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STAFF REPORT

June 6, 2006.

To: Planning and Transportation Committee

From: Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning Division

Subject: Tall Building Design Guidelines

Purpose:

To release the findings of the attached report entitled Design Criteria for Review of Tall

Building Proposals, prepared by HOK Canada + Urbana Architects Corporation ( June, 2006).

Financial Implications and Impact Statement:

There are no financial implications resulting from the adoption of this report.

Recommendations:

It is recommended that:

(1) the design guidelines contained in the attached report entitled Design Criteria forReview of Tall Building Proposals be applied to future tall building developmentapplications in conjunction with the application of the Built Form policies of Section

3.1.3 of the Citys Official Plan; and

(2) the effectiveness ofthe tall building design guidelines referred to in Recommendation (1)above, be tested over a period of one year and any necessary modifications identified

during that review period be reported back to the Planning and Transportation

Committee.

Background:

Section 3.1.3 of the Citys Official Plan addresses built form policies for tall buildings. Theprominence of tall buildings imposes larger civic responsibilities and obligations on their design.

The Official Plan policies on tall buildings are general, relating to the form of the building itself

and considerations of neighbourhood context and fit and it was anticipated that more detailed

urban design guidelines, linked where possible to measurable criteria and qualitative indicators,

would be required to assist City staff in the review of tall building applications and the

implementation of the Official Plans built form policies. Consequently, on March 3, 2003 City

Council approved the funding to undertake a consultant study to develop criteria to assist in the

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review of tall building proposals (Clause 1 of Report No. 2 of the special meeting of the Policy

and Finance Committee, February 21, 2003).

Following a call for proposals, HOK + Urbana Architects Corporation were selected, in

November 2003, to conduct a study of Design Criteria for Review of Tall Building Proposals.

The study was focused on the development of design guidelines for tall buildings; issues of siteselection were not addressed.

The consultant study began with a worldwide review of tall building policies and best practices,

including the use of design review panels in other jurisdictions. The consultant carried out a

series of visioning sessions and workshops with staff reference and outside roundtable groups.

Much effort was put into the evaluation of the proposed design criteria through testing their

application on case sites throughout the City. The roundtable group comprised representatives

from the community, the development industry and architectural and urban design professions.

The purpose of the roundtable workshop was to provide feedback on the proposed criteria and

suggest further adjustments to the study methodology.

The progress of the study has been tied to the schedule for the approval of the Official Plan. The

consultant report could not be finalized and released prior to the approval of the relevant built

form policies of the Official Plan.

Comments:

The study presents the design criteria for tall buildings in a clear logical framework. The criteria

are described in relation to four basic organizational principles: Site Context; Site Organization;

Building Massing, and Pedestrian Realm. Although each of the reports four chapters may be

read on its own, many of the criteria are related and a full appreciation of the design guidelines

can only be achieved by reading the guidelines as a whole.

To facilitate the use of the study by City staff and applicants in developing and reviewing the

design of tall buildings, the criteria are succinctly presented in a standard double page format.

Text is kept to a minimum and supported by the generous use of sketches and photographs. The

discussion of each criterion concludes with a statement of the requirements that the applicant

must fulfill to show how that particular criterion has been addressed in the buildings proposed

design. Applicants may be required to provide specific plans, diagrams, sections, computer

visualizations, photomontages, models and other illustrative devices. Overall, the design criteria

are intended to achieve the joint goals of enhancing the public realm and ensuring the tall

building fits well with neighbouring development.

In considering Site Context, the study identifies the case of large sites which are required to

develop a more comprehensive master plan for the proposed development. In addition to the

requirements for large sites, all tall building proposals have to address concerns related to the

transition between the tall building and the lower scaled features around it, and the protection

and enhancement of the sites views and vistas. Landmark sites are identified as those at

prominent locations such as an important street corner, the terminus of a street or where the site

frames an open space.

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The design criteria related to the Site Organization deal primarily with issues of building

placement and orientation, location of building entrances, servicing and parking requirements,

enhancement of adjacent streets and open spaces, and respect for heritage buildings. The

intensification of use which comes with tall building developments places significant demands

on site organization and the design criteria should mitigate the these effects.

Building Massing is a critical consideration in determining the contribution of a tall building to

the quality of the Citys physical form, its coherence and organization. The scale of the base

component of a tall building is particularly important in providing definition and support to the

adjacent streets, parks and open spaces. Other key considerations relate to the design and size of

the buildings floor plate and the spatial separation between adjacent tall buildings. The Building

Massing criteria reflect the fact that some design policy goals, such as good street proportion,

vary from district to district and have to be considered on an individual or area-specific basis.

New tall buildings are expected to enhance the Pedestrian Realm by providing active frontages,

legible entrances, high quality streetscape and landscape design elements, street furniture andartwork. Other considerations include weather protection through the provision of such features

as canopies and awnings, the need to provide adequate sunlight and sky view and the desire to

minimize the negative effects of shadowing and uncomfortable wind conditions. The criteria

include, for example, the requirement that applicants provide a pedestrian wind tunnel model

analysis to demonstrate how pedestrian and cyclist comfort levels are achieved in open spaces

around the site.

Conclusions:

The attached study, Design Criteria for Review of Tall Building Proposals, provides guidelines

for the design, evaluation and approval of tall buildings in the City. The guidelines are intendedto implement the built form policies of the Citys Official Plan, particularly, the tall buildings

policies of Section 3.1.3.

The study identifies and compiles the key urban design criteria that should be brought to bear in

the evaluation of tall building applications and specifies how the applicant will demonstrate that

these criteria have been satisfactorily addressed. The criteria are succinctly presented in a

standard two-page lay-out with text, photos and illustrations, which combine to create an easy to

follow workbook and checklist for applicants and City staff alike. The study directs applicants

for tall building approvals to provide additional information as a supplement to the regular

application submission requirements, not as a separate approval process.

It is recommended that the tall building guidelines be tested over one year period and any

modification resulting from that review period will be reported back to the Planning and

Transportation Committee. Subsequently, the tall buildings design guidelines will be

incorporated into the forthcoming updated version of the Citys Urban Design Handbook. It is

also suggested that, if the City proceeds to establish a design review panel, the panel should refer

to the guidelines when considering tall building proposals.

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Planning staff are about to undertake a Phase II study that will look at a number of broader

planning issues associated with the development of tall buildings including site selection,

appropriate height limits on a given site, impacts on the skyline and the Citys overall physical

structure. Such study could lead to proposed changes to secondary plans as well as revisions to

zoning controls and other planning measures. These considerations are beyond the scope of the

design guidelines presented in this report.

Contacts:

Robert J. Freedman

Director, Urban Design

Tel: 416-392-1126

Fax: 416-392-1744

Email: [email protected]

Ted Tyndorf

Chief Planner and Executive Director

City Planning Division

(p:\2006\uds\pln\pt063921..pln)-ms

List of Attachments:

Appendix A: Design Criteria for Review of Tall Building Proposals

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City of Toronto

June 2006

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P a g e

TABLE OF CONTENTS 1

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY 2

DEFINITIONS 4

DESIGN CRITERIA 5

Introduction to Design Criteria 6

Tall Building Form 8

SITE CONTEXT 1.0 11

Master Plan for Larger Sites 1.1 12

Transition in Scale 1.2 14

Prominent Sites, Views and Vistas 1.3 16

SITE ORGANIZATION 2.0 19

Building Placement and Orientation 2.1 20

Tall Building Address 2.2 22

Site Servicing and Parking 2.3 24

Open Space 2.4 26

Heritage Buildings 2.5 28

TALL BUILDING MASSING 3.0 31

Scale of the Base Building 3.1 32

Tall Building Floor Plates - Articulation, Size and Orientation 3.2 34

Spatial Separation - Light and Privacy 3.3 36

PEDESTRIAN REALM 4.0 39

Streetscape and Landscape 4.1 40

Weather Protection 4.2 42

Sun, Shadow and Sky View 4.3 44

Pedestrian Level Wind Effects 4.4 46

APPENDIX 49

Sustainable Design 50

Table of Contents

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Purpose of the Study

The City of Toronto retained Urbana Architects/HOK Canada in October, 2003 to assist in

the development of planning and urban design criteria for the review of planning applications

involving tall buildings. The purpose of the Urbana/HOK Canada study is to elaborate on the

built form policies of the new Official Plan (November, 2002) by providing a common set ofmeasurable criteria and other qualitative indicators to assist City staff in the review of tall building

development applications. By this means the study will advance the Plans goal of improving

the quality of urban design and architecture in Toronto. In particular, there is a focus on the tall

building policies of Section 3.1.3 of the Official Plan.

The terms of reference for the study confined attention to the design of tall buildings on a site.

The broader issues related to their appropriate location within the City were not addressed. This

study brings forward urban design criteria that will help the evaluation of tall building proposals.

The study is not intended to recommend changes to the Citys zoning by-laws. However, the study

findings may contribute, in the longer term, to the on-going work of the New Zoning By-law

Project.

The study adopts an operational definition of a tall building as one whose height is greater than

the width of the right of way of the principal street on which it is located. This threshold of a

1:1 ratio of building height to street width will be used to engage the design criteria within th is

booklet. Buildings that exceed this limit trigger a number of urban design concerns regarding fit

and impact on the surrounding urban fabric, including the local pedestrian environment. As the

Official Plan recognizes, tall buildings come with larger civic responsibilities and objectives than

other buildings and require additional built form principles to be applied to their design.

Typical arterial street allowances in the City range from 20 to 36 meters. Based on the above

definition, buildings generally greater than 6 to 10 stories in height would invoke the application of

the tall buildings policies and design criteria. This definition of tall should also recognize that any

building which rises significantly above its existing or planned context should be considered tall.

Under this expanded and more flexible definition, the more rigid 6 to 10 stories limit might be

seen in certain situations to be either too high or too low a cut-off point depending on the local

context.

Although tall buildings have their origins in North America, they have become increasingly

common throughout the urbanized world. Most cities in Europe and North America have

tailored features of their development approval process to deal specifically with issues related to

tall building design. Each city has a different set of parameters with differing implications for the

development of tall buildings within their fabric.

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Design Criteria forReview of Tall Building Proposals

In general terms, North American cities, such as New York, Chicago and Vancouver exercise

a relatively high degree of control over the design of tall buildings, particularly at the local or

site-specific level. By contrast, certain European cities, such as Frankfurt and Rotterdam, tend to

apply regulations in the pursuit of more strategic objectives at a broader scale. In both cases,the development control process can be a mixture of regulations and incentives applied by

statutor y or advisory author it ies. However, the more prescriptive approach to tall building design

practiced in North America leads to a more standardized development typology, whereas the

more discretionary system employed in Europe has a better capacity to address the much greater

diversity of environmental character found there.

Regulatory systems can, therefore, be viewed as tending either towards a more rigid, prescriptive

framework or a more flexible, negotiated system. The employment of Design Review Panels,

typically made-up of respected design professionals, can sometimes blend these two regulator y

approaches to maximum effect, significantly raising the bar on urban design and architectural

quality of tall building development. While the Design Review Panel approach would be ourrecommendation in the long term, it is not practical to expect the City to implement new and

separate approval process for tall buildings in the short term. The most practical route forward

for Toronto at this time is to work within the existing regulatory framework to make it more

effective. Consequently, this study identifies and compiles the key urban design criteria that

should be brought to bear in the evaluation of tall building applications, and specifies how the

applicant will demonstrate that these criteria have been satisfactorily addressed. By and large,

applicants will be directed to provide additional information as a supplement to the standard

application submission process, not as a separate process.

The study organizes the tall building design criteria under four principal headings: Site Context;

Site Organization; Building Massing, an d Pedestrian Realm. Clearly, many of the criteria

are inter-related and, although each section or chapter can be read on its own, the report should

be viewed as a whole to fully appreciate how the criteria work in combination to enhance the

design of tall buildings. The criteria are succinctly presented in a standard two-page lay-out, with

photos, text (including applicable Official Plan policy references) and illustrations, that create an

easy to follow workbook and checklist for applicants and City staff alike. Applying the design

criteria and recommended application submission requirements will help implement the objective

of the Official Plan to ensure that tall buildings fit within their context and minimize their impacts.

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Page 4

Definitions

Articulation - the layout or pattern of building elements including walls, doors, roofs, windows and decorativeelements including cornices and belt courses.

Base Building - lower portion of a tall building, designed to provide definition and support at an appropriate scale

for adjacent streets, parks and open spaces, integrate with adjacent buildings, minimize the impact ofparking and servicing uses.

Existing and Planned Context - The existing context of any given area refers to what is there now. Theplanned context refers to what is intended in the future. In stable areas, such as Neighbourhoods andApartment Neighbourhoods, the planned context typically reinforces the existing context. In growthareas, such as Centres and Avenues, the planned context generally anticipates change.Height and density aspects of the planned context of new development will be assessed on the basisof the Plans policies, including Secondary Plans and site and area specific policies.Where there areno height and density limits in the Plan, height and density limits of area zoning that implementsthe Plan will be a benchmark for assessment of those aspects of the planned context. Where there

are no height and density limits in the Plan and no area zoning implementing the Plan, height and

density aspects of the planned context will be determined on the basis of an area review suchas that undertaken to implement Sub-section 2.2.3.3 b) of the Plan. In this case, in determining

an application, Council will have due regard for the existing and planned contexts. In instances ofapparent inconsistency between existing and planned contexts when interpreting the built formpolicies as they relate height and density, the planned context will prevail.

Good Street Proportion - Good street p roportion is subject to study on a district and street basis. Goodstreet proportion will be determined by studying the existing conditions, street and open spacewidth, existing building heights and the planned intensity of development and expectations for thecharacter and quality of the streets and open spaces in the future.

Gross Floor Construction Area - total aggregate floor area of the largest typical floor plate of a building,measured from the exterior face of all exterior walls.

Master Plan for Larger Sites - required for:

Development sites larger than 2.0 hectares Developments with two or more construction phases Sites with more than one building Sites with shared servicing Sites with a new street and/or park

Middle (Shaft) - mid portion of tall building with the floor plate size and shape w ith appropriate dimensionsfor the site, locate and orient it on the site and in relationship to the base building and adjacentbuildings.

Pedestrian Amenity - architectural and landscape elem ents including, l ighting, trees, decorative paving, seating,water features, etc. that promote the safe and comfortable use of streets and open spaces.

Point Tower - tall building with a typical Gross Floor Construction Area not exceeding 8,000 SF (743m2).

Street proportion - the ratio of height of buildings along the edges of the street and the width of the spacebetween the buildings.

Tall Building - generally, a building whose height is greater than the width of the right of way of the principal streeton which it is located or the wider of two principal streets if located on an important intersection.

Tall Building Form - three part building design consisting of Base Building, Middle (Shaft) and Top.

Top - the uppermost part of tall building, designed to contribute to the skyline character and integrate roof top

mechanical systems into the design.Weather Protection Systems - continuous pedestrian weather protection in form of canopies, overhangs

or colonnades along the base of tall building located on or at:

Streets with retail or commercial uses at grade Avenues Streets in the Downtown Financial District Adjacent to transit stops

Text in quotation marks denotes an extractfrom the C ity of Toronto Official Plan

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DESIGN CRITERIA

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Initially, tall buildings were built on the

lot and block framework of nineteenth

century Toronto. Small plate commercial

developments, such as the first tall buildings

at Yonge Street and King Street and along

Bay Street, were constructed in the 1920s

on large single lots. Later, in the 1950s, eight

to ten storey concrete frame apartments

were built on single lots on streets such as

Jarvis Street, Dunn Avenue and St George

Street. In each of these cases, small rear

and side yard setbacks that had provided

adequate light, view and privacy for low

buildings, did not work successfully with

taller structures. Little or no parking was

provided with these early tall buildings.

In the 1960s, changes in construction

technology and new ideas about the

city created new forms of tall buildings.

These tall buildings, whether commercialor residential, used large single lots or

consolidated lots to provide space for

adequate underground parking and

increased spaces for light, views and privacy

between the buildings. The tall buildings

were placed in the middle of the block

with large landscaped open spaces between

them. Commercial developments based on

this model, like the downtown TD Centre,

became the symbols of the new economic

power of Toronto. Residential towers were

inserted into the existing city blocks by theconsolidation of smaller lots and demolition

of existing neighbourhoods such as at

Danforth Avenue and Cambridge Avenue, or

in the blocks east of Yonge Street and south

of Davisville Avenue.

Introduction to Design CriteriaThe tall building has been a part of the make up of Toronto since the turn of the century when

the steel frame of the Bank of Toronto rose to 14 storeys at Yonge St. and King St. to be the tallest

building in the British Commonwealth. The form of tall buildings has continued to evolve with

changing technical improvements, the market demand for space, the economics of developmentand planning controls addressing where tall buildings are allowed and how they fit into the city.

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Outside of the built up City, new subdivisions such as Flemingdon Park and Parkway Forest were

planned, using tower in the park design principles. While providing needed apartments and office

space, in general, these buildings did not fit within the existing city built form context and were

disruptive to its scale and texture. The buildings did not support streets and open spaces with theporches, stoops and retail that the traditional forms of urban buildings had. Their large floor plates

cast long shadows and created windy conditions at grade. Often the promised landscapes of the

Tower in the Park became in reality the Tower in the Parking Lot.

In the late 1980s a new approach to tall

buildings began to take hold in Toronto.

These tall buildings were more careful to

fit within the existing urban fabric, defining

the edges of streets and small open spaces

in a traditional way with base buildings,

townhouses, or lower scale buildings. These

new tall buildings were often mixed-use, had

smaller floor plates and were located to

minimize shadow and wind impacts.

The policy framework for the new Official

Plan reinforces and elaborates these ideas

about tall buildings. Tall building development

should define and support adjacent streets

and open space, integrate with the other

buildings and open spaces on the block and

in the area, including heritage features, and

provide high quality pedestrian amenity andenhance the public realm.

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To facilitate this, the new Official Plan calls for the design of tall buildings to be considered in

three distinct parts, base, middle (shaft) and top, each with its particular role in creating a single,

integrated structure. These design criteria are intended to provide guidance to the form of

development that w ill achieve the joint goals of enhancing the public realm and fitting in with

neighbouring development.

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Tall Building Form

PolicyThe design of tall buildings will be designed to consist of three parts, carefully integrated into a

single whole:

base building provide definition and support at an appropriate scale for adjacent streets,parks and open spaces, integrate with adjacent buildings, minimize the impact of parking and

servicing uses, middle (shaft) design the floor plate size and shape with appropriate dimensions for the

site, locate and orient it on the site and in relationship to the base building in a manner that

satisfies the provisions of this section, and

top design the top of tall buildings to contribute to the skyline character and integrateroof top mechanical systems into their design. Official Plan 3.1.3(1a,b,c)

The vertical proportions and articulation

of tall buildings will have a dramatic impact

on how they are viewed both at street level

and on the skyline of the City.

To p

Middle (Shaft)

Base

Three part building example.

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Sketch 3 Move away from the approach that all tallbuildings should look the same.

New tall buildings will have regard for the

Built Form Policies of the Official Plan and

will be designed to:

Avoid free standing towers withoutbases.

Avoid big boxy, dominant massing ofnew tall buildings.

Design the walls and step back thebuilding mass to maintain an appropriate

scale at street level.

Design the uppermost floors of tall

buildings to achieve a distinctive profile

and integrating mechanical penthouse

functions into the total building design.

Sketch 4 A generic example of how to usevert ical emphasis with setbacks to achieve aproportioned tall building. Base is defined insupport of pedestrian realm, middle (shaft) isshaped to minimize shadows and increase skyview from street level and the top is sculpted tocontribute to the skyline character.

Sketch 2 Avoid big boxy massing and create an appropriatescale at street level.

Sketch 1 Avoid free standing tall buildings.


Applicants will illustrate and describe how the massing of the proposed tall building is

integrated into surrounding development, how it creates an elegant rather than bulky

form, and how its design quality makes a positive contribution to the citys public realm,

urban form and skyline.

DesignCriteria

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SITE CONTEXT 1.0Master Plan for Large Sites 1.1

Transition in Scale 1.2

Prominen t Sites, Views and Vistas 1.3

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Master Plan for Larger Sites

SITE CONTEXT

Illustrative Neighbourhood or District Scale Context Plan of the Railway Lands West.

The site plan approval process for larger sites with potential multiple tall buildings and/or new

internal streets will require a Master Plan for the proposed development. This study has identified

that the master planning of larger sites is critical to the success of tall building designs for these

developments.

Larger sites have certain opportunities and constraints when being designed as places for tall

buildings. The integration of larger sites with adjacent areas is important, especially in light of

the Official Plan policies calling for the provision of new roads, parks, pedestrian paths and open

spaces that extend into and complement the existing surrounding neighbourhoods and help knit

the public realm into a single, cohesive whole. Larger sites enable tall buildings to be sited and

organized in a way that provides desirable transition to adjacent neighbourhoods and ensures

appropriate spatial separation between tall buildings.

The larger site allows for the design of base buildings that will define new streets and open

spaces at the right scale, as well as provide the correct fit of scale with adjacent sites. On larger

sites it is possible to co-ordinate servicing, parking access and utilities to ensure that they do not

have negative impacts on neighbours, or on the new public realm within the project. To achieve

all these important objectives for larger sites, it is important to develop a Master Plan that will

consider and analyze each of the issues described with in these guidelines at an appropriate scale.

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DesignCriteria .1

A Master Plan for larger sites is to be

provided at two scales, Neighbourhood or

District Scale and the Site orBlock Scale.

The intent of the Neighbourhood

or District Scale Context Plan is

to demonstrate how the proposed

development fits into and reinforces the

existing neighbourhood context. In addition

to the criteria outlined below, the plan

should indicate five and ten minute walking

radii and label area amenities including:

public transit and stops, community parks

and centres, ravines and trails, libraries,

schoo ls, retail areas, etc..

The intent of a Site/Block Plan is to ensure

that issues such as internal site circulation

and servicing, parcelization of the land, phase

implementation, adequate spacing between

buildings, entrance locations, ground floor

land use, the appropriate location of parks

and public spaces, general location of base

and middle(shaft) and efficient land use have

been taken into account.

A Master Plan for larger sites is required for : Development sites larger than 2.0 hectares Developments with two or more

construction phases

Sites with more than one building

Sites with shared servicing Sites with a new street and/or park

Applicants will provide a Master Plan for large sites that will describe in drawings and

words for the site and its context the following issues:

the location and dimensions of public streets, parks and accessible open spaces general location and dimensions of pedestrian circulation and relationship to

pedestrian sidewalks and paths, TTC stops and shelters general location of building footprints - base buildings and taller buildings general layout and dimensions of setbacks from streets, parks and open spaces, as

well as dimensions between base and tall buildings on the same site

general location of building entrances for each building general location and dimensions of site access, service areas, ramps, drop-off and

parking for each building

phasing plan and schedule perspective(s) showing important views

Illustrative Site/Block Plan of proposed development.Highlighted in colour : street edge to be defined,

view corridors and view terminipoints of entr yinternal service court

important green buffers.

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Transition in Scale

PolicyNew development will be massed to fit harmoniously into its existing planned context. It will

limit its impacts on neighbouring streets, parks, buildings and open space by:

creating appropriate transitions in scale to neighbouring existing and planned buildings forthe purpose of acheiving the objectives of this Plan. Official Plan 3.1.2(3b)

SITE CONTEXT

The Official Plan clarifies transition:Appropriate transition in scale can beachieved with many geometric relationships

and design methods in different combinations

including angular planes, stepping height limits,appropriate location and orientation of thebuilding, the use of setbacks, and step backs

of building mass. The larger the difference in

scale of development the greater the needfor transition.

Transition in scale between tall buildings and

lower scaled buildings or open space andlow-rise neighbourhoods can be thought ofat two scales.

1. Scale of the BlockA transition between lower scaledneighbouring buildings, open space and tall

buildings on a block or across the street may

be achieved through:- The creation of a base building at the

appropriate scale with the adjacentbuildings and width of the street.

- Articulation of the base that integrateswith the neighboring building and the streetincluding appropriate ground floor uses.

- The scale and placement of the tallerbuilding on a site to reduce its visible

impact from streets, open spaces andneighbouring property, including thestepback of the taller building from the

base to allow for the reading of the base asthe primary definition of the street.

North York Uptown Height DiagramHeight = 70% of the distance from the stable area to ensure thatbuildings step up away from the lower scaled neighborhoods atthe edge of the Centre towards a maximum height of 87 metres atYonge Street.Street.

North York Downtown Height DiagramA 75 metre setback from the relevant residential property linesets a zone with 11 metre high buildings that can integrate with theadjacent neighbourhood. A first height zone of up to 65 metres isallowed and then the 100 metre height limit adjacent to Yonge Street.re height limit adjacent to Yonge Street.height limit adjacent to Yonge Street.

Within the North York Centre two approaches have been usedthat can provide insight as to how a district of tall buildings hasbeen regulated to ensure an adequate transition to lower scaledneighbourhoods:

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2. Scale of the DistrictWhen considering a tall building(s) on a site

between two land use areas or areas of differingheights or built form consideration needs to begiven to:- Providing appropriate horizontal separation

distance between the tall building(s) and lower

scale area.

- The appropriate height for the transitionsite to allow for a stepping down of the tallbuilding(s) towards lower scaled buildings or

adjacent neighbourhoods reducing its impacts

from streets, open spaces and properties.

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Sketch 2 Maintain the street scale by designing basebuilding to match height and setback of

neighbouring buildings or planned base building.

Sketch 3 Use angular planes to limit the height of tallbuildings and to achieve appropriate transitionfrom lower scaled buildings on the block.A n a n g u l a r p l a n e o f 4 5 d e g r e e s f r o m t h e c l o s e s tproperty line of sites with lower scaled buildingsis often used but may vary to meet otherpolicies.


.2DesignCriteria

Applicants will provide building plans, sections and computer views, illustrating the

design strategy that will successfully integrate the building(s) into its surroundings.

Drawings will clearly indicate existing and proposed building context, showing zoning

envelopes, setbacks, property lines, street widths, building heights, angular planes and

sun/shadow impact.

Transition at the Scale of the Block:On sites adjacent to lower scaled buildings on

the block or across the street:

Ensure that appropriately scaled basebuildings are put in place.

Place the taller building shaft on the siteand provide appropriate setback of the tall

building from the base in a manner that

limits its visual impact on the street, open

space and from neighbouring properties

that are lower in scale.

Consider appropriate setbacks of tallbuildings from neighbouring buildings to

provide areas where buildings at a lower

scale achieve appropriate transition.

Use angular planes to limit the height of

tall buildings and to ensure that they step

away from the lower scaled neighbouring

buildings. An angular plane of 45 degrees

is often used but may vary to meet otherpolicies.

Transition at the Scale of the District:When designing a tall building or group of tall

buildings on a site between two height areas,

land uses, or built form, study and consider the

use of setbacks, stepbacks and an angular planeto achieve appropriate transition in scale. Each

of these envelope controls may vary according

to the size of the development area, the planned

intensity of use in the redevelopment area, the

size of the low-scaled area, the street widths

and the analysis of impacts on the low-scaled

areas including sunlight and sky view. Not allsites may be appropriate for a tall building.

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Prominent sites are defined by their

strategic location and relationship to

adjoining public streets, open spaces and

consequently, by their strong visual impact

on the surrounding city. Prominent sites

include those that terminate a street, are on

street corners or that frames the edge of

a major park or open space. Sites adjacent

to bridges, underpasses, or sites where

changes in land use or scale occur, are also

prominent sites.

In Torontos discontinuous grid of streets,

the corners are some of the most

prominent building sites. Historically

buildings of distinctive form, sited at

prominent intersections, provide enduring

visual delight and reinforce the organization

of the city by providing a landmark fororientation. Tall buildings on prominent sites

should respond to these situations with high

quality design.

Historically, buildings of distinctive form

were located on prominent locations

including city halls, churches, hotels, post

offices, banks or theatres; today these are

admired for their memorable vistas and

quality architecture. Prominent site(s)

neither require tall buildings to make them

special, nor should they be a reason for atall building or an increase in height.

SITE CONTEXT

PolicyOn a corner site, the development should be located along both adjacent street frontages and

give prominence to the corner. If located at a site that ends a street corridor, development

should acknowledge the prominence of that site. Official Plan 3.1.2(1a)

Prominent Sites,Views & Vistas

The preserved heritagefaade incorporatedincorporatedinto the base of a tallbuilding provides aprovides aunique street terminus.

The clock tower of th is prominent public building acts as a terminusof the vista.

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DesignCriteria .3

Applicants for developments on prominent sites will provide an evaluation of thepotential visual impact of the proposed development on the surrounding urban

context, illustrated through computer visualization from a pedestrian point of view,

photomontage techniques, aerial photographs, and/or a physical model. Applicants will

also provide an analysis of surrounding areas that outlines the positive and negative

impacts that the proposed tall building makes to the visual quality of the area.

Sketch 1 Acknowledge the street terminus with distinctivearchitectural features.

Sketch 2 Prominent sites: 1. Terminating Sites2. Corner Sites3. Sites framing open spaces

Tall buildings on prominent sites will be

designed and organized to:

Enhance the landmark site and integrate

with context. Complement and enhance, not

compromise, strategic views and

important vistas in the city.

Provide an appropriate design thatacknowledges the land shape and

architectural context of the prominentsite area.

Provide a high level of architecturaltreatment to all frontages that are

visible and prominent.

Display a high quality design. Tall buildings should not be located

on sites where they create negative

visual impact on sensitive historic

environments.

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SITE ORGANIZATION 2.0Building Placement and Orientation 2.1

Tall Bui lding Address 2.2

Site Servicing and Parking 2.3

Open Space 2.4

Heritage Buildings 2.5

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SITE ORGANIZATION

Building Placement & Orientation

PolicyNew development will:

Generally, locate buildings parallel to the street or along the edge of a park or open spacewith a consistent front yard setback. Official Plan 3.1.2(1a)

Torontos traditional urban pattern is of

buildings aligned parallel to the street with a

consistent setback from the front property

line. This pattern clearly defines the street

edges, reinforces the public street and

provides a seamless edge of public activity.

Spaces for p lanting street trees and gardens

between the public sidewalks and thefront of the buildings are provided, where

appropriate.

There will be situations however, especially

on a larger site, on block-long development

or multi-block development, that break

the consistent pattern and provide an

opportunity for an attractive forecourt,

urban plaza, garden or other publicly

accessible am enit ies.

New development will be located andorganized to fit with its existing and planned

context. New base buildings will frame and

support adjacent streets, parks, and open

spaces by , in general, being placed paral lelto the street, aligning with neighbouring

buildings to create a pattern of continuousbuilding facade .

The tall building middle (shaft) may orient

itself differently from the base building

when it is demonstrated that the proposedorientation minimizes the shadow impact

and loss of light and skyview or improves

wind conditions and sustainable design

features.

Base building infilldefines street atthe alignment ofadjacent buildings.

Buildings consistently setback to provide additional pedestrianspace and amenity.

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A well designed building entrance, directly

accessible from the street, provides a clear

and visible identity for the building acting asa threshold between the public realm and

the private realm of the building interior.

Entrances not visible or easily accessible

from the public sidewalk, including

entrances behind parking areas, from long

driveways, from interior malls and exterior

walkway circulation systems, take away

from the importance of the street and are

inappropriate as entrances to tall buildings.

Direct, visible and accessible public

entrances to buildings help promote safe,

vibrant public streets and sidewalks.

Typically, the most vital and interesting

streets, whether lined with residential

or commercial uses, have a fine grain of

entrances along the street edge.

A dramatic galleriaentrance providesaddress for mid-block

development.

Base building has a two-storey glazed lobby at the corner and a fine

grain of retail entrances along commercial street.

SITE ORGANIZATION

Tall Building Address

PolicyNew development will:

locate main building entrances so that they are clearly visible and directly accessible fromthe public sidewalk, and

provide ground floor uses that have views into and, where possible, access to, adjacentstreets, parks and open spaces.Official Plan 3.1.2(1b,c)

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Applicants will provide an illustration of primary and secondary entrances showing how

the addresses are readily identifiable from the street.

Sketch 1 A fine grain of entrances along the edge of publicstreets is encouraged to support the safe andactive use of the public sidewalk.


.2DesignCriteriaWhen designing building entrances:

Locate primary entrances to buildings at

grade and on the public street frontage.

If setback from the public sidewalk,If setback from the public sidewalk,maintain clear sight lines and accessible

grades from the public sidewalk to the

primary building entrance. Use a high level of architectural and,

where appropriate, landscape treatment

to emphasize the primary entrance. Differentiate architecturally between

the residential and commercial

entrances in mixed use buildings.

Organize automobile drop-offs at the

side and rear of development sites.

Use lobbies with multiple access pointswhere appropriate.

Articulate the base building at theprimary entrance to allow the middle

(shaft) of a tall building to meet the

street in order to achieve a clear and

visible address.

Sketch 2 Provide clear and visible identity for building

entrances located at mid block and corner.

Sketch 3 Provide clear, visible and safe link betweensidewalk and tower entrance at block interior.

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A dramatic archwayframes access to the mid-block landscaped autocourt that provides drop

off and access to parkingramps and servicing.

All buildings and developments should be

designed to accommodate front of house

and back of house functions and activities.

Areas for garbage storage and collection,

loading docks, auto parking, ramps to

underground parking, vents, meters and

transformers are essential to the efficient

function of any new development but are

specifically back of house activities. Safety,

physical, visual and noise impacts on the

street and adjacent property are the key

considerations when designing and locating

these functions.

Transformers, meters, vents and exit stairs

should be integrated within the building

mass. If located outside of the building, they

should be organized away from areas visible

or accessible to the public, or screened

from view and integrated into planting

and/or architectural treatment.

A shared rear driveway provides access to a flanking auto drop-off,as well as servicing and parking access.

A mid-block landscaped courtyard provides for automobile drop-off,parking ramp access and other servicing.

Site Servicing and Parking

SITE ORGANIZATION

PolicyNew development will locate and organize vehicle parking, vehicular access, service areas andutilities to minimize their impact on the property and on surrounding properties and to im-prove the safety and attractiveness of adjacent streets, parks and open spaces.

Official Plan 3.1.2(2)

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DesignCriteria .3

Applicants will provide a site plan and section with annotations to explain the systems

of parking, access and egress for all vehicular movements and the appropriate location

of areas allocated for garbage storage and collection, loading areas, undergroundventilation shaft/gratings, service metres and transformer vaults.Applicants will also describe which, if any, existing public transportation services are

within walking distance and demonstrate the projects commitment to reducing private

vehicle use and improving public transportation.

Tall building developments will organize site

access and servicing to: Screen, to the maximum extent possible,

back of house uses from public view. Use shared service areas where possible

within development blocks, including

public and private lanes, driveways and

service courts. Consolidate and minimize the width

of driveways and curb cuts across the

public sidewalk.

Organize automobile drop-off areas intothe side and rear of development sites

and provide through lobbies with access

to the street and auto drop-off areas.

Integrate services and utility functions

within buildings where possible.

Minimize the size of service, garage

doors and openings visible from public

streets and open spaces.

Provide underground parking whereappropriate.

Eliminate surface parking between thefront face of a building and the public

street or sidewalk.

Eliminate lay-bys on public streets.

Where permitted or appropriate,integrate above-ground parking

structures with building design and

have usable building space, rather than

parking, face adjacent streets, parks and

open spaces.

Sketch 1 Consolidate servicing by using shared drivewaysand service courts.

Sketch 2 Screen parking structure in the base building byproviding commercial, retail or residentialactivities along street facade on all floors.

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The Official Plan outlines objectives for

the provision of open space within new

developments to extend, enhance and

complement the system of public streets

and parks.

New tall building developments should

strive to provide occupants and neighbours

with high quality, accessible and safe open

space on their sites.

Open space on a site can take a number

of different forms depending on the

building programme, its site and planning

expectations for development. Exclusive use

amenities for the individual owner or tenant

in a building may be provided through

balconies, gardens at grade or on a roof

terrace, while shared amenities for the use

of residents and tenants may take the formof indoor and outdoor space at grade, or on

roof terraces.

Publicly accessible open spaces are those

parts of private developments that are

visually and physically accessible to the

general public. The location within the block,

along with the form and scale of these open

spaces may vary, as does their intended use.Furnishing, landscap ing, l ighting, publ ic artand connections to public streets and other

open spaces need to be considered whenlocating and designing new open spaces.

Open Space

SITE ORGANIZATION

PolicyNew development will provide amenity for adjacent streets and open spaces to make these

areas attractive, interesting, comfortable and functional for pedestrians by providing landscaped

open space within the development site. Official Plan 3.1.2(5d)

Plaza displaying high quality of architectural features includingfountains, public art, quality paving, street furniture and planting.

An intimate urbangarden adjacent to acity street.

Landscaped mid-block park provides tranquil retreat in denselydeveloped area.

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The former City of Toronto Urban Design

Handbook provides formal definitions and

design criteria for a number of recuring

public open space types. Guidelines on thelocation and layout of the following five

open space types, usually associated with

tall building development, can be found on

pages 44 and 45 of that publication:

forecourt, an open space between the

public sidewalk and the main entrance

of the building;

walkway, an exterior public pedestrian

way at street level, usually providing

connection through the block;

urban garden, a landscaped open space,usually of intimate scale, located and

oriented to provide maximum sunlight

during midday;

plaza, an animated gathering place withlandscape features flanking a public

street; and

courtyard, a landscaped open space,located in the centre of a single or

consolidated block with no direct street

frontage.


.4DesignCriteria

Applicants will demonstrate through illustration(s) the open space features that create

and enhance pedestrian amenity. The illustrations should further demonstrate how thedesign of the building and associated open space(s) will relate to its context by providing

pedestrian level perspective sketches.

For more information on Open Space and

Pedestrian Am enity issues refer to theUrban Design Handbook,

City of Toronto,1997.

Sketch 2 Define public open spaces by appropriate massingand articulation of base buildings.

Sketch 1 Design walkways with public uses alongthe base building edges and a rhythmicrepetition of architectural and landscaping

elements.

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Heritage Buildings

The history of any city is best told through

its streets, parks and architecture. The City

of Toronto values its heritage properties and

therefore requires that they be p rotected

and integrated into new developmentin a manner that preserves their sett ing,

character and integrity consistent with

accepted principles of good heritage

conservation.

The historic legacy of the city can co-existwith new development. Development

should strive for the long term protection,

integration and re-use of heritage resources.

The conservation of heritage resourcesmust be taken into consideration at each

phase of the planning and decision making

process.

SITE ORGANIZATION

PolicySignificant heritage resources will be conserved by designating areas with a concentration ofheritage resources as Heritage Conservation Districts and adopting conservation and design

guidelines to maintain and improve their character. Official Plan 3 .1.5(1b)

Carefully scaled base building and stepbacks reinforce theprominence of a significant historic building.

An example of aher i tage faadeintegrated intothe base of new

development.

Scale and materials of the new base buildingcomplement the preserved heritage building.

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.5DesignCriteria

Applicants will provide drawings and a description demonstrating how the proposed

project works to maintain, support, reinforce and enhance any historic buildings or sites,either within, or adjacent to the applicants property.

Sketch 1 Maximize spatial separation between heritagebuilding and new tall building development.

With respect to heritage buildings or

sites either within or adjacent to the

development site:

New tall buildings will not visuallyimpede the setting of listed/designated

buildings nor block important views

into areas designated as Heritage

Conservation Districts. Where heritage buildings are low-scaled,

the base building of the tall building will

respect and reflect the unique urban

grain and scale, visual relationships,topography and materials of the

surrounding historic buildings.

Any new tall building proposal affectingthe setting of a listed/designated building

should satisfy all requirements of the

Official Plan and should demonstrate

that the areas character and the

appearance of the setting of a listed/

designated buildings will be preserved

and enhanced.

Sketch 2 Stepback beyond base and maintain the viewsof heritage buildings.

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TALL BUILDING MASSING 3.0Scale of the Base Building 3.1

Tall Building Floor Plates - Articulation, Size and Orientation 3.2

Spatial Separation - Light, View and Privacy 3.3

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Scale of the Base Building

TALL BUILDING MASSING

In new tall building development it is important

that the base buildings recognize and integrate

with the prevailing and planned context of

building massing and the characteristics of the

street.

Appropriate base building height depends on

the scale of the existing and planned context.

Existing and Planned Context is a term defined

in the Official Plan (see Definitions p.4).

Street proportion is the ratio of the height of

buildings along the edges of the street and the

width of the space between the buildings. Street

proportion gives a measure to certain qualities

of the street including its access to sunlight and

sky view and the scale of building walls that

form the edge of the street.

Good street proportion is subject to study on

a district and street basis. Appropriate street

proportion will be determined by studying the

existing conditions, street and open space

width, existing building heights and the planned

intensity of development and expectations for

the character and quality of the streets and

open spaces in the future. (Official Plan pg. 42)

PolicyThe base building will provide definition and support at an appropriate scale for adjacent

streets, parks and open spaces, integrate with adjacent buildings, minimize the impact of parking

and servicing uses. Official Plan 3.1.3(1a)

The base building provides definition for the street at anappropriate scale.

The new developmentcomplements thehistoric scale of thestreet by providing abase building at thecontext height and bysignificantly stepingback the taller building.

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.1DesignCriteria

Applicants will provide annotated street elevations, sections and pedestrian levelperspective views showing the massing relationship between base building and taller

building parts, and illustrating how the base integrates with the adjacent buildings anddefines a well proportioned street. A 1:50 elevation drawing, with materials labelled, of aportion of the base will also be provided.

The massing and height of base buildings

will always be considered within the zoning

envelope. Within that zoning envelope the

massing of new development will: Where height limits are taller than the

existing street proportion and adjacent

historical context, the building massing

will include a base building at the street

proportion described in sketch 2or context height. The minimum base

building height will be 11 metres or

three storeys.

In the absence of an historical building

context, the massing of the base building

will be within a 45 degree angular plane,

taken from the curb on the opposite

side of the street.

On a corner site, the base building will

be massed to respect the prevailing

height of the base building and setback

on both streets, but the higher height

limit will govern in order to give the

building a degree of prominence.

The appropriate scale of the stepbackfrom the base building for taller

building elements is determined by

the relationship of the scale of thetaller building to the base. The taller

the building in relationship to the base,

the larger the stepback to reduce the

negative impact of the taller element on

the street proportion and context.Theminimum stepback of the taller building

parts from the street edge of the base

building will be 5 metres.

Sketch 1 Different street proportions in different locations.A - Urban Street-Financial DistrictB - Residential StreetC - Mixed use Residential/Commercial Street

Sketch 2 Design base building at the street proportion orcontext height.

Sketch 3 Step back from the base for a minimum of 5metres.

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Articulated square shapedfloor plates provide a variey ofbalcony fronts and terraces.

Tower with narrow floor plates,shaped to maximize views tothe Waterfront, createsdramatic skyline silhouette.

Articulation and SizeThe size and articulation of the floor platein the shaft (middle) of the tall building is

instrumental in the perception of the overall

three dimensional massing of the building and

its visual and physical impact on adjacent areas.

The use of properly located small floor plates

is encouraged since they result in slenderbuildings which cast smaller shadows, may

improve skyviews, and permit better views

between buildings and through the site. Such

developments also promote sustainability by

providing opportunity for increased daylight

catchment and more efficient climate control

within the building.

OrientationLarger sites have greater flexibility when

designing and orienting the middle (shaft)

of the building. Taller buildings located tothe south and east side of a block have less

negative impact on the adjacent streets, as a

greater proportion of the shadows cast from

their taller parts fall within the development

block itself.

Tall Building Floor Plates


PolicyNew development will be massed to fit harmoniously into its existing and/or planned context,

and will limit its impacts on neighbouring streets, parks, open spaces and properties by:

c) providing for adequate light and privacy;

d) adequately limiting any resulting shadowing of, and uncomfortable wind conditions on,

neighbouring streets, properties and open spaces, having regard for the varied nature of such

areas; and

e) minimizing any additional shadowing and uncomfortable wind conditions on neighbouring

parks as necessary to preserve their utility. Official Plan 3.1.2(3)

New development will be massed to define the edges of streets, parks and open spaces at

good proportion. Taller buildings will be located to ensure adequate access to sky view for the

proposed and future use of these areas. Official Plan 3.1.2(4)

Design the floor plate size and shape with appropriate dimensions for the site, locate and

orient it on the site and in relationship to the base building and adjacent buildings in a mannerthat satisfies the provisions of this section. Official Plan 3 .1.3(1b)

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Sketch 2 Avoid bulky, elongated slab floor plates in denseurban context.

.2

The applicants will illustrate and highlight the strategy for shaping and planning the tall

building floor plate. References to any regulations such as the Ontario Building Code

which affect the layout should be annotated.

With respect to the size and massing of tallbuildings: Point tower form is preferred.

(See definition p.4) Middle (shafts) will be located to

minimize the shadowing of adjacent

streets, open spaces an d bui ldings. Middle (shafts) that have small floor

plates are encouraged since they have

the least impact on shadowing, winds

and views. When siting tall buildings that have

elongated slab floor p lates that

cast biggest shadows, North-South

orientation is preferred.

East-West buildings cast the largestshadows, therefore locate them on

south side of a block so the shadows

will fall within the block rather than onthe adjacent street.

Articulate large floor plates to break

down the mass of the building and to

create street interest and enhance sky

line character.

Articulate the uppermost floors of tall

buildings to achieve a distinctive skyline

profile. Residential floor plates larger than

8,000 SF (743 m2) and commercial

floor plates exceeding 20,000 SF (1860

m2) of G ross Floor Construction Area

will be articulated architecturally to

minimize shadows, loss of sky view and

wind conditions in adjacent open space.

DesignCriteria

Sketch 1 Design articulated, square shaped p lates thatreduce building bulk and shadowing, and set upview and balcony opportunities.

Page 35

Gross Floor Construction Area is defined as thetotal aggregate floor area of the largest typical floorplate of a building, measured from the exterior face ofall exterior walls.

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Spatial Separation


Appropriate space between towers allows

for appropriate light and privacy for new

and existing buildings as well as allowing

appropriate sunlight, wind and skyview to

the adjacent streets, parks, open spaces

and properties. Light and privacy are

two separate, but inter-related issues

that are influenced by the orientation,

site characteristics, heights and distances

between adjacent buildings.

An adequate condition of privacy is

achieved when orientation, facing distancesor space exists to mitigate overlooks

between the residential windows and

balconies of one building and the residential

windows and balconies of another.

An adequate level of natural light into a

dwelling can be said to be achieved when

the orientation, facing distance and space

between building walls and windows is

sufficient to allow daylight for part of the

day to enter through the windows into themain l iving spac e.

These conditions vary depending on theurban context and intensity of planned

development.An example of how facing distances between the towers areincreased relative to height.

Smaller separationdistances are improvedby the use of curvedfaade.

30 m

30 m

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Greater than



c) providing for adequate light and privacy;



areas; and


parks as necessary to preserve their utility. Official Plan 3.1.2




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.3DesignCriteria

Applicants will provide building plans and sections that illustrate the design strategy for

resolving light, view and privacy issues. Drawings will clearly indicate zoning envelopes,

setbacks, property lines, and building heights, as well as arrow annotations showing view

angles and access to light at different times of the day and year.

Conditions beyond the required By-lawminimums are often necessary to achieve

light, view and privacy.

The minimum spacing between theshafts of two tall buildings will equal

the widest tower width measured

perpendicularly to building face, but it

will be no less than 25 metres.

The taller the building, the greater

the facing distance between the

buildings should be in order to achieve

appropriate light and privacy.

Similarly, on compact urban sites wherea tall building is proposed the shaft

of the tall building must be located

a minimum of 12.5m away from the

property line. The taller the building, the greater

the distance to the property line and

neighbouring buildings on a site should

be in order to achieve appropriate light

and privacy.

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Sketch 2

Sketch 1

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PEDESTRIAN REALM 4.0Streetscape and Landscape 4.1

Weather Protection 4.2

Sun, Shadow and Sky View 4.3

Pedestrian Level Wind Effects 4.4

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Streetscape & Landscape

PEDESTRIAN REALM


areas attractive, interesting, comfortable and functional for pedestrians by providing:

improvements to adjacent boulevards and sidewalks including street trees, lighting andother street furniture

coordinated landscape improvements in setbacks to create attractive transition fromprivate to public realm

landscaped open space within the development siteOfficial Plan 3.1.2(5a,b,d)

New tall buildings will integrate with and

enhance their surrounding context. High quality

streetscape and landscape design elements will

be used between the building and the street.

The space between the building faade and the

public sidewalk is an integral part of the image

and character of the public street. This is the

zone that accommodates sidewalk cafes and

retail displays, corporate or residential building

entrances, front gardens to residential units, or

connections to arcades and other open spaces.It is this zone that usually contains canopies and

awnings, signage, special lighting, landscaping and

outdoor furniture.

There are two design approaches to treating the

transition space between the private and public

realms. The first promotes interaction between

the ground floor uses and the public sidewalk

and has a primarily hard or paved character to

accommodate commercial/pedestrian activities.

The other approach provides privacy forthe ground floor uses and usually has a soft,

landscaped character for residential activities.

On residential streets, green privacy buffers and mature treescreate transition from the private to the public realms.

Hard surfacestreetscapecomplementscommercial street

frontages.

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Applicants will demonstrate how the new proposal contributes to the streetscape

enhancement by providing active frontages, legible entrances and views to the streetfor security. They will also provide landscape plans showing paving, artwork, exterior

furniture and planting.


.1DesignCriteria

The new tall building development will: Contribute positively to the streetscape

by providing active frontages, legible

entrances and views to the street forsecurity.

Provide a new high quality streetscapeon each frontage to City standards.

On streets characterized by setbacksof primarily hard landscaping, tall

building developments with retail and/or

commercial uses at grade, will provide

appropriate setback between the base

building face and the public sidewalk.

The design of the space will be an

extension of the materials, levels and

the character of the public streetscape.

Where appropriate, introduce soft

landscaping, street furniture and public

art.

On streets characterized by setbackswith a soft landscaped character and

where ground floor uses require more

privacy from the adjacent sidewalk,

additional landscaping and amenity will

be provided between the building face

and the public sidewalk. This landscaping

treatment may include tree and shrubplanting, water features, railings, curbs,

low walls, fences and public art.

On residential streets provide additionall ighting, seating and planting, as well aschange of grade level (up to 90 cm)

between ground floor residential and

public sidewalks for privacy.

Sketch 1 Extend hard surface character along commercialfrontages and where appropriate provide canopies,awnings, planters, art, lighting and street furniture.

Sketch 2 Introduce soft surface landscape for privacyadjacent to residential uses.

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For more information on

Streetscape & Landscape refer to theUrban Design Handbook,

City of Toronto,1997.

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Weather Protection

PEDESTRIAN REALM


areas attractive, interesting, comfortable and functional for pedestrians by providing weather

protection such as canopies and awnings. Official Plan 3.1.2(5c)

Toronto is a city with a climate of extreme

weather conditions. In such a climate use

of continuous canopies and awnings along

the edge of buildings can greatly enhance

the enjoyment of public streets and openspaces.

While primarily provided to assist in the

environmental comfort of pedestrians,

weather protection systems play an

important role in framing and shaping

our visual urban experience. Canopies,

awnings and colonnades work together

with street trees to enclose the street and

define its edge. They change and redefine

building proportions at the street level,articulate entrances, animate the base

building and enhance the character of the

neighbourhood.

To be effective, weather protection should

be well integrated into building design,

carefully proportioned and easily maintained.

Where base buildings form a continuous

street faade , the coordinated and

uninterrupted weather protection elements

may allow pedestrians to walk comfortablythroughout whole districts in all seasons.

Well proportioned anddetailed colonnade.

A continuous canopy along sidewalk.

Coordinated canopies over entrances and store fronts.

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.2

Applicants will provide diagrams in plan, section or axonometric to illustrate the design

of pedestrian weather protection features.

Sketch 1 Weather protection may take form of anoverhang, a colonnade or an awning/canopy.

New tall building developments will: Provide continuous pedestrian weather

protection along the base of tall building

located on or at: Streets with retail or commercial

uses at grade Avenues Streets in the Downtown FinancialDistrict

Adjacent to transit stops

Coordinate pedestrian weatherprotection between developments on

adjacent street frontages to ensure

that the shelter is continuous and the

designs are compatible in scale.

Design awnings or canopies to protectmain entrances to tall buildings. Proportion columns for colonnades to

maintain clear view of the uses behind

and to allow for easy pedestrian flow

and visibility from the street. The ratio

of width to height of the shelteredspace will be approximately 1:1.5, with

the minimum clear width of 2.5 metres.

Integrate lighting, signage and street

numbering into canopy or arcade design

for clear viewing and easy maintenance.

Where space and lighting levels permit,planting will be encouraged as well.

DesignCriteria

Sketch 2 Introduce canopies/awnings to protect entrancesand/or provide continuous weather protection

along the base building.

Sketch 3 Design well proportioned colonnades.

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3.75mm

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Sun, Shadow and Sky View

PEDESTRIAN REALM

Base building stepping back under an angular plane maximizes sunpenetration into the park.

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The sun traverses the sky from east to west atvarious angles, depending on the time of day and

year. To understand the impacts of building siting

and height on shadowing, knowledge of sun angle

and the orientation of Toronto streets is essential.

The Toronto street grid is generally rotated by

sixteen degrees to the west of north.

Given th is street and block orientation, taller

buildings on the south side of a street or park

will have a larger impact on the amount of direct

sunlight reaching those spaces than buildings on

the north side of the street. Tall buildings placed

on the east side of the street will cast shadows inthe morning, and those on the west side will cast

shadows in the afternoon.

Tall buildings can adversely affect theenvironmental quality of surrounding

areas through the loss of sky view and by

the overshadowing of adjacent public and

private open spaces.

Sky view is the measurable amount of sky

seen from a street, park or open space

above and in between the building mass.

Sky view is important as it has direct impacton the character of streets and open space

around a building. Adequate sky view

improves the usability and quality of open

spaces and the buildings that face them,even though it may not be a source of direct

sunlight.

The access to direct sunlight is another

measurable quality of a space. Access to

direct sunlight improves the usability of the

space and the quality of rooms in buildings

that face that space. In the Toronto climate,

access to direct sunlight is important in

order to extend the season during which

the pedestrians can comfortably use an

open space.Tall building developments need to considerhow their massing will affect both direct

access to sunlight and sky view when

designing the building.





areas; and


parks as necessary to preserve their utility. Official Plan 3.1.2(3)




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.3DesignCriteria

Applicants will, through use of site sections and perspective views, demonstrate that theproposed tall building maximizes the sky views and minimizes its shadow impacts onpublic streets, parks or adjacent open spaces and buildings. Sun shadow analysis shouldbe provided as per the Building Toronto Together Development Guide.

This will include:

Placing the appropriate amount ofbuilding mass in the base building. The

appropriate amount of mass considers

the existing and planned context for the

site.

Designing a small floor plate thatallows for more sunlight and sky view.

Evaluations need to be made between

the impacts of taller thin buildings and

lower thick buildings.

Placing the taller part of the building(the shaft) away from the street or

affected open spaces. This reduces the

amount of shadow cast and increases

the sky view. Balance this with the need

to maintain adequate spacing between

buildings on a block for light, view and

privacy.

Sky view can be measured by creating

an imaginary box floating above the site

between the height of the base and the

maximum building height. The sky view will

be the percentage of the space left after thebuilding mass has been subtracted from this

box.

Computer programs have made the

evaluation of the shadow impacts of

development on adjacent spaces easy to

calculate. The Building Toronto Together

Development Guide sets standards for

applications and should be followed.

For more information on sun and shado w refer to

Sun, Wind and Pedestrian Comfort

by P. Bosselmann/E. Arens and K.Dunker/R.Wright,

City of Toronto, 1990For sun and shadow analysis refer to

Building Toronto Together, A Development Guide

City of Toronto, January 2004

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Sketch 2 Oblique view illustrates shadow patterns onvertical and horizontal surfaces. Suitable techniquewhere building facades and roof surfaces are ofinterest.

Sketch 1 Plan view illustrates shadow patterns onhorizontal surfaces. Suitable technique where

ground plane and roof surfaces are of interest.

Alternative massing for individual sites and blocks should always be prepared and analyzed to

evaluate the impact on sunlight and sky view in adjacent streets, parks, buildings and spaces.

Engineering input by RW DI

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Pedestrian Level Wind Effects

PEDESTRIAN REALM

Pedestrian wind comfort study model on wind tunnel turntable.

Wind sensors and modelled landscaping.

The position, mass and height of buildings

that surround a study site are key factors

that affect local wind patterns and

pedestrian and cyclist wind comfort.

Down drafts off buildings or acceleratedwinds through tunnelling of wind between

buildings are well known to be a hazard.

These conditions can be mitigated through

good design and sensitive siting of a new

building, through appropriate scale of the

base building and the step back of the

middle (shaft) portion.

The use of architectural devices such as

screens, terraces, overhangs and awningscan also be adopted to minimize the effects

of high speed wind around the base building

and to further enhance pedestrian and

cyclist comfort at the street level.

Predicting the influence of a buildings mass

on local wind flow patterns and determining

pedestrian and cyclist comfort conditions

is a complex task best established through

the wind tunnel testing of a scale model.

At a preliminary design stage, however, thebasic aerodynamic issues, illustrated in the

following diagrams, as well as the guidelinesof this book, can help to provide design

direction to limit uncomfortable windconditions. For m ore information on pedestrian level wind effects refer to

Sun, Wind and Pedestrian Comfort

by P. Bosselmann/E. Arens and K.Dunker/R.Wright,

City of Toronto, 1990

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Engineering input by RW DI





areas; and


parks as necessary to preserve their utility. Official Plan 3.1.2(3d,e)

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Applicants will provide a pedestrian wind tunnel model analysis to demonstrate how

pedestrian and cyclist comfort levels has been achieved in open spaces around the sitethat are appropriate for intended or future uses.


.4DesignCriteria

When wind meets abuilding, wind that flowsdown the face, causesaccelerated wind speedsnear the windward corners.

Tall and wide facades thatface the prevailing winds areoften undesirable.

Buildings create a low windpressure area immediatelydownwind.

A low building upwind of atall building increases thedownward flow of wind,causing accelerated windsnear the windward cornersof the tall building.

Wind is funneled betweentwo buildings causingaccelerated winds betweenthem (wind canyon effect).

The height, spacing andorientation of the buildings

affects intensity of windacceleration.

Base building roof areasthat are inaccessible topedestrians can be used to

mitigate against downwardwind flows and improveconditions at grade.

Landscaped base building roofareas can further reducewind speeds at grade.

Colonnaded base buildingscan be used on windwardfacades to controldownward wind flows.

Colonnades providepedestrians a choice of calmor windy areas (breezes arewelcome on hot days).

The use of horizontalcanopies on the windwardface of base bu ildings isbeneficial.

Parapet walls can increasethe canopys effectiveness.

Sloped canopies onlypartially deflect downwardwind conditions.

Base buildings that stepbackcan be used to reduceundesirable downward w indflows.

The p roportion of basebuilding stepbacks and theirinfluence on the wind isaffected by the height of thesurroundings.

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Problems Preferred

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APPENDIXSustainable Design

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____________________1. For the LEED Green Buidling Rating System please see Leed Reference Guide For New Construction and MajorRenovations LEED Canada - NCVersion 1.0 by the Canada Green Building Council www.cagbc.org

Copyright - 2000 by John Wiley & Sons, published in Canada.

Sustainable Design

Sustainable design features:building orientation, greenroof, slim floor plate, highperformance envelope, da

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