The Toronto Military Family Resource Centre project at Downsview has won the Canadian Wood Council 'Green By Design' Award for 2003 for the institutional category in a national level competition. The award will be presented in Huntsville on October 16, 2003.

TSH provided structural and electrical consulting for the project under the ongoing Agreement for Structural Engineering Services with Public Works and Government Services Canada. PWGSC's Architectural and Engineering Group was responsible for providing architectural and mechanical design for the building.

The design was completed in the spring of 2002. The building construction was carried out in 2002/2003 and concluded with the Grand Opening on June 11, 2003.

The approximately 20,000 square feet Family Resource and Child Care Centre for the National Defence Canada has been designed for the use of military personnel and their families. The facility includes child care programs and youth center, distress counselling services, physical and educational programs, medical offices, recycling centre, library, etc.

The intent of the design was to develop a project that was user friendly, interacted well with the environment, was sustainable and green, and provided variety of spaces for different programs. TSH's Structural Group took the lead role along with PWGSC in the selection and evaluation of building materials and provided value engineering.

A variety of renewable and reusable materials was used. The major material selected for the interior and for the superstructure was wood, which best suited the philosophical, sustainable and aesthetic requirements of the user groups and programs.

The building was designed as three circular sloped roofs with various ceiling heights, bearing on large wood pole columns and exterior walls. The glulam roof beams, supporting wood decking, radiate from the centre points of the multilevel roof and are exposed to the occupants' view. An Insulated Concrete Form wall system was selected for the construction of the exterior walls, allowing for superior thermal parameters and cost efficiency. The floor slab contains a highly efficient hydronic system. A series of interior and exterior glazing provide natural light and ventilation, and encourages transparency and communal interaction for the children and personnel occupying the building.

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