Sidewalk Labs Toronto HQ
Response to RFP for Interior Architect Services January 16, 2018
SvN110 Adelaide Street East, 4th FloorToronto Ontario M5C 1K9 Canada416 593 6499www.svn-ap.com
Contents
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Connecting to the Public 2Interior Fit-out 10Materials and Construction 20Furniture 20
Scope of Work 22Phasing 22Team and Services 22
Ideas 2
Budget 23
Project Scope 22
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Sidewalk Labs Waterfront Toronto is a hugely ambitious and welcome endeavor to re-think the urban environment. For this vision to materialize in Toronto, we understand that Sidewalk Labs wants to establish an exchange platform, both physical and virtual, for ideas and aspirations to take shape.
This proposal is a series of ideas on how your presence on the site can hold your promise for the project to be a “history-making public conversation” about cities and engage the widest possible audience.
First, it is key to augment your visibility on the site. We do not think that altering the existing building’s envelope is the best way to augment that visibility and we would rather treat it as an “objet trouvé”.
Instead, we are proposing to add a temporary scaffolding structure to create a new public space at the waterfront and to broadcast your ideas to the city. The structure is a simple stack of three volumes, each with a specific urban function.
At the ground floor, a stair frames a new public space at the South West part of the site. This is an outdoor forum to display prototypes but also has the ability to host outdoor events, farmer’s market, shows, installations, etc. This public plaza will be the first public space, albeit temporary, for the Waterfront development and we see it as a key addition to the city’s network of public spaces. This plaza is also the public entry point to the existing building.
At the top of the stair, an ‘urban room’ provides an elevated viewpoint to the waterfront site. We imagine this area open to the public for a potential exhibition space but also to be used as a tool to projects your ideas onto the site. This a space where the public, technologists and urbanists share VR glasses to visualize the key
Connecting to the Public
1 Ideas
components of the new development. In the winter, we envision this space to have a waterproof membrane around the scaffolding to create a protected and partially heated outdoor room for year round exhibition and viewing.
The top volume is a campanile, a tower structure reaching above the Gardiner Highway to broadcast your ideas to the city at large. It will become a new temporary landmark for Toronto and an image of what is to come. As part of the scaffolding structure, an elevator will connect directly the interior of the building to the top of the tower. After a presentation, you can take guests to the top for panoramic views of the city and Lake Ontario.
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VIEW FROM GARDINER EXPRESSWAY - TO DOWNTOWN VIEW FROM GARDINER EXPRESSWAY - TO SCARBOROUGH
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Site Section
50m30100
QUEEN’S QUAYEAST
VICTORY SOYA MILLS SILOS
GARDINEREXPRESSWAYGO TRAIN
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We have carefully considered the interior spaces to best balance the use for the general public and that of the individual worker. In general, the existing space already has great spatial qualities and the right scales for holding public events, fabrication labs and workspaces. Our approach is to use these existing characteristics to distribute the program, changing the interior spaces minimally in order to reduce the amount of work necessary.
The ground floor is organized around a new public entrance on the South side, along the outdoor plaza. It articulates and connects all the public programs, reception with coat check and the café/waiting area. It is large enough to hold small exhibitions with the information wall. We have relocated the washrooms to this area, given its public use and the number of people who will attend events, both indoor and outdoor.
This new lobby connects directly to the most impressive existing space at the back of the building, with its high ceilings and clerestory windows. This is the main event space outfitted with a new bleacher stair for the public. We imagine all the public meetings to be ‘town hall style’, with informal gatherings, shows and parties also able to be held in this space. The event space is connected by the elevator to the top of the campanile.
The fabrication areas occupy the remainder of the ground floor. They are visually connected to the public areas and can be opened or closed off to the public. They are conceived as two connected open rooms to be flexibly arranged and reconfigured to fit the type of work and size of prototype you will be working on. The perimeter of these two open rooms consists of storage rooms for both materials and tools with a direct connection to the existing loading dock. The machine rooms are enclosed and more contained since it may need a separate noise mitigation and/or ventilation system.
Interior Fit-OutWe have redesigned the staff entrance on the east side of the building. At the entrance, there is a new lobby area with lockers, changing rooms with commuter showers and a shared kitchen.
All workplaces are upstairs. We are proposing to connect both existing mezzanines together with a walkway suspended from the existing steel roof structure. This way, the upper level can function completely independently from the ground floor. The walkway is open onto the main event space and connected to the top of the bleachers. The walkway also provides code access accessibility to the mezzanine via the elevator. The walkway is attached to the exterior of the existing building to connect to the West mezzanine, and will provide an added visibility from the Lake Shore Boulevard side.
The East mezzanine contains all the workstations surrounded by enclosed meeting rooms of different sizes. These rooms can also accommodate private offices if desired. The West mezzanine contains the project rooms and also the Board Room. The Board Room is conceived of as a separate suite with direct access, via the existing stair, to the public entrance with the reception, coat check and café. This allows outside guests to be greeted without having to go through private offices.
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0 1 3 5 10m
Ground Level PlanS2
S1
MACHINESHOP
FABRICATION STORAGE
CLEAN ELECTRONICS AREA
LOADING
EVENTSSTORAGE
W/C
RECEPTION
CAFE
WORKBENCH AREA
LOCKERS
UP
UP
KITCHEN
STAFFENTRANCE
SHOWER
INFO WALL
COAT ROOM
ELECTRICAL ROOM
EVENTS SPACELOADING
UP
UP
UP
UP
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0 1 3 5 10m
Mezzanine Level PlanS2
S1
WORKSTATIONS
HUDDLE ROOMLOUNGE
W/C
W/C
EVENTS SPACEOPEN TO BELOW
WALKWAY
COPY ROOM
BOARD ROOM
PROJECT ROOM
PROJECT ROOM
MEETING MEETING
MEETING
MEETING
UP
DN
DN
DN
DN
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0 1 3 5 10m
OFFICES
EVENTS SPACEFABRICATION
STORAGE
FABRICATION LAB
S1: Longitudinal Section
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EXTERIOR PLAZA
EVENT SPACE
ELEVATED WALKWAY
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190 1 3 5 10m
GARDINER EXPRESSWAY
FABRICATION LABEVENT
SPACE
S2: CROSS SECTION
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ECOVATIVE, GROWBIO - MYCELIUM POD
WAUGH THISTLETON ARCHITECTS - LONDON
For the main added interior elements, such as the bleacher stair and suspended walkway but also new interior partitions, we are proposing Cross Laminated Timber (CLT). We are interested in the material’s structural capabilities combined with its aesthetic qualities and sustainability, all made in Canada. It will give a new identity to the space, playing up the contrast against the existing concrete slabs and steel structure. Since it is also a material you are interested in using at a larger scale for the Waterfront Toronto site, this project enables you to test the material’s properties in all three different areas of the building - the high traffic public areas, the heavy loads and extreme conditions of the fabrication labs, as well as the more domestic and acoustically sensitive office spaces. We hope it can showcase some of the innovations you have in mind and we also see it as an opportunity to engage a local partner and manufacturer to help you sponsor part of the cost. Alternatively, we can also imagine more cost effective ways to do the bleacher stair with a temporary, scaffolding structure like platforms to reduce the amount of glass for the interior partitions.
For the outside scaffolding structure, scrim will cover each volume with printed signs that can change over time. It is a great material to project on and the overall volume can be easily illuminated to create a subtle theatrical effect.
A ‘digital layer’ can be easily integrated to the structure and monitoring devices attached to it.
A scaffolding structure is by nature very light and flexible. It is also sustainable since it already exists and is almost endlessly re-used. We imagine that components can be lent to you by a partner contractor or sponsor for the duration of the project. It can also be rented if needed.
Materials and Construction Innovation
Furniture
The choice of furniture should echo the temporary nature of your space and also reflect, at the small scale, the ambitions you have for the large scale. Historically, furniture design has pioneered so many innovations later used for the building industry that this project should fully embrace an experimental approach to the furniture. You should consider inviting designers and makers to develop a new furniture system combining the best of Canadian craftsmanship, advanced digital tools and biomaterials. This approach is best suited for the more public areas of the building. For the offices, it is important to consider flexibility and the latest advancements in ergonomics to create an ideal work environment. For example, a combination of seating and standing desks should be considered. Similarly, some meeting rooms tables should be outfitted for standing meetings.
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JUERGEN MAYER H. ARCHITECTURE - SCHAUSTELLE, MUNICH JANE’S CAROUSEL, BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK - BROOKLYN
GRAFTLAB - BRLO BRWHOUSE, BERLIN UNSTABLE, PIXEL CLOUD - REYKJAVIK
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Scope of Work The scope of work is a high level assessment of our current understanding of the project. It is based on one onsite walk through and documents provided as part of this RFP. Our preliminary cost estimate is based on the below assumptions.
ArchitectureAll new partitions, doors and finishes. Existing ground floor concrete to remain. New wood flooring and partitions on the mezzanines. In the offices, replace existing ceiling tiles with new acoustic panels. Existing exposed ceiling to remain in event space and acoustic panels added if necessary. In the staff entry area and Fabrication lab, replace ceiling acoustic tiles under existing mezzanines. New entrance door on the South side with canopy and access ramp. New bathrooms and showers with tile finishes. New millwork for kitchen, cafe and Fabrication Lab storage.
StructureThe suspended walkway connecting the mezzanines and adjacent bleacher stair for the event space will be the primary elements. A new entry door with lintel will also require calculations and detailing.
MechanicalBecause the space was occupied before for a relatively similar use, we assume that all AC units have the proper capacity to heat, cool and ventilate the space. A mechanical engineer will confirm whether the public event area needs supplemental capacity. Otherwise, the scope will consist mostly of a new duct layout to match the room
2 Project Scope
layout. We are not including any supplemental ventilation system in the scope for the fabrication area until we discuss together specific equipment that may require additional infrastructure (compressed air, dust or fumes exhaust, etc).
ElectricalWe assume all new energy efficient lighting with associated wiring and controls for the spaces. This may include the addition of skylights for added natural lighting. We assume that no additional service will be required to power the space and our electrical engineer will verify this assumption as soon as we start the project. Note that our design proposal keeps the location of the existing and main electric panels between the event and fabrication space.
IT/AVAll new wiring. Equipment needs shall be assessed and part of a separate FF&E budget.
PlumbingNew public bathrooms at the ground floor as well as new showers for the staff. Depending on the final budget and cost, the existing bathroom located on each of the existing mezzanines can remain as is or be cosmetically upgraded. New kitchen and cafe will require plumbing fixtures and we assume that the fabrication lab will require sinks and floor drains.
Fire ProtectionNo sprinkler system is currently installed and the scope will be limited to modifying the existing Fire Alarm system. Our engineer will survey the space to establish a final scope.
Scope exclusions- LEED (or similar) Design and certification- Any work related to the existing building envelope, and its
upgrade, not mentioned above.- Graphic Design - Interior signage system- Furniture, Furnishing & Equipment (FF&E)- Professional renderings- BIM Model- Fast-Track process- Asbestos abatement
PhasingConnecting and outfitting the mezzanines should be done first. This way you have a fully functional office while the rest of the construction, all at the ground floor level, can happen in phases once you move in. A single phase construction will get you the best cost value for such a project and the phasing should be consecutive so that the contractor mobilizes only once.
The outdoor scope with the scaffolding structure should be treated as a separate project with a separate budget.Depending on the type of partnership in place, it could be simply be coordinated with a local scaffolding contractor who typically designs, engineers and erects these structures. SvN wants to be involved as much as possible and to, at minimum, finalize the overall design and its programmatic components.
Team and ServicesSvN will provide full architectural services for the project as well as Planning and Urban Design consulting services. To complete the team, we are proposing the following consultants, all from Toronto, who would be great partners for this project and with whom we have worked extensively in the past.
MEP Engineer: Smith + Andersen (http://smithandandersen.com/)S+A is the best local MEP engineer we have worked with and have very wide experience in the Toronto area.
Structural engineer: Moses Structural Engineers (https://mosesstructures.com/)Moses is one of the leading structural engineer in Toronto with special expertise in timber engineering. It is a firm who could be involved in some of your research in timber construction.
Building Code: LMDG (http://lmdg.com)Troy Drummond and his team are Toronto code experts. They will help us navigate the local code requirements.
Elevating Devices: Jonathan Soberman engineering (http://sobermanengineering.com)Johnathan will help us determine the most effective way to meet accessibility requirements of the mezzanine along with the ride to the top of the campanile.
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3 Budget
The below budget is a high level breakdown of typical cost based on our recent and similar projects. We have separated the areas into the three main programmatic components, each with a specific CAN$/SF cost. The cost reflects labor and material at the local prevailing wage.
For the soft costs, we have included an estimated consultant’s fee, based on a percentage of the cost of construction for each trade.
Soft costs, not under SvN’s contract, typically carried in the Owner’s budget and not specifically included in the above estimates include
SIDEWALK LABS TORONTO HQ - BUDGET1 - HARD COST
A- Interior Fit outa - General building UpgradeElectrical, all new lighting + wiring. No service upgrade 100,000$ Mechanical, new ducts and registers, exist. units to remain) 50,000$ Fire Protection 15,000$ Plumbing - bar, kitchenette.New public washrooms, commuter showers, fab Lab sinks 60,000$
Subtotal a 225,000$
b - Workspace, 4000SF @CAN$/80/SF 320,000$ - Bridge (CLT)- Partitions (glass & CLT)- Floor finish- Paint- Millwork, incl. kitchen- Furniture(not incl.)
c - Event Space, 6000SF @CAN$/40/SF 240,000$ - Façade Opening (new public entry)- Stair- Millwork Bar / café- New bathrooms (finishes)- Partitions- Paint
d - Fabrication Lab, 6500SF @CAN$/20/SF 130,000$ - Partitions
e - Exterior workLandscape, bike racks, lighting 15,000$
Subtotal b; c; d & e 705,000$ Subtotal Hard Cost 930,000$
Total Hard Cost (a-e) 930,000$ B -Building Augmentation (Optional)
Scaffolding Structure (tobe provided by partner) TBD
2 - SOFT COSTArchitect - 10% fee (int.fitout only) 93,000$ Structural Engineer 15,000$ MEP Engineer 30,000$ Code Consultant 5,000$
Total Soft Cost 143,000$ Total Hard + Soft Cost 1,073,000$
Note: FF&E not included
the following:
- Building Department Fees, Asbestos Inspections, etc.- Surveys and Testing- New equipment, including computers, telephones, software, etc.- Telephone, Internet, Cable and Utility Hookup Fees- Moving Costs- Legal and Accounting Costs- Financing and Carrying Costs- Contingencies
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SvN110 Adelaide Street East, 4th FloorToronto Ontario M5C 1K9 Canada416 593 6499www.svn-ap.com