Adaptive reuse and the evolution of our downtown cores: The Slayte?

It’s challenging to reinvigorate the pulse of Canadian downtowns without the presence of people. Even before the pandemic shuttered businesses and kept people at home, downtowns were struggling to stay vibrant. High?housing prices and a desire for more space and green space in particular, forced people to the suburbs and beyond. The result has been a steady degradation of city cores, a problem only exacerbated by the pandemic.

As office buildings remain empty and surrounding businesses struggle to stay open, our city’s cores are dying. However, this dire situation is also a once in a generation opportunity to rethink our urban environments and in particular, the critical roles that city centres play in the overall ecosystem of healthy cities. As Mary Rowe, President and CEO of the Canadian Urban Institute has used the apt analogy: “an apple rots from its core”. The same is true for our urban centres. In order for our greater cities to thrive and survive, the cities centres’ need to be vibrant and alive.

The concept of adaptive-reuse isn’t new, however, applying this approach to office buildings is. Our project alongside our client-partners CLV Group, The Slayte, is a current example of how adaptive-reuse can reimagine the purpose of an existing building. The Slayte is not only a prime example of successful adaptive-reuse, it also provides housing options in a tight housing market, adds density to the core and is a sustainable approach to city-building.

Carbon emissions are captured in the concrete of existing buildings by virtue of sparing them from demolition and many of the materials and inputs of the existing building can be recycled or reused. At the Slayte, CLV worked hard to salvage as much as possible from the building, a herculean effort that currently has little to no support from any level of government but that provides valuable resources to organizations and people who need them while also lowering construction waste and disposal. Carpet tiles and light fixtures were sent to Algonquin college, cabinets were picked-up by Re-Store for resale and copper wiring was salvaged and redistributed.

In terms of architecture and design, the work to convert an existing office building to a mixed-use residential building is not straightforward. Plumbing, elevators, HVAC and even windows needed to be completely rethought and overhauled. Nothing about the layout in an office is similar to what is needed in apartments or condos. A lot of consideration was given to all aspects of the liveability within the units of the Slayte and the units themselves are largely unique. The units are large, even in bachelors. We introduced interesting configurations to make the most of all spaces.

On the exterior, we wanted to keep the character of the Brutalist architecture but modernize it. A series of concrete panels were removed and replaced with an updated version. The windows were replaced and in some instances, resized and the entire building was painted. On the ground floor, a large and inviting lobby is created by opening it up to the second level. There are also several amenities for the tenants including a shared office space, workout facilities, a rooftop party room, outdoor terrace and hot tub.

With the increasing supply of empty buildings across our cities, from office buildings to strip malls, there is an incredible opportunity to rethink how we use existing structures in new and relevant ways.?

Engaging and animated downtowns are a benefit to all parties in the Canadian ecosystem, but also require commitment from all parties. Cases of adaptive reuse are often passion projects and aren't solely driven by profits - it's more a commitment to sustainable practices in urban development. While reconceptualizing the use of our downtowns can expand a return on investment financially, adaptive reuse additionally proposes a return on community engagement, a return on sustainability, and a return on activated downtown streetscapes that promote engaging urban experiences for everyone.