PRACTICE
FRIENDS OF RUBY
CANADIAN ARCHITECT 04/21
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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
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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
