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When a site is being prepared for construction, one of the first things that normally happens is that hoarding is erected around it. For those unfamiliar with the word (frequently in use on UrbanToronto), it does not, in our case, refer to the stockpiling goods in the event of some disaster. In our case, hoarding is the barrier that both keeps the public out of a site, while keeping materials and equipment in, safely behind it.
In the image below, a hoarding can be seen surrounding a development site in Toronto's Corktown area, where Corktown subway station and new buildings will be built in the coming years. Inside the expansive space, at a very early stage of work, construction trailers, an excavator, and construction workers' vehicles can be seen parked. Painted black where it faces the street, the unpainted plywood material can be seen on the inside of the hoarding.
On roomy sites where the new building is a good distance away from the hoarding, no roof is need to protect passersby from potential falling objects, such as in the case below. Here, the hoarding is also notable for having been painted by a local artist, to bring some life to the site during construction.
At sites where the new building will be built close to where passersby will be walking, overhead protection is needed to keep them safe from potential farm, and the contractors and developers protected from liability. In the image below, both situations are found; overhead protection on the left where the new building will be up close to the main road, but none needed to the right along the side street, from which the new building will be set back a distance.
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From 2015 to 2017, UrbanToronto and its sister publication, SkyriseCities, ran an occasional series of articles under the heading Explainer. Each one took a concept from Urban Planning, Architecture, Construction, or other topics that often wind up in our publications, and presented an in depth look at it. It's time to revisit (and update where necessary) those articles for readers who are unfamiliar with them. While you may already know what some of these terms mean, others may be new to you. We are publishing or updating and republishing Explainer on a weekly basis. This article is a thorough update to one originally published in 2015.
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Do you have other planning terms that you would like to see featured on Explainer? Share your comments and questions in the comments section below!
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