Students from University of Toronto win province-wide challenge to design urban space using recycled tire products

On January 18 & 19, students from across Ontario competed to design an urban space using products made from recycled tires. Students from University of Toronto are the winners of the second annual OTS Student Design Challenge. They are thrilled at the opportunity to have their design concept implemented in a high-profile public space.

This is a coup for students David Garcia Gonzalez, Jessica Wagner, and Gregory Bunker who brainstormed the winning design. The students had less than two days to create the concept, which will be built on the concourse of the YMCA’s central (Yonge and Grosvenor) location in downtown Toronto. Students worked with design professionals, manufacturers of products made from recycled tires and YMCA representatives to inform their design concepts and hone their practical skills. Their designs were judged by a panel of experts from industry, academia, YMCA and OTS.

The OTS Student Design Challenge aims to encourage up-and-coming landscapers and designers to choose products made from recycled tires for their future projects. It is also a fantastic way to educate Ontarians about these environmentally sustainable products, since they will soon be built into the heart of a meaningful community organization. The winning design will be implemented at YMCA Central during the spring and summer of 2013.

To read about the winners of the 2011 design challenge who reinterpreted a community space at the Evergreen Brick Works last summer, click here. The innovative design mimics the curves and colours of Mud River, a tributary of the Don River running beneath the site.

A huge congratulations goes out to this year’s winners and all the talented students who participated! Thank you to all of our advisors, judges and the team at YMCA Central for making this weekend such a fun and successful event.

Stay tuned for updates on the build-out and reveal of the winning concept. To learn more about the challenge visit www.RethinkTires.ca/DesignChallenge. For the latest updates follow us on Twitter at @RethinkTires. For more information about recycled tire products visit www.RethinkTires.ca.

Gregory Bunker, Jessica Wagner, and David Garcia Gonzalez of University of Toronto show their winning design for the concourse of the YMCA Central location in downtown Toronto. Photo Credit