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News Release: June 29, 2010
VAUGHAN LAYS FOUNDATION AS A GREEN CITY WITH ECO-FRIENDLY DESIGN OF NEW CITY HALL
Vaughan Council was joined by City officials, senior staff and the project team to unveil a plaque today in the new City Hall that commemorates the laying of the cornerstone.
"We are here to celebrate the beginning of a new era with the construction of Vaughan's new City Hall," said Mayor Linda Jackson. "This building is a tangible expression of the City's commitment to environmental stewardship and will become a benchmark for sustainable development in our community. Vaughan has grown into a major urban centre and now we have an award-winning City Hall that will be a source of civic pride for many years to come."
Combining state-of-the-art technology with a whole-building approach to sustainability, the multi-level 280,000-square-foot City Hall is Phase 1 of a proposed three-phase Civic Centre campus which will include a public resource library, civic square, reflecting pool/skating rink, gardens and parkland. In addition, York Region is constructing a 84-unit affordable rental housing apartment just south of the new City Hall to replace the Maple Manor apartments at Major Mackenzie Drive and Keele Street.
The award-winning Canadian architectural firm Kuwabara Payne McKenna and Blumberg (KPMB) designed the new City Hall to achieve a Gold certification for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). It will be one of largest public buildings in Canada to be recognized for its eco-friendly features, including energy-efficient heating and cooling systems, maximum use of natural light, and water-efficient landscaping.
The multi-million dollar project has already been recognized nationally with the 2004 Canadian Architect Award of Excellence and locally with a 2005 Vaughan Urban Design Award.
"The new City Hall reflects the characteristics that define our City; namely, innovation, service excellence, and environmental stewardship," said City Manager Clayton Harris. "It represents an exciting step forward in a City already recognized for its quality of life, business opportunities, and economic prosperity."
City staff will be moving into the new building this fall. An official public opening is scheduled to be held in conjunction with the inauguration of the new Council on December 6, 2010.
Council
Report - Award of Tender, New City Hall (December 2006)
Conceptual Drawings - New City Hall
BACKGROUNDER - VAUGHAN'S NEW CITY HALL
- Vaughan’s current Civic Centre was last renovated in 1982 when Vaughan’s population was 36,815. Today, Vaughan’s population is 280,000, and is expected to increase to 418,000 by 2031.
- In April 2003, Council approved a resolution to build a new City Hall to meet the long-term needs of Vaughan’s growing population and enhance the delivery of municipal services.
- The extended civic square, reflecting pool and garden will be developed in Phase 2 and Phase 3.
- In January 2004, a three-day open house was held to allow the public to view four design submissions in the Design Competition for the City Hall.
- In February 2004, it was announced the award-winning architectural firm Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architects (KPMB) of Toronto had been selected to design the new City Hall.
- In 2006, Vaughan Council awarded the construction contract for the City Hall to Maystar General Contractors Inc. of Vaughan, as the lowest compliant bidder.
- Construction began in February 2007.
- Vaughan’s new City Hall is Phase 1 of a three-phase campus design of low-rise buildings that will include a public resource library, civic square, reflecting pool/skating rink, gardens and parkland. In addition, York Region is constructing a 84-unit affordable rental housing apartment just south of the new City Hall to replace the Maple Manor apartments at Major Mackenzie Drive and Keele Street.
SUSTAINABLE DESIGN
- The project has received national attention with a Canadian Architect Award of Excellence in 2004 as well as local recognition with a 2005 Vaughan Urban Design Award.
- The City Hall is organized as an L-shape with each wing featuring a central atrium to draw daylight into the building. Connecting stairs within the atrium will help reduce elevator use.
- The size of the new City Hall is 280,000 square feet.
- The new City Hall takes a whole-building approach to environmental sustainability by focusing on energy conservation and reduced dependence on natural resources. It sets the tone and standard for environmentally-responsible and civic-minded development in Vaughan.
- Once complete, the building will be proposed for Gold certification in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). It is expected to be one of the largest civic buildings in Canada to achieve this rating.
- LEED is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. Certification provides independent third party verification that a building project is environmentally responsible.
- The process for LEED certification focuses on six areas of design: Sustainable Sites; Water Efficiency; Energy and Atmosphere; Materials and Resources; Indoor Environment Quality, and Innovation and Design Process.
- The building is fully-integrated with a number of sustainable design features, such as maximum exposure to natural daylight, passive solar shading, energy-efficient heating and cooling systems, natural ventilation and water efficient landscaping.
- The building is expected to realize a savings of 25 per cent in operational costs annually compared to the operating costs of a conventional building of the same size. The new City Hall will use less energy per square foot compared to the current building.
- The building has a fitness area on the lower level, as well as a daycare and a chapel on the second floor.
The building is fully accessible with wider aisles, ramps, automatic doors and lower counter heights.
- The dramatic 10-storey (44.8 metres) clock tower will act as a solar chimney, drawing in fresh air into the structure to reduce reliance on its mechanical systems.
- Approximately 50% of the roof will consist of low-growth vegetation, forming a green roof. This will aid in the natural filtration of storm water for reuse in irrigation, as well as lower surrounding air temperatures in the summer.
- Public gardens will use naturalized vegetation to minimize water and maintenance requirements. The public park will also feature a mix of native trees and plants to reinforce the site’s regional character.
- To reduce the environmental impact of long-distance transport, regional materials have been incorporated into design wherever possible. Materials include corn fibre carpeting, North American white oak, Wiarton limestone and Terrazzo flooring. Reflective architectural concrete has also been used to naturally brighten the interior.
- Use of ground water retained in a below grade cistern will provide natural irrigation of the green rooftops and site landscaping.
LINKS
New
City Hall Brochure (Published 2004)
Vaughan
City Hall Development - Site Selection
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