BUTTERFIELD PARK REVITALIZATION

Two Row Architect was selected by OCAD University as the Indigenous consultant to work in collaboration with PFS Studio on the redesign of Butterfield Park. This is a key area of the university, as it is the only street-level outdoor space on campus. While reflecting OCAD U core values of sustainability, accessibility, diversity, equity and Indigenous culture and heritage, the project also seeks to respond to the busy downtown urban context in a creative and inspiring way. The two firms worked closely with OCAD’s Campus Planning & Projects Department and a wide range of other contributors including OCAD U students, staff and faculty; city representatives, Indigenous Community Reps; members of the public and more.

Located under OCAD’s iconic Sharp Centre for Design, the project objectives are to provide opportunities for various activities and to integrate public art into the space, while creating a durable and easy-to-maintain park in a high-traffic and central area. The layout responds to the existing site structural piles, trees and topography, while taking into account solar paths and natural patterns of movement. Surveys from community members emphasized a desire for multiple smaller gathering sites in the park to facilitate casual meet-ups, lunch breaks, art displays, and outdoor community events. Indigenous consultation provided the concept of a clearing at the edge of a forest as a natural and long-standing meeting point.

The final design incorporated many of these concepts into a multi-faceted public park that will include a  forecourt, stage, flexible plaza, terraced amphitheater, sloped lawns, promenade, garden plinth, many intersecting and smoothly curved garden walks, and an abundance of native plants and seating.