St. Thomas Police Headquarters
As expressed by the Owner, the +VG design incorporates these goals:
- Designed to achieve LEED® Silver certification
- A secure and safe environment for staff and visitors
- 24 hours a day during regular operations
- Uninterrupted emergency services and systems in the case of a community emergency.
- A positive architectural addition to the community, which will encourage police and public interaction, and which will increase staff morale through presenting an up-to-date, professional image
- Open and inviting to the public, in keeping with the St. Thomas Police philosophy to be accessible and cooperative, yet meet the modern security requirements to ensure the Safety of occupants and property.
- Compliance with the latest standards of good practice for police agencies and policing adequacy standards and which incorporates the latest in design trends, features, systems and environmental considerations within an established project budget.
- Appropriate spaces to address many purposes including separation between areas occupied by police staff, the public, the press, and victims of crime, witnesses and suspects.
LOCATION
St. Thomas, Ontario
COMPLETED
2016
SIZE
43,000 ft²
SERVICES
New Construction
County of Wellington OPP Detachment, North Wellington Operations Centre
Planned, designed and successfully completed by +VG Architects, this new detachment is not what you might expect in a police station.
Looking more like a town hall or public library, it reflects the growing movement towards community policing: a contemporary approach to law enforcement that integrates community functions within the traditional police station, in order to foster a closer relationship between the police and the community. The result is more open and accessible policing.
Designed within budget constraints, the building has an efficient plan, with no wasted space. Using open plan work spaces for the major office areas allows visual openness and helps foster a sense of community within the detachment.
This is a building of substance, made of quality materials fitting for a public building. Located off of the public entry, the Community Room provides the main link between the police and the community.
The project conforms to Wellington County Green Legacy Sustainable Building Design Standards, a custom alternative to programs like LEED® developed by +VG in collaboration with the County.
LOCATION
Teviotdale, Ontario
COMPLETED
2014
SIZE
19,000 ft²
SERVICES
New Construction
OPP Caldeon Detachment
Planned, designed and successfully completed by +VG Architects, the Caledon OPP Detachment is located on Innis Lake Road just south of Old Church Road in the community centre of Caledon East, local schools and the Caledon Town Hall.
As with most smaller municipalities, the Caledon OPP provide local community policing services and the facility houses five police units including Major Crime, Street Crimes, Community Response, School Resource Officers and Traffic.
The building was designed and located to be highly visible and accessible from Innis Lake Road. The building is clad in natural stone and ribbed steel siding offering a sense of permanence and stability. The building program includes a community meeting room adjacent to the main public entrance for various public outreach programs and information sessions for the public.
The lower level provides staff amenity space including a fitness room and locker areas, various secure storage areas as well as the cell block and secure sally port for transporting prisoners.
The building was designed to achieve LEED® Gold certification through a focus on its environment and reduced energy consumption, water usage reduction, storm water controls, local trades and a compact building footprint.
LOCATION
Caledon, Ontario
COMPLETED
2014
SIZE
24,000 ft²
SERVICES
New Construction
Lennox & Addington Family & Children's Services Administration Building
The Lennox and Addington Family and Children’s Services Administration Building features a 2½ storey atrium at the front entrance with clerestory windows at the high level, and an exterior landscaped courtyard within the footprint of the building.
+VG Architects developed these two features and the design of the exterior window systems to take advantage of the health and well being benefits of natural light.
The courtyard and the atrium bring natural light deep into the floor plate of the building on both floors. The windows are designed with exterior aluminum sun shades on the south and west sides to prevent overheating in summer months, and the windows are equipped with a translucent band of glazing at the ceiling level that disperses light inside. All employee workstations and private offices have access to natural light and views.
The new facility offers a 90 person conference hall, a staff lunch room and lounge with walkout at grade to a patio terrace, indoor and outdoor children’s play areas, a staff fitness room that opens onto the courtyard, and professional office accommodations for 80 staff.
Energy efficient mechanical systems, water conserving plumbing fixtures, and operable windows are additional sustainable design features.
Some of the many security features in the project include sight lines to individuals approaching the front entrance, a clear and simple circulation system, CCTV cameras, alarm and card reader systems. Having the second floor open to the lower public areas also allows staff to be able to see and hear if there is a security problem.
LOCATION
Napanee, Ontario
CLIENT
County of Lennox & Addington
COMPLETED
2010
SIZE
28,500 ft²
SERVICES
New Construction
Table Rock Restaurant & Retail Store
This redevelopment project is intended to modernize and refresh Table Rock Centre, enhancing a flagship location that supports and advances Niagara Parks Commission’s (NPC) vision and acts as a welcome centre to Niagara Parks while offering a variety of products, services and experiences that appeal to NPC’s broad range of visitors.
The project will renew and differentiate the culinary, retail and attraction experiences within Table Rock Centre, as well as generate a significant rate of return on NPC’s capital re-investment and grow revenues at Table Rock Centre to contribute to Niagara Parks self-sustaining operations.
The Table Rock Centre consists of two buildings connected by an indoor concourse area. The north side of the building, originally constructed in 1926, houses on the main floor a retail store, Welcome Centre, Journey Behind the Falls attraction and additional visitor amenities. The upper level contains the Niagara’s Fury attraction and retail store, a Welcome Centre, Retail Shop, Horseshoe Landing Patio and the Grand Hall viewing area. A new Bistro will be incorporated.
The south building, constructed in 1974, offers quick serve culinary outlets as well as a retail store and visitor amenities. The second-floor houses NPC’s full-service restaurant, Elements on the Falls which overlooks the Horseshoe Falls and the upper Niagara River.
LOCATION
Niagara Falls, Ontario
COMPLETED
2020
SIZE
120,000 ft²
SERVICES
Renovation/Redevelopment
PRESS
Dining on the Edge: Table Rock
Canadian Interiors
New Destination Restaurant Opens in Niagara Falls
Food Service & Hospitality Magazine
BlueBlood Steakhouse, Casa Loma
In 2014, Liberty Entertainment Group entered into a lease agreement with the City of Toronto to operate Casa Loma, one of Toronto’s most prominent heritage tourist attractions.
+VG assisted Liberty in securing Heritage Preservation Services approval for several important programming initiatives. One such initiative is the design of a new fine-dining steakhouse within the historically significant Billiard Room, Smoking Room and Oak Room.
The project entailed restoration of significant components of the rooms, new ‘reversible’ installations including a cocktail bar and ice bar as well as a new finishing kitchen, LULA Elevator serving the kitchen from the basement, new kitchen exhaust with economizer and washroom renovations. While the client provided the theming and interior design of the restaurant, +VG prepared Heritage Impact Assessment Statement, prepared permit drawings and coordinated with the client’s engineering team.
LOCATION
Toronto, Ontario
COMPLETED
2017
SIZE
2,800 ft²
SERVICES
Renovation & Restoration
Royal Canadian Yacht Club City Club
+VG were retained by the Royal Canadian Yacht Club to carry out renovations to the clubs’ two clubhouses, the City Club located downtown Toronto and the Island Club, located on Toronto Island.
The City clubhouse is heavily used during the winter months and provides fitness rooms, indoor pool, racket sports, locker facilities and dining/bar amenities. The renovations involved creation of a new open, flexible and contemporary bistro dining and bar space to replace the existing banquet room on the main floor and extensive updating of the men’s and women’s locker areas and the creation of a new ‘family’ change room to address the changing club demographics. The renovated areas comprised approximately 6,700 ft².
LOCATION
Toronto, Ontario
COMPLETED
2018
SIZE
6,700 ft²
SERVICES
Renovation
Royal Canadian Yacht Club Island Club
+VG were retained by the Royal Canadian Yacht Club to carry out renovations to the clubs’ two clubhouses, the City Club located downtown Toronto and the Island Club, located on Toronto Island.
The historic Island clubhouse (circa 1919) is the home base for the sailing members of the club and is heavily used during the summer months. The clubhouse is predominantly used by members for ‘apres’ sailing dining and socializing. The upper floor banquet space is booked extensively for weddings and receptions. The project involved the restoration of the building exterior, provision of a new elevator serving the inaccessible upper floor, new main floor member washroom facilities and the creation of a new city-facing bar/bistro/dining area. The renovated areas comprised approximately 10,350 ft² not including outdoor verandah areas that were also restored.
LOCATION
Toronto Island, Ontario
COMPLETED
2018
SIZE
10,350 ft²
SERVICES
Renovation
