Project Description: | 21 Nelson St. W The Brampton Centre for Innovation (BCFI) is a proposed 256,000sf project in downtown Brampton, bounded by George and Nelson Streets, as well as Diplock Lane. The building is pushed closed to the lot boundaries on all sides, though it leaves room for generous sidewalks along George and Nelson, as well as a pedestrian connection to Diplock Lane at the rear of the building, adjacent the existing parking structure at the centre of the block. Since it is in a flood plain, the ground floor of the entire building is raised to the TRCA-mandated elevation of 300mm above the 350-year flood line, which averages around 1m above grade. The building has a 5-storey podium filling out the site, and a four-storey tower at the centre, for a total of nine storeys. The north part of the building will be a new central library for the city, centred around an atrium in the podium. It has several other public functions, including a café, gallery, conference area, and event space. The south wing and the tower are intended to be a new academic facility, which will be integrated into the library and share some facilities. There is a combined entrance at the corner of George and Nelson, plus an academic entrance to the south and another shared entrance at the pedestrian lane. The loading dock is off Diplock Lane. The building is intended to be a Zero-Carbon, LEED Gold facility, and as such we are intending to employ several sustainability features. The north part of the building will be heavy timber construction, while the tower and south wing will be made of low-carbon concrete to accommodate the larger spans required of an academic building. The building will have ground source heat pumps and ERVs in order to reduce mechanical loads. There will also be extensive use of daylighting and natural ventilation, including solar chimneys, in lieu of mechanical and electrical systems. BCFI is intended to kickstart a revitalization of Downtown Brampton and provide a template for future development. |
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