rare pavilion: Topping out!

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Topping out!

Once again, the end frame was a substantial built-up element, so we had lots of hands on deck to put it in place. Thanks to Keegan for lending a hand that day, and to Amanda for capturing the process on camera!

With a "ready" ...

a "set" ...

a push ...

and a pull, we brought the frame upright...

and lifted it into place on the deck.

And then, of course, celebrated with high-fives all around!

Are you curious about the sprig of fresh cedar attached to the final roof beam? It's part of a practice is known as "topping out". Apparently, this custom of placing a bough or tree on the final beam of a building originated in timber framing traditions in Northern Europe. Unsupported information on Wikipedia suggests that "The practice of "topping out" a new building can be traced to the ancient Scandinavian religious practice of placing a tree on the top of a new building to appease the tree-dwelling spirits of their ancestors that had been displaced." Anecdotally, it has been described to me as a celebration of the structure and a symbol of longevity.

Traditionally, the tree ceremony is accompanied by a party with feasting and the like. While we didn't have a topping out party, we did have something of a daily lunchtime feast on fruits and vegetables from our garden plots in the Springbank community gardens adjacent to the building site. I couldn't resist documenting this beautiful selection of September treats.

Dave and Jack enjoy a break in the space.

Keegan peeks down the length of the tunnel created by the building's skirt.

Acknowledgements

The Pavilion at the rare Springbank Community Gardens would not exist without the support of the Cloverleaf Foundation and the Kavelman-Fonn Foundation. The Cloverleaf Foundation’s generous initial gift came at a critical time - allowing rare to plan and envision the space alongside the School of Architecture students who designed it. Construction began and the Kavelman-Fonn Foundation subsequently made a lead gift facilitating the full realization of this initial vision. These donors have invested in environmental education for children and in a community-shared space used by school groups, community gardeners, trail walkers, and general visitors to the gardens. We can’t thank them enough!

You can help support Springbank Community Gardens by clicking here to make a donation. We still need additional site infrastructure: new eco-composting washrooms, handwashing stations, interpretive materials, and support for trail enhancements.

The Pavilion Team

Dedicated volunteers from the rare community formed the construction crew. Whether they helped for a few hours or a few months, these folks brought a remarkable commitment to quality, skillful approach, creativity, generosity, and attention to detail to the building site. Their work was truly extraordinary.

Laura Knap (B.E.S. Arch) worked on the final building design and managed construction. In collaboration with rare staff, she also produced this blog.

Structural design and general reviews were by R.J. Burnside and Associates Ltd.

Amanda Newell is the Gardens and Building Project Manager for rare.

Project design and development for the pavilion began in two master's seminars led by Andrew Hunter and Farid Noufaily at the University of Waterloo School of Architecture in Cambridge. The substantial work of these students gave shape to the pavilion, its siting, and its relationship to the surrounding landscape.

Preliminary Design - Arch 684, Spring 2009: Pooya Baktash, Liam Brown, Heather Brown, Maryam Karimi, Sean Irwin, Sara Nejad, Prithula Prosun, Mike Taylor

Design Development - Arch 684, Fall 2009: Lida Arbabi, Timea Jakab, Fariba Khorashahi, Rebecca Lai, Carmen Lau, Darcy McNinch, Parisa Nikkhou, Morteza Rabbani, Lisa Rendely, Poonam Sharma

The staff and board at rare have provided much direction, insight, and support along the way. The staff team, Environmental Advisory Committee, archaeologists, and educators provided input to ensure that no habitats, rare plants, or cultural history would be disturbed by the construction process.