Woodlands Multi-Use Public Library
The new Woodlands Public Library is an exceptional resource, fostering learning while encouraging exploration and collaboration within the community.
The Library, while being owned and operated by the City of Mississauga, will be jointly used by the residents of the Erindale District of Mississauga and the adjacent Woodlands Secondary School. Cooperation between the City and the School Board resulted in completely upgraded vehicular access, as well as student and community-use park areas surrounding the building.
The +VG design draws its reference from the open pages of a book, intended to open itself to the outside and engage discourse within the community. Inside, the entire building can be seen upon entering. Patrons are greeted with new multi-media centres, quiet study rooms and resources centres, while a fireplace at the heart of the building provides a relaxed and contemplative environment for casual reading.
LOCATION
Mississauga, Ontario
COMPLETED
2014
SIZE
8,000 ft²
SERVICES
New Construction
PRESS
Woodlands Library set to turn a new page
Mississauga News
Jordan Historical Museum
In 2015, +VG was retained to conduct the Master Plan update for the Jordan Historical Museum. A Plan has been drafted for a new facility which will bring the museum into the 21st Century.
The design shows a modern museum composed of a combination of wood, glass and stone. The new facility will have a full basement and community space and will look out onto Twenty Valley. The overall vision for the site is to create a cultural gateway for the town. The shape and layout of the new museum will make the museum’s “walk-in artifacts” more prominent upon arrival.
The road to a new facility has been a long one for the museum, which was started by a group of volunteers in 1953. “It’s been a dream since the museum started,” said Director Helen Booth, noting the old home housing the museum has been a challenge. “The museum has always needed a home. We’ve gone from pillar to post over the years.”
One of the biggest challenges of the space is its inability to house the museum collection. Artifacts have to be stored off-site at Town Hall for proper preservation. “Everything will be coming home,” said Booth, noting the collection will be set up in a way that makes it visible to museum visitors. Another key feature of the new design is a proposed amphitheatre, which will enable the museum to expand its programming by way of music and performing arts.
LOCATION
Lincoln, Ontario
CLIENT
Jordan Historical Museum
COMPLETED
2018
SIZE
9,600 ft²
SERVICES
Master Plan Update for Addition
Kingston Pump House Steam Museum
The Kingston Pump House Museum is a demonstration of the original waterworks that served the City of Kingston in the 19th Century.
The Pump House is located in one of Canada’s oldest original water works – where steam-powered pumps provided the first running water to Kingston residents from 1851. Only six similar preserved water pumping stations remain in North America. The assignment involved an addition to house workshops, arrival and orientation space for school groups, new accessible washrooms and office areas, as well as renovations to the existing historic building.
During excavation underground structures were discovered that were not identified in sub-surface investigations at early stages of the project. Removal of the structures and replacement with engineered backfill would have resulted in a large extra. To mitigate this, change our team mobilized on site within a few days and facilitated a meeting with between the civil contractor, the general contractor and the structural engineer to revise the footing system to avoid subsurface obstructions. By quickly addressing the issue we avoided schedule slippage.
Delay was incurred on this project due to the glazier installing curtain wall that did not match the shop drawings and specifications. Our team worked with the product manufacturers to ensure the delivered installation would still meet specified performance standards. In order to mitigate a 90-day extension to the construction schedule we instead negotiated a significant credit and applied aftermarket films to achieve the desired design. The museum was able to open on time and the overall budget was reduced.
LOCATION
Kingston, Ontario
COMPLETED
2017
SIZE
9,200 ft²
SERVICES
Renovation & Addition
PHOTOGRAPHY
David Bell
PRESS
An Inside Job: Kingston Pump House Steam Museum
Canadian Interiors
+VG unveils a contextually attuned transformation of Kingston’s historic waterworks
Building Magazine
Fort Henry Discovery Centre
Located in Kingston, and part of the St. Lawrence River tourist corridor, Fort Henry provides a living example of garrison life within the period before and after Confederation.
In 2007, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) classified the Rideau Canal and all area fortifications and surrounding land- scapes as a World Heritage Site. To augment the new World Heritage classification, a new Visitors Interpretive Centre was proposed to further develop the attraction for an immersive tourist experience. New programs have been designed to increase revenues for the site, and to prepare for an increase in attendance by the local community and tourists.
Careful consideration was taken to design this attraction on a historic site at the entrance to the Rideau Canal system.
The project included a new multi-purpose space and event venue, outdoor patios, an 1,850 ft² gift shop for museum souvenirs, a 800 ft² snackbar, and public wash- rooms.
LOCATION
Kingston, Ontario
COMPLETED
December 2012
SIZE
10,000 ft²
SERVICES
New Construction on a UNESCO World Heritage Site
AWARDS
2014 CAHP Awards
New Building on a Historic Site
Markham Museum Collections Building
The Markham Museum Collections building is an expansion on to the existing Visitor’s Centre and forms the “Gateway” to the Markham Museum Pioneer Village.
The architectural design is a modern interpretation of the industrial and agricultural heritage for the Town. The initial design stage was to create a Master Plan for the entire site and Facility Program (with EDA), including the long term development of the Pioneer Village which is programmed with a variety of community, family, and school programming year round.
The new building was built using prefabricated steel structures for maximum area with minimum cost. The final result is reminiscent of a 19th Century barn. The new Markham Museum houses a substantially enlarged collection, previously in storage, and forms the anchor for the surrounding municipal heritage park. Features of the Collections Building include permanent and rotating collection spaces, restoration studios, administrative spaces and food service amenities.
As part of the City’s overall Green Building Initiative, the Collections Building was to achieve a minimum level of LEED® Silver Certification. The project was awarded LEED® Gold in March 2014.
The Master Plan for the park was developed at the beginning of the project to enhance educational programming, determine the location for the Collections Building, and develop long-term goals for the site. The new building accommodates covered outdoor activity space for students and other visitors.
LOCATION
Markham, Ontario
COMPLETED
2010
SIZE
16,000 ft²
SERVICES
Renovation & Addition
Milton Centre for the Arts
+VG Architects were selected as Project Architect by PCL Constructors Canada in January 2010 to deliver this Design/Build Project on a FastTrack schedule.
The $41 Million, 75,000 ft2, LEED® Silver Certified complex was planned, designed and delivered – on budget – in only 20 months. The project included:
Mattamy Theatre
Milton’s new 500 seat proscenium theatre showcases drama, music, orchestra, dance, as well as lectures, concerts, cinema and conferences. The main programming is supported by interstitial spaces providing the community with destinations and opportunities for interaction.
- 500 seat theatre
- Public areas including, reception, lobby, public washrooms, box office and bar/concession areas
- Auditorium, stage, orchestra pit, rehearsal hall, associated audio visual and technical support and dressing rooms
- Administration and support areas including offices, lounges, staff washrooms, storage, housekeeping and lockers
Minmaxx Theatre
This 200 seat “Black Box” multi-purpose theatre space features a sprung floor, retractable seating, lighting grid, and theatrical sound and lighting systems. As the stage sizing and specifications are identical to the adjacent 500-seat theatre, it can serve as a rehearsal space.
The room may be configured for performances, corporate functions, receptions, cabarets, etc. Backstage amenities such as dressing rooms are shared with the main theatre.
The community meeting room systems include video projection and audio reinforcement to support corporate events, meetings, workshops, seminars or smaller-scale receptions.
All of the systems in these spaces are integrated into the base building control for seamless operation. Video may be distributed from the theatres to any of the spaces.
Holcim Gallery
The Gallery is nestled in the Library. It accommodates both individual and group visual art exhibitions. Its large glass front wall allows for art displays to be seen even when the gallery is closed.
LOCATION
Milton, Ontario
CLIENT
Town of Milton
COMPLETED
January 2011
SIZE
87,300 ft²
AWARDS
2012 PRO Award of Excellence in Design, Parks & Recreation Ontario
SERVICES
New Construction (Design/Build)
Lennox & Addington Museum & Archives
The County Museum and Archives is adjacent to the County’s stately limestone Courthouse, restored by +VG Architects in 1996. The museum, an 1864 limestone building, was, until 1971, the county jail.
In 2002, the County retained +VG Architects to provide architectural consulting and museum planning services to carry out a review of the Museum and Archives structural and functional components, such as service delivery and accessibility, in order to maximize the effectiveness and efficiency of the Museum operation for the 21st Century. One of the major goals of the study was to find ways to accommodate more flexible space for student activity, education programs, and multi-purpose needs.
In Spring 2009, +VG was asked to revisit the study to review the program against current needs and update project costing in anticipation of proceeding with implementation of the Museum and Archives Master Plan vision later in 2009. In 2011, +VG was retained to design the expansion to the existing Archives building. We were chosen for the expertise and experience with designing institutional buildings within historical contexts.
The expansion includes new activity and educational program areas, public washrooms, relocated Research Room and Archival Storage, multi-purpose space, storage space in the basement, and a new one-storey gallery addition.
The historical setting of the property as a whole, represented a unique challenge. In order to fully appreciate this setting, it was imperative that the development of the property be designed in harmony with both the topography of the site and the existing heritage fabric, so that the historical beauty of the existing building and natural open area of the site will continue to be the dominant features. To accomplish this, careful consideration has been given to the size and siting of the building, the architecture of the new intervention in regards to the choice of cladding materials, and in maintaining as much as possible of the property in its natural current state.
LOCATION
Napanee, Ontario
COMPLETED
2014
SIZE
12,000 ft²
SERVICES
Study, Renovation & Addition
PHOTOGRAPHY
David Bell
EZT Municipal Offices
The new EZT Municipal Offices, designed by +VG Architects, are set to be a stunning addition to Hickson, Ontario. This new 13,000 ft2 facility is currently under construction and promises to be a state-of-the-art space for the local council and community.
The building will house council chambers, offices, staff workspace, multipurpose meeting rooms, barrier-free accessibility, low-energy mechanical systems, and water-saving measures. One of the most impressive aspects of this new facility is its design, which expresses the future ambitions of community growth while also paying tribute to the past. The building’s form tips its hat to the former railway station that once stood on the site, blending the old and the new to create a modern and timeless structure.
The building design is also cost-effective, making use of suitable materials and building methods to create a space that is not only beautiful but also functional. The result is a practical and aesthetically pleasing building, a perfect reflection of the community it serves.
Inside, the design consists of open, light-filled spaces that create a sense of airiness and freedom. The particular emphasis on the visitor experience and good customer service means that the building is designed to be as welcoming and accessible as possible, with careful attention paid to every detail to ensure visitors feel comfortable and at ease.
The council chambers are a particular highlight of the building, with their large windows and comfortable seating creating a professional and welcoming atmosphere. The multipurpose meeting rooms are also a key feature, providing flexible spaces that can be used for a range of different events and functions.
One of the most critical aspects of the building’s design is its focus on sustainability. The low-energy mechanical systems, water-saving measures and provision for EV charging ensure that the building is as environmentally friendly as possible, using the latest technology to minimize its impact on the planet.
In summary, the new EZT Municipal Offices, designed by +VG Architects, are set to be a stunning addition to the Township of East Zorra-Tavistock. The building’s design expresses the community’s future ambitions while also paying homage to the past. Its focus on sustainability ensures that it will address our shared responsibility of reducing our carbon footprint.
The building is under construction, on time and on budget and is scheduled to be open in September of 2023.
LOCATION
Hickson, Ontario
COMPLETED
2023
SIZE
13,000 ft²
SERVICES
New Construction
