Programming
The design for the proposed renovation emerged from a series of community meetings driven by a consensus-based decision making process. The community group arrived at the following goals for the renovation of the building:

• Environmentally sustainability as central to the design of all aspects
• Demonstration of sustainable strategies that can implemented in daily life
• Educational opportunities throughout the building
• Flexible Classroom space
• Connection to and celebration of the existing P-Patch and Garden of Happiness
• A large kitchen for community use
• Childcare space next to outdoor space
• Offices
• Separate work room for copying, faxing, printing

Sustainable Building Strategies
Through the community design workshops, strategies for the selection of sustainable technologies to implement in the design emerged. Systems, technologies, and architectural features were evaluated on the following criteria:

• Did the system help to "close the loop" in terms of element input and output?
• Did it help to reduce the load on municipal services and use latent potential within the site itself?
• Was the system/technology transferable to other users in the community?
• Could the system/technology serve as a teaching tool?
• Was the system/technology "volunteer friendly"?
• Did the system/technology make good use of available materials and existing structures?
• Once the systems were evaluated, those that best met the goals were incorporated into the design.

In 1999 Environmental Works is contracted to prepare a feasibility study for the reuse of the building.

Email us