRESSO UP

RAMP UP 1:15 SLOPE

JAPANESE

BOOKSHELVES

UP

PIZZA

MEXICAN

POUTINE

OUTLINE OF FLOOR ABOVE

QUIET READING AREA

Community Buildings Floor Plan Scale 1 : 200

Roof Plan Scale 1 : 200

GREEN ROOF

SAWTOOTH SKYLIGHTS

FLAT ROOF FLAT ROOF

FLAT ROOF

OUTDOOR BASKETBALL COURTS

SMALL OUTDOOR SOCCER FIELD

PUBLIC TERRACE

MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT

Community Building Library

Recreation Building Roof Outdoor Soccer

Exploded Axonometric 3’ - 0” Thick GluLam Beams

Communal Building Roof 29.32 m

East Elevation Scale 1 : 1000

Steel Cross Bracing 14 1/4” x 18” GluLam Vertical Columns

3’ - 0” Thick CLT Floor

Fin. Floor Communal Building 20.79 m

SawTooth Skylight(s) openings framed out of CLT 5’ - 0” Thick GluLam Beams

Mezzanine floor

Recreation Building Roof 20.48 m

West Elevation Scale 1 : 1000 Perforated copper panel facade

Mezzanine Level 12.56 m

14 1/4” x 18” GluLam Vertical & Diagonal Columns

6’ - 0” Thick CLT Floor

Ground floor Level 8.60 m Monolithic Concrete Foundation

Monolithic Concrete Supports

South Elevation Scale 1 : 1000

North Elevation Scale 1 : 1000

Cross Section - Natatorium Scale 1 : 500

Longitudinal Section East - West Scale 1 : 500

Cross Section - Fitness Gym & Food Hall Scale 1 : 500

Cross Section - Library & Childcare Scale 1 : 500

Recreation Building Roof 20.48 m

High Table with Bar Stools

Person Viewing Stair Platform for Water Slide

Mezzanine Level 12.56 m

Viewing Platform

Starting Block Cedar Benches Ground Floor Level 8.60 m

Recreation Building Natatorium 3D Section