2019 Toronto, Ontario
Preserving Davisville Public School
The Globe and Mail
Summary of findings
In 2018, the 1962 Davisville Public School—an important mid-century modern building— was demolished and replaced. This approach prompted an inquiry into its rehabilitation. Giaimo completed a Program Test Fit to determine if adaptive reuse was not only possible, but more economically, environmentally, and socially sustainable for this site.
The diagrams present the replacement school program (in colour), overlaid on the 1962 school’s floor plans. A comparison was conducted based on SPA drawings for the new school, as well as a report on the original Davisville School following its completion, as well as archival drawings. What this shows is the existing school accommodating the new program with a modest addition, integrating heritage initiatives and current school requirements. The building could have been renovated and expanded to precisely fit the school’s needs, along with a planned city community centre. Doing so would have saved the board roughly $3-million.
