A landmark Toronto Hostel welcomed people from around the world for decades. A marriage of two structures dating back to the late 1800s, it was being rejuvenated and repurposed. The buildings required a means of linking them together, with one unifying main entrance.
Explore1 was brought on board to collaborate with the architect, general contractor and steel contractors to bring the entrance design to life. The entrance was three stories tall and designed with a modern aesthetic to update the two historic structures and house an art installation. They had an initial design, but needed help with detailing the structure’s glazed elements. Working out these details is one of our specialties.
Explore1 took on the task of making sure that the entrance structure would be functional and as efficient as possible. With so much glass and steel, if the structure was not thoughtfully assembled there was great potential to have heat transfer through the materials; leading to less than optimal building performance.
A major design challenge was interfacing the glazing element with the steel structure while preventing a thermal bridge. The architect was intent on maintaining the steel aesthetic as part of both the interior and exterior design. Explore1 worked diligently to design a method of mounting the exterior steel “C” Channel to the interior HSS while maintaining a thermal separation. Part of that design was a custom PVC extrusion that was fitted between the steel elements to create a fully drained glazing pocket.
As a result the client was very satisfied with the design and look of the entrance. With our knowledge of glass construction and Gensler’s design intent, not only did it come in far under the cost of original proposals but was built with the best practices to ensure the most efficient building operation.
Categories: Building Facade Renewal, Contracting, Door Service, IG Units, Jumbo Glass