Faculty of Design
Environmental Design
Bridgette Kelly
Industrial Derelicts: An Allegory of Toronto's Watersheds
Environmental Design
2022
This thesis explores the industrial heritage of Toronto’s waterfront and its influence on urban development. Through an understanding of our land and community needs we are able to create a third place that not only facilitates economic objectives coinciding with the waterfront development, but are able to integrate environmental and social objectives. Through this consolidation we can create an energetic place of gathering that helps bring biodiversity, economic vitality, and community to Toronto’s east waterfront. The idea is that for architecture to become transitory, our objectives need to multiply. The introduction of social and environmental objectives help create a sustainable development model that will evolve with the communities growth. The economic drivers behind urban development are approached in a finite manner. From this new challenges arise in the urban setting marking the end of their lifetime. Specifically the expansion of the shoreline serving as an industrial port to provide jobs for Toronto, now becoming abandoned brownfields segregated from the rest of the city. As we progress towards undoing these moves to our land; it becomes apparent that the layout for urban development is not working. Economic objectives are essential to city development and growth but the approach towards building typologies within mixed use developments lack authenticity. The site has historically always been a hub for trades and economic growth, so by utilizing a timeless programmatic model it will bring authenticity to the waterfront. Using a market as a basis for the program and design makes it so a building is able to evolve with development rather than becoming a fixed point in time. As an allegory to the treatment of land, this design uses a “mound” to facilitate auxiliary programs that supports the market. Toronto’s waterfront is unique in its history with the shoreline being a direct reflection of economic decisions. The shoreline expanded from mid 1800s to early 1900s to increase employment opportunities in Toronto. With manufacturing being the most efficient way of mass employment the waterfront became an industrial port, turning the infill that expanded the land into brownfields from improper disposal of industrial waste. As we look towards a green and sustainable future we began remediation of the brownfields using capping methods to isolate contaminated soil and allow for new clean infrastructure and structures to be built. This technique has resulted in a series of green buildings plotted on flat land similar to the industrial land that remains underneath. Although the soil that now sits on the developed waterfront is clean and follows legislation, there is a lack of engagement with the environment. Deriving from the act of capping land, the sloped mound runs along the Gardiner serving as a walkable off ramp from the expressway. The highest level of the mound gives the pedestrian the ability to view the waterfront from 60’ in the air while also serving as a garden to help reduce noise, fight air pollution, and bring green spaces to both levels of the Gardiner.
Work by
Bridgette Kelly
Environmental Design
“My thesis explores the industrial heritage of Toronto's waterfront and how it can unfluence urban growth. Through an understanding of the economic drivers behind development and the integration of a...” [More]
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