New Project! PDA for 40 Oaks

Written by: jeremy

We’re happy to announce one our biggest project for 2011! PDA for 40 Oaks! If you would like to volunteer your time or help with this project in another way please fill out the form at the bottom of this page.

Project Completion Date: January 2012

About 40 Oaks

Located in the heart of Phase I of the Regent Park Revitalization, 40 Oaks is an innovative project of the Toronto Christian Resource Centre (CRC). It will house 87 units of affordable housing and a community “hub” on the first two levels. This hub will also be the new home of the CRC and other social agencies. The purpose of the hub is to create a warm and inviting environment for all people… a “Community Living Room” where all residents of Regent Park can build their lives and create a vibrant community.

PDA’s Role

PDA will provide services to 40 Oaks much like Edmond Place. We will be providing furnishing and interior design services for the first floor public spaces of the building.  We will produce furniture in three ways: from engagement with local community stakeholders, through donations by designers, craftspeople, artists, furniture makers, architects and through donations by post secondary students and their institutions. To learn more about the furniture production methods, scroll down.

Finally, PDA will produce an exhibition to showcase all of the furniture. The exhibition will take place during Toronto Design Offsite, January 2012. The exhibition will equitably promote the work of PDA, designers, students and any work produced by community stakeholders.

Furniture and Fixtures Scope:

1. Vestibule: Lighting/Ceiling Installation, Casual Bench and a Donor Wall
2. Reception: Built-in Reception Desk, Hanging Art/Feature Wall
3. Entry Area: Casual Bench
4. Community Hub: Large Worktable (3-6 pieces) and 14 Folding/Stacking Chairs
5. Community Meeting Room: Lighting Ceiling Installation, Large Conference Table, 12 Conference Table Chairs and a**Feature Wall
6. Worship and Program Room and Hall 131:
   1. Special finish or feature wall, installation on the Hall 131 wall surrounding the stairwell
   2. 1 Lighting/Ceiling Installation
   3. 6 Harvest Tables,
   4. 1 Large Soft Seating Piece (NON PORUS)
   5. 2 Large Side Chairs
   6. 1 Large Coffee Table
   7. Stacking Chairs
   8. 1 Set of Entry Doors – possibly be made from Church pews, and**30 Folding

Furniture Production Methods Explained

Local Community Engagement
These pieces will be produced through engagement with some/all of the following community stakeholders: end-users, local community members, community groups or their representatives.

Process can include brainstorming sessions, concept development, design development, working drawings and prototype development.

Community involvement in the production of the final working pieces is dependent upon experience, funding and workshop space. Production can provide individuals with skills training or improvement.

Designer Donations
These pieces will be produced by designers, craftspeople, architects, artists, furniture makers, industrial designers that PDA will solicit. All pieces will be inspected and approved for use in 40 Oaks by the PDA Management Team or a qualified representative.

All professionals are qualified and include people from all stages in their careers. PDA selects designers based on their skills and their notoriety. Some of these pieces will be donated by designers.

Members of PDA will create a working Space Plan of all the proposed areas, an Inventory of all pieces, a Request for Participation, and Designer Guidelines to guide the production of all donated pieces.

Post Secondary Student/Institution Donations
These pieces will be produced by post secondary design, art and furniture students. PDA will seek to have the project integrated into courses and curriculum at various post secondary institutions including, Sheridan College, George Brown College Institute Without Boundaries, Ryerson University School of Interior Design and Ontario College of Art and Design.

Students will be subject to the Designer Guidelines. Members of the PDA Management Team will ensure students produce work according to the Designer Guidelines. PDA will seek to have students volunteer with the Local Community Engagement sessions.

This entry was posted on Thursday, April 14th, 2011 at 5:27 pm. It is filed under News, PDA for 40 Oaks. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.