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contents

11 news

A weLCome AdditioN to the uNiversity of Lethbridge dutifuLLy respeCts CAmpus buiLdiNgs ANd ideALs from AN eArLier erA. teXt iAN Chodikoff

28 QUest University

viCtoriA beLtrANo

A New privAte uNiversity iN squAmish represeNts A New direCtioN for post­ seCoNdAry eduCAtioN iN CANAdA. teXt tANyA southCott

gh3 announced as winner of the June Callwood Park international design competition; Stantec Architecture/ Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architects selected as lead design consultants for George Brown College’s new waterfront campus.

36 insites

Douglas MacLeod introduces resourcepositive design, which proposes to construct buildings that produce more energy than they consume.

40 calendar

Building on History at Toronto’s Harbourfront Centre Architecture Gallery; CanBUILD09—Canadian Brownfield Urban and Industrial Land Development Summit.

42 Backpage

Victoria Beltrano asserts that the appropriation of public space by elderly Asian female street vendors in Toronto’s Chinatown creates a richer, more vibrant urban context in the process.

mArCh 2009, v.54 N.03

quest uNiversity iN squAmish, brit­ ish CoLumbiA. photogrAph by NiC Lehoux.

cover The NaTioNal Review of DesigN aND PRacTice/ The JouRNal of RecoRD of The Raic

03/09 canadian architect

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 herbert enns, MAA, MRAIC douglas MaCleod, nCARb

dIstrIbuted at a reCent leadershIp ConferenCe In WashIngton, dC, a portraIt of MarvIn MaleCha, the presIdent of the aMerICan InstItute of arChIteCts, graCes a flyer urg­ Ing arChIteCts to ContrIbute to a polItICal aCtIon CoMMIttee lobbyIng on theIr behalf.

aBoVe

Having had the opportunity to attend the Ameri­ can Institute for Architects (AIA) Grassroots Leadership & Legislative Conference held in Washington last month, I was completely amazed at both the level of organization and gloom in the architecture profession in the US. During one of the sessions, Kermit Baker, the Chief Economist for the AIA, noted that over 17,000 positions in architecture were lost over the past six months.

There are two astounding components to this statement. Firstly, that the AIA actually has a Chief Economist amongst its 800 staffers and secondly, that seven percent of all architectural positions have been eliminated in such a short period of time due to a record­low level in bill­ ings. During difficult economic times, it is impor­ tant that architects lobby government on issues that can help stimulate the construction industry.

In between the many keynote addresses deliv­ ered at the conference, architects practicing in certain states (e.g., Alaska, Florida and Texas) were urged to meet with designated AIA staff, who were waiting to advise them on how to pres­ sure their respective senators into supporting architecture­friendly measures that were in­ cluded in President Barack Obama’s massive $767­billion economic stimulus package. At issue was the elimination of $4 billion slated for the greening of federal government buildings, as well as provisions to renovate aging public school facilities. “Call your Senator! Don’t let victory slip away!” exclaimed George H. Miller, a partner of Pei Cobb Freed & Partners and First Vice President of the AIA. To support a conduit between architects and government leaders, in 1980 the AIA developed an advocacy arm known as ArchiPAC, a political action committee. The funding of ArchiPAC is not tied to professional dues, but relies solely on personal contributions from interested members of the AIA. In between the main course and canadian architect 03/09

dessert at one of the conference luncheons, it was thus a most unusual experience to watch archi­ tects writing $1,000 cheques enabling ArchiPAC to lobby on their behalf.

Although the Canadian political system is quite different, architects on both sides of the border cannot afford to wait and see if government chooses to support issues such as new incentives for affordable housing, green buildings, historic preservation, consistent building codes, better schools and well­designed civic spaces—initia­ tives useful in stimulating a recessionary econo­ my, never mind the profession.

In Canada, the Conservative government re­ cently announced its own economic stimulus package, claiming that it needs a free hand in spending $3 billion of discretionary funds, even threatening an election should opposition parties block it. Although the government intends to report back after it spends the cash, which will be part of an interim $30­billion­plus package to help stimulate the economy, the only concrete spending announced thus far will include a job training facility for ex­soldiers and the renova­ tion of a few hockey arenas. Architects need not get too excited just yet.

In addition to helping architects through politi­ cal advocacy, the AIA recently created an informa­ tive document entitled “Architecture Practice in an Economic Downturn: Challenges and Opportu­ nities,” which attempts to explain to architects the current macro­economic conditions and their implications to individual firms. Faced with a different political reality and a somewhat health­ ier economic environment, Canadian architects should still monitor the situation in the US care­ fully and re­evaluate the status quo of their own activities to ensure that an architectural agenda becomes a political reality that will improve our economy and the financial health of our firms.

Ian ChodIkoff

ichodikoff@canadianarchitect.com

regional correspondents Halifax ChrIstIne MaCy, OAA Montreal davId theodore Winnipeg herbert enns, MAA regina bernard flaMan, SAA Calgary davId a. doWn, AAA edMonton brIan allsopp, AAA vanCouver adele Weder puBlisher toM arkell 416-510-6806 sales manager greg palIouras 416-510-6808 circulation manager beata oleChnoWICz 416-442-5600 ext. 3543 customer serVice MalkIt Chana 416-442-5600 ext. 3539 production JessICa Jubb graphic design sue WIllIaMson Vice president of canadian puBlishing alex papanou president of Business information group bruCe CreIghton head office 12 ConCorde plaCe, suIte 00, toronto, on M3C 4J2 telepHone 416­510­6 45 faCsiMile 416­510­5140 e-Mail edItors@CanadIanarChIteCt.CoM Web site WWW.CanadIanarChIteCt.CoM Canadian architect is published monthly by business Information group, a division of bIg Magazines lp, a leading Canadian information company with interests in daily and community newspapers and business­to­business information services. the editors have made every reasonable effort to provide accurate and authoritative information, but they assume no liability for the accuracy or com­ pleteness of the text, or its fitness for any particular purpose. subscription rates Canada: $52.95 plus applicable taxes for one year; $ 3.95 plus applicable taxes for two years (gst – # 09751274rt0001). price per single copy: $6.95. students (prepaid with student I.d., includes taxes): $32.50 for one year. usa: $101.95 u.s. for one year. all other foreign: $103.95 u.s. per year. us office of publication: 2424 niagara falls blvd, niagara falls, ny 14304­ 5709. periodicals postage paid at niagara falls, ny. usps #009­192. us postmaster: send address changes to Canadian architect, po box 111 , niagara falls, ny 14304. return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Circulation dept., Canadian architect, 12 Concorde place, suite 00, toronto, on Canada M3C 4J2. postmaster: please forward forms 29b and 67b to 12 Concorde place, suite 00, toronto, on Canada M3C 4J2. printed in Canada. all rights reserved. the contents of this publication may not be reproduced either in part or in full without the consent of the copyright owner. from time to time we make our subscription list available to select companies and organizations whose product or service may interest you. If you do not wish your contact information to be made available, please contact us via one of the following methods: telephone 1­ 00­66 ­2374 facsimile 416­442­2191 e-mail privacyofficer@businessinformationgroup.ca Mail privacy officer, business Information group, 12 Concorde place, suite 00, toronto, on Canada M3C 4J2 MeMber of tHe Canadian business press MeMber of tHe audit bureau of CirCulations publiCations Mail agreeMent #40069240 issn 0008-2872

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news Projects gh3 winner of the june callwood Park international design competition.

The City of Toronto’s international design com­ petition for the June Callwood Park has been won by gh3, a Toronto­based architecture and land­ scape design firm. The starting point of the de­ sign takes a voice sampling of June’s own words— “I believe in kindness”—physically mapped onto the site, its undulations creating the abstract geometric pattern of openings and clearings within the dense groves of the Super­Real Forest.

The edge of this voice­wave pattern creates a sinewy path that runs north to south through five clearings in the forest, connecting Lakeshore to Fort York, its black granite planks touching the edges at several points to provide east­west community access into the park. The Super­Real Forest inhabits the site with plantings of native Canadian trees, a sampling of the specimens that would have inhabited the Lake Ontario shoreline at the time the city was settled. The park is loosely zoned into six clearings: the Puddle Plaza, the Puzzle Garden, the Maze, the Pink Field Plaza, Time Strip Gardens, and Ephemeral Pools, each with its own unique spatial character and aspects of unprogrammed play it encourages. The range of experience invited in the park is rooted in archetypal, timeless themes of human play, rather than contrived mechanical devices or apparatus that often limit their enjoyment to a specific age range. The surfaces openly invite activity that can be social, recreational or medita­ tive. Support for play and self­directed games is implied in the spaces, open to ageless activities that could range from splashing in the shallow pools and puddles in summer, to hide­and­seek in the maze, to impromptu sports in the clearing and tai chi in the morning by the mist pools.

Community engagement in the process will also play an important role: gh3 imagines that Toronto youth will be active in the park’s creation and stewardship. Children from elementary schools across Toronto will be invited to plant a tree on behalf of their schools, gathering on the site in early spring to take part in a city­wide planting ceremony that will celebrate June’s life and legacy in shaping the city. The forest planting will also welcome members of the com­ munity, friends and family of June, along with people she influenced and mentored, who will be encouraged to come together to plant a tree in her honour.

Zeidler Partnership architects to design camrose Performing arts centre.

Zeidler Partnership Architects has been selected to design the University of Alberta’s Performing

the design for the new June Callwood Park in toronto by gh3 inCludes a Puddle Plaza and a Pink Play sCulPture for Children. aBoVe a night view of the suPer-real forest, where Children and members of the Community are invited to Plant trees. toP

Arts Centre at the Augustana campus in Camrose.

The facility, to cost an estimated $22 million, will provide performing space for local arts groups, schools and touring groups, as well as for the University. It is slated for completion in late 2010. “The new performing arts centre could help turn Camrose—a smaller city close to three urban areas—into a festival town like Niagara on the Lake or Tanglewood,” says Steven Carruthers of Zeidler Partnership Architects. At almost 40,000 square feet, the Camrose Performing Arts Centre will be constructed in two phases.

Phase One will feature a 550­seat main theatre and audience chamber. Phase Two will add a black box theatre, drama studio and additional support spaces for performances. For the Alberta project, Zeidler will engage Halsall Associates as structural engineers, HH Angus and Associates as mechanical and electrical engineers and Focus Corporation as civil engineers. Zeidler’s Victoria office will act as landscape architects.

George Brown college selects planning and design consultants for new waterfront campus in toronto.

George Brown College has announced the selec­ tion of Stantec Architecture/Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architects as the lead design consultants for its new waterfront campus at the centre of Toronto’s East Bayfront redevelopment.

The firms, working in joint venture, will lead the college through the functional planning and de­ sign process, assist with the review of the con­ struction request for proposals, and manage the site­plan approval process with the City of Toronto and Waterfront Toronto. Bruce Kuwa­ bara will be the lead design principal behind George Brown College’s new Health Sciences building and its adjacent residence and fitness/ recreation complex. The addition of a waterfront campus to its existing St. James and Casa Loma campuses will increase George Brown’s overall footprint in the city by 40 percent and support 03/09 canadian architect

11

ween Lower Sherbourne and Lower Jarvis Streets. The two­building campus will face a park at the foot of Sherbourne Street to the east— currently slated for completion in 2010—and the new Corus Entertainment building near Jarvis Street to the west. In December, George Brown College received approval from Toronto City Council, the owner of the land at the waterfront, granting the College a 100­year lease on the proposed site. The College has also discussed with the City intentions to partner in the fitness and recreation complex, where the City would build and operate an Aquatic Centre as part of the overall development. www.georgebrown.ca renovation of hamilton Farmers’ Market and hamilton central Public Library.

the Current state of the hamilton Central library. aBoVe david Premi/rdh’s design for the new Central library and farmers’ market renovation in downtown hamilton inCludes a transformative market sPaCe, a Community kitChen where workshoPs will be held, enhanCed led lighting and exPanded PubliC seating sPaCe.

toP

growth of up to 4,000 new students per year.

George Brown College has worked with Stantec/ KPMB Architects in the past, collaborating on the Young Centre for the Performing Arts, home of the college’s School of Theatre Arts in the city’s Distillery District. “We are excited by this oppor­ tunity to expand George Brown College’s brand identity and vision with a vibrant design that sets high standards for health sciences education, sustainability, architectural excellence and community building—fully integrated with the East Bayfront, one of Waterfront Toronto’s emerging live/work, learn/play precincts,” said 12 canadian architect 03/09

project design principal Bruce Kuwabara. “The George Brown Lakefront Development Campus project is as much about the creation of state­of­ the­art educational facilities as it is about vision­ ary city­building.” George Brown College’s Centre for Health Sciences will begin working closely with Stantec/KPMB to design a new building to help the college maintain its leader­ ship in the delivery of interprofessional health sciences education and training, the primary focus of the campus. The new George Brown site will sit lakeside on two blocks of land just south of its St. James campus, on Queen’s Quay bet­

david premi Architects inc. in association with Rounthwaite Dick and Hadley Architects Inc. (rdh) were commissioned by the City of Hamil­ ton in early 2008 to undertake a major renova­ tion of the Hamilton Farmers’ Market and Public Library in the city’s core. The project, which includes 6,500 square metres of renovation and 1,000 square metres of additions, rebrands both the market and library, and has an anticipated construction completion of Fall 2010. Together with the reimaging of the combined facility to reinforce its status as a public destination, the project represents a significant component of Hamilton’s overall urban revitalization initiative.

The project will be completed simultaneously with a City­administered York Boulevard streetscape­improvement project, including widened sidewalks and conversion to two­way traffic. The renovated facility will include a new glazed façade with colour­changing LED lights, a green wall, and many opportunities for integra­ tion of public art including video installations.

Interior partitions are to be constructed of tempered plate glass to allow maximum visibility and penetration of natural light. The façade will include large operable panels to allow interior space to open to the sidewalk. david premi Architects inc. is a Hamilton­based firm focus­ ing on sustainable institutional and renewal projects. rdh is an award­winning Toronto­ based firm specializing in corporate and institutional architecture.

awards Kelly nelson doran wins the Prix de rome in architecture for emerging Practitioners.

University of Toronto architecture graduate Kelly Nelson Doran is the winner of the Canada Council for the Arts’ Prix de Rome in Architect­ ure for Emerging Practitioners. He will have the opportunity to study the impacts that resource development companies have on the landscape,

The tenth Alvar Aalto Medal has been awarded to the Danish architectural practice Tegnestuen Vandkunsten. Representatives of the team re­ ceived the award at the headquarters of the Social Insurance Institution of Finland (KELA) de­ signed by Aalto. This is the first time that the Alvar Aalto Medal was awarded to a team of architects instead of an individual. Since its establishment in 1967, the Alvar Aalto Medal has been awarded approximately every five years to persons with significant achievements in creative architecture. For almost 40 years now, Tegnes­ tuen Vandkunsten has focused on residential architecture and housing developments. For Vandkunsten’s 30 designers, social awareness is also a source of beauty which does not compro­ mise their ability to retain a firm grip over aesthetically perfected and innovative spaces, forms and materials. The overarching principles applied by Vandkunsten to design were crystal­ lized in the office’s early works—the best known being Tinggården, an innovative residential

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olson sundberg Kundig allen architects receives 2009 aia architecture Firm award.

Olson Sundberg Kundig Allen Architects has received the American Institute of Architects’ 2009 AIA Architecture Firm Award. The distinc­ tion is based on the Seattle firm’s 35 years of consistently excellent work, including its seam­ less blending of architecture, art, and craft; community involvement; attention to sustainable design; and nurturing of in­house talent. The annual AIA Architecture Firm Award—often referred to as the ”Firm of the Year” award—is the highest honour the AIA bestows on an archi­ tecture firm and recognizes a practice that consist­ ently has produced distinguished architecture for at least 10 years. Principals Jim Olson (FAIA), Rick Sundberg (FAIA), Tom Kundig (FAIA), Scott Allen (AIA), Kirsten Murray (AIA), and Alan Maskin are known for their hands­on project involvement; deliberate efforts to share their knowledge with firm members, students, interns, and clients; and intense collaboration with artists and craftspeople. The firm’s commitment to sustainable design finds its roots in the firm Olson founded in Seattle in 1971, which he based on two principles: buildings can serve as a bridge between nature and culture, and inspiring sur­ roundings have a positive effect on people’s lives.

Known primarily for their integration of modern forms that blend artfully into remote, natural settings of the Pacific Northwest, the firm’s work is also adept at creating dynamic urban environ­

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alvar aalto Medal awarded to danish firm tegnestuen Vandkunsten.

district near Køge. Worth a special mention is the conversion of the Torpedo Boat Shipyard at Holmen Copenhagen into a block of flats at the turn of the millennium. In this project, the challenging starting point inspired the designers to create a unique place in which to live. Vand­ kunsten’s works are characterized by creative use of the composition of the landscape. Prime examples of this are Det Blå Hjørne (the Blue Corner, 1989) in Copenhagen’s Christanshavn which defies orthodox ideas of harmony, and their winning entry to the recent Kløvermarken zoning competition, again in Copenhagen, in which the edges of a central park area are boldly adorned with a new type of housing and building­ block typologies. The medal, designed by Alvar Aalto, is awarded by the Ministry of Education, the Finnish Association of Architects SAFA, the Museum of Finnish Architecture, the Finnish Society of Architecture and the Alvar Aalto Foun­ dation. Previous medallists are: Alvar Aalto (Finland, 1967), Hakon Ahlberg (Sweden, 1973), James Stirling (UK, 1978), Jørn Utzon (Denmark, 1982), Tadao Ando (Japan, 1985), Alvaro Siza (Portugal, 1988), Glenn Murcutt (Australia, 1992), Steven Holl (USA, 1998), and Rogelio Salmona (Colombia, 2003).

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infrastructure and urbanism of the North. This $34,000 Prix de Rome is awarded to a recent graduate of one of Canada’s ten accredited schools of architecture who demonstrates out­ standing potential. Over the next year, Doran will travel to six industrial communities in Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Finland to study their econo­ mic structure and how they incorporate various elements of sustainable development that could enhance regional planning practices in Canada.

His research will culminate in the publication and exhibition of the six case studies. Born in Winnipeg, Doran was the 2003 University Gold Medallist at the University of Manitoba where he earned a Bachelor of Environmental Design. He also holds a Master of Architecture degree from the University of Toronto where he was the recipient of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada Medal, the American Institute of Archi­ tects medal, the Irving Grossman Prize, and the 2007 Cohos Evamy Travelling Scholarship which funded his research travel to Fort McMurray, Inuvik and Tuktoyaktuk. His work has been published by the MIT Press and Canadian Architect, and is currently on exhibit at the Har­ vard Graduate School of Design. Professionally, Doran has worked with WilliamsonWilliamson Inc. (Toronto), Eisenman Architects (New York), Syverson Monteyne Architects (Winnipeg) and Corbett Cibinel Architects (Winnipeg). He cur­ rently resides above the Arctic Circle in Tromsø, Norway where he is working with 70°N Arkitek­ tur AS on the sustainable redevelopment of a former docklands site in Copenhagen. www.canadacouncil.ca/news/releases/2009/ ts128793585879854086.htm

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circLe rePLy card 18 03/09 canadian architect

13

ments. Previous recipients include Leers Wein­ zapfel, Moore Ruble Yudell, Murphy/Jahn, and KieranTimberlake.

coMPetitions 2009 Green Poster design competition.

The Toronto Society of Architects in association with the Canada Green Building Council—Greater Toronto Chapter (CaGBC­GTC) and the Design Industry Advisory Committee (DIAC) invite submissions for its 2009 Poster Design Competi­ tion. The purpose of the competition is to pro­ duce an image that draws attention to the value of green design, and that illustrates how design can enhance economic, social, and ecological sustain­ ability. The competition is open to everyone, in­ cluding students and professional artists. Parti­ cipants must register by May 1, 2009 and submis­ sions are due by May 15, 2009 (only electronic submissions will be accepted). Full details about the competition, including a copy of the compe­ tition brief, are available on the TSA website. www.torontosocietyofarchitects.ca

what’s new Festival of architecture and Forum.

The presidents of the Royal Architectural Insti­ tute of Canada (RAIC), the Ordre des architectes

du Québec (OAQ) and the Association of Archi­ tects in Private Practice of Quebec (AAPPQ) have announced that the Festival of Architecture and Forum, organized jointly by these three associa­ tions, will be held in Montreal from June 17 to 20, 2009. More than 500 architects are expected to attend the event. The keynote speech will be given June 19 by Jan Gehl, Hon. FRAIC and Professor (Retired) of Urban Design with the School of Architecture at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen. Bernardo Gómez­Pimienta, Hon. FRAIC, is Dean of the School of Architecture at the Universidad Anahuac and a Chevalier of the Legion of Honour.

Based in Mexico but with a reputation that ex­ tends worldwide, Mr. Gómez­Pimienta will speak at the RAIC Foundation Luncheon. During the plenary sessions, various speakers will explore issues relating to the conference theme. Larry Beasley served as senior urban planner with the City of Vancouver for 28 years and chairs the National Capital Commission’s National Advisory Committee on Planning, Design and Realty. He will discuss the concept of “experiential plan­ ning” as a complement to sustainable urban development. Clément Demers, MRAIC, is an architect and urban planner who gained exten­ sive experience in land­use planning and project management with the City of Montreal, and as head of the Société immobilière du patrimoine

architectural de Montréal and Vice­President of Cadev. Demers will share his experiences orches­ trating the Quartier international de Montréal, a major urban redevelopment project that has won numerous awards. www.festival2009.raic.org iideX/neocon canada 2009: call for Presentations.

Share your insight and knowledge and make a difference in your industry by presenting a seminar at IIDEX/NeoCon Canada 2009. With over 5,000 conference attendees and 100+ sessions, IIDEX is Canada’s largest conference focused on design, architecture and the built environment. If you have an interesting presen­ tation or an idea that could be developed into an educational session, you are invited to submit a written proposal. To apply, please visit the IIDEX/NeoCon website to download an applica­ tion form, and submit to Matthew Searle at msearle@iidexneocon.com. The deadline for applications is April 1, 2009. www.iidexneocon.com the works art & design Festival.

From June 19 to July 1, 2009, The Works Art & Design Festival presents HEAT, the first festival of Edmonton’s summer season with world­ renowned mind­altering art exhibits. The Works,

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the largest free outdoor art and design festival of its kind in North America, is a spectacular event that showcases the best in cutting­edge design, digital art and new media technology alongside traditional visual art mediums. The Works is open to the general public, where anyone can take advantage of the free art programs in which they can create their own artworks, witness artists­at­work demonstrations, and attend featured artists' lectures and events—all while enjoying Canadian performers on The Works Street Stage, a vibrant artisan market, and the world­class Works Food Street. The Works Art & Design Festival continues to transform Edmon­ ton’s downtown public spaces into alternative galleries attracting artists and patrons from around the world, while boosting the energy and imagination of Alberta’s capital city every summer. It continually challenges the bounda­ ries of contemporary art and design in regional, national and international milieus, offering a plethora of exciting exhibits and special events to the public. www.theworks.ab.ca

is 89.2%. The ExAC 2008 undertaken across Canada in November 2008 for the first time was very successful for both the English and French versions of the tests. Of the 521 interns who came from seven different provinces, 399 interns successfully completed all required sections of the exam. In development for more than two years, the four­part exam focuses on the relevant aspects of the intern’s architectural professional experience after completion of their university degree. The new exam offers an alternative path for Canadian interns to meet professional licensure requirements which were originally only provided by the American National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB).

The next administration of the ExAC is expected to take place during October 2009, and registra­ tion will open in April 2009. www.cexac.ca From theory into Practice: thinking critically about architecture, history and theory.

This is the theme of the Society for the Study of Architecture in Canada’s 36th Annual Confer­ ence, which takes place from May 20­24, 2009 at Ryerson University in Toronto. Co­chaired by First group of intern architects take the new examination for architects in canada.

George Thomas Kapelos of Ryerson University The results of the new national examination and Sharon Vattay, the conference will coincide for interns of architecture in Canada are in, and with the annual Festival of Architecture and De­ Vicwest ad 01-caterpillar:Layout 1 1/21/09 9:56 AM Page 1 the overall pass rate for all sections of the tests sign, and specifically with Doors Open Toronto

(May 23­24), an annual event that celebrates the city’s architecture by providing free access to buildings that are not generally open to the public. As a learned society devoted to the exami­ nation of the role of the built environment in Canadian society, the SSAC’s strength comes from the diversity of research and activity under­ taken by its members in the study of architecture in Canada. As the sole national society whose focus of interest is Canada’s built environment in all its manifestations, the annual meeting pro­ vides a forum for the exchange of ideas and knowledge by members from all regions of the country and from the range of disciplines that make up its membership. Recognizing that the SSAC is an organization with a broad and multi­ disciplinary constituency, the theme presents a challenge to the participants to consider the study of architecture from a number of different perspectives. www.canada-architecture.org/conference09.php architects applaud new national mobility agreement.

The ratification of the National Agreement on Internal Trade is great news for Canada’s bur­ geoning architectural community. The pact, negotiated by federal, provincial and territorial labour and trade ministers as part of Canada’s Agreement on Internal Trade (AIT), paves the

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way for full labour mobility between provinces.

Under the provisions of the new agreement, which comes into effect on April 1, 2009, people with a specific professional or occupational certification in one province or territory will be recognized as qualified to practice their profes­ sion in all provinces and territories where their profession or occupation is regulated. Prior to this agreement, individual architects had been required to register separately in any provincial jurisdictions where they might have a business interest. Much of the groundwork for this new agreement was established through the success of the Trade, Investment and Labour Mobility Agreement (TILMA), a partnership between the governments of British Columbia and Alberta.

Under the reciprocity agreement, in place since April of 2007, barriers to trade, investment and labour mobility between the two provinces were removed, allowing the free flow of recognized and registered professionals.

Letters In Jennifer Haliburton’s book review For the Record: The First Women in Canadian Architecture (see CA, September 2008), she stated that there is “a limited availability of information” on the PM soprema_canadian_architect.pdf 2/26/09 3:02:17 subject of Canadian women’s early involvement in architecture. Although this information may

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not be exceedingly abundant, given the few indivi­ duals and the short period of history, there is in fact a reasonable amount of information in print.

To my knowledge, the most comprehensive and informative work on the subject of women architects in Canada is Designing Women: Gender and the Architectural Profession (University of Toronto Press, 2000), a reliable scholarly work written by Annmarie Adams and Peta Tancred.

The book is readable and very informative, and I think it includes all the facts that one reason­ ably needs to learn about the history of Canadian women in architecture. It mentions both signifi­ cant women and milestones (but may be short on juicy gossip). Designing Women also includes an extensive bibliography.

Prior to this, a lengthy article on Canadian women in architecture appeared in the Bulletin of the Society for the Study of Architecture in Canada in 1991 (reprinted in an abbreviated form in Canadian Architect in 1993). There have been other articles in the architectural press on individual women, academic theses, doctoral dissertations and regional publications on the subject, such as Construction Careers: Profiles of Five Early Women Architects in British Columbia, which was published in 1996.

Canadian Architect is to be congratulated on running an informative report by Kelly Doran entitled “Scraping for Oil” (see CA, January 2009). He should be highly commended for exposing this disaster for all to see—not just architects. Two further points should be noted.

These huge operations require large amounts of water in processing, presently being taken from the Athabasca River, the source of which is Mount Athabasca and its glacier. The extraction process produces tonnes of CO2 and other contaminants that warm the atmosphere and further contribute to the melting of the Atha­ basca glacier. Meanwhile, the continued ex­ pansion of tar sands extraction has resulted in the further desecration of the boreal forest, acre upon acre. This forest is one of the most natural ways for CO2 emissions to be absorbed. Not only are these multinationals using processes that threaten their own source of water, but they are destroying the very means by which their deadly emissions can be eliminated or contained. It is truly sickening to see the rape and pillage of boreal forests and glaciers caused by a lack of control by federal and provincial governments.

These actions are prompted by one element— greed.

Blanche Lemco van Ginkel FRAIC, (Hon.)FAIA Toronto, Ontario

K.H. Foster OAA(L), SCA Collingwood, Ontario

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up date ISSUE 31.1 SPRING 2009

The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada The leading voice of architecture in Canada

NMS – Deeper discount for RAIC members

Keynote Speakers The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC), the Ordre des architectes du Québec (OAQ) and the Association of Architects in Private Practice of Québec (AAPPQ) are pleased to announce the keynote speakers of the Festival of Architecture and Forum in Montreal, June 17-20, 2009: Jan Gehl, Hon FRAIC. Professor Emeritus of Urban Design at the School of Architecture, Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen, and founding partner of Gehl Architects.

College of Fellows Convocation, Friday, June 19.

The RAIC is now offering an additional 5% discount off of the standard retail price for the National Master Specification (NMS) and its editing software.

RAIC members can now get 15% off the purchase of these products. Take advantage of this offer and update your standard specifications now. Go to the Online Purchases section of www.raic.org to order one or more divisions or the entire set!

Guidelines for Determining Appropriate Fees for the Services of an Architect Be sure to review and submit your comments on the consultation draft of this important national document and fee schedule. The final version will be released in June. Free for RAIC Members!

Clément Demers, MIRAC. Architect, urban planner and project manager, Director General of the Société Quartier international de Montréal.

Plenary Session, Friday, June 19.

Every day of the Festival and Forum includes a rich schedule of Continuing Education Activities. From June 17-20, you can fulfill all your annual continuing education requirements while enjoying the architecture of Montreal and networking with your colleagues from across Canada. Keep an eye out for further information.

For more info: festival2009.raic.org

President Paule Boutin, FIRAC 1st Vice-President and President-Elect Ranjit (Randy) K. Dhar, FRAIC 2nd Vice-President and Treasurer Stuart Howard, FRAIC Immediate Past President Kiyoshi Matsuzaki, PP/FRAIC Regional Directors Stuart Howard, FRAIC (British Columbia/Yukon) Wayne Guy, FRAIC (Alberta/NWT) Charles Olfert, MRAIC (Saskatchewan/Manitoba) David Craddock, MRAIC (Ontario Southwest) Ralph Wiesbrock, FRAIC (Ontario North and East/Nunavut) Claude Hamelin Lalonde, FIRAC (Quebec)

Bernardo Gómez-Pimienta Hon. FRAIC. Director of the School of Architecture of Anahuac University, will speak at the RAIC Foundation luncheon.

RAIC Foundation Luncheon, Friday, June 19.

Larry Beasley. Former senior urban planner with the City of Vancouver, Chair of the National Capital Commission’s National Advisory Committee on Planning, Design and Realty.

Plenary Session, Thursday, June 18.

2008-2009 RAIC Board Members

Paul E. Frank, FRAIC (Atlantic) Chancellor of College of Fellows Alexander Rankin, FRAIC

2009 Fellows The RAIC is pleased to announce the 2009 members advanced to Fellowship in the College of Fellows: Russell Acton, FRAIC Line Belhumeur, FIRAC Christopher P. Bozyk, FRAIC Stanley Britton, FRAIC D. Gregg Brown, FRAIC Thomas Bunting, FRAIC James A. Colizza, FRAIC Darryl Condon, FRAIC Louis E.J. Cooke, FRAIC Terry W. Danelley, FRAIC Tye S. Farrow, FRAIC Paul Faucher, FIRAC Alain Fournier, FIRAC Ronald J. Goodfellow, FRAIC James R. Goodwin, FRAIC Christopher G. Gower, FRAIC Pierre Jodoin, FIRAC

Jonathan Kearns, FRAIC Peter J. Kindree, FRAIC Marc Laurendeau, FIRAC William M. Locking, FRAIC Robert Mellin, FRAIC Sean P. O’Reilly, FRAIC Giovanni de Paoli, FIRAC Reid Pattison, FRAIC Whitford A. Petch, FRAIC Stephen F. Pope, FRAIC Jean-Yves Richard, FIRAC Edwin Rowse, FRAIC Thomas N. Sutherland, FRAIC Dean P. Syverson, FRAIC Bruno Verenini, FIRAC F. Grenville Weis, FRAIC

Their convocation will take place on June 19 during the 2009 Festival of Architecture and Forum in Montreal.

Council of Canadian University Schools of Architecture (CCUSA) Eric Haldenby, FRAIC Editorial Liaison Ralph Wiesbrock, FRAIC Executive Director Jon Hobbs, FRAIC Editor Denise MacDonald The national office of the RAIC is located at: 330-55 Murray St. Ottawa ON K1N 5M3 Tel.: (613) 241-3600 Fax: (613) 241-5750 E-mail: info@raic.org

www.raic.org

en NUMÉRO 31.1 PRINTEMPS 2009

bref

L’Institut royal d’architecture du Canada Le principal porte-parole de l’architecture au Canada

DDN – Rabais additionnel pour les membres de l’IRAC

Conseil d’administration de l’IRAC de 2008-2009 Présidente Paule Boutin, FIRAC Premier vice-président et président élu Ranjit (Randy) K. Dhar, FRAIC Deuxième vice-président et trésorier Stuart Howard, FRAIC Président sortant de charge Kiyoshi Matsuzaki, PP/FRAIC Directeurs régionaux Stuart Howard, FRAIC (Colombie-Britannique/Yukon) Wayne Guy, FRAIC (Alberta/T.N.-O.) Charles Olfert, MRAIC (Saskatchewan/Manitoba) David Craddock, MRAIC (Sud et Ouest de l’Ontario) Ralph Wiesbrock, FRAIC (Est et Nord de l’Ontario/ Nunavut) Claude Hamelin Lalonde, FIRAC (Québec) Paul E. Frank, FRAIC (Atlantique) Chancelier du Collège des fellows Alexander Rankin, FRAIC Conseil canadien des écoles universitaires d’architecture (CCÉUA) Eric Haldenby, FRAIC Conseiller à la rédaction Ralph Wiesbrock, FRAIC Directeur général Jon Hobbs, FRAIC Rédactrice en chef Denise MacDonald 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

Principaux conférenciers L’Institut royal d’architecture du Canada (IRAC), l’Ordre des architectes du Québec (OAQ) et l’Association des architectes en pratique privée du Québec (AAPPQ) ont le plaisir d’annoncer le nom des principaux conférenciers du Festival d’architecture et Forum des architectes qui aura lieu à Montréal, du 17 au 20 juin 2009 : Jan Gehl, Hon. FRAIC. Professeur émérite en design urbain à l’École d’architecture de l’Académie royale danoise des beaux-arts de Copenhague et associé fondateur de Gehl Architects.

Cérémonie d’intronisation au Collège des fellows, le vendredi 19 juin.

L’IRAC offre maintenant un rabais additionnel de 5 % sur son prix de vente habituel du Devis directeur général et du logiciel d’édition qui l’accompagne. Les membres de l’IRAC profitent donc dorénavant d’un rabais de 15 % à l’achat de ces produits. Pour profiter de cette offre et vous procurer les versions les plus récentes des diverses divisions du DDN et de son logiciel, allez au Centre de commandes de documents en ligne de l’IRAC, au www.raic.org.

Lignes directrices sur la détermination d’honoraires appropriés pour les services d’un architecte L’IRAC sollicite vos commentaires sur la version préliminaire d’un document intitulé Lignes directrices sur la négociation d’honoraires appropriés pour les services d’un architecte. L’IRAC entend publier la version finale de ce document accompagné d’un tarif d’honoraires en juin prochain.

Le document sera gratuit pour les membres de l’IRAC!

Bernardo Gómez-Pimienta Hon. FRAIC. Doyen de l’École d’architecture de l’Université Anahuac, membre de l’Académie Nationale d’Architecture et du Programme National des Créateurs de CONACULTA. Petit déjeuner de la Fondation de l’IRAC, le vendredi 19 juin.

Larry Beasley. Ancien directeur de l’urbanisme à la ville de Vancouver, président du Comité consultatif de l’urbanisme, du design et de l’immobilier de la Commission de la capitale nationale à Ottawa.

Séance plénière, le jeudi 18 juin.

Clément Demers, MIRAC. Architecte et urbaniste à la Ville de Montréal, directeur de la Société immobilière du patrimoine architectural de Montréal et vice-président de Cadev.

Séance plénière, le vendredi 19 juin.

Diverses activités de formation continue seront offertes pendant tout l’événement. Du 17 au 20 juin, ce sera donc l’occasion idéale d’accumuler bon nombre d’heures pour remplir vos obligations de développement professionnel tout en appréciant l’architecture de Montréal et en rencontrant des collègues des quatre coins du Canada. Demeurez à l’affût, d’autres informations suivront!

Consultez le site de l’événement à www.festival2009.raic.org.

Fellows 2009 L’IRAC a le plaisir de présenter la liste de ses membres qui seront admis au Collège des fellows en 2009 : Russell Acton, FRAIC Line Belhumeur, FIRAC Christopher P. Bozyk, FRAIC Stanley Britton, FRAIC D. Gregg Brown, FRAIC Thomas Bunting, FRAIC James A. Colizza, FRAIC Darryl Condon, FRAIC Louis E.J. Cooke, FRAIC Terry W. Danelley, FRAIC Tye S. Farrow, FRAIC Paul Faucher, FIRAC Alain Fournier, FIRAC Ronald J. Goodfellow, FRAIC James R. Goodwin, FRAIC Christopher G. Gower, FRAIC Pierre Jodoin, FIRAC

Jonathan Kearns, FRAIC Peter J. Kindree, FRAIC Marc Laurendeau, FIRAC William M. Locking, FRAIC Robert Mellin, FRAIC Sean P. O’Reilly, FRAIC Giovanni de Paoli, FIRAC Reid Pattison, FRAIC Whitford A. Petch, FRAIC Stephen F. Pope, FRAIC Jean-Yves Richard, FIRAC Edwin Rowse, FRAIC Thomas N. Sutherland, FRAIC Dean P. Syverson, FRAIC Bruno Verenini, FIRAC F. Grenville Weis, FRAIC

La cérémonie d’intronisation aura lieu à Montréal, le 19 juin, dans le cadre du Festival d’architecture et Forum des architectes 2009.

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Below the horizon a new wellness centre at the University of lethBridge respects the horizontality of the prairie landscape while acknowledging the architectUre of its iconic erickson-Massey Modernist neighBoUr. UNIVERSITY OF LETHBRIDGE—1ST CHOICE CENTRE FOR HEALTH & WELLNESS, LETHBRIDGE, ALBERTA architect GIBBS GAGE ARCHITECTS IN ASSOCIATION WITH BARRY JOHNS (ARCHITECTURE) LIMITED, FERRARI WESTWOOD ARCHITECTS AND CANNON JOHNSTON ARCHITECTURE INC. teXt IAN CHODIKOFF photos ROBERT LEMERMEYER, UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED proJect

When approaching the city of Lethbridge from Calgary in a small propeller plane, it is immediately apparent how the great rift of the Oldman River valley, with its environmentally sensitive coulees, cuts the city into two halves. On the edges of those coulees lie two forces. The first is the Univer­ sity of Lethbridge and the elegant University Hall designed by Arthur Erick­ son and Geoffrey Massey. This iconic low­slung concrete Prairie Modern building opened in 1972 and still commands spectacular views and a poetic relationship to the natural landscape. The second force occurs along both edges of the river valley and is defined by the subdivisions and sprawl inching toward the coulee’s edge, marring its natural beauty in the desire to capitalize upon the expansive views of the remarkable prairie landscape beyond. When combined, these two forces create a condition of conflict between preserving the sublime aspects of this community, and the need for progress.

Since the campus opened in 1972, the student population at the Univer­ sity of Lethbridge has grown to nearly 7,000 full­time students. Campus 20 canadian architect 03/09

expansion has not always been kind, as various additions have concealed and detracted from the elegant simplicity of the original Erickson­Massey design—in which Modern architecture was successfully integrated with an undulating topography and a respect for clear views across the horizon.

Since the 1970s, a series of unfortunate—even misguided—master plans have forced the campus to turn its back on its prairie landscape origins, thereby encouraging windswept surface parking and outdoor spaces that are completely antithetical to the early vision of a university life where students would socialize indoors rather than trudge across harsh exterior landscapes.

In an effort to rectify these wrongdoings, the 1st Choice Centre for Health & Wellness successfully enhances the social, athletic and community life at the university by healing the spatial disjuncture resulting from the campus expansion. A recent phenomenon at universities across Canada, the concept of a “wellness centre” replaces the less holistic­sounding “athletic centre” through a broad­based approach to the sports and recreation requirements of a university. As a young practitioner, Barry Johns, the design and LEED

consultant of the facility, worked in Erickson’s office. When the time came to modify his mentor’s earlier vision, both Johns and partner in charge Doug Gage of Gibbs Gage Architects, the architect of record/prime consult­ ant, wanted to complement some of the original design intentions of Uni­ versity Hall.

Consisting of a new, below­grade triple gymnasium, an elevated 200­ metre running track and roughly 12,000 square metres of new space, the 17,250­square­metre facility was completed in June 2007 at a total cost of approximately $23.3 million. The gymnasium and track complex is primarily new construction while the remainder of the work is carved out of the existing building. In deference to University Hall, the design team mitigated the bulk of the vertical programming and massing of the new facility by effectively burying substantial portions of the building below grade. Designed to accommodate both university and community athletes, recreational athletics and even regional and national sporting events, the facility’s programming is vast. It includes kinesiology and physical educa­

a view of the five-metre overhang and clerestory windows containing the three gymnasia. aBove the indoor glass-enclosed climbing wall provides a sense of drama and verticality to the new facility. opposite

tion programs, biomechanics and human performance research, class­ rooms and multipurpose community facilities. There is also a fitness centre, climbing wall, and new locker facilities. Serving both the university and the local community, fundraising activities were made easier. The university financed the majority of the project while the City of Lethbridge contributed $5.3 million, and a community­led capital campaign topped up the balance of the money required to make the building a reality.

The entire redevelopment construction process spanned two academic years with the building being continuously occupied except for the partial summer recess. The first phase involved the demolition and salvage of a small classroom wing and the conversion of a concrete, semi­circular gym­ 03/09 canadian architect

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nastics studio into a tiered lecture theatre accommodating 300 people.

The main entrance on the north side guides visitors through a “central street” linking the old building with the new facility, allowing visitors to experience the excitement of looking onto an elevated four­lane indoor track within the large 50­foot­high volume housing three gymnasia with retractable seating for 2,100 people. Regu­ larly held spectator events and convocations will be serviced via track access to the retractable seating in the gymnasium. The daytime activities will emphasize university program and academic uses with sports and recreation activities during the evenings. The triple gymnasium is oriented in a north­south direction, and excavated deep enough below grade to connect with the existing and adjacent Physical Education complex, Max Bell Pool and the Student Union Building through a system of tunnels. Also on the main level are kinesiology research labs, classrooms and other food­service facilities.

Critical to the success of the design is an additional floor that was inserted in between the main level and the level of the gymnasium floor which contains the control/management centre, multipurpose rooms, fitness areas, sports medi­ cine clinics, and change rooms—both for the students and for the community. David Hewko, a building program consultant with Cannon, orchestrated this achievement. Building a new floor into the volume of the existing gym allowed the program elements to fit together, enabling a much needed expansion to the otherwise con­ strained locker room areas at the gym level while transforming the original dark corridors on the main level into more generous daylit spaces.

There is even a glass­enclosed climbing wall that provides a focal point to the interior of the facility as it rises up through the structure, defining the building’s verticality and sense of athleticism.

The architect team was initially targetting the building for LEED Silver, but in fact they are now pursuing LEED Gold. Through a range of sustain­ able design strategies, the project has achieved energy savings of more than 40 percent, as compared to a similar building of its type and size. With a partially buried building, the design certainly incorporates a high­performance building envelope. To enhance its sustainability quotient, the facility uses strategies such as PVC roofing to reduce heat absorption, displacement previously a gymnastics studio, this semicircular concrete drum has been converted into a tiered lecture theatre that can accommodate 300 students. left a glass-guardrailed stair leads visitors from the main level to an infill floor containing a myriad of athletic and community activities. top left

22 canadian architect 03/09

ventilation, and a water reduction program resulting in a 30­percent decrease in water consumption. To power the building, the centre has a 10­year power contract with a nearby com­ mercial wind farm in McGrath.

The horizontal perimeter of clerestory glazing is a driving architectural element in the new building, providing light during the day and emitting a glowing band of light at night. The material palette of the exterior is straightforward, comprising ground­face masonry units, con­ crete, zinc and composite aluminum. Materiality on the interior is equally simple with the addition of wood elements wherever possible. The inte­ riors originally envisioned more timber and wood elements that were eventually sacrificed.

Nonetheless, there is still an effective contrast between the heavier elements of concrete and the comparatively lighter elements of prosaic drywall and tempered glass guardrails. The glazing used in certain areas around the gymna­ sium and the climbing gym certainly helps en­ hance the perception of unencumbered space and increased natural daylight.

In 2007, the Canadian Institute of Steel Con­ struction recognized the project for its unique steel structure supporting the roof. To stabilize the floating roof over the gymnasium and to maximize the effect of the clerestory windows, steel columns were specially designed to provide more lateral bracing than usual. The structure incorporates three­dimensional HSS trusses, spanning 36 metres and supported by sloping V­ shaped columns. Secondary trusses span over the primary trusses, thereby creating roof overhangs that cantilever almost five metres beyond the building face, achieving the effect of a floating roof. The curved bottom chords of the trusses were developed to maintain the roof’s sleek profile and to minimize truss depth, maximizing transmission of natural light from the clerestory windows that surround the building. Engineers used shear walls to provide additional stability.

When combined with the light shelves oriented primarily in a north­south direction, the cleres­ tory permits light levels in the gymnasium and running track to exceed 400 lux, allowing the facility to operate during the day without lighting.

The new University of Lethbridge—1st Choice Centre for Health & Wellness is a sympathetic addition to the campus. It is a building whose vertical circulation is highly expressed, as illustrated by such devices as the gymnasium, climbing wall and central stair. But as much of its the new triple gymnasium can operate during the day with little or no artificial lighting. right the elevated 300metre running track can be directly accessed from the public level or “main street.” top right

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courtesy university of lethbridge

client university of lethbridge architect teaM doug gage, vince dods, ed sych, harold bichel,tom khuu, sandra zelt, keith armbruster, Jeff cordick, barry Johns, graeme Johns, david hewko, darryl Johnson, bruce hagedorn, John paulsen, bob Johnston, larry podhora, art ferrari, dan westwood, henry warszawski strUctUral read Jones christoffersen engineering ltd.

Mechanical wiebe forest engineering ltd. electrical stebnicki + partners landscape gibbs gage architects contractor graham construction area 17,250 m2 BUdget $23.31 m coMpletion June 2007

the horizontal beacon glows at night; a corner view illustrates the discreet nature of this new facility and its respect for the original campus architecture; the first building on campusâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the iconic university hall; the new wellness centre with the high level bridge seen in the background. clockwise froM top left

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Quest for the future an ambitiously planned private university responds to the dramatic mountainous landscape of coastal british columbia.

Quest university Canada, sQuamish, British ColumBia hotson Bakker BonifaCe haden arChiteCts + urBanistes teXt tanya southCott photos niC lehoux proJect

architect

The challenge of place-making in the heart of Sea to Sky Country is to create an architecture that is responsive to the dramatic landscape of coastal British Columbia rather than subservient to it.

Located in Squamish, a community geographically midway between Vancouver and Whistler, Quest University is Canadaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first private notfor-profit, secular liberal arts university. It was created through the vision of David Strangway, a 28 canadian architect 03/09

former president of the University of British Columbia who had a vision to build a private university soon after he retired as president in 1997. The process of creating Quest University was not without its challenges from those who felt that the university would undermine the public educational system. Despite these challenges, Strangway managed to open the university in 2007, with 160 students enrolled in an insti-

tution that charges a $25,000 annual tuition.

Today, the $100-million campus considers itself an integrated community that draws its inspiration from its spectacular context while nurturing an intimate sense of community akin to the European hillside village, albeit one with stateof-the-art sustainable design.

In 2003, Hotson Bakker Boniface Haden Architects + Urbanistes were retained by the Sea to Sky

Foundation (now known as Quest University Canada) to develop a master plan for the university. Located at the mouth of Howe Sound, the new campus sits atop 240 acres of coastal mountain range in the Garibaldi Highlands about 10 kilometres outside Squamish’s town centre. The first phase of the project featured the design of key campus buildings including the library, academic building, services building and the recreation centre. Yet to be completed, the second phase will feature more communitydriven development including residential market housing, a chapel, a theatre and a neighbourhood commercial hub, not to mention more academic buildings to accommodate a student population that will eventually surpass the university’s current capacity of 800 students.

The university marks a new direction for postsecondary education in Canada. Designed primarily for undergraduate studies, the liberal arts and science program approaches its curriculum thematically, integrating multiple disciplines into intensive three-and-a-half-week “blocks.”

Classes are kept small through seminar-based learning with a student-to-teacher ratio of not more than ten to one. Even the university’s motto—Intimate, Integrated and International— attempts to describe this unique educational experiment while setting the stage for an architectural manifestation of its ideology. The opportunity to develop a campus design that responds to the university’s philosophy while addressing the students’ yearning for a different educational environment is unprecedented.

Winding its way up and around the campus, the approach along University Parkway reveals a series of robust buildings carefully integrated into their natural surroundings. Of note is the central academic complex that sits at the top of the steeply sloping knoll like a modern acropolis.

But rather than design pristine sculptural objects set against the landscape, the architects designed campus buildings to firmly embrace the site and its surrounding beauty.

At the core of the university, buildings are designed to take advantage of dramatic views that frame a series of interlocking plazas. The campus’s library sits on the uppermost peak while the academic and services buildings are set into the more steeply sloping western portion of the site. Collectively, they frame the main outdoor social area for the campus whose fourth The new library aT QuesT universiTy is a glowing beacon amidsT The snow-capped peaks of The garibaldi highlands. riGht, top to bottom The brighT red sTair inside The library is inscribed wiTh many liTerary QuoTes; sTudenTs Take The afTernoon off and drink smooThies on The Terrace of The new sTudenT services building.

opposite

03/09 canadian architect

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The rhyThm of The library buildingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s façade is clearly arTiculaTed, while The colourful sTairs aT The corners anchor The building.

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side opens up to the landscape beyond. Outdoor walkways, landscaped open spaces and large terraces link one building to the next and tie the complex together through numerous opportunities for visual connections with the outdoors.

The library serves as both the heart of the campus and a gateway to the university community. Yet it is an introverted, centrally focused building constructed around a large three-storey interior atrium functioning as the main social hub for the building. High clerestory windows allow daylight to penetrate deep into the interior, creating a room that is warm and welcoming, even during the shorter days of winter.

An opportunity for impromptu social engagement, the central staircase connects the administration, student services and cafĂŠ at the ground level with the upper two levels of the library. With 360-degree awe-inspiring views as a panoramic backdrop, only the view from the library stacks uses the landscape as a visual focus.

The academic building is the largest building in the complex. Organized around a central exterior courtyard that follows the natural

The curved archiTecTure of The academic building embraces sTudenT life while miTigaTing The feeling of long, insTiTuTional corridors.

above

contours of the site, each floor plate is designed to create a series of social spaces that contribute to the academic life of the school. Modestly sized seminar rooms are located along the perimeter of the building, while smaller breakout rooms are focused inwards. Wide corridors with framed views of the courtyard below and the mountains beyond link these two areas together. To give another level of expression to the building, each study and meeting space is coded by door type and differentiated by glass panels that feature a different piece of a larger poem.

Both the services building and recreation centre are designed as meeting places for students and faculty as well as the local community. The double-curved roof of the services building opens up toward the south while overhead doors open up to the patios and plazas to maximize sunlight and provide opportunities to connect outdoor spaces with the large informal cafeteria and multipurpose room. To date, the recreation centre accommodates a collegiatelevel gymnasium, fitness area, squash courts and change rooms. Commercial units are still under

library building: longitudinal section

recreation building: east elevation

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development and have yet to become operational.

As the first development along Village Drive—the university’s main street—the recreation centre offers the opportunity to become a more authentic village centre once development in the area increases.

While the experience of each building is governed by its individual program-driven design, the buildings complement each other throughout the complex via common materials, colour, and their relationship with the outdoors. The materiality of the buildings—heavy timber and laminated beams, or horizontally laid corrugated metal siding—is clearly informed by the industrial context of the region. Canopies and shading devices are assembled from a kit of parts,

32 canadian architect 03/09

adapted throughout the campus to further enhance the user experience. Along with concrete, metal, glass and wood, colour is used to unite the architectural expression of each building and becomes a tool for wayfinding within the complex. Individual floors within each building are distinguished by fields of colour, as are prominent circulation cores that become beacons of colour and light.

Both compact and walkable, the campus is also completely accessible. Visitors are dropped off at the library where access to all buildings and amenities is convenient and close. Parking and service areas are located underground, along a “utilidor” that runs beneath the complex and beyond pedestrians’ experience. These are

glass-and-cedar canopies shield sTudenTs from The elemenTs as They walk across The cenTral courTyard. above The concreTe façade of The academic building uses recessed openings To play wiTh sun and shadow. bottom, left to riGht walking across one of The many courTyards on campus; The solar shading devices insTalled on The academic building are clearly visible; looking pasT The library Toward The academic building wiTh a view of The mounTains beyond. above left

accessible from one entrance bay only, thereby eliminating requirements for excessive service access roads.

Part of the mandate for Quest University was to

use environmentally, socially and economically responsible principles going back to Strangwayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s original motto, and to this end the strategies read like a checklist. Geothermal heating and cooling, used as the main energy source for the campus, are distributed through radiant-slab systems.

Siting was sensitive to the existing conditions of the landscape to minimize rock blasting while retaining the maximum number of trees. Moreover, the design of interior and exterior spaces was also governed by solar orientation. All buildings have operable windows for natural ventilation and user comfort while exterior sunshades and high-performance glazing were used wherever appropriate. Locally sourced materials, the use of bioswales, infiltration fields and retention ponds further reduce environmental impact of the campus.

Though modest in program and spatial requirements, Quest University could have easily been accommodated by one building with a more compact footprint. As it sits, the campus uses 60 acres to accommodate fewer than 1,000 full-time students, faculty and staff. The decision to spread the program across the site reflects a socially motivated attempt to instill a more urbane, userfriendly environment for the new student population. The use of circulation to enhance social interaction in the creation of more sustainable spaces has been a focus of Hotson Bakker Boniface Hadenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work since their redevelopment of Vancouverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Granville Island in the 1970s. While the transformation of a dilapidated industrial site into a vibrant, livable community was visionary at The services building is viewed from inside The library; The expressive sTeel-and-wood-sTrucTure inside The services building; exTerior of The recreaTion building. riGht, top to bottom

03/09 canadian architect

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CLIENT SEA TO SKY FOUNDATION (NOW QUEST UNIVERSITY CANADA) ARCHITECTURE TEAM JOOST BAKKER (PRINCIPAL IN CHARGE), BRUCE HADEN (ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL), ANDREW LARIGAKIS (PROJECT ARCHITECT), CHANTAL BOBYN, JULIE BOGDANOWICZ, MATTHEW CENCICH, MICHAEL CENCICH, STEPHANIE FORSYTHE, WON KANG, BRIAN KAO, PAUL KLIMCZAK, SANDRA KORPAN, ROLAND KUPFER, ROSE LINSEMAN, TERESA LOWE, AARON OUTHWAITE, NIGEL PARISH, KASSRA TAVAKOLI, DERYK WHITEHEAD PLANNING CONSULTANT CORNERSTONE ARCHITECTURE AND PLANNING GROUP LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT VAUGHAN LANDSCAPE PLANNING & DESIGN INTERIORS MASSON MCMILLAN INTERIOR DESIGN STRUCTURAL BUSH BOHLMAN & PARTNERS MECHANICAL STANTEC INC. ELECTRICAL R.A. DUFF & ASSOCIATES INC. CIVIL WEBSTER ENGINEERING LTD. GEOTECHNICAL THURBER ENGINEERING CODE GHL CONSULTANTS LTD. ACOUSTICS DANIEL LYZUN & ASSOCIATES BUILDING ENVELOPE LEVELTON CONSULTANTS LTD. SPECIFICATIONS MORRIS SPECIFICATIONS CONTRACTOR SCOTT CONSTRUCTION GROUP AREA LIBRARY 44,170 FT2; UNIVERSITY SERVICES 31,550 FT2; ACADEMIC 50,660 FT2; RECREATION CENTRE 28,202 FT2 BUDGET $100 M COMPLETION SEPTEMBER 2007 (PHASE 1)

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oc` odh`' don np^^`nn`n _m\r ndbidad^\iogt amjh don gj^\odji di oc` c`\mo ja \ h`omjkjgdn ja jq`m orj hdggdji k`jkg`) Lp`no Pidq`mndot' ]t ^jiom\no' a``gn `hkot \i_ dnjg\o`_' \i_ don \]dgdot oj \^o \n \ ^\o\gtno ajm gj^\g _`q`gjkh`io hdbco ]`oo`m ]` n`mq`_ ]t \ hjm` dio`bm\o`_ \kkmj\^c) >pmm`iogt pi_`m ^\k\^dot' oc` no\o`(ja(oc`(\mo a\^dgdot dn gdhdo`_ di o`mhn ja oc` nj^d\g \i_ npkkjmo i`o( rjmfn do ^\i jaa`m don tjpib nop_`io ]j_t \i_ di oc` g`q`g ja n`^pmdot \i_ ^jiomjg oc` n`^gp_`_

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^\hkpn ^\i kmjqd_`) Ajm Nlp\hdnc' \ ojri cdnojmd^\ggt ap`gg`_ ]t oc` gj^\g kpgk(\i_(k\k`m hdgg' oc` _`q`gjkh`io ja \ kjnon`^ji_\mt dinodopodji c`gkn kjndodji oc` ^jhhpidot rdocdi \ g\mb`m bgj]\g ^jio`so rcdg` ^m`\odib i`r `^jijhd^ jkkjmopidod`n ajm m`nd( _`ion joc`mrdn` \aa`^o`_ ]t oc` _`^gdi` di oc` =mdodnc >jgph]d\ ajm`no di_pnomt) =t pndib oc` ^\hkpn \n \i jkkjmopidot oj ncjr^\n` =mdodnc >jgph]d\ \i_ don g\i_n^\k`' Lp`no ejdin \ gjib

om\_dodji ja kdji``mdib \i_ nk`^pg\odji oc\o c\n h\_` oc` R`no rc\o do dn oj_\t) Rcdg` oc` gjib( o`mh qd\]dgdot ajm kmdq\o` kjnon`^ji_\mt `_p^\( odji di >\i\_\ m`h\din oj ]` n``i' oc` \h]dodji ja Lp`no Pidq`mndotร n \m^cdo`^opm` nk`\fn oj oc` kjo`iod\g ja np^c \i dinodopodji \i_ don gjib(o`mh kjnnd]dgdod`n ajm oc` m`bdji) CA O\it\ Njpoc^joo dn \i dio`mi \m^cdo`^o gdqdib \i_ rjmfdib di Q\i^jpq`m)

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remaining Positive

ResouRce-Positive Design is becoming the latest aPPRoach in aDaPting the Design PRocess to incoRPoRate bRoaDeR issues of sustainability.

teXt

Douglas macleoD

Over the past few months I had the privilege of interacting with some of Canada’s top engineers, architects and social scientists in the field of sustainable design, and their work suggests a sea change in architecture and design that will make computerization look like a minor disturbance.

Exemplary programs such as Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s EQuilibrium Sustainable Housing Demonstration Initiative (www.cmhc.ca/ en/inpr/su/eqho/index.cfm) have shown that it is possible with today’s materials and technologies to construct buildings that are “net zero”—in other words, they produce as much energy as they consume. In the near future, however, we may be able to create buildings that are a benefit (rather than a detriment) to the environment, and this is the promise of resourcepositive design.

I first heard the term “resource-positive design” from Toronto-based architect Martin Liefhebber, principal of Breathe Architects, who explained that, “Traditional design relies on ‘energy solutions’ through mechanical electrical systems which pollute as they deliver comfort. Resource-positive design suggests that comfort can be delivered by means of material resources instead of machines. Here, the building fabric is the facilitator of comfort without fouling our primary material—the atmosphere.”

36 canadian architect 03/09

an examPle of ResouRce-Positive Design initiatives is team noRth, which involves stuDents anD faculty at the univeRsity of wateRloo, RyeRson univeRsity anD simon fRaseR univeRsity, along with inDustRy PaRtneRs. as one of only two canaDian entRies selecteD to PaRticiPate in the 2009 solaR Decathlon comPetition taKing Place at the national mall in washington, Dc in octobeR, team noRth will builD a maRKetable solaRPoweReD home that maKes use of the latest in high-PeRfoRmance aRchitectuRe anD mobile communication technology. aBove

This concept is similar to the Living Building Challenge created by the Cascadia Region Green Building Council (www.cascadiagbc.org/lbc)— although the Living Building Challenge does include mechanical electrical systems in its design process. Emmanuel Lavoie, an engineer and president of Reevolution in Kelowna, has been active in the Living Building movement, and as he describes it, “The buildings are meant to generate no waste, emit no carbon emissions, and interact with the environment similarly to a flower. Examples of these prerequisites include a requirement to achieve net-zero energy and water independence for the project, treat all sewage onsite, and provide a one-time project construction carbon offset.”

No matter what this movement is called, it raises significant questions that the profession must address: What if our buildings generated more energy than they consumed? What if they purified more water than they used? What if they generated more fresh air than the greenhouse gases they emitted? What if they incorporated more waste materials in their construction than they created? What if every new development grew more food than it needed?

These questions are not just environmental or architectural in nature.

They suggest both a reassessment of our basic economic strategies and our

approach to urbanization and development. In 1994, John Elkington used the phrase “Triple Bottom Line” to describe a full cost-accounting approach to human activities. This has variously been described as Economy, Environment and Equity, or People, Planet and Profits, but the idea is that successful developments must add value to all three dimensions and this defines a “sweet spot” where they all overlap. In architecture, this sweet spot has proven elusive—not only do buildings have a poor environmental record, but we have also reached a point where home ownership is beyond the reach of far too many Canadians.

Resource-positive design could change that. I currently pay more than $500 a month in utilities including heating, water, electricity and telecommunications. With a resource-positive house, that equation could be reduced or even reversed. Homeowners would be compensated for the excess energy they generated, the carbon they sequestered or the water they purified. In a wireless world, they could even generate revenue by bouncing cell phone and Internet signals from one house to the next. While this in itself won’t make housing affordable, it would have a significant and positive impact on the monthly costs of home ownership, and hence, on social equity.

Is resource-positive design possible or even feasible? According to Kevin Hydes, the former Chair of the World Green Building Council and CEO of Integral, “Resource-positive buildings are not only possible but are happening already. In the United States, the Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon competition requires a net-zero approach and net-zeroemission buildings are being designed and built globally as we speak.” This year, two Canadian teams will be taking part in the international Solar Decathlon competition where university students compete to build solarpowered houses on the Mall in Washington, DC (www.albertasolardecathlon. ca and www.team-north.com). Hydes adds that, “We have the knowledge, the skills and some of the learning already in place. In Europe, for example, the PassivHaus has set the benchmark for low-energy residential homes, and global technology transfer is happening now.” (www.passiv.de/English/ PassiveH.htm) As Liefhebber has advocated, the PassivHaus is designed to achieve a reasonable level of comfort without active heating or cooling systems. What it demonstrates is that even without advanced technologies, a great deal can be accomplished with a common-sense approach to design. Alan Maguire, principal of Alan Maguire Architect, points out that, “First we need to exploit the possibilities of ‘passive design’—the careful siting of a facility,

aBove a collaboRation of stuDents, faculty anD staff fRom calgaRy’s fouR leaDing PostseconDaRy schools—the univeRsity of calgaRy, sait Polytechnic, mount Royal college anD the albeRta college of aRt + Design—the albeRta solaR Decathlon team will PResent its Design foR an eneRgy-efficient home at the solaR Decathlon in washington, Dc. the Design combines moDulaR exteRioR anD inteRioR comPonents incoRPoRating tRaDitional westeRn canaDian wooDen Post-anD-beam stRuctuRes, a south-facing DecK anD a RooftoP Patio accessible fRom insiDe the home. a centRal coRe, finisheD with a DaRK stone suRface, houses all the functional amenities. the exteRioR claDDing featuRes ReclaimeD wooD oveR a PanelizeD steel system, anD an innovative solaR hot-wateR system is integRateD into a glazing unit.

the utilization of its thermal mass, and the use of daylight and natural ventilation are the simplest and most effective means to move a building towards net-zero emissions. Passive design is a gift which we have yet to fully appreciate or take advantage of.” Hydes confirms this point of view when he says, “As with all renewable energy ideas, the key is to reduce the basic load by smart design, then buy the power-generating technology.”

Nonetheless, a great deal still has to occur before resource-positive design becomes commonplace. Liefhebber asserts that, “Each Canadian needs to reduce his or her share of carbon production by 95%.” Reduced consumption is essential for the success of this idea, but as Dr. André Potvin of Laval University points out, some 25% of a building’s performance depends on the behaviour of its occupants. In other words, we need to use design to encourage us to change our behaviours. This can be as simple as operable windows or easily understood meters that tell us how much energy we are consuming.

According to Hydes, “The main issue for Canada is cost. Our building materials for low-energy buildings are still too expensive due to lack of adoption. Three-element glazing, for instance, is a minimum standard in northern Europe but not in Canada.” Maguire adds, “We also need our clients to show and express an interest and desire for these new approaches.”

To help those clients take advantage of the potential of resource-positive design, we may need new economic structures as well. In a working paper entitled “Homes With Tails: What If You Could Own Your Internet Connection,” (www.newamerica.net/publications/policy/homes_tails), authors Derek 03/09 canadian architect

37

Slater and Tim Wu relate how rural communities often set up their own power and telephone utilities when other forms of service were not feasible. We may need to return to this model to tap into locally generated energy sources, and we may also need expanded funding programs to help homeowners, building owners and communities upgrade and retrofit their buildings to become resource-positive.

Most of all, if we are to achieve resourcepositive design, Canada needs a comprehensive research program in green buildings. According to the Canada Green Building Council, while the Canadian construction industry accounts for some 12% of our Gross Domestic Product, less than 0.7% of the total cost of building permits issued in 2006 was reinvested in research. The sad fact of the matter is that we really don’t know what works and what doesn’t.

Recently, I had the opportunity to work with Dr. Ann Dale, Canada Research Chair in Sustainable Community Development at Royal Roads University on a research proposal called Resource+, which hopes to address this issue.

As Dale explains it, “Resource+ is an inter- and trans-disciplinary, trans-institutional research collaboratory, which will capture critical data on the carbon and energy footprints of buildings and communities to inform the development of carbon-management strategies for decisionmakers in government and business.” This $15-million proposal includes close to 100 researchers at 16 universities from across Canada and a variety of private-sector companies ranging from international giants such as IBM to startups such as Energy Aware Technology, which provides tools for real-time feedback on energy consumption.

The strength of Dale’s approach is in its crosssectoral nature. Given the multifaceted nature of the problem, resource-positive design cannot be achieved by a single profession or discipline. It is not too farfetched to say that resource-positive design provides the AEC industry with a chance to make a profound difference to the future of the planet if we can develop the means to work together effectively. There is no doubt that such an approach demands a radically different approach to design, but there is also no doubt that Canadian architects, engineers, developers, contractors, owners, operators, financiers and researchers could play a leadership role in this movement. ca Note: Over the last few months, a number of architects and engineers have generously agreed to share their presentations on sustainable design. To view these presentations, please visit www.ostec.ca and click on the link called “Canada-British Columbia Green Building Mission.”

38 canadian architect 03/09

toP the abonDance le soleil PRoject is a tRiPlex that was built on an emPty lot in veRDun, Quebec. it combines a wiDe Range of eneRgy-efficient techniQues anD technologies with its own in-house sustainable eneRgy systems such as a geotheRmal heat PumP system, solaR theRmal Panels anD an 84-Panel Photovoltaic aRRay. aBove the toP of the annex townhomes is a toRonto infill PRoject that emboDies a new vision foR uRban infill housing. the thRee townhouses will incoRPoRate a Range of eneRgyefficient featuRes, incluDing gRounD-souRce heating, a highly insulateD builDing enveloPe, eneRgy-efficient winDow glazing, concRete walls sePaRating the units anD a concRete toPPing on the flooRs.

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Tom Arkell 416-510-6806 Greg Paliouras 416-510-6808 canadian architect 12 concorde Place, Suite 800 toronto, on M3c 4J2 www.canadianarchitect.com

Building on History

January 24-June 14, 2009 For this exhibition at Toronto’s Harbour­ front Centre Architecture Gallery, Canada’s Goldsmith Borgal & Company Ltd. Architects, E.R.A. Architects Inc. and Taylor Hazell Architects Ltd. were invited to create installations in response to the of idea building on history. The exhibition also features a selection of work from the photographic ser­ ies Elegy for a Stolen Land by Peter Sibbald in response to his own re­ flections and questions posed by this idea. www.harbourfrontcentre.com/ visualarts/architecture_winter09.cfm Le Corbusier—The Art of Architecture

February 19-May 24, 2009 Le Corbu­ sier (1887­1965), widely acclaimed as the most influential architect of the 20th century, is featured in this exhibition at the Barbican Art Gal­ lery in London. Spanning a period of 60 years, the exhibition brings together a wealth of Le Corbusier’s paintings, films, sculpture and books alongside vintage photo­ graphs, original architectural mod­ els and interior settings of works such as the famous Villa Savoye (1928­31). www.barbican.org.uk Carrot City: Designing for Urban Agriculture

February 25-April 30, 2009 This ex­ hibition at Toronto’s Design Ex­ change explores the role that crea­ tive design professionals have in re­ lation to the food system of cities, and the impact that agricultural issues will have on the design of urban spaces and buildings as soci­ ety addresses the issues of a more sustainable pattern of living. The exhibition will contain a mix of realized projects and speculative design proposals that illustrate the potential for future design that fo­ cuses on food issues. www.dx.org “the Best average” and other audacious Statements

March 19, 2009 John Shnier of Kohn

Shnier Architects in Toronto deliv­ ers this lecture at 6:30pm at the University of Waterloo School of Architecture in Cambridge. robert Miles Kemp lecture

March 19, 2009 Los Angeles­based Robert Miles Kemp, founder of Variate Labs, Spatial Robots and Schematic Inc., speaks at 6:00pm in Room 2160 of the Professional Faculty Building at the University of Calgary. www.architecture.ca/causa/index. html anne Lacaton lecture

March 23, 2009 Anne Lacaton of Lacaton & Vassal in Paris delivers a lecture on her recent work at 6:30pm at the University of Water­ loo School of Architecture in Cam­ bridge.

Marc angélil lecture: negotiating circumstances

March 23, 2009 Marc Angélil of ETH in Zurich presents the Siew Fang Chan Lecture at 6:00pm in Room G10 of McGill University’s Mac­ donald­Harrington Building in Montreal. www.mcgill.ca/architecture/lectures/ Big, Little, Skip the Middle

March 31, 2009 Ken Smith of Work­ shop, New York/Los Angeles, deliv­ ers this lecture at 6:30pm in Room 103 of the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and De­ sign at the University of Toronto. www.daniels.utoronto.ca toward new aesthetics/ recovering Landscape as an art of Survival

April 1, 2009 Kongjian Yu, the 2008­ 9 Michael Hough/Ontario Associa­ tion of Landscape Architects Visit­ ing Critic, Dean and Professor of Peking University Graduate School of Landscape Architecture, and principal of Turenscape, Beijing, presents this lecture at 6:30pm in Room 103 of the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design at the University of Toronto. www.daniels.utoronto.ca

caLendar canBuiLd09: canadian Brownfield urban and industrial Land development Summit

April 1-2, 2009 This event at the Marriott Toronto Airport will focus on key solutions for land redevelop­ ment, how to raise revenue, clean up derelict districts and improve the quality of life in the community.

Timely solutions will be provided, including boosting the economy, fi­ nancing options, community en­ gagement, and design integration. http://strategyinstitute.com/040109_ canbuild09/dsp.php recetas urbanas

April 2, 2009 This conversation with Michael Rakowitz and Luca Stasi takes place at 7:00pm in the Paul Desmarais Theatre at the Canadian Centre for Architecture in Mon­ treal. Admission is free. www.cca.qc.ca across europe

April 7, 2009 Tony Fretton of Tony Fretton Architects in London deliv­

ers this lecture at 6:30pm in Room 103 of the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design at the University of Toronto. www.daniels.utoronto.ca chantal Mouffe lecture

April 9, 2009 As part of the Urban Field Speakers Series, Mouffe, professor of political theory at the University of Westminster, speaks on several understandings of the notion of “public space” and their consequences for democratic pol­ itics and artistic practices. This event takes place at the Prefix Insti­ tute of Contemporary Art in Toronto at 7:30pm. www.prefix.ca/specev.html

Philip Beesley lecture

April 9, 2009 Philip Beesley of the University of Waterloo School of Architecture in Cambridge delivers this lecture at 6:00pm in Room 2160 of the Professional Faculty Building at the University of Calgary. www.architecture.ca/causa/index. html Benjamin h. Bratton lecture

April 16, 2009 Benjamin H. Bratton

of The Culture Industry in Los An­ geles delivers this lecture at 6:00pm in Room 2160 of the Professional Faculty Building at the University of Calgary. www.architecture.ca/causa/index.html For more inFormation about these, and additional listings oF Canadian and international events, please visit www.canadianarchitect.com

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April 9, 2009 Indian architect Rahul Mehrotra presents this lecture at 7:00pm in the Paul Desmarais Theatre at the Canadian Centre for Architecture in Montreal. Admis­ sion is free. www.cca.qc.ca

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informal Publics observAtions on how the creAtive Act of street-venDing Asserts A collective right to the city.

teXt + Photos

victoriA beltrAno

At the DunDAs/spADinA intersection in toronto’s vibrAnt chinAtown, resourceful femAle siDewAlk venDors sell their wAres from mAkeshift cArDboArD-box tAbles. left

Like countless other major North American cities, Toronto has been shaped by a complex and evolving set of urban plans, formalized visions and regulations. However, in terms of its political, cultural and social production, the city is also transformed by people’s accumulated engagements with it. These activities can best be described as the informal publics of everyday life. Most often beyond designers’ intentions, these publics reveal less visible urban dynamics and serve a more fundamental role in what French sociologist and urban theorist Henri Lefebvre refers to as one’s “right to the city.”

The busy intersection of Spadina Avenue and Dundas Street in the heart of Chinatown West is 42 canadian architect 03/09

no exception. Its public and semi-public realms have a history of being temporarily appropriated by street merchants, ranging from shopkeepers’ formalized sidewalk stalls to more controversial situations not legally sanctioned. Interesting ephemeral examples of the latter are the groups of elderly Asian sidewalk vendors. While the informal acts of these women may seem weak and marginal, they are in fact producing a relational public urban space created by people’s engagement with it, rather than defined by a permanent built form or presence.

The activities of the street vendors in Chinatown are unsanctioned, but for the most part tolerated. When authorities intervene, the women

temporarily appropriate the private space of an adjacent vestibule or unattended lobby, placing themselves past the boundaries of public jurisdiction, thereby proving their tactical strength in relation to challenges of authority.

The vendors also appropriate “time” in the formal urban fabric. Their actions reveal untapped temporal use of urban space during sanctioned tenants’ off hours, as in the case of weekend spatial appropriations. Otherwise, underused or invisible surfaces such as ledges, thresholds and doorways are occupied, identifying and creatively expanding the ways in which these spaces are used at various times of the day, week or season.

Finally, through different actions—finding, claiming, bringing their wares to, and participating collectively in these spaces—the women place themselves in a position to see and be seen, seizing an otherwise untapped potential. Demonstrating resourcefulness and ingenuity, they appear to construct their adaptable micro-architectures out of local finds or discards and sell mostly wares that are seemingly homegrown (gourds and greens), made (lotus leaf-wrapped sticky rice) or found (used clothing).

Testing accepted spatial and temporal boundaries, these vendors collectively contribute to the production of a richer, more vibrant urban public. In a city voicing concerns about sanitization and privatization of our public realm, the design community can learn from such participants and their modes of operating. These resourceful, often discrete actions should remind designers that there are lessons to be learned from everyday spatial experts—those who find, actively engage and redesign urban space anew. ca Victoria Ann Beltrano is currently studying the role of informal publics and urban social spatial appropriations at the University of Waterloo School of Architecture.

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