DTAH Architects Ltd.
The mission of Evergreen was to transform a deteriorating industrial site in Toronto’s Don Valley into an environmentally- themed community landmark. A multi-disciplinary team of designers had a mandate to preserve the past and implement sustainable design. The one new building, The Centre for Green Cities, is a LEED Platinum candidate. Heritage preservation, site remediation and defining the landscape all played a significant role.
The adaptive reuse of the existing buildings, interconnected by bridges and walkways, formed the basis of the revitalization. Evergreen has become a popular destination for events such as a weekly farmers’ market, children’s programming and conferences.
Photo: Chris Hillier
Photo: Tom Arban
Photo: Vito Riccio
Photo: Tom Arban
Photo: Chris Hillier
“If ever a project was worthy of this National Urban Design Award it would be the Evergreen Brick Works project. Every aspect of this initiative makes it worthy of a case study – it did everything right! Starting with the idea of being a showcase for sustainability it delivered on all fronts: nature and ecology; heritage preservation and architecture; landscape and site remediation; energy and water conservation; and material resources. All of this was delivered with a process that brought together community interest groups, a multi-disciplinary professional team and an enlightened client.”