Metrolinx Design Excellence December 5, 2013 Beth Kapusta, Chief Design Excellence Officer 1
What is Design Excellence? Good Design inspires people and communities, and builds pride of place. It involves the interplay of functionality, resiliency, beauty and value. It seeks to ensure that public dollars produce thoughtful and cost-effective results. Train Shed Roof at Union Station 2
What is Design Excellence? For Metrolinx, design excellence is driven by functionality, and informed by durability, sustainability, accessibility, beauty, value, cost and economic viability. Design excellence supports a focus on the customer experience. Image: DTAH Union Station GO Bus Terminal National Post Design Exchange Awards 2004 Urban Design Category, Honorable Mention Green roof being installed at the Streetsville GO Bus Facility to improve environmental sustainability. 3
The Value of Design Excellence Over the life of transit buildings, good design does not cost more. Investment in design: Catalyzes urban growth Increases building sustainability, durability, and vital lifespan Increases ridership Improves passenger comfort, safety and pride in transit Reduces maintenance costs Diminishing Influence on life cycle costs Early Late Typical building costs over a 35-year life-cycle the smaller earlier costs greatly influence the larger later costs. (Adapted from Consulting Engineers of BC via DTAH) 4
Building upon Design Quality Union Station Train Shed UP Express 2012 Canadian Architect Award of Excellence 2013 Global Air-Rail Awards Project of the Year 5
Metrolinx Design Review Panel (MDRP) External panel membership is drawn from leading experts and respected professionals in the design community: FUNG LEE Principal, PMA BLA (UofT), OALA, CSLA MARC RYAN Partner, Public Work BLA (Guelph) CHERYL ATKINSON Assistant Professor, Department of Architectural Science, Ryerson University B.E.S. B.Arch. (Waterloo) OAA MRAIC RENÉE DAOUST Associate, Daoust-Lestage B.Arch., M.Urb. ROBERT DAVIES Principal, Montgomery Sisam B.Arch. (Toronto), OAA MRAIC ROBERT LEVIT Professor, University of Toronto / Partner, Khoury Levit Fong BA (Columbia), MArch (Harvard) STEVEN BELL Manager, Downtown Collaborative City of Mississauga B.Arch (Waterloo), MUD (Toronto) ANDREW MCALPINE Principal, ARUP Toronto Office B.Arch (Waterloo) KIM SPENCER Principal, HH Angus & Associates B.Sc.E. (Honours, Mechanical Engineering, Queen s University), P.Eng., LEED AP BD+C MIKE MELNYK Partner, Brandscape JEANNETTE HANNA Vice President, Trajectory BA (Rutgers) ANDREW JONES Andrew Jones Design B.Arch (Toronto), MA (London) MARK BEREST Principal, B+H B.Arch., B.E.S, B.A., OAA MRAIC, LEED AP, BD+C MARK LANGRIDGE Partner, DTAH OAA MRAIC, LEED AP, BD+C 6
Design Review Process Panel reviews projects $10M+, mobility hubs or highly public-facing location Panel reviews most projects twice Panel offers unified direction and constructive comments with support, support with conditions or reject recommendation Expanded panel includes five staff panelists, chaired by Chief Design Excellence Officer, plus external panelists Review of panel impact and results will be provided annually 7
Design Review Example: Renforth Gateway At first presentation Comments: Improve public realm and pedestrian circulation in the entrance plaza Align the façade of the bridge and entrances to create a simplified plan and volume Simplify colours After design review Results: Improved and expanded public realm at entrance plaza Simplified use of materials and a more clean expression of the building Subtle, organized use of colour aligned with brand 8
Design Review Example: Crosstown Principles and Requirements of Design Excellence document Providing a set of concrete design principles and requirements on which to assess bid compliance Guidance through demonstration designs Final draft completed for incorporation with RFP release Design Excellence in the Proponent selection process Representation at Design Review Meetings Special Crosstown Design Compliance Review Panel to evaluate Checklist of requirements for design compliance as PASS/FAIL criteria through Open Bid Period Precedent: Quartier International de Montreal Precedent: Vancouver Millennium Line Precedent: Geneva Tramway 9
Next Steps Development and implementation of GO Transit Urban, Architectural and Landscape Design Excellence Guidelines Integration of Design Excellence into procurement specifications including Eglinton Crosstown, Sheppard East and Finch Enhanced tracking of design review panel recommendations and results Outreach to design professionals 10
THANK YOU Beth Kapusta Chief Design Excellence Officer Beth.Kapusta@metrolinx.com 11