What is a dead mall?

A dead mall is a shopping mall with a high vacancy rate or a low consumer traffic level, or that is dated or deteriorating in some manner. There are many malls in the United States which are considered “dead," having no surviving anchor store (often a large department store) or successor that could serve as an entry into or attraction to the mall. Without the access, the small stores inside are difficult to reach; without the pedestrian traffic that a department store generates, sales volumes plummet for the stores, and rental revenues from those stores can no longer sustain the costly maintenance of the malls.

Today we look into a growing problem; dead malls. As we start to consider that shopping habits are changing and that shopping malls are becoming extinct, we need to consider an alternative for what to do with these soon to be dead-malls. We must always keep in mind that we should choose the most affordable, environmentally friendly and the option with the best outcome. When looking at the Scarborough Town Centre today we see a mall that in the near future will most likely become a dead mall. Currently Scarborough Town Centre is lacking stores and customers due to the current change in trends and people changing their shopping habits, malls are becoming part of our history due to this.

As we know dead malls are just left there to rot, we have come up with solutions to make the Scarborough Town center a green building in keeping existing appliances and furniture. It is very unlikely for a mall not to have a food court. We will reuse as much of the existing materials as possible and the materials that are not being used will be distributed to where needed.

Dead Malls
Reusing Dead Malls
Why Malls are Dying

History of Scarborough Town Centre

Let’s take a step back and take a closer look at Scarborough Town Centres. The mall was first opened on May 2nd, 1973 with 130 stores and adjacent civic centre. However the mall did not stop there, Scarborough Town Centre has been growing ever since. Phase 2 took place on August 8th, 1979, with this they opened another 240,000sqft. , and this included a 2 level Bay along with other additional stores. In 1998-1999 Phase 3 took place, and again an additional 177,000sqft. of space was added and devoted to just entertainment. This incorporated 12 theatres, the Bay adding yet another floor, and Sears completes renovations to keep into par with the rest of the mall. At the end of Phase 3 Scarborough Town Centre now holds more than 220 stores. There has been no recent activity until in 2008, when they announced the new renovation and construction of the existing mall, this renovation took place and cost the mall over $60 million dollars. When we look at this mall today we see a lot of empty space, and a lot of unnecessary renovations and additions. The construction methods used on the Scarborough Town Centre is the problem. Shopping trends have been going through transition; merging to downtown core shopping and less consumption. In the near future we will be left with a building which was once worth over $60 million dollars and no use for it.

Option 1 - Mental Health Community

The Potential

With 65 acres of land, this is the amount of wasted space we will soon have to deal with. Space like this could possible produce if not transformed into another space. So we look into options in changing this space into a new community. The options are potentially endless, however we want to consider changing this space into a space that is in need of now and has the potential to becoming a more required space.

After narrowing down the options, the plan is to transform this soon to be dead-mall into a mental health community. This decision was based on the following facts, a lack of Mental Health Communities in the area, the lack of available space in the few existing communities, and the growing knowledge of new disabilities. This reinvented space will be a living community for all needs, including: long term care, short term care, outpatient and inpatient care, emergency care, clinic, drug store, and activity rooms.

Creates Jobs

Jobs will also be created for specialists involving physiotherapy, occupational therapy, neurophysiology, etc. Other jobs available would include nurses, social workers, and custodial staff.

These facilities will be accessible to all age groups: children, teenagers, adults and seniors. The goal for this new community is to be combined building to assist in all aspects of disabilities, while maintain to LEED standards, both during the transition from mall to Mental Health Community, and also the finished product of the community.

What to Consider

When building a Mental Health community there is a lot one must consider; all rooms and services must be considered in order to successfully run and obtain such a facility. The following is a list of all services and rooms that need to be in a mental health community:

• Crisis Support
  
• Finding Services
  
• Income
  
• Housing
  
• Work
  
• Education
  
• Legal System
  
• Justice and Mental Health
  
• Self-Help and Peer Support
  
• Support for Families and Caregivers

This list is however a bare minimum and other amenity could be added on after, if there was room left over, since we do have just over 65 acres of land to transform. During the transformation of this building we will try and be as environmentally friendly as possible starting off with recycling as much as possible from the interior and exterior of the existing building, the Scarborough Town Centre.

Our Goals

We want to achieve as much space efficiency as possible by introducing the outdoors in. The plan starts by taking down a lot of the existing ceilings in the common areas and turning them into outdoor walkways. Within this area we will incorporate gardens, outdoor patios, and fountains. Not only will this space be environmentally friendly, it is also a great way to get patients and residence outside and in the fresh air. Recreational areas will also be included within the plan.


Transforming the Scarborough Town Centre into a Mental Health Community will take a lot of work, consideration, and money. However, in the long run this building has a vast potential for success. By transforming this run down building into a new LEED certified building we are helping the environment and designing a building that will be inspiring to everyone around the world.

Option 2: High Schools

Dead malls are being reintroduced into community life in new ways. Many ideas have been proposed and encourage the reuse instead of disposal of dead malls. Proposals have included the incorporation of post offices and daycare centers, to entire renovations that turn dead malls into churches, wellness centres, condos, and schools. An article in the New York Times said, “Vacant malls can house libraries or places of worship. Parking lots can be turned into green space.” Together designers can work alongside with developers, to not only reuse these large existing structures, but incorporate green building practices and resources into renovation efforts.
In order for these ideas to be carried out property value needs to be determined, according to Mark London, president and founder of mall consulting firm Mark London & Associates Inc. in Lake Bluff, Ill., “somebody has to be able to take the write-down in terms of property value. Another entrepreneur has to come along to buy it at that lower value and be able to invest in it at that lower basis.” For the original owner “to take that write-down and reinvest is almost a double-jeopardy kind of situation,” he says.

A particularly interesting venture is the conversion of dead malls into high schools. This venture is a practical and popular concept, because the combination of mall and school environmental elements can create a dynamic and flexible school atmosphere.

The open walking paths of a dead mall can serve as the hallways of a high school that would be flooded with natural light from the skylights. Trees planted amongst the mall would add that element of greenery not often seen in high schools. The large expanse of square footage would provide ample space for school functions and provide other decorative opportunities due to high ceilings. The food court area within a mall could serve as the cafeteria for the high school. Maintaining this element would give students a larger and healthier variety of lunch food to choose from.



Instead of students leaving school to go to the mall for lunch, the mall can come to them, therefore possibly lowering the number of absentee students after the lunch hour. Dead malls are often centralized within a community providing a high population of students. This centralized area could also reduce the number of school busses required, increasing a large number of student’s physical activity, while lowering fuel costs and emissions.
Turning a dying mall into a high school can open up the opportunity to incorporate green building practices. Such practices could include:

• Energy star lights and appliances.
  
  
• High tech controls that adjust or turn off fixtures or appliances depending on their current use.
  
  
• Non-polluting solar power that produces some of the school's electricity.
  


• Incorporating flooring materials, carpets, and many furnishings manufactured out of renewable or recycled materials and can be readily recycled when they have to be replaced.
  
  
• Circulating fresh air into the school mechanically (rooftop vents draw it into the heating ducts) and through the operable windows.
  
  
• Taking advantage of natural lighting creating a pleasant, healthy indoor environment.
  
  
• Adding exterior windows that can become airtight and keep heat inside during the winter.
  
  
• Using non-toxic paints, finishes, or polishes.

In conclusion, a dead mall can be seen as an opportunity or a nightmare. In this day and age with all the green building practices available, an old structure does not necessarily have to be torn down, but turned into something that is needed, such as a high school.

Green Roofs

There are approximately 135 green roofs built around Toronto, which are situated on residential, commercial and institutional buildings. Green roofs are growing in popularity around the Greater Toronto Area as green space is decreasing within the city. As of 2009, the Toronto by-law encourages newly built condos and office buildings higher than 7 storeys to have a green roof. There will be a $100,000 fine for all violators.

Vegetated roofs are great alternatives to shingles (metal, slate, concrete) because they are light weight and inexpensive. There are many types of green roofs, but are grouped by extensive, intensive and semi-intensive. Green roofs are also multifunctional, as some may use the space for urban farming.

Earth Rangers Centre, Woodbridge

Mountain Equipment Coop, Toronto


Vancouver home


How does a Green Roof work?

Green Roof Suppliers Toronto

Green Space Roofing Inc.

Green Garage

TUFF-GARD

Solar Power

Today we look at the future and how to make it better. We can do this in many ways but one of the major ways to help the world and the environment is energy conservation. Energy conservation has been happening all around the world for many years. In the late 15th century Leonardo Da Vinci conceived of an industrial use of solar power by employing concave mirrors to heat water. However this was many years ago, and with new technologies we have been able to improve Leonardo Da Vinci’s original plans of improving the world (“Solar Power History”). We can all do our part in helping the environment, starting with energy conservation. When considering energy conservation today there are a lot of things you can do to make your lives better and to help the environment. For instance there is wind power, solar power, proper insulation, southern exposure of windows, low voltage lighting, plus many more. After a lot of research and consideration to all possible energy conservation possibilities we decided Solar Power would be the best outcome and solution for our clients.

The main two types of energy conservation out there today are wind power and solar power; both are an excellent choice in helping to save energy, however after considering the advantages and disadvantages of both options, solar power was on the top of the list. Let’s start with taking a closer look at solar power vs. wind power (“Discover the true facts about Solar Energy”). The main advantage of solar power is that the solar panels give off no pollution. Solar panels are very quite while doing their job, while as wind turbines can be noise. When digging deeper into both options we found that in Canada our location does not have a steady wind, which in turn means that the amount of energy produced from the wind turbines is extremely unpredictable. Whereas solar panels in Canada at the same location, we can pretty much guarantee five hours of efficient sun a day at a minimum. Solar panels are also very easily installed, and when installed on the roof of your house they are just as durable as your shingles and can actually protect your shingles, making them last longer. Being able to install them on your roof also solves the problem of space. Another advantage over wind power is that once on your roof you do not see the panels, where as a wind turbine placed on your property you would see all the time. Another amazing advantage of solar panels is the cost, other than the initial cost panels, the amount of energy saved and used from the panels will pay off in the years to come, not only that but the unused energy saved from the panels the city will buy from you to use on the grid somewhere else, giving you money. One of the great pros of solar energy is the ability to harness electricity in remote locations that are not linked to a national grid. A prime example of this is in space, where satellites are powered by high efficiency solar cells.


Solar power is used all around the world and has become an excellent source of energy conservation; however there are some negatives that come along with it. For instance, the major con of solar energy is the initial cost of solar cells/panels. Currently, prices of highly efficient solar cells can be above $1000, and many households today will need more than one. This makes the initial installation of solar panels very costly. And unlike the United States, Canada does not give big a taxable refund for installing Solar Panels. Another con of using solar panels is that the panels are only able to generate electricity during daylight hours, and only 5 hours out of 12 are at the suns maximum capability. This means for around half of each day, the solar panels are not producing energy for your home. This also takes into affect the weather in Canada, lucky we do not get that much rain, and even though it is cold a majority of the year, the sun is still shining. Pollution can also be a con of solar energy, as pollution levels can affect a solar cells efficiency, this would be a major con for businesses or industry wishing to install solar panels in heavily polluted areas, such as cities.

With solar power being the overall smarter choice we now look into how they work and the success of them. There are two types of commonly used solar power methods; photovoltaic or “solar cells” and concentrating solar power plants. Photovoltaic uses PV cells that are set on panels and collect the suns light and directly convert it to energy. Concentrating solar power plants are able to make electricity by using the heat from solar thermal collectors. Theses collectors then heat fluid which produces steam and this steam powers a generator. We will be focusing on photovoltaic because this is more commonly used in Canada and can be more personalized to the amount of power the individual household would like to be taking from a solar source. Photovoltaic uses panels on top on the household’s roof. These panels can be used for simple things like heating pools or water heaters but larger systems can be used to heat a whole house entirely. Photovoltaic systems have the option of having a battery to collect unused energy. This unused energy can be sold back to the city if the system is used in combination with traditional electrical energy through a “grid system”.

SolarWall is a Canadian based company, it has been around for over 30 years, and has done projects all over the world. However we based in on two case studies showing the great advantages and success of solar panels. Located on the SolarWall website we found the two Case Histories we wanted to focus on, we could not find any detached housing case histories, but by showing these two totally different companies and their success it proves that solar power can be successful in all ways. The two companies we picked where, The Greater Sudbury Housing Corporation, a multi residential building located in Sudbury, Ontario and built over 1972. The other company was Owens Corning and industrial building located in Toronto, Ontario. Both case Histories can be located in the next section of our report, 3.0.

When deciding to make your house energy efficient using solar panels there is a lot of things you should consider. For instance the main thing to consider is money, solar panels are extremely expensive, and the amount of panels needs for your home plays a big factor as well. However the location of your house also affects the price in which you pay, this meaning living in the United States vs. Canada. When you reside in the United States, although each state is different, the government taxable rebate for using solar panels is sustainably higher than the Canadian Government. The most you can receive back from the Canadian Government today for purchasing solar panel systems is $1,350, and that is a maximum which only lasts until February 2010 from the Ontario Renovation Tax Rebate. As of that time the Canadian Government will be taken away. Where as in the United States there are currently two tax credits you can receive for photovoltaic panels, they are: Federal Solar Tax Credit, which will give you 30% back when you purchase solar panels. The other is: State Solar Rebate, which could get you up to 50% back when purchasing solar panels. In all whether you reside in Canada or the United States, once you have paid the initial fee of the solar panels you will never have to see and electrical bill again (“Solar Panels and Solar Water Heating Systems”).

There are many options when it comes to how a house will use solar energy panels. The panels can be used in conjunction with the traditional electrical grid, or the house may be entirely powered by solar panels. We will be looking at what would happen if our client were to heat their house entirely with photovoltaic solar panels. We understand and have taken into consideration how expensive it will be initially for them to choose solar panels (especially in Canada) but we also know that our client has no budget. Firstly our client would need to understand that they would have to be practicing energy conservation constantly so that their system would be able to produce enough energy. They would need to practice water conservation and use fewer appliances (like the dishwasher) or less electronics (like televisions). We know that our client is already energy conscious and would like an eco-friendly house so these small changes will be something that they will be more willing to try than other households. We will be making some assumptions so that the solar panel system can work in full effectiveness. The house will need to have proper insulation and highly rated energy efficient windows to help conserve more energy so the system can be used to power other things. There will also need to be a lot of southern window exposure, which the house currently has quite a bit of, by the client can consider putting more windows in as well. Southern facing windows will help the client to use less lighting and heating power from the system. The lighting that is being used in conjunction with the solar panel system will need to be a lower voltage than what is commonly used by houses on the grid system. Even though our client will be using fewer appliances, they should also try to purchase energy efficient appliances to help conserve energy from the panel system. Our clients will most likely need 4 solar panel systems that consist of 10 – 12 panels each and cost about $10,000 to $14,000 each. We know that our client does not have a budget, but if they were to decide that this was too costly for them, they could start with one or two systems and use them along with the traditional grid system. This could still be a very effective way to save energy because it will help to save them money on their electrical bill, they will receive money back from the grid system with the unused energy they store, and they can add the other systems gradually once they have enough money.



In all we have done a lot of research to find the best possible way to save energy for our clients and Solar Power was the solution. With the use of technology today we know that solar panels are the best and most efficient that can be, saving us on electricity bills and helping the environment. Today there are a lot of options for energy conservation, and we should all take part in saving energy and making a better world. Not only for today but for the future!!

CORK: NOT JUST FOR ORGANIZING

Aveda Fredric's Institute

Cork is a sustainable and renewable material oringinating from The Mediterranean. Cork is harvested from the bark of the cork oak tree found in seven countries: Portugal, Spain, Algeria, Tunisia, Italy, Morocco and France. Portugal is the largest producer of cork with over 30% of the world's cork trees and 70% of the world's cork production.

The Benefits of Cork

• Soft on the feet - Very comforting on posture, especially standing for a long time.
• Available in all shapes, colours, patterns, and finishes.
• Naturally durable
• Anti-mildew - Used on boat decks
• Low maintenance (no waxing necessary)
• Can be used for insulation
• Excellent for sound-proofing - Reduces noise and vibration.
• Can be used in many forms; shoes, flooring, furniture
• Non allergenic
• Contains a natural waxy substance called suberin, which repels insects, mold and even FIRE!

Cork Products in Toronto

The Corkhouse

Interiors Only

Yorkdale Hardwood Flooring Centre