CANADIAN ARCHITECT 08/21
48
MOTIV Architects TRACEY MACTAVISH, ASHER DEGROOT VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA
3
1
2
CA Aug 21.indd 48
Former work colleagues and long-time friends Tracey Mactavish and Asher deGroot founded MOTIV Architects in 2017. The socially minded Vancouver-based firm is particularly interested in the design of utilitarian structures and landscapes—places often overlooked by designers but fundamental to the success of communities. For Mactavish and deGroot, architecture is not only about constructing buildings, but using them as tools for embodying appreciation: appreciation of people and community, appreciation of materials and the challenges of building, and appreciation of context and the land on which projects are situated. MOTIV takes a grassroots approach to empowering their clients and transforming communities. The pair notes how they’re often going beyond the traditional scope of architecture, acting as “advocates, spokespeople and project managers” for causes they’re invested in. This orientation extends to their design process, in which community members are involved at every possible stage of a project, from pre-design to construction. Case in point: the Swallowfield Barn, which Mactavish and deGroot describe as a “testament to the community building process that shaped it.” The working barn, which doubles as an event space, is located in Langley, B.C., and offers a contemporary interpretation of an archetypal agricultural building form. The structure was built in a modern-day barn-raising, involving more than 60 friends, family and community members. This process reflects MOTIV’s holistic understanding of sustainability. As deGroot says: “It’s not just about projects being environmentally sustainable—it’s about making places and buildings that people care about [into the future].” Mactavish and deGroot have developed a sensitivity to materials by working directly with them—encouraging a hands-on approach within
2021-07-21 12:32 PM
