St-Lawrence Neighbourhood: Crombie Park …2017/10/08 · traditional housing form and scale. To...
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What makes this neighbourhood work for children & youth? PROJECT INFORMATION Address: Between Yonge Street and Parliament, south of Front Street Architects: Various including Irving Grossman, Jerome Markson; Zeidler Partnership Roger du Toit Architects; George Baird and Barry Sampson; Matsui, Baer, Canstone; Oleson Worland Architects; Quadrangle Architects; M. Spaziani. Year Completed: 1980 Built Form Typology: low-rise and mid-rise up to 10-storeys BREAKDOWN A total of 4310 units were developed on a 23 hectare site (42% of the land is devoted to parks and public streets). The density is 2.3x (GFA/ total neighborhood site) with 535,000m2 of floor area. • Community Services: All neighbourhood amenities were phased into the development to ensure equitable access to child care, school and a community centre. • Vertical Integration: Most residential buildings are mixed-use, ensuring convenient access to local services. • Public Realm: Nearly half of the development is devoted to streets and open space. The linear park frames the neighbourhood and provides high- quality, safe outdoor play space. GROWING UP | CASE STUDIES | NEIGHBOURHOODS The St-Lawrence neighbourhood remains one of Toronto’s best examples of a complete community. It was the first planned community to integrate community facilities within the base of residential buildings. The area was planned to ensure that community facilities were phased in as the area grew. This provided a focal point for the emerging community, ensuring that residents had access to community facilities in addition to a mix of uses, including schools, stores, restaurants and other services. The community includes schools that were co-located, another first in Toronto. The Crombie Park Apartments and Downtown Alternative school is the best example: it combines residential, retail, two schools, a park and a recreational facility. The gymnasium and other school facilities are available to the community during off- hours. The playground, between Jarvis Street and George Street, was designed to appear as part of the linear public park, however, the lands adjacent to the school are private property. During school hours, the playground is used by the school community. During off hours it is used by the larger community because it is not fenced off and it appears public. The park is a major open space structuring element for the neighbourhood that helps to spatially define the community and provide it with an identity. In The Shape of the City, 1993 former Toronto mayor John Sewell suggested that the new neighbourhood is a success because it: respects the urban grid; extends existing streets and creates new ones that reinforce the city’s pattern; and achieves high densities while maintaining traditional housing form and scale. To this day it remains of the most desirable neighbourhoods for families. The school playgroud, photographed shortly after construction, with mixed-use buildings beyond. The playground is not fenced, but is sunken a few steps below the street to provide physical separation and sense of security for staff supervising the children. St-Lawrence Neighbourhood: Crombie Park Apartments & Downtown Alternative School Downtown, Toronto
Transcript of St-Lawrence Neighbourhood: Crombie Park …2017/10/08 · traditional housing form and scale. To...
What makes this neighbourhood work for children & youth?
PROJECT INFORMATIONAddress: Between Yonge Street and Parliament, south of Front Street
Architects: Various including Irving Grossman, Jerome Markson; Zeidler Partnership Roger du Toit Architects; George Baird and Barry Sampson; Matsui, Baer, Canstone; Oleson Worland Architects; Quadrangle Architects; M. Spaziani.
Year Completed: 1980
Built Form Typology: low-rise and
mid-rise up to 10-storeys
BREAKDOWNA total of 4310 units were developed on a 23 hectare site (42% of the land is devoted to parks and public streets). The density is 2.3x (GFA/ total neighborhood site) with 535,000m2 of floor area.
• Community Services: All neighbourhood amenities were phased into the development to ensure equitable access to child care, school and a community centre.
• Vertical Integration: Most residential buildings are mixed-use, ensuring convenient access to local services.
• Public Realm: Nearly half of the development is devoted to streets and open space. The linear park frames the neighbourhood and provides high-quality, safe outdoor play space.
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The St-Lawrence neighbourhood remains one of Toronto’s best examples of a complete community. It was the first planned community to integrate community facilities within the base of residential buildings. The area was planned to ensure that community facilities were phased in as the area grew. This provided a focal point for the emerging community, ensuring that residents had access to community facilities in addition to a mix of uses, including schools, stores, restaurants and other services.
The community includes schools that were co-located, another first in Toronto. The Crombie Park Apartments and Downtown Alternative school is the best example: it combines residential, retail, two schools, a park and a recreational facility. The gymnasium and other school facilities are available to the community during off-hours. The playground, between Jarvis Street and George Street, was designed
to appear as part of the linear public park, however, the lands adjacent to the school are private property. During school hours, the playground is used by the school community. During off hours it is used by the larger community because it is not fenced off and it appears public. The park is a major open space structuring element for the neighbourhood that helps to spatially define the community and provide it with an identity.
In The Shape of the City, 1993 former Toronto mayor John Sewell suggested that the new neighbourhood is a success because it: respects the urban grid; extends existing streets and creates new ones that reinforce the city’s pattern; and achieves high densities while maintaining traditional housing form and scale. To this day it remains of the most desirable neighbourhoods for families.
The school playgroud, photographed shortly after construction, with mixed-use buildings beyond. The playground is not fenced, but is sunken a few steps below the street to provide physical separation and sense of security for staff supervising the children.
St-Lawrence Neighbourhood: Crombie Park Apartments & Downtown Alternative School Downtown, Toronto
Proximity to Daycare/School
Proximity to Parks & Open Green Space
Proximity to Public Transit
Walkability of Neighbourhood (Traffic Safety)
Proximity to Community Centre
BCA
BCA The building section demonstrates how the school, retail and residential uses are
integrated and interlocked into one building.
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This drawing illustrates how the linear park provides a spine of public open space to frame the neighbourhood. The playground in the foreground belongs to the school, but through its design, it appears to be a seamless part of the Crombie Park. This image demonstrates how the school’s playground is sunken a few steps below grade, but appears public.
The Crombie Park basketball court appeals to youth in the neighbourhood. The park is framed by buildings which allows for informal supervision.
