(RE)BOUNDING DOWNSVIEW
Downsview as an airport has historically defined itself through the assertion of boundaries -- both material and immaterial. Arterial roads are forced to curve to make space for runways, prevailing winds dictate site footprints, site ecologies are removed and sterilized to prioritize airport functionality, and
the aerodrome effect regulates building heights in neighbourhoods kilometres away.
Now that the site's primary function is no longer an airport, these immaterial boundaries have become obsolete. However, surrounding neighbourhood zoning still reflects their legacy. The Framework Plan is the first major development proposal in the Downsview neighourhood, yet is insular in its approach. Our project challenges the convention of boundary-making in privately funded city-building processes, arguing that sites of this scale should be developed holistically, in connection with nearby development and with respect to existing ecologies.
Our concept explores the insularity of the Downsview site - which appears as a hole, separated by boundaries from its surrounding landscape.
+ Morphology
+ Boundary Study / Typologies
+ Spatial Atlas
+ Precedents
+ Mutations