A new temporary public space at 888 Dupont Street showcases the power of circularity and placemaking.

During the month of July, TAS, in partnership with the University of Toronto’s Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design, transformed a portion of our 888 Dupont site, into a temporary public space area that honors its historical roots while fostering community engagement.

The initiative, aptly named Circularity {of people and place}, brought together 19 future architects who dedicated three weeks to this ambitious project. The goal was to understand the community’s desires and needs, make use of reused materials from the 888 building, and then design and fabricate something that would create a positive impact on the neighbourhood.

Through conversations with residents, the students discovered that the neighborhood longed for a space that could host performances, offer seating, and include greenery.  In response, they designed and built a stage, seating and planters.

Remarkably, these structures were created almost entirely from reused materials, including iconic bricks and window frames salvaged from the original building. The garden beds feature bricks from the old 888 Dupont structure, while the seating incorporates window frames saved from the site. Additionally, the wood used in these structures is salvaged Douglas fir lumber from deconstructed houses across southern Ontario.

This new temporary public space is now open to the public. The planters will be installed over the next several weeks and the site will soon host a variety of programming in partnership with a nearby café and local community groups.

TAS would like to thank our partners at Ouroboros Deconstruction and Arcana Restoration for their invaluable guidance in teaching the students the skills needed to repurpose these materials effectively.