Terri Meyer Boake BES BArch MArch LEED AP
Associate Professor :: Associate Director :: School of Architecture :: University of Waterloo


Ontario College of Art and Design
Addition
Sharpe Centre for Design

Alsop Architects with
Robbie/Young + Wright Architects

Toronto, Ontario

 

Project Information:

In November 2000, OCAD selected European firm Alsop Architects as design architect to work in a joint venture with Toronto-based Robbie/Young + Wright, the project architect, to produce OCAD's capital expansion project.

Ontario College of Art & Design (OCAD) broke ground in late 2002 in preparation for its $42.5 million expansion and renovation featuring the Sharp Centre for Design (SCD). By March 2003, foundations were in place and construction upwards began.

The SCD was completed in Winter 2004.

All new and renovated space was complete by August 2004. The official opening of the SCD, and the new and improved OCAD occurred in October 2004.

For more information please visit http://www.ocad.ca/about_ocad/campus_overview/sharp_centre.htm

The Team:
Design Architect: Alsop Architects, London, England
Local Architects: Robbie Young+Wright Architects, Inc. Gregory Woods MRAIC, Partner-in-Charge
Engineering: Carruthers & Wallace Limited, Paul Sandford, P. Eng., Project Engineer
Project Manager: PCL Constructors Canada Inc., Jeff Murva, Project Manager
Steel Fabricator: Walters Inc., Hamilton, Ontario

construction images | building exterior | building interior

Project Images:
construction sequence movie 1 link
construction sequence movie 2 link

Architect's rendering of the project.
View looking south on McCaul Street.

The large steel truss box sits atop hollow structural steel legs of approximately 93 feet (27m) in length and 914mm in diameter. The thickness of the section wall is 25mm. The taper at each end is 2.5m.
There will be two floors of classroom space in the addition. The overall dimensions of the floor plate are 30m x 83m.

October 17: the installation of the steel decking for the floors is in progress.
Detail showing the connection of the steel leg supports to the base plane of the trussed box.
Glazers installing the sealed units in the colourful curtain wall at the base of the building.
Detail of a support connection for a double leg attachment.
Base connection detail prior to being encased in concrete. Each pair of "legs" is attached to 3 caissons that are tied together below grade to absorb/prevent displacement/lateral movement being transferred from the building through to the foundation.
Base connection detail for the steel supports. The steel connection is covered in concrete.
A primary means of fire egress for the addition is via an exit stair that flies through the space beneath the box and the plaza below. Click image for close up detail.
Connection detail for column supports -- before and after fireproofing.
Iron workers atop the steel box... watch him work!
Iron worker installing bolts in the steel frame. This worker is perched on a steel frame that floats 8 floors above the ground below... watch him work!
Connection details at the top level of the box.
Connection details of the steel framed box.
Grinding operations underway. Click image for close up detail.
watch him work!
Steel connection at the corner of the box. Most of the connections are reinforced for moment resistance.
In preparation for the attachment of cladding systems, a cold rolled steel stud framework is installed between the truss members.
This framework is fitted around the structural members. The location of glazed window panels must be coordinated with the structure and placement of diagonals.
The substructure for the exterior wall cladding system is being installed at the north side of the building at the beginning of November 2003.
Spray on fireproofing is being applied to the hidden portions of the steel structural system.
Scaffolding provides a working platform to commence skinning the underside of the tabletop.
Work proceeds at the front entrance on McCaul Street.
The underlayer of the cold formed steel cladding is installed.
South end of the table top with most of the exterior under layer of cladding complete.
Rigid insulation is installed.
View of the underside of the table top with cladding operations in process.
Cladding operations.
The black squares are installed as a layer of corrugated cladding that sits over the continuous white underlayer.
Installing the metal siding.
The cladding also covers the diagonal fire escape stair.
Intumescent coating is used to fire protect some of the larger exposed diagonal truss members.
View across the south end of the table top prior to cladding.
View across the south end of the table top prior to cladding.
View down the diagonal fire stair.
Interior view of one of the rare steel members that will be left exposed.
Most of the steel on the interior is furred out and clad in gypsum board.

 

These images are for educational use only and may not be reproduced commercially without written permission. tboake@sympatico.ca

Updated June 18, 2008