A Vision for The Future Architecture in

We Imagine a future where all Canadians are empowered to guide the design of their communities; where social and environmental justice shape every design decision; and where architecture is leveraged to celebrate diverse cultures and contribute to a prosperous future.

Download the national consultation findings and recommended actions towards an Architecture Policy for Canada, available in English and French.

roac.ca/future-of-architecture/

Projects

New courthouse opens in Toronto

The Ontario Court of Justice, designed by NORR in partnership with Renzo Piano Building Workshop as part of the EllisDon Infrastructure Team, has opened in downtown Toronto.

The new 17-storey courthouse includes 63 courtrooms, 10 conference settlement rooms, and associated support facilities. The project is the largest courthouse in Ontario and the most accessible courthouse in the province, according to the provincial government. The building incorporates elements that include barrier-free prisoner boxes and witness boxes, and signage in Braille.

The design features an exterior of layered embossed metal panels, wood frames and low iron glass, a 20-metre-tall transparent atrium surrounded by a minimalist cable-supported façade, and a 90-metre architectural mast that marks the judicial precinct, aligning to the east portico of Osgoode Hall and the northern terminus of York Street.

“The design concept is defined by a desire to reimagine the institutional building and the courthouse in particular as an integral civic component within the city that is accessible, dignified and independent,” says NORR. “As a team, we have been able to create a facility that acknowledges the significant history of the site, while also looking to the future.” norr.com

AGO reveals new expansion

The Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) and its architectural partners Diamond Schmitt, Selldorf Architects and Two Row Architect, have re- vealed designs for the Dani Reiss Modern and Contemporary Gallery, the museum’s expansion project.

The 3,716-square-metre expansion will sit one story above the AGO’s existing loading dock, and connect to its current galleries from four locations. The development will include at least 13 new galleries across five floors, increasing the AGO’s total space available to display art by 30 percent.

Neil Campbell Rowing Centre, Port Dalhousie, Ontario

Neil Campbell Rowing Centre, Port Dalhousie, Ontario

Architect: MJMA + RAAI

Architect: MJMA + RAAI

Structural: Blackwell

Structural: Blackwell

Contractor: Aquicon

Contractor: Aquicon

Photographer: Scott Norsworthy

Photographer: Scott Norsworthy

The AGO describes these new column-free galleries as “highly functional” and “very flexible to display the works of today’s great modern and contemporary artists, and adaptable to the needs of future generations of artists working across all media.”

Dani Reiss, Chairman and CEO of Canada Goose, member of the Order of Canada and an art collector, gifted the AGO $35 million one of the largest gifts in the museum’s history to launch the $100-million project.

The all-electric building will seek CAGBC Zero Carbon Operating Building certification, making it one of a very small number of museum spaces to accomplish this, and will be built to Passive House standards. Construction is expected to begin in 2024. ago.net

Awards

Brian MacKay-Lyons appointed to the Order of Canada

MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects Principal Brian MacKay-Lyons has been appointed to the Order of Canada. He is cited for “his contributions to architecture, notably through his vernacular designs that celebrate Nova Scotia culture.”

MacKay-Lyons is the 40th architect to have been honoured with this investiture in Canadian history.

The 85 newest members of the Order of Canada were announced by Canada’s Governor General, Mary Simon, on December 29, 2022. The Order of Canada, created in 1967 by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, was made “to honour people whose service shapes our society, whose innovations ignite our imaginations, and whose compassion unites our communities.” www.gg.ca

MacKay-Lyons will be presented with his insignia at a future investiture ceremony, with the date to be determined.

Phyllis Lambert awarded Ada Louise Huxtable Prize

Phyllis Lambert, architect and founder of the Canadian Centre for Architecture, has been named this year’s recipient of the Ada Louise Huxtable Prize, presented by The Architectural Review and The Architects’ Journal.

The Ada Louise Huxtable Prize for Contribution to Architecture “recognizes individuals working in the wider architectural industry who have made a significant contribution to architecture and the built environment.”

In the 1950s, Lambert commissioned and worked with Mies van der Rohe to design the Seagram Building; she founded the Canadian Centre for Architecture (CCA) in 1979.

Lambert’s latest book, Observation Is a Constant That Underlies All Approaches, launched in January, and she is currently working on her next book, How Does Your City Grow, which will be published later this year. w-programme.architectural-review.com

Polygon Gallery selected among MCHAP finalists

Mies Crown Hall Americas Prize (MCHAP) has announced the Polygon Gallery by Patkau Architects among the six finalists for the 2023 Americas Prize.

The 2023 Americas Prize recognizes the best built work in the Americas completed between December 2018 and June 2021. The selection

Blackwell’s Board of Directors is excited to announce the appointment of Brooke Guzar as the company’s inaugural CEO. Brooke comes into this pivotal position at an exciting time for Blackwell as we implement our current Governance Policy and invite new Principals into the leadership team.

Blackwell’s Board of Directors is excited to announce the appointment of Brooke Guzar as the company’s inaugural CEO. Brooke comes into this pivotal position at an exciting time for Blackwell as we implement our current Governance Policy and invite new Principals into the leadership team.

Brooke Guzar is a highly experienced structural engineer with over 15 years of practice in various areas including bridges, institutional buildings, sculptures, and custom residential work. She has experience leading multidisciplinary teams and is passionate about strategic planning, employee engagement, and effective project delivery.

Brooke Guzar is a highly experienced structural engineer with over 15 years of practice in various areas including bridges, institutional buildings, sculptures, and custom residential work. She has experience leading multidisciplinary teams and is passionate about strategic planning, employee engagement, and effective project delivery.

“It’s a privilege to step up and serve a company I care deeply about.” Guzar says. “Blackwell is a community of incredibly creative professionals who are inspired by the projects we work on and teams we get to work with. We have a unique ability to shape the built world and we do that with consistent care for our people, planet, and profession. As CEO, I will strive to enable Blackwell to achieve even greater success in fulfilling our passion for structural engineering and to support our collective drive towards excellence, learning, and belonging in all that we do.”

“It’s a privilege to step up and serve a company I care deeply about.” Guzar says. “Blackwell is a community of incredibly creative professionals who are inspired by the projects we work on and teams we get to work with. We have a unique ability to shape the built world and we do that with consistent care for our people, planet, and profession. As CEO, I will strive to enable Blackwell to achieve even greater success in fulfilling our passion for structural engineering and to support our collective drive towards excellence, learning, and belonging in all that we do.” www.blackwell.ca www.blackwell.ca and announcement of the six finalists concludes the jury’s tour of the project sites. The visits included interviews with the architects, their teams, and the project clients.

Located in North Vancouver, the Polygon Gallery is home to an independent photography and media institution that has served its creative community for nearly 40 years.

The authors of the winning project will be recognized with the MCHAP Award, the MCHAP Chair in IIT ’s College of Architecture, and $50,000 to fund research and a publication. www.mchap.co

WHAT’S NEW

AIBC transitions to Professional Governance Act

The Architectural Institute of British Columbia (AIBC) has officially transitioned to the Professional Governance Act (PGA). The Architects Act was repealed on February 10 and superseded by the Professional Governance Act and its regulations.

The transition will not bring any substantive changes to professional standards or how firms and individual registrants are regulated. The AIBC will continue to exist as a statutory corporation, and regulate the profession of architecture in the interest of the public. All applications, complaints and ongoing matters submitted prior to February 10 will follow the current processes under the Architects Act, until they are completed. The major component of the AIBC ’s transition to the PGA has been the development of new bylaws which meet the requirements of the PGA , and several draft suites of bylaws are currently available on the AIBC website for review.

One of the largest transition activities has been updating the AIBC ’s suite of documents and resources. Over the coming months, the AIBC will continue to update key regulatory documents and the website, and in the meantime, registrants should look to the Professional Governance Act and its Regulations, as well as the new AIBC Bylaw document. www.aibc.ca

Letters To The Editor

On the Value of Awards

Our editorial in December 2022 generated an ongoing discussion on the RAIC Connects (raicconnects.raic.org) forum. Here is a selection of the responses.

Award programs in architecture appear to exist, like design competitions, as a self-evidently precious and essential feature of the professional architectural ethos and “mind-scape.” Given how much effort is invested in awards programs, I am curious about their value and meaning to the community.

In principle, whatever “value” is to be claimed and/or attributed to architectural awards would have to be predicated on what meaning(s) they are specifically intended (and specifically not intended) to convey, as well as on due consideration given to whether or not they are effective enough as means towards an end acknowledged to be worthy of pursuit.

Architectural awards programs all claim to produce eminent indicators of “excellence” being achieved in building projects. Remarkably though, the set of criteria and metrics for excellence is at best remarkably fuzzy and variable, and rarely (if at all) anchored to a reliable