The City of Toronto and Perkins&Will have unveiled the design for one of Ontario and Toronto?s first net-zero operational carbon community centres, setting a new precedent for resilient civic infrastructure as one of the highest-performing facilities of its type in North America.The North East Scarborough Community and Child Care Centre was envisioned as a cultural hub that could meet a demand within the community for more social and recreational programming.
To accommodate such diverse programming on a restricted site, Perkins&Will incorporated vertical stacking into the building?s layout. Through layering various amenities atop one another, the facility maximizes its capacity to serve the community.

?Toronto is one of the most inclusive cities in the world, and with that comes significant responsibility to create dynamic spaces that reflect every community?s needs for culturally relevant and diverse programming,? says Phil Fenech, principal in Perkins&Will?s Toronto studio. The recreation and aquatic centre is targeting net-zero energy and carbon emissions through mechanical efficiencies, such as air source heat pumps, an enhanced building envelope, and innovative renewable energy systems.
?Our design approach throughout was underpinned by Perkins&Will?s Living Design principles, resulting in a civic centre that not only promotes human and ecological well-being, but fosters community resilience, as well,? says Fenech.

Perkins&Will undertook a ri...