DESIGN ISSUES
Victoria Park, laying in the northern river valley of the North Saskatchewan River, is visually engulfed by the vast treed carpet that extends from the edge of the river to the sharply rising valley edge/bank on the north. This expansive natural setting has been a destination for Edmontonians for a hundred years, and its changing face is a fascinating reflection of the ever evolving society and the values and priorities of the citizens it serves. Currently including a city golf course and an outdoor speed skating oval, the park lacks a clear identity and a legible point of entry for the unprogramed public recreation activities. With a history as an important civic living room, Victoria Park has the potential to [re-]capture the imagination of many, while strengthening its role as a source of civic pride and sense of community in the minds of Edmonton's urban population. Unlike the newer suburban parks in the city, its rich history is an abundant source of inspiration, and the natural, mature setting is an urban oasis where the human relationship to nature is still direct and present.
RATIONALE/CONCEPT
Enhancing, augmenting and even creating the identity and presence of Victoria Park at a variety of vantage points is at the core of the project. Rising above the surrounding tree canopy, the verticality asserts the presence of Victoria Park directly and clearly in view against the valley's landscape and tree canopy. Establishing the park as an important destination and providing it with a visible identity from a distance serves to strengthen the draw of the site. This new focal point becomes an identifiable destination and from there forms a gateway from which to explore surrounding trails and picnic areas. The experience of this project begins with the appearance of the tower above the tree line and continues as one catches glimpses of it through the trees from clearing to clearing as they approach. Once at the base, visitors are drawn up into the structure and gradually enveloped by the tree's foliage and showered with light and shadows filtering through the forest. The journey culminates finally at the vertical clearing above it all, with the quiet and expansive view over the tree line and towards the city beyond. Gently rising from the ground and reaching towards the sky the project captures the wonder and magic of a child's tree house, adding a vertical axis to the park experience.
DESCRIPTION OF DESIGN SOLUTION
The 'proposal' is located at the edge of the tree clearing, just north of the skate oval. The majority of the building program is intentionally pushed into the trees, ensuring a varied site condition from the south to the north side of the building, while allowing for the height of the tower to be situated in the clearing for maximum visibility from the skate oval.
The building program is organized along an axis that leads the visitor from the ground plane to above the treetops. A ramp starting at grade in the interior, punctures back to the exterior on the opposite face of the mass, now becoming a carved crevasse on the exterior facade. Traversing among the tree branches and providing access to various spaces along the way, the ramp continues to the second floor multipurpose room, and finally leading to an access stair that travels to a panoramic view platform just above the tree canopy. The ramp is paralleled with a single flight convenience stair which leads to and from the first floor skate change area and the second floor MPR. The skate change area becomes a breezy, glass encased multipurpose space below the underside of the rising tower form. This space is rendered for both sport and gathering activities, easily shifting between an informal and formal character. The varying size bench rings invite seating along both their inner and outer edge, leaving the interpretation and delineation of the spatial relationships to the user. There are a number of opportunities for public art along the building spine, with the most dramatic space reserved at the top of the tower, behind the shroud of the exterior skin. The linear organization allows the program to naturally be divided into phases, simply by the addition of length along the organizing axis. The bend of the building spine further provides a sense of enclosure on the exterior, suggesting a smaller microclimate for skate and play to form adjacent to the building.
TECHNICAL ASPECTS OF DESIGN SOLUTION
The building is a structural wood frame, with charred wood cladding. The charred material provides a natural and highly effective seal against the elements, eliminating the need for on-going maintenance, and thus reducing long-term operational costs. This historic wood preservation method has recently been tested in modern building projects around the world, from Scandinavia to Japan. This traditional preservation and finishing method that creates a distinctive black coating is both whimsical and folkloric, modern and yet traditional. The structure and envelope of the building employ standard practices of insulated stick frame as well as heavy timber construction found across Western Canada.
SUSTAINABLE ASPECTS OF DESIGN SOLUTION
In general, the construction will respect the principles of sustainable building practices. These principles, fully to be outlined and developed during detail design phase, will include passive heating and cooling, optimized energy performance, efficient water management (through low flow fixtures and dual flush toilets], construction waste management, use of regional, low emitting and recycled materials, and use of certified wood. As outlined in the competition brief the project will achieve minimum LEED Silver rating with specific elements being chosen through design development in response to the specific nature of the project.
(From competitor's text)
17 scanned / 16 viewable
- Presentation Panel
- Presentation Panel
- Perspective
- Perspective
- Perspective
- Perspective
- Perspective
- Perspective
- Site Plan
- Plan
- Section
- Schema
- Schema
- Schema
- Schema
- Schema
