High park
reSidence
The Site Is Located On The West Side Of The Park Beside Grenadier Creek. It Is off To The Side of A Trail Leading Toward The Heart of High Park.
date. April 2021
city. Toronto
location. High Park
High Park is an old and historical site that has existed for nearly two centuries. The initial intention for the site was to develop as real estate, however, due to its distance from the city, it was not attractive to buyers. In 1873, John Howard deeded the property to the city of Toronto for public enjoyment and stipulated the estate to remain free to the public and leave it in as natural a state as possible. Over a century of development, the Toronto government has gradually purchased more estate around the site, along with construction in entertainment facilities. The extension on public transit also brought the population to the community and led to the development of other businesses such as restaurants and supermarket. These environmental and historical factors have brought some inspiration to my design.
Conceptual Sketches
Site Analysis
Water in lake Ontario flows from spring creek and wendigo creek into the park, creating different tributaries and streams, taking over 50% of the area. Because most of the land in the park is sandy, the land temperature is relatively warm, suitable for most southern plants to grow. As a result of the drop in water level, the land level of lake Ontario rebounded, and the consequent sediment movement blocked the stream entrance to the west of the park, forming what is now grenadier creek. Grenadier creek is the only remaining lakeshore marsh in the city of toronto today.
104m
100m
91-96m
86-89m
81-84m
73-78m
Initial Plans & Concept Development
The theme of the design is to create a small (less than 100 square meters of space) but fully functional personal space that caters to the everyday necessities of life: kitchen, toilet, workspace, and sleeping area. To accomplish this, the space needs to fold and serve multiple purposes at once. In the initial design, a cuboid was cut into three different levels. Different levelings were used to replace the walls as the dividing/cutting of all the spaces. As a result, the functional areas are arranged around the stairs, with the three functional areas (bathroom, bedroom, kitchen/dining area) arranged in different directions of the stairs. In addition, the stairs have multiple functions (reading area, working area, rest area). The staircase provides a central connection between different parts of the building.
Key Plans : Elevations : Sections
With the final design, I reoriented the stairs so that the area across from the stairs would have a better view of the outside. In addition, since the toilet and work area are separated by a door, I subtracted the level difference between these two spaces. In comparison with the initial design, the final design is more detailed, roomier, and more comfortable.
Renderings
Produced By: Daniel Chen
Instructor: Bruce Hinds
Software: AutoCAD, Adobe Photoshop, SketchUp, Lumion, Ontario Population& Demographics, Microsoft Powerpoint