Crossing the Gap:
Lawrence Heights Arts Bridge

ALLEN ROAD, TORONTO | 4th Semester Graduate Comprehensive Studio
Studio Partner: Aziz Bahou | Critic: Maria Denegri

Project Overview

There is a void in the fabric of the Lawrence-heights neighbourhood.  The void was created with the construction of the Allen Expressway over forty years ago. This void creates both a spatial and social divide between the Lawrence Heights community and its surroundings.  This lack of connectivity constantly undermines the success of the local community. The current development proposal, with its large yet spatially divided park further exemplifies the constant difficulties which the void causes to redevelopment. There is a great need for increased community programs and an identifying nucleus in the neighbourhood. It is a priority then, that the proposed  community arts-bridge not only re-connects the Lawrence-Heights neighbourhood spatially, but reinforces the community link across the Allen road and embraces the identifying dichotomy of a split-yet-together community. Our proposal attempts to remedy both the spatial and social gulf by creating an infrastructural link between the neighbourhood’s opposing sides. This infrastructural link takes the form of a community centre landform-bridge which unites arts-exhibition, arts production, and social/commercial innovation. This arts-bridge enables the continuity of both parkland and community across the Allen Expressway void while finally creating a unified nucleus both spatially and socially in the Lawrence-Heights neighbourhood.

Design Breakdown

The main goal of the arts-bridge infrastructure is to create an east-west physical connection across the Allen Expressway valley. This connection is created by a publically accessible green-roof which provides parkland continuity over the Allen. The form of the bridge mass is developed through the tracings of two curves which link four primary intersections bordering the site. These curves, in the form of landscape retaining walls are used to hold back earth ramps which lead to the bridge. Entrance to the arts-centre program occurs at 6 different points along the building path. These six entrances occur at building atriums which allow north-south porosity and connectivity through the building as well as vertical access through the centre and onto the green roof. 

The programmatic distribution of the arts-bridge program is divided into three programmatic clusters spread over five building masses. These building masses are organized according to three main programmatic classifications: arts production, arts exhibition, and commercial innovation. The innovation and exhibition clusters are situated at opposite ends of the building with the arts production cluster connecting them. The linear relationship of these programmatic clusters attempts to engage the generative potential of art and design in both cultural and commercial means. While the Centre of Innovation’s location on the west side of the site takes advantage of higher commercial densities as well as more immediate access to public transit, the arts-exhibition cluster is more adequately centered within the residential community and park landscape. 

The arts-bridge program is developed as a layered texture of programmatic elements. These programmatic elements took cues from the fluid locomotion of a ballerina dancer organizing them in a way that allows the user to meander and glimpse each program while moving from one space to the other. Ramps as circulation elements follow suit in order to navigate the user through this ‘view and be-viewed’ programmatic distribution. The building’s North and South elevations morph with the landscape retaining walls and the façade of the building takes cues from the rocky/organic face of the retained earth and become a triangulated and faceted, perforated metal skin. The perforated skin acts as a shading device with perforations that change in diameter in response to shading requirements of the program behind it.

Environmental Systems

The project is a land-form building that has a bridging component over the Allen Expressway. At the East and West of the site, the building merges with earth berms on each side in order to provide access to an intensive green roof. Horizontal geothermal loops are located in the berms. Heat pumps connected to the geothermal loops are used to provide heating and cooling to radiant floor systems and intake ventilation. Earth tubes are also located on either side of the building within the earth berms. These earth tubes provide preheating and cooling to intake ventilation air. The earth tubes’ intake distance from the Allen Expressway
allow intake of fresher air than may be present at the building facade. Mechanical rooms were added on both sides of the building to account for its length and to manage intake for the split system.

Environmental Data

Construction / Detailing