MURBS + PEOPLE Reconnecting the Tenants of Toronto’s Multi-unit Residential Developments by Silviu Andrei Anton, B. Arch., Ryerson University, 2010 A design thesis presented to Ryerson University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Architecture In the Program of Architecture Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 2012 © Silviu Anton 2013 I hereby declare that I am the sole author of this thesis. This is a true copy Author’s Declaration of the thesis, including any required final revisions, as accepted by my examiners. I authorize Ryerson University to lend this thesis to other institutions or individuals for the purpose of scholarly research. I further authorize Ryerson University to reproduce this thesis by photocopying or by other means, in total or in part, at the request of other institutions or individuals for the purpose of scholarly research. I understand that my thesis may be made electronically available to the public. ii Abstract MURBs + PEOPLE Reconnecting the Tenants of Toronto’s Multi-unit Residential Developments Silviu Andrei Anton Master of Architecture, 2013, Architecture, Ryerson University This thesis focuses on Multi-unit Residential Buildings (MURBs) in Toronto. It aims to enhance the sense of community in MURBs by reconnecting tenants through urban agriculture (UA) and design. UA is integrated for the purposes of social improvement. It does not only focus on the cultivation aspect, but also on the social potential of the additional activities and interactions that occur through that process. The social and spatial relationships of the users to one another and to the urban fabric led towards the issues of walkability in these developments. By combining community and walkability explorations of Toronto’s MURBs this thesis creates a precedent that promotes the revitalization of these developments. iii Through research and design, this thesis explores the following questions Thesis Statement from an architectural perspective: 1. How can existing MURB developments enhance the sense of community, at the site and neighbourhood level? 2. How can MURB ground planes mitigate abrupt scale variations and incorporate walkable environments, in which people can interact with one another and the street? iv Acknowledgements Special thanks to my supervisor, Leila Farah, for all her patience and support throughout the process. The inputs of June Komisar and Arthur Wrigglesworth have also helped me push my boundaries with this thesis. Also important are the residents of the Warrender Apartment Complex that participated in community and stakeholder consultations and with whom I enjoyed many coffees discussing the project. Best of luck to Brenda Spencer and Don Mills, the members of the Rate Payers Association (RPA) who gave me access to documents used in the litigation process which aided in constructing the history of the site. v Author’s Declaration ii Table of Contents Abstract iii Thesis Statement iv Acknowledgements v Table of Contents vi List of Figures ix 1.0.0.0 Introduction 002 1.1.0.0 Preface 003 1.2.0.0 Toronto: A City of Towers 005 1.3.0.0 Background 006 1.3.1.0 The History and Evolution of MURBs in Toronto 006 1.3.2.0 Origins of the Tower in a Park 009 1.3.3.0 The Current Condition of Toronto’s MURBs 011 1.4.0.0 Research Methodologies 014 1.4.1.0 Data Gathering 014 1.4.2.0 Challenges Encountered and Lessons Learned 015 1.5.0.0 Problem Statement 016 vi 2.0.0.0 Community 018 2.1.0.0 Gardening and Socializing 019 2.1.1.0 Community Gardens in the Greater Toronto Area 020 2.1.2.0 Allotment Gardens in the Greater Toronto Area 021 2.2.0.0 People Are Forgetting About Food 024 2.3.0.0 Relearning About Food 026 2.3.1.0 What Can We Grow Locally? 027 2.3.2.0 Just Because It Isn’t Practiced, Doesn’t Mean It Can’t Be Done 028 2.4.0.0 The Role of Design in the Context of Community Building and Urban Agriculture 031 2.4.1.0 Housing and Urban Agriculture 032 2.4.2.0 Urban Agriculture Is More Than Food Production 034 2.4.3.0 Edible Architecture 036 2.5.0.0 Takeaways 038 3.0.0.0 Walkability 040 3.1.0.0 Public Spaces Between Buildings 041 3.1.1.0 Activities 042 3.1.2.0 Successful Public Spaces Between Buildings 043 3.1.3.0 The Need for Contact 043 3.1.4.0 Contacts and Their Potentials 044 3.2.0.0 Architectural Implications 045 3.2.1.0 Children’s Play Habits 046 3.2.2.0 The Use of Public Seating 046 3.2.3.0 Pedestrian Attractions 047 3.2.0.0 Takeaways 048 vii 4.0.0.0 Site Analysis 050 4.1.0.0 Central Etobicoke Scale 051 4.1.1.0 Networks 052 4.1.2.0 Buildings 057 4.2.0.0 Site Scale 061 4.2.1.0 Site Location 062 4.2.2.0 A History of the Warrender Apartment Complex: From Proposed Developments to the Site Today 063 4.2.3.0 Understanding Scales 071 4.2.4.0 Vegetation 094 4.2.5.0 Social Interactions on the Site 095 4.2.6.0 Urban Agriculture Integration 097 5.0.0.0 Structure and Process of the Design Proposal 108 5.1.0.0 The Site 109 5.1.1.0 Current Conditions 109 5.1.2.0 Future Conditions 113 5.2.0.0 Theme Development 113 5.2.1.0 Production 113 5.2.2.0 Community 125 5.2.3.0 Access 129 5.3.0.0 Process Conclusions and Final Design Proposal 133 5.4.0.0 A Day In the Life Of 159 5.5.0.0 Concluding Statement 172 List of References 175 Glossary 179 Index 180 viii List of Figures All figures that do not contain a source were entirely generated by the author for the purposes of this thesis. Figure 1-1-1 A panoramic view taken from an apartment on the eighth floor on the north- east corner of 25 Warrender Avenue. It is a rental building that is part of a MURB complex in Etobicoke (photograph taken during a coffee break, July 6, 2012). PAGE 3 Figure 1-1-2 A photograph illustrating a crab-apple tree that was cut down and never replaced near the entrance of 25 Warrender Avenue (photograph taken during a site visit, July 7, 2012). PAGE 3 Figure 1-1-3 A photograph illustrating the lobby of 25 Warrender Avenue bring closed off and used for storage (photograph taken during a site visit, July 7, 2012). PAGE 3 Figure 1-2-1 An aerial view of downtown Toronto taken from an airplane flying over Lake Ontario (image courtesy of ERA Architects, & University of Toronto, 2008). PAGE 5 Figure 1-3-1 An aerial view of the City Park Apartments. Located at 484 Church Street in Toronto. They are the first example of MURBs in Toronto (retrieved on July 6, 2012 from: http:// toronto.ibegin.com/pictures/4987.jpg). PAGE6 Figure 1-3-2 An aerial photograph of Vällingby, a district in Västerort in north-west Stockholm, Sweden (retrieved on July 6, 2012 from http://www.istp.murdoch.edu.au/ISTP/casestudies/ Case_Studies_Asia/urbvill/14.jpg). PAGE 7 Figure 1-3-3 A street level photograph of Roehampton, a district in south-west London (retrieved on July 06, 2012 from: http://cache.wists.com/thumbnails/1/e1/1e1d7599a9b7f21da133d13d4c 3718e2-orig). PAGE 7 ix Figure 1-3-4 to 1-3-6 A photograph of the master plan model for Flemingdon Park. A photograph of the master plan model for Thorncliffe Park. An aerial view overlooking Thorncliffe Park and Flemingdon Park (all images courtesy of ERA Architects, & University of Toronto, 2008). PAGE 7 Figure 1-3-7 A line graph illustrating construction statistics for different housing types for the GTA from 1950 to 2005 (ERA Architects, & University of Toronto, 2008). PAGE 7 Figure 1-3-8 A map of Toronto (shown in grey) illustrating the distribution of MURBs (shown in black) relative to the downtown core (highlighted in red) and major public transit lines (shown in red) (ERA Architects, & University of Toronto, 2008). PAGE 8 Figure 1-3-9 An axonometric of the Freehold Maisonettes concept showing how each unit has its own separate garden. This was a typical condition created in the Immeubles Villas concept in 1922 (Le Corbusier, 1986). PAGE 9 Figure 1-3-10 A master plan of the Ville Contemporaine proposed in 1922 (retrieved on July 06, 2012, from: ttp://test.classconnection.s3.amazonaws.com/202/flashcards/426202/png/screen_ shot_2011-04-01_at_10.47.00_pm.png). PAGE 9 Figure 1-3-11 A physical model of the Plan Voisin from 1925 (retrieved on July 06, 2012, from: http://golancourses.net/2012spring/wpcontent/uploads/2012/02/207a.jpg). PAGE 9 Figure 1-3-12 A vista illustrating how Le Corbusier envisioned technology, nature and man coexisting in harmony in the Ville Radieuse in 1933 (Colquhoun, 2002). PAGE 10 Figure 1-3-13 A photograph of a MURB development near Don Mills Road and Highway 401 illustrating large unprogrammed, underutilized and unfriendly landscaping (ERA Architects, & University of Toronto, 2008). PAGE 11 Figure 1-3-14 A diagram illustrating typical built-to-open space ratios in Toronto’s MURB developments. It also illustrates an overall increase in lot size during the MURB Era correlated with a decrease in density (ERA Architects, & University of Toronto, 2008). PAGE 12 Figure 1-3-15 A picture of a hole residents cut in a fence to shorten their walking distance to the bus stop.