ON LOCATION Our exploration of Evergreen Brickworks starts at Tiffany Commons, the central open courtyard flanked by groups of buildings on three sides. In winter, one might be greeted by round planters with naked trees but in summer, one is greeted by a lush green landscape. In order to monitor this changing landscape, visitors are encouraged to upload photos of the area onto social media. There are plaques inserted on planters which describe the plants as the flowering, fragrant or the seed-producing kind(to name a few). The round planters gradually steer you into Tiffany Commons and towards the Watershed Consciousness wall which is an unique feature of the Commons! (no pun intended!) This installation on the exterior wall of the previous dry-press brick plant made of corten steel and vegetation, shows the five rivers (that empty into Lake Ontario) and their ravine systems that make up Toronto’s watershed regions. Looking at it, one realizes
how critical the rivers and ravines are to Toronto. The courtyard is connected to nearby buildings by boardwalks raised from the ground which help in creating areas of water retention during floods, and thus in the process, a dynamic ecological habitat. When you are done taking in the landscape and vegetation at the Tiffany Commons, you can take the boardwalk to the Young Welcome Centre (YWC). The doors of the small vestibule-like space at YWC opens into a double-height hall which serves as the visitor centre. Previously used as a holding room for raw bricks, it is now adorned with artworks and exhibits on the walls. A huge brick press stands tall and mighty in the background. Chairs and tables are strewn around the room making it a casual meeting space. The newly built multi-storey ‘Centre for Green Cities’ (CGC) contains classrooms, meeting rooms, labs, offices etc. is seamlessly attached to the YWC.
Tiffany Commons with the YWC at the back. Image credit: Jiya Benni
104 CITY OBSERVER | June 2016