2021 1UP Design Competition Recap
By: Lucy Qi
Tags: Urban Planning, Parks, Urban Design, Toronto, Competition

Launched in partnership with Friends of Wychwood Barns Park, 1UP Toronto hosted a free 2-month design competition from January to March. This year’s theme was Outdoor Learning, and participants were tasked with designing solutions to help reshape Wychwood Barns Park, a public park in Toronto. Specifically, teams were equipped to modify the following “zones” on Wychwood Ave. There was an overall focus on building an inclusive and intergenerational community gathering place for the Parks. Participants had to consider how they would incorporate nature and artistic design to pay tribute to the rich history and inspire meaningful outdoor play and learning.

For context, Wychwood Barns Park is located in the Bracondale Hill Community within the City of Toronto (St. Clair West, between Bathurst and Christie). The Barns really are the “social heart” of the community. They are a collective of 5 streetcar sheds that, during the 20s to 40s, comprised one of the most important transit facilities in the city and housed TTC streetcars. In 1978, the Barns were decommissioned and started to fall into disrepair. In 1996, the Barns were to be demolished, and the land was to be sold. At that point, City Councillor Joe Mihevc and local residents saw the historical value in the site and so began the extensive campaign to save and re-purpose the buildings.

Today, it is home to approximately 14,000 diverse community members and houses several live/work studios for local artists. As a community cultural hub, it is an important meeting place for many people, with attractions such as The Stop Community Food Centre, the weekly Wychwood Barns Farmers’ Market (every Saturday), and Helene Comay Nursery School.

To help participants prepare for this competition, 1UP Toronto hosted bi-weekly webinar sessions from 7 pm — 8 pm. The first session was an introduction to the case challenges by friends of Wychwood Barns Park, followed by a Q&A period to answer any competition questions. For sessions 2 to 4, teams were assigned scheduled time slots to meet with the experts who helped guide participants through the design process and answer any questions.

While designing their final project, participants explored key ideas such as accessibility, inclusivity, flexible spaces, greenery, safety, and thoughtful inclusion of sustainable/natural materials. When coming up with their final solutions, they also got an extra challenge by considering 3 “Personas” to understand what kind of user-profiles there are in this space. They also had to evaluate how they would make the Parks a more inclusive and accessible playground and outdoor gathering space for all demographics. Furthermore, participants considered integrating outdoor learning and education programs into these spaces to make them more innovative.

All in all, the 2021 1UP Design Competition was a fantastic opportunity for teens aged 13–18 in Ontario to build a network of like-minded friends and learn a lot about urban design and planning. Throughout this competition, participants had the opportunity to exercise their creative skills and have their ideas included in this real-life built project. The design competition’s winning team is Team 5, who will be receiving a $500 cash prize and free DesignTO annual membership. The winner of the People’s Choice Award is Team 4. Both of their projects will be featured at the 1UP Toronto Conference in March 2021 and the 2022 DesignTO Festival.