Toronto Transit Commission – McNicoll Bus Garage

Year: 2022

Location: Toronto, Ontario

Toronto Transit Commission – McNicoll Bus Garage

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Background

The Toronto Transit Commission is the largest public transit agency in Canada and third largest in North America, serving a daily ridership of over 1.7 million. With their ongoing commitment to improving transit service for a growing ridership demand, it was determined that a new bus maintenance facility was needed. The new McNicoll Bus Garage is expected to increase capacity at its bus maintenance facilities as well as lead to operational efficiencies. This will in turn help improve customer experience. This 312,100 ft 2 facility will maintain and store 250 vehicles (forty-foot equivalents) and will be equipped to support the new buses. The facility was designed to exceed the Toronto Green Standard which promotes sustainable site and building design by requiring 5% on-site energy generation.

Solution

Strasman Architects designed the facility to achieve TTC’s requirements using a composition of precast concrete panels, curtainwall glazing, and metal. “The transpired SolarWall [system] and siding creating a dynamic and articulated exterior building composition that achieves the requirement for 5% renewable energy,” says Shawn Strasman, principal, Strasman Architects, Toronto. “The SolarWall commands a striking visual presence on the prominent public street façades. Its black color, inherently bold, is complemented with a striking balance of strip windows with a red metal accent band, rising to form a large canopy at the south to create a continuous natural street edge that aligns with the adjacent senior’s residence across the street. The SolarWall system offered the design team a way to achieve significant energy conservation and generation at the facility that was low maintenance and integrated with the building envelope.” In this application, the SolarWall® systems are expected to displace over 4,000+ tonnes of carbon over the system's 40 year lifespan.

SolarWall Case Study – Toronto Transit Commission – McNicoll Bus Garage(PDF)