Concept #3 – Forest Passage

The Carrying Place Trail was an overland route connecting Lake Ontario to Lake Simcoe, and the upper Great Lakes beyond, connecting people and goods for trade. The Trail represents a cultural trace across the landscape that endured for millennia.

The eastern arm of the Carrying Place Trail travelled near this site along the east bank of the Little Rouge Creek.

In the 1960’s, significant modifications to the site occurred which raised the grades and introduced an east-west drainage swale. This swale is quite deep - over 10 m at the eastern end - and has severed the site into two, disrupting the north-south flow of the Carrying Place Trail that had existed for millennia.

This design concept attempts to reconnect the site and restore this traditional north-south orientation. This gesture is meant to explore and restore the severed connections in our collective natural and cultural history, as embodied by the Carrying Place Trail.

The alterations of the site topography in the 1960’s included raising the grades with new fill material, up to 1.5m deep in some place. The drainage swale was introduced to redirect the water towards the east and down into the Little Rouge Creek Valley. Interestingly, at the current location of the Vista trailhead along the ridge line, very little fill was added, meaning that this small area has remained unchanged for millennia.

As with Concept 2, this design concept also attempts to reveal and explain some of the traces from our natural and cultural history.

Site plan

Floor plan

This concept divides the building program between two pavilions, one on either side of the drainage swale. The North Pavilion contains staff spaces and a learning space connected to the adjacent demonstration garden. The South Pavilion contains most of the public spaces and main public entry.

The two pavilions are connected by a curved bridge structure that arcs out over the swale and Little Rouge Creek Valley. This bridge, called the “Forest Passage” exposes visitors to an experience of stepping into the canopy of trees on the one side, and into the valley on the other.

At the apex of this passage, a sweeping view looks east over the valley and the Carrying Place Trail below. Learning spaces bracket both ends of this gallery, but learning extends throughout the entire space. Similarly, large indoor events can spill out into this gallery to enjoy the stunning valley views.

Interior and exterior connection

The two pavilions and connecting passage all have unique relationships with the surrounding tree edges. The north pavilion opens up to the demonstration gardens and outdoor learning spaces to the north.

The main entry plaza is bound by the building and the tree edge at the swale, creating an interesting introduction to the swale and bridge that spans it.

The events space and south learning space both open onto the events green to the south and also to a more intimate outdoor space bounded by the trees at the ravine edge.

The events space, two learning spaces and Forest Passage walkway can be combined into one space to accommodate very large events.

Roof plan

The experience of the Forest Passage on the interior of the building extends onto the rooftop as well. Here, visitors can ascend to the roof and look down into the swale and valley in the open air with the forest canopy all around them.

Access to this rooftop promenade is from two stairs near each pavilion entry, as well as a long gentle ramp that extends along the ridgeline and brackets the events green. This ramp creates an alternate trail route that leads over the building and traverses the swale at the location of the ancient ridgeline.

Concept #3 renderings

*Artistic rendering is for conceptual purposes only and is subject to change.