Canadian Architect June 2008 Edition

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JUN/08 CANADIAN ARCHITECT

$6.95 JUN/08 V.53 N.06

RENOVATIONS AND TRANSFORMATIONS

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SOMETIMES LIFE NEEDS TO BE PRINTED LARGER THAN LIFE. The CARE “I Am Powerful” campaign is a celebration of women’s innate power and a declaration to join the fight against global poverty. CARE has never before embarked on such a large project. To bring this ambitious task to life, they teamed with HP. Using digital printing, HP showed CARE how to expand the campaign in new ways. They delivered a photographic exhibition, Mother’s Day cards and outdoor billboards printed on the HP Designjet, Indigo and Scitex respectively. See how the creations were brought to life and how HP can help your business grow. hp.ca/care

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p07 Contents

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21 BEAVER LAKE PAVILION A RENOVATION TO THIS 50-YEAR-OLD STRUCTURE IN MONTREAL’S MOUNT ROYAL PARK STAYS TRUE TO ITS MODERNIST ROOTS THROUGH THE SKILLS OF RÉAL PAUL AND PIERINA SAIA. TEXT SUSAN BRONSON

27 HAMPTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN NEW BRUNSWICK GETS ITS COLOURS DONE BY MURDOCK & BOYD ARCHITECTS. TEXT JOHN LEROUX

32 M9 NOMADE ARCHITECTURE WEAVES A NEW THREAD INTO THE DYNAMIC FABRIC OF MONTREAL’S FAUBOURG DES RÉCOLLETS. TEXT DAVID THEODORE

38 TRINITY COLLEGE QUADRANGLE GH3 TAKES INSPIRATION FROM THE GOTHIC IN CRAFTING THIS TIMELESS OUTDOOR PUBLIC SPACE ON THE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO CAMPUS. TEXT IAN CHODIKOFF

STÉPHANE BRUGGER

TOM ARBAN

FRÉDÉRIC SAIA

CONTENTS

11 NEWS Winners of the 2008 AIBC Architectural Awards announced; Building New Brunswick exhibition at the Beaverbrook Gallery in Fredericton.

42 TECHNICAL Terri Meyer Boake expounds upon the complex construction process involved in Frank Gehry’s transformation of the Art Gallery of Ontario.

49 CALENDAR Sacred Space exhibition at Toronto’s Harbourfront Centre; 23rd World Congress of the International Union of Architects in Turin.

50 BACKPAGE

CRAIG BOYKO

Hannah Teicher writes on the photography of Eric Deis and the vanishing city of Vancouver.

JUNE 2008, V.53 N.06

THE NATIONAL REVIEW OF DESIGN AND PRACTICE/ THE JOURNAL OF RECORD OF THE RAIC

COVER ELEVATION OF NOMADE’S M9 IN MONTREAL. PHOTOGRAPH BY STÉPHANE BRUGGER.

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IMAGINARY FORCES/GL FORM/ALEX MCDOWELL

VIEWPOINT

EDITOR IAN CHODIKOFF, OAA, MRAIC ASSOCIATE EDITOR LESLIE JEN, MRAIC EDITORIAL ADVISORS JOHN MCMINN, AADIPL. MARCO POLO, OAA, MRAIC CHARLES WALDHEIM, OALA(HON.), FAAR CONTRIBUTING EDITORS GAVIN AFFLECK, OAQ, MRAIC TREVOR BODDY HERBERT ENNS, MAA, MRAIC DOUGLAS MACLEOD, NCARB

ABOVE AS PART OF A RECENT EXHIBIT AT THE MUSEUM OF MODERN ART, NEW CITY IS A SEMI-IMMERSIVE VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT WHERE VISITORS CAN ENTER A VIDEO NARRATIVE ABOUT AN ARCHITECTURALLY CONSIDERED, WEB-BASED VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT. THE FORM OF NEW CITY TURNS IN ON ITSELF AND CONSTANTLY MORPHS TO ADJUST TO NEW RELATIONSHIPS AFFECTING ITS EVOLUTION.

In a recent exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) entitled Design and the Elastic Mind, Department of Architecture and Design curator Paola Antonelli leads a fascinating exploration into the convergence of technology and design through a largely optimistic display of ideas that “marry the most advanced scientific research with attentive consideration of human limitations, habits, and aspirations.” One of the most interesting themes to emerge is society’s ability to adapt to the changing perceptions of personal space and identity through unprecedented scientific and technological advancements over the past 25 years. We now carry communication and GPS navigation systems in pocket-sized devices while enjoying a variety of sophisticated social networking tools at our disposal. Moreover, those same devices often contain thousands of songs or news podcasts that we can listen to with our headphones, further contributing to the creation of invisible shrouds of personal space in the public realm while fundamentally reconstructing the definition of community. Fuelling this dynamic, designers have responded accordingly by proffering new gadgetry that feed our “needs” and “fears,” whether they are imagined or imposed upon us. But should society place a limit in embracing these new technologies?

If society is having difficulties adapting to rapid changes in technology and science, so are the artists, architects, industrial designers and engineers who must decipher the range of design challenges in our contemporary world, only to then translate them back into objects, concepts or services that we as a society can understand, use, and ultimately afford. It is therefore not surprising that the commodifed products of our time remain largely at a small scale, as it is far more difficult to effect technological advancements on our city’s infrastructure and architecture.

In a recent interview on Charlie Rose’s epony8 CANADIAN ARCHITECT 06/08

mous late-night television talk show, Antonelli candidly dismissed “form as passé.” Clarifying her comments, she explained how advanced technology often appears to have a greater influence on the experiential or sensorial aspects of design than does the traditional perception of “form” itself. Thus, non-object web-based applications such as Facebook, Second Life or even the effects of the ubiquitous iPod present examples of designed solutions where the built form is either absent or subservient to the technology.

The transformative effect of these devices and applications on the built world is substantive, enabling society to adapt its technologies to effectively modulate public and private space.

The ramifications of improved interfaces on designed objects further enhance the ability of even small-scale objects to have an effect on public life. Witnessing this evolution (or devolution) of community, the architecture profession must remain vigilant that these experientially based technologies do not undermine our efforts to strengthen community through positive contributions to the larger built environment.

As much as Design and the Elastic Mind intends to be a survey of some of the latest concepts in science, technology and design converging in the world today, the exhibition also illustrates how experienced-based technology may contribute to the deterioration of social interactions within our physical environment.

We can only hope that we will be able to transcend the overwhelming commodification of technologically based design and evolve as a society. As Barry Bergdoll, MoMA’s Chief Curator of Architecture and Design, noted in the exhibition catalogue, “It is the Elastic Mind—with the flexibility and strength to embrace progress and to harness it—that is best suited to confront the world of seemingly limitless challenges and possibilities.”

IAN CHODIKOFF

ICHODIKOFF@CANADIANARCHITECT.COM

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NEWS

STEVE DUNWELL

AWARDS Winners of the 2008 AIBC Architectural Awards announced.

This year’s top honour, the Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia Award in Architecture Medal, went to TELUS House in Vancouver by Busby Perkins+Will Architects. TELUS House is the culmination of a two-phase project carried out over seven years that was originally intended to revitalize the client’s existing complex while repositioning its corporate identity. In addition, five projects received Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia Merit Awards: the Fred Kaiser Building at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver

by Omicron Architecture Engineering Construction and architectsAlliance; the Black Hills Estate Winery in Oliver by Bevanda Architecture; Obakki retail shop in Vancouver by mcfarlane/green/ biggar architecture and design; the Gulf Island

House by Measured Architecture; and the Metchosin House by Marko Simcic Architect. An AIBC Innovation Award was given to Urban Arts Architecture for the project “Expanded Demand for Canadian Wood Products,” and two AIBC Special Jury Awards were given to Joe Y. Wai Architect for the restoration and addition to the Chinese Freemasons Building in Vancouver, and to Acton Ostry Architects for the King David High School in Vancouver.

Bing Thom to Receive Honorary Degree from the University of British Columbia.

Vancouver architect Bing Thom received an honorary degree from the University of British Columbia for his accomplishments in the international architectural field. Thom is one of Canada’s most accomplished architects and the principal of Bing Thom Architects (BTA), a Vancouver-based firm he founded in 1980. He

JOHN LEROUX

has been designing award-winning buildings around the globe for the past four decades.

Thom’s most recent project is the Sunset Community Centre, an innovative structure in Vancouver that celebrated its grand opening in April.

“This degree belongs to all the staff at Bing Thom Architects for their constant quest for creativity, authenticity and innovation in the projects we design around the world,” said Thom, who adds the honorary degree to his many other distinctions, including Canada’s highest honour, the Order of Canada, for his contribution to architecture, and the Golden Jubilee Medal for outstanding service to his country. He received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Simon Fraser University in June 2005. His firm’s collection of legacy buildings around the world includes: the Canada Pavilion for Expo ’92 in Seville, Spain; Central City—the new mixed-use campus for Simon Fraser University in Surrey, BC; the

TOP THE KOEHLER HOUSE (2001) IN THE BAY OF FUNDY BY JULIE SNOW ARCHITECTS AND THE NOTRE-DAME-DU-SACRÉ-COEUR CATHOLIC CHURCH (1967) IN EDMUNDSTON BY ROMÉO SAVOIE ARCHITECT ARE JUST TWO OF THE DOZENS OF PROJECTS FEATURED IN AN UPCOMING EXHIBITION ENTITLED BUILDING NEW BRUNSWICK AT THE BEAVERBROOK ART GALLERY IN FREDERICTON. RIGHT AS ONE OF 20 TEAMS SELECTED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PRESTIGIOUS 2009 SOLAR DECATHLON COMPETITION, TEAM NORTH—A PAN-CANADIAN TEAM COMPRISED OF FACULTY AND STUDENTS FROM VARIOUS CANADIAN UNIVERSITIES— WILL COMPETE TO DESIGN, BUILD AND OPERATE THE MOST ATTRACTIVE AND ENERGYEFFICIENT SOLAR-POWERED HOME WITH THEIR NORTH HOUSE PROPOSAL.

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Aberdeen Centre in Richmond, BC; the Pacific Canada Pavilion at the Vancouver Aquarium and Marine Science Centre; the highly anticipated Arena Stage theatre complex in Washington, DC; and Trinity Uptown—a riverfront master plan for Fort Worth, Texas. While international in outlook, his design approach is always closely rooted in a deep understanding of the culture and history of each project’s local community.

Landscape architect Robert Allsopp wins 2008 Pinnacle Award.

Landscape architect Robert Allsopp was chosen by the Ontario Association of Landscape Architects (OALA) Honours and Awards Committee as this year’s recipient of the Pinnacle Award in recognition of his professional work. Allsopp is a landscape architect, planner and architect with extensive professional experience in Canada, England, the United States and Spain. He has worked for 20 years on a series of urban design projects in Canada’s National Capital, several of which have received national and international design award recognition. He recently completed the urban design component of the National Capital Core Area Concept Plan; the urban design structure plan for the LeBreton Flats area of the new War Museum; and is currently completing the update of the Parliamentary Precinct Plan. Allsopp was involved in the preparation of the development concept for the Toronto Waterfront Task Force, and he recently completed the Fort York and Gar-

rison Common Public Open Space Plan. Recent campus development plans include those for the University of Calgary, the University of Guelph and the RCMP Academy in Regina, as well as the RCMP’s three corporate and training campuses in the National Capital. He was partner-in-charge of the recent award-winning development strategy for Toronto Community Housing Corporation’s Railway Lands Blocks 32-36 and a member of the winning West 8 + DTAH team for the Toronto Central Waterfront Innovation Design Competition. Allsopp is a Fellow of the Canadian Society of Landscape Architects, an honorary member of the Manitoba Association of Landscape Architects, a member of the Canadian Institute of Planners, a registered professional planner, a member of the Royal Town Planning Institute, a member of the Ontario Professional Planners Institute and a registered architect in the United Kingdom. Allsopp joined the Toronto office of Roger du Toit Architects/du Toit Associates in 1979 and entered into the partnership of du Toit, Allsopp, Hillier in 1985. Until 1997, he was a Professor of Landscape Architecture at the University of Toronto. Currently, he is a partner at du Toit, Allsopp, Hillier— Urban Design, Planning, Landscape Architecture Associate; du Toit Architects Limited.

2008 UIA Gold Medal awarded to Teodoro Gonzalez de Leon.

The Union Internationale des Architectes (UIA) jury has awarded the 2008 Gold Medal to the

Mexican architect Teodoro Gonzalez de Leon, honouring and highlighting a lifetime of work devoted to the realization of an architecture that reflects an era, its social reality, its culture and its traditions. Teodoro Gonzalez de Leon was born in 1926 in Mexico and studied in his home country at the National School of Architecture from 1942 to 1947. He was granted a scholarship by the French government and worked in the Le Corbusier Atelier between 1947 and 1949, notably on the St. Dié factory project. He returned to practice in Mexico in 1950. His work covers a wide variety of programs: public buildings, housing and residences, urban spaces, parks and gardens.

His most famous work of the 1970-1980 period includes the Mexican Embassy in Brazilia, Mexico College and the INFONAVIT Building with Abraham Zabludovsky, the Tomás Garrido Canabal Park in Villahermosa, Tabasco (1986) with Francisco Serrano and Aurelio Nuño, and more recently, the archaeological museum on the Tajin site in Veracruz (1992), the Superior School of Music in Mexico (1994), and the Mexican Embassy in Berlin (1999) with Francisco Serrano. Since its creation, the UIA Gold Medal has been awarded to Hassan Fathy (Egypt) in 1984, Reima Pietila (Finland) in 1987, Charles Correa (India) in 1990, Fumihiko Maki (Japan) in 1993, Rafael Moneo (Spain) in 1996, Ricardo Legorreta Vilchis (Mexico) in 1999, Renzo Piano (Italy) in 2002, and Tadao Ando (Japan) in 2005. www.uia-architectes.org

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COMPETITIONS Spacing magazine launches thinkToronto competition.

Spacing magazine invites people—35 years old or younger—with creative ideas on how to improve Toronto’s public space to take part in thinkToronto, an urban design ideas competition that will help celebrate the magazine’s 5th anniversary in December 2008. Architects, urban planners, landscape architects, designers, artists of all disciplines, students, and the urban curious are all encouraged to submit their plans to tweak, improve, or redesign streetscape elements and specific areas of Toronto. thinkToronto seeks ideas from the next generation of city builders who want to challenge how we view the public realm.

All entries must be located in Toronto’s public realm—this includes existing or potential public spaces or sites, including parks, public squares, streets, traffic circles, plazas, ravines, waterfront, bus loops, boulevards, sidewalks, laneways, and greenways. Spacing is not interested in public places on private property like shopping malls, stores, libraries, or bars. Whenever possible, consider how to make your submission unique to Toronto. There are three types of categories: Streetscape Elements, Specific Area Design, and General Entry. Submissions can be of anything that is located in the public realm of Toronto, such as a new cultural building, plans to redesign an intersection, a new way to irrigate street trees, a

new form of mass transit, or a new park. The following people are confirmed members of the thinkToronto jury: Christopher Hume, Toronto Star urban affairs columnist; Margie Zeidler, principal of Urbanspace Property Group; Michael McClelland, principal of ERA Architects; Pamela Robinson, assistant professor of Urban Planning, Ryerson University; and Amanda Mitchell, editor of re:place magazine. The submission deadline is Friday, August 29, 2008. Entrants must be residents of Canada, and 35 years or younger.

Individuals or groups of up to three people can submit an entry, and there is no limit to the number of entries a participant can submit. There is no fee to enter. A winner from each category will be awarded with cash prizes, and a gallery exhibit will follow the competition. http://spacing.ca/thinktoronto/ Architectural competition to promote the new face of Dubai.

The Municipality of Dubai and ThyssenKrupp Elevator announce the launch of an international design competition for the conception of a tall emblem structure to promote the new face of Dubai. In conformity with the UIA-UNESCO regulations for international competitions, the competition has been approved by the Union Internationale des Architectes (UIA). Located within the Za’abeel Park the structure should promote tourism, have a unique state-of-the-art design, include cultural and leisure activities, conference

and theatre facilities. The following prizes will be awarded: a first prize of $100,000 and a second prize of $50,000, in addition to three prizes of $20,000 each. The registration deadline is August 31, 2008. The deadline for dispatch of entries is January 31, 2009, and the deadline for the receipt of entries is February 28, 2009.

Announcement of the results and official awards ceremony will take place in Dubai in May 2009.

The competition is open to architects and teams of architects worldwide who are licenced to practice in their own countries, and there is no registration fee. www.thyssenkrupp-elevator-architecture.com

WHAT’S NEW Building New Brunswick/Bâtir le NouveauBrunswick.

New Brunswick boasts some of the most significant structures and built environments in Canada, and this celebration of the province’s architecture will reveal an astonishing aspect of our society and its material culture. Curated by John Leroux and opening at the Beaverbrook Art Gallery in Fredericton, Building New Brunswick is an exhibition (and corresponding publication by Goose Lane Editions) that will bring into focus the province’s architectural history. Beginning with structures built by the First Nations before European contact, the exhibition explores the buildings of the French and English colonial

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and post-colonial periods while focusing most strongly on the built heritage of the 20th and 21st centuries. Building New Brunswick will reveal the expansive beauty of our cultural landscape that lies right before our eyes every day. Attention is also given to projects which might seem to be on the cusp of architecture, but are critical to developing a valid awareness of our built environment, such as bridges, industrial plants and urban infrastructure. The show opens on June 21, 2008 at the Beaverbrook Art Gallery in Fredericton, with an address by the Honourable Herménégilde Chiasson, Lieutenant-Governor of New Brunswick and recent recipient of an honorary fellowship of the RAIC. The exhibition will run until September 28, 2008 whereupon it will travel over the following year to the Moncton Museum, the Madawaska Museum in Edmundston and the New Brunswick Museum in Saint John. www.beaverbrookartgallery.org Ontario College of Art & Design and Goldsmiths to partner.

The Toronto-based Ontario College of Art & Design (OCAD) and Goldsmiths, University of London (Goldsmiths), announced that they will establish a cross-Atlantic partnership to allow students and faculty from both universities to collaborate on a wide range of academic and research initiatives in art and design. The collaboration will span educational, creative and research activities,

including exchange programs for faculty, students and staff. In a statement of intent, Goldsmiths and OCAD have agreed to focus their joint efforts in the fields of art, design, new media, art-design interface, and historical/theoretical perspectives.

Collaborative activities will include: exchange opportunities for faculty, students and staff to undertake research or other sabbatical work; cohosting a conference on practice-based research in the arts, which will include analyses from the UK, Australia, the European Union, and North America; and co-published research and publications, particularly in the areas of new media, strategic creativity in design and documentary media. OCAD faculty and students will also work with Goldsmiths’ Incubator for Critical Inquiry into Technology and Ethnography (INCITE) to study how products are designed and used, and the ways in which artists understand creativity. OCAD is dedicated to art and design education, practice and research and to knowledge and invention across a wide range of disciplines. The university is building on its traditional, studio-based strengths, adding new approaches to learning that champion cross-disciplinarity, collaboration and the integration of emerging technologies. Part of the internationally respected University of London, Goldsmiths currently has over 8,000 students from around the world and offers a broad range of undergraduate, postgraduate and continuing and professional development courses. www.ocad.on.ca

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Eighth annual Glenn Murcutt International Architecture Master Class.

The eighth annual Glenn Murcutt International Architecture Master Class will be held in Australia from July 5 to July 19, 2008. Glenn Murcutt will lead the Master Class which will again be located at his “master work” Riversdale (1999), the Arthur and Yvonne Boyd Education Centre on the banks of the Shoalhaven River south of Sydney, followed by a week at the University of Sydney Faculty of Architecture. Glenn Murcutt (2002 Pritzker Prize Laureate, RAIA Gold Medallist 1997) personally tutors throughout the program and will be joined by seminal Australian architect and teacher Richard Leplastrier (2004 Spirit of Nature Wood Architecture Award Finland, RAIA Gold Medallist 1999) and by Peter Stutchbury. The guest tutor will again be University of Queensland Professor Brit Andresen (first woman RAIA Gold Medallist 2002), and the Master Class convener is Lindsay Johnston, former Dean of Architecture at the University of Newcastle, Australia. The Master Class is a studio-based program undertaking a design project centred on the landscape at Riversdale, addressing issues of cultural and environmental sustainability and culminating in a design presentation at the end of the second week. The program includes lectures, field trips and visits to houses

by Glenn Murcutt and the other tutors. www.ozetecture.org

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update ISSUE 30.2 SPRING/SUMMER 2008

The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada The voice of architecture and its practice in Canada

2008 National Urban Design Awards unveiled The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, Canadian Institute of Planners, and Canadian Society of Landscape Architects are pleased to announce the winners of its 2008 National Urban Design Awards in the following categories:

Conceptual/Theoretical Urban Design Plans Campus Outremont – Université de Montréal (Montréal, QC)

Lead Firms: Groupe Cardinal Hardy in collaboration with Provencher Roy + Associés architectes

Special Jury Awards: Sustainable Development Lower Don Lands (Toronto, ON)

President Kiyoshi Matsuzaki, FRAIC

Lead Firm: Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, Inc.

Special Jury Awards: Small or Medium Community Urban Design Award University of Ontario Institute of Technology (Oshawa, ON)

Project Grand Jeté: Stage 1 Jarvis Street Campus and Radio City Lead Firms: Goldsmith Borgal & Company Limited; Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architect, Goldsmith Borgal & Company Limited, Architects in Joint Venture; architectsAlliance; Urban Strategies.

See RAIC website for full credits. photo: Tom Arban

Urban Fragments Making the Edible Campus (Montreal, QC)

Stuart Howard, FRAIC (British Columbia/Yukon)

Student Awards: Studio-based Award iCITY: PublicSpace v2.0 (Calgary, AB)

Leonard Rodrigues, FRAIC (Alberta/NWT) Andrew Wach, FRAIC (Saskatchewan/Manitoba) Ranjit (Randy) K. Dhar, FRAIC (Ontario Southwest) Ralph Wiesbrock, MRAIC (Ontario North and East/Nunavut) Claude Hamelin Lalonde, FIRAC (Quebec) Dan Goodspeed, FRAIC (Atlantic)

Allison Wood, University of Calgary

The following are recognized with Certificates of Merit: Approved or Adopted Urban Design Plans River Landing Riverfront Master Plan (Saskatoon, SK)

Chancellor of College of Fellows Paul-André Tétreault, AP/FIRAC Council of Canadian University Schools of Architecture (CCUSA) Eric Haldenby, FRAIC

Urban Architecture Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts (Toronto, ON) Biological Sciences Buildings, Université du Québec (Montreal, QC)

Editorial Liaison Ralph Wiesbrock, MRAIC

Civic Design Projects 7th Avenue LRT Refurbishment (Calgary, AB) Leigh Square (Port Coquitlam, BC)

Editor Sylvie Powell

Community Improvement Project Calgary Starts Here: Olympic Plaza Cultural District Strategy (Calgary, AB) Lead Firms: Minimum Cost Housing Group, McGill University School of Architecture. photo: Ismael Hautecoeur

2nd Vice-President and Treasurer Ranjit (Randy) K. Dhar, FRAIC

Regional Directors

Lead Firm: Diamond and Schmitt Architects. photo: Steven Evan

Urban Architecture Master Planning: Canada’s National Ballet School (Toronto, ON)

1st Vice-President and President-Elect Paule Boutin, MIRAC

Immediate Past President Vivian Manasc, PP/FRAIC

Civic Design Projects Corktown Footbridge (Ottawa, ON)

Lead Firm: Du Toit Allsopp Hillier/Du Toit Architects Limited. photo: Adrian Searle

2007-2008 RAIC Board Members

Executive Director Jon Hobbs, FRAIC

The national office of the RAIC is located at: 330-55 Murray St Ottawa ON K1N 5M3

Student Work/Projects: Studio-based Work False Creek (Vancouver, BC)

Tel.: (613) 241-3600 Fax: (613) 241-5750

Complete details regarding the projects and individuals honoured can be found at www.raic.org.

E-mail: info@raic.org

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www.raic.org

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Board of Directors elections update Nominations for candidates for the election for Regional Directors in three regions were requested and received by April 11, 2008.

Paul E. Frank, FRAIC, has been acclaimed as Regional Director for Atlantic Canada.

Charles Olfert, MRAIC has been acclaimed as Regional Director for Manitoba/Saskatchewan.

continued from previous page “Our neighbourhoods and communities reflect who we are and affect every facet of our lives. Through good design, whether through revitalization of existing urban areas or the development of new ones – and the key involvement of all those involved, we can make our lives more pleasant and satisfying” said RAIC President Kiyoshi Matsuzaki, FRAIC. “The RAIC National Urban Design Awards recognize those who have risen to the challenge and contributed to the culture of cities.”

The National Urban Design Awards are part of a two-tier program held in co-operation with major metropolitan centres in Canada. Recipients are previous year’s winners from participating municipalities, such as Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton and Ottawa as well as submissions from other communities in Canada.

The National Urban Design Awards are to be presented by the presidents of the RAIC, Canadian Institute of Planners, and Canadian Society of Landscape Architects at the RAIC President’s Dinner and Architects Association of New Brunswick Awards Dinner at the AANB/RAIC Conference and Festival of Architecture in Fredericton June 25-28, 2008.

Natural Resources Canada and the National Capital Commission generously sponsor the National Urban Design Awards.

An election is being held for the position of Regional Director Alberta/NWT. An election is also underway for the position of Chancellor of the RAIC College of Fellows.

For election results check out the RAIC website.

Veronafiere 2008 RAIC members are once again eligible to become one of five lucky architects for a terrific professional development opportunity to attend the trade show, Marmomacc, held in Italy October 2-5, 2008.

The scholarship covers tuition, meals, accommodations and local transportation and the administration fee. Those selected will be responsible for travel costs to and from Verona.

Participants earn 20 hours of CORE continuing education credits. This Photo: Cal Meiklejohn, FRAIC year two of the classes will focus on stone and sustainable design. Class size is limited to 30 architects – five from Canada, 16 from the US, and others from the U.K., South Africa, India and Australia.

A fabulous opportunity offered to Canadian Architects through RAIC membership.

Continuing Education Database launched

RAIC Syllabus celebrates 30 years and a bright future Faculty and graduates of the RAIC Syllabus Program are set to celebrate the Syllabus’ 30 years of program delivery as they look ahead to a new chapter in the history of the Program.

Celebrations planned to take place during the AANB/RAIC Conference and Festival of Architecture will include an alumni reunion, the conferring diplomas on the 2008 graduates, and a presentation about Syllabus Renewal at Athabasca University.

RAIC Syllabus Renewal – one more step closer

The RAIC has been working with all the provincial and territorial licensing authorities to standardize and harmonize systems for continuing education. A national database for recording continuing education credits is one result of this cooperation.

To date, the following provincial/territorial associations of architects have agreed to use this database for recording their members’ continuing education (professional development) credits: Saskatchewan Association of Architects (SAA), Manitoba Association of Architects (MAA), Architects’ Association of New Brunswick (AANB), Nova Scotia Association of Architects (NSAA), Architects Association of Prince Edward Island (AAPEI) and the Newfoundland Association of Architects (NAA).

Over time it is hoped that all 11 licensing authorities will use this national system for recording credits.

Benefits include: • Architects licensed in multiple jurisdictions in Canada need only record their credits once; • Reduced costs due to the development and administration of one system rather than multiple systems; • Increased promotion of further standardization and reciprocal recognition of credits from other jurisdictions.

Check it out – www.architranscripts.ca

In early March 2008, the RAIC Syllabus proposal was approved by the Academic Council of Athabasca University (step 1 approval) and by the Graduate Studies Board on May 6, 2008.

This means that the B.Sc. (Architecture) and the Graduate Diploma in Architecture are appropriate and acceptable.

This is exciting news and indicates that the hard work of the interim Program Advisory Council is coming to fruition.

More approvals yet to come...

Currently documentation is being prepared for the second step in the Athabasca University approval process which will include a request for resources and multi-year funding from the University.

This approval is expected by end of June 2008. The final step will require approval from the Alberta Government.

The renewed Syllabus Program at Athabasca University will continue to uphold the legacy of its predecessor and remain an alternative path for those individuals who cannot undertake a full-time university program. One of the primary objectives of the Syllabus Renewal is program quality. This includes strengthening its historic office-based work/study concept. The renewed Syllabus program will provide greater flexibility for students and be more widely available in both official languages.

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en bref NUMÉRO 30.2 PRINTEMPS/ÉTÉ 2008

L’institut royal d’architecture du Canada Porte-parole de l’architecture et de ses praticiens au Canada

Lauréats des Prix nationaux en design urbain 2008 L’institut royal d’architecture du Canada, l’Institut canadien des urbanistes et l’Association des architectes paysagistes du Canada sont heureux d’annoncer le nom des lauréats des Prix nationaux en design urbain 2008 dans les catégories suivantes :

Plans conceptuels ou théoriques de design urbain Campus Outremont – Université de Montréal (Montréal, Québec)

Principaux responsables : Groupe Cardinal Hardy en collaboration avec Provencher Roy + Associés architectes

Prix spécial du jury,: Développement durable Lower Don Lands (Toronto, Ontario)

Président Kiyoshi Matsuzaki, FRAIC

Principal responsable : Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, Inc.

Prix spécial du jury,: Design urbain dans une petite ou moyenne communauté Institut de technologie de l’Université d’Ontario (Oshawa, Ontario)

Projet Grand Jeté : Phase 1 – Campus de la rue Jarvis et Radio City Principaux responsables : Goldsmith Borgal & Company Limited; Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architect, Goldsmith Borgal & Company Limited, architectes en consortium; architectsAlliance; Urban Strategies. Voir le site web de l'IRAC pour une liste détaillée des crédits. photo : Tom Arban

Fragments urbains Création du jardin du roulant (Montréal, Québec)

Présidente sortante de charge Vivian Manasc, PP/FRAIC

Leonard Rodrigues, FRAIC (Alberta/T.N.-O.)

Projets étudiants,: projet issu d’un atelier de design iCITY,: PublicSpace v2.0 (Calgary, Alberta)

Andrew Wach, FRAIC (Saskatchewan/Manitoba) Ranjit (Randy) K. Dhar, FRAIC (Sud et Ouest de l’Ontario) Ralph Wiesbrock, MRAIC (Est et Nord de l’Ontario/ Nunavut) Claude Hamelin Lalonde, FIRAC (Québec) Dan Goodspeed, FRAIC (Atlantique)

Allison Wood, University of Calgary

Les projets suivants ont pour leur part obtenu des certificats de mérite,: Plans de design urbain approuvés ou adoptés Plan directeur du secteur riverain de River Landing (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan)

Chancelier du Collège des fellows Paul-André Tétreault, AP/FIRAC Conseil canadien des écoles universitaires d’architecture (CCÉUA) Eric Haldenby, FRAIC

Architecture urbaine Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts (Toronto, Ontario) Pavillon des sciences biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal (Montréal, Québec)

Conseiller à la rédaction Ralph Wiesbrock, MRAIC

Projets d’aménagements municipaux Réaménagement de la station du TLR de la 7e avenue (Calgary, Alberta) Leigh Square (Port Coquitlam, Colombie-Britannique)

Rédactrice en chef Sylvie Powell

Projet d’améliorations communautaires Calgary Starts Here: Stratégie d’amélioration de l’Olympic Plaza Cultural District (Calgary, Alberta) Principal responsable : Minimum Cost Housing Group, École d'architecture de l'Université McGill. photo : Ismael Hautecoeur

Deuxième vice-président et trésorier Ranjit (Randy) K. Dhar, FRAIC

Stuart Howard, FRAIC (Colombie-Britannique/Yukon)

Principal responsable : Diamond and Schmitt Architects. photo : Steven Evan

Architecture urbaine Plan directeur,: École nationale de ballet du Canada (Toronto, Ontario)

Première vice-présidente et présidente élue Paule Boutin, MIRAC

Directeurs régionaux

Projets d’aménagements municipaux Passerelle Corktown (Ottawa, Ontario)

Principal responsable : Du Toit Allsopp Hillier/Du Toit Architects Limited. photo : Adrian Searle

Conseil d’administration de l’IRAC de 2007-2008

Projets étudiants : projet issu d’un atelier de design False Creek (Vancouver, Colombie-Britannique) Vous trouverez tous les détails sur ces projets et leurs auteurs à l’adresse suivante,: www.raic.org. suite à la page suivante

Directeur général Jon Hobbs, FRAIC

Le siège social de l’IRAC est situé au,: 55, rue Murray, bureau 330 Ottawa ON K1N 5M3 Tél.,: (613) 241-3600 Télec.,: (613) 241-5750 Courriel,: info@raic.org

www.raic.org

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Élections au conseil d’administration de l’IRAC La période de mise en candidature pour l’élection de trois administrateurs régionaux de l’IRAC a pris fin le 11 avril 2008.

Paul E. Frank, FRAIC, a été élu par acclamation à titre d’administrateur de la région du Canada atlantique.

Charles Olfert, MRAIC, a été élu par acclamation à titre d’administrateur régional pour le Manitoba et la Saskatchewan. suite de la page précédente «,Nos quartiers et nos communautés reflètent qui nous sommes, et ils exercent une grande influence sur tous les aspects de notre vie. Le bon design, qu’il porte sur la revitalisation de zones urbaines existantes ou l’aménagement de nouveaux quartiers, et l’engagement crucial de tous les intervenants rendent nos vies plus agréables et satisfaisantes,», a déclaré le président de l’IRAC, Kiyoshi Matsuzaki, FRAIC. «,Les Prix nationaux en design urbain de l’IRAC reconnaissent des équipes qui ont relevé des défis élevés et ont ainsi contribué à l’épanouissement de la culture urbaine.,» Les Prix nationaux de design urbain font partie d’un programme en deux volets administré en collaboration avec les principaux centres urbains du Canada. Les lauréats de cette année ont été choisis parmi les lauréats des villes qui ont participé au programme l’an dernier, notamment Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa et d’autres villes du Canada.

Les Prix nationaux de design urbain seront remis par les présidents de l’IRAC, de l’Institut canadien des urbanistes et de l’Association des architectes paysagistes du Canada lors du dîner des présidents et soirée de remise des prix de l’IRAC et de l’Association des architectes du NouveauBrunswick, le 27 juin prochain dans le cadre du Festival d’architecture de l’IRAC jumelé au Congrès de l’AANB qui se tiendra à Fredericton du 25 au 28 juin 2008.

Nous remercions Ressources naturelles Canada et la Commission de la capitale nationale pour leur généreux appui aux Prix nationaux de design urbain.

Des élections se déroulent actuellement au poste de directeur régional pour l’Alberta et les Territoires du Nord-Ouest et au poste de chancelier du Collège des fellows de l’IRAC. Pour connaître les résultats de ces élections, veuillez consulter le site Web de l’IRAC.

Veronafiere 2008 Les membres de l’IRAC sont à nouveau admissibles pour devenir l’un des cinq architectes qui auront la chance extraordinaire d’assister à l’exposition commerciale de Veronafiere en Italie, du 2 au 5 octobre 2008.

Les bourses offertes couvrent les frais de cours, l’hébergement, le transport local et les frais d’administration. Les heureux choisis devront assumer leurs frais de transport pour se rendre à Vérone et en revenir.

La participation à ce cours donne droit à 20 heures de formation continue DIRIGÉE. Cette année, deux séances porteront sur la pierre et la conception Photo : Cal Meiklejohn, FRAIC durable. Le groupe est limité à 30 architectes, dont 5 proviennent du Canada, 16 des ÉtatsUnis et les autres du Royaume-Uni, de l’Afrique du Sud, de l’Inde et de l’Australie.

Une occasion extraordinaire offerte aux architectes canadiens membres de l’IRAC.

Lancement de la base de données sur la formation continue

Le Syllabus de l’IRAC célèbre ses 30 ans et envisage l’avenir avec enthousiasme Les professeurs et les diplômés du Syllabus de l’IRAC célébreront les 30 ans du programme, au moment où celui-ci s’apprête à entamer un nouveau chapitre de son histoire.

Les célébrations auront lieu dans le cadre du Festival d’architecture de l’IRAC et Congrès de l’AANB. Elles comprendront une réunion des anciens, la remise des diplômes aux finissants de 2008 et un compte rendu sur le renouvellement du Syllabus à l’Université Athabasca.

Renouvellement du Syllabus de l’IRAC – une autre étape est franchie

L’IRAC collabore avec toutes les associations provinciales à la normalisation et à l’harmonisation des systèmes de formation continue. Cette collaboration a donné lieu à l’élaboration d’une base de données nationale permettant l’inscription des heures de formation continue.

Jusqu’à maintenant, les associations des provinces suivantes ont convenu d’utiliser cette base de données pour consigner les heures de formation continue (ou de perfectionnement professionnel) de leurs membres,: Saskatchewan Association of Architects (SAA), Manitoba Association of Architects (MAA), Association des Architectes du Nouveau-Brunswick (AANB), Nova Scotia Association of Architects (NSAA), Architects Association of Prince Edward Island (AAPEI) et Newfoundland Association of Architects (NAA).

Au fil du temps, on espère que toutes les onze autorités responsables de l’émission des permis utiliseront la base de données nationale.

Avantages,: • Les architectes inscrits dans plusieurs juridictions n’ont qu’à inscrire une fois leurs heures de formation continue • Les coûts sont réduits, car il n’y a qu’un seul système à mettre en place et à administrer; • La base de données favorise la normalisation et la reconnaissance mutuelle des heures de formation par les autres ordres ou associations Pour plus d’info, consultez le – www.releveformationarchi.ca

Au début de mars 2008, la proposition du Syllabus de l’IRAC a été approuvée par le Conseil universitaire de l’Université Athabasca, comme première étape du processus d’approbation, puis par le Conseil des études supérieures, le 6 mai 2008. Ces approbations confirment que le grade de B. SC. (Architecture) et le diplôme de deuxième cycle en architecture sont appropriés et acceptables.

Cette grande nouvelle démontre que tout le travail réalisé par le conseil consultatif intérimaire du programme porte fruit.

D’autres approbations sont toutefois nécessaires ...

On s’affaire maintenant à préparer les documents de la deuxième étape du processus d’approbation de l’Université Athabasca qui comprend notamment une demande de ressources et de financement pluriannuel de l’Université. On s’attend à obtenir cette approbation vers la fin de juin 2008. En dernière étape, le projet devra recevoir l’aval du gouvernement de l’Alberta Le Syllabus renouvelé offert à l’Université Athabasca poursuivra dans la même veine que le programme actuel et demeurera une voie alternative d’accès à la profession d’architecte pour les personnes qui ne peuvent entreprendre un programme d’études universitaires à plein temps. L’un des principaux objectifs du renouvellement du Syllabus est de maintenir la qualité du programme. On entend donc renforcer le concept de l’apprentissage en milieu de travail concurremment à des études de niveau universitaire. Le programme offrira une plus grande flexibilité aux étudiants et sera offert à une plus vaste échelle, dans les deux langues officielles.

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A BEAVER TALE

AT 50 YEARS OLD, THE RECENTLY RESTORED AND RENOVATED BEAVER LAKE PAVILION IN MONTREAL’S MOUNT ROYAL PARK HAS FOUND A NEW LEASE ON LIFE. PROJECT RESTORATION OF THE BEAVER LAKE CHALET, MOUNT ROYAL PARK, MONTREAL, QUEBEC ARCHITECT RÉAL PAUL ARCHITECT AND PIERINA SAIA ARCHITECT ORIGINAL ARCHITECTS HAZEN SISE AND GUY DESBARATS TEXT SUSAN BRONSON PHOTOS FRÉDÉRIC SAIA

ABOVE A WARM AND INVITING INTERIOR WELCOMES SKATERS INTO THIS RENOVATED PAVILION IN MOUNT ROYAL PARK.

Without question an early Canadian masterpiece of modern architecture, this glass pavilion—with its distinctive silhouette and colourful murals, was designed by architects Hazen Sise and Guy Desbarats not long before they founded—with five others—the architectural co-operative known as ARCOP. A preliminary sketch was featured in the very first issue of The Canadian Architect in December 1955, and the completed building was covered by the same magazine exactly three years later. In 1957, the RAIC Journal identified 06/08 CANADIAN ARCHITECT

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CONSTRUCTION PHOTOS

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the pavilion as one of several park structures built by the City of Montreal in an era when “beauty for recreation” was the motto for the city’s parks department and “leisure in the age of automation” was a priority for municipalities across North America.

The Beaver Lake Pavilion stood apart from Montreal’s other new park structures of the day because of its innovative and resolutely modern architectural expression and sensitive relationship to its landscape. Nestled into a wooded knoll overlooking Beaver Lake on the mountain’s west side, it was designed as a place from which to see and be seen. The two-storey glazed structure, topped by a prismatic roof and surrounded by balconies on three sides, commanded extraordinary views across the skating rink (a large pond graced by ducks and paddle boats in the spring, summer and fall) to the ski and toboggan hill (a favourite spot for picnics, children’s activities and relaxing in the sun for the rest of the year).

From that slope, the pavilion was a memorable landmark for walkers, runners and skiers on Olmsted Road, which meanders up the mountain to the summit.

The building’s interior arrangement and furnishings were functional and economical, yet tasteful and innovative. The abundantly lit areas at the front housed a spacious “dining hall” with a lofty ceiling on the upper level and a changing area for skaters featuring a freestanding, flueless metal fireplace downstairs. The two levels were connected by an open stair. Services, such as the kitchen upstairs and washrooms on the lower

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level, were situated towards the rear in a low, flat-roofed block clad in local fieldstone that was built right into the slope.

However, like many buildings of its day, the Beaver Lake Pavilion did not age gracefully, and it wasn’t long before its architectural integrity was compromised. Deterioration was accelerated by intensive use due to the popularity of the skating rink and ski hill in winter, insensitive interventions in response to changing needs, and insufficient maintenance arising from other municipal priorities.

By 2003, the pavilion was in such a deplorable state of disrepair that many felt it should be demolished. Fortunately, however, the City of Montreal, with encouragement from heritage groups DoCoMoMo Québec, Les Amis de la montagne and Heritage Montreal, acknowledged that the building could not only be restored to its original architectural stature but rejuvenated to play a vital role as a key component of the mountain’s cultural and natural heritage.

Architects Pierina Saia and Réal Paul were commissioned to restore and renovate the building in 2003. Like the original design and construction, this process took three years. Whereas the original building cost $316,000, its refurbishment involved an investment of $1.89 million.

The work, which sought to respectfully return the building to its status as a Modernist landmark while bringing it up to date in terms of code requirements and sustainability concerns, began with comprehensive research. The architects

THE NEW PAVILION BOASTS UPGRADED RESTAURANT FACILITIES AND A FULLY RESTORED SUSPENDED WOOD CEILING SHOWCASING THE LIGHTNESS OF THE BUILDING’S ORIGINAL ROOF STRUCTURE. PLANS ARE CURRENTLY BEING REALIZED TO MODIFY THE DINING FACILITIES TO ATTRACT VISITORS TO THE PAVILION YEAR ROUND. ABOVE SITED ON THE WEST SLOPE OF MOUNT ROYAL, THE RESTORED PAVILION GRACIOUSLY BECKONS VISITORS.

OPPOSITE TOP

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reviewed hundreds of drawings, photographs, articles and studies. They also carried out investigations of the building fabric, such as scraping painted surfaces to determine original colours and removing added materials and partitions.

Finally, they worked with individuals involved in the original construction, such as Claude Vermette, the artist responsible for the ceramic murals.

The construction work was executed with the same respect for the original design intent and materials. The concrete structure, with its exposed rebars, patchy repairs and turquoise paint, was repaired and refinished to its original texture and pale tones. New copper flashing replaced the oversized metal trim that edged the concrete roof, allowing its impressively thin 4-1/2” profile to be legible once again. The curtain wall was replaced, following the original divisions and using the same custom-designed aluminum-clad profile for the structural members, but integrating energy-efficient glazing and operable windows. To meet public security requirements, subtle additions were made to the steel railings of the balconies, stairs and ramp.

But the most notable change to the pavilion’s exterior was the integration of five new murals composed of metal panels in fiery tones ranging from red to yellow. Artist Claude Vermette worked with the architects to create more contemporary and durable versions of his 1958 murals, which had not withstood the weather.

The result is a powerful symbiosis of art and architecture that enhances the building’s relationship with its surroundings, especially at night when it is carefully lit, becoming a colourful stage set in the landscape.

Inside, the pavilion’s clear, functional organization was restored by removing added partitions and materials, repairing original floor and wall surfaces, and installing innovative signage. On the upper level, the suspended wooden slats that highlight the ceiling were refinished, and contemporary light fixtures replaced the fluorescent tubes. The wooden panels that clad the columns and the handmade English ceramic tiles that fronted the snack bar were restored. New tables and chairs, up-to-date versions of the original furnishings, embellish the cafeteria. Downstairs, the freestanding fireplace—which, for safety reasons, could not be made functional again—remains a focal point as both a work of modern art TOP THE RENOVATION OF THE DINING PAVILION EMPHASIZES THE LIGHTNESS AND TRANSPARENCY OF THE ORIGINAL BUILDING. MIDDLE THE NEWLY RESTORED GROUND LEVEL CONTRASTS THE WARM RICHNESS OF WOOD WITH THE COOL RUSTICITY OF STONE. BOTTOM GLAZING DETAILS ACCENTUATE THE RHYTHMIC REPETITION OF THE PAVILION FORM. OPPOSITE, TOP TO BOTTOM A RENDERING OF THE BEAVER LAKE PAVILION, PUBLISHED IN THE RAIC JOURNAL IN 1957; THE PAVILION AT DUSK; SKIERS TAKING A BREAK, FROLICKING IN THE SNOW.

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and a source of radiant heat. The metal lockers were replaced by wood benches where skaters put on their skates and store their boots, and where spectators sit and enjoy the view.

Since its completion, the rejuvenated Beaver Lake Pavilion has been lauded by both heritage enthusiasts and the architectural community as an exemplary demonstration of respectful conservation of Modernism. Save Montreal showed its appreciation of the project with an Orange Prize in December 2006 and the Ordre des architectes du Québec granted an Award of Excellence to the architects and the City of Montreal in November 2007.

But the true test of civic architecture is whether it is appreciated by the public and how it functions at peak capacity. There is no question that the pavilion has once again become a favourite venue for Montrealers. And while busier than ever on winter weekends when the skating rink and tobogganing hill are in full swing, it accommodates its multiple user groups well.

Over the past few months, the final step in restoring the design intent of the Beaver Lake Pavilion has been undertaken. The City-operated snack bar on the upper level, criticized since the 1950s for its limited menu of unsavoury offerings, has been taken over by a private entrepreneur who offers healthy snacks and lunches that can be enjoyed in the cafeteria, which now occupies only half of the upper level. The other half of the space is occupied by an upscale bistro serving full meals and alcoholic beverages, and is managed by the same entrepreneur behind the cafeteria. The interior modifications necessitated by this coexistence of dining room and cafeteria were designed by Lemay Associés. They aim to make the most of the pavilion in Montreal’s mountain landscape by attracting patrons not only in the evenings but all year round. CA Susan Bronson is a Montreal architect and heritage consultant. In 1997, she prepared a report on the commemoration of Canada’s built heritage of the Modern era for the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada. She is currently working on integrating Modern heritage conservation concerns into Parks Canada’s “Standards and Guidelines for the Conservation of Historic Places in Canada.”

CLIENT DIRECTION DES IMMEUBLES/VILLE DE MONTRÉAL ARCHITECT TEAM RÉAL PAUL (PROJECT MANAGER), PIERINA SAIA (DESIGN ARCHITECT), JÉRÉMIA GENDRON, HÉLÈNE FORTIN, DIONISIOS PSYCHAS STRUCTURAL SAIA DESLAURIERS KADANOFF LECONTE BRISEBOIS BLAIS MECHANICAL/ELECTRICAL CARON BEAUDOIN ET ASSOCIÉS ARTWORK CLAUDE VERMETTE SIGNAGE FRÉDÉRIC SAIA CONTRACTOR CONSTRUCTION LUC GENDRON INC. (JEAN-LOUIS MICHAUD) AREA 980 M2 BUDGET $1.89 M COMPLETION JANUARY 2006

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THE LITTLE GREEN SCHOOLHOUSE

MARK HEMMINGS

THE RENOVATION OF A NEW BRUNSWICK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ALLOWS YOUNG ARCHITECTS TO EXPERIMENT WITH COLOUR. PROJECT HAMPTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL RENOVATION, HAMPTON, NEW BRUNSWICK ARCHITECT MURDOCK & BOYD ARCHITECTS TEXT JOHN LEROUX PHOTOS MARK HEMMINGS PHOTOGRAPHY AND STEPHEN KOPP

For most New Brunswick schools built between the 1950s and 1970s, a durable but somewhat unexciting mix of dark brick or bland panelized sheets was about as stimulating a surface treatment as one could get.

Materials were usually selected for their durability, and other factors were thrown to the wind. Any potential for colour or exterior diversity was lost in a world of tedious consistency and bureaucratic caution. It was a brown world that schoolkids lived in, at least on the outside...inside, the classrooms and hallways were a different story with vibrant colour welcomed and ever-present. Walls were covered with rainbows of construction paper creations, flags, maps, and everything else that makes one feel cheerful and six years old again when entering an elementary school. So how should contemporary architects revisit the issue of colour in schools to best benefit children in today’s learning environment?

A sense of colourful animation and its appropriateness to the education of youth was taken to heart when Murdock & Boyd Architects were approached by the provincial government to complete a recladding project for

ABOVE A RADICAL PAINT JOB TRANSFORMED THIS ANONYMOUS ONESTOREY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL INTO THE “COOL SCHOOL” IN TOWN.

Hampton Elementary School near Saint John. What could easily have been a mundane commission has instead transformed the building’s original 1960s dark brown board-and-batten wood siding into an exciting and animated place of learning for the 21st century.

The initial design vision was strong from the beginning, as seen in Murdock & Boyd’s handout presentation to the school board: it begins with the heading, “People tend to forget that play is serious.” The architects followed with the assertion that “The decision of placing importance of design in schools can have a dramatically positive impact on students, teachers and the surrounding neighbourhood. Effects can include increased community participation, positive influence on school pride, less absenteeism, and awareness of school and community needs.”

In making the changes to Hampton Elementary, Murdock & Boyd established three worthy goals to guide the design process: 1. Create a positive and playful learning environment for the children and staff.

2. Help establish a unique school identity.

3. Celebrate and promote a connection to nature.

Their new siding plan explored a similar board-and-batten cladding, but with bright new colour combinations. After considering reds and oranges, the architects settled on a vertical array of wide lime green boards alternating with a procession of evenly spaced thin blue battens. The proposed scheme was inspired by the natural shades of green and blue from the sur06/08 CANADIAN ARCHITECT

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rounding trees and rivers which envelop the school and enliven the region.

The relief and depth between the boards and battens creates the perception that the school miraculously “changes” colour depending on the viewing angle. When seen straight on, the building appears mainly green, but when viewed at a sharp angle it appears almost solid blue, with a number of green/blue combinations in between.

Along with the new siding, the windows and fascia have been reframed in white Azek panels that provide rhythmic breaks to the long coloured elevations.

The creative team share a common passion for energetic design that pushes the boundaries of usual New Brunswick expectations. Architect Greg Murdock oversaw the project, while design and colour selection was carried out by intern architects Stephen Kopp and Monica Adair, both recent graduates of the University of Toronto architecture program. Kopp and Adair moved back to Adair’s hometown of Saint John from New York in 2006 to establish themselves in the architectural community. From their experiences studying abroad in Holland, they were heavily influenced by the material and colour sensibilities of contemporary Dutch architecture with its dazzling and almost obsessive quest for dramatically hued forms.

Beyond their roles at Murdock & Boyd Architects, Kopp and Adair have also formed a design

ALL EXISTING WINDOWS WITHIN COURTYARD REPLACED WITH NEW ALUMINUM WINDOWS

OPEN GARDEN COURT

THE ORIGINAL SCHOOL, JUST BEFORE RENOVATIONS BEGAN. BELOW, LEFT TO RIGHT INFLUENCED BY THEIR WORK EXPERIENCES IN THE NETHERLANDS, INTERN ARCHITECTS STEPHEN KOPP AND MONICA ADAIR EXPERIMENTED WITH VARIOUS COLOUR COMBINATIONS PRIOR TO BUILDING A FULL-SCALE MOCK-UP OF THE BOARD-AND-BATTEN SIDING; WORKMEN REPLACED ALL THE SIDING, SOFFITS AND FASCIA BEFORE INSTALLING A NEW COLOURFUL WOOD EXTERIOR. TOP LEFT

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ABOVE, LEFT TO RIGHT NEW ALUMINUM WINDOWS AND CLADDING HAVE ENLIVENED THIS FORMERLY DRAB INTERIOR COURTYARD; THE OPTICAL ILLUSION OF THE SCHOOL CHANGING COLOURS FROM GREEN TO BLUE IS ACHIEVED THROUGH STRIPED BOARD-ANDBATTEN SIDING.

vitalize a new school spirit while offering an invigorating new start to what the students are now calling “the cool school.”

There is little doubt that Hampton Elementary will find it very easy being green. In an educational world full of countless challenges and pressures, at the very least we can make our children’s schools bright and welcoming refuges that reflect the vitality of the world around them. With this renovation, Hampton Elementary passes the test with flying colours. CA John Leroux, AANB, MRAIC is an architect and journalist based in Saint John, New Brunswick.

CLIENT DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, PROVINCE OF NEW BRUNSWICK ARCHITECT TEAM GREG MURDOCK, STEPHEN KOPP, MONICA ADAIR, KIRK RUSSELL STRUCTURAL R.A.LAWRENCE ENGINEERING CONTRACTOR BRUCE E. LAWSON CONTRACTOR LTD. AREA 41,250 FT2 (EXISTING) BUDGET $210,000 COMPLETION SEPTEMBER 2007

STEPHEN KOPP

STEPHEN KOPP

STEPHEN KOPP

group called the Acre Collective, which has already received acclaim in Saint John for designing an outdoor extension to a downtown wine bar. They see the collective as enriching their hands-on skills and design approach, as well as enhancing what they bring every day to Murdock & Boyd, stating that “they strive to lead in projects that creatively contribute to the way we live and to the world we live in, whether they be pragmatic or artistic. We are inspired by the collaborative process and the challenge it poses of continuously redefining the way we work and think.

Murdock & Boyd’s reputable building experience

has offered us the opportunity to work closely on larger-scale projects such as hockey arenas, while the Acre Collective allows us a more playful and explorative means of interacting with ‘architecture’—to make and be part of the projects.”

The design team wisely saw the Hampton project as a perfect opportunity to add value and interest to the school and students’ lives without having to seek out extra funding beyond the relatively low-budget recladding of the exterior.

Although the colour choice was initially almost secondary to the project, it quickly became the primary focus.

Mary Campbell, the school’s acting principal, admitted that there was some trepidation upon the presentation of the new blue, green and white exterior, but most of the children and their parents have been won over since the project was completed in September 2007. Campbell relates that the facelift was a catalyst in helping to re-

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EVOLUTIONARY DESIGN

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THE EVOLUTION OF MONTREAL’S EDGY FAUBOURG DES RÉCOLLETS DISTRICT CONTINUES WITH ANOTHER DYNAMIC MIXED-USE PROJECT. M9, MONTREAL, QUEBEC NOMADE ARCHITECTURE TEXT DAVID THEODORE PHOTOS STÉPHANE BRUGGER PROJECT

ARCHITECT

M9 is a multi-storey, residentially based, mixed-use project located between the Bonaventure Expressway and Prince Street, north of the Lachine Canal and just west of Old Montreal. Or, at least, it will be. Only Phase 1 of a planned four-phase development has been built, but it already portends an urbane, dramatic future for the area. Now known as the Faubourg des Récollets, this district was once home to numerous manufacturing buildings. But in the 1960s the Bonaventure Expressway, built to connect downtown with the suburbs on the South Shore, split the neighbourhood in two, and industry left when the canal closed as a commercial waterway in 1970.

Designed by Montreal-based NOMADE Architecture, M9 deserves close attention because it lays out some important new approaches to designing in the city while having fun with some old ones. Although other residential projects in the area have successfully addressed the historic semi-industrial fabric through neo-Modern contextual and formal architectures, NOMADE has opted, perhaps naively, for a blunter, contemporary, graphic approach that optimistically banks on the rejuvenation of this neglected urban district. “We wanted to play with the day-to-day program to make something at the scale of the city,” says partner Martin Leblanc. “That’s basically our job.”

Phase 1, finished in 2007, presents a seven-storey domestic version of the brick daylight factories that characterized the Faubourg in its heyday.

There are 47 living units comprising a variety of transverse units, doublelevel units, and open-plan “loft” units strung on either side of brightly

coloured corridors. The ground floor features “maisonettes” (townhouses) with direct entrance from Prince Street and private gardens on the courtyard side. There are 50 parking spots occupying two underground levels, and a lobby that would not be out of place in a boutique hotel. Overall, the effect is the kind of expansively glazed stack-boxed residential architecture you might see in Dublin or Lisbon, but rendered in humbler materials.

Colour gives the building its graphic panache. Ever since the multicoloured glass façade of the Palais des Congrès expansion project went up, designers in Montreal have embraced bright, vivid colours—or at least now have the option to deploy them. For M9 Phase 1, NOMADE used such colour for the building’s lighting and cladding. The sheet metal window surrounds on the street elevation are alternately coloured bright chartreuse, augmented at night by LED illumination. On the courtyard side, swathes of orange cement board, usually installed as imitation wood siding, are arranged in a bold chevron pattern that is clearly visible from far away—especially from the elevated highways heading into downtown.

THE CRISP STEEL-AND-GLASS ELEVATION OF M9 IS ENLIVENED BY COLOURFUL CHARTREUSE ACCENTS, AND PROVIDES A FOCAL POINT IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD CONTEXT OF FAUBOURG DES RÉCOLLETS. BELOW A DETAIL OF THE FRONT ENTRANCE ON PRINCE STREET REVEALS A FRESH MODERNITY APPROPRIATE FOR ITS CONTEXT.

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When completed, M9 will occupy the last major site meant to be part of the Cité Multimédia, a real estate development project launched in 1998 by the provincial government to promote Quebec’s role in the emerging digital economy. (The campus of seven office buildings was sold to a private real estate company in 2003.) M9’s developers, Développements McGill, did not purchase the whole parcel of land in one shot, though. So the phasing of the design had to also accommodate changing propositions for the dimensions of the site—flexibility NOMADE has tried to engage both in proposing a diverse, multi-use program and in composing an ensemble of buildings that, in Leblanc’s words, seeks “unity through diversity.”

Phase 2, marketed as M9 Evolution and set to open in 2009, will add some much-needed commercial spaces along the ground floor as there are few basics retail services nearby. The plans call for a seven-storey building topped by a twostorey glass box, all containing 48 condominium units including 12 double-height penthouses with large terraces. “The penthouses are twostorey glass boxes that respond to a different context than the commercial base,” explains partner Jean Pelland. “They are all about the view.” In future phases, the building will turn the corner towards the Bonaventure Expressway, marked by a 29-storey tower, perhaps housing a hotel. Given the unusual, decaying-but-rejuvenating environs, NOMADE has experimented with generating internal views onto an interior courtyard. Noted Montreal-based landscape architect Claude Cormier has been commissioned to design a multi-level terrain that connects office spaces on the second floor of Phase 2 to the lobby of Phase 1.

When it came time to compose the elevations for Phase 2, NOMADE experimented with formfinding through parametric design. Using the 3D graphics application Cinema 4D, they defined four parameters: diurnal versus nocturnal activities, views, solar exposure and privacy. Each point on the façade was mapped to each of the parameters, based on calculations that a bathroom would require more privacy (less glazing) than a living room, or that a bedroom would be used at night and a kitchen during the day. The final window patterns could then be chosen from an array generated by applying factors to each of the parameters and specifying the total amount of opening. (The zoning here did not limit the total number of openings allowed in the walls.)

THE FAÇADE FACING THE COURTYARD IS CHARACTERIZED BY STAGGERED ORANGE CEMENT BOARD PANELS, FORMING A DISTINCT CHEVRON PATTERN, ESPECIALLY WHEN VIEWED FROM A DISTANCE. LEFT ONE IS FUNNELLED INTO THE RECESSED ENTRY, CAPTIVATED BY THE CHARTREUSE WALLS AND CEILING.

TOP LEFT

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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT A COMPUTER-GENERATED RENDERING OF THE BOLD FORMS AND FENESTRATION PATTERNS INTENDED FOR SUBSEQUENT PHASES OF THE M9 PROJECT; IN A FEW YEARS’ TIME, THE DOMINANT BONAVENTURE EXPRESSWAY WILL LIKELY BE LOWERED, THEREBY TRANSFORMING AN ELEVATED EXPRESSWAY INTO A LARGE URBAN ARTERIAL BOULEVARD WHILE ENHANCING THE SITE CONDITIONS OF THE M9 DEVELOPMENT; BRIGHT COLOURS AND LIGHT ARE MAXIMIZED IN THE PROJECT THROUGH AN ABUNDANT USE OF GLAZING; THE REFRESHINGLY BOLD COLOUR SCHEME IS CARRIED FROM THE BUILDING’S EXTERIOR RIGHT THROUGH TO THE INTERIOR.

In the end, they reduced this complexity to allow for more efficient and cost-effective construction. They chose amounts of 50, 70 and 100 percent openings, arranged in panels that could be flipped to make a total of six modules. “We kept the idea that the final building would have to have some value as an aesthetic object,” says Pelland. “That means there’s a certain human factor to the design the computer can’t give you.” Finally, the resulting elevations were tweaked based on ideas about the surrounding urban context: to focus views, to allow the sky to be visible in the double-height lobby, and to align with existing street grids. They were looking to ensure subtle connections to the fine grain of the neighbourhood. “You can always M9—PHASE 1 CLIENT DÉVELOPPEMENTS MCGILL INC. ARCHITECT TEAM JEAN PELLAND, MICHEL LAUZON, MARTIN LEBLANC, YVON LACHANCE, NATACHA MERCIER, JULIEN GEOFFROY, PIERRE-ALEXANDRE RHÉAUME, JEAN-SEBASTIEN BOURDAGES, FREDERICK SIMARD STRUCTURAL PASQUIN ST-JEAN ET ASSOCIÉS MECHANICAL/ELECTRICAL CDI GROUPE-CONSEILS LANDSCAPE NOMADE INTERIORS INNÉDESIGN+MP1/NOMADE MARKETING INNÉDESIGN+MP1 CONTRACTOR MAYTON DM AREA 8,000 M2 BUDGET $9 M COMPLETION SEPTEMBER 2007

M9—PHASE 2 CLIENT DÉVELOPPEMENTS MCGILL INC. ARCHITECT TEAM NOMADE: JEAN PELLAND, MARTIN LEBLANC, MICHEL LAUZON, YVON LACHANCE, DENIS CLERMONT, CARL-ANTONYN DUFAULT, PHILIPPE NOLET, NATACHA MERCIER, MARTIN DAOUST. DESNOYERS MERCURE & ASSOCIÉS ARCHITECTES: FRANÇOIS LEMOINE, MARCO COMTOIS, TRAN BACH, AMÉLIE PAQUIN, MARCEL LEFEBVRE. STRUCTURAL PASQUIN ST-JEAN ET ASSOCIÉS MECHANICAL/ELECTRICAL TEKNIKA-HBA LANDSCAPE CLAUDE CORMIER ARCHITECTES PAYSAGISTES (CCAP) INTERIORS NOMADE CONTRACTOR MAYTON DM AREA 12,000 M2 BUDGET $14 M COMPLETION SPRING 2009

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ABOVE, LEFT TO RIGHT RESEMBLING A SHIPâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S PROW, PHASE 2 IS CONTEXTUALLY ADJACENT TO M9â&#x20AC;&#x2122;S FIRST PHASE, AND IS SITED CLOSE TO THE RAISED BONAVENTURE EXPRESSWAY VISIBLE IN THE BACKGROUND; THE BOLD COLOUR AND GEOMETRIC PATTERNS OF THE GRAPHICALLY ARRESTING LOBBY INSIDE M9â&#x20AC;&#x2122;S PHASE 2 REFLECTS THE COMPOSITION AND AESTHETIC OF THE PROJECTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S FAĂ&#x2021;ADES.

develop neighbourhoods,â&#x20AC;? opines Pelland, â&#x20AC;&#x153;but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more difficult to really make a place where people can live.â&#x20AC;?

Indeed, the neighbourhood is an essential factor in the story. When NOMADE began the project, few believed that condo-seekers would pay to live overlooking the Expressway. NOMADEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s strategy was to turn this liability into an advantage, making their project into a landmark gateway to the

city, rising tall enough to afford spectacular views to its inhabitants. Since then, however, plans to tear down the raised portion of the Bonaventure Expressway and replace it with a major urban boulevard leading to the downtown core have been tabled. The city has also recently approved a controversial but imminent $1.3-billion redevelopment of Griffintown, the area just to the west of the highway. In the end, then, the flexible phasing of the project might really work to M9â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s advantage. For what started out as a lone, vibrant residential outpost in a decaying district may soon be the colourful centrepiece of urban regeneration. CA David Theodore is a Research Associate and College Lecturer at the School of Architecture, McGill University, where he teaches courses in architectural design and studies the history of health care architecture.

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WELCOME MAT A REHABILITATED COURTYARD SURROUNDED BY A NEO-GOTHIC BUILDING REPRESENTS A CASE STUDY WHERE ARCHITECTURE AND LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE SUCCESSFULLY INTEGRATE. TRINITY COLLEGE QUADRANGLE RENOVATION, TORONTO, ONTARIO GH3 TEXT IAN CHODIKOFF PHOTOS TOM ARBAN PROJECT

ARCHITECT/LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT

One of the laissez-faire methods of designing a traditional campus courtyard is to wait for students to create muddy paths as they tread across verdant patches of grass, then cover those same paths with asphalt. For gh3, a multidisciplinary design firm in Toronto, eschewing this option resulted in the renovation of Trinity College’s quadrangle, a new formally designed courtyard intrinsically connected to its surrounding architecture rather than merely expediting travel between classes and the dorm. gh3 was formed in 2006 by landscape architect Diana Gerrard and architect Pat Hanson. The firm’s name is derived from the initials of the two partners’ last names, while the number “3” refers to the three disciplines practiced by the firm: architecture, landscape architecture and urban design.

Gerrard and Hanson had an established working relationship for about 10 years prior to the formation of gh3, collaborating on such projects as the award-winning Ashbridges Bay site-planning design in 2002. Hanson notes, “I’ve always been fascinated by larger site-work projects and how to give those projects structure.” As for Gerrard, who studied architecture prior to becoming a landscape architect in the early 1980s, her first reactions are often informed by her architectural origins. She ran her own wellestablished practice while Hanson worked at architectsAlliance, and their frequent collaborations explored the relationship between architecture and landscape architecture—most notably as members of the design team for the award-winning Terrence Donnelly Centre for Biomolecular Research at the University of Toronto. In this project, the landscape is literally brought inside the building, evolving into a series of interior landscapes. However, it was their project for Trinity College where the two partners’ complementary approaches converged as gh3’s first design project. “With Trinity’s quadrangle, you have architecture moving into the landscape, becoming the ground plane,” explains Hanson.

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With an initial budget of $500,000, the courtyard commission was effectively a restoration project involving the replacement of the existing sod, asphalt pad and the relocation of an illplaced statue of John Strachan, the first Bishop of Toronto and founder of both the University of Toronto (1827) and Trinity College (1851). With 1,700 undergraduate students, Trinity College is one of the smallest colleges on the University of Toronto’s downtown St. George Campus. The academic building dates back to 1925 when it moved to the St. George campus from Trinity Bellwoods Park, located several kilometres away. With subsequent additions in 1938 and 1955, it wasn’t until 1963 when the final side of the College’s quadrangle was constructed. Nearly 45 years later, gh3’s new landscape completes the College’s architecture, creating a unifying outdoor living room.

Gerrard and Hanson wanted to incorporate aspects of the College’s Neo-Gothic designs into the landscape without being too literal or restrictive. Developing a modern design that respects Trinity’s Anglican heritage as well as the traditions of medieval and Gothic courtyards, gh3 decided upon a series of early Greek Christian icons, or chis (pronounced as “kize”), to convey a sense of the architecture’s origins. “You cannot find exactly those shapes in the surrounding buildings, but there are some elements in those icons found within the Gothic architecture on campus.” The resulting formal grid of warm-coloured concrete is also reminiscent of early Renaissance gardens which, in their quest to explain the universe, also contained a high ratio of hard-scaped to softscaped surfaces. While the Trinity courtyard is very static in terms of its formal geometry, it is also very organic. “It has its ebbs and flows,” describes Hanson, “and there is a very clear architectural order to it that allows a series of architectural possibilities. You organize what you can and give order where you can. What happens within the structure after that is unknown.”

The renovation didn’t affect any of the outer planter boxes, nor were any of the existing entrances affected. While two important and historic lamp standards were reinstalled, there were no other lighting enhancements. The commission’s mandate also included the protection of existing trees which were declining in health, partly due to root compaction and poor drainage.

The solution was to design a vertical fertilization program to aerate the tree roots while installing a structural geo-textile under the entire lower quadrangle. Unfortunately, one of the mem-

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branes has not adequately performed its function to ensure proper drainage, and will be replaced later this spring.

“Some people don’t understand the nature of this kind of project. I think that it is as much an architecture experiment as a landscape urbanism experiment,” notes Hanson, adding that, “We see landscape design through an architectural lens. If landscape is relegated to an afterthought in design, it is often disconnected or ignored. For Trinity, it means that landscape, which can add so much to the quality of experience and the sus-

ABOVE A STUDENT RUSHES OFF TO CLASS EARLY IN THE MORNING, ACROSS THE IMAGINATIVELY LANDSCAPED GOTHIC-INSPIRED GRID OF THE TRINITY COLLEGE QUADRANGLE.

tainability of building, is a fundamental and inseparable part of design.”

What comes next? Emerging as a threedimensional continuation of their gridded design at Trinity College, gh3 is currently working on 550 Wellington, a condo project that investigates the use of extensive landscaping along its three streetscapes, where the ground plane will be articulated through a range of high-quality paving

materials reflecting the program of the building inside. At the end of June, Gerrard and Hanson will be travelling to Copenhagen to deliver a lecture about integrating façades with plantings.

“When you look at all the residential buildings in the city, you want to find a way to make them more hospitable. It would be wonderful to not only design a ‘green building,’ but also to be able to see that ‘green’—and to live with it,” notes 06/08 CANADIAN ARCHITECT

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A STUDENT GAZES ACROSS THE NEW TRINITY COURTYARD. BELOW WANTING TO ANIMATE THE COURTYARD WITH OUTDOOR FURNITURE, GH3 DESIGNED AND BUILT SEVERAL SPUN-ALUMINUM SEATS THAT WILL EVENTUALLY BE CONSTRUCTED WITH MORE DURABLE MATERIALS, PROVIDED FUNDRAISING EFFORTS ARE SUCCESSFUL. ABOVE

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CLIENT TRINITY COLLEGE ARCHITECT/LANDSCAPE TEAM DIANA GERRARD, PAT HANSON, RAYMOND CHOW, LIZA STIFF, VIVIAN CHIN PROJECT MANAGEMENT DALTON CONTRACTOR ALDERSHOT LANDSCAPE CONTRACTORS ARBOURIST JACK RADECKI AREA 23,000 FT2 BUDGET $550,000 COMPLETION SEPTEMBER 2007

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Hanson. Another upcoming project for gh3 is a lab building for the Smithsonian Tropical Research Group in Gamboa, Panama, which will be part of its terrestrial studies group consisting of around 10 live-in scientists. The commission represents a phenomenal opportunity for gh3 to work with a prestigious client, and to further their experimentations with architecture and landscape.

The tradition of integrating architecture and landscape architecture disciplines within a single practice has yet to yield a significant paradigm shift in the ways projects are built in Canada. But as Hanson optimistically states, “One thing we know, and it has yet to be borne out, is that there are ways to complete projects that are much more multidisciplinary. I think that our profession is going to morph into this paradigm. You already see it in many of the European firms.”

Indeed, the ability for the architecture profession to form partnerships with landscape architects is vital in certain design quarters. Architects can learn a lot from landscape architects who are often acknowledged as being a more collaborative profession and who typically view their projects over a much longer time span than architects. As Hanson notes, “Architects have their traditional ways. If we don’t change, we will become less relevant, more rarefied. It seems as though a multidisciplinary practice allows you to touch on a few points that are not only architectural but still effectively relate to the public realm.” CA

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TECHNICAL

CONSTRUCTING A “GEHRY” LEFT, TOP TO BOTTOM A CRANE HOISTS ELEMENTS INTO PLACE ON THE NEW NORTH FAÇADE OF THE AGO; A COMPLEX NETWORK OF SCAFFOLDING IS REQUIRED TO SCULPT THE INTERIOR SPACES OF THE AGO, AND THE SIGNATURE CURVE OF THE STAIRCASE IS ALREADY BEGINNING TO DEFINE THE SPACE AT THIS RUDIMENTARY STAGE. OPPOSITE A PHOTOGRAPH OF ONE OF THE FIVE ORGANICALLY CURVING STAIRS CAPTURES IT AS A POETIC WORK IN PROGRESS.

THE LATEST IN A RECENT FLURRY OF RENOVATIONS AND ADDITIONS TO CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS IN TORONTO, FRANK GEHRY’S VERSION OF THE ART GALLERY OF ONTARIO IS EXAMINED FROM A TECHNICAL PERSPECTIVE. TEXT

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PHOTOS

imposed severe constraints on the possible scope of the design of the addition, and on restricting the staging area for all aspects of the construction.

One lane of both Dundas and Beverley Streets remain appropriated even into May 2008.

The major construction systems can be broken down into four distinct challenges: the steelsupported wood-and-glass gallery that stretches 180 metres along the Dundas Street façade; the structural-steel framing which envelops Walker Court and raises the number of floors of the centre block to five; the signature curved steel staircases; and the blue titanium skin. In speaking with the various firms involved in the construction of these systems, there is obvious interest, energy and pride attached to addressing the particular challenges associated with their complexity.

The renovation and addition to the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) might be considered atypical of a Frank Gehry building in that the final design of the new north façade is one of the first high-profile projects to be designed by Gehry that does not use a highly contorted structural steel frame for its support system. Unlike the Guggenheim in Bilbao, the Experience Music Project in Seattle, and the Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, 42 CANADIAN ARCHITECT 06/08

Transformation AGO is largely a renovation to an existing building which extends the floor area by approximately 20 percent. One significant challenge was that the building had to remain functional for a prolonged period during the construction process, and the project needed to accommodate and respond to the distinct needs of the existing segments that were constructed in 1918, 1929, the 1970s and the 1980s. The site itself also

Structural steel fabricated by Benson Steel of Bolton, Ontario, was the logical material choice for the framing of the five-storey centre block. In order to meet a demanding schedule, the drawings were fast-tracked to the point of proceeding ahead of approvals. Benson felt that using 3D modelling slowed the start of the project, but was essential in troubleshooting interferences between the new systems and existing structure. The steel was used to stitch together as well as shore the disparate existing and new elements. Steel columns had to be gently inserted around the historic masonry walls of Walker Court in order to support the deep long-span steel beams that produced a clear-span floor space for the upper levels of the new South Gallery. As these galleries can be programmed for events with a high occupant load, a tuned mass damping system has been incorporated into the service space between the upper floors.

The five-storey steel tower is supported on a new system of micropile foundations that had to be installed within the footprint of the existing building. The micropile system, designed by Isherwood Associates, had to respond to extremely restricted access as there was at best 2.75 metres of headroom for the drill rigs to install the high-strength piles that would reach from the subfloor and 20 metres into the shale

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bedrock below. The new foundation system and the steel structure were used to bring the building up to a Zone 2 seismic standard.

The North Gallery

The erection of the sculpture gallery along Dundas Street has been one of the most visible elements during the last year of construction. The fully glazed new north façade is formed by a series of glue-laminated timber arms, subtly supported by and connected with structural steel components.

Steel arms act almost like marionette strings working from behind, giving the appearance that the glulam is acting on its own. What made this glulam gallery so challenging to construct is that every arm is unique—each aligned at a more severely reclining angle, resulting in highly eccentric loads and mandating steel connectors at the top and the base that are different for each member.

The first arm to be erected set the vertical alignment datum, and required significant erection time to be sure of its precision—as all of the other arms would be relatively positioned. The surveyor overseeing this portion of the project had recent experience on Daniel Libeskind’s addition to the Royal Ontario Museum, which likely served as excellent preparation for this project!

Experience is helpful when detailing and erecting any complex project. There were, however, no local precedents for the construction of such a complex composite wood-and-steel structure.

The erection team married the expertise of Ironworkers Local 721 and the Carpenters Union as almost every aspect of the assembly of the north façade incorporated both materials and benefited from the combined expertise and problemsolving abilities of the two trades.

Steel and timber exhibit different characteristics that need to be accounted for during the design, detailing, erection and service life of a project. When used in combination, steel performs better in tension and wood in compression. The coefficient of expansion of steel greatly exceeds that of wood; however, wood will expand as a function of relative humidity. Steel corrodes and wood is subject to decay, so moisture must be controlled during construction as well as during the service life of the building. Once wood reaches its equilibrium moisture content in a fully enclosed structure, it will stabilize, but considering that the erection of the arms commenced in June 2007 and the gallery is only nearing full enclosure as of May 2008, both the steel and wood have been SEVERAL PHOTOS REVEAL THE DIFFICULT CHALLENGES OF CONSTRUCTING GEHRY’S COMPLEX DESIGN. FOR THE NORTH GALLERY, CURVED GLUE-LAMINATED TIMBER ARMS ARE SUBTLY SUPPORTED BY AND CONNECT TO STRUCTURAL STEEL COMPONENTS. EACH ARM IS ALIGNED AT A MORE SEVERELY RECLINING ANGLE, RESULTING IN HIGHLY ECCENTRIC LOADS THAT MANDATE STEEL CONNECTORS AT THE TOP AND BASE THAT ARE DIFFERENT FOR EACH MEMBER.

TERRI MEYER BOAKE

LEFT

44 CANADIAN ARCHITECT 06/08

subjected to extreme changes in temperature and environment for close to a year. Movement in the structure must be accommodated in the design of the steel-to-wood connections.

The curves have been directly translated from Gehry’s hand-drawn sketches via Catia to digital drawings, to the glulam manufacturer, and then to the jobsite. Where technology permits such translation in contemporary representation methods, it does not yet answer the ultimate challenge of ensuring that the members are properly aligned at a “live” 3D jobsite. The combined curve, rotation and slope of each of the elements has to fit perfectly or the subsequent couple of dozen will not align. Although the ironworkers and carpenters can perform some minor adjustments when placing the pieces, these are practically limited.

Translating steel erection practices to glulam has other challenges. During the erection process, steel and timber require different handling.

Forceful practices that may be used in structural steel erection (use of chainfalls or come-alongs) would be too rough and could possibly result in visual or structural damage to the large glulam elements. Methods of “encouragement” for large glulam structures are more akin to those used on architecturally exposed structural steel. Lifting straps must be carefully padded to prevent surface damage, particularly to the crisp corners of the members. Excessive force absolutely cannot be used. The workers use the same cloth-based belts and straps that are employed for lifting the pieces to manually (with direct one-on-one force) pull the pieces into position.

The glue-laminated members were manufactured and shipped from Structurlam in Penticton, BC. Each truck would typically contain five curved arms and the large horizontal top-connecting member that tied them together. In the small staging area along Dundas Street, the arms would need to be lifted off of the truck and rotated to allow the attachment of the steel connection elements. The majority of these connectors have a galvanized finish to provide enduring corrosion resistance. Art galleries are typically kept at 50% RH (relative humidity), and this, along with large expanses of glazing, will result in conditions of higher humidity that could result in corrosion. Galvanizing is less expensive than using stainless steel connections, and is more durable than a painted finish.

Working on a geometrically challenging project also translates into working without the aid of the natural force of gravity to position the pieces.

During a site interview with Mike Jackson, Toronto Ironworkers Local 721, he said that he has to assess each unique piece and select the lifting points— entirely by experience. He used two points along the curved arms to initially lift them off of the truck and flip them over so that they were “curve down” for the final lift. For this final lift, a single strap was placed (by his eye) about a quarter of the way from the top. Due to the tight staging space, the crane operator had limited visual access to the lift as he was located directly below the gallery

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floor and was positioning pieces over a ledge and beyond his view. He had to rely on the verbal and hand signals of the lead ironworker to know how to move the piece. Similar to steel lifting, a rope was attached to the bottom end to guide the piece into place. The steel connections, in keeping with current AESS (architecturally exposed structural steel) practice, use half the standard tolerances for structural steel. Each base element had to resolve the unique geometry and orientation of the arm with the steel supporting beam.

For the long top-beam member, the steel connection made the 7,000-pound piece substantially heavier at one end than the other, so the two strap lifting points were adjusted accordingly.

The horizontal beam had to connect to the five supporting arms as well as to the end of the adjacent beam, so the galvanized steel connectors were counting on the precise alignment of the previously erected arms.

Smaller glulam members were installed as each section was completed. These provided lateral bracing between the arms, and tied the top beam along its south face to the roof behind. Temporary X-cable bracing remained in place in every fifth bay until the façade framing was complete.

Although less apparent in the middle section of the gallery, the glulam system is reliant on some key AESS elements for its general stability. At either end of the gallery, where the reclining curved arms extend beyond the building, highly articulated arched steel ribs and struts provide support for the wood. This is true also of the twisted glulam framed planes that form the external termination to the gallery at its east and west ends.

In order to provide support for the façade glazing, a more rectilinear layer of smaller glulam members was erected. These provided a faceted surface to which the glazing panels could be attached. In situations where the curve of the façade could not be fitted into a simple curve, the glazing units were triangulated to accommodate multiple curves.

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Where the glulam and steel elements will form a permanent visual part of the AGO, the intensity of the design, fabrication and erection of Gehry’s signature staircases will be hidden beneath their final finishes. Mariani Metals of Toronto was charged with the fabrication of these complex sculptural steel structures. Transformation AGO is their third Gehry project, having already worked with Gehry Partners to assist in the design and fabrication of complex steel elements for the Peter B. Lewis Building in Cleveland and the Princeton Science Library. In all cases, work is based on the 3D models provided by Gehry. Mariani refined these to include member sizes (based on structural calculations from Halcrow Yolles) detailed the specifics of the connections, and resubmitted the model to Gehry. The 2D shop drawings were secondary to this process. All five stairs were preassembled in the shop before being transported to the site.

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Signature Staircases

TOP A VIEW OF THE UNDERSIDE OF ONE OF THE CURVING STAIRCASES REVEALS THE COMPLEX DESIGN OF ITS STEEL STRUCTURE. MIDDLE LEFT THE STAIRCASES WERE ALL FABRICATED AND PREASSEMBLED OFF-SITE BY MARIANI METALS. MIDDLE RIGHT THE STAIRCASE AS A DRAMATICALLY EXPRESSED ELEMENT, THRUSTING THROUGH THE BUILDING’S ELEVATION. BOTTOM A VIEW DOWN THE ATRIUM SPACE OF THE NORTH GALLERY. CURVED GLULAM MEMBERS ARC GRACEFULLY OVERHEAD.

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Vince Mariani cites the key difference in Canadian projects as the limitation of his contract to the structural steel only. For the US projects, it was normal for his contract to also include the cladding, railings and glass components.

Steel was the only material capable of responding to the requirements of the complex curved geometry, deflection limitations, the cantilevered design, and in the case of the central stair, the necessity of winding through some existing building elements. A combination of bent HSS tubes and large gently curved plates was used to fabricate the stair structures. Special sleeved connections had to be designed and fabricated to permit the tube-to-tube stair section connections to be welded on site. This proved problematic as the heavy wall of the tubes (varying from 5/8” to 7/8”) naturally tends to deform when bent, so ensuring proper fit and the integrity to meet with tough third-party welding standards was challenging.

The stair sections were assembled in the fashion of a 3D jigsaw puzzle, essentially while suspended in mid-air.

The Shiny Blue Skin

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The five-storey South Gallery block will be finished in blue custom-made S-lock titanium panels—a signature Gehry cladding material. The titanium skin is the outermost layer of the 3-1/2”thick envelope. Vertical Z bars were installed at 24” on centre, over an air barrier layer. The depth of the Z bar layer holds the rigid insulation, over which was installed a 14-gauge aluminum backup panel. The 4mm-thick titanium is to be spaced an additional 1/2” out from the aluminum sheet to allow it to both breathe and drain. The installation of the titanium cladding requires “a white glove treatment” as the oil from the workers’ skin will stain the material. Gehry has also called for a slightly staggered “earthquake” pattern in the cladding, which necessitates more careful coordination with the positioning of the Z bars hidden beneath the aluminum backing panel. Flynn Canada’s contract also includes the stainless steel cladding on the sculptural stairs. The blue-clad box with its cantilevered spiral stainless steel-and glass-clad stairs will make a striking axial termination for the view north up John Street. CA Transformation AGO is currently said to be reopening to the public in Fall 2008.

Terri Meyer Boake is Associate Professor and Associate Director of Architecture at the University of Waterloo.

She is also the current President of the Society of Building Science Educators.

THE DUNDAS STREET FAÇADE APPEARS AS A SMOOTH CURVED GLAZED SURFACE, A TRANSPARENT INVITATION TO THE PUBLIC. LEFT A VIEW OF THE AGO’S SOUTH ELEVATION FACING GRANGE PARK. THE GRANGE, THE HISTORIC GEORGIAN MANOR DATING BACK TO 1817, WAS RETAINED IN THE SCHEME. TOP LEFT

46 CANADIAN ARCHITECT 06/08

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CALENDAR Sacred Space

May 3-September 7, 2008 This exhibition at Torontoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Harbourfront Centre Architecture Space features Torontoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Levitt Goodman Architects Ltd., Kearns Mancini Architects Inc. and Taylor_Smyth Architects, firms that have created three separate installations in response to the idea of the sacred. Programmed in partnership with the Toronto Society of Architects, Sacred Space also features new writing in response to this idea by internationally best-selling novelist Louise Welsh. www.harbourfrontcentre.com/noflash/ visarts/architecture.php Stutter and Twitch

May 8-June 29, 2008 Engaging the current international dialogue between visual art and film, this exhibition at the University of Torontoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Justina M. Barnicke Gallery brings together a group of seven artists based in Canada, the US and Europe, whose work explores the qualities of stillness and suspense in filmic motion. The exhibition pushes the boundaries of form between video,

film, and photography from the point of view of social and metaphoric meanings. www.jmbgallery.ca Annual NCARB (ARE) Graphic Exam Workshop Series

June 28, 2008 The Toronto Society of Architects will host the annual NCARB (ARE) Exam Graphic Workshop Series at the Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design at the University of Toronto. This day-long workshop offers optional take-home exams that focus on preparing intern architects for the three ARE 3.0 graphic exams required for licensure: Building Planning, Building Technology and Site Design. Presented by Robert Elfer and Laura Serebin, these workshops present the technique, strategy and graphic skills invaluable to all intern architects preparing for their exams. ia@torontosocietyofarchitects.ca 23rd World Congress of the International Union of Architects

June 29-July 3, 2008 Architects from

around the world will meet in Turin, Italy, for the 23rd World Congress of the International Union of Architects, with the theme of Transmitting Architecture: Culture, Democracy, Hope. A wide selection of contributions from around the world will complement and illustrate these interventions. www.uia2008torino.org Fringe Benefits: Cosmopolitan Dynamics of a Multicultural City

July 3-August 24, 2008 Curated by architect, editor and urban designer Ian Chodikoff, the exhibition takes place at Torontoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Design Exchange, and is intent on presenting ideas and questions that will influence the future identity of our suburbsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;a geography constantly evolving into something much more dynamic than big-box retail outlets and housing subdivisions. The exhibition will discuss the relationships between social networks, social exclusion, economic disparity and entrepreneurial activities found amongst the various built environments across the GTA. Recent projects by the

leading architects across the GTA will demonstrate how our cosmopolitan communities are ambitiously influencing contemporary architecture and urbanism in both formal and informal ways.

Executive Education Programs at Harvard GSD

July 8-August 8, 2008 Executive Education Programs at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design are open to architects, planners, real estate and building industry professionals, and others interested in the built environment. Programs run from one to five days and cover topics in architecture, urban planning, health care and educational facility design, residential design, sustainability and green design, leadership, management, and more. http://execed.gsd.harvard.edu/ professional/exec_ed/ FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THESE, AND ADDITIONAL LISTINGS OF CANADIAN AND INTERNATIONAL EVENTS, PLEASE VISIT www.canadianarchitect.com

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BACKPAGE

ACCIDENTAL EXPOSURE, DELIBERATE CONCEALMENT A PHOTOGRAPHER REMINDS US—IF ONLY TEMPORARILY—OF THE HISTORICAL LAYERS OF THE CITY VANISHING BEFORE OUR EYES.

TEXT

HANNAH TEICHER ERIC DEIS

PHOTO

PHOTOGRAPHER ERIC DEIS CAPTURES SEVERAL NARRATIVES IN VANCOUVER’S DOWNTOWN EASTSIDE IN THIS PIECE ENTITLED HIPSTERS AND DRUG DEALER.

Flagging changes large and small which signal the disjointed evolution of the urban landscape, Eric Deis hurries to capture them, initiating a process of delaminating the city. His photos, while of Vancouver, are not specifically of Vancouver; while they are of buildings, they are not about buildings; and of course, while they are of construction sites, they are not concerned with construction sites. The photos instead reveal the 50 CANADIAN ARCHITECT 06/08

discovery of accidental encounters, a process that only just begins as the photo is taken.

Drawn to the Downtown Eastside as one of the major sites of change in the city, Deis has taken multiple photographs of the area from rooftops and scaffolding, focusing intently on the landscape that most passersby sidestep with a distracted gaze. In the photograph which would later be titled Hipsters and Drug Dealer, Deis unwitting-

ly captured not only a landscape, but a scene, the unintentional consequence he always hopes for.

Upon further scrutiny in the studio, the image revealed more than he had apprehended when he recorded it. While concentrating on the dramatic tension between the urban pioneers and the drug dealer crowding the entrance to the alley, Deis didn’t notice the live narratives taking place in the adjacent SRO building or the intense blue light from the film set a block away that was sculpting a satellite dish into sharp relief. Capturing such a fortuitous convergence of stories in one image seems to defy the odds; it’s Deis’s prize, what he refers to as “the photographer’s delight.”

Inadvertently recording these passing moments has made Deis acutely aware of the transitory nature of the landscape around him, whether measured in seconds or years. While his photographs convey this sense to those who study them closely or who return for multiple viewings, he is seeking to engage the broader public in a critical awareness of the changing city.

Though the numerous cranes on the horizon are a constant reminder of Vancouver’s frantic building pace, they call particular attention to the layers of the city being concealed or eradicated in the frenzy. And so, Deis has devised a simple means of attracting attention to this phenomenon. Having successfully negotiated with developers and property owners, he intends to paste a massive image of Vancouver’s cityscape on to an exposed party wall, where it will slowly be covered up as the adjacent building is constructed.

Where typically he seeks to reveal accidental encounters and antagonisms, exposing layers of people and detritus in their man-made environment—in this case, Deis reveals by concealment, as carefully laid layers of concrete block systematically obliterate an image of the city for good. CA Hannah Teicher currently works for Shape Architecture and Jill Anholt Studio in Vancouver.

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