Canadian Architect November 2017 by IQ Business Media

CANADIAN ARCHITECT NOV/17

A PUBLIC PURPOSE

THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE RAIC

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A PUBLIC PURPOSE

CANADIAN ARCHITECT

NOVEMBER 2017

EMA PETER

06 VIEWPOINT

The public benefit of architecture remains woefully unappreciated.

09 NEWS

Bibliothèque Maisonneuve, Allard Hall, remembering Georges Lemay, and a special tribute to Dan Hanganu by Phyllis Lambert.

19 REVIEW

Laura Lind ponders the promises of Toronto’s EDIT Festival.

23 RAIC JOURNAL

Celebrating the Moriyama RAIC International Prize and presenting award-winning student essays.

49 INTERVIEW

34 SOUTHERN EXPOSURE We visit a high-profile mass-timber building in Minneapolis TEXT Alex Bozikovic

44 TRUE COLOURS

KATSUHISA KIDA/FOTOTECA

Takaharu Tezuka speaks to us about Fuji Kindergarten.

A new library injects visual energy into a Toronto suburb TEXT John Lorinc 49

53 HIGHLY RESOURCEFUL

Ian Chodikoff reviews a treatise on Canada’s architectural history.

64 CALENDAR

ANDREW LATREILLE

DOUBLESPACE PHOTOGRAPHY

A sleek structure for innovative training in Whitehorse TEXT Odile Hénault

59 BOOKS

Architecture and design events across Canada and elsewhere.

66 BACKPAGE

Marco Polo reflects on the legacies of our Centennial and Sesquicentennial celebrations.

COVER The mass-timber-framed T3 building in MInnesota, Minneapolis, by Michael Green Architecture. Photo by Ema Peter.

V.62 N.11

THE NATIONAL REVIEW OF DESIGN AND PRACTICE / THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE RAIC

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CANADIAN ARCHITECT 11/17

VIEWPOINT

EDITOR (2017-2018) ADELE WEDER, HON. MRAIC EDITOR (ON LEAVE) ELSA LAM, MRAIC

TEZUKA ARCHITECTS

LEFT In Tokyo, children play spontaneously on the oval rooftop of the Fuji Kindergarten, winner of the 2017 Moriyama RAIC International Prize.

Going public Most architects think of their work as a public good, since even private houses are present within the wider community and, occasionally, catalysts and prototypes for larger ideas and projects. But how to define this broad theme of “public purpose”? Last months’ EDIT Festival in Toronto and the World Design Summit in Montreal overtly took on that mandate as a basis for discussion; our report on EDIT in this issue will be followed in January by gleanings from the Montreal summit. Buildings, on the other hand, usually convey their message and benefits more tacitly, and over time. The feature projects in this issue could hardly be more disparate: a Minnesota office building, a Toronto library, a Whitehorse mining centre, a Tokyo kindergarten. But each of these buildings serves a discrete and exceptionally important public purpose. T3, the office building designed by Vancouverbased Michael Green Architecture, is vying to be a paradigm for future mass-timber projects in the United States, a transition which could significantly help reduce the environmental footprint of high-rise construction. The mining centre, by Kobayashi+Zedda Architects, provides training in the less-invasive kind of mining for resources on which the market society western world still craves— in reality, if not in theory. The Albion library, by Perkins+Will Canada, is a jolt of colour in an anemic suburban landscape and a reminder of the importance of books and community for our collective well-being. In addition to these significant projects by Canadian architects, we are proud to help celebrate a faraway project by a Japanese firm, one that has stood the test of time and can serve as a paradigm for our own country. Takaharu Tezuka, the subject of our feature interview this month, was the lead architect of Fuji Kindergarten, this year’s winner of the Moriyama RAIC International Prize. Tezuka Architects’ childfocused project, and the Moriyama RAIC jury’s

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bestowal of honour upon it, is a show of recognition of the value not only of architecture but of children. And what could be more enriching to the public good than a solid and joyful educational foundation of the young? But then it’s difficult not to wince at the attitude towards the architecture of our own publicly funded schools. Twenty-plus years ago, Patkau Architects designed Strawberry Vale public school on Vancouver Island to offer many of the same benefits for which Fuji Kindergarten would later be rewarded: child-centric classrooms, interflowing spaces and spontaneous access to the outdoors. That school, however, was derided by British Columbia government officials—not because it was over budget (it wasn’t), but in large part because of its distinctive architecture. Its beauty and visual drama would “send the wrong message to taxpayers,” a bureaucrat flatly told me at the time. In the ensuing years, the provincial government slashed school construction budgets to the point where architects struggled to build a school that would not leak within a decade. All to send a message to the Canadian public that they could trust the government not to waste their tax dollars on the education of children. Financial politics can discourage the longterm investment in buildings that confer a public good; now, more than ever, we need to encourage such investment. That has been part of the impetus for architect Raymond Moriyama help endow the Moriyama RAIC International Prize, and part of our motivation in covering it. The kindergarten is true to the ideals that Moriyama sought when he first launched the Prize in 2014. “This award, hopefully, will be about more than beautiful architecture,” he explained to a journalist at the time. “I want it to recognize qualities of inclusion, equality, true democracy.” Adele Weder

ART DIRECTOR ROY GAIOT ASSISTANT EDITOR STEFAN NOVAKOVIC EDITORIAL ADVISOR IAN CHODIKOFF, OAA, FRAIC CONTRIBUTING EDITORS ANNMARIE ADAMS, FRAIC ODILE HÉNAULT DOUGLAS MACLEOD, NCARB, MRAIC REGIONAL CORRESPONDENTS HALIFAX CHRISTINE MACY, OAA REGINA BERNARD FLAMAN, SAA MONTREAL DAVID THEODORE CALGARY GRAHAM LIVESEY, MRAIC WINNIPEG LISA LANDRUM, MAA, AIA, MRAIC VICE PRESIDENT & SENIOR PUBLISHER STEVE WILSON 416-441-2085 x105 SALES MANAGER FARIA AHMED 416-441-2085 x106 CUSTOMER SERVICE / PRODUCTION LAURA MOFFATT 416-441-2085 x104 CIRCULATION CIRCULATION@CANADIANARCHITECT.COM PRESIDENT OF IQ BUSINESS MEDIA INC. ALEX PAPANOU HEAD OFFICE 101 DUNCAN MILL ROAD, SUITE 302 TORONTO, ON M3B 1Z3 TELEPHONE 416-441-2085 E-MAIL info@canadianarchitect.com WEBSITE www.canadianarchitect.com Canadian Architect is published monthly by iQ Business Media Inc.. The editors have made every reasonable effort to provide accurate and authoritative information, but they assume no liability for the accuracy or completeness of the text, or its fitness for any particular purpose. Subscription Rates Canada: $54.95 plus applicable taxes for one year; $87.95 plus applicable taxes for two years (HST – #80456 2965 RT0001). Price per single copy: $6.95. Students (prepaid with student ID, includes taxes): $27.00 for one year. USA: $105.95 US for one year. All other foreign: $125.95 US per year. Single copy US and foreign: $10.00 US. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Circulation Dept., Canadian Architect, 101 Duncan Mill Road, Suite 302 Toronto, ON M3B 1Z3. Postmaster: please forward forms 29B and 67B to 101 Duncan Mill Road, Suite 302 Toronto, ON M3B 1Z3. 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 416-441-2085 x104 E-mail circulation@canadianarchitect.com Mail Circulation, 101 Duncan Mill Road, Suite 302, Toronto, ON M3B 1Z3 MEMBER OF THE CANADIAN BUSINESS PRESS MEMBER OF THE ALLIANCE FOR AUDITED MEDIA PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT #43096012 ISSN 1923-3353 (ONLINE) ISSN 0008-2872 (PRINT)

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Sorrow and victory at Hanganu Architects

The team of Dan Hanganu Architects and EVOQ Architecture has won the competition to design the expansion of Montreal’s Bibliothèque Maisonneuve. The announcement comes in the wake of Hanganu’s death on October 5. (See Phyllis Lambert’s tribute, “Dan Hanganu: An Appreciation,” on page 14 of this issue.) The competition had been launched last spring and had been reduced to a shortlist of four proposals before the winning scheme was announced. The existing structure was built in 1912 as the town hall of Maisonneuve, a municipality that was annexed to Montreal in 1918. The local library has occupied the narrow structure since 1981, but requires more space for current needs. The expansion will add two glazed atria, one on each side of the heritage building, almost tripling the existing floor area to 3300 square metres. The project has a construction budget of $11-million, an overall projected cost of $23-million, and is slated to be completed by 2020. www.hanganu.com

Bing Thom Architects’ Allard Hall opens at MacEwan University

Clad in prisms of high performance black glass set with colourful highlights on its exterior, MacEwan University’s newly opened Allard Hall provides advanced facilities for fine arts and communications education and the public presentation of creative works. In addition to the 419-seat Triffo Theatre,

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Rendering for the winning proposal for the future expansion of Bibliothèque Maisonneuve in Montreal, by Dan Hanganu Architects.

ABOVE

the 215-seat Betty Andrews Recital Hall, the John and Maggie Mitchell Galley and visual arts and music studios, the element linking all these is its sky-lit atrium, which will also serve as an informal performance space. This bold and bright space is crossed by bridges and stairs that connect the informal lounges the designers have labelled “nests” that are “woven” into the building’s circulation patterns. “Allard Hall is more than just theatres, studios and classrooms,” says the building’s principal designer, Venelin Kokalov of Bing Thom Architects. “Our design is dedicated towards shaping spaces for true creative dialogue between students, their artist-instructors and the general public.” According to Kokalov, “the nests are places for the birth of ideas and zones to nurture cultural connection. Most architects would have hidden away the fire stairs, but instead we made the nests, bridges and angled stairs the heart of our layouts.”

classrooms around a north-south central spine and adjacent learning commons. “The goal was to bring a cohesive and legible plan that identifies and provides views into the different program areas,” said Michael Leckman, Principal, Diamond Schmitt Architects. The College has set a reasonably high bar for energy-efficient design with a “net-zero utility cost to operate” goal for the new facility, aiming to maintain the energy cost to operate the building at no more than a smaller facility it replaced. “Energy modelling, user input and process loads were analyzed and a comprehensive array of passive and active sustainable design features were implemented that allowed us to exceed the target,” said Dan Gallivan, Associate, Diamond Schmitt, and project architect. “Solar control, efficient glazing and minimizing the area of the building envelope enhanced building performance so that it is now positioned to achieve a high level of LEED certification.”

Diamond Schmitt unveils new centre at Lethbridge College

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ABOVE Allard Hall at MacEwan University in Edmonton, Alberta. 5

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CANADIAN ARCHITECT 11/17

PROJECTS

semblies

NEWS

A greatly expanded trades and technologies centre has opened at Lethbridge College. At close to 170,000 square feet, the new facility, designed by Diamond Schmitt Architects in association with Sahuri + Partners, is now one of the largest buildings in the southern Alberta city. Adding to a state-of-the-art facility completed in 2015, the newly opened addition supports a steadily growing number of students, providing space and programming for hundreds of additional placements. The expansion organizes new workshops, labs, offices and

www.dsai.org

Ryerson team to lead update of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Banff Pavilion

The Frank Lloyd Wright Revival Initiative has announced that a team of professors from Ryerson University will be undertaking the task of updating Frank Lloyd Wright’s original Banff Pavilion drawings. The pavilion was one of just two known Wright projects built in Canada. Built in 1914 and demolished in 1939, the Banff National Park Pavilion was designed by Wright and Canadian architect Francis Conroy Sullivan. Ac-

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CANADIAN ARCHITECT 11/17

NEWS

ABOVE The 1939 Frank Lloyd Wright pavilion in Banff; drawing by Bill Ross, 2014.

cording to the Frank Lloyd Wright Revival Initiative, updating the drawings is critical to the next phase of the Pavilion’s revival. When complete, they will be used in the Initiative’s land amendment application to the Town of Banff. Leading the Ryerson team is Yew-Thong Leong, a practicing architect and professor at the university’s Department of Architectural Science. “We are thrilled to be part of this project,” noted Leong. “This is an once-in-alifetime opportunity for any architect or scholar−particularly from Canada. We hope our research and work will make a significant contribution to both international architecture study and the community of Banff.” www.flwrevivalinitiative.org

EIFS Council of Canada launches 20172018 Design Awards Program

Can EIFS be used to make an architectural statement? With the launch of the 2017-2018 Design Awards Program, the EIFS Council of Canada is asking architects to answer the call. Last year, NumberTEN Architectural Group was awarded the Grand Prize from a pool of outstanding firms. This year, the Council encourages all architects and design professionals to submit their recent projects for a chance at the Grand Prize Award. The Awards Program is open to all architects, architectural firms, builders or design professionals that have designed and completed a building located in Canada which utilizes EIFS. Eligible buildings must be occupied no sooner than January 1st, 2016 and no later than January 31st, 2018. All applicants that have been deemed eligible have until April 7th, 2018 to prepare their electronic submission packages. www.eifscouncil.org

AWARDS & HONOURS Canadian design takes centre stage at LafargeHolcim Awards

Held in Chicago, October’s LafargeHolcim Awards for Sustainable Construction celebrated the best in green—and socially impactful—

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architecture across North America. The continental showcase was part of the LafargeHolcim Awards’ fifth global cycle, which has garnered over 5,000 entries from 121 countries. Canada’s west coast was well represented at this year’s Awards. Jason Heinrich of the University of British Columbia (and Dialog) took home the Second Prize in the Next Generation category, open to designers under 30. Heinrich’s project envisions a holistically sustainable neighbourhood in Vancouver, combining energy-efficient building performance with a grassroots framework for “agentbased change.” In the main draw, the Silver Award was claimed by Vancouver’s Oliver Lang and Cynthia Wilson of LWPAC (Lang Wilson Practice in Architecture Culture). Conceptualizing a highly flexible system of modular mid-rise structures, LWPAC ’s project allows for a tremendous diversity of efficient forms, treating sustainability as a social and cultural goal. Finally, the University of Buffalo’s Sarah Gunawan also claimed Third Place in the Next Generation Prize. Gunawan’s playful project imagines a wildlife habitat adapted into the single-family homes that make up much of Markham, Ontario. Birds and bats and raccoons are welcomed into the suburban neighbourhoods of North America through Gunawan’s slyly whimsical “ecological prosthetics” that would be attached to homes. www.lafargeholcim-foundation.org

Adjaye Associates selected for UK Holocaust Memorial

Led by Sir David Adjaye, the globally renowned firm Adjaye Associates was selected as the lead designer for the UK Holocaust Memorial in London. Canada’s shortlisted Diamond Schmitt Architects also earned an honourable mention from the jury, which consisted of Mayor Sadie Khan, as well as the United Kingdom’s Chief Rabbi, Ephraim Mirvis, and a team of prominent designers and architects. The Diamond Schmitt submission, which had been led by firm principal Jack Diamond, was praised by the jury for its “elegant, restrained design,” as well as its “impressively rigorous and detailed approach.” The jury commended the Diamond Schmitt team for evoking a journey from light to dark to light, with the memorial creating a void intended to symbolize loss and absence. The Diamond Schmitt team included London-based landscape architects Martha Schwartz Partners and museum exhibition design firm Ralph Appelbaum Associates, based in New York City. www.adjaye.com www.dsai.com

American Architecture Prize celebrates multitude of Canadian talent

Celebrating a diverse array of projects, the American Architecture Prize for creativity and innovation in architectural, interior, and landscape design, the 41 individual categories of awards recognized dozens of groundbreaking designs from around the world. A number of Canadian firms were among the winners: Atelier rzbld, Hariri Pontarini Architects, Nova Tayona Architects, CannonDesign + NEUF architect(e)s, Lemay, Smith Vigeant Architectes Inc., Saucier+Perrotte Architectes / HCMA, Uufie (two awards), Architecturama, and Acdf Architecture (two awards). A full description of each winning project is available via the American Architecture Prize website. www.architectureprize.com

Winners of RAIC Metro Vancouver Chapter Awards recognized

On Thursday, October 12th, 2017, five British Columbians and organizations were recognized and celebrated as they received the 2017 Architecture Advocacy Awards from the Metro Vancouver Chapter of RAIC. The recipients of the 7th bi-annual Awards are Mayor Linda Hepner & City Council City of Surrey, Urbanarium, Michael Audain (Chairman, Polygon Homes), Ray Spaxman (Former Director of Planning, City of Vancouver), and Nancy & Niels Bendtsen (Inform Interiors). www.raic.org/bc

MEMORANDA Governor General’s Medals in Architecture

The RAIC and Canada Council for the Arts are calling for submissions for the 2018 Governonr General’s Medals in Architecture. The biennial awards celebrate outstanding design in newly built projects by Canadian designers. Deadline for submissions is 4 p.m. EST on December 1. www.raic.org www.canadacouncil.ca

Quebec’s International Garden Festival— Call for Submissions

The International Garden Festival, presented at the Jardins de Métis/Reford Gardens in the Gaspésie region of Quebec, is preparing its 19th edition and calling for proposals for the new temporary gardens that will be presented from June 22, 2018. This call is open to all landscape architects, architects and multidisciplinary teams from Canada and abroad. Deadline for submissions is Monday, December 4. www.refordgardens.com

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PASSING Georges Lemay 1929-2017

Georges Lemay, the founder of the Montrealbased firm Lemay & Associates and the father of its current president, helped build a small architectural office into an international multidisciplinary firm with offices in Montréal, Québec City, Toronto, Calgary, Haiti and New York. But he started out small. Sixty years ago, Lemay partnered with Claude Leclerc to found Lemay Leclerc. Inspired by the ideals of modern architecture, they followed their ambition to transform the province’s architectural landscape. The duo set an example in their integration of art and architecture, demonstrating the notions of transdisciplinary collaboration and the democratization of art that guide the firm to this day. Early Montreal landmarks include 1958’s Church of Saint-Jean Baptiste de la Salle and the Métro de l’Église subway station, later followed by Cégep André-Laurendeau, the Olympic Rowing Basin on NotreDame Island, a community centre in Algiers near the Martyrs’ Memorial, and many other projects. The firm’s evolution during the political and financial context of the 1960s required particular tenacity and determination from these French-Canadians, whose market was limited to churches, credit unions and schools. In 1970, with a team of 25 professionals, Lemay Leclerc was recognized as one of Quebec’s most influential firms. In 1998, Lemay handed over the reins to his son Louis. Colleagues remember him as a man of principle: honest, loyal and meticulous. In addition to Louis, he leaves his two daughters, a large extended family, and many friends and collaborators.

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ABOVE Centre Socio-Culturel de l’Alger (foreground), Algiers, 1984; Métro de l’Église subway station, Verdun, Quebec, 1973.

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News Dan Hanganu: 1939-2017

An appreciation by Phyllis Lambert, October 24, 2017 The architecture of Dan Hanganu has a strong and authentic presence. In contrast to the weak, mealy-mouthed or too-clever-by-half developer projects, or mediocre institutional structures, his buildings enhance the City of Montreal. It is here that Hanganu found his authentic voice. Trained in his native Romania, Hanganu settled in Montreal in the early 1970s, and 20 years later he was everywhere, winning competitions and designing remarkable works that mark and enhance the city’s urban fabric. His early work transformed the low- to mid-income row house typology into lively and welcoming neighbourhood residences in the southwest of the city. One example is the Habitations Quesnel, with modern porticos, walls articulated in planes and voids, surfaced with alternating rows of grey concrete and rose-coloured bricks. Relatively small buildings, such as the mid1990s Design Pavilion at the Université du Québec à Montréal and the Théatre du Nouveau Monde, assert their presence even as they meld into their surroundings. The spatial qualities of entry play against the street, and the interior spaces make bold statements. His major Montreal buildings accomplish something all too rare: they heighten the quality of the surrounding buildings and spaces. The large 1992 Chaussegros-de-Léry complex skilfully integrates offices and residential units with commercial spaces at street level. That’s not to say it’s perfect: I find that it eats up too much public space at street level as well as volumetrically. Nevertheless, the panoply of voids in the different façades creates a powerful presence. So too does the tough, almost gratuitously industrial structure forming the entry to the 1996 HEC building. Spatial overhangs, inner spaces and crevices imply large porticos, inviting passersby into his building. At Chaussegros, his well-detailed articulation of the concrete block facing the greystone buildings of Old Montreal remind us of his respect for context and regionalism. In his words: “Architecture as a strong historical specific cultural phenomenon is embedded in a collective self-image.” (This and other citations from Dan Hanganu Works: 1981-2015, Dalhousie Architectural Press, 2017.) The understanding of architecture as cultural phenomenon is implicit in his work at all levels. The Museum at Point-à-Callière in Old Montreal—a prow at the waterfront rising as a mast-like tower—replaces the long-demolished 1879 Royal Insurance Company building in a thoroughly modern manner. But this building does a lot more: the small public spaces out-

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Dan Hanganu and Phyllis Lambert, while serving as jurors in the 1997 RAIC International Competition “Bridging: A Place for Architecture.” Right Pointe-à-Callière Museum; Centre d’Archives de Montreal. left

side and the larger gathering spaces inside have a welcoming warmth of irregularity and complexity in series of horizontal planes. The theatre to which they lead is one of the most interesting spaces in Montreal—my favourite, in fact. The seating planes seem to float magically in an extraordinary world of archaeological remains— a desert cave, an archaeological crypt—which lie below in lieu of the orchestra; the audience views the proceedings against a high concrete wall. Spatially, Hanganu has made the most of the excavated archaeological remains, which extend below the surface to Place Royale—projecting, in his words, “ ‘who we were’ into the demanding present, hoping for a better future.” Within his sensibility of a “strong historical specific cultural phenomenon,” Hanganu’s 2000 transformation (with Provencher Roy) of the 1910 École des Hautes Études Commerciales into the Centre d’Archives de Montréal is enormously powerful and exciting. On the west wall, a screen of closely spaced horizontal metal bars signals Hanganu’s intervention in the courtyard void, adding and strengthening connections in the existing built fabric. The entrance to the Archives building is through the south face of the noble Beaux-Arts building facing Square Viger. Hanganu has created for us the haptic pleasure of moving from exterior granite steps to interior wood floors and the soft wood stair treads and rococo railings of the original building, and from there to the slate tiles of the multistory atrium created within the grey brick and limestone walls of the older buildings. Straight ahead, the aluminum checker-board steps and floor plates underfoot lead to the restored grand beaux-arts reading room, evoking the memory of the beaux-arts entry and softly rounded wooden stairs. The insertion of a large industrial structure at the north end activates the shock of change. A vertical element with three crossing horizontal arms evokes a Franz Klein painting, not only in its assertive black strokes but also the black mesh of vertical eleva-

Photos by Michel Brunelle

canadian architect 11/17

tor shaft and channel walkways at each floor, always seen from different positions, creating differing densities and values of tone and edge. The metal mesh surface is an ever-changing surface as the visitor moves, in contradistinction to the existing building’s solid masonry. It’s a brilliant architectural trope as well as contribution to the language of building conservation. Dan Hanganu is the only architect to receive the Prix Paul-Émile Borduas, awarded by the Province of Québec, in recognition of artistic excellence. His use of transparency and dematerialization also has another dimension, like the haptic sense that I have found underfoot, that of arousing an “emotional response.” His industrial language works powerfully and, yes, beautifully. Phyllis Lambert, CC, FRAIC is founder of the Canadian Centre for Architecture in Montreal.

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THE UNIVERSITY IS NOW ON AIR BROADCASTING MODERN ARCHITECTURE / UK / 1975 –1982

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DESIGN EXCHANGE

CANADIAN ARCHITECT 11/17

REVIEW

ABOVE During the 10 days of the EDIT Festival in Toronto this fall, the rooftop of an abandoned soap factory morphed into a garden cafe. RIGHT Zero House, a prefab prototype net-zero-carbon housing unit designed by Cheryl Atkinson at Ryerson University’s EcoStudio with Chris Magwood at Peterborough’s Endeavour Centre.

SUBSTANTIVE EDIT PROJECT

Laura Lind

“I have a friend who loves cars,” Bruce Mau told the audience for his keynote speech at the EDIT Festival last month, “and he said to me: ‘Since I got the [Tesla] Roadster, I never touch the Ferrari.’” That hedonistic sustainability, according to Mau, is how we will “win” in sustainability and development. “We make smart things, we make a better experience, not by saying: ‘Don’t drive that Ferrari.’ ” And thus, one untouched Ferrari at a time, the world will be saved. Mau is sincere in his aims. The ambitiously variegated designer grew up in a house without running water, and he understands the urgency of basic human needs. But with entire regions of the globe now devastated by hurricanes, fire and droughts, might we suggest that we’re already past the point of sexy car choices? This bifurcation of hedonism and plight loomed large at EDIT—the Expo for Design, Innovation and Technology—which concluded in Toronto last month. Produced by the Design Exchange and mounted

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TOM ARBAN

TORONTO’S INAUGURAL EDIT FESTIVAL IMAGINES A PERFECT WORLD—OR AT LEAST A SUSTAINABLE ONE

in the former Unilever soup factory, the EDIT festival showcased possible design solutions for the United Nations Development Programme’s 17 sustainable development goals. Addressing poverty, climate change and world hunger—the core aims of the UNDP initiative—brought urbanists, architects, designers and scientists together in public talks and installations, from celebrities like Richard Florida and David Suzuki, to real-world architects like Heather Dubbeldam and Dean Goodman, to rising stars like author-placemaker Jay Pitter. A giant grown-up game of show-andtell, it drew everyone from school children to policy wonks. The 3D full-scale architectural installations included the cute but environmentally tangential Mickey Mouse Dream Home of the Future, the One-House-Many-Nations installation by Idle No More, IKEA’s flat-pack refugee shelters and EcoStudio Ryerson’s Zero House. The pre-fab net-zero-energy Zero House is conceived as a unit within a stacked row-house configuration. It’s a Canadian design solution, opti-

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CANADIAN ARCHITECT 11/17

REVIEW

DESIGN EXCHANGE

JONATHAN FRIEDMAN

LEFT Former factory space transformed into “Letters to the Mayor,” Partisans’ installation cum manifesto on Toronto housing. BELOW End-of-day rooftop conversing and imbibing enjoyed by participants and attendees of the inaugural EDIT Festival.

mizing low winter sun angles to collect solar energy on its south façade. The house itself, with its honey-blonde plywood interior, feels like a beach hut, but the building envelope is engineered to meet the winter conditions of North Bay, Ontario. One-upping the net-zero-energy angle was Copenhagen’s zero-emission Amager Bakke power plant cum ski hill designed by Bjarke Ingels and completed earlier this year. Showcased on the main floor and cited by several of the festival’s speakers, the garbage-incinerator that doubles as an adult winter playground is perhaps the ultimate monument to sustainable hedonism. By turning waste into profits and blowing clean water-vapour rings in the celebration of itself as skiers vorlage down the roof, it’s the infrastructure equivalent of the Jetsons’ f lying car. (And it might end up just as fanciful: as of this writing, we have yet to see any vapour rings blowing out of Amager Bakker.) Partisans Architects met the challenge of urban policy consensus-building with their usual whimsical irreverence. In their assembly line/MiltonBradley Board Game “Letters to the Mayor” installation, Partisans exhorted architects across the city to write open letters to Toronto mayor John Tory. Illustrated by Taxali cartoons, it was nonetheless a serious call

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to bring architects back into the planning process and unite the “dog eat dog architectural community,” as Partisans founder Alex Josephson calls it. From the grim billboards unfurling scenes of war and poverty to the tasty Oreo cookies made from real crickets, did EDIT convince anyone new on the role of design in saving the planet? If not on the sweeping scale, it seemed to work at the granular scale. By reactivating the old Unilever factory in such an engagingly joyous way, the Design Exchange and its partners may have saved the structure from demolition. Developer First Gulf was reportedly set to raze the factory to make way for its massive East Harbour development. After the festival concluded on October 8th, the developer apparently changed its mind. “For a whole bunch of reasons— which arguably include the great success of EDIT—we’ve decided to try to keep the building,” First Gulf ’s V.P. of Development, Derek Goring, told me. “We recently made an updated submission to the City with a revised master plan, which includes the factory building.” So chalk one up for the sustainable hedonists, saving the world—one fulsomely engaging design festival at a time. Laura Lind is a Toronto-based cultural writer.

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23 Briefs En bref Submit now for the RAIC’s awards program! Open for submissions are the Emerging Architectural Practice Award, Architectural Firm Award, Young Architect Award, Prix du XXe Siècle and RAIC Gold Medal. Details at www.raic.org. C’est le temps de soumettre des candidatures au programme de prix de l’IRAC : le Prix du cabinet d’architectes de la relève, Prix du cabinet d’architectes de l’année, Prix du jeune architecte et Prix du XXe siècle et la médaille d’or de l’IRAC. Détails : www.raic.org. Yui Tezuka, of Tokyo-based Tezuka Architects – winner of the 2017 Moriyama RAIC International Prize for Fuji Kindergarten – will be speaking at IIDEXCanada in Toronto on November 30. For details, visit www.raic.org Yui Tezuka, du cabinet Tezuka Architects de Tokyo – lauréat du Prix international Moriyama IRAC 2017 pour la garderie Fuji – présentera un exposé à l’exposition IIDEXCanada à Toronto le 30 novembre. Pour plus de détails : www.raic.org Save the date for the 2018 Festival of Architecture, May 30 to June 2 in Saint John, New Brunswick, in partnership with the Architects’ Association of New Brunswick. Sponsorship and trade show opportunities available. See Festival2018.raic.org. Notez la date du Festival d’architecture 2018 : du 30 mai au 2 juin à Saint John, Nouveau-Brunswick, en partenariat avec l’Association des architectes du NouveauBrunswick. De nombreuses possibilités de commandites sont offertes et il est également possible d’acheter des kiosques pour le salon professionnel. Vous trouverez tous les détails sur le site Festival2018.raic.org/fr.

The RAIC is the leading voice for excellence in the built environment in Canada, demonstrating how design enhances the quality of life, while addressing important issues of society through responsible architecture. www.raic.org L’IRAC est le principal porte-parole en faveur de l’excellence du cadre bâti au Canada. Il démontre comment la conception améliore la qualité de vie tout en tenant compte d’importants enjeux sociétaux par la voie d’une architecture responsable. www.raic.org

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RAIC Journal Journal de l’IRAC RAIC President Michael Cox, FRAIC, presents Takaharu Tezuka with the Moriyama RAIC International Prize sculpture at the awards gala in Toronto. Le président de l’IRAC, Michael Cox, FRAIC, présente à Takaharu Tezuka la sculpture conçue pour le Prix international Moriyama IRAC au gala de remise des prix à Toronto.

An Honourable Evening Une soirée hommage Maria Cook Editor, RAIC Journal Rédactrice en chef, Journal de l’IRAC

The second Moriyama RAIC International Prize gala was an evening of effusive goodwill that saw architects networking and celebrating socially engaged architecture around the world. “Ray Moriyama is correct – that the ultimate purpose of architecture is community,” said Brian MacKay-Lyons, FRAIC, of MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects in Halifax, whose Shobac Campus in Nova Scotia was one of four finalists. Among the 250 guests at the September 19 event in Toronto were partners from the shortlisted firms, journalists, jury members and a wide range of Canada’s architecture community – from students and interns to distinguished senior members of the profession. The CBC’s Washington correspondent Paul Hunter served as emcee. Jury chair Barry Johns, FRAIC, noted that jury members visited the shortlisted projects and that any one of them was worthy of the prize — a sentiment echoed by Takaharu Tezuka, of Tokyo-based Tezuka Architects, in his acceptance speech. “When I saw the other three finalists, I almost felt I should go home,” said a visibly-moved Tezuka, who won for Fuji

Le deuxième gala du Prix international Moriyama IRAC a été une soirée empreinte d’une grande bienveillance marquée par l’échange des architectes et la célébration d’une architecture engagée socialement partout dans le monde. « Ray Moriyama a raison de dire que le but ultime de l’architecture, c’est la communauté, a déclaré Brian MacKay-Lyons, FRAIC, du cabinet MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects d’Halifax, dont le Campus Shobac en Nouvelle-Écosse était un des quatre finalistes. Parmi les 250 invités à l’événement qui s’est déroulé le 19 septembre à Toronto, mentionnons des associés des cabinets retenus, des journalistes, les membres du jury et un vaste éventail du milieu de l’architecture canadien – des étudiants et stagiaires aux membres émérites de la profession. Le correspondant de CBC à Washington, Paul Hunter, a agi comme maître de cérémonie. Le président du jury, Barry Johns, FRAIC, a noté que le jury a visité les projets retenus et que chacun d’entre eux aurait mérité le prix — un sentiment partagé par Takaharu Tezuka du cabinet Tezuka Architects de Tokyo, dans son discours d’acceptation.

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Journal de l’IRAC

continued from pg 23 Kindergarten in Tokyo. “All three are so good. I am happy to be here.” The prize was established in 2014 by Canadian architect Raymond Moriyama along with the RAIC and the RAIC Foundation. It celebrates a single work of architecture that is judged to be transformative within its societal context and expressive of the values of justice, respect, equality, and inclusiveness. The $100,000 biennial prize is open to any architect in the world. The 2017 edition received submissions from 17 countries across six continents. “I wish from the bottom of my heart to thank all of Canada, to thank the Moriyama family, and to thank the prize for creating something that I think is very valuable – which is to think of architecture once it’s actually in use,” said Kai-Uwe Bergmann of the Danish firm BIG, shortlisted for 8 House in Copenhagen. “Too many prizes and awards that are out there are a kind of superficial, flash momentary celebration of a great work of architecture,” he told the audience. “This one is about the meaning behind the design. And that is meaningful for us who spend our lives creating the works.” Katherine Faulkner, representing the collaboration between the Australian office of John Wardle Architects and NADAAA from the United States, said their shortlisted Melbourne School of Design was the result of a great client and “two very strong design firms who played well together and a wonderful constructor team that actually saw that they were doing something remarkable.” As part of the theme of Canada on the international stage, the gala provided a forum for Simon Brault, the CEO of the Canada Council for the Arts, to announce Canada’s entry to the 2018 Venice Biennale in Architecture. Members of the winning team UNCEDED, headed by RAIC Gold Medalist Douglas Cardinal, FRAIC, were in attendance and received a standing ovation. In addition to the main prize, $5,000 scholarships were awarded to three students of Canadian architecture schools on the basis of a written essay, which appear in this issue. “You should be proud of studying architecture,” Tezuka told the students at the gala. “You have to believe me. You are in the right profession.”

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suite de la page 23 « Lorsque j’ai vu les trois autres finalistes, j’ai eu presque envie de retourner à la maison, a déclaré M. Tezuka visiblement ému, remportant le prix pour l’école maternelle Fuji à Tokyo. Les trois sont excellents, je suis ravi d’être ici. » Le prix a été créé en 2014 par l’architecte canadien Raymond Moriyama en collaboration avec l’IRAC et la Fondation de l’IRAC. Il récompense un projet d’architecture au caractère transformateur dans son contexte sociétal et portant les valeurs de justice, de respect, d’égalité et d’inclusion. Le prix, attribué tous les deux ans et ouvert à tous les architectes du monde, offre une bourse de 100 000 $. Les projets soumis provenaient de 17 pays et six continents. « Je tiens à remercier sincèrement tout le Canada, la famille Moriyama, et les responsables du prix d’avoir créé une vision très pertinente, je crois – c’est-à-dire de penser à l’architecture lorsqu’elle est réellement utilisée », a expliqué Kai-Uwe Bergmann du cabinet danois BIG, finaliste pour le complexe 8 à Copenhague. « Trop de prix et de bourses sont remis pour célébrer de manière superficielle et instantanée une grande œuvre d’architecture, a-t-il confié à l’auditoire. Ce prix célèbre la signification derrière le design. Et c’est significatif pour nous qui consacrons nos vies à créer ces œuvres. » Katherine Faulkner, représentante du partenariat entre le cabinet australien John Wardle Architects et le cabinet NADAAA aux États Unis, a noté que le projet finaliste de l’École de design de Melbourne était le résultat d’un client exceptionnel, de « deux cabinets d’architectes très solides qui ont très bien collaboré, et d’une équipe de constructeurs qui a vu réellement qu’elle réalisait un projet remarquable. » Simon Brault, directeur du Conseil des arts du Canada, a annoncé la participation du Canada à la Biennale de Venise en architecture de 2018. L’équipe du projet UNCEDED, dirigée par un lauréat de la médaille d’or de l’IRAC, Douglas Cardinal, FRAIC, étaient présents et ont reçu une ovation. Des bourses de 5 000 $ ont été remises à trois étudiants en architecture qui ont écrit des essais qui figurent dans le présent numéro. « Vous devriez être fiers d’étudier l’architecture, a confié M. Tezuka aux étudiants durant le gala. Croyez-moi, vous êtes dans la bonne profession. »

Judy Jakusz Photography

On Narratives, Memory, and Place Sur l’histoire, la mémoire et le lieu By/par Osman Bari While living in Saudi Arabia, I spent a year studying at a local madrasa, a segregated school that specifically teaches the memorization of the Qur’an. It was located in a highly dense district of the city – the underdeveloped urban fabric composed of narrow dirt lanes weaving through a misshapen grid of stone structures. The school was no different; it existed within a (barely) gated compound, upon sand and rocks, surrounded by the homes of its teachers. The building lacked air conditioning and proper doors; its walls were punctured with cracks and gaps that did little to keep the heavy Arabian heat out. Despite its exterior, the place was defined by the happenings on the inside; walls reverberated with the recitation of the Qur’an, masking schoolboy chatter and carpeted footsteps as we cycled through teachers, rooms, and chapters. Sadly, the boys were subject to punishment, their mistakes often rewarded with quick flicks of a cane and in some instances, silent tears. I was lucky to be exempt from this, but only because of my socio-economic background. Despite this reality, the one space in which we were truly equal was the courtyard. Escaping the clutches of the teachers and finding respite in the heat, we would sit on the hard ground outside just before noon, and tuck into a daily delivery of naan and channa. In that courtyard, at that moment, there were no social differences, barriers or hierarchies; just a community of young boys together in an atmosphere laden with intertwined aspirations and journeys,

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Journal de l’IRAC

as we tried to get by. I left the school a year later, but the wafts of hot breakfast and youthful conversation still linger. *** Years later, under extraordinary circumstances, I was brought from hours of Qur’anic recitation to those spent in The Pavilion; the sanctum of cricket at my high school in Toronto. Exceeding its obvious responsibility of equipment storage, The Pavilion was more of a museum and shrine; its walls were adorned with aged team photos, posters of iconic international tours and relics of yesteryear. More importantly, the space was the soul of Resurgence; a three-year movement reviving the game’s legacy, driven by sportsmanship and class, while opposing the racial stereotyping cricket was subject to. I recall a particularly incredible moment – when I was just about to go out to bat in my final match as captain, with the team on the cusp of a historic championship win. I truly felt The Pavilion’s influence, its history and tradition egging me on to fulfill the team’s narrative, born in this very space.

Deconstruction of the histories and artifacts of The Pavilion. Illustration by Osman Bari. Déconstruction des histoires et artéfacts du Pavillon. Illustration d’Osman Bari.

“Bari’s political understanding of the ‘double-edged sword’ of architecture is profound.” —Jurors’ comment

Having been conditioned by these two places and their narratives, I realized the significance of places of all kinds in my life. I discovered that the ‘place’ and by extension, architecture, is essential to the existence of our individual and collective histories, and vice versa. I believe the madrasa and The Pavilion led me to architecture; showing me that there exists the possibility to create transformative and emotional spaces for all of our lives to unfold. Yet, I recognize architecture’s potential as a double-edged sword, facilitating a coexistence of positive and negative narratives. For behind the walls of madrasas, dwelled lives of poverty and injustice, and even my beloved pavilion will forever remain in the shadow of a … sexual abuse scandal. We are seeing this on a global scale too; Donald Trump’s proposal for a border wall is a perfect example of architecture’s politically charged capacity to divide, in this case upon grounds of blatant racism and xenophobia. And so, in hopes of facilitating the positive narratives everyone deserves, I found architecture.

RAIC Nov.indd 25

Lorsque je vivais en Arabie saoudite, j’ai étudié pendant un an à la madrasa locale, une école ségréguée qui enseigne spécifiquement la mémorisation du Coran. Elle était située dans un quartier très dense de la ville – un quartier sous-développé fait de ruelles étroites et poussiéreuses parcourant une trame difforme de bâtiments en pierre. L’école elle-même n’était pas différente; sise sur un terrain (à peine) clôturé fait de sable et de roc, elle était entourée par les maisons des enseignants. Le bâtiment n’était pas climatisé et n’avait pas de portes adéquates; ses murs avaient de nombreux interstices et fissures qui laissaient pénétrer la lourde chaleur saoudienne. Malgré son apparence extérieure, l’endroit se définissait par ce qui se passait à l’intérieur; les murs vibraient aux sons de la récitation du Coran, masquant le bavardage des élèves et le bruit des pas sur les tapis lorsque nous allions d’un professeur, d’une salle ou d’un chapitre à l’autre. Malheureusement, les garçons étaient passibles de punitions et ils étaient frappés s’ils faisaient des erreurs, ce qui leur tirait des larmes silencieuses. Par chance, ce

n’était pas mon cas, mais je ne le devais qu’à mon statut socio-économique. Malgré tout, il y avait un espace dans lequel nous étions tous égaux : la cour de l’école. Nous échappant des griffes des professeurs et trouvant le repos dans la chaleur, nous allions nous asseoir à même le sol dur, juste avant midi, pour savourer ensemble le pain naan et le channa du jour. Dans cette cour, à cet instant, il n’y avait aucune différence sociale, aucune barrière et aucune hiérarchie; il n’y avait qu’un groupe de jeunes garçons réunis dans une atmosphère chargée d’espoirs et de parcours entremêlés qui tentaient de s’en sortir. J’ai quitté l’école l’année suivante, mais les conversations juvéniles et les effluves des petits déjeuners chauds sont encore bien présents dans ma mémoire. *** Des années plus tard, par un concours de circonstances exceptionnel, je ne passais plus des heures à réciter le Coran. Je les passais plutôt dans le Pavillon : le sanctuaire de cricket de mon école se-

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Journal de l’IRAC

suite de la page 23 condaire à Toronto. Le Pavillon, qui servait d’abord à entreposer l’équipement, était devenu un musée et un sanctuaire; ses murs étaient recouverts de photos d’anciennes équipes, d’affiches de tournées internationales emblématiques et de reliques d’antan. Qui plus est, l’espace était l’âme de la Résurgence; un mouvement triennal ranimant le legs des matches, animé par un esprit sportif, tout en s’opposant aux stéréotypes raciaux auxquels le cricket était exposé. Je me souviens d’un moment particulièrement incroyable qui s’est produit alors que j’étais sur le point de frapper la balle dans mon dernier match en tant que capitaine et que l’équipe était sur le point de remporter un championnat historique. J’ai réellement senti naître, à ce moment-là, à cet endroit-là, l’influence du Pavillon, de son histoire et de sa tradition et j’ai voulu faire partie de l’histoire de l’équipe.

« Osman Bari a réellement compris le caractère politique de l’architecture, une arme à double tranchant. » —Commentaire des jurés

Conditionné par ces deux endroits et leurs histoires, j’ai réalisé l’importance des lieux de tout genre dans ma vie. J’ai découvert que le « lieu » et, par extension, l’architecture, sont essentiels à l’existence de nos histoires individuelles et collectives et vice versa. Je crois que la madrasa et le Pavillon m’ont mené à l’architecture. Ils m’ont montré qu’il est possible de créer des lieux transformateurs et émouvants pour y vivre nos vies. Je réalise toutefois que le potentiel de l’architecture est une arme à double tranchant qui facilite une coexistence d’éléments positifs et négatifs. Ainsi, derrière les murs des madrasas, les gens vivent dans la pauvreté et l’injustice et ce pavillon que j’ai tant aimé restera à jamais dans l’ombre d’un … scandale d’abus sexuel. Nous observons également cela à l’échelle mondiale : la proposition de Donald Trump d’ériger un mur à la frontière mexicaine est un exemple parfait de la capacité politiquement chargée de l’architecture de diviser, dans ce cas-ci, sur la base de la xénophobie et du racisme flagrants. C’est donc dans l’espoir de faire vivre aux gens les expériences positives qu’ils méritent tous que j’ai trouvé ma voie dans l’architecture.

RAIC Nov.indd 26

came the rooftop design for the Unité in Marseilles, including the iconic forms of its ventilator shafts, two whimsical freeform sculptures of cast concrete that narrowly escaped their fate as a single, monotonous column. But the slide shifts again, whisking us into a two-story Unité flat without mention of van Ginkel or her work.

Ben Sweeting

Credit where due Crédit complet By/par Tanya Southcott

My memory of the moment when I knew that my decision to become an architect was the right one still elicits a visceral response. I am sitting at the back of a darkened classroom full of restless, first-year would-be-architects anxious to learn about our next studio assignment. The project brief is to design a staircase— not just any staircase, but a new unit for an apartment in the Unité d’Habitation (1946-1952), “the first manifestation of an environment suited to modern life,” according to the project’s architect, Le Corbusier, in 1952. The slide shifts, and suddenly we stand on the rooftop, in the shadow of an enormous undulating ventilator shaft. In this moment, my heart grew with the kind of pride available perhaps only to an architecture student at McGill, and a woman at that. Not weeks before, I encountered this same image as research for an entry on the Canadian architect Blanche Lemco van Ginkel for an online encyclopedia on North American women architects. In the world of Canadian architecture, van Ginkel is a national treasure. As an architect, planner, educator, and author, she resonates as a leading figure in modern architecture since graduating from McGill’s school in 1945. One of the first women admitted to the program in the early 1940s, this was the first of many firsts for van Ginkel as a woman and an architect, including the honour of the first woman elected officer (1972) and then fellow (1973) of the RAIC. In 1948 after graduating, van Ginkel moved to Paris to grow her professional experience in the Atelier Le Corbusier. Out of this moment in her esteemed career

Le Corbusier’s oeuvre has proven fertile ground for feminist architectural scholars working to uncover the lengths this modern master has gone to erase, appropriate, defame, even brutalize, the work of women, perhaps most significantly in E-1027, Eileen Gray’s modernist gem. But here we were continuing rather than questioning his tradition. As my heart fell heavily in my chest, I wondered: “How can we do better?” Suspending my license in 2013 to return to school, I reflect now as a full-time student and “retired” architect (with the possibility of reinstatement). That fall morning in 2014, from the back of the classroom now as a tutor rather than a student, I began collecting moments, alternate versions of architectural histories passed down to me like talismans, moments such as Denise Scott-Brown’s challenge to the Pritzker Prize committee for crediting Robert Venturi exclusively for their work.

“The piece is deeply personal in the experiences it recounts, and in Southcott’s determination to address historic wrongs through her work as an architect-turnedarchitectural historian.” —Jurors’ comment

Last spring, Dame Zaha Hadid’s untimely passing prompted our profession to revisit the question of diversity in architectural practice. The classroom and studio, too, are spaces where gender identities are constructed and naturalized, and hopefully with encouragement and openness also contested and renegotiated. The moment when I knew that my decision to become an architect was the right one was not, as you might expect, a moment when everything came together. In many ways, it was the moment when everything fell apart, and the fragments like the story of

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Journal de l’IRAC

van Ginkel’s glorious ventilators threatened to slip through the cracks of architectural history, to disappear untold. Thankfully, this is also the moment that I sensed my own potential to collect some of these fractured, falling pieces and to rebuild them in a different form.

Mon souvenir du moment où j’ai su que ma décision de devenir architecte était la bonne provoque encore en moi une réaction viscérale. Je suis assise au fond d’une salle de classe plongée dans le noir, pleine d’aspirants architectes en première année impatients de savoir sur quoi porterait leur prochain atelier. Le projet consiste à concevoir un escalier; pas seulement un escalier, mais une nouvelle unité pour l’Unité d’Habitation (1946-1952), « la première manifestation aujourd’hui d’une forme de l’Habitat moderne », comme le disait Le Corbusier en 1952. La diapositive change, et soudain, nous sommes sur la toiture, dans l’ombre d’un énorme puits de ventilation ondulant. À ce moment, j’ai ressenti une certaine fierté, peut-être du fait que j’étais étudiante en architecture à McGill et que j’étais une femme. Peu de temps auparavant, j’avais vu cette image lors d’une recherche sur l’architecte canadienne Blanche Lemco van Ginkel pour une encyclopédie en ligne sur les femmes architectes en Amérique du Nord. Dans le monde de l’architecture canadienne, van Ginkel est un trésor national. En tant qu’architecte, urbaniste, éducatrice et auteure, elle s’impose comme une figure marquante de l’architecture moderne depuis l’obtention de son diplôme de l’Université McGill en 1945. L’une des premières femmes admises dans le programme au début des années 1940, elle a ensuite été bien souvent la première, comme femme et comme architecte. Elle a été la première femme élue au conseil de l’IRAC (1972) et la première à être nommée fellow de l’IRAC (1973). Après ses études, en 1948, elle s’installe à Paris pour acquérir une expérience professionnelle dans l’Atelier Le Corbusier. De cette période de sa brillante carrière est né le design de la toiture de l’Unité à Marseille, y compris de ses puits de ventilation à la forme emblématique, deux sculptures fantaisistes de béton qui auraient pu n’être qu’une simple colonne monotone. La diapositive change à nouveau, et nous voilà dans un appartement de deux étages

RAIC Nov.indd 27

Creative Commons

The roof of Le Corbusier’s Unite d’Habitation, Marseille, France

de l’Unité sans qu’il ait été fait mention de van Ginkel ou de son travail. L’œuvre de Le Corbusier s’est révélée fertile pour les chercheurs en architecture féministe qui tentent de découvrir jusqu’à quel point ce maître moderne a effacé, s’est approprié, a diffamé et même brutalisé le travail des femmes. E-1027, le joyau moderniste d’Eileen Gray en est probablement l’exemple le plus probant.

« Ce texte est profondément personnel dans les expé riences qu’il relate et dans la détermination de son auteure à corriger les injustices historiques par son travail d’architectehistorienne de l’architecture. » —Commentaire des jurés

Mais ici, nous poursuivions sa tradition plutôt que de la remettre en question. Comme j’avais le cœur qui battait la chamade, je me suis demandé « Comment pouvons-nous faire mieux? » Ayant suspendu mon permis en 2013 pour retourner aux études, je suis maintenant étudiante à temps plein et architecte à la « retraite » (avec possibilité de réinscription).

Toit de l’Unité d’habitation de Le Corbusier, Marseille, France

Ce matin d’automne, en 2014, de l’arrière de la salle où j’étais une chargée de cours plutôt qu’une étudiante, j’ai commencé à rassembler des moments, d’autres versions d’histoires architecturales qui m’ont été transmises comme des talismans. Des moments comme celui où Denise Scott-Brown a contesté la décision du comité du Prix Pritzker de ne reconnaître que Robert Venturi, son époux, pour les réalisations du couple. Au printemps dernier, le décès de Zaha Hadid a amené notre profession à revisiter la question de la diversité dans la pratique architecturale. La salle de classe et l’atelier sont des espaces où les identités sexospécifiques se bâtissent et se naturalisent et, espérons-le, avec encouragement et ouverture, se contestent et se renégocient. Le moment où j’ai su que ma décision de devenir architecte était la bonne, n’a pas été, comme vous pourriez vous y attendre, un moment où tout est devenu clair. À bien des égards, c’est un moment où tout s’est effondré, où j’ai réalisé que des fragments de l’histoire comme l’exemple des célèbres ventilateurs de van Ginkel menaçaient d’échapper à l’histoire de l’architecture, de disparaître sans avoir été racontés. Heureusement, c’est aussi le moment où j’ai ressenti mon propre potentiel pour recueillir certaines de ces pièces fracturées et les reconstruire sous une forme différente.

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Alykhan Neky

Journal de l’IRAC

Alykhan Neky

RAIC Journal

Local Collaboration Collaboration Locale By/par Alykhan Neky

When I was a child, my father was asked to take on a leadership role with the Aga Khan Foundation in Nairobi, Kenya. His work with the international organization focused on implementing innovative, community-driven solutions to development challenges. Over the years, our family often learned through dinner table conversations about my father’s ideas regarding holistic and sustainable social development, often predicated on the “teach a man how to fish” philosophy. I learned that architectural concerns did not play a major role in these endeavors. However, I was convinced that architecture could also foster community self-reliance and serve social development in a more foundational way. In 2014, before commencing my M.Arch. degree at Ryerson University in Toronto, I returned to Kenya. Through the lens of my undergraduate education, I noticed a general polarization between “local contextually sensitive buildings” and other newer “transplanted” building models from the industrialized West, which were often poorly grafted to site. When I later focused my research interest for my M.Arch. thesis, I noticed that this tension was particularly stark between Kenyan vernacular and contemporary architecture. I increasingly felt that the new “transplanted” buildings were more stamps of individual authorship than deep collective expressions of culture as the vernacular buildings had been, despite the latter being increasingly perceived as “backwards” by many users. I, therefore, decided that my thesis work

RAIC Nov.indd 28

would locate itself in the discourse of neo-vernacular architecture, and would explore the role of the trained architect in the creation of contemporary buildings that serve as expressions of collective culture and value systems. My thesis departs from this notion and explores ideas of user-participatory construction techniques and communal space through the design of a cultural centre for a rural Maasai community in Kenya. My project has received significant funding for further design and construction in Kenya.

“An ambitious vision for how the author plans to use his training as an architect to address third-world living conditions in a culturally sensitive manner. ” —Jurors’ comment

Butterfly House is a schematic proposal for a low-cost housing model for a Maasai community group in Kenya. The project seeks to continue the Maasai vernacular tradition of user agency in the building process while introducing new regionally sensitive building techniques that are inspired by global best practices. The project utilizes interlocking stabilized soil blocks and locally grown bamboo as

its primary materials, thereby minimizing the building’s cost and embodied energy. These materials enable the participation of “unskilled” community members in collaboration with specialized trade workers, allowing the construction process to become a community skills-training opportunity. The refinement of these learned building techniques over subsequent community-led building projects can be studied by architects, challenging their traditional role, as local users are invited to learn, build and innovate in the design process. I hope that these ideas foster a communal sense of ownership of the proposed building techniques and enable the growth of a small indigenous Maasai artisan labor force. As women are the traditional builders of the vernacular forms, this project can continue to enhance that role within Maasai patriarchal society.

Butterfly House is a schematic proposal for a low-cost housing model for a Maasai community group in Kenya. La « maison papillon » est un projet schématique d’un modèle d’habitation à loyer modique pour une communauté masaï au Kenya.

I believe that architecture can be a true expression of the core values that unite a community. I look up to Carlo Scarpa for his intimate collaboration with local artisans, Diébédo Francis Kéré for his ability to lead a community and Michael Murphy for using architecture to initiate deep social transformation. I have also been immensely inspired by the Aga Khan Award for Architecture, particularly after speaking extensively with the award’s special advisor. As a practitioner, I hope to help ease the architectural divide between the ‘backwards’ vernacular and the globalized ‘trans-

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RAIC Journal

plants’ in the developing world, a passion that I believe is shaped by a moral responsibility to ease the growing social divide between the marginalized and the elite.

Lorsque j’étais enfant, mon père a été invité à diriger la Fondation de l’Aga Khan à Nairobi, au Kenya. Il était chargé de la mise en œuvre de solutions innovatrices axées sur la communauté pour relever les défis du développement. Au fil des ans, lors des conversations familiales autour de la table, il nous a appris à mieux comprendre ses idées sur le développement social holistique et durable, souvent fondées sur la philosophie « d’apprendre à un homme comment pêcher ». J’ai réalisé alors que les considérations architecturales ne jouent pas un rôle majeur dans ces initiatives. Toutefois, j’étais convaincu que l’architecture pouvait aussi favoriser l’autonomie des communautés et être un atout plus fondamental pour le développement social. En 2014, avant de commencer mes études de maîtrise en architecture à l’Université Ryerson de Toronto, je suis retourné au Kenya. À travers la lentille de ma formation de premier cycle, j’ai remarqué une polarisation générale entre les « bâtiments sensibles au contexte local » et les autres modèles de bâtiments plus récents « transplantés » de l’ouest industrialisé qui, bien souvent, étaient mal intégrés à leur environnement. Lorsque plus tard est venu le temps de me pencher sur mon projet final de M. Arch., j’ai remarqué que cette tension était particulièrement frappante entre l’architecture vernaculaire et l’architecture contemporaine du Kenya. J’ai senti de plus en plus que les bâtiments « transplantés » s’apparentaient davantage à des signatures d’architectes qu’à l’expression collective de la culture comme le faisaient les bâtiments vernaculaires, même si ces derniers étaient de

plus en plus perçus comme étant à « contre-courant » par bien des utilisateurs. J’ai donc décidé que mon projet final s’inscrirait dans le discours de l’architecture néo-vernaculaire et se pencherait sur le rôle de l’architecte dans la création de bâtiments contemporains qui expriment la culture et les systèmes de valeurs collectifs. Mon projet final part de cette notion et explore les techniques de construction et d’espace communal faisant appel à la participation des utilisateurs pour la conception d’un centre culturel dans une communauté rurale des Massaïs. Mon projet a reçu un financement important pour aller de l’avant avec la conception et la construction au Kenya.

« Une vision ambitieuse de la façon dont l’auteur entrevoit d’utiliser sa formation d’architecte pour se pencher sur les conditions de vie dans le tiers-monde en étant sensible à la culture. » —Commentaire des jurés

La Maison Butterfly est une proposition de logements à prix modique pour un groupe de Massaïs au Kenya. Le projet vise à poursuivre la tradition vernaculaire de ce peuple encourage la participation de l’utilisateur dans le processus de construction tout en introduisant de nouvelles techniques sensibles à la dimension régionale et inspirées des meilleures pratiques mondiales. Le projet utilise les blocs de terre stabilisée à emboîtement et le bambou de culture locale comme principaux maté-

Journal de l’IRAC

riaux, ce qui réduit le coût du bâtiment et l’énergie intrinsèque. De plus, des membres « non qualifiés » de la communauté peuvent collaborer avec les travailleurs spécialisés et profiter ainsi d’une occasion de formation et d’acquisition de compétences dans la communauté. Les architectes pourront raffiner ces techniques de construction dans les projets ultérieurs de la communauté, ce qui les amènera à sortir de leur rôle traditionnel, car les utilisateurs locaux sont invités à apprendre, à bâtir et à innover dans le processus de conception. J’espère que ces idées encourageront un sens collectif d’appropriation des techniques de construction proposées et favoriseront la croissance d’une petite main-d’œuvre d’artisans massaïs. Comme les femmes sont les bâtisseuses traditionnelles des formes vernaculaires, ce projet peut continuer à renforcer leur rôle dans cette société patriarcale. Je crois que l’architecture peut être une réelle expression des valeurs fondamentales qui unissent une communauté. J’admire Carlo Scarpa pour sa collaboration intime avec des artisans locaux, Diébédo Francis Kéré pour sa capacité de diriger une communauté et Michael Murphy pour son utilisation de l’archi tecture pour amorcer une profonde transformation sociale. J’ai aussi été immensément inspiré par le Prix Aga Khan d’architecture, surtout après avoir longuement discuté avec le conseiller spécial du prix. En tant que praticien, j’espère contribuer à atténuer la division architecturale entre les projets vernaculaires à « contre-courant » et les projets mondialisés « transplantés » dans le monde en développement. Je crois que ma passion découle d’une responsabilité morale d’atténuer l’écart social croissant entre les marginalisés et l’élite.

(These essays have been edited for length. Read the full essays at http://moriyama.raic.org (Ces textes ont été raccourcis pour leur publication. Pour lire les textes intégraux : http://moriyama.raic.org

Jury members/membres du Jury: •E lsa Lam, MRAIC, editor/rédactrice en chef, Canadian Architect magazine; • Cheryl Atkinson, MRAIC, principal of/ associée

• Shirley Blumberg, FRAIC, founding partner/ asso-

• Paul Laurendeau, principal/ architecte fonda-

ciée fondatrice de KPMB Architects, Toronto and a

teur, Atelier Paul Laurendeau, Montreal; 2016

member of the Order of Canada/ membre de

recipient of a Governor General’s Medal in Archi-

l’Ordre du Canada;

tecture/ récipiendaire d’une Médaille du Gouver-

• Terrance Galvin, MRAIC, founding director of Lau-

principale de la firme Atkinson Architect in Toron-

rentian University’s McEwen School of Architec-

to; associate professor at the Department of

ture/directeur fondateur de l’École d’architecture

Architectural Science at Ryerson University;

McEwen de l’Université Laurentienne;

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neur général en architecture.

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en culture visuelle autochtone et en études critiques en conservation à l’Université de l’École d’art et de design de l’Ontario, et David Fortin, MRAIC, futur directeur de l’École d’architecture McEwen de l’Université Laurentienne à Sudbury.

Douglas Cardinal

Se joindra à eux un groupe d’architectes autochtones d’Amérique du Nord, dont Patrick Stewart, MRAIC, président du Groupe de travail autochtone de l’IRAC.

Maria Cook Editor, RAIC Journal Rédactrice en chef, Journal de l’IRAC

La Biennale se déroulera du 26 mai au 25 novembre 2018.

The Canadian entry to the 2018 Venice Architecture Biennale, titled UNCEDED, celebrates the work of Indigenous architects and is being conceived to “show the true beauty and value of Indigenous peoples,” says Douglas Cardinal, FRAIC, the Canadian Commissioner for the project.

Le projet présentera le travail des architectes autochtones – Premières Nations, Métis et Inuits – de tous les coins de l’île de la Tortue, nom que donnent les Autochtones à l’Amérique du Nord. Il transmettra aussi les philosophies et la vision du monde des Autochtones, ainsi que leur rapport avec l’architecture.

Joining them is a group of Indigenous architects from across North America, including Patrick Stewart, MRAIC, chair of the RAIC Indigenous Task Force. “It is here at this Biennale in Venice that we can create an image of our Indigenous people as a Phoenix rising from the ashes, as the eagle soaring into the future,” says Cardinal. “We can present our work to show how our architecture is a reflection of the spiritual values of our culture.” The Biennale will take place May 26 to November 25, 2018. The exhibit will showcase the work of Indigenous architects – First Nations, Metis, and Inuit – across Turtle Island, as Indigenous people call North America. It will also convey Indigenous philosophies and worldview and their relationship to making architecture.

De gauche à droite : Douglas Cardinal avec les commissaires David Fortin, MRAIC, et Gerald McMaster.

« C’est ici à cette Biennale de Venise que nous pouvons créer une image des peuples autochtones tel un phénix renaissant de ses cendres, comme l’aigle s’envolant vers le futur, souligne Cardinal. Nous pouvons présenter notre travail pour montrer comment notre architecture est une réflexion des valeurs spirituelles de notre culture. »

Off to Venice En route pour Venise

Cardinal, an RAIC Gold Medalist, is sharing the role with two co-curators: Gerald McMaster, professor of Indigenous Visual Culture and Critical Curatorial Studies at OCAD University in Toronto, and David Fortin, MRAIC, incoming director of the McEwen School of Architecture at Laurentian University in Sudbury.

Left to Right: Douglas Cardinal with co-curators David Fortin, MRAIC, and Gerald McMaster.

“I see the exhibition as providing an insight to the international community of how we evolved on our land for thousands of years based on our symbiotic relationship with the land itself,” says Cardinal. The idea for the Venice proposal grew out of the excitement, and a sense of purpose felt after a gathering of the RAIC Indigenous Task Force last May in Ottawa at the RAIC’s first International Indigenous Architecture and Design Symposium. The task force is comprised of mostly Indigenous architects, architectural students, interns, and academics. “Indigenous people have never surrendered themselves, their children, their future, their language, their culture, nor their land,” adds Cardinal. “They remain UNCEDED people on UNCEDED land, who welcome their brothers and sisters of all nations to share their teachings and their land.” For further information or to support UNCEDED, please contact Poet Farrell at 416-821-2707 or poetfarrell@sympatico.ca.

Le projet canadien UNCEDED présenté à la Biennale d’architecture de Venise 2018 célèbre le travail des architectes autochtones et a pour but de « montrer la valeur et la beauté véritables des peuples autochtones » souligne Douglas Cardinal, FRAIC, commissaire canadien du projet. Cardinal, lauréat de la Médaille d’or de l’IRAC, partage le rôle avec deux co-commissaires : Gerald McMaster, professeur

« Je crois que l’exposition permettra de présenter à la communauté internationale un aperçu de la façon dont nous avons évolué depuis des milliers d’années en fonction de notre relation symbiotique avec le territoire », mentionne Cardinal. L’idée du projet de Venise découle de l’enthousiasme et d’un sens du devoir ressentis après la réunion du Groupe de travail autochtone de l’IRAC en mai dernier à Ottawa durant le premier Symposium international sur l’architecture et le design autochtones de l’IRAC. Le groupe de travail est formé principalement d’architectes, d’étudiants en architecture, de stagiaires et d’universitaires autochtones. « Les Autochtones ne se sont jamais rendus, n’ont jamais abandonné leurs enfants, leur avenir, leur langue, leur culture, ni leur territoire, ajoute Cardinal. Ils demeurent des peuples NON CÉDÉS sur un territoire NON CÉDÉ, qui accueillent leurs frères et leurs sœurs de toutes les nations pour partager leurs enseignements et leur territoire. » Pour en savoir plus ou pour soutenir le projet UNCEDED, veuillez joindre Poet Farrell au 416-821-2707 ou à poetfarrell@ sympatico.ca.

Eco-

Con

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PERMEABLE

WITHOUT COMPROMISE

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CANADIAN ARCHITECT 11/17

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SOUTHERN EXPOSURE

CANADIAN ARCHITECT 11/17

IN MINNESOTA, ON-SITE AND UP CLOSE, WE LOOK AT MICHAEL GREEN ARCHITECTURE’S FIRST MASS-TIMBER PROJECT IN AMERICA

PROJECT

T3 Building, Minneapolis

ARCHITECT

Michael Green Architecture; DLR Group

Alex Bozikovic PHOTOS Ema Peter TEXT

I can smell the fragrance of forest. In this case it’s emanating from some planks of softwood attached to a lobby ceiling at T3, an office building in downtown Minneapolis. A few steps further in, a stair made of edgelaminated veneer lumber rises into the corner, past a photographic mural of a coniferous forest. Its developer—Houston, Texas-based Hines—has named it T 3, for “timber, transit and technology,” and all of this woodiness, real and symbolic, indicates the building’s raison d’être. Its main distinction is the mass-timber framework that supports the bulk of its 220,000 square feet. For its designer, Michael Green Architecture (MGA) of Vancouver together with architect-of-record DLR Group of Minneapolis, T3 represents the future of engineered wood. A post on Dezeen claimed that Michael Green “has pushed the limits of the material with his latest project.” The building is actually hybrid; the exterior façades of the building are clad in weathering steel, and the first f loor is conventional concrete, as is the core of the seven-storey building. There is no structural timber to see until you enter the tenant floors above, and even the particular technologies employed there—nail-laminated timber (NLT) and glulam timber—are not new. So the building doesn’t live up to that breathless Dezeen billing, which, like much of the current discourse on wood, over-hypes the material’s current possibilities. Yet T3 is an important building—not because it is technically exceptional, but because it suggests a new normal in architecture. Hines is no mom-and-pop developer but an incredibly large, multinational realestate and investment company operating in 201 cities and 21 countries. This is the building that marks the acceptance of 21st-century engineered “mass timber” by the North American development industry, an advance that could see wood–a lightweight, strong, sustainable alternative–begin to take the place of concrete and steel as a structural system in midrise and high-rise buildings. T 3 provides a case study in why North American developers will choose to join that shift: because wood feels good. For Hines, the impetus was a market demand for workplaces with the aesthetic appeal of centuryold lofts in warehouse districts such as the North Loop in Minneapolis, where T3 is located. “We bought a brick and timber building just across the street from the site, and we got a sense of the demand—tech firms and

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THIRD-SEVENTH FLOORS

GROUND FLOOR

10M

3 1 ELEVATOR LOBBY 2 NORTH LOBBY 3 VESTIBULE 4 RETAIL 5 GYM 6 SOCIAL WORKSPACE 7 CONFERENCE ROOM 8 SOCIAL CAFE 9 BIKE STORAGE 10 OFFICE 11 PARKING ENTRY 12 LOADING DOCK

T3 | PLAN LEVELS 3-7

T3 | PLAN LEVEL1

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T3 was erected in less than 10 weeks, averaging 30,000 square feet of floor area installed per week. The structural framework is lighter than comparable steel or concrete, reducing the depth and extent of excavation and foundation. The building is glazed extensively at every level and offers ground-level views into the social space.

even Fortune 500s were starting to look at these things,” explains Robert Pfefferle, director of Hines’s Minneapolis offices. “We asked: Could we reproduce it”—that loft experience—“in an authentic way?” To do so, Hines turned to Michael Green and the engineering and fabrication company Structurecraft. Green is the most visible proponent of mass timber in North American architecture. “My whole career right now is about the idea that we need to move to more wood buildings in urban environments, and carbon sequestration,” Green says. His office produced a report in 2012, The Case for Tall Wood Buildings, which studied the potential for wood skyscrapers up to 30 storeys; Green’s 2015 TED Talk on the subject has been viewed 1.2 million times to date. In that talk he cites the statistic that one cubic metre of wood contains—or sequesters—one tonne of carbon dioxide. “For us,” Green says, “the sustainability argument is the argument.” MGA is working on mass-timber buildings in France, where the national government has aggressive carbon-reduction targets enforced by regulation. But it’s not an easy task in the United States, says Green, “so you have to go out with a hard pitch on quality,” says Green. The haptic, visual and olfactory qualities of wood come into play. Wood feels good.

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CANADIAN ARCHITECT 11/17

It looks good. It smells good. Touring empty f loors of the building, I was able to experience the building in its pristine form, as the architects have chosen to represent it online, and to see the wood up close. Exposed on the ceiling was the bottom surface of the nail-laminated timber. This, also known as mill decking, is a 19th-century construction technique: a stack of lumber, in this case 2x10 spruce-pine-fir, is fastened together with nails running through the f lat side of the planks. Put together this way, the wood acquires enough strength to carry heavy loads; at T3 these slabs are topped with sound insulation and then a polished concrete pad. The structure that holds up those floors is also wood, glue-laminated spruce that was sourced in Austria and fabricated in North America. Deep beams run outward from the core to the perimeter of the floorplate, which is roughly rectangular; these beams rest on notched columns, the connections reinforced with steel plates that have hidden connections. The deep joists appear exceptionally bulky. This was a necessary compromise in order to achieve bays of 20 by 25 feet; Hines required those long spans in order to achieve a degree of flexibility in floor plans and in situating the demising walls between tenant spaces.

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Upon its completion last year, T3 became the largest mass-timber building in the United States, although building codes and economies of scale will have to improve in order for tall wood buildings to become commonplace. BELOW AND RIGHT In a reflection and hommage to its structural framework, wood interior finishings and furniture are visible throughout the building’s common spaces.

The wood is very attractive. The glulam spruce is nearly knot-free, smoothly finished, and is adhered together so that the seams are nearly invisible; the surface of the NLT is knotty and slightly inconsistent in tone, but quite handsome. On the other hand, the realities of a spec building interfere with the precise detailing that architects (and architecture journalists) love. At the exterior edges of the building, the wood structure crashes into walls fireproofed and coated in drywall. Demising walls between units are, likewise, steel frame and drywall, which has been fitted under the wood beams after the fact. Across the f loors, HVAC ducts and electrical conduits are fastened to the surface of the ceiling. In the most radical version of contemporary mass timber construction, those floors would be made of cross-laminated

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timber (CLT), which can be custom-fabricated and cut to precise dimensions, even incorporating mechanical conduits. In this case, Green explains, the use of NLT “was driven purely by cost.” But if there are imperfections, it may be that no one outside of the architectural profession cares. Precision, in contemporary office space, is not the goal. Pfefferle explains that many employers, “even in Class A buildings, are pulling out the ceiling tiles, because they’re more interested in the idea of collaboration space than in how that ceiling looks.” Employers associate an unfinished quality with informality, creativity and comfort; and “their real estate is not just a requirement, but a recruitment tool and retention tool,” the developer explains. Green adds: “What people want is not the glass shiny box with the anonymous quality that we’ve seen over the last generation of office build-

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NOTE: C

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ings. It should be filled with the texture of wood. The fact that there are imperfections in the material, the fact that it’s a little rougher, it just brings back some of the character of the warehouse districts built a century ago.” During my September visit of T3, I could not access any tenant-occupied space, including the suite then under construction for the notoriously private Amazon. However, it’s likely that the results will be messy. Just as in a retrofitted loft, tenants will occupy the floors with their own requirements for electrical, lighting and ventilation; partitions will be inserted for private offices. Green has seen drawings by Amazon’s interior architects. It’s a safe bet that whatever Amazon does, it’s not what Green would do. An obvious tension exists between the reality and the commissioned photographs that reveal the outer façade and something of the inner structure. This invites a look back to the Modernist avant-garde and its rhetorical obsession with structure. In 1922, Mies van der Rohe introduced his all-glass skyscraper design in the journal Frühlicht. He wrote: “Only skyscrapers under construction reveal the bold constructive thoughts, and then the impression of the high-reaching steel skeletons is overpowering. With the raising of the walls… the constructive thought, the necessary basis for artistic form-giving, is annihilated and frequently smothered by a meaningless and trivial jumble of forms.” Mies overcame that problem, later in his career, with a sleight-of-hand: From the 1940s onward he took the I-beam, that building block of the tall building, and applied it to the outside of his towers in a decorative role. The Seagram Building, completed in 1958, is faced with bronzehued I-beams that have no structural purpose.

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Something very similar is now happening in wood construction and its representations. Blogs are filled with drawings of the most beautiful and innovative techniques, including CLT and dowel-laminated timber (which relies on the expansion of wood components to fasten members together), but these are not yet commercially viable across North America. T3 Minneapolis “was a developer building,” Green points out. “Technically, it could be all wood—my preference is always a core in wood—but it needed to be cost-competitive against any other system. The challenge here was: could it be competitive with a spec office building with a lay-in ceiling on steel construction?” That will be the calculation that could ultimately change the world. And while both the developer and the architects refuse to disclose the construction budget, they claim to have reached that goal–and are collaborating on a number of other T3 buildings in U.S. markets. MGA, meanwhile, has a series of “very large” office buildings under development, says Green. T3 is not a masterpiece, but it is real. “It will be the seed,” Green argues, “of something that will grow a lot farther.” Alex Bozikovic is architecture critic for The Globe and Mail and co-author of Toronto

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TRUE COLOURS

A NEW LIBRARY IN A TORONTO SUBURB ENLIVENS THE NEIGHBOURHOOD Albion District Library, Toronto Perkins+Will Canada TEXT John Lorinc PHOTOS Doublespace Photography PROJECT

ARCHITECT

Like many suburban libraries, the boxy Albion branch of the Toronto Public Library (TPL) in Etobicoke, Ontario, had evolved over the years into a heavily trafficked, all-ages community centre. The demographically diverse suburb’s large immigrant families, many jammed into tiny apartments, were relying heavily on the library’s space and computers; small business owners were operating their virtual companies out of reading rooms; and teens have taken refuge from gang rivalries there in what they view as a neutral zone. In 2013, when TPL officials declared that they would close the local branch for two years to complete a long-overdue

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renovation, local residents expressed their feelings in no uncertain terms. They said they’d rather leave it unrenovated than close it for that long, recalls Susan Martin, the TPL’s manager of branch capital planning. Lead architect Andrew Frontini of Perkins+Will Canada worked with TPL to devise an elegant alternative: erecting a new structure in the parking lot immediately to the west of the existing building. The 1970s-era Albion branch had an adjacent 120-space parking lot, but a 2013 user survey revealed that most patrons arrived on foot or by transit. That finding compelled TPL to commission the new

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SECTIONS

TEEN AREA 0

CREATIVE TECHNOLOGY

SOUTH GARDEN

STAFF ROOM

WEST GARDEN

structure on the little-used parking lot instead, which allowed the branch to remain open during almost all of the rebuilding process. The new branch, which opened earlier this year, presents a striking visual and functional contrast to its predecessor. Martin says the TPL was eager to commission a design that gives passersby a clear glimpse of all the activity taking place inside. Frontini’s design emphasizes light, transparency, natural materials and a warm, harvest-like colour palette that extends from the extruded glazed terracotta slats on the street-facing façade into the three interior courtyards. The 29,000 sq.-ft building is a rectangular box with a steel-frame roof, central clerestory and ceilings made from Douglas fir beams and cedar planks. The angled configuration of the slats and corner curtain-wall windows gives the one-storey structure the appearance of having had its corners lifted. Adds Frontini, “My daughter is eight and she said, `It looks like an open book.’ ”

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ADULT AREA

EAST GARDEN

ENTRY

FORECOURT

BASEMENT

Frontini, who has built municipal libraries for the cities of Whitby, Orillia and Mississauga, describes these public and broadly accessible commissions as “the least elitist buildings in which you can do architecture.” At the TPL , the world’s largest municipal library system, the branches go well beyond books and now offer a range of non-traditional spaces and services, including language classes for newcomers, 3D printing rooms, fabrication space, and, in the case of the Albion branch, a shared work space area used by local entrepreneurs to run their businesses. The TPL has been moving towards increasingly diverse and community-oriented programming for several years. According to Frontini, new-build library design, which stress this multi-functional approach, originated in Nordic and Northern European countries, and landed in North America in 2004, with OMA/LMN Architects’ 2004 Seattle Central Library, which he describes as a “watershed moment.” By way of example, Frontini points to the branch’s 3,000-square-foot “urban living room” and the adjacent 1,500-square-foot meeting space (the two are separated by a glass accordion wall). The low white oak shelving, for newspapers and magazines, is all moveable, as are the armchairs and tables, which means the space has the flexibility to handle a range of local events, such as video game-coding workshops. The three interior courtyards, explains landscape architect John Hillier, a partner with DTAH Partners, were designed to provide ready access to outdoor spaces from within the library, and are geared to different user groups. The one near the children’s section has a bouncy surface that allows young visitors to blow off energy between reading or learning activities. The other two feature benches and tables, with a minimal amount of planting. The courtyards have a secondary function, which is to allow indirect light into the library’s interior spaces. The angled exterior multi-hued cladding breaks up the long, low façades of the library. The exposed timber roof joists begin outside, in a covered and welcomingly spacious entrance area, and extend into the interior, creating a sense of porousness. Library users are greeted

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Though it projects a coloured facade, the building is heavily fenestrated. Every space is visibly accessible, yet connected to the library’s circulation hub. Glass walls separate meeting rooms, while low interior walls and millwork create defined areas for activity and diverse programming.

by a check-out counter framed by a striking abstract wall mura—entitled “The Long Passage Towards Night,” by Jacob Hashimoto for Maharam Digital Projects—that conceals the administrative offices in one corner. The back-of-house functions, in fact, have been centralized in a single zone with visibility on all areas of the library, which allows staff to monitor the entire space. Functional zones, study rooms and specialpurpose meeting spaces off the main collections area use sound dampening techniques, such as glass curtain walls and noise cancelling ceiling panels, to prevent sound from traveling. And the branch features a range of different seating types for children, teens and adults. “It’s an intricate little puzzle,” Martin says. Outside, in the reduced parking lot (now down to 65 spaces), Hillier notes that the landscaping will feature multi-hued grey brick pavers, natural species plantings and pathways so the space can be transformed into an urban plaza for community events.

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The net effect is a district branch that subtly but undeniably declares its presence on a five-lane arterial lined by malls, parking lots and drivethroughs. The renovation offers “eyes on the street” and also draws eyes to the building itself: library traffic has jumped by 44 percent over pre-reno levels, which were already substantial. As Frontini says, “This is a vital public space for the community.” John Lorinc is a Toronto journalist who writes frequently about urban affairs for

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KATSUHISA KIDA/FOTOTECA

TEZUKA ARCHITECTS

CANADIAN ARCHITECT 11/17

INTERVIEW

AROUND AND AROUND

ABOVE Completed ten years ago in Tokyo, the Fuji Kindergarten allows children to run endlessly in the open air around the inclined circular track of the building’s roof.

TAKAHARU TEZUKA UNPACKS THE CONCEPT, DESIGN AND EFFECTS OF FUJI KINDERGARTEN, THE 2017 MORIYAMA RAIC INTERNATIONAL PRIZE PROJECT. When Fuji Kindergarten in Tokyo was awarded the Moriyama RAIC International Prize in September, it marked an affirmation of the building’s innate ability to teach and inspire at both the local and international scale. The Kindergarten, designed by Tokyo-based Tezuka Architects, is one of the firm’s many projects that sensitively blend building and landscape in such a way that the spaces become unimagineable without one another. Following the awarding of the Moriyama Prize on September 19th, a telephone interview with Takaharu Tezuka was conducted by Jeremy Schipper, who is currently a Master of Architecture student at the University of British Columbia School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture. Schipper has studied in Tokyo and visited the Kindergarten in person. The following text is excerpted from their conversation. CA: A feeling of openness to the surroundings may be common in Japanese architecture, but it’s deployed very specifically in Fuji Kinder-

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garten, as the windows open around circular tracks that look like tree rings on the ground. How did you want the inhabitants of the building to feel about this openness, and what have been its effects? TEZUKA: That idea is not from me–it’s older. Fuji Kindergarten teaches Montessori education, where children of different age groups are together so that they learn how to help each other, like a family. So in this education, that openness is quite important. It wasn’t easy, because we had to in some way control the acoustic conditions. If we make just one big open room and there is a noise from next door, it can stop all kinds of class activities. But we worked with an acoustical engineer, and also we talked with the owner about how we should run and structure the classes. CA: The acoustic designing of the space embraces the idea of white noise over silence. How does this type of noise affect the children?

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INTERVIEW The Fuji Kindergarten was conceived as an inclined ovoid structure, addressing the Montessori ethos of unstructured, uninterrupted play. Sketches courtesy of Tezuka Architects. OPPOSITE W ith its large central open area, the structure offers instant access to the outdoors and a continuous choice of shelter or open-air play. LEFT AND BELOW

TEZUKA: I must say that noise is very important for children. People think it is better to put kids in quiet environments to study or to sleep. We should know that it is actually quite the opposite: when you have a baby, you find out that babies sleep quite well in noisy restaurants— as long as they are with their parents. And as soon as you put a child in a quiet environment, they start screaming. It’s quite natural to be in noise rather than to be in a quiet environment. In Fuji Kindergarten, children are treated as a part of the environment, and as a part of its noise. In environments with noise, children listen to their teachers better, and autistic children feel safer with background noise. So it’s working extremely well. CA: Children learn not just through sight and sound, but through smell, taste and touch as well. I’m curious as to how you took all five senses into account when designing the kindergarten, and how those decisions manifested in the built form.

When I was lecturing at Harvard, one of the students asked: “How do you know about kids so well, and how can I learn about kids?” And then I said: “It’s quite simple. Ask your girlfriend to get married, have children, and then you’ll understand what I’m talking about. All parents understand it.” Always we have too much information; we don’t know what the truth is. You read books and they tell you that this is how many square metres you need for each kid—but if you have a kid, you know how much space you need from experience. When we design, it’s not just with our five senses; it’s like a sixth sense.

TEZUKA:

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CA: It’s clear how much joy the building has brought to the children who use the space since it was built ten years ago. But the building has also inspired so much joy in adults around the world. How does one design with a space for play that appeals to both adults and children alike?

When we were designing Fuji Kindergarten, we went to see Gaudi’s Casa Milà in Barcelona. It’s an apartment house with a beautiful rooftop with many statues, where our small kids enjoyed running around and grown-ups were also running around. I was surprised how both kids and grown-ups were enjoying the space. When you’re designing following a rule-book, usually you’ll have to make a choice: either grown-ups can have fun, or kids will have fun. But when you go to a house like Casa Milà, or a natural environment like a nice hilly park or a stream, there is no rule-book in these joyful spaces, so you have to find a way to have fun. That is how we designed Fuji Kindergarten. The rooftop inclination brings movement and endless circulation. The skylight you can look down from, and the trees you can climb up. We knew that all grown-ups and kids would enjoy it, because we saw what worked in daily life.

TEZUKA:

CA: When you were designing the Kindergarten, and picking the dimensions and finishes for its spaces, what were you hoping that children would learn from the building? TEZUKA: We

can’t predict what they’re going to learn. We can give them opportunity, but everything is up to them to figure out. These days, a child cannot be like a child. Sometimes we want kids to learn mathematics too early, or they are inside a building playing Nintendo games. It’s not human. In this kindergarten, I want them to learn what human beings are supposed to be like. The kindergarten is a kind of ring without a centre. It’s just like sitting around a fire, and you cannot stand in the middle, but everyone is equal around the ring.

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KATSUHISA KIDA/FOTOTECA

CANADIAN ARCHITECT 11/17

CA: In your text Nostalgic Future, you say that people live among all kinds of noises, and that the more one attempts to make a pure perfect world, the more distant that ideal becomes. This statement is difficult to accept, especially for architects who wish to create that perfect world. How, then, do you see the role of the architect? TEZUKA: The role of the architect is to be a part of society. In many cases, we actually don’t need to be perfect. We make mistakes, but we have to accept that as human beings. Making architecture is just like raising kids. Your kids are not perfect, and there are so many things that go wrong—but you still love them. Your architecture can be imperfect, but still be adored by people.

We made blocks because we knew the kids were capable of creating space with them. They’re quite simple, and we made many of these, though we needed to make sure of safety. These boxes are made of quite a soft and light wood known as kiri. We made this furniture light so that the children can pick them up and move around with them. We also rounded the corners, so that while we’re having fun with these blocks, this material also allows for safety.

TEZUKA:

CA: This is something that can be said of the materiality throughout the building. The timber blocks rest upon wooden floors surrounding trees embedded within the building.

Exactly. It’s also worth mentioning that the kiri timber is quite environmentally friendly, because it grows quickly and provides good insulation. It’s also locally grown, so it’s a very good material to use.

TEZUKA:

With the openness of the building, there is a heightened sensitivity to any natural change in its surroundings. How did you prepare this building to transition from day to night, from season to season, and into the many years to come? CA:

It’s very important to know the elements that never change. If we give them a nice roof, one that keeps the heat in and gives endless circulation for kids to run around, that’s timeless, because kids will always love to run around. As long as you are following human instincts, you don’t need to worry about being timeless. If the basic elements of human needs are in the building design, you will be okay.

TEZUKA:

CA: Much of the interior ambience of this building is created by objects belonging to the children: their drawings, shoes, coats and hats. But it’s also created by a more intentionally designed element: the wooden blocks that are scattered through the space.

CA Nov 17.indd 51

CA: This award in Canada is about looking outward, which is also something your building is about. What do you hope that we as architects will learn from this project?

I don’t like to say that I’m capable of enlightening other people, because I am also learning. But I want more people to understand what we have been doing. I am quite aware of the peculiarity in our work. It’s strange—especially in Japan. But when architects start understanding that it’s very important to design things for normal people, maybe that’s the time when architects have a bigger role in society. I can’t say anything more than that.

TEZUKA:

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HIGHLY RESOURCEFUL A MINING CENTRE IN YUKON PROVIDES AN INSPIRING ENVIRONMENT FOR TRAINING Centre for Northern Innovation in Mining, Whitehorse Kobayashi + Zedda Architects TEXT Odile Hénault PHOTOS Andrew Latreille PROJECT

ARCHITECT

The Canadian mining industry is changing. In years past, mining in the north involved mostly open-pit placer or below-ground operations, often dangerous and physically demanding work. Increasingly catering to junior mining companies engaged in exploration, the resource economy now puts more emphasis on classroom training for operating and maintaining complex machinery. By 2014, the federal government had provided Yukon College with funding to create a centre that could offer local education, training and research in Yukon. The selected six-acre

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site is located at the north-east corner of the campus, near the Yukon College Arts Centre, on a plateau with expansive views to the Yukon River Valley. The design team had to work around the presence of a major high voltage line to the north and Yukon College’s ring roads to the west. The site, 77 metres above the downtown area, is mostly flat and needed little intervention—an important attribute, given the weight of vehicles such as giant graders, which have to be manoeuvred on firm and stable ground. Like many industrial and education buildings in Canada’s oft-neglected northern locales, the Centre for Northern Innovation in Mining

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(CNIM) could well have been constructed as a generic bulky shed in the landscape. Instead, Kobayashi + Zedda Architects designed it as an elegant and thoughtful hybrid comprising a compact training centre and what is called the Shop—a huge, f lexible space where workers are instructed in the use and maintenance of heavy equipment as well as trained in various skills such as carpentry and welding. The Shop also houses a number of CNC machines and welding terminals. Leading the design team was KZA partner Jack Kobayashi. “To meet the tight budget, we specified an inexpensive, pre-engineered steel frame building for the main shop,” says Kobayashi. “However, rather than

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SECTION

CANADIAN ARCHITECT 11/17

GROUND FLOOR

1 ARCTIC ENTRY 0 2 OFFICE 3 CLASSROOM 4 CLERESTORY 5 MEETING ROOM 6 CHANGE ROOM 7 STUDENT LOUNGE 8 PPE ZONE

9 10M

TOOL CRIB

10 MECHANICAL ROOM 11 SHOP 12 CLAMSHELL DOOR 13 OVERHEAD DOOR 14 SOLAR WALL 15 MINING RECLAMATION

LANDSCAPE

10M

ABOVE The design team took advantage of the site’s flat topography and expansive views to provide an inspiring and practical centre for training and heavy-equipment maintenance. BELOW LEFT The CNIM provides on-site instruction for local workers who would otherwise have to travel to southern centres for continuing education and training. BELOW RIGHT The Personal Protective Equipment zone, demarcated in bright red.

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ABOVE The garage’s bifold door allows access to the industry’s overheight machinery and vehicles. White cladding helps protect the insulation from solar heat during the region’s long summer days.

simply adhering a façade to hide the featureless shed, we decided to layer it with a foreground building that would simultaneously contrast with— and complement—the mass and volume of the larger structure.” The large, rectangular Shop volume is clad with embossed metal panels that are white in order to keep the polyurethane foam insulation sandwiched between the panels from absorbing too much solar heat during Yukon’s extended summer daylight hours, which could otherwise potentially damage the adhesive and detach the insulation from the metal sheeting over time. The choice of white also helps limit the overwhelming visual impact of this oversized volume. The smaller volume, for education and training, is sheathed in dark fibre-cement panels. Its entry façade is punctuated with wood slats and a yellow corrugated metal panel, directing one’s eye to the southeastern edge of the building where the three classrooms are located. The architects planned the structure and f loor layout of the Shop in such a way that it could be divided into two spaces if future needs change. A large bifold door was specified to allow access for the huge high-clearance mining vehicles. The Shop was also designed for the carpentry program workers and trainees to be able to work in a controlled environment to construct the modular buildings needed for mine sites before shipping them wholly assembled. The building contains three classrooms, an office area and a Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) area, which acts as a transitional zone between the Shop and the training area. While the Shop wing adheres to the campus grid, the classroom wing is rotated slightly, oriented to capture views and break up the visual impact of the larger mass. The PPE zone linking the two wings acts as a fire separation area between the Shop and classrooms. Thebright red environment serves as

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a forceful visual reminder to students leaving their classroom to don their protective gear before entering the Shop. Both subliminally and overtly, such a strong colour signals the fact that one is entering a safety zone. In this northern city, where temperatures in winter average minus 24 degrees Celsius and daylight shrinks to 6.5 hours, a building needs to take as much advantage as possible from weather and natural light conditions. The CNIM is connected to the campus district heating system, but a large solar wall installed on the western facade helps preheat incoming air through the ventilation system. The building’s large glazed window walls and skylight bring in large amounts of daylight and passive solar heating. As with most industrial buildings, the client’s design directive was simple: the creation of as much floor space as the limited budget would allow. By keeping fire separation zones confined, working with the site’s natural topography, using economic materials in imaginative ways and taking care to use local labour, the design team was able to provide the college with 80 percent more floor area then they were expecting— an amazing accomplishment on the part of the architects. What’s more, they have achieved a building of quiet elegance, to serve the community for decades to come. Odile Hénault is a Montreal-based architecture critic and consultant. CLIENT YUKON COLLEGE | ARCHITECT TEAM JACK KOBAYASHI, LAUREN HOLMES | STRUCTURAL ENNOVA STRUCTURAL ENGINEERS INC. | MECHANICAL NORTHERN CLIMATE ENGINEERING LTD. | ELECTRICAL DORWARD ENGINEERING SERVICES LTD. | LANDSCAPE LITTLE LANDY LANDSCAPE DESIGN | CONTRACTOR KETZA CONSTRUCTION, WILDSTONE CONSTRUCTION GROUP, TSL CONTRACTORS LTD. | CONSULTANT PERKINS + WILL | AREA 1,700 M 2 | BUDGET $8.3 M | COMPLETION SEPTEMBER 2016

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BOOKS

ABOVE McCarter & Nairne rendering of main Vancouver Post Office, 1953-58. BELOW Student project, 1945, in Journal of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada. 1945.

CANADA - Modern Architectures in History By Rhodri Windsor-Liscombe and Michelangelo Sabatino Reaktion Books REVIEW BY IAN CHODIKOFF

Canada’s history is an urban history—as well as a modern one—whose roots began towards the end of the 19th century, when the transcontinental Canadian Pacific Railway was completed. With the business of exploiting natural resources established, Rhodri Windsor-Liscombe and Michelangelo Sabatino describe in their book’s opening chapter how “the Canadian mindset towards its vast natural assets expanded from the source of profit to embrace constructs of aesthetic and identity.” It is this underlying “geographic imperative” that defines our architectural history. Mining communities like Asbestos, Quebec, help define our sense of modernity more profoundly than the Massey Medals or famous visits from foreign architects like Aalto or Neutra. These are the kinds of preoccupations that move through this richly illustrated and smartly written book’s narrative arc. As the authors’ account of Canadian architecture evolves within the context of political and cultural themes, so too does their discussion concerning a national architectural identity. For Windsor-Liscombe and Sabatino, Canadian architecture comprises a series of recognizable regional identities coalescing into expressive built forms. Key themes in shaping the distinctiveness of Canada’s built environment range from postwar suburban and industrial growth to urban intensification, environmental sustainability and the strengthening of social cohesion through ambitious urbanism. Readers will not be surprised to learn about the complex interrelationships between architecture, infrastructure, landscape and urbanism across seven well-researched chapters, each representing a clearly defined historical period. But what one may not expect is the book’s purposeful yet playful, approach to scholarship. The authors make excellent use of marketing materials, government reports, public exhibitions and building product adver-

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tisements from the Second World War to the present day. This material forms a strong contextual basis for analyzing the more traditional reviews and existing scholarly research on Canadian projects over the decades. As the book makes clear, Canadian architecture has largely eschewed exceptionalism for appropriateness. Nowhere is this described more succinctly than in Pierre Elliott Trudeau’s 1972 message in Progressive Architecture magazine. The then-Prime Minister stated: “As our cities grow, we shall demand of our architects a sensitive interpretation of society’s needs as well as the eloquent architectural statement. The day of the individual building is over; our concerns are in building communities that offer enrichment and increased choice to their citizens.” Canada: Modern Architectures in History is an excellent resource, setting the tone for a living history and an ever-evolving Canadian architectural legacy. Ian Chodikoff, FRAIC is a former editor of Canadian Architect .

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CANADIAN ARCHITECT 11/17

CALENDAR

ACROSS CANADA

Toronto

Vancouver

—11/30

11/23/2017—01/13/2018

Cut/Drawn John Patkau’s exhibition of steel fabrication as a study in sculptural form, at the Gallery Jones. www.galleryjones.com

With New Eyes Celebrating Italian-Canadian architects Francesco and Aldo Piccaluga, the ongoing exhibition at the Istituto Italiano di Cultura is curated by Roberto Damiani. www.iictoronto.esteri.it

—01/28/2018 The Evidence Room At the Royal Ontario Museum from the Venice Biennale of Architecture, Robert Jan Van Pelt shows architecture’s terrifying role in creating Auschwitz. www.rom.on.ca/evidence

05/11—05/12/2018

Architect@Work Held at the Enercare Centre, the two-day event offers innovationfocused seminars for architects and interior design professionals. www.architectatwork.ca

Montreal —03/04/2018 BROTHERS DRESSLER

Greystone: Tools for Understanding the City

ABOVE Lars Dressler and Jason Dressler, Chandelier, white oak, 2009, from “True Nordic: How Scandinavia Influenced Design in Canada.”

—01/28/2018

11/29—12/01

True Nordic: How Scandinavia Influenced Design in Canada Charting the inf luence of Scandinavian design on the rise of Canadian culture, the exhibit is curated by Rachel Gotlieb and Michael Prokopow. The featured designers include Kjeld and Erica Deichmann, Thor Hansen, Karen Bulow, Niels Bendtsen, Janis Kravis and Molo Design. At the Vancouver Art Gallery.

The Buildings Show North America’s largest expo for design, construction and real estate, The Buildings Show includes six shows: Construct Canada, the Homebuilder & Renovator Expo, IIDEX Canada, World of Concrete Pavilion and the Real Estate Forum. Showcased at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

—05/15/2018

Offsite: Asim Waqif New Delhi-based artist Asim Waqif repurposes waste generated by demolition sites in Vancouver’s urban areas, employing materials from abandoned and derelict buildings anticipated for development. Waqif ’s site-specific installation combines architecture with a strong contextual reference to contemporary urban design and the politics of occupying, intervening and using public space. www.vanartgallery.bc.ca

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www.cca.qc.ca

Montreal’s Geodesic Dreams UQAM Centre de design explores the “geodesic moment” and role of Montreal and Quebec in the development of this structural system, with drawings, photos, books and documents from the Canadian Architectural Archives. www.centrededesign.com

15/11/2017—01/04/2018

On Air: Broadcasting the Modern Movement Exhibition of the pioneering television course “A305: History of Architecture and Design, 1890-1939,” first aired in 1975 by the Open University, based in the United Kingdom. Its creation marked a new medium for education. Curated by Joaquim Moreno and developed with the Open University, at the Canadian Centre for Architecture. www.cca.qc.ca

Saint John 05/30—06/2018

RAIC Festival of Architecture The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada’s annual Festival of Architecture comes to New Brunswick in 2018. Continuing education, tours and awards will be part of the annual showcase. www.festival2018.raic.org

www.thebuildingsshow.com

—12/31

Urban Now: City Life in Congo An exploration of different urban sites in Congo through photography and video by artists Sammy Baloji and Filip De Boeck, at the Power Plant Gallery.

@PHYLLIS LAMBERT AND RICHARD PARE

www.vanartgallery.bc.ca

This exhibition presents an indepth material history of the City of Montreal by way of its signature Greystone buildings, from the 17th to the early 20th century, captured in a photographic mission by Phyllis Lambert with Richard Pare in 1973-74. The photographs reveal the inf luence of geology, topography, politics, culture and ethnicity in shaping the city over time. Curated by Phyllis Lambert, at the Canadian Centre for Architecture.

—12/10

www.thepowerplant.org

01/15—01/21/2018 Toronto Design Offsite Festival (TO DO) The TO DO Festival is a cultural celebration of design, with over 100 exhibitions and events forming Toronto’s design week. www.todesignoffsite.com

ABOVE Brunet Building, Saint Laurent, Montreal, built 1891; photograph taken between 1973 and 1974. From the collection of Phyllis Lambert.

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INTERNATIONAL

New York

London

11/13/2017—04/08/2018

11/08/2017—02/18/2018

Thinking Machines: Art and Design in the Computer Age, 1959-1989

Red Star Over Russia: A Revolution in Visual Culture 1905-1955

A dramatic visual history of Russia and the Soviet Union from 1905 to the death of Stalin, seen through the eyes of artists, designers and photographers. A century ago, rebellion brought hope, chaos, heroism and tragedy as the Russian Empire became the Soviet Union, endured revolutions, civil war, famine, dictatorship and Nazi invasion. A new visual culture arose and transformed the fabric of everyday life. From the collection of the late photographer and graphic designer David King, it includes rare propaganda posters, prints and photographs, with work by El Lissitzky, Gustav Klutsis, Nina Vatolina, Dmitri Moor and others. At the Tate Modern.

Exhibition exploring works of art produced using computers and computing, tracing how these thinking machines transformed aesthetics and hierarchies and revealing how they reshaped art making, working life, and social connections. Includes works by Cedric Price, John Cage, Alison Knowles, Beryl Korot and others. At the Museum of Modern Art.

CANADIAN ARCHITECT 11/17

George Brown College

SAS

School of Architectural Studies

www.moma.org —12/09

Partners in Design: Alfred H. Barr and Philip Johnson Exploration of the work of the Museum of Modern Art’s first director and the curator/architect who “introduced modern design to North America.” www.greygallery.nyu.edu/

http://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-

—01/18/2018

modern/exhibition/red-star-over-russia

Scaffolding Curated by Greg Barton, exhibition at the Centre for Architecture looks at scaffolding as a kitof-parts technology for novel forms of inhabitation and access.

Educating future technologists in the execution of the craft: Architectural Technician Architectural Technologist Interior Design Technologist

www.cfa.aiany.org

Rotterdam —01/07/2018 COURTESY OF THE TATE MODERN

The Other Architect CCA exhibition on architects who shaped the cultural agenda without the intervention of built form. www.theotherarchitect.hetnieuweinstituut.nl/en

Munich Poster proclaiming “Death to Global Imperialism,” by Dmitri Moor, from the exhibition Red Star Over Russia: A Revolution in Visual Culture 1905-1955. ABOVE

Contact: ilotech@georgebrown.ca

—06/03/2018

Futuro A tribute to an icon of the space age with a presentation in an outdoor space at Pinakothek der Moderne. The Futoro—or Future House—was designed by Finnish architect Matti Suuronen in 1965-1967 and originally intended as a ski lodge.

INDUSTRY LIAISON OFFICE

www.dnstdm.de/en/matti-suuronen-futuro

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BACKPAGE

ABOVE Centennial Museum and H.R. MacMillan Planetarium, Vancouver, 1967-68, by Gerald Hamilton and Associates Architects; with sculpture The Crab, by George Norris.

SELWYN PULLAN, COURTESY OF THE WEST VANCOUVER MUSEUM

CANADIAN ARCHITECT 11/17

GOODBYE TO ALL THAT TEXT

Marco Polo

LOOKING BACK AT THE CENTENNIAL AS THE SESQUICENTENIAL ENDS

In November of 2011, when Colin Ripley and I embarked on our research for an exhibition on Canada’s Centennial projects, the Sesquicentennial seemed far in the future. Now, as we find ourselves approaching the end of 2017, our work on the exhibition has left us so immersed in the Centennial that the current anniversary has barely registered. We conceived “Architecture and National Identity: The Centennial Projects 50 Years On” to explore and reflect on the central role of architecture in the Centennial celebrations. In addition to the Expo 67 extravaganza, two major buildings of national significance were completed: the Fathers of Confederation Memorial Buildings in Charlottetown and the National Arts Centre in Ottawa. Beyond these high-profile projects, the nation’s 100th birthday helped generate close to 900 building projects, completed with the support of the Centennial Grants Program and the Confeder-

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ation Memorial Program. Some of these were— and remain—highly visible institutions, such as the Centennial Concert Hall in Winnipeg, the Ontario Science Centre in Toronto, the Grand Théâtre de Québec in Quebec City and the Arts and Culture Centre in St. John’s. But many more are unsung, underappreciated parts of the fabric of everyday life for Canadians in towns across the country. They are the hockey rinks, libraries, schools, parks, community centres and local museums that for 50 years have been central to public life. Over the years, many Centennial projects have been abandoned or radically transformed, often unhappily. Others have lost their identity as Centennial projects, renamed to honour a corporate donor or some other new priority. A recent example is the divisive and mercifully unsuccessful bid to rename Centennial Stadium in Etobicoke, Ontario in honour of late Toronto Mayor Rob Ford. That a proposal

to rename a Centennial project was made in the Sesquicentennial year shows how much their commemorative function has fallen from public consciousness. For architects, it’s hard not to look back to the Centennial year as a golden age. Our profession helped establish a new Canadian identity, one that embraced optimism for the future. While 1967 positioned architecture as key to establishing a Centennial legacy, 2017 has been essentially the opposite. Other than the high-profile renovation and renewal of the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, architecture and design have been conspicuously absent from the Canada 150 celebrations. We should be careful, however, not to idealize what Pierre Berton called “the last good year.” In 2017, we have been more inclined to ask: good for whom? The country is in a subuded mood these days, taking a more critical view of the role of Confederation in the lives of Canada’s Indigenous people. In 1967, amid the celebrations, the “Sixties Scoop”—mass removal of Indigenous children from their homes, often for adoption by non-Indigenous families— was in full force, and residential schools were still in operation. Political tensions in Québec were increasing and would soon culminate in the violence of the 1970 October crisis and the imposition of the War Measures Act. At the 1960 AGM of the Royal Architectural Insitute of Canada, when Prime Minister John Diefenbaker exhorted architects to join the commemoration project, he invoked the “two great national stocks which joined together to make Confederation possible,” clearly referring to the French and British, excluding the Indigenous population and oblivious to the emerging multicultural identity that would characterize Canada in its second century. The architectural community that built the country’s Centennial legacy was itself representative of that new identity and included several new Canadians: Dimitri Dimakopoulos from Greece; Fred Lebensold and Victor Prus from Poland; Moshe Safdie from Israel; and first-generation Canadians Raymond Moriyama and Kiyoshi Izumi, among others. But that’s another story—perhaps one for our Bicentennial year, when the next generation will cast a critical eye on everything we got right and wrong.

CMY

Marco Polo, FRAIC is co-curator and co-author with Colin Ripley of “Architecture and National Identity: The Centennial Projects 50 Years On.”

17-10-31 12:18 PM

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