Canadian Architect April 2021 by IQ Business Media

CA Apr 21.indd 1

$8.95

2021-03-17 4:25 PM

GET NEWS OF FUTURE GPU ANNOUNCEMENTS The advanced linework and visually rich imagery you see in your professional software is only possible because of the GPU you are using to display it. For today’s resource heavy software, a modern GPU can mean increased performance and processing power. At AMD we are accelerating this further, and we can’t wait to show you what we have been working on. Register now for news of the newest AMD graphics cards as they’re announced: amd.com/ProGPUsignup

CA Apr 21.indd 2

2021-03-17 4:25 PM

HOUSES AND HOUSING

CANADIAN ARCHITECT

APRIL 2021 03

JAMES BRITTAIN

4 VIEWPOINT

Site visits were largely unfeasible due to pandemic restrictions this winter, necessitating inventive approaches to reporting for the current issue.

6 NEWS

Vancouver releases embodied carbon plan; remembering Peter Cardew (1939-2020).

34 PRACTICE

The recently opened Friends of Ruby Home in Toronto exemplifies an inclusive, community-centred approach to designing facilities for vulnerable groups.

38 TECHNICAL

12 HABITATIONS SAINT-MICHEL NORD

ontreal firm Saia Barbarese Topouzanov revamps a 1970s social housing complex M with colourful exteriors and revitalized public spaces. TEXT Odile Hénault

18 SOUTH HOUSE

42 INSITES

Architect Joey Giaimo’s family home in Mississauga, Ontario, challenges the conventions of suburban living. TEXT Monica Hutton

24 DEVELOPING INTERESTS

What are the opportunities and challenges of architects owning, financing and designing their own buildings? We speak with six architects who are taking on additional roles as developers. TEXT Elsa Lam ANDREW LATREILLE

DOUBLESPACE PHOTOGRAPHY

A study assesses the embodied carbon impacts of multi-residential buildings in Toronto, making policy and design recommendations for reducing the footprint of new constructions. Shim-Sutcliffe’s work at Point William, a property in the Muskoka region of Ontario, showcases the firm’s evolving approach to design over a span of two decades.

46 BOOKS

Avi Friedman’s Pre-Fab Living makes a timely appearance as modular construction is being considered for the delivery of rapid, affordable, post-pandemic housing.

50 BACKPAGE

Ménard Dworkind’s Hinterhouse presents an idyllic retreat north of Montreal. Habitations Saint-Michel Nord in Montreal; revitalization by Saia Barbarese Topouzanov Architectes. Photo by James Brittain.

COVER

V.66 N.02

CA Apr 21.indd 3

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

2021-03-17 4:25 PM

CANADIAN ARCHITECT 04/21

VIEWPOINT

SITE UNSEEN As Canadian cities slipped in and out of lockdowns over the past year, architecture firms have been periodically turning to virtual site visits to limit in-person contact at meetings. Here at Canadian Architect, we’ve also been looking at new ways to review buildings. This was particularly the case for the current issue, written and produced entirely during a full lockdown in several Canadian regions. In non-pandemic times, Canadian Architect insists that writers visit the buildings they are reviewing. But the current stay-at-home order in Toronto, and similar guidelines elsewhere, made that it impossible for us to undertake even this basic step as we were preparing the present issue on the theme of Houses and Housing. Fortunately, the pandemic has opened up new possibilities for reporting on architecture. One of the projects featured in this issue—Joey Giaimo’s South House—is part of an ongoing virtual Home Tours series hosted by the Toronto Society of Architects on Instagram Live. The online tours, recorded as cell phone camera walk-throughs, have so far attracted some 5,000 views. The half-hour tour of South House—along with architectural drawings, historical research and interviews with Giaimo—provided writer Monica Hutton with the basis for her review (page 18). Another of the articles in this issue—Odile Hénault’s review of Habitations Saint-Michel Nord, a social housing complex in Montreal revamped by Saia Barbarese Topouzanov (page 12)—had its beginnings well before the pandemic. Hénault has long been interested in the architecture of social housing, and has been tracking the redevelopment of SaintMichel Nord since its design phase. Coincidentally, as a young co-op student, she worked briefly for the architects who designed the original set of buildings in the 1970s. As the pandemic spurs some firms to review their business strategy, we felt it timely to revisit the topic of architects who also work as developers (page 24). Searching through our archives, we discovered that regional correspondent Graham Livesey wrote on the same topic in our pages a decade ago. The current piece checks in with some of the architects that Livesey profiled ten years earlier, and contains comments from several younger-generation architects who are exploring the risks and rewards of this type of endeavour.

Video interviews were key to Paniz Moayeri’s story on the Friends of Ruby Home in Toronto (page 34)—another case in which the main story was about the people and processes behind a project. Moayeri spoke extensively with architect Paul Dowsett, as well as connecting to the client group and hearing about the residents’ experiences of moving into the transitional housing facility. Her account highlights how a community-focused process consistently drove the design of the Friends of Ruby Home from its inception. This month’s technical article assesses the embodied carbon impact of selected Toronto multi-unit residential buildings (page 38). The research comes from an online graduate seminar at the Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design, led by architect Kelly Alvarez Doran last fall. Industry collaborators agreed to have their projects modelled and assessed by the students. They provided working drawings and participated in online classes, where they spoke about design strategy, structure, and materials selection. The resulting recommendations for reducing embodied carbon in large residential buildings are especially timely. The City of Vancouver recently released plans to reduce embodied emissions from new buildings by 40 percent by 2030—a first-of-its-kind mandate in North America (page 7). Doran is advocating for other jurisdictions to follow suit, since embodied carbon forms a significant slice of near-term global carbon emissions. (Some 13 percent of our global annual emissions can be attributed to carbon pollution created when extracting, manufacturing, assembling, replacing, and disposing of building materials.) Nothing quite replicates the thrill—and immediate understanding of a project’s aesthetic merits and shortfalls—that comes from visiting a place in person. We’re looking forward to that becoming the norm again. Meanwhile, we’ll continue exploring the work of architects in depth using the tools at hand. We trust that this work will serve the readers of Canadian Architect well, during these pandemic times and beyond.

Elsa Lam

EDITOR ELSA LAM, FRAIC ART DIRECTOR ROY GAIOT CONTRIBUTING EDITORS ANNMARIE ADAMS, FRAIC ODILE HÉNAULT DOUGLAS MACLEOD, NCARB, FRAIC ONLINE EDITOR CHRISTIANE BEYA REGIONAL CORRESPONDENTS MONTREAL DAVID THEODORE CALGARY GRAHAM LIVESEY, FRAIC WINNIPEG LISA LANDRUM, MAA, AIA, FRAIC VANCOUVER ADELE WEDER, HON. MRAIC SUSTAINABILITY ADVISOR ANNE LISSETT, ARCHITECT AIBC, LEED BD+C VICE PRESIDENT & SENIOR PUBLISHER STEVE WILSON 416-441-2085 x105 ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER 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 9 times per year 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: $15.00. USA: $135.95 USD for one year. International: $205.95 USD per year. Single copy for USA: $20.00 USD; International: $30.00 USD. 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)

ELAM@CANADIANARCHITECT.COM

PAC 2020 CA Apr 21.indd 4

2021-03-17 4:25 PM

High-Performance Metal Civitas | Net Zero Design

“We went through a process of energy studies, and aluminum started coming in” as a favored choice. “If you install it correctly, it will last forever.” -Barry Alan Yoakum, FAIA, Principal, archimania

Civitas, Memphis Installing contr.: Ralph Jones Sheet Metal Architect: archimania Owner: Barry Alan Yoakum Photo: archimania

Civitas makes a strong statement not only in its visual presentation, but also in its accomplishment as the first

Tite-Loc Plus Aluminum Roofing System

single-family home in the Americas to be registered as a Zero Energy/Zero Carbon home. Petersen’s wall and roof systems contributed to both design and performance of this progressive home.

Custom-Fabricated Flat-Seam Panels Aluminum Wall System Snap-Clad & Galvalume M Panels Custom Rainscreen

PAC-CLAD Corrugated Aluminum Wall System

CASE STUDY @ PAC-CL AD.COM/CIVITAS

IL: 800 PAC CLAD

MD: 800 344 1400

TX: 800 441 8661

GA: 800 272 4482

MN: 877 571 2025

AZ: 833 750 1935

PAC-CLAD.COM | INFO@PAC-CLAD.COM

PAC 2020 Civitas CANADIAN ARCH.indd 1

3/9/2021 3:10:35 PM

CA Apr 21.indd 5

2021-03-17 4:25 PM

CANADIAN ARCHITECT 04/21

NEWS According to proposal documents submitted to the City of Vancouver, the residential development comprises a 30-storey tower to the east and a 34-storey tower to the west, sitting over a fivestorey podium. The proposal includes 401 homes, a childcare facility, and parking space for over 500 bicycles. “The concept features two curvaceous, light-filled towers and a publicly accessible ground level plaza for community engagement,” said Heatherwick Studio. Inspired by tree-like forms, the towers aspire to create a “new level of global design excellence” for the city. www.heatherwick.com

POPULOUS

Diamond Schmitt completes The Buddy Holly Hall

Populous’s design for a new entertainment and hotel venue lands on Toronto’s CNE Grounds. ABOVE

PROJECTS

The Buddy Holly Hall of Performing Arts and Sciences opened recently in Lubbock, Texas. Designed by Diamond Schmitt Architects in association with Parkhill and MWM Architects of Lubbock, the 20,250-square-metre building is West Texas’s largest dedicated performance venue. The Hall includes the 2,297-seat Helen DeVitt Jones Theater, a more intimate 415-person Crickets Theater, and other spaces for rehearsal and performance. It also contains a restaurant, two multi-purpose rooms and an outdoor covered amphitheatre. Diamond Schmitt’s design of the $158-million venue was selected in 2014 following a competitive process. Their modern design

Populous unveils design for $500M Toronto performance venue

PICTURE PLANE FOR HEATHERWICK STUDIO

Esports and entertainment organization OverActive Media, along with global design firm Populous, has confirmed the details of a $500-million facility in Toronto. Projected to be completed in 2025, the development includes a theatre-style entertainment venue and hotel complex on the CNE Grounds. “We are building a world-leading, 21st-century sports media and entertainment company, and this best-in-class performance venue will be the chosen home for a new generation of fans that think differently about their entertainment choices and experiences,” said Chris Overholt, OverActive’s President and CEO. The facility plans to host over 200 events a year, driven primarily by premium music and entertainment bookings. It will also serve to attract major city-wide conventions, corporate events and product launches, awards shows and a full slate of esports events. Projecting the dynamism of sports and entertainment, the building will have a prominent presence on the Toronto waterfront. “The design of the theatre was neither conceived as a sports arena nor an opera house, rather, a new typology that straddles the two— a state-of-the-art performance venue,” said Jonathan Mallie, Senior Principal and lead designer for Populous. “The architecture creates a merger of the old and the new: the old by channelling the rhythmic repetition of historic landmark theatres, and the new by integrating the progressive forms of avant-garde 21st-century design.” www.populous.com

Heatherwick to design Vancouver residential towers

London-based design practice Heatherwick Studio has unveiled designs for two new residential projects in Vancouver, which are set to be the studio’s first high-rise buildings in Canada. Commissioned by Bosa Properties and Kingswood Properties in partnership, the concept includes a pair of tulip-shaped residential towers and a publicly accessible ground-level retail plaza.

CA Apr 21.indd 6

A proposed pair of tulip-shaped towers in Vancouver would be the first works in Canada designed by London-based Heatherwick Studio. ABOVE

2021-03-17 4:25 PM

CANADIAN ARCHITECT 04/21

CASEY DUNN

Perimeter Protection Products

ABOVE Designed by Diamond Schmitt in association with Parkhill and MWM Architects, The Buddy Holly Hall has opened in Lubbock, Texas.

is inspired by the colours and shapes of the landscape of West Texas, including the prismatic and layered rock formations of Texas canyons. www.dsai.ca

Affleck de la Riva Architects to restore Laval City Hall

Affleck de la Riva Architects has been selected to oversee the restoration and enlargement of Laval City Hall. The result of one of Quebec’s first architectural competitions, Laval City Hall is an exemplar of modernist architecture in Canada. Designed by Aff leck, Desbarats, Dimakopoulos, Lebensold, Sise Architects, the original building was completed in 1964. It opened as Chomedey Civic Centre, representing the merger of the municipalities of Renaud, Saint-Martin and L’Abord-à-Plouffe. It became Laval City Hall after a further merger of 14 municipalities in 1965. The structure used pre-stressed concrete and steel exterior panels anchored in the concrete to support roof loads—a first-of-its-kind solution in Canada. “Chomedey [was] the first municipal merger in Quebec,” writes researcher Alessandra Mariani. “The project [combined] new technologies, emerging construction methods and the implementation of industrial materials to express the emergence of a new city.” Affleck de la Riva’s mandate includes the restoration of the original city hall, an addition, and the creation of a new civic plaza. The project will respect the intentions of the 1961 competition-winning project, which included a long-term vision for multiple pavilions and a civic centre. Design is underway and construction is planned for 2022. www.affleckdelariva.com

WHAT’S NEW Vancouver releases plan to reduce embodied energy emissions from construction

On November 17, 2020, the Vancouver Council approved the Climate Emergency Action Plan to reduce the city’s carbon pollution by 50 percent by 2030. The plan is in alignment with the findings of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, calling for measures to limit global warming to 1.5°C. “Our plan builds on our previous climate plans and focuses on cutting carbon pollution from our biggest local sources—burning fossil fuels in our vehicles (39 percent) and in our buildings (54 percent),” says the City of Vancouver’s website. In addressing the emissions from buildings, the City states that it aims to cut the carbon pollution from the operation of new and existing buildings in half by 2030, compared to 2007. This goal will be achieved mainly by increasing buildings’ energy efficiency and switching to renewable energy.

CA Apr 21.indd 7

Increase Safety & Security With the ANNT Hostile Vehicle Mitigation (HVM) K12 bollard a full-size, speeding vehicle is brought to a dead stop.* • Versatile Operation: choose from fixed, removable, semi-automatic or automatic bollards. • A Reliable Sentry: a single 275 K-rated bollard is certified to K/M standards. • Easy to Use: operated by key fob, RFID card, keypad or smart phone. • Blend in: with your urban landscape with brushed stainless steel or powder coated in any RAL colour. * Just one ANNT K12 rated bollard will stop a 6,800 kg vehicle moving at 80km/h.

Ontario Bollards, 53 Armstrong Ave., Unit 1, Georgetown ON L7G 4S1 844-891-8559 info@ontariobollards.com www.ontariobollards.com

2021-03-17 4:25 PM

CANADIAN ARCHITECT 04/21

NEWS

The plan also sets embodied carbon targets for new buildings, based on a set of benchmarks established from existing buildings. This mandate— a first of its kind in North America—takes responsibility for carbon pollution created while extracting, manufacturing, assembling, replacing and disposing of building materials, such as concrete, metals, and insulation. A third of the emissions from buildings and construction can be attributed to embodied carbon. By 2030, Vancouver will ensure 40 percent less embodied emissions from new buildings and construction projects compared to 2008. The embodied carbon goals will be met by measures including: * Using materials more efficiently * Reusing existing buildings and materials * Building more from sustainably sourced wood and mass timber * Using lower-carbon blends of concrete * Powering construction sites with renewable energy instead of diesel fuel * Using low-carbon insulation instead of spray foam, and putting less parking in buildings “This plan means change. It means residents, businesses and the City doing our part to transition off fossil fuels. It is designed to make it easier for you to live a carbon-free life. We’ll continue to gather public input on the actions as we move forward to make this an effective and equitable climate plan,” says the City’s website.

Last published in 2009, this third edition is a comprehensive reworking of an essential professional resource which resulted from extensive collaboration by the architectural profession from every region of the country. “The Canadian Handbook of Practice has always been an essential reference, helping architects to better manage our projects and our businesses. This new, expanded Handbook reflects the increasing complexity of the design and construction industry and supports the broad application of best practices in our profession,” said architect Emmanuelle Van Rutten, FRAIC, a Board Member of the RAIC. “Architects must retain a tremendous breadth of current knowledge as they work to enhance the quality of life for Canadians through design. This comprehensive and completely updated edition of the Canadian Handbook of Practice will be an invaluable resource for all Canadian architects and a textbook for those embarking on careers in architecture,” said John Brown, FRAIC, President of the RAIC. The Handbook is available as a free resource, on a comprehensive searchable website in both English and French. As a living document, this resource will be continuously updated and developed over time to reflect the evolution of architectural practice in Canada.

www.vancouver.ca

Alfred Waugh named one of 50 most powerful Canadians

New edition of the Canadian Handbook of Practice for Architects now available

Maclean’s has named architect Alfred Waugh to its 2021 Power List of 50 Canadians “who are breaking ground, leading the debate and shaping how we think and live.” Waugh, who founded Vancouver-based Formline Architecture, is the designer of the Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. He has also been selected to design Saskatoon’s Central Library with Chevalier Morales and Architecture49 and the University of Toronto’s Indigenous House with LGA Architectural Partners. Waugh is part of the Fond Du Lac Denesuline First Nation in Northern Saskatchewan. He has built his reputation on consulting with Indigenous communities to understand their needs and wisdom, and translating this knowledge into inherently sustainable design that is respectful of its place, use of materials and local culture. “The president of B.C.-based Formline Architecture leads a new generation of First Nations and Métis designers, who burst onto the international stage at the 2018 Venice Biennale with an exhibit called ‘Unceded,’” writes Jason Markusoff in the profile of Waugh for Maclean’s. “For the purposes of the 2021 Maclean’s Power List, we canvassed the landscape for Canadians with qualities we think represent power in a time of transformative change,” writes the magazine. “By dint of their actions, words or character, they force us to watch, listen and learn. They are moving the needle in their chosen fields, and in many cases the wider world.”

The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) has released a new edition of the Canadian Handbook of Practice for Architects.

Wind • Snow • Exhaust • Odour • Noise • Particulate • Ministry Approvals • CFD Analysis •

www.chop.raic.ca

www.macleans.ca

IN MEMORIAM Peter Cardew, 1939-2020

519.787. 2910 spollock@theakston.com www.theakston.com

CA Apr 21.indd 8

For good, and sometimes for ill, Vancouver’s Peter Cardew has become Canada’s definitive ‘architect’s architect’ over the past several decades. For good, he was chosen as the RAIC ’s Gold Medal winner for 2012, despite then never having completed a building east of Calgary. Andrew Gruft’s award-linked tribute to him in this magazine was entitled “An Architect’s Architect.” He earned the broad respect of his peers for

2021-03-17 4:25 PM

Vancouver architect Peter Cardew passed away last October.

such meticulously detailed and spatially engaging buildings as UBC ’s Belkin Art Gallery and the Stone Band School in BC’s Chilcotin. As a project designer for Rhone and Iredale early in his career, Cardew shaped Vancouver’s definitive office tower of the 1970s, Crown Life Plaza—now called 1500 West Georgia. David Miller is founder of Rhone and Iredale’s Seattle spin-off (now called Miller Hull, and named AIA’s 2003 Firm of the Year), and says this of working on 1500 West Georgia under Cardew: “It is very hard to create buildings that blend humanity with crisp tectonic form. Peter made it an art. He was a big inf luence on my development as a designer.” Miller is not alone: ever since 1500 West Georgia opened, Vancouver design firms have voted with their square feet—by selecting this building as home for their studios. But the discipline and focus needed to pull off being an architect’s architect comes at a price. The total area of buildings that Cardew completed in the decade after the 1980 founding of his own firm barely exceeds that single half-block-filling earlier work. Canada’s chary procurement rules and often timid embrace of innovation and excellence meant that Cardew never broke through to the large urban commissions that the British-born architect clearly wanted. There is more at play than this standard list of impediments, however, because Cardew sometimes shared Arthur Erickson’s disdain for the money side of architecture. Calgary’s Marc Boutin—who began his career with four years in Cardew’s office (much of it working on the Belkin Gallery)— says Cardew’s disinterest in making a lot of money and his excellence as a designer stemmed from a common source, which he describes as “Peter’s ability to remove himself from minutia, balancing intensive timeframes of focus syncopated with noodling/lateral thinking.” Former Rhone and Iredale colleague Richard Henriquez says that from the beginning, he thought of Cardew as “one of the best designers in this country, with enormous potential,” but also adds, somewhat sternly, “He did not have the rigour to realize architecture was more than design.” While overseeing the era-defining string of First Nations schools for the federal government out of Vancouver in the late 1980s, architect Marie-Odile Marceau was a key early client for Cardew’s Kitkatla Industrial Arts Shop and Stone Band School commissions, then later became an enduring personal friend. She reflects that architects as talented as Cardew “face a kind of Catch-22, because having no limitations on design abilities, they create their own impediments—their virtues also being vices.” In her view, in the end, “Peter Cardew was content in the limits he imposed on his career and himself.”

CA Apr 21.indd 9

The Heights Foundation Early Learning Center, Fort Myers FL | architect: RG Architects photographer: Amber Frederiksen

COURTESY KIM SMITH ABOVE

Along with the Belkin Art Gallery, the Stone Band School is surely one of the enduring masterpieces of late-20th-century Canadian architecture. Russell Acton, now principal of Vancouver’s Acton Ostry, was Cardew’s sole employee for much of the period of its design. He speaks of his intensive, cyclic design process, with hundreds of tiny changes tested through tracing and reconsideration, redrawn over and over and over. The same rigour was applied to research of site and building precedents, and to the interrogation of building programs. The Stone Band brief indicated a small school with just six classrooms, and budget was never found for the planned gymnasium. Nonetheless, Cardew immersed himself in the Indigenous kitwila pit-building traditions of the Chilcotin, and the primal geometries of those devices of the industrial transformation of their forests—conical metal sawdust burners. Coming hard on the heels of the Patkau’s Seabird Island school (also produced under Marceau’s program), Stone Band did not have the large gathering spaces of Patkau’s Fraser Valley school. But Stone Band’s central area, surrounded by concrete block-walled classrooms and defined by a long wall and edging berm, is the focus of the most considered floor plan of any school in this country. Then there are Cardew’s drawings. When working with Cardew, Acton was asked to set up on a huge sheet that most James Stirlingesque of drawings: a worm’s-eye axonometric view of the Stone Band school. He recalls spending many hours on it, but the linework was confounding, and he finally gave up, passing it back to his boss. Cardew finished the set-up and the entire drawing, which is now a treasured possession of Marceau’s. Says Acton: “After two years at BCIT and five at Carleton, [Cardew] at last taught me the essence of architecture— detailing as the building-out of an idea, a synthesis.” The Stone Band axonometric was included in Cardew’s 1996 exhibition at Emily Carr’s

CANADIAN ARCHITECT 04/21

Not only does it look good, it makes you feel good. Since 1994, Bison Innovative Products has led the industry in designing and manufacturing versatile pedestals, pavers, and site furnishings that offer the design exibility to create unique and beautiful rooftop environments. Our independently tested, modular deck system allows rooftop decks to be installed quickly and easily. bisonip.com | 800.333.4234

2021-03-17 4:25 PM

NEWS

Scott Gallery, and a portion of it was on the cover of the accompanying catalogue, making it one of the few permanent records of his drawings that we retain. The exhibition and catalogue title—Ordinary Buildings— is classic Cardew: simultaneously humble and boastful. Yes, he makes “ordinary” buildings… in the same way Donald Judd makes “ordinary” sculpture, or Thomas Pynchon makes “ordinary” novels! Peter Cardew was born in 1939, growing up in London’s Home Counties under the pallor of war, with his father killed in a 1941 Royal Air Force crash. Peter would speak of his love of concrete born in the safety of pre-cast bomb shelters. He was briefly relocated to Lancashire, then went on to public schools while his mother spent a period after the war in Africa. He interrupted his architectural studies at the Kingston School of Art with a year working for Stuttgart’s Max Bacher on an exhibition pavilion (a key portfolio piece for his superb work later at Expo 86), graduating in 1963. By the time he emigrated to Vancouver in the fall of 1966, he had already designed, built, published, and received awards for a special needs school in Kent. The transition to Canada was not easy. He once recalled to me about the November of his arrival: “It rained continuously morning, noon and night for the first two weeks I was here—I never saw the mountains once!” Along with his umbrella, Peter Cardew brought to Vancouver a deep knowledge and personal experience of the early works of James Stirling, especially his 1963 Leicester University Engineering Building (a clear influence on 1500 West Georgia and his art galleries) and the Oxford Florey Building, designed in 1966. This set Cardew apart from a postExpo 67 design scene that, in eastern Canada, was dominated by ideas from Harvard and Chicago. Stirling’s influence is also evident in his first multi-family residential project—a set of rowhouses on False Creek, with maritime windows and a generosity of light, despite a narrow plan.

SCHULICH BUSINESS SCHOOL

INVESTS IN THE BEST

WITH SPECTRUM LOCKERS

2020 CANADIAN GREEN BUILDING OF THE YEAR

TRESPA PHENOLIC PANELS

Spectrum Lockers congratulates the team at Baird Sampson Neuert Architects Schulich School of Business at York University Toronto, ON

WWW.SPECTRUMLOCKERS.COM

CA Apr 21.indd 10

COURTESY PETER CARDEW ARCHITECTS

CANADIAN ARCHITECT 04/21

Peter Cardew’s Stone Band School in Chilcotin, British Columbia, was part of a federal program that commissioned architecturally significant schools in First Nations communities. ABOVE

As was true for his brilliant infill project 15 years later for four flats and a workshop around a Paris-style hard-surfaced courtyard on Odlum Street, what is baffling is that so few others carried on the intense livability and visual swerve of the False Creek rowhouses after Cardew’s pioneering experiment. While mouthing admiration, architects, developers and especially planners seemed threatened by his innovations, which had not been validated elsewhere, that default neurosis so endemic to the Canadian mind. “They changed the bloody regulations so it would never happen again,” says Cardew of Odlum Live-Work Housing, which created homes for four families on the site of a decaying single wooden house. Cardew certainly had rigour in his personal life, rising at 5:00 AM daily, bicycling across the city for a swim at the YWCA, then on to the studio by 8:00. All of us who knew him thought of him as being the perfect gentlemen: a somewhat obsessive chap on the English model, guarded but kind. With his strong sense of art and detail, he was the closest we have to a Sir John Soane for our times, and if a fanfare is played in his honour when conditions permit, it should be Elgar’s “The Enigma Variations”—that, or a skiffle band. Some of Cardew’s great successes were in BC ’s Interior, notably two phases of industrial structures and offices for forest giant Lignum, and an art gallery and government building for Kamloops, produced with Nigel Baldwin. Several houses designed by Cardew were spectacular—such as the hillside perch for design entrepreneur Martha Sturdy—others for Vancouver’s westside are notable for their quiet livability, formal or tectonic quests never getting in the way of the rooms they served. Cardew designed cafés and retail shops along the way, but that side of his practice picked up in the past decade, notably with stores in Toronto and Los Angeles along with a pair in their hometown for Vancouver-based streetwear firm Reigning Champ. These are Cardew’s closest brush with minimalism, aided by the fact that these are a mainly online retailer’s sparsely stocked showrooms—intended as much to quietly impress as to move the merchandise. The Robson Street Reigning Champ is something of a meta-project, with references back to the Belkin Gallery, with its white ceramic tiling contrasting with wood highlights in thin columns, and rotatable product display units hovering above bare concrete f loors. Passed over (as were all Canadian designers) for the Vancouver Art Gallery commission, Cardew plugged on with his own speculative and ingenious scheme for a largely underground extension of VAG’s current home in a 1984 Erickson renovation of a Rattenbury courthouse. When Herzog and de Meuron’s Inukshuk-in-a-palisade VAG scheme

2021-03-17 4:25 PM

received an underwhelming response from critics, private donors, and even the federal government (who have yet to invest a cent in the proposal), Peter Cardew redoubled his effort right through the last halfdecade of his life. He produced a wonderful video about his VAG redesign, one of the finest feats of design communication ever compiled by a Canadian architect. According to Russell Acton, Cardew’s VAG proposal is ever more “brilliant, obvious and buildable.” Nowhere is the downside of an architect’s architect rising to the scale of huge public buildings more apparent than in the enduring controversy dogging Peter Cardew’s closest European equivalent, Peter Zumthor, in his elephantine proposed rebuild of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. A Saskatchewan colleague said this of Regina’s Clifford Wiens, but the summation could apply equally to Cardew and Zumthor: “A perfectionist in an imperfect world.” That said, where would we be without such dreamers? Like Wiens, Cardew left no full monograph from a publisher to document his work, as books are expensive and/or time-consuming for architect’s architects, but more importantly, there is always the issue of perfectionism in an imperfect medium. The enduring memory I have of Peter Cardew is an image of the layered tracings he would huddle over for hours in his studio. He repeatedly redrew what had been decided, then probed what had not been. Sometimes these tracings would be pinned up to examine, just as often another layer would be pencilled out on top of them—the geological layerings of a fine design mind at work. Canada is better for the tracings of his life. Vancouver architecture critic and curator Trevor Boddy FRAIC wrote a cover story for Canadian Architect ’s February 2000 issue entitled “Peter Cardew’s Interior.”

MEMORANDA New Dean named for Daniels Faculty

The John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design at the University of Toronto has announced that Juan Du will be its new dean, effective July 1, 2021, for a five-year term. Du will join the Daniels Faculty at the rank of full professor. As an architectural scholar, Du’s creative practice, teaching, and research explores urban theories and architectural designs to address the impacts of rapid urbanization. Du brings to Daniels over 15 years of experience at the University of Hong Kong’s Faculty of Architecture, where she has served in various leadership and academic roles. Du is the founding director of IDU_architecture, a design and research practice that focuses on responsible urban planning and design. In 2005, Du worked with Shenzen’s city government on the inaugural Shenzhen Hong Kong Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism. www.daniels.utoronto.ca

The Things Around Us

The Canadian Centre of Architecture’s current exhibition, The Things Around Us: 51N4E and Rural Urban Framework looks at the work of two studios who operate in expanded ecologies of architectural practice. By collaborating with policymakers, local contractors and NGOs and engaging their respective labs at the University of Hong Kong and ETH Zürich as key sites of research, both offices investigate new forms of cooperation and dialogue as crucial design strategies. The exhibition continues to September 19, 2021.

CANADIAN ARCHITECT 04/21

www.cca.qc.ca

ERRATUM Our review of the Stanley A. Milner Library (CA, February 2021) included an inaccurate description of artist Peter von Tiesenhausen’s installation. Here is a correct description from the artist’s website: Things I Knew To Be True is a meditation on the passing of knowledge, and the compounding transformations of meaning that accrue in the processes of translation, interpretation and understanding. Composed of 822 plates of salvaged steel plasma-cut to evoke a written language—the characters of which take the form of abstracted human figures—it is a handmade manuscript of the artist’s own reflections on the passage of time, life and death. Exhibited as a wall-mounted monumental paragraph, Things I Knew To Be True is a fluid and unverifiable chronicle into which each reader will read their own story. This work is made from recycled steel salvaged from industrial oilfield fabrication. All plasma-cutting and welding involved in the creation of this work was powered by solar energy.

WITHSTAND THE MOST OUTSTANDING SNOWSTORMS

Commercial-grade snow retention for extreme snow loads and roof panels with up to 42” seams

OAA appoints new President

The Ontario Association of Architects has appointed Susan Speigel, FRAIC, as the organization’s new President. Speigel’s career has spanned more than 30 years and cities including Sudbury, Ottawa, New York, Neuchâtel and Toronto. www.oaa.on.ca

patent pending

Storefront Manitoba names new Executive Directors

Storefront Manitoba has recently Peter Sampson and Liz Wreford as its new Executive Directors. Peter Sampson, FRAIC, is Principal Architect of Public City. Liz Wreford is Principal Landscape Architect of Public City.

TO ORDER: 860-773-4185 www.AceClamp.com

www.storefrontmb.ca

CA Apr 21.indd 11

2021-03-17 4:25 PM

CANADIAN ARCHITECT 04/21

GOODBYE TRISTESSE! THE RENEWAL OF A 1970S HOUSING DEVELOPMENT BRINGS A COLOURFUL PALETTE AND SMART URBANISM TO MONTREAL’S SOCIAL HOUSING. Habitations Saint-Michel Nord, Montreal, Quebec Saia Barbarese Topouzanov Architectes TEXT Odile Hénault PHOTOS James Brittain PROJECT

ARCHITECT

One’s first impression of Habitations Saint-Michel Nord is one of surprise. Surprise at a symphony of super-sized cylinders— cylinders—in reality, glorified fire exits— exits—projecting from the front façades. The festive mood, as exemplified in the transformation of this major 50-year-old housing project, is indicative of a radical change of attitude towards social housing.The original buildings have been stripped of their dull-brown masonry and concrete façades, and are now clad in vibrantly coloured brick, with staircases to match. This unabashed celebration of life sends a clear message: social housing is nothing to be ashamed of. The firm responsible for this achievement, Saia Barbarese Topouzanov Architects (SBTA), is well known for its substantial contributions to Montreal over the past decades. It is particularly associated with the city’s rainbow-hued Convention Centre expansion, the subject

CA Apr 21.indd 12

2021-03-17 4:25 PM

CA Apr 21.indd 13

CANADIAN ARCHITECT 04/21

2021-03-17 4:25 PM

CANADIAN ARCHITECT 04/21

SITE PERSPECTIVE

CA Apr 21.indd 14

of considerable commotion when it opened in 2002. The firm’s lesserknown work—including numerous social housing projects—shows their unabated (and increasingly sophisticated) exploration of colour. It also shows their ability to get the most out of meagre budgets. Habitations Saint-Michel Nord, located northeast of downtown Montreal, was built shortly after the city’s social housing agency, the Office municipal d’habitation de Montréal (OMHM) came into existence. From 1969 to 1979, with architect Guy Legault at its helm, the OMHM built more than 8,000 housing units for underprivileged families.1 At the time, the euphoria surrounding Expo 67 was dwindling, and municipal authorities became more and more aware of the squalid living conditions prevailing in Montreal’s poorer neighbourhoods. As a reminder, these were the years when activist Jane Jacobs and left-wing city planner Hans Blumenfeld2 were actively engaged in public debates that would change Toronto (to quote the title of a book published by another major figure of that period, community organizer and former mayor John Sewell).3 Poised to learn from Toronto’s experience in social housing, the f ledging OMHM hired Hans Blumenfeld as a consultant. It was in this climate of effervescence—but also of trial and error— that architects Bobrow Fieldman designed Habitations Saint-Michel Nord. Some of the mistakes made in Toronto—such as creating inward-looking courtyards, which Blumenfeld had warned against— were reproduced in the Habitations. However, the 27-building complex had many interesting features. It provided tenants with a large variety of layouts, including maisonette-like two-storey apartments, corner units, and even some through-units—a type still considered a luxury by developers today.

2021-03-17 4:25 PM

A+B

B+C

C+D

CANADIAN ARCHITECT 04/21

BRICK COLOUR SCHEME

According to SBTA partner Dino Barbarese, “Saint-Michel’s units were well-designed from the start and required only minimal improvements.” The 1972 project also included an underground garage, which extended below the buildings and made it possible to create landscaped grounds, rather than paving over the site for parking. By 2015, however, the project was approaching the end of its useful life. Some of its 180 units were in such poor repair that they could no longer be occupied. The inner courtyards, which may have looked charming on architectural renderings, had gradually become enclaves for illicit activities, and a no-go zone for many residents. The OMHM was forced to take action. Several options were considered, including total demolition. Thankfully, the chosen solution—to rehabilitate rather than rebuild—would give the complex a new lease on life. In the revamped Saint-Michel Nord, fire stairs are designed as sculptural elements. OPPOSITE Several existing buildings were removed to create a pedestrian-friendly street dotted by gathering areas; a change in paving marks the footprints of the removed structures. ABOVE Underground parking allowed for extensive landscaping, including new trees and raised planters. RIGHT Mature trees along 25th Avenue—part of the original landscaping—were retained. PREVIOUS SPREAD

CA Apr 21.indd 15

2021-03-17 4:25 PM

CANADIAN ARCHITECT 04/21

1 2 3 4

LEGEND YOUTH CENTER MULTIPURPOSE HALL COMMUNITY RESTAURANT DAYCARE CENTER EXISTING TREES

FRUIT TREES NEW TREES URBAN FURNITURE RUE JEAN RIVARO

BOULEVARD ROBERT

SEMI-BURIED WASTE BINS BIKE RACKS GRASS SHRUB PLANTING STRIP GROUND COVER VEGETABLE GARDEN

SQUARE (PERMEABLE PAVING) DAYCARE PERMEABLE PAVING CONCRETE / PRIVATE PATH

25TH AVENUE

20M

SITE PLAN

Key to the site’s rehabilitation was the introduction of a central shared street, designed along the principles of the Dutch woonerf. The long city block was essentially split down the middle, creating connections between the residents and the surrounding community and increasing the safety of the area. Six of the original 27 buildings were demolished to make room for this new corridor, which allows for vehicular traffic, but is primarily a community-oriented space. To comply with a mandatory requirement, SBTA had to make up for the units lost in the demolition process, which they did through adding an extra floor to eight existing two-storey buildings. The most spectacular change, however, comes from the treatment of the façades. Inspired by the work of French-Venezuelan artist Carlos Cruz-Diez, SBTA partner Vladimir Topouzanov chose four earthtoned brick colours, ranging from buff to burgundy; in some sections, the colours are interlaid, producing the illusion of seven distinct hues in all. The metal balconies and spiral stairs were painted accordingly. In a further effort to create a vibrant, dynamic environment, the progression of colours, from light to dark, is inverted on either side of the central street. Inside the buildings, the floorplans were not much altered, but the individual units were completely renovated and given more generous openings. Previous services—including a youth centre, a multipurpose hall, a community restaurant and a daycare—were relocated to more closely connect with Robert Boulevard and René-Goupil Park, north of the site. These amenities are now open to the entire neighbourhood, encouraging a greater co-mingling between residents of the Habitations and others who live in the area. The OMHM, which masterminded the logistics for the entire operation, was exemplary in many regards. In addition to coordinating with several municipal services, the agency ensured a smooth transition for the residents. It took care of temporary relocation arrangements: finding appropriate apartments and monitoring school transfers, among other needs. The staff stood by during the entire design, construction and move-in process, keeping the tenants informed and intervening whenever necessary. In the end, 50 percent of the displaced families moved back to the renovated Habitations Saint-Michel Nord last summer.

Dino Barbarese speaks highly of his client, saying, “We have rarely done a project of this size with so few hurdles. Everyone seemed to believe in it.” In Montreal and beyond, numerous social housing projects from the 1970s are in dire need of renovation. The transformation of the Habitations demonstrates how in-depth rehabilitation can be—ecologically and economically—a more sustainable alternative to outright demolition. In the hands of SBTA, the challenge also presented an opportunity for novel aesthetic expression. Habitations Saint-Michel Nord is instructive not only for public housing providers, but also for private developers with aging assets—and considerably higher budgets at their disposal. Kudos go to the architects who, over recent years and often for modest fees, have gradually changed the image of social housing in Montreal, while bringing dignity and hope to families. For far too long, the words “social housing” have implied drabness and sadness. No longer. Goodbye, tristesse! 1 Guy R. Legault, La ville qu’on a bâtie: Trente ans au service de l’urbanisme

et de l’habitation à Montréal, 1959-1986. Éditions Liber, 2002. 2 Frédéric Mercure-Jolette, “Hans Blumenfeld: A Moderate Defence of Expertise in the Controversial 1960s.” Planning Perspectives, 2019, Vol. 34, No. 4. 3 John Sewell, How We Changed Toronto: The Inside Story of Twelve Creative,

Tumultuous Years in Civic Life, 1969-1980. Lorimer, 2015. Architectural writer Odile Hénault is a regular contributor to Canadian Architect . As a young co-op student, she worked for Montreal firm Bobrow Fieldman Architects, a few years after they had completed the construction of Habitations Saint-Michel Nord. She first became interested in social housing when she was the editor of Sec-

tion a (1983-1986) and has written a number of articles on the topic since.

CLIENT OFFICE MUNICIPAL D’HABITATION DE MONTRÉAL (OMHM) | ARCHITECT TEAM DINO BAR-

BARESE (RAIC), VLADIMIR TOPOUZANOV (RAIC), GENEVIÈVE DEGUIRE, CHRISTOPHER DUBÉ, HUGO DUGUAY, JOËL HÉBERT, MAXIME HURTUBISE, YVAN MARION, LOUIS-GUILLAUME PAQUET, KARL ROBERT, FLAVIA SOCOL, YVON THÉORÊT, SOPHIE TRÉPANIER-LAPLANTE | STRUCTURAL/CIVIL CIMA + | MECHANICAL/ELECTRICAL AEDIFICA | LANDSCAPE VLAN PAYSAGES | INTERIORS SAIA BARBARESE TOPOUZANOV ARCHITECTES | ENVIRONMENTAL WOOD | SECURITY BOUTHILLETTE PARIZEAU | CONTRACTOR CONSTRUCTION CYBCO | AREA 22,800M2 | BUDGET $47.5 M | COMPLETION SEPTEMBER 2020

EC1335 CA Apr 21.indd 16

2021-03-17 4:25 PM

EC13358-B Print Ad-Full-CANARCH.indd 1 CA Apr 21.indd 17

3/16/21 10:54 AM 2021-03-17 4:25 PM

CANADIAN ARCHITECT 04/21

CA Apr 21.indd 18

2021-03-17 4:25 PM

SITE PLAN

CANADIAN ARCHITECT 04/21

ATTACHED TO THE DETACHED A BOLD BLUE ADDITION TRANSFORMS A SUBURBAN BUNGALOW INTO A SERIES OF UNCONVENTIONAL SPACES FOR FAMILY LIVING. South House, Mississauga, Ontario Giaimo TEXT Monica Hutton PHOTOS doublespace photography PROJECT

ARCHITECT

As you travel down Third Street in Lakeview, Mississauga—a neighbourhood just west of Toronto—a monolithic volume on a corner lot stands out for being unlike anything else in the suburban residential area. Neighbours have nicknamed it “the blue house,” and from certain angles, the blue-faced block looks like an entirely new construction, rather than an addition to an existing home. It has no windows and minimal details. An inset cedar door and an exaggerated scupper are the only hints of the spaces on the other side of the punchy metal siding. Architect and homeowner Joey Giaimo admits the design doesn’t fit within a familiar mold: “It confuses people a bit.” The rectangular form is nonetheless proportioned to mediate between the bungalows next door and two three-storey residential buildings across the street; the latter help fill a noticeable gap in multi-family housing. Beyond the blue, you can catch glimpses of a volume tucked behind, suggesting there is more than immediately meets the eye.

CA Apr 21.indd 19

2021-03-17 4:25 PM

CANADIAN ARCHITECT 04/21

CA Apr 21.indd 20

2021-03-17 4:25 PM

Giaimo’s architectural practice favours working with existing conditions. In his work for clients, as well as on his own home, he resists a recurring process: “the default to buy a property, tear it down, and build from scratch.” Glancing down the street, numerous Lakeview bungalows have been razed and replaced with two- and three-storey counterparts, with footprints pushing at lot limit-lines. Clad with stucco and stone veneer, they reflect a commodification of shelter—a phenomenon that has intensified in recent years in the Toronto region. Properties are purchased for land value. More square footage is added, in new houses that shelter fewer and fewer people. Turning the corner on East Avenue reveals another face to Giaimo’s suburban house. This façade—the original entry to a 1920s bungalow, which has been kept in place—has the age that the other lacks, and is partially obscured by maturing trees and shrubs. The materials here are largely untouched and unconcerned with keeping up appearances. The rectangular footprints of the old house and the new addition intersect inside the home. The frame to the Third Street door was preserved, and serves as the threshold between the two. Inside the addition, layers were peeled away to reveal the original exterior pine sheathing. Meanwhile, new gussets transfer loads between wood joists and studs that frame a skylit stepped entry hall that extends out towards the street.

CANADIAN ARCHITECT 04/21

The work demonstrates there are options beyond teardowns—even for a small bungalow. Thinking creatively about reuse and renovation is even more important when it comes to larger buildings and ensembles, like those recently targeted for demolition at the Dominion Wheel and Foundries site in Toronto. Giaimo previously worked with heritage specialists ERA, and says he aims to take guidance from existing built conditions—regardless of whether they are considered generic or have formal heritage recognition. For his own house, the design was influenced by studying the varied additions made to nearby detached houses over decades. These singlefamily homes and the lots they occupy are an outcome of a centurieslong process of land dealings and annexations. The 1806 Head of the Lake Purchase between the Mississaugas of the Credit and the Crown exposed the land that is now called Lakeview, along with its surrounding waterfront, to accelerating systems of colonization. Territory was surveyed, and concession roads were laid out to give new settlers access to lots. World War I pushed land use around Mississauga’s waterfront towards industrial manufacturing, with heavy infrastructural investments in the nearby Lakeshore Road, the railway, and later, the Queen Elizabeth Way expressway. New houses were built for returning war veterans, while farms were sold for detached suburban development.

A minimal addition clad in blue siding gives an usual presence to architect Joey Giaimo’s family home in suburban Mississauga. OPPOSITE, Inside, the addition unfolds as a stepped entry hall, topped by an undulating array of joists and generously daylit by skylights; a new master bedroom sits on the lower level of the addition; a former exterior window and doorway open into the children’s bedroom, which can be separated from the living room by sliding partitions. ABOVE The house’s original chimney serves as a vent for the kitchen stove in the open-concept interior. OPENING SPREAD

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT

CA Apr 21.indd 21

2021-03-17 4:25 PM

CANADIAN ARCHITECT 04/21

22 MAIN HALL FRAMING DIAGRAM

AXONOMETRIC VIEW

T AS

E AV

E TH

ENTRY HALL GUSSET DETAIL

TWINNED PLYWOOD INTERIOR PLATES TRANSFER LOADS, ALLOW FOR SELF REGISTRATION OF LUMBER, AND NEGATE THE NEED FOR MANY UNIQUE INDIVIDUAL CUTS.

1/2 INCH GUSSET PLATES ARE BOLTED TO THE INTERIOR PLATES, MAINTAINING THE LUMBER’S LATERAL STABILITY AND AIDING IN LOAD TRANSFER.

Giaimo believes that the original house at Third and East was likely a model used for a residential Ponzi scheme, which advertised a new Lakeview Park development and collected deposits on lots that were subsequently abandoned. Over the decades before Giaimo and his wife and business partner, Joanne Casiero, purchased the property, few changes were made. They chose to keep the 1920s house, making incremental adjustments as their family grew. A 2010 renovation retained the overall massing while opening up its interior spaces. They removed all interior doors, placing a Murphy bed in the bedroom and using sliding partitions to encourage a flexibility of uses between living, sleeping and eating areas. The blue addition was spurred by the arrival of the couple’s second child. The new hall reorients the main entrance; inside, stepped platforms rise from grade to meet the existing floor. The hall is sheltered from the street and topped by a set of wood joists laid out in a skewed formation, breaking from the rigidity of the exterior form. In addition to serving as a mudroom, the hall is used variously as a play area, workout zone, and home movie theatre. Giaimo’s sons pick books from the one-tier wood shelf that lines the exterior wall and sit on the retained window ledge (which joins to their bedroom) to read. As they grow, Giaimo plans to revisit the connection to the loft space located next to the entry door—currently used for storage—to provide a more private space to read and work. While the hall marches up to meet the height of the original house, the rest of the renovation opts to go down. Within the footprint of the addition, a stairway leads to a double-height main bedroom. The loft, accessed from the hall above, extends above the bed, while an original window frame offers a view back to the kids’ bedroom in the old house. Carrara marble panels, reclaimed from the reskinning of Toronto’s First Canadian Place, are used as flooring to blend between the addition and the existing basement. The marble extends outside into a new sunken courtyard, with sliding glass doors that bring in natural light below grade. The renovation transforms the basement into an extension of the living space, while still providing necessary storage and mechanical areas. The spaces in the resulting home do not fit simple categorization. A large living space flexes as a work-from-home office; pre-pandemic, the family would host guests around an extended dining table by popping up the kids’ Murphy bed and throwing open a sliding partition. As the family ages, they’re also viewing the spaces differently. A desire for more privacy has entered the conversation. “It’s too open,” says Giaimo. This has advanced plans for an at-grade addition where the existing sunroom sits along East Avenue, wrapping the west side of the original house. For the long-term future, Giaimo and Casiero are proposing the addition of a second residence on the other side of the permeable driveway. This would allow them to share the corner lot of land with another household, and would assist in incrementally increasing suburban density. So far, the alterations to their home have worked within the one-family detached dwelling zoning for the lot—part of the Mississauga by-laws that have been instrumental in shaping the area’s relatively limited housing options. Constructing a second detached living space would require challenging these limitations. Giaimo’s ongoing plans for South House show how our attachments to existing conditions—to physical places, as well as to the policies that shape them—can both ground us, and spur us towards well-considered change. Monica Hutton is a sessional lecturer at the University of Toronto John H. Daniels

THE GUSSET COMPONENT EASILY ALLOWS FOR CHANGES IN WOOD SIZE; THIS MODEL ACCOMMODATES 2X4, 2X6, AND 2X8 STUDS AND JOISTS.

Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design and practices in the fields of architecture and urbanism. CLIENT JOANNE CASIERO AND JOEY GIAIMO | ARCHITECT TEAM JOEY GIAIMO (MRAIC), MITCHELL

CA Apr 21.indd 22

2021-03-17 4:25 PM

—

Savings by Design | Affordable Housing

Strategize for sustainability — Evolve your design with FREE building science consulting

The Savings by Design program will help you build in energy efficiency at the early stages of design. You will collaborate with sustainable building experts to: • Optimize energy performance. • Build better than code. • Earn financial incentives.* Success Story

Youth Services Bureau, Ottawa

23.0%

projected annual energy savings

30.8%

projected annual natural gas savings

27.9%

projected GHG reduction

“We had a great experience working with the experts from Enbridge Gas and would recommend Savings by Design to anyone looking to improve the energy efficiency of their affordable housing project.” – Wes Richardson, Director of Finance

Visit savingsbydesign.ca to get the most out of your next project. * HST is not applicable and will not be added to incentive payments. Terms and conditions apply. Visit savingsbydesign.ca for details. To be eligible for the Savings by Design Affordable Housing program, projects must be located in the former Enbridge Gas Distribution Inc. service area. © 2021 Enbridge Gas Inc. All rights reserved. ENB 444 04/2021

CA Apr 21.indd 23

2021-03-17 4:25 PM

CANADIAN ARCHITECT 04/21

DEVELOPING INTERESTS ARCHITECTS WHO WORK AS DEVELOPERS—OWNING, FINANCING, DESIGNING AND SOMETIMES EVEN ACTING AS THE BUILDER FOR PROJECTS—TAKE CALCULATED RISKS TO DELIVER REWARDING PROJECTS FOR THEIR COMMUNITIES AND THEMSELVES.

TEXT

Elsa Lam

“Show me a wealthy architect,” architect Lloyd Hunt once quipped to his class at the University of Waterloo School of Architecture, “and I’ll show you a developer.” The profits of developers can seemingly outstrip an architect’s fees on a project. But for architects, there’s a way to reap the financial rewards of development—by becoming the developer. The rewards go beyond potential financial gains, though. Architects who enter the development arena are often aiming to make modest, but important improvements to a neighbourhood or city that they know well. They’re gaining valuable knowledge about building from a clientand-owner perspective that feeds back into their architectural practice. When architects own, finance, and sometimes even act as the builder for development projects of their own design, caution is needed to navigate potential conflicts of interest. As with some other professions, architects are ethically bound to maintain a high level of independence and impartiality in supporting the interests of clients and of the public. A conflict of interest can arise when an architect has other roles in a project. For instance, when an architect has a financial interest or acts as the builder on a project, it can be difficult to be impartial in tasks such as certifying the value of work, explains the Ontario Association of Architects in its Practice Tip 26. The Tip states that business activities outside of providing architectural services should not be connected to the architect’s Certificate of Practice. “The OAA does not discourage members from pursuing other avenues of business, such as the provision of construction services, under a separate entity,” it reads. The Alberta Association of Architects expects that members choosing to be involved in activities such as development conduct their business through a separately registered legal entity. It also expects members to communicate and market their architecture design services independently from other industry-related activities. For the AAA, the onus lies with members to clearly identify and distinguish in which capacity they are operating if they provide a combination of regulated and unregulated services. Some of the architects I spoke with for this story set up a separate corporation that owns the property under development, and that hires the architect to work on it. All of them emphasized the importance of fully disclosing their role to all parties involved, and ensuring that their professional responsibilities supersede their financial interests. The Architectural Institute of British Columbia’s Bylaw 31.5 states

CA Apr 21.indd 24

that an architect may be a project’s owner, and may also be a project’s contractor. The bylaw adds that in these cases, written disclosures of the architect’s additional roles should be provided to contracting parties, as well as to authorities having jurisdiction over the project’s review and approval process. Written acknowledgments that those disclosures have been received and accepted are also required. In Ontario and Quebec, if architects own greater than a 10 percent share of a project, they forfeit their professional liability insurance for that project. Pro-Demnity, the provider of mandatory professional liability insurance for Ontario’s architects, notes that conflicts of interest can provide an enduring risk with regards to future claims, which may come from other parties involved in the project, the users of the building, and people who may be affected by the project, such as adjacent landowners and passers-by. “Pro-Demnity’s experience arising from claims where an architect attempts to wear two hats at the same time through two separate incorporated entities, is that the architect potentially undermines the strength of their own legal defense as professionals,” comments the insurer. “The prudent way forward is for the architect to make informed decisions about the type of risks they choose to accept, keeping the professional liability insurance limitations in mind, and appreciating that playing only one role or the other is the best way to eliminate the conflict of interest risk altogether.” In California, where architects can obtain insurance as an owner, architect and builder, architect Jonathan Segal has built a thriving practice around development work. Segal has developed and designed 30 projects over as many years, holding most of the properties as rental apartments which his small firm also manages. The rentals create the income needed to fund new projects and pay for employees. Since the apartments depreciate over time, they also present a tax advantage that can be used to offset gains from annual rental income. Segal, who offers an online course in his method, says that being the developer helps him to expedite work by eliminating the disputes and finger-pointing that typically arise between architects, owners and builders in conventional practice. “I’m making the drawings and writing the cheques,” he says. “I want to get financing, get the building done, collect rental income, and then move on to the next project.” Since he continues to own the properties, this allows him to push the envelope of what he would do for clients. For instance, in one project he put in a glass floor that later leaked—it wasn’t a problem, in his view, as he simply repaired it. “These buildings are all one-offs, so they’re all going to have problems—we can fix that stuff,” says Segal.

2021-03-17 4:25 PM

JANIS NICOLAY

CANADIAN ARCHITECT 04/21

A Vancouver duplex is architect Shora Parvaresh’s first foray into working as both the architect and developer of a residential property. ABOVE In contrast to the local convention of dividing duplexes into front and back units, Parvaresh created side-by-side units that give both residences a front entrance. A double-height void extends above the living area, creating a sense of interior spaciousness.

JANIS NICOLAY

LEFT

He advises architects interested in development to start by building their own house and flipping it, gaining experience in dealing directly with trades, financing, and real estate transactions. This can be repeated to gain capital and momentum, with the goal of moving up to progressively larger projects. Segal notes that the appreciation of projects over time is where he’s seen the greatest profit in his work. “Always do rentals, never condos,” he says, noting that he has only rarely sold buildings from his portfolio, when he was offered twice what he considered to be their worth. It’s recommended for architects pursuing development work—along with any work outside the scope of architectural practice—to obtain appropriate legal and insurance advice in their province or territory to suit the contractual relationships involved. Is it worthwhile to navigate the regulatory issues and financial risks to pursue this kind of practice? We spoke to a half dozen architects who’ve taken the leap, and haven’t looked back.

SHORA PARVARESH, NOBLE ARCHITECTURE VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA

With their high real estate prices, cities like Vancouver and Toronto are tough places to get started with development projects. But while the financial risks are high, architect Shora Parvaresh felt a strong

CA Apr 21.indd 25

pull to pursue her own developments as a way of nudging up the city’s standards for housing quality. “My theory is that quality really matters—and if you’re not in a position to get an architect to design your dream home, there’s not many options that have a lot of sparkle and joy in them,” says Parvaresh. “Is it possible to push the boundaries a little, and make something affordable, high-quality, well-designed, and with an element of delight?” Three years ago, Parvaresh founded Noble Architecture amid pursuing a Masters degree in management, all while continuing her full-time job. (She says that her current employer, MA+HG, has been supportive of this work, and she sees principals Marianne Amodio and Harley Grusko as her mentors.) Parvaresh recently completed and resold her first project under Noble—a duplex replacing a single-family home. While most Vancouver duplexes divide houses into square-shaped front and back units, Parvaresh instead wanted to explore a side-by-side typology that would give both homes a front entrance and allow equal use of the backyard. To offset the narrower plans, more akin to Vancouver townhouses, her units include a double-height void that creates a sense of openness throughout the floorplates. In construction, she prioritized high quality materials, including raw natural wood shingles that will develop a silvery sheen over time, and a metal roof chosen for its longevity and ease of maintenance. In Vancouver, most spec homes maximize the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, and add so-called luxury finishes like faux-

2021-03-17 4:25 PM

DOUBLESPACE PHOTOGRAPHY

CANADIAN ARCHITECT 04/21

marble tiles. “Those things are not on the top of my list, but highquality spaces are,” says Parvaresh. “There’s things that sell in the city that become the norm, but they’re not necessarily making our lives better.” An unexpected challenge that Parvaresh encountered in the development process was securing a commercial mortgage for the project, even though on paper, she met all the requirements. From her Masters’ research, she learned that women typically had more difficulty accessing financing than men—and this resonated with her experience. “It could be that it was my first project, or that I was trying a newish idea,” she says, ref lecting that it’s impossible to know why her applications were rejected by several banks. Eventually, she was able to get approved for financing, but it wasn’t easy. Parvaresh is hoping to ramp up to larger-scale development projects, although she is being careful to find the right investment partner to work with. Her ideal: a partner that shares her philosophy of contributing positively to the city, and producing a bottom line that doesn’t stop at profit alone. “The reason to do this is not because I am dying to take financial risks or that I am that entrepreneurial by nature,” says Parvaresh. “But because it is the right and necessary thing to encourage market change and better housing outcomes across the city and the country. My dream is to lift up the public expectation of developments.” “We all know that a duplex in East Vancouver is not going to solve

CA Apr 21.indd 26

affordability and density issues in this city,” she says. “But it is a very small step towards the right direction. Two families on one lot is a tiny bit closer to a healthier, more appropriate density.”

GENE DUB, DUB ARCHITECTS EDMONTON, ALBERTA

When Gene Dub was establishing himself as an architect in the 1970s, he got in the habit of renovating the houses he lived in and reselling them. “My father was handy and my mother was industrious,” he recalls. “The first six houses, they did all the legwork with me.” He also started fixing up spaces occupied by his office, Dub Architects—it moved four times in its first few years, each time leaving behind a newly renovated building, and accruing a bit more money to fund the next project. The firm continued to take on development projects, owned by sister company Five Oaks. Dub had a development project going at all times, to act as a levelling device for the firm’s workflow. That’s still the case—Five Oaks projects make up between 10 to 30 percent of Dub Architects’ work in any given year. But over time, those projects have gotten progressively larger in scale. Five Oaks has completed 20 major projects, and its current work is its most ambitious, including a $70-million residential project with 400 terraced units in the historic Rossdale brewery and on an adjacent

2021-03-17 4:25 PM

IMAGES THIS PAGE COURTESY DUB ARCHITECTS

CANADIAN ARCHITECT 04/21

Gene Dub’s most recently completed project with Five Oaks is a mixed-use development called The Edge. The 10-storey building supports one of Canada’s largest vertical solar arrays, overlooking a lower-slung property also owned by Five Oaks. ABOVE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT 2nd Avenue lofts transforms Saskatoon’s abandoned Hudson’s Bay department store into 130 two-storey lofts, while retaining streetfront retail; Dub reconstructed the façades and key interiors of the historic Alberta Hotel adjacent to its original site in downtown Edmonton; the City Market Lofts reuses an existing exposed concrete structure from the 1960s to create 72 units of affordable housing. OPPOSITE

four-acre parcel, and the redevelopment of the 1968 Charles Camsell Hospital into a mixed-use project with 600 residential units. Dub’s passion for self-initiated development work stems from both an entrepreneurial drive and a love of history. Fourteen of the projects he’s completed under Five Oaks, representing some $120-million of work, are historic renovations—the kind of project that conventional developers wouldn’t take on because they were too risky. This includes restoring Edmonton’s historic registry A-listed McLeod Building—a Chicago-style neoclassical office building replete with terracotta ornament. In 1984, the turn-of-the-century Alberta Hotel was demolished to make room for a new federal office building. Thirty years later, Dub recovered its carved sandstone-and-brick façades, cupola, cornice and bar mirrors—and rebuilt the front part of the building, with a contemporary rear, 50 feet away from its original site. “The façade and hotel bar now exist as they did when Prime Minister Laurier came to declare Alberta a province, and apparently stayed at the hotel,” says Dub. In holding with an ethos that repurposing older structures is much more sustainable than demolishing then, Dub has also renovated several modern-era buildings, including converting Saskatoon’s 1960 Hudson’s Bay department store into condos. The success of Five Oaks has come from seeing long-term value in heritage buildings—and, more generally, in Edmonton’s real es-

CA Apr 21.indd 27

tate. This has put Dub in a position where he can give back to his community in significant ways. In 2018, he donated a $3-million, newly renovated apartment building to a group providing housing to homeless, pregnant women in Edmonton. The City Market Lofts reuses a market building from the 1960s, creating affordable housing for artists, and providing high-quality spaces that elevate the transitional neighbourhood, rather than contributing to its stigma. A new 10-storey office building, where Dub Architects currently resides atop a fashion-and-beauty college, sports one of the country’s largest vertical solar arrays. Dub is philosophical about rolling with the gains and losses that come with this type of work. Early on, he converted a fire station from the 1950s as a new office for Dub Architects. Just as they finished it, someone offered him much more money to use the site for a new-build. “So we sold it, and they tore it down.” He expects his current conversion of the 23,225-square-metre Charles Camsell Hospital to lose money—it has been a complicated project, with a significant amount of asbestos abatement. But many interesting stories have emerged in the decade since the project began: it’s come to light that an earlier hospital on the same site was where Indigenous people were treated for tuberculosis in the 1950s, and often separated from their families in the process. “It’s been a financial disaster,” says Dub, “but it’s a significant Canadian history story, for good or bad. Movies have been made about this place—it’s a really interesting building.”

2021-03-17 4:25 PM

CANADIAN ARCHITECT 04/21

Toronto architect Tom Knezic has completed two renovations of Toronto row houses into highly energy-efficient rental triplexes. A thermal image shows how their project, at left, conserves energy compared to its unrenovated neighbour, at right. ABOVE Hamilton architect Bill Curran purchased a vacant Hamilton industrial building and adaptively reused it as a trio of loft-style townhouses. RIGHT Curran’s first development project was a 19th-century furniture store in the downtown core, which he purchased with two friends and converted into a mixed-use commercial building that includes Their + Curran’s studio.

COURTESY SOLARES

LEFT

TOM KNEZIC, SOLARES ARCHITECTURE TORONTO, ONTARIO

Sustainability is at the top of the agenda for Solares, a Toronto firm co-founded by architects Tom Knezic and Christine Lolley. It’s also the driving force behind a series of development projects they’ve undertaken in the west end of Toronto. A soft start to this aspect of their practice was setting up their office on the ground floor of a Dufferin Street fixer-upper, with their own apartment above it and a rental unit below. Later, they gut-renovated a house in Roncesvalles for their growing family, making it a showpiece for the space-efficient, environmentally conscious design that they bring to their clients, and including a rental unit in the basement. Eco Flats #1—their first project developed fully as an investment property—was an effort to bring the same principles of considerate design and energy efficiency to the Toronto rental housing market. After leveraging their existing properties to purchase a local singlefamily row house, they gut-renovated the dwelling, converting it into three passive-house inspired apartments. The work included underpinning the basement, giving it a separate entrance and full-sized windows to make it more airy and light than typical basement units. A three-unit renovation dubbed Eco Flats #2, completed last year, built on the lessons learned from the first. “The impulse of architects is to always take things to the next level of difficulty, but here,

CA Apr 21.indd 28

we had the discipline to do almost exactly the same project as before— but to do it better,” says Knezic. A big part of both projects was cutting the gas line—since natural gas is a potent contributor to carbon emissions—and going all-electric. Because the dwellings achieve a passive-house level of airtightness, they use very little energy. In Eco Flats #1, the first electricity bills came in at $30 per person. Eco Flats #2 takes 88% less energy to heat and cool than pre-renovation, and achieves a 96% reduction in carbon emissions. The projects also allowed Solares to test-drive advanced building technologies, such as grey-water reuse systems, air source heat pumps, and electric heat pump hot water tanks. In the second project, Knezic specified Quebec-made Minotair compact air treatment units for each apartment—ERVs that also heat and cool the air, and are small enough to fit inside tenant closets overtop the laundry machines. In all, “these mechanical units weren’t much more expensive than conventional systems,” says Knezic. Moreover, he adds, they freed up the space normally occupied by a basement mechanical room. “That gave us an extra bedroom—so the decision paid for itself almost immediately.” To reduce the use of high-carbon plastics and foams, Knezic experimented with using parging and plaster on the interior walls of Eco Flats #2 as a partial substitute for standard air barriers. To achieve a tight envelope without an extra layer of spray foam, he specified Aerobarrier— a substance similar to Elmer’s glue, that’s pumped as an aerosol into a pressurized home to fill cracks in the envelope.

2021-04-06 12:23 PM

DOMINION FURNITURE STORE

1970s

DOMINION FURNITURE STORE

2008

FRIENDSHIP GIFT SHOP

For Eco Flats #2, Knezic optimized the sequencing of the trades to complete the project in under a year—a feat for a gut-renovation— minimizing the amount of time that the building was unoccupied by renters. “It shows that it’s not a choice between environment, speed, and cost,” says Knezic. “This was done in 10 months, and it makes money month over month.” “There’s a mission to all of this,” he adds. “It’s a way to show people that we’re not kidding about this work. When we design houses for clients, we’re always saying that we should go a little further—we should go all-electric, we should insulate more. I can really advocate for these things because I’ve done it for myself.”

BILL CURRAN, THIER + CURRAN ARCHITECTS HAMILTON, ONTARIO

Purchasing and designing one’s own office space is one starting point for architects to act as developers. That was the case for Bill Curran, whose firm occupies the top floor of a converted 19th-century furniture store in downtown Hamilton. Curran purchased the brick-and-timber loft building with two non-architect friends a decade ago. In addition to Thier + Curran’s offices, it now includes a half-dozen commercial and office spaces, with tenants such as the CBC, a café, and a beauty salon and supply store.

CA Apr 21.indd 29

INDUSTRYOUS PHOTOGRAPHY

1960s

CANADIAN ARCHITECT 04/21

2010

RENOVATIONS UNDERWAY

2012

FAÇADE COMPLETE

Curran has since developed two additional Hamilton properties: a Prohibition-era liquor warehouse that he adaptively reused as three loft-style townhouses, and a pair of joined main-street buildings in Hamilton’s Barton Village, with commercial units at street level and residences above. Curran developed the townhouses on his own, while the Barton Village project, like his office building, was completed with others. The decision to find investment partners depends on the project, says Curran. “A bigger project demands more money, especially if it’s an older building in a sketchy neighbourhood,” he says, noting that banks will not finance vacant land, and don’t like empty or derelict buildings as investment properties. A loan is only available for the value of what’s already built on the site. “I’m looking for a gem in the rough—where you can see that the bones are fantastic, but to the untrained eye, it looks very, very unappealing. And the untrained eye includes the appraiser from the bank. So you have to work with them, to convince and educate them.” By working with buildings on the fringes, Curran’s work contributes to Hamilton’s revitalization. “Our office was one of the first buildings to be redeveloped as part of the renaissance on James Street North. Now our Barton Village building is also becoming a beacon in its community,” he says. Curran has a vested interest in seeing his projects thrive, but as a proud Hamiltonian, he also carries a personal passion for each of them.

2021-03-17 4:25 PM

ANDREW LATREILLE

CANADIAN ARCHITECT 04/21

Kobayashi + Zedda’s Bling development includes 18 residences, with a mix of ground-level access, walk-up, and penthouse suites. The project was built in three phases to allow the architects to manage its financing. ABOVE To help address Whitehorse’s need for affordable housing, Kobayashi + Zedda developed a 14-unit apartment building with 10 rent-geared-to-income units and four market rental suites. RIGHT Humà’s MV development in Dorval, west of downtown Montreal, includes a mix of unit types from lofts to single family homes, all of which share access to landscaped grounds and indoor amenities.

ANDREW LATREILLE

LEFT

The Barton building, for instance, once housed Gallery 435, known for its 35 years of Friday night art and music jam sessions—an event Curran loved. “We bought the Barton building selfishly,” he says, “to keep the Friday boozecan Openings going.” “It’s gratifying to buy and improve real estate and for it to be catalytic,” says Curran. “As an architect, you have the ability to make that happen.” Financially, several of Curran’s developments depend on the gap between commercial and residential real estate prices in Hamilton. “Derelict commercial buildings are cheaper than houses, and I like their inherent character and how they’re put together,” says Curran. With housing prices on the rise, his properties have gained substantially in worth when upgraded into residences. Curran estimates that the buildings he’s been part of have more than doubled in value from what he and his partners put into them. “This is my retirement fund,” says Curran. “I’m far more comfortable investing in real estate than in stocks or derivatives.”

JACK KOBAYASHI, KOBAYASHI + ZEDDA WHITEHORSE, YUKON

When Jack Kobayashi and Antonio Zedda set up their architecture firm in Whitehorse, most of their work was outside of the city. “Downtown Whitehorse was the domain of small-time developers doing

CA Apr 21.indd 30

mediocre buildings,” says Kobayashi. Many of these didn’t even involve an architect—a possibility since Yukon doesn’t have an Architects’ Act. “Anyone can do their own building—and they were.” Like a musician who isn’t landing a record deal and decides to start an indie label, Kobayashi and Zedda decided to do downtown buildings on their own. Their first project, completed in 2001, was a multi-use condominium, with four residential units and a ground-f loor dental office. They funded the project with help from family and resold it when completed. “It didn’t make us rich, but we liked doing it,” says Kobayashi. Since then, they’ve completed a half-dozen more multi-use residential projects on their own, keeping a unit as their earnings each time. The most recent is an affordable rental apartment building that they will hold rather than sell off. “It’s a bit more challenging, as there’s no capital injection to pay down the whole building—we’ve got to carry the asset and live off the rental income,” says Kobayashi. “We’re at a certain level where we can do that—we could never have afforded to at the beginning.” The projects are built by a sister company led by Kobayashi and Zedda, called 360 Design Build. “We run it off the side of our desk,” says Kobayashi, who says he spends 95 percent of his time on the main architecture practice, and the remainder running the design-build company. 360 has three full-time staff and also takes on some private projects—usually single-family houses designed

2021-03-17 4:25 PM

COURTESY HUMÀ DESIGN + ARCHITECTURE

CANADIAN ARCHITECT 04/21

by Kobayashi and Zedda. (To avoid stepping on the toes of local contractors, 360 doesn’t bid on any projects, either public or private.) “Building ourselves keeps us current,” says Kobayashi. “You’re seeing more of the spectrum of construction, and that informs your professional life.” In addition to their new-build development projects, Kobayashi and Zedda also own Horwood’s Mall, where they’ve had their offices since 1995. The 4,100-square-metre building has sections that go back to the early 1900s, which is ancient by Yukon standards—“like Roman times,” says Kobayashi. Since purchasing the property eight years ago, they’ve been gradually restoring its heritage features and bringing up the design standard of its spaces, which house 40 tenants. Their vision is for Horwood’s Mall to become the town’s social and community hub, and they’re gratified to see it starting to attract local artists, start-ups, and other creative endeavours. Kobayashi’s advice to architects thinking of taking on their own development projects? “Start with something small and keep building on that.” He adds, “As architects, we’re the perfect people to do this. We have the skill set, and then we hire ourselves out to other people who then have full control of the project.” Fundamentally, the only thing that separates developers from architects, he says, is their ability to take on risk. “The only thing holding us back is the risk factor. Find the confidence somewhere to do it; the door’s wide open after that.”

CA Apr 21.indd 31

AURÈLE CARDINAL, STÉPHANIE CARDINAL, AND LUDOVIC CARDINAL, HUMÀ DESIGN + ARCHITECTURE MONTREAL, QUEBEC

“When I was much younger,” says architect and planner Aurèle Cardinal, co-founder of Cardinal Hardy, “the developers didn’t want to build what we were drawing, because they thought we were dreaming too much.” So, he reasoned, “we’ll build the dreams, and then we’ll have more clients who believe in us.” That impulse led Aurèle to lead a string of development projects in the Montreal region, first on his own, and more recently with his children—architect Stéphanie Cardinal and former banker Ludovic Cardinal. In all, they’ve built and sold some 1,350 units of housing, working on all aspects of the projects from purchasing the land, to finding outside investors, to managing construction and sales. Aurèle’s first development projects in the 1980s were small-scale condominium buildings—a type uncommon at the time in Montreal, when most developers were focused on building three-storey walk-up rental apartments. The family has continued to innovate in bringing new typologies to the city. They’re currently completing the fourth phase of Espace MV, a multi-block development in Dorval that includes single-family homes, townhouses, and condo-and-loft buildings up to

2021-03-17 4:25 PM

COURTESY HUMÀ DESIGN + ARCHITECTURE

CANADIAN ARCHITECT 04/21

The fourth phase of MV is in development, and includes both condos and townhomes. ABOVE Surrounded by water, a circular pavilion includes a luxe lounge and private gym for MV’s residents. LEFT

CMY

seven stories in height—all of which share co-owned amenity spaces. Stéphanie and Ludovic hadn’t originally set out to join their father in development. Stéphanie trained as an architect and specialized in interiors, starting her own firm, Humà, in 2006. For university, Ludovic was accepted into architecture and commerce programs, and was encouraged by Aurèle to choose finance. He worked as a commercial banker for 20 years. In 2010, Cardinal Hardy was sold to IBI Group, which in turn sold its Quebec offices to Lemay in 2015. Aurèle then joined Humà to expand its architectural offerings and ability to support real estate development work. (A sister company owned by the Cardinal family, Gestion PCA, is also involved with the family’s development portfolio.) Five years ago, Ludovic also joined Humà, bringing financial expertise that allowed for more substantial involvement with larger development projects. The trio estimates that their own development projects constitute about a fifth of Humà’s work. The majority of Humà’s work is for outside clients, primarily real estate developers, for whom it acts as a one-stop shop. Its diversified in-house expertise allows Humà to take on the marketing, branding, interior design, architecture, and construction supervision of developments, as well as financial reporting to investors. “All of these people are under the same roof,” says Ludovic, “it’s a super nice unity when everyone is rolling in the same direction—it’s very satisfying.”

CA Apr 21.indd 32

Being involved in all aspects of a project—both in their own development work and for outside clients—allows the team to bring a greater depth of reflection to their designs, says Stéphanie. This was especially evident in Espace MV, where early on, the team decided to retain and adaptively reuse an existing brick-and-beam factory structure—a choice that informed later design choices throughout the site. “The fact that we could work for 13 years within the same spirit is added value for the project,” she says. Moreover, “it’s also added value for the profession to see a project within this holistic view.” One measure of success, for Aurèle, is that many of the first residents of Espace MV are still living there. “You have to bring good solutions for people to stay on the land for that long; you have to have satisfied clients,” he says. Ludovic says that architects’ interest in development is often a case of the grass being greener on the other side. In his analysis, when all is said and done, development is not necessarily more lucrative than architecture—each party contributes its own expertise, and collects a concomitant level of return. But the opportunity to work together as a family? That’s priceless. “Cross-generational work is not done enough,” says Stéphanie. “To be able to integrate 35 years of our father’s experience into our work—it’s amazing.”

2021-03-17 4:25 PM

Dekton CHICAGO Facade AD_Canadian Architect April.pdf

3/12/21

3:15 PM

CMY

CA Apr 21.indd 33

2021-03-17 4:25 PM

PRACTICE

FRIENDS OF RUBY

CANADIAN ARCHITECT 04/21

HOME AWAY FROM HOME TEXT

Paniz Moayeri

A RESPECTFUL, COMMUNITY-BASED DESIGN APPROACH RESULTS IN A TRANSITIONAL HOUSING AND SUPPORT FACILITY THAT AFFORDS DIGNITY AND RESPECT TO ITS RESIDENTS AND CLIENTS.

To write about a building you cannot visit is a daunting task. When I took on this assignment amid a global pandemic and in an emergency stay-at-home order in Toronto, my anxiety only grew when I looked up the project online and met its bright exterior. The Friends of Ruby Home’s façade—adorned in rainbow-coloured fins—initially set off both intrigue and alarm for me, not just as a monochrome-lover, but also as someone who has seen all too many one-note, pink-washed, queer-pandering projects. But after long Zoom calls with the building’s architect and hearing occupant testimonies, I understood that the true beauty of this building lies well beyond its bold queer signalling. Its success is rooted in the respectful engagement with its community that underpins the design, and blossoms in the dignity and grace that the finished building affords its residents and clients. Designed by the Toronto architecture firm Sustainable | Architecture for a Healthy Planet, the new facility provides transitional housing, counselling, and a host of other support programs for LGBTQI2Sidentifying youth experiencing homelessness and precarious housing in Toronto. Located in the city’s Garden District, near the Gay Village, the donor-funded project consolidates two buildings previously owned and operated by Toronto Community Housing Corporation: an 1870s house and a 1970s purpose-built apartment by architect Jerome Markson. According to Egale Canada’s 2012 study “Not Under my Roof,” LGBTQI2S youth disproportionately face homelessness due to high

CA Apr 21.indd 34

rates of family rejection, violence and trauma. They make up 23 percent of homeless individuals, despite only representing 2-4 percent of the overall population. These statistics—combined with historic and continued discrimination towards this group in city- and religious-run facilities—propelled Egale Canada to initiate work on what became Friends of Ruby Home. Despite the Covid restrictions, connecting with lead architect Paul Dowsett virtually did not dull his excitement and genuine personal care for this project. Dowsett holds a strong belief in the architect’s responsibility to “work with, and not for, communities” by involving them—and learning from them—in the design process. The design team—consisting of Sustainable, The Daniels Corporation and Yabu Pushelberg—hosted a charrette to consult with LGBTQI 2S -identifying youth already involved with Egale Canada, which facilitated the charrette process. All members of the design team made a strong effort to gain the trust of youth, learning from their experiences while protecting their privacy and safety. Sustainable’s previous experiences with long-term, community-involved projects, such as East Scarborough Storefront, St. Stephen’s Community House, and the Yonge Street Mission, were a particular asset to the team. Four guiding principles for the building’s design emerged from the consultations. The youth wanted a place that was constructed sustainably, that offered private areas in balance with public spaces, that had a welcoming and non-institutional feel, and that was accessible and pet-friendly.

2021-03-17 4:25 PM

FRIENDS OF RUBY DAVE LEBLANC

FRIENDS OF RUBY

CANADIAN ARCHITECT 04/21

To address social and environmental sustainability, the design team decided to retain the two existing buildings’ brick shells and retrofit them with updated building control layers, increased insulation, and new interiors. Despite discovering that the bricks on the Victorian house were in worse shape than initially thought—leading to the house being demolished and rebuilt with sound materials—the adaptive reuse strategy is estimated to contribute to reductions in embodied carbon compared to a new build. The final building is estimated to net a 46 percent reduction in operational carbon emissions compared to the same structure built to minimum code requirements. Sustainable then introduced a four-storey core to link the two buildings. The core houses an entrance lobby along with generous amenity spaces—a second-floor lounge, a third-level work area, and a fourthfloor games room that opens onto a roof terrace. The Markson-designed apartment building to the south of the core was retrofitted to house 31 residential units, including five emergency shelter units in the basement, four single accessible units, and three accessible couples’ units. Meanwhile, the 1870s house, to the north of the

core, accommodates areas for both residents and day-program clients. Its basement and ground floor include therapy and multi-purpose meeting rooms, the second floor houses a large communal kitchen and dining room, and the house’s former attic is transformed into a comfortable gathering area. New curtain wall elements—along with the aforementioned rainbowcoloured fins—help to unify the two existing buildings, constructed a hundred years apart with distinct materials and styles. On the 1970s building, bay windows were replaced with new vertical window bands, helping to resolve interior floor heights across all three volumes without connecting steps or ramps. To meet the youth’s request for privacy, all residents at Friends of Ruby are accommodated in single private rooms with their own washrooms. This arrangement offers much-needed dignity: many of the residents have never experienced the luxury of privacy, and need time and space to grapple with their identities. The rooms are also fitted with operable windows and individually controlled HVAC units. This has proven invaluable during the pandemic, since no air is shared between the rooms.

OPPOSITE Rainbow-coloured fins provide solar shading for the west façade of Friends of Ruby Home, a housing and support facility for LGBTQI2Sidentifying youth. ABOVE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT The facility offers single rooms with private bathrooms for its residents, as well as three couples’ rooms; the attic of the former Victorian house to the north of the site was converted into a lounge; a skylit central staircase is part of the bright, spacious design; a double-height gathering space is one of several shared areas that allow for informal connections between residents.

CA Apr 21.indd 35

2021-04-01 1:52 PM

DAVE LEBLANC

SUSTAINABLE | ARCHITECTURE FOR A HEALTHY PLANET

CANADIAN ARCHITECT 04/21

Another important achievement is how the building manages to remain warm and welcoming. The independence of the single rooms is complemented by public spaces where community and found-families can form. The communal kitchen is perhaps the most important of these spaces, designed with a sizeable two-sided island that acts as its social hub. A split-height countertop provides both standing and wheelchair-accessible areas. The design invites collaborative teaching for youth who are gaining life skills in cooking. The double-height secondfloor lounge and skylit central staircase are similarly bright and spacious. These spatial decisions make Friends of Ruby feel like a home, far removed from any institution. This attention to warmth continues in the selection and quality of interior finishes. Yabu Pushelberg’s choices are reminiscent of their boutique hotel designs. Almost any surface users would touch is natural (or, in case of the floor, simulated) wood—from the wainscotting in the hallways to the millwork in the residential units. Meeting the last of the youths’ requests, the building is designed with pets in mind, complete with a dog-washing station donated by PetSmart in the laundry room. This is an important detail: not just because the organization is named after a golden retriever, but also considering the large number of street-involved individuals who rely on pets for both company and protection. Interestingly, many of the design solutions in this project are ref lected in the City of Toronto’s newest Shelter Design and Technical Guidelines. The 2020 document calls for quiet, private, well-lit, petfriendly spaces that provide for more homelike, therapeutic environments. Architect Paul Dowsett doesn’t think this is a coincidence—but rather was arrived at through deliberate engagement of the same type that set the foundation for the Friends of Ruby Home. Dowsett says that the opening of the home has coincided with a time of ref lection on the profession and his privileges within it. “So much of my training, my whiteness, my being born in Canada, my maleness allow me to stand on top—to dictate. So many privileges that I was born with allow me to stand in the way. I think what I have to do is step out of the way.”

For Dowsett, saying that architecture “provides agency” is just scratching the surface of what is possible. The agency belongs to the community. They are the absolute experts on what they need, and the architect’s job should be to provide information, depth and balance— with humanity and humility—to facilitate richer built environments. The project also comes at a point in his career when Dowsett has the time to invest in more long-term, community-oriented initiatives. “This sort of work is going to be the focus of what I do from now on,” he says. The team at Friends of Ruby now operating out of the new building agree with the benefits of this community-oriented approach. “We couldn’t be more proud of the work that all the design partners brought to the project,” says Lucy Gallo, Friends of Ruby Director of Youth Services and Housing. “Every element of the beautiful design encourages the youth moving in to feel accepted and worthy, and to take full advantage of the programs and services that will help them achieve independence.” A not-for-profit, community-led project like the Friends of Ruby Home comes with its own set of challenges, including tight budgets and a responsibility to the donors as well as to the community involved. It also comes with its own particular rewards. “I am not happy that this kind of work has to be done—but being that it does, I am really glad that I got to do it,” says Dowsett. “I was doing this work for the most vulnerable in my community—I was going to give it my all.” Perhaps our industry needs to also do more in championing projects like the Friends of Ruby Home. It may not be on the covers of architectural publications, but it exhibits a more ethical way for a collaborative design team to engage with a historically marginalized group and build for a vulnerable population without compromising on the neighbourhood’s existing fabric or sustainability standards—all lessons that would be of great benefit to architects. Paniz Moayeri is an Intern Architect with the OAA and a 2019 M.Arch graduate from the University of Waterloo School of Architecture. Her graduate thesis, entitled “Your Passport Doesn’t Work Here: Asylum, Space, and Iranian Queer Heritage,” looks at the connection between space and queer heritage in the Iranian LGBTQ+ refugee community of Toronto.

At the beginning of the design process, a charrette was conducted with youth already involved with Friends of Ruby (previously Egale Canada). These discussions strongly informed the direction and priorities of the subsequent design. ABOVE RIGHT A generously sized outdoor terrace opens from the fourth-floor games room. ABOVE LEFT

CA Apr 21.indd 36

2021-04-01 1:52 PM

Experience. Innovation.

CASE STUDY

Metro System/Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Fast-Growing Riyadh Picks Up Pace With Major Metro System Upgrade 60 years ago, the city of Riyadh in Saudi Arabia was little more than a blip on the international radar. Its population at that time was around 156,000 people, only about 10,000 people more than the current population of Kansas City. We are not in Kansas anymore when discussing Riyadh’s Photo: Métro de Riyad © Avant Première, courtesy of creativecommons.org population. It now has a population of more than 7.2 million, has increased by close to 12 percent since 2017, and is now ranked 50th in the world. The only U.S. city larger than Riyadh is New York, which has about 8.3 million residents, according to World Population Review. The rapid increase has dramatically impacted the city’s infrastructure, particularly its transportation systems. A new metro system is expected to fulfill the demands of the growing metropolis and reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality. There are more than 10 million trips per day in the city, but only 2 percent are by public transportation. Nearly 80 percent are by private cars. The new system is expected to be fully operational in 2021. It will consist of six metro lines spanning nearly 110 miles. It will consist of 85 stations and is part of the Riyadh Public Transport Project, which also includes a bus system and other transport services in the Saudi Arabia capital. Work on the $22.5 billion project began in 2014. The metro system includes 73 floor access doors from BILCO to provide emergency egress from underground platforms at stations along the line. Doors of various sizes are used in the project, which is one of the largest orders in company history. A collaborative effort with SchlegelGiesse helped BILCO secure the order. The company is a sister business of BILCO in the Tyman business portfolio. “BILCO is one of the leading companies in the sector, and the architect recommended them for this project,” said Amal Joseph, who oversees technical support for SchlegelGiesse. “The doors also meet National Fire Association Protection requirements.” The project is being built by BACS, a consortium that includes Bechtel, Almabani, Consolidated Contractors Company and Siemens. The doors are constructed with a channel frame for use in exterior applications where there is concern of water or other liquids entering

Photo: Courtesy of SchlegelGiesse

the access opening. The doors feature aluminum construction and type 316 stainless steel hardware. The engineered lift assistance of the BILCO doors was also critical to their use in this project. “BILCO uses spring-loaded pistons to operate the doors, which require less maintenance and more durability,” said Shabeer Parambil, sales manager for SchlegelGiesse. “The chance of failure will be nearly zero compared to hydraulic or pneumatic piston-operated doors.” The doors will provide an important safety component for commuters as they seek to navigate around the heavily congested city. “The new public transit system provides citizens with advanced solutions for moving around the city easily,” according to the project website. “It allows driverless trains equipped with cutting-edge technologies and Wi-Fi. You will feel the new century with this new revolutionary transit system.”

Keep up with the latest news from The BILCO Company by following us on Facebook and LinkedIn. For over 90 years, The BILCO Company has been a building industry pioneer in the design and development of specialty access products. Over these years, the company has built a reputation among architects, and engineers for products that are unequaled in design and workmanship. BILCO – an ISO 9001 certified company – offers commercial and residential specialty access products. BILCO is a wholly owned subsidiary of AmesburyTruth, a division of Tyman Plc. For more information, visit www.bilco.com.

CA Apr 21.indd 37

2021-03-17 4:25 PM

TECHNICAL

ROY GAIOT

CANADIAN ARCHITECT 04/21

WHY WE NEED EMBODIED CARBON BENCHMARKS AND TARGETS IN BUILDING STANDARDS AND POLICIES: AN OPEN LETTER TEXT

Kelly Alvarez Doran

To Canadian Municipalities and Associations of Architects, Engineers, and Planners: Canada, as well as a growing number of its jurisdictions, has set necessarily ambitious carbon reduction targets as part of an increasingly urgent global bid to achieve climate stability. While the spotlight often falls on the transportation and energy production sectors, 40 percent of global carbon emissions comes from the construction and operation of buildings. We are becoming increasingly aware that a big part of the issue— 11 percent of global emissions—comes from the embodied carbon of the materials that go into the new buildings constructed each year. The AED sector is just starting to understand the immense carbon impact of building materials. To drastically reduce this impact, greater knowledge, and firm embodied carbon benchmarks and targets, must become part of building standards and planning policies that govern construction across Canada. Last fall, I headed a Masters of Architecture Research Studio at the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design at the University of Toronto that aimed to find some practical, implementable answers. The studio was titled “Towards Half: Climate Positive Design for the GTHA,” and was framed around the basic question: “How do we halve the greenhouse gas emissions of Toronto’s housing stock this decade?” The intention of the studio is to catalyze a conversation around embodied carbon, and to expose students, practices, and policymakers to the methods available to account for emissions. To begin answering this question, students were asked to answer “half of what?”—or in other words, what we are currently emitting through the construction sector? The studio employed a methodology similar to the City of Vancouver’s Policy Research on Reducing the Embodied Emissions of New Buildings in Vancouver. Collaborating

CA Apr 21.indd 38

with ten architectural practices, the students produced embodied carbon benchmarks for a range of recently completed and in-construction residential projects within the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area. Students first translated construction drawings and specifications into detailed digital models of a representative section, then developed a Bill of Quantities of all construction materials from the model. Finally,

PROJECT ADDRESS

FLOORS

STRUCTURAL SYSTEM

GFA OF STUDY

kgCO2e /m2

538 Eglinton Ave E

G+3

Wood Frame

203

283

571 Dundas St W

G+2

Wood Frame

136

243

318-324 John St

G+3

Wood Frame

342

227 251

GTHA LOW-RISE AVERAGE

1075 Queen St E

G+6

Hollowcore & Steel

859

395

2803 Dundas St W

G+7

Concrete

1,522

596

22 Trolley Cres

G+12

Concrete

2,289

366

38 Cameron St

G+13

Concrete

4,529

615

505 Richmond St W

G+14

Concrete

1,911

469 488

GTHA MID-RISE AVERAGE

481 University Ave

G+53

Concrete

20,618

494

11 Wellesley St W

G+60

Concrete

10,644

546

GTHA HIGH-RISE AVERAGE

520

2021-03-17 4:25 PM

CONCRETE ALUMINUM

CANADIAN ARCHITECT 04/21

STEEL

318-324 John St 227 kgCO2e/m2

571 Dundas St W 243 kgCO2e/m2

538 Eglinton Ave E 283 kgCO2e/m2

22 Trolley Cres 366 kgCO2e/m2

1075 Queen St E 395 kgCO2e/m2

GLAZING INSULATION WOOD MASONRY PLASTICS GYPSUM

505 Richmond St W 469 kgCO2e/m2

2803 Dundas St W 596 kgCO2e/m2

38 Cameron St 615 kgCO2e/m2

481 University Ave 494 kgCO2e/m2

11 Wellesley St W 546 kgCO2e/m2

Charts showing the distribution of project embodied emissions by material class point to the significant contribution of concrete, aluminum and steel to the embodied carbon footprint of buildings. FIGURE 1

203.9 2.0

KGCO2 E/M2 R-VALUE

87.4 27.7

88.9 21.2

89.4 26.2

3. METAL SIDING WITH 25MM XPS & SPRAY FOAM INSULATION

4. METAL SIDING WITH 50MM XPS & ROCK WOOL INSULATION

209.6 12.0

102.4 27.8

46.3 27.7

1. BRICK VENEER WITH 73MM GUTEX INSULATION

2. BRICK VENEER WITH 50MM XPS INSULATION

5. CAST-IN-PLACE FOUNDATION WITH 50MM XPS INSULATION

6. WINDOW WALL SYSTEM (VISION GLASS)

7. WINDOW WALL SYSTEM (SPANDREL PANEL)

Embodied emissions per m2 and R-Value of wall systems show that XPS insulation and aluminum framing systems contain the most embodied carbon; the latter delivers a negligible thermal performance by way of trade-off. FIGURE 2

they used One-Click LCA’s embodied carbon calculation platform to produce a “cradle-to-gate” assessment of each project’s Global Warming Potential (GWP) expressed in kg CO2 e (kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent). The results of these calculations are listed opposite. The calculations include each project’s structure, envelope and interior finish. They do not yet include the emissions associated with demolition of previous site buildings, excavation and site works, shoring, MEP systems, millwork, hardware and fixtures, or landscape. As a result, we esti-

CA Apr 21.indd 39

mate that these figures represent between 80-90 percent of the project’s total embodied emissions. Total emissions are derived from available manufacturer-provided Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs)— which are admittedly relatively limited in the Canadian context to-date. To ensure cross-project comparisons be on equal footing, students used the same EPDs across projects where applicable. Based on these summary calculations, students then analyzed the primary drivers of each project’s embodied emissions from a design, material

2021-03-17 4:25 PM

CANADIAN ARCHITECT 04/21

TECHNICAL

66%

538 EGLINTON E

44%

1075 QUEEN ST E

50%

2803 DUNDAS ST W

71%

90%

571 DUNDAS ST W

22 TROLLEY CRES

318-324 JOHN ST

29%

38 CAMERON ST

37%

505 RICHMOND ST W

20%

481 UNIVERSITY

31%

11 WELLESLEY ST W

These sectional diagrams indicate the percentage of project embodied carbon emissions below grade, showing the embodied carbon impact of foundations and underground parking. FIGURE 3

selection, and supply-chain perspective. Below is a summary of five common drivers that emerged across the projects, and recommendations for how they could be addressed through local planning / zoning by-laws, building codes, as well as through architectural design and engineering choices. Driver 1: Carbon-Intensive Structural Systems Cast-in-place reinforced concrete was the largest driver of emissions across all projects. Low-rise projects that employ wood-frame structures above a concrete foundation have roughly half the embodied footprint of projects that use reinforced concrete for the project’s entire structure. The lowest-carbon mid-rise project employed a steel-and-hollow core structural system, which resulted in dramatic reductions to total volumes of reinforced concrete per square metre. Recommendation: Incentivize and design lower-carbon structural systems and materials through regional benchmarking and target-setting. Driver 2: Carbon-Intensive Envelope Systems XPS insulation and aluminum-extrusion-based glazing systems carry the highest embodied GWP by volume of all building materials in the study. XPS insulation’s extremely high GWP is attributed to the harmful blowing agents used in its making, which have recently been banned in products sold in Canada. Aluminum’s sourcing and smelting is also extremely energy-intensive, resulting in relatively high embodied emis-

CA Apr 21.indd 40

sions compared to other metals. Unitized window-wall systems that employ high volumes of aluminum therefore have higher per-metre emissions than other glazing systems. Recommendation: Incentivize the development of lower-carbon envelope systems and follow the AIA ’s Large Firm Roundtable’s advice to “avoid foam, especially XPS .” Driver 3: Floor Area Below Grade Foundation works, underground parking structures, and belowgrade f loor area have disproportionate impacts on a project’s embodied carbon. For mid-rise and high-rise structures, between 20 to 50 percent of each project’s total volume of concrete was below grade. The exception was 22 Trolley Crescent: due to site constraints, there is no f loor area permitted below grade. As a result, the project’s embodied carbon is 25 percent lower than the next building with a reinforced concrete structure. 2803 Dundas Street West—the building with the second highest measure of embodied carbon per unit of volume—has 50 percent of its concrete below grade, as a result of offering two f loors of below-ground parking built within challenging groundwater conditions. Recommendation: Reduce/limit on-site parking requirements or allowances, review how sub-grade floor area is accounted for in coverage calculations, and incentivize the reduction of sub-surface floor area.

2021-03-17 4:25 PM

GROUND FLOOR PARKING LEVEL -1

P2 E

P1 D

CANADIAN ARCHITECT 04/21

RESIDENTIAL GRID PARKING GRID

S21

Pe 12

E.P.

Pd C.B.

An overlay of the parking level and ground floor residential structural grids at 38 Cameron Street shows the disjunction between the two systems—a common issue in multi-unit residential structures with underground parking.

A one-metre-thick transfer slab at 38 Cameron Street was needed to negotiate between the two structural grids—an element that represents 14 percent of the total project concrete.

FIGURE 4

FIGURE 5

Driver 4: Parking’s Dimensional Impact On Structural Grids The spacing requirements of parking produces a structural grid that is often out of alignment with that of a typical residential floor plate. Projects that employ transfer slabs or structures to mediate these alignments have higher embodied carbon as a result. 38 Cameron Street’s one-metredeep transfer slab is a significant contributor to the project’s total footprint. Recommendation: Review minimum parking space requirements against typical residential structural bays.

promote the use of lower-carbon materials in new construction, to support the education of trades to use lower-carbon materials in construction, and to align low-carbon policy with their planning regulations. We would love to support a similar approach in your municipality, region, or office. We look forward to discussing this research and its findings with you in greater detail, at your request.

Driver 5: Step-Backs And Transfer Beams Zoning step-back requirements and “angular planes” result in more complicated structures to accommodate different f loor plate configurations on upper f loors—particular in mid-rise projects. Recommendation: Review embodied carbon impact of step-backs and weigh against other impacts.

Doran, OAA, MRAIC.

Overall, the most effective way to address all of the above drivers and guide the dramatic reductions required of Canada’s construction sector would be to set clear embodied carbon targets for future construction in each jurisdiction and region. This approach could learn from the embodied carbon policies recently established by the City of Vancouver, the first of their kind in the world. By setting embodied carbon limits for new construction based on a 2018 benchmarking study, Vancouver aims to

CA Apr 21.indd 41

The Towards Half Research Studio was conducted at the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design. It was led by Visiting Professor Kelly Alvarez

The project team included graduate students Amaka Amadi, Ryan Bruer, Juliette Cook, Ivana Luk, James Noh, Rubab Ravzi, Julie-Anne Starling, and Neil Vas. Project partners from the architectural community included Batay-Csorba Architects, LGA Architectural Partners, Kohn Partnership Architects Inc., Superkül, BDP Quadrangle, Saucier + Perrotte Architectes, Teeple Architects, Diamond Schmitt, B+H Architects, and KPMB Architects.

2021-03-17 4:26 PM

INSITES

EDWARD BURTYNSKY

CANADIAN ARCHITECT 04/21

THE ARCHITECTURE OF POINT WILLIAM TEXT

Amanda Large

A NEW PUBLICATION CHRONICLES SHIM-SUTCLIFFE’S IMPROVEMENTS TO A MUSKOKA PROPERTY OVER TWO DECADES.

Beginning with a boathouse in 1996, Toronto firm Shim-Sutcliffe has completed a series of projects for clients Gerald Sheff and Sanitha Kachan on a property north of Toronto. The most recent project, a replacement of the main cottage, was completed in 2018. LEFT Critic Kenneth Frampton’s site sketches accompany his essay on the work at Point William. OPPOSITE TOP Scott Norsworthy was one of several photographers invited to document the site, and returned several times to capture seasonal changes in light and landscape. OPPOSITE RIGHT Most of his photographs were meticulously staged, but this unplanned photograph became one of Norsworthy’s favourite images of the project. TOP

CA Apr 21.indd 42

2021-03-17 4:26 PM

Chronicling the evolving vision of a site in Muskoka over several decades, The Architecture of Point William: A Laboratory for Living (ORO Editions, 2021) is the latest of surprisingly few monographs on the work of Toronto firm Shim-Sutcliffe. An ode to the powerful force of time, the book is as richly layered as the project documented within its pages. From 1996 to 2018, Shim-Sutcliffe collaborated with clients Gerald Sheff and Shanitha Kachan—the former an architecture graduate himself—to develop a property north of Toronto, with the goal of creating what Sheff and Kachan describe as a “warm and inviting point of connection for family and friends.” The 22-year-long design journey started with the construction of a boat house which garnered a Governor General’s Award. Next came the guest house, the main cottage, and finally a garage. Each building is constructed roughly on the footprint of an existing structure. In the process of removing the original 1960s cottage, a large, granite outcropping was revealed, which has become the focal point of both the site and the buildings that inhabit it. Great care was taken throughout the designs to acknowledge the local vernacular and trades of the Muskoka region. A Laboratory for Living’s main text is an essay by historian Kenneth Frampton. Frampton walks us through the compound at Point William,

CA Apr 21.indd 43

SCOTT NORSWORTHY

CANADIAN ARCHITECT 04/21

2021-04-01 1:49 PM

INSITES

JAMES DOW

CANADIAN ARCHITECT 04/21

An outcrop of Canadian Shield bedrock was partially covered by the existing cottage, and revealed when the 1960s structure was removed. The new buildings are arranged to frame the granite as a landscape feature, making it a focal point for the property. ABOVE

which he likens to a stroll garden “wherein each successive structure is conceived in relation to the one that preceded it.” The tour starts at the parking bays at the entrance and culminates in the show-stopping main cottage, overlooking the lake. The essay is peppered with Frampton’s own sketches from a 2017 visit, which he made to further understand the site. The following sections feature each of the four buildings in chronological order of construction: the boat house (1997-1999), the guest cottage (2007-2010), the main cottage (2010 - 2017) and a garage (2017). Here, the visuals—a complement of photographs and sketches—do the talking. The site was photographed extensively over the life of the project, by multiple photographers. We see the structures from unexpected vantage points, alone and in context with one another, at various times of the year and in different kinds of light. The main photographers were Edward Burtynsky, James Dow and Scott Norsworthy, and their stunning imagery is given lots of room to shine, with a happy abundance of full-page images. Too often, architectural photography is limited to a punctual and narrow moment in the life of a building. It is wonderful to see how imagery accomplished over time and in all seasons, with different people behind the camera, can reveal the depth, complexity and subtle layers of a design.

CA Apr 21.indd 44

The book’s last section is a conversation between Brigitte Shim, Howard Sutcliffe and architect-writer Michael Webb. Shim and Sutcliffe reflect on how the long-term nature of this project allowed them to experiment with different elements at various scales and gain a deeper understanding of the site. They see their work at Point William as a set of “cousin” buildings, influenced by other works undertaken by their practice over the site’s two-decades-long development. Throughout the book, the concept of dialogue repeats like a leitmotif. As Shim and Sutcliffe write, the compound at Point William embodies a dialogue between “found conditions, new interventions and reimagined landscape” that include the recurring natural elements of forest, rock and water; a material palette of wood, steel and stone; and the legacy of Victorian cottages, camp cabins and grand lake cruisers. In the publication itself, there is a further dialogue between words, diagrams, sketches and photography, giving a fuller picture of this remarkable place. It is clear to even the most casual observer that Shim-Sutcliffe’s love of the craft permeates everything they do—and this publication is no exception. Amanda Large is the co-founder of Toronto-based doublespace photography.

2021-03-17 4:26 PM

CA Apr 21.indd 45

2021-03-17 4:26 PM

BOOKS

ROGERS STIRK HARBOUR + PARTNERS

CANADIAN ARCHITECT 04/21

PRE-FAB LIVING By Avi Friedman (Thames & Hudson, 2021) REVIEW Maya Orzechowska

Pre-Fab Living provides a timely overview of current pre-fabrication technologies through a collection of projects that explores current design trends and construction approaches. Authored by Avi Friedman, who teaches architecture at McGill and has been a long-time advocate for sustainable and affordable housing, the book includes 40 small to midrise projects from around the globe. They’re grouped by themes including Innovative Communities, Apartment Buildings, and Net-zero Homes, presenting pre-fabrication as an evolving and experimental set of processes with ample space for imagination, growth and cross-pollination. Pre-fab is of particular interest a year into a pandemic that has brought environmental and housing inequities to the forefront. Alongside the systemic failures of inadequate public housing, stay-at-home orders have exposed frustrations with low- and mid-cost private homes. An architectural shift may be in the works: action plans for affordable housing have been announced at multiple levels of government, which pre-fab is well-positioned to address. Rapid-response modular projects are being completed in cities like Toronto, and the AEC industries are expanding their abilities to design, produce and deliver various combin-

CA Apr 21.indd 46

ations of affordable, rapid, and environmentally sustainable housing. Friedman’s book provides an opportunity to ref lect on the values, challenges, and potentials of these new homes. Having a right to a home is not only a question of responding to the insufficient or sub-par housing in which vulnerable people have been unable to effectively self-isolate. The pandemic has shown that for those who have limited agency in their choice of a suitable dwelling, home can feel like a trap. Housing should consider the physical and emotional health and dignity of inhabitants, and support a meaningful and contextual existence for people of diverse backgrounds and situations. While a first step to improved housing for the most vulnerable populations is public policy and funding, trends in pre-fab (and its subtype, modular construction) are opening up the possibility of producing quality outcomes at a range of price points. The tension between quality and affordability is at pre-fabrication’s core. As Friedman details, pre-fab holds the promise that the efficiencies of technology and industrialization will continue to reduce labour, time and material costs. Optimistically, this would lead to greater accessibility

2021-03-17 4:26 PM

DAVID STUDIO ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN

RYOHEI HAMADA

CANADIAN ARCHITECT 04/21

OPPOSITE Y: Cube Mitcham is the first of several developments produced for the YMCA in south London, UK. Designed by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, the modular units provide affordable starter homes for young people unable to afford a conventional house. ABOVE LEFT Designed by architectural firm Assistant, the House of 33 Years in Nara, Japan, was built for an elderly couple who decided to move after spending 33 years in their previous home. ABOVE RIGHT, TOP TO BOTTOM A swinging library wall is one of several moveable elements that allow Yuko Shibata Office’s Switch project in Tokyo, Japan, to flip between design studio and apartment functions; designed by David Studio, Grow Community’s wood-clad, solar-powered houses make the Bainbridge Island, Washington development a net-positive neighbourhood that melds indoor and outdoor living.

of high-quality housing. In reality, the optimization of production processes to achieve low-cost housing can result in repetition, monotony, and quality reductions. In larger cities like Toronto, housing stock is already polarized between customized, high-cost, single-family detached homes and lower-cost repetitive, standardized housing structures and communities. Can government financing and pilot projects help develop pre-fab technologies to provide quality public housing, as well as opportunities for greater variety in low- and mid-range private homes? Pre-fabrication is based on producing pre-made factory homes, or components of differing scales that are later assembled. This range of components is usually deployed in new builds, but can also be used in additions and retrofits. With enough designers, suppliers and market share, pre-fab could eventually sustain a high level of personalization and occupant agency—delivering the kind of customization that we have come to expect in other aspects of life, such as fashion—while still resulting in affordable, environmentally efficient and rapidly built homes. As in other aspects of life, marginalized groups (and even members of the thinning middle class) may find that control over one’s space through

CA Apr 21.indd 47

personalization of its interiors and exteriors increases a sense of ownership, pride and desire to better care for a place long term. On an interpersonal level, greater diversity makes for more vibrant communities. This idea of variety and an ability to curate one’s own narrative is demonstrated in the House of 33 Years, a home by architectural studio Assistant that features in Pre-Fab Living’s Japanese Homes section. It is built from components manufactured in three different cities, developed by separate research, arts and trades groups. The playful and informal assembled whole accommodates the clients’ past personal narratives and future aging processes. Some of these concerns are echoed in Camden PassivHaus in London, UK, by Bere Architects. Its elegantly detailed façade of wood screens, along with an elongated threshold, expands the interior by created sheltered outdoor spaces. The home’s Passivhaus certification and careful composition show a deep consideration for environmental responsibility and the quality of interior spaces and natural light. Yet this particular home makes limited use of design efficiencies and standardization: it is a one-off, and its use of pre-fabrication is limited to heavily insulated framing.

2021-03-17 4:26 PM

BOOKS

MOODBUILDERS

CANADIAN ARCHITECT 04/21

Heijmans ONE, designed by MoodBuilders, helps meet Amsterdam’s need for affordable rental housing. The two-storey, single-person homes can be fully installed in a single day, and are easily moved. This allows them to temporarily occupy prime urban sites awaiting development. ABOVE

A number of the book’s examples tend towards the two ends of the existing housing spectrum: highly customized, high-cost constructions, aimed at a middle- to upper-class clientele, or low-customization, low-cost structures. Fortunately, some examples of low-cost, yet quite customized examples are also included, such as the Happy Cheap House in Sweden, by Tommy Carlsson Arkitektur. Another concern raised by the pandemic is the expandability and adjustability of spaces beyond traditional room boundaries. This is particularly apparent when small homes are challenged to support multiple functions, such as work-from-home and learn-from-home needs. This can be a tricky problem in pre-fabrication, where modules are restricted in size due to transport or lifting requirements. Nonetheless, several projects in the book explore planning that flows across and between modules in ingenious ways. The Stack in New York by Gluck+, for example, demonstrates a diversity in unit plans that accounts for various family compositions. Pre-fab may also offer environmentally conscious options for adding to existing structures. The dramatic Rucksack House in Germany by Stefan Eberstadt is affixed to the face of an apartment building and suspended above street level. Other projects, like the Switch renovation, in Tokyo, by Yuko Shibata Office, show strategies for the f lexible programming of home and office spaces within a unit. The book also captures changes in inhabitation over time, by including projects such as Y: Cube Mitcham, in London, UK, by Rogers Stirk Harbour & Partners that provides temporary low-income residences while inhabitants kick-start their futures; and Heijmans ONE in Amsterdam, by Moodbuilders, a set of row houses that temporarily inhabit available open space in a neighbourhood under development.

CA Apr 21.indd 48

These last examples reflect another theme that weaves through the book: changes in the standard presumptions of how families and communities inhabit private, semi-private and shared spaces. The ecologically conscious Grow Community (Bainbridge Island, Washington, USA, by Davis Studio) consists of both single family and multi-family residences whose inhabitants share facilities and resources such as gardens, park and play spaces, cars and bikes. Such examples are interesting jumping-off points for considering future approaches to diverse housing communities. Extended and multigenerational households may see upward spikes if pandemic-influenced changes to elder-care facilities do not inspire confidence. At the other end of the spectrum, public housing in its best iterations can also be viewed as creating spaces with qualities that bridge between households and communities. What can be safely shared to create new opportunities for interconnection? Friedman’s book arrives on the 100-year anniversary of Le Corbusier’s Towards an Architecture. A century ago, Le Corbusier called for a change in architectural thinking and advocated for the adoption of industrial aesthetics, technologies and a focus on function. Pre-fab Living’s collection of homes produced (at least in part) in industrial factories raises questions as to the next generations of homes. Is it possible for more homes, for more people, to exist lightly and ecologically on their sites, to ref lect increased diversity and mobility, and to sustain adaptation over the course of a day or life? Pre-fab has long offered this promise: perhaps, post-pandemic, it will finally come of age. Maya Orzechowska is a Toronto-based intern architect. Her research work on homes gives centrality to issues of vulnerability, emotional health, empathy and resource sharing.

2021-03-17 4:26 PM

CONFERENCE ROOM? NO, IT’S YOUR WASHROOM. Whoever said the washroom (the most frequented room in any building) shouldn’t be as nice as the conference room? ASI just gave the washroom a makeover—you can too. Visit asigroup-canada.com/bod to explore the new standard for basis of design in washrooms. Featured in this ad are our exclusive Velare™ and Piatto™ collection of washroom accessories, ASI Alpaco™ partitions and ASI lockers.

CA Apr 21.indd 49

2021-03-17 4:26 PM

BACKPAGE

DAVID DWORKIND

CANADIAN ARCHITECT 04/21

RURAL RETREAT TEXT

Susan Nerberg A prefabricated cabin designed by Montreal-based Ménard Dworkind is the first in a series of luxe rental retreats being construted by a young tech entrepreneur. ABOVE

PANDEMIC-FATIGUED CITY-DWELLERS ARE FINDING SANCTUARY IN AN IMMACULATELY DETAILED RETREAT CABIN NORTH OF MONTREAL.

If God is said to be in the details, then Ménard Dworkind Architecture & Design has lavished their concept for a cabin retreat with blessings. On first glance, Hinterhouse— a modernist, nature-adjacent answer to Airbnb—may look like a simple rectangular box, and it is. But zoom in and you’ll discover details, treatments and storage solutions that are far from standard. They might even have the weekend renter wishing they could move in. The cedar-clad Hinterhouse was conceived for a young tech entrepreneur who wanted a country house for himself. He’d been looking at prefabs from a Quebec company, but when he realized the level of interior customization was limited, he turned to Montrealbased Ménard Dworkind to design a home. He wanted it to be prefabricated, so that he could use one as his personal cabin, and sell others to the public. When the pandemic hit, the client instead saw an opportunity in renting his 100-square-metre cabin to naturestarved city folk. (He’s since invested in the design and construction of a second cabin, with plans to continue adding to the series of one-of-a-kind rental retreats.)

CA Apr 21.indd 50

Because the design phase of Hinterhouse was a bit like getting all dressed up with no place to go—there was a brief for a twobedroom cabin, but no building site—David Dworkind, the lead on the project, set out focusing on the things he and his team could control. “All we knew was the house would be set in nature,” Dworkind says, adding they inserted ample glazing on both sides of the rectangle to maximize the connection to the great outdoors, no matter the location. Beyond that, they concentrated on details and materiality. On the exterior, channel siding in cedar adds texture and, over time, patina to an otherwise simple structure. The offset pattern is repeated on sliding screens that can be pulled in front of the windows for privacy and light control (a stand-alone sauna got the same exterior TLC). But it’s on the interior, where the cedar is swapped for oiled pine, that the creative solutions f lourish, from double-duty furnishings in the kitchen to hidden storage spaces. “There’s way more storage than you’d need for a weekend getaway, but originally, the client was going to live in the house,” Dworkind says.

To keep the design minimalistic, the team concentrated services in a black plywood cube in the centre of the otherwise blond-wood rectangle. The cube conceals electrical and other mechanical parts, but also closets and drawers in the bedrooms, and cupboards and drawers in the kitchen. Another intelligent solution for the kitchen is the hybrid island. With the insertion over the sink of a cutting board in the same material as the countertop, it becomes a dining table, eliminating the need for a separate table. This hybrid island comes to life not only at dinner parties—thanks to a builtin herb garden, it’s sprouting life of its own. Even if the cabin originated out of place, it’s become part of its verdant surroundings in the Laurentians, north of Montreal. Looking out at the valley from the miniature garden in the kitchen island, the life inside connects with the life outdoors. You sense the cabin itself is an island—a sanctuary—for urbanites escaping the city and the pandemic. Access to a slice of paradise, more than ever, counts as a blessing. Susan Nerberg is a writer and editor based in Montreal.

2021-03-17 4:26 PM

Panason

OPEN THE DOOR TO ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES With Panasonic Interior Doors

MADE IN

JAPAN

Comes complete with

 Easy to install  Pre-finished  Warp resistant  Advanced EB coating  Dirt resistant  Scratch resistant  Look, Feel and Luster of Real Wood

• Door Panel • Frame • Trim • Choice of hardware (anti-bacterial coating included on standard hardware)

Unique Features • Magnetic Guide Pin eliminates the need for a floor guide track, creates a barrier free doorway • 180° Flat Hinge ensures effortless operation, allowing doors to be opened with just one finger

Learn more at https://na.panasonic.com/ca/home-building-solutions/interior-doors/ Email: InteriorDoors@ca.panasonic.com

Panasonic.indd 37 CA Apr 21.indd 51

2021-03-17 2:27 4:26 PM

CanadianArchitect_CnvtdFullPg_BeldenBrick_Apr21.indd 1 CA Apr 21.indd 52

3/1/2021 8:52:54 AM 2021-03-17 4:26 PM

Canadian Architect April 2021

Articles inside

GRAND MARCHÉ DE QUÉBEC

THE OSLER SKI CLUB CLUBHOUSE