Project Update – Evergreen Brick Works heritage site revitalization, Toronto, Canada

Holcim Awards Acknowledgement 2008 North America
Overview Evergreen Brick Works was officially opened in September 2010 as Canada’s first community environmental center and is designed to become LEED-Platinum certified. The site includes an education center, exhibition spaces and diverse social services focused on promoting sustainable cities – and was Headquarters in North America for UNEP’s World Environment Day celebrations in June 2011.
Main author David Stonehouse, urban planner, Evergreen, Toronto, Canada

Evergreen Brick Works officially opened
Evergreen Brick Works officially opened in September 2010 as Canada’s first community environmental centre. After eight years of designing and building – the transformation of the historic Don Valley Brick Works is now complete. Evergreen Brick Works is a place for people to share ideas and explore best practices related to sustainability. In addition to revitalizing the heritage buildings, Evergreen’s headquarters in the newly constructed Centre for Green Cities is designed to become LEED Platinum certified.

The venue will enable the exploration of global issues, including the green economy, urban ecology, transportation, water, energy, waste management, agriculture and food, building design and land-use planning. The site’s use of a wide range of green technologies will help make it a national hub for urban sustainability. For the family and community, Evergreen Brick Works offers year-round programs and activities that include a sustainable garden centre, a farmers’ market, demonstration gardens, and kitchens, conference and event facilities, youth leadership and children’s camps, community bike space, family programming and programs for youth.

The Evergreen Brick Works USD 54 million capital campaign has more than raised USD 47 million. The Government of Canada has contributed USD 20 million through the Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund and the Government of Ontario has committed USD 10 million.

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) named Toronto the host city for World Environment Day 2011 in North America (June 5). Evergreen was selected as the headquarters and events were held in celebration on June 6 and 7.

Holcim Canada contributes to sustainable construction through the Evergreen project
Holcim Canada has been involved with the project since the “Evergreen Brick Works Site Revitalization Project” won an Acknowledgement prize at the 2008 Holcim Awards competition for sustainable construction projects and visions.

“The Brick Works was essentially a quarry and this transformation demonstrates how such sites can be rehabilitated to create an ecological and community legacy,” said Paul Ostrander, Holcim Canada President and CEO.

All three of the site’s parking lots were built by Holcim Canada’s subsidiary, Dufferin Construction – two using conventional concrete while the other is made of a specialized pervious concrete that is porous. The pervious concrete allows storm water to filter through more easily, and thus replenishes groundwater. Recycled concrete aggregate was used as base material for the parking lots and backfill around the rest of the site. Holcim Canada supplied the materials and services for the construction of large concrete planters that provide the public with shade and seating, in addition to the foundations for the newly-built Centre for Green Cities, several of the restored buildings and the base of the Evergreen Garden.

Sustainable City Innovation Network
Investing in the development of clean technology will help Ontario continue to turn the corner, help economic growth and create the next generation of jobs. The Evergreen Brickworks as part of the Sustainable City Innovation Network supports the Ontario’s Long-Term Energy Plan to get Ontario off dirty coal-fired power and replace it with cleaner sources of electricity – like wind, solar and bio-energy.
The new Sustainable City Innovation Network will:

Connect leading innovators, city builders, entrepreneurs, researchers and others so they can collaborate on developing and implementing clean technologies
Host an annual EXPO series to promote and showcase Ontario’s innovative clean industries
Serve as a national hub for information about sustainability in cities
Strengthen Ontario’s position as a leader in the global clean economy.

Project background
The revitalization of the Don Valley Brick Works in the industrial fringe of Toronto is an initiative of a Canadian charity, Evergreen, that aims to engage citizens in restoring degraded and abandoned urban places through active participation. The project consists of the revitalization of an industrial heritage site as an education center focused on sustainable cities. The key issues to be developed and communicated to the broad public encompass environmental and community health, “brownfield” redevelopment, heritage conservation, sustainable design and the need for innovative public-private partnerships. This very broad approach to the complex task of urban transformation combined with an efficient management of the urban metabolism, driven by a strong partnership between citizens and authorities are the outstanding merits of this project.

Last updated: 06-June-2011

Image gallery – Evergreen Brick Works heritage site revitalization, Toronto, Canada
Selected project photos shown below can be downloaded immediately in high-resolution format. To download an image, click on the link below any picture. Images may be used for media and academic purposes and must include a photo credit: Photos: ©Holcim Foundation, images by www.nikkolrot.com

Evergreen offers programs that include a sustainable garden centre, a farmers’ market, demonstration gardens and kitchens, conference and event facilities, and youth leadership and children’s camps.

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The project consists of the revitalization of an industrial heritage site as an education center focused on sustainable cities.

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An abandoned factory site is reborn as a community environmental center: Evergreen Brick Works, Toronto, Canada.

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Evergreen’s headquarters in the newly constructed Centre for Green Cities is designed to obtain LEED Platinum certification.

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The Young Welcome Centre presents innovative programs for exploring how to live, work and play more sustainably - and features art and environmental exhibits and artifacts.

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