Transformation: The Story of Creating EBW
Transformation: The Story of Creating Evergreen Brick Works
In 2002, Evergreen began its long journey of revitalizing the Don Valley Brick Works—a century-old factory that produced the bricks that built Toronto. When it closed down in the late 1980s, all that was left was a damaged ecosystem, crumbling buildings and contaminated soil.
Today, Evergreen Brick Works is an international showcase for green design and urban innovation.
Evergreen Brick Works is Canada’s first large-scale community environmental centre. It is a dynamic venue for exploring ideas and leading-edge green technologies, and a vibrant public space where visitors can engage in a broad suite of hands-on environmental programming.
This is the story of how this project evolved from bold vision to reality, and of all the lessons we learned along the way.
1: Look
- A Work in Progress
- Location, Location, Location
- Innovation through Times of Change
- The Don Valley Brick Works: Rich in History, Fertile Ground for Rediscovery
2: Launch
- Pitching City Hall
- To the Right Idea and the Right Location, Add the Right Partners
- Share the Vision: Know When to Ask for Help
- Community Engagement
- Good Ideas will Find Support
3: Leap
- Site Animation: Making it Real
- Discipline and Focus
- There is No Substitute for Great Thinking and Hard Work
- And Then One Day, You’re Open
4: Learn
