Canadian Architect February 2019

FEB/19 V.64 N.02

$6.95

SUSTAINABLE REMAKES DIALOG

NIC LEHOUX

06 VIEWPOINT

The IPCC report calls for massively ramping up sustainability measures in the buildings sector.

09 NEWS

Finalists for Venice Architecture Biennale announced; McEwen Building opens at York University.

13 RAIC JOURNAL

Fighting—and winning—the battle against lowest-price procurement in Quebec.

23 INSITES 33

40

26 OLD POST OFFICE DHA converts a lauded heritage structure in Cambridge, Ontario, into Canada’s R first bookless library. TEXT Anne Bordeleau

33 MARKET LANDS he finalists in an international competition offer ideas on transforming a contested T site in Winnipeg’s Exchange District. TEXT Lawrence Bird

40 THE BENTWAY

45 REPORT

Adele Weder reflects on the prevalence of ceramic tiles that imitate other materials.

49 CALENDAR

Lectures and exhibitions across Canada and beyond.

50 BACKPAGE

An annual wood pavilion project hosted by UBC explores the potential of the latest robotic fabrication technologies.

TOM ARBAN

Public Work leads the design of a new urban park taking shape under Toronto’s Gardiner Expressway. TEXT Stefan Novakovic

A client recounts what it took to build a Living Building Challenge childcare facility on a standard budget.

COVER Old Post Office by RDHA. Photo by Sanjay Chauhan / RDHA.

V.64 N.02

26

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

CANADIAN ARCHITECT

FEBRUARY 2019 03

CANADIAN ARCHITECT 02/19

06

VIEWPOINT

ARCHITECTURE’S CLIMATE CRISIS Last fall’s special report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was grim news. Examining over 6,000 studies, the IPCC confirms that even if all carbon emissions were to stop immediately, human activities will have already caused 1.0°C of global warming above pre-industrial levels. We will almost certainly reach 1.5°C of warming—as soon as 2030.

Permanently heating the planet to this amount will have substantial consequences, with climate-related risks to health, livelihoods, food security, water supply, human security and economic growth. And in order to limit warming to 1.5 degrees—rather than the far more dire 2.0-degree scenario—we will need to reduce global net carbon emissions by 45% from 2010 levels by 2030, and reach net zero by 2050.

In terms of architecture, limiting global warming to 1.5°C means that building emissions overall will need to be reduced vastly by 80-90% by 2050. More immediately, according to the IPCC, new construction will need to be fossil-free and near-zero energy by 2020 (that’s not a typo). In OECD countries—including Canada—deep energy retrofits of existing buildings will need to take place at a rate of 5% of building stock per year.

Last March when the IPCC was in Edmonton, the Mayor made the “Edmonton Declaration” to commit signatory cities to limit warming to 1.5°C. A report that the city commis­sioned identified similarly ambitious targets: all new residential and commercial buildings will need to be net zero energy by 2025, and 100% of pre-2017 buildings will need to be retrofitted to be 50% more energy efficient by 2050.

In addition, solar photovoltaic panels and solar hot water will need to be installed on 80% of new and existing buildings by 2050.

These are daunting goals, but ones that must inspire us to action and leadership, rather than ignorance and paralysis.

As a first goal, architects can take the responsibility to educate themselves. Firms should be looking beyond LEED to understand deeper approaches to sustainability. Passive House standards, for instance, were developed for residential design, but their principles of achieving a high level of airtightness and eliminating thermal bridges are equally applicable to commercial structures. The even more comprehensive Living Building Challenge requires buildings to produce more energy than they consume, and collect and treat all water on site.

This education may pay off quickly. Passive

House is one means of complying with the City of Vancouver’s recent sustainability standards. Vancouver’s plan aims to achieve zero emissions in all new buildings by 2030, including interim targets of a 70% reduction in emissions from 2007 levels by 2020 and a 90% reduction by 2025. Projects up for rezoning are required to be near-zero emissions.

Architects can also make a difference by pursuing projects which contribute to urban density and which embrace adaptive reuse. The Ontario Association of Architects is leading by example in retrofitting its 20-year-old headquarters to be net zero energy. This is in-line with the association’s commitment to the 2030 Challenge, which aims to take the building sector to zero carbon emissions by 2030.

In existing projects, architects can specify lower-impact materials and seek sustainable, low-carbon-footprint sources for materials.

Pushing manufacturers to produce sustainable materials is also key, and architects can make a difference by asking sales representatives specific questions about their sustainability claims. Will they provide Environmental Product Declarations, seek Cradle to Cradle certification, or offer transparency through the Declare Product Database?

On a company level, firms can support research projects focused on understanding new technologies in construction materials and processes. Programs such as MITACS can help with matchmaking for firms interested in hosting graduate-level students. Firms can also encourage the environmental interests of existing employees, making time for them to pursue research, develop firm-wide tools and resources, and gain actionable expertise.

Being involved in advocating and consulting on sustainability-focused policy changes is also key. If these policies are not yet in place, architects can take the initiative to bring sustainability to the table—even in projects where it may not be a client focus. Increasingly, insurers are talking about designing for predicted future climate conditions, and architects do their clients a service by putting them ahead of the curve. How can each new building improve the environment, rather than worsen the crisis?

Architects often bemoan the profession’s fading relevance. With the latest warnings on climate change, we have the potential—and responsibility—to make a major impact.

Elsa Lam

ELAM@CANADIANARCHITECT.COM

EDITOR ELSA LAM, FRAIC ART DIRECTOR ROY GAIOT ASSOCIATE EDITOR STEFAN NOVAKOVIC CONTRIBUTING EDITORS ANNMARIE ADAMS, FRAIC ODILE HÉNAULT DOUGLAS MACLEOD, NCARB, MRAIC REGIONAL CORRESPONDENTS MONTREAL DAVID THEODORE CALGARY GRAHAM LIVESEY, MRAIC WINNIPEG LISA LANDRUM, MAA, AIA, MRAIC VANCOUVER ADELE WEDER, HON. MRAIC SUSTAINABILITY ADVISOR ANNE LISSETT, ARCHITECT AIBC VICE PRESIDENT & SENIOR PUBLISHER STEVE WILSON 416-441-2085 x105 SALES MANAGER FARIA AHMED 416-441-2085 x106 CUSTOMER SERVICE / PRODUCTION LAURA MOFFATT 416-441-2085 x104 CIRCULATION CIRCULATION@CANADIANARCHITECT.COM PRESIDENT OF IQ BUSINESS MEDIA INC. ALEX PAPANOU HEAD OFFICE 101 DUNCAN MILL ROAD, SUITE 302 TORONTO, ON M3B 1Z3 TELEPHONE 416-441-2085 E-MAIL info@canadianarchitect.com WEBSITE www.canadianarchitect.com Canadian Architect is published monthly by iQ Business Media Inc..

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Dig deeper into sustainability and earn incentives for your building project.

Thorold Non-Profit Housing Senior’s Building 24 CLEVELAND ST., THOROLD, ON

Savings achieved: 35.7% more efficient than Code.

Key Energy Conservation Measures: • • • • • •

Improved wall and roof insulation Upgraded HVAC system Occupancy sensors in common areas Low-emissivity glazing ENERGY STAR® appliances Programmable thermostats

Affordable Housing New Construction Program Raimondo + Associates Architects Inc. (RAAI) is proud to have been involved with Enbridge for their recently completed 14-unit project in Thorold, Ontario for the Thorold Non-Profit Housing Corporation, which utilized Enbridge’s Affordable Housing New Construction Program (AHNC).

The client was able to take advantage of AHNC to lower the carbon footprint of the building and received funds to offset the capital expenditure and lower operational costs. The selected energy conservation strategies, coupled with Enbridge's AHNC incentives, helped to reduce incremental costs associated with the energy conservation strategy investments in this building and maintain the housing affordability over the long-term. By participating in AHNC, Thorold Non-Profit saves over $6,840 per year on annual energy costs. With the Enbridge incentive, this allows for a payback of 5.4 years.

Enbridge's AHNC program allows participants to enjoy costs they can manage and reap long-term benefits.

To learn more, visit EnergyEfficientAffordableHousing.ca.

Mountainview Elements Condo 212 LAKEPORT RD., ST. CATHARINES, ON Savings achieved: 25% more efficient than Code.

Key Energy Conservation Measures: • • • • • •

Improved wall and roof insulation Heat Recovery Ventilators LED lighting ENERGY STAR® appliances Drain water heat recovery Low-flow showerheads and tap aerators

Savings

By Design Program Elements Urban Condominiums, designed by Raimondo + Associates Architects Inc. (RAAI), is a development by Mountainview Homes and Astra Capital that utilizes the Savings by Design (SBD) program by Enbridge.

Participating in the program was enlightening and helpful for all members of the design team, providing benefits that go beyond financial incentives.

Mike Memme, Mountainview Homes: “The design charrette brought experts in the room that we would have never contacted otherwise. We were made aware of industry best practices and challenges and how builders were dealing with them. We were given a glimpse of future code changes and how to prepare for them. Having so many great construction minds in the room at the same time was exciting. The topics we discussed will change how we design every midrise building we’re involved with going forward.”

Art Rebec, ARC Engineering: “The charrette design process is an excellent way to quantify both the energy and operating cost differences between various HVAC options, system alternates, and architectural building envelope variations.”

To learn more, visit SavingsByDesign.ca.

09

CANADIAN ARCHITECT 02/19

NEWS PROJECTS

After an international search, Contemporary Calgary has selected the team of Calgarybased Gibbs Gage Architects and KPMB Architects of Toronto to help transform the Centennial Planetarium into a world-class gallery for modern and contemporary art.

Designed by McMillan Long and Associates and completed in 1967, the Centennial Planetarium has been vacant since 2011.

The design will be led by KPMB partner Bruce Kuwabara. The KPMB team contributes a depth of experience in designing award-winning galleries and museums, including the Remai Modern in Saskatoon, Gardiner Museum in Toronto, Ottawa Art Gallery, and Canadian Museum of Nature. www.contemporarycalgary.com / www.kpmb.com /

MARK BURNHAM

KPMB and Gibbs Gage to lead transformation of Calgary’s Centennial Planetarium

ABOVE The Oxford County Waste Management and Education Centre is one of 18 projects hoping to become Canada’s first New Building Institute-certified Zero Net Energy building.

www.gibbsgage.com

Baird Sampson Neuert unveils new McEwen Building building at York’s Schulich School

In January, York University and the Schulich School of Business officially opened the Rob and Cheryl McEwen Graduate Study & Research Building. The facility, designed by Baird Sampson Neuert Architects, will accommodate academic program growth, research facilities and space for study and socializing.

A core feature of the LEED Gold project is a dramatic glass solar chimney that rises 27 metres to provide passive natural ventilation for the entire building. The building will be naturally ventilated 40 percent of the time it is occupied. The building has more than 200 automated computer-controlled and operable exterior windows.

The 6,224-square-metre building incorporates radiant heating and cooling within the floor and ceiling slabs, and panels to enhance climate control and classroom acoustics. Its energy use is modelled to be 71.4 percent below Canada’s Model National Energy Code, representing a 67.4 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. www.schulich.yorku.ca / www.bsnarchitects.com

Michael Wilson’s Zero Net Energy building opens in Ontario’s Oxford Country

Designed to be Canada’s first Zero Net Energy building, the Waste Management and Education Centre has opened in Oxford County, Ontario. The 372-square-metre building, by architect Michael Wilson, features rammed

earth walls, wood frame construction, triple pane windows and a photovoltaic array.

The centre supports the County of Oxford’s goals of becoming a zero waste community by the year 2025, and a 100% renewable energy community by the year 2050.

“The new Oxford County Waste Management and Education Centre is a real-world example of how buildings can be sustainably constructed and operated,” said Peter Crockett, CAO, Oxford County. “It includes demonstrations, resources and information to educate and inspire further sustainability initiatives.”

The project aims to provide a comfortable building that consumes very low amounts of energy by implementing Passive House strategies and technologies. All energy used is provided by onsite renewable energy systems.

The building performance will be measured against the New Building Institute’s (NBI) Zero Net Energy criteria (71.5 kWh/m 2) with a goal of demonstrating that the building achieves Net-Zero performance over a 12-month period.

If the building meets this target, it could become the first building in Canada to be verified as a Zero Net Energy building by the NBI. NBI is currently tracking 17 other zero energy hopeful commercial buildings in Canada. www.newbuildings.org

Arcadia Studio completes pedestrian-first public space on McGill campus

In 2010, the McGill University campus was completely pedestrianized. Since then, the previously car-oriented environment has gradually

been transformed to meet a new vision that focuses on sustainable mobility, increased biodiversity and innovation. Fronting the prominent Leacock Building, Arcadia Studio’s new terrace space creates a more pedestrian-oriented public realm that prioritizes seating and communal space.

Taking advantage of the works required to re-waterproof the concrete slab at the street level of the Leacock Building, the university completely demolished the street located on the roof terrace. The space has been revamped as an outdoor salon with resting, gathering and working spaces designed to be flexible and distinctive. Urban furniture includes new benches, banquettes, stools and tables. www.mcgill.ca / www.arcadia.studio

NEWS Canada Council shortlists 2020 Venice Biennale in Architecture curatorial teams

The Canada Council for the Arts, which supports Canada’s official entry to the 2020 Venice Biennale in Architecture, has announced a shortlist of four curatorial teams. The teams are: Azrieli School of Architecture & Urbanism (Ottawa); Ja Architecture Studio (Toronto); Common Accounts (Toronto); and T B A + David Theodore (Montreal). Doubling its previous investment to enhance the international profile of Canada’s representation, the Canada Council is making a contribution of $500,000 towards the 2020 exhibition and is also acting as Commissioner. www.canadacouncil.ca

CANADIAN ARCHITECT 02/19

10 toronto 96,52x24,019 Toronto 2019 _Opmaak 1 23/01/19 19:34 Pagina 1

Edmonton launches missing middle infill design competition

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REG INE ONL G USIN E COD 0 0 CA16

Five City of Edmonton-owned parcels of land at the northeast corner of 112 Avenue and 106 Street in the Spruce Avenue neighbourhood are up for redevelopment. The City is soliciting proposals from multi-disciplinary teams of architects and builders/developers from across Canada and abroad to design a multi-unit, medium-density housing development on these lots. The challenge is to submit an innovative design that is not only considerate of neighbourhood context, but is also economically feasible, responds to local market conditions, and advances the design ethic for infill in Edmonton.

The winning team will be given the opportunity to purchase the site and build their winning design, conditional upon rezoning approval. The finished development will be used to inspire innovative “missing middle” infill developments in other parts of the city. The competition is endorsed by the Alberta Association of Architects (AAA) and submissions will be judged by a national jury. Submissions are due March 1. www.edmonton.ca

RAIC introduces new federated chapter model in British Columbia

The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) has initiated an updated federated chapter model for the organization. British Columbia is the first province to implement the chapter framework, which will transition existing networks into an RAIC BC Chapter Network Committee— a volunteer leadership team for the entire province. The chapter will continue to build on the success of existing networks and create the oppor­tunity to revitalize or support new networks in cities across the province.

The mandate of the new RAIC chapters will be aligned with that of the overall organization: to serve the advocacy, educational and networking needs of its members, working towards the mission of promoting excellence in the built environment and responsible architecture. The RAIC Alberta federated chapter is expected to launch in April 2019. www.raic.org

MEMORANDA CCA invites applications for 2019 Doctoral Students Program

The Canadian Centre for Architecture has opened applications for its Doctoral Students Program, which hosts three candidates in history and theory of architecture programs. Submissions are due February 28. www.cca.qc.ca/en

March 1 deadline for Canada Council’s 2019 Architecture Prizes

The Canada Council for the Arts awards in architecture include the $50,000 Professional Prix de Rome in Architecture, as well as the Ronald J. Thom Award for Early Design Achievement and the J.B.C. Watkins Award for Architecture. www.canadacouncil.ca

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Professional design associations advocate for climate action

The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC), Canadian Society of Landscape Architects, Canadian Institute of Planners, Canadian Water and Wastewater Association, and ICLEI Canada have issued a joint statement to support integrated climate action in the built environment.

act-adapt.org/national-professional-associations-support-integrated-climate-action/

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Membership matters! Renew your RAIC membership for 2019 to access our newly expanded continuing education program. Renew online at RAIC.org, or discover why you should be a member at raic.org/whyjoin.

L’adhésion a son importance! Renouvelez votre adhésion à l’IRAC pour 2019 pour avoir accès à notre nouveau programme étendu de formation continue. Vous pouvez le faire en ligne, à RAIC.org.

Si vous n’êtes pas membre, voyez pourquoi vous devriez le devenir à raic.org/whyjoin.

Watch for the 2019 Moriyama RAIC International Prize call for submissions. This $100,000 CAD prize celebrates buildings that change lives. Details: moriyama.raic.org Surveillez le lancement prochain de l’appel de candidatures au Prix international Moriyama IRAC 2019. Ce prix d’une valeur de 100 000 $ CA célèbre des bâtiments qui changent les vies. Pour en savoir plus : moriyama.raic.org The RAIC’s Professional Liability Insurance Program is available to members as of October 1. The program will provide architects with comprehensive professional liability coverage and other insurance at highly competitive rates.

Details at RAIC.org.

Le programme d’assurance responsabilité professionnelle de l’IRAC est offert aux membres depuis le 1er octobre. Il offre aux architectes une couverture complète d’assurance responsabilité professionnelle et d’autres types d’assurance à des tarifs très concurrentiels.

Pour en savoir plus : RAIC.org RAIC, the Canadian Society of Landscape Architects (CSLA), and the Canadian Institute of Planners, supported by the Adaptation to Climate Change Team (ACT) at Simon Fraser University, have committed to responding to climate change.

Details at RAIC.org.

L’IRAC, l’Association des architectes paysagistes du Canada et l’Institut canadien des urbanistes, avec le soutien de l’Équipe d’adaptation au changement climatique de l’Université Simon Fraser, se sont engagés à agir pour lutter contre le changement climatique. Pour en savoir plus : RAIC.org

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

RAIC Feb 19.indd 13

RAIC Journal Journal de l’IRAC Children play on the rooftop of the Fuji Kindergarten by Tezuka Architects, winner of the 2017 Moriyama RAIC International Prize.

Des enfants s’amusent sur la toiture de l’école maternelle Fuji de Tezuka Architects qui a remporté le Prix international Moriyama IRAC en 2017.

Katsuhisa Kida

Briefs En bref

13

The Relevance of Architecture La pertinence de l’architecture Eva Schacherl Interim Editor, RAIC Journal / Éditrice par intérim, Journal de l’IRAC

Last summer, Carl Elefante, president of the American Institute of Architects, issued a clarion call for what he called “architecture’s relevance revolution.” He underlined that what and how we build will determine more than any other sector how we fare with sustainability and climate change. The built environment also plays a key role in health, affordability and equity.

a lancé un appel vibrant pour ce qu’il a appelé la « révolution de la pertinence de l’architecture ». Il a souligné que les architectes, plus que tous les autres intervenants du cadre bâti, détermineront comment assurer la durabilité et lutter contre le changement climatique. Il a ajouté que le cadre bâti joue aussi un rôle clé en matière de santé, d’abordabilité et d’équité.

The Moriyama RAIC International Prize is all about social relevance. The RAIC will soon launch a call for submissions for this $100,000 award for buildings that transform society (p. 18).

La pertinence est par ailleurs un critère important du Prix international Moriyama IRAC qui récompense la pertinence sociale. L’IRAC lancera bientôt un appel de candidatures pour ce prix de 100 000 $ décerné à des bâtiments qui transforment la société (p. 18).

Speaking of relevance, let’s not forget the future. The Moriyama RAIC International Prize includes three scholarships for architecture students in Canada. Students can apply with an essay on “How I decided to be an architect”. These $5,000 scholarships will help to form the next generation of architects who will leave their mark – for a more sustainable and inclusive future.

Editor Maria Cook is on temporary leave.

L’été dernier, Carl Elefante, le président de l’American Institute of Architects,

Enfin, nous devons assurer la pérennité de la pertinence. Dans cet esprit, le Prix international Moriyama IRAC remet trois bourses à des étudiants en architecture du Canada. Les candidats devront répondre à la question « Pourquoi j’ai décidé de devenir architecte ». Ces bourses de 5 000 $ chacune contribueront à former la prochaine génération d’architectes qui laisseront leur marque pour un avenir plus durable et plus inclusif.

L’éditrice Maria Cook est en congé temporaire.

2019-01-23 12:19 PM

14

RAIC Journal

Journal de l’IRAC

Fighting back: Defending quality in public sector buildings La réplique : Pour la qualité des bâtiments du secteur public Left to right: Lyne Parent of the AAPPQ, Robert Poëti, former minister for integrity in public procurement, and André Rainville of the AFG.

AAPPQ – AFG

De gauche à droite : Lyne Parent de l’AAPPQ, Robert Poëti, ex-ministre délégué à l’Intégrité des marchés publics, et André Rainville de l’AFG.

By / par Luis Millán Lyne Parent had just stepped out of the subway station in Montreal when her cellphone rang. On this mid-August day in 2018, she could barely make out what the caller was saying. She quickly moved away from the screeches and squeals of buses to a quieter spot. Upon hearing the news, she felt relieved – and content. In a matter of moments, a summer of angst gave way to cautious optimism. “The hardest part was to keep the good news to myself for 24 hours because the government wanted to make the announcement itself,” recalls Parent, the executive director of Quebec’s association of private practice architects (AAPPQ).

Parent had good reason to be pleased. In the middle of summer holidays, two underdogs had jointly mounted a successful advocacy campaign to stave off an effort by the Quebec government to quietly reintroduce lowest-bid contracting. Faced with public pressure, the Quebec government withdrew its controversial draft reg-

RAIC Feb 19.indd 14

ulation on August 15 and established a framework to analyze and revise the way in which public contracts for professional services are awarded. “There were not many people who believed we would succeed given the determination and will of the government to adopt the regulation,” says André Rainville, the president and CEO of Quebec’s association of engineering consulting firms (AFG).

The groundwork for a successful pushback had been laid years before. Through networking, the two organizations forged strong ties with industry, educational institutions, environmental groups, and purveyors of professional services. They also kept their members abreast of developments.

A high-profile inquiry, the Charbonneau Commission that investigated awarding of government contracts and influence peddling in the Quebec construction sector, also helped as its 2015 report laid bare the drawbacks to the lowest-bid rule. And ironically, the Quebec government also played a role. More than a decade ago,

Quebec became the first jurisdiction in the country to compel provincial agencies to use qualifications-based selection (QBS), sometimes called quality-based selection, to procure architectural and engineering services.

That decision led to the emergence of a robust design culture that has been embraced by the public, says John Stephenson, FRAIC, president of the Ontario Association of Architects. “When (QBS) was threatened, this broad coalition who understands its value was able to mobilize to fight against it. I don’t think we would have had the same response in the rest of the country because we’re not there yet.”

A week before the draft regulation was published on June 27, Parent and Rainville were warned by public servants to keep an eye on the official Quebec Gazette. But nothing had prepared them for the bleak news. There were no hints throughout several roundtable discussions held during the year that the Quebec government

2019-01-23 12:19 PM

RAIC Journal

was going to move toward lowest-bid contracts, a change that could jeopardize the financial health of many architectural and engineering firms. “We knew we had a big summer ahead of us,” recalls Rainville. The Quebec government wanted to act quickly, before the fall provincial elections. It dropped the bombshell on the cusp of the annual two-week statutory construction holiday, a time when businesses and organizations affiliated with the construction sector either shut down or slow to a crawl. On top of that, the AAPPQ and the AFG had only 45 days to act before the regulation would be put to the Quebec Cabinet for approval. Robert Poëti, then Quebec minister for integrity in public procurement and information resources, made it plain to Parent and Rainville that if they were going to have a chance of dissuading him, they were going to have to send their briefs promptly. Pleas for an extension fell upon deaf ears. “We were in a race against time,” says Rainville.

Both organizations quickly informed their respective boards of directors. “When we got the news, we were discouraged,” says Jonathan Bisson, MIRAC, who sits on the AAPPQ board. “The association had been working for months trying to discuss with the government how professional public contracts for professional services are awarded, but the dossier was bounced around from ministry to ministry, only for them to act unilaterally,” says Bisson, also the Quebec director for the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada.

The AAPPQ and the AFG understood that it was in their best interests to join forces since they were both targeted by the draft regulation. A joint multi-pronged strategy was devised, beginning with efforts to mobilize members through electronic and social media to submit briefs and write to members of the National Assembly about the negative repercussions of the draft regulation. The draft regulation asserted in its preamble that it should “have no negative impact on enterprises.” But in Quebec, 80 percent of architectural firms have fewer than 10 employees, with nearly 50 percent of their revenues stemming from public sector work. It was important, says Parent, for members to drive home the message to decision makers that these small firms would be unable to thrive under lowest-bid contracting as it would inevitably lead to a price war they could ill afford.

At the same time, both organizations reached out to stakeholders, hoping to

RAIC Feb 19.indd 15

sway as many as possible to support them and lobby the provincial government. Simultaneously, a provocative media strategy aimed at generating public attention was conceived to refute the government’s contention that lowest-bid contracting would have “no impact on the public.” Findings from the Charbonneau Commission were underlined, namely that with lowest-price contracting there is a risk of collusion, undue pressure on bidders’ margins, and the quality of infrastructure and services is in jeopardy.

An open letter penned by nearly 30 organizations made the point even more starkly by recalling a 2006 tragedy that cost the lives of five people and seriously injured six others when an overpass collapsed in Laval, Quebec. The letter, entitled “Will it take another Concorde overpass?” pointed out that it was the catastrophe that had prompted the provincial government to adopt QBS. The strategy bore fruit, as did their efforts to meet with the minister and his aides.

Members of both organizations ended up writing more than 100 briefs, Quebec media coverage was copious, and both organizations continued to receive support from stakeholders well after the advocacy campaign came to an end.

Meetings with the minister, while initially tense, have given way to more productive exchanges. “We had the impression that the minister and his aides poorly understood the consequences of the draft regulation,” remarks Parent. “The exchanges were firm and direct.”

Tough negotiations, which began at the end of August 2018, are still underway.

The new provincial government has not yet changed the substance of the talks which are being held biweekly. Though lowest-bid contracting is still on the table, architects and engineers have made it clear that it’s a no-go zone. “When you opt for the lowest bid, you are selecting an enterprise that will devote fewer hours to conceive a project, and you are opting for rapid solutions in place of customized solutions that favour creativity and innovation,” says Parent.

A recent study by QBS Canada underlines that the cost growth of a project is nine percent more for lower bid procurement and 1.6 percent more for best value procurement (BVP) than qualifications-based selection. QBS also had the highest construction speed of all pro-

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curement methods, with BVP 23 percent slower than QBS and low bid six percent slower than QBS. Perhaps most importantly, “all completed QBS projects had a high to very high level of quality, and there was a higher level of owner and designer satisfaction with the results of the project,” says the 2018 study entitled “Qualifications-Based Selection (QBS): Best Practice for Architecture, Engineering and Construction Management/ General Contractor Procurement in Canada.”

It appears that QBS is slowly making inroads in the rest of the country, though Canada still trails by a long shot the United States, Europe, and Asia. All eyes are on a QBS pilot program launched by the federal government in summer 2018, a development that Stephenson describes as an “important start.” Also, the Ontario Association of Architects is lobbying the Ontario government to take a closer look at QBS and try a pilot program, says Adam Tracey, manager, policy and government relations at the OAA. “There are no commitments, but there is a level of interest in QBS that we haven’t quite seen before.”

Even in Quebec, there is much work to be done. Though QBS is legally mandated for provincial procurement of architectural and engineering services, it’s a different story for municipalities. Municipalities, almost without exception, rely on the lowest bid. That may change eventually following the passage in 2016 of Bill 108, which grants municipalities the power to choose different selection processes.

“It will take time before municipalities abandon a formula they have been using for 15 years,” notes Rainville. But on the ground at least, Bisson has noticed that there is a growing interest in QBS. A forum he helped organize last spring in Montreal that brought industry stakeholders together to discuss QBS may have prompted at least one university to consider adopting QBS for a new project.

“We sensed that they understood the importance of quality,” says Bisson.

In the meantime, Parent and Rainville are cautiously optimistic that though the provincial government wants to tinker with different formulas over the implementation of QBS, it is here to stay. “The Charbonneau Commission said it well: public procurement is complex,” says Parent.

“There are no magic recipes. It’s important to consult with industry before adopting a regulation that will affect them.”

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Lyne Parent sortait tout juste du métro, à la mi-août 2018, lorsqu’elle a reçu un appel lui annonçant une nouvelle qui l’a réjouie. En quelques minutes, l’angoisse de l’été a cédé la place à un optimisme prudent. « Le plus difficile a été de garder le secret pendant 24 heures, parce que le gouvernement voulait en faire l’annonce luimême », se souvient Mme Parent, directrice générale de l’Association des architectes en pratique privée du Québec (AAPPQ).

design à laquelle le public a adhéré, selon John Stephenson, FRAIC, président de l’Ontario Association of Architects. « Lorsque la SBQ a été menacée, cette grande coalition qui en comprend pleinement la valeur a réussi à se mobiliser pour lutter contre la menace. Je ne crois pas que nous aurions eu la même réaction ailleurs dans le pays, parce que nous n’en sommes pas encore là. »

Elle avait une bonne raison de se réjouir.

Au beau milieu des vacances d’été, deux associations professionnelles avaient mené une campagne pour contrer la tentative du gouvernement du Québec de réintroduire discrètement la règle du plus bas soumissionnaire. Devant la pression du public, le gouvernement a retiré son projet de règlement controversé le 15 août et il a établi un cadre d’analyse et de révision du mode d’attribution des contrats publics pour les services professionnels. « Peu de gens croyaient en notre réussite, car le gouvernement était déterminé à adopter ce règlement », dit André Rainville, président et chef de la direction de l’Association des firmes de génie-conseil – Québec (AFG).

Une semaine avant la publication du projet de règlement, le 27 juin, les deux directeurs avaient été invités par des fonctionnaires à surveiller la Gazette officielle du Québec. Rien ne les avait toutefois préparés à la mauvaise nouvelle. Pendant les nombreuses discussions en table ronde tenues au cours de l’année, rien ne laissait croire que le gouvernement du Québec se dirigeait vers l’attribution des

Les bases d’une campagne d’opposition fructueuse avaient été jetées des années plus tôt. Par du réseautage, les deux organisations ont tissé des liens solides avec le milieu, les établissements d’enseignement, les groupes environnementaux et les fournisseurs de services professionnels. Elles ont également tenu leurs membres informés des développements dans ce dossier.

La Commission Charbonneau, cette commission largement médiatisée qui a enquêté sur l’attribution des contrats gouvernementaux et le trafic d’influence dans le secteur de la construction du Québec, a par ailleurs contribué au dénouement positif, car son rapport de 2015 dénonçait les dangers de la règle du plus bas soumissionnaire. Et ironiquement, le gouvernement du Québec a aussi joué un rôle du fait qu’une dizaine d’années auparavant, il avait été le premier au pays à obliger les agences provinciales de recourir au processus de sélection basée sur la qualité (SBQ), aussi appelée sélection basée sur les compétences (SBC), pour l’octroi des contrats de services professionnels en architecture et en génie.

Cette décision a d’ailleurs favorisé l’émergence d’une solide culture du

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gés dans une course contre la montre », rappelle André Rainville.

Les deux directeurs ont rapidement informé leurs conseils d’administration respectifs. « Lorsque nous avons appris la nouvelle, nous étions bien découragés », dit Jonathan Bisson, MIRAC, qui siège au Conseil de l’AAPPQ en plus d’être le représentant du Québec au Conseil de l’Institut royal d’architecture du Canada. « L’AAPPQ tentait depuis des mois de discuter avec le gouvernement des modes d’attribution des contrats de services professionnels des organismes publics, mais le dossier était balloté d’un ministère à l’autre et la mesure a été prise unilatéralement », ajoute-t-il.

L’AAPPQ et l’AFG ont compris qu’il était dans leur intérêt d’unir leurs forces puisqu’elles étaient toutes deux ciblées

Dans leur lettre intitulée « Faudra-t-il un autre viaduc de la Concorde? », les signataires soulignaient que le mode de sélection basée sur la qualité avait été adopté par le gouvernement provincial dans la foulée de cette catastrophe. contrats aux plus bas soumissionnaires, un changement susceptible de compromettre la santé financière de bien des bureaux d’architectes et d’ingénieurs. « Nous avons alors compris que nous aurions un gros été », dit André Rainville.

Le gouvernement québécois voulait agir rapidement, avant les élections de l’automne. Il a largué la bombe à la veille des deux semaines de vacances annuelles de la construction, une quinzaine pendant laquelle les entreprises et autres organisations affiliées au secteur de la construction prennent congé ou ralentissent leurs activités. De plus, l’AAPPQ et l’AFG n’avaient que 45 jours pour réagir avant le dépôt du règlement devant l’Assemblée nationale du Québec.

Robert Poëti, alors ministre délégué à l’Intégrité des marchés publics et aux Ressources informationnelles, a fait clairement savoir à Lyne Parent et André Rainville que s’ils voulaient avoir une chance de le dissuader d’aller dans cette voie, ils devaient lui faire parvenir rapidement leurs mémoires. Les demandes d’extension du délai sont tombées dans l’oreille d’un sourd. « Nous étions enga-

par le projet de règlement. Elles ont élaboré une stratégie commune en plusieurs volets. Dans un premier temps, elles ont mobilisé leurs membres par les médias électroniques et sociaux et les ont invités à soumettre des mémoires et à écrire aux membres de l’Assemblée nationale pour leur expliquer les répercussions négatives du projet de règlement. Ce projet énonçait, dans son préambule, qu’il ne « devrait pas avoir de conséquences négatives sur les entreprises ». Mais au Québec, 80 pour cent des bureaux d’architectes comptent moins de 10 employés et 50 pour cent de leur chiffre d’affaires provient du secteur public. Il était important, souligne Mme Parent, que les membres fassent bien comprendre aux décideurs que ces petits bureaux seraient incapables de survivre à la guerre des prix induite par la règle du plus bas soumissionnaire.

Les deux organisations ont également communiqué avec divers intervenants du secteur, espérant en convaincre le plus grand nombre possible de les appuyer et d’exercer pression sur le gouvernement provincial. En même temps, une straté-

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gie médiatique provocatrice visant à sensibiliser l’opinion publique a été conçue pour réfuter la prétention du gouvernement à l’effet que la règle du plus bas soumissionnaire n’aurait « pas d’impact sur les citoyens ». On a souligné les conclusions de la Commission Charbonneau, indiquant notamment que la règle du plus bas prix pose un risque de collusion et une pression indue sur les marges bénéficiaires des soumissionnaires en plus de mettre en péril la qualité des infrastructures et des services. Une lettre ouverte signée par quelque 30 organisations est allée encore plus loin en rappelant la tragédie de 2006 qui a coûté la vie à cinq personnes et en a blessé six autres lorsqu’un viaduc s’est effondré à Laval, au Québec. Dans leur lettre intitulée « Faudra-t-il un autre viaduc de la Concorde? », les signataires soulignaient que le mode de sélection basée sur la qualité avait été adopté par le gouvernement provincial dans la foulée de cette catastrophe.

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Management/ General Contractor Procurement in Canada. » Les négociations qui ont commencé à la fin du mois d’août 2018 sont toutefois encore en cours. Le nouveau gouvernement provincial n’a pas encore modifié la teneur des discussions qui ont lieu toutes les deux semaines. La règle du plus bas soumissionnaire est encore envisagée, mais les architectes et les ingénieurs ont exprimé clairement leur vive opposition à ce mode de sélection. « En optant pour la plus basse soumission, le donneur d’ouvrage choisit une entreprise qui consacrera moins d’heures à la conception du projet et opte pour des solutions rapides au lieu de solutions personnalisées qui favorisent la créativité et l’innovation », ajoute Mme Parent.

Dans une récente étude, QBS Canada souligne que l’augmentation du coût d’un projet est de neuf pour cent supérieure dans les projets attribués au plus bas soumissionnaire et de 1,6 pour cent supérieure dans les projets attribués selon le meilleur rapport qualité-prix (RQP) que dans les projets La stratégie a porté ses fruits, tout comme les efforts déployés pour rencon- attribués selon la SBQ. C’est également trer le ministre et ses fonctionnaires. Les dans les projets attribués selon la SBQ que membres des deux organisations ont rédi- les travaux sont exécutés le plus rapidement, soit 23 pour cent plus rapidement gé plus de 100 mémoires, les médias ont que pour les projets en RQP et 6 pour cent abondamment couvert la question et les deux organisations ont continué de receplus rapidement que pour les projets voir l’appui de leurs partenaires bien après attribués au plus bas soumissionnaire. la fin de la campagne. Les rencontres Mais plus important encore, le niveau de avec le ministre, assez tendues au départ, qualité de tous les projets réalisés selon la ont donné lieu à des échanges plus proSBQ était d’élevé à très élevé et le niveau ductifs. « Nous avions l’impression que le de satisfaction des maîtres de l’ouvrage et ministre et ses conseillers comprenaient des concepteurs était supérieur, selon cette mal les conséquences du projet de règle- étude de 2018 intitulée « Qualificationsment », souligne Lyne Parent. « Les Based Selection (QBS): Best Practice for échanges ont été fermes et directs. » Architecture, Engineering and Construction

La SBQ semble percer lentement dans le reste du pays, bien que le Canada accuse encore beaucoup de retard par rapport aux États-Unis, à l’Europe et à l’Asie. Tous les yeux sont actuellement tournés vers un programme pilote de SBQ lancé par le gouvernement fédéral à l’été 2018 que John Stephenson décrit comme « un important début ». Par ailleurs, l’Ontario Association of Architects (OAA) presse le gouvernement de la province d’examiner plus attentivement la SBQ et de créer un programme pilote, souligne Adam Tracey, gestionnaire des politiques et des relations gouvernementales à l’OAA. « Il n’y a aucun engagement pour l’instant, mais la SBQ soulève un certain intérêt que nous n’avions jamais vraiment remarqué auparavant. » Même au Québec, il reste encore beaucoup à faire. Si la SBQ est obligatoire pour l’approvisionnement en services d’architecture et de génie pour les projets provinciaux, il en va autrement pour les projets municipaux. Presque toutes les municipalités utilisent la règle du plus bas soumissionnaire. Cela pourrait toutefois changer éventuellement à cause de l’adoption du projet de loi 108 en 2016 qui donne aux municipalités le pouvoir de choisir différents modes de sélection. « Il faudra du temps pour que les municipalités abandonnent une formule qu’elles utilisent depuis 15 ans », souligne André Rainville. Toutefois, Christian Bisson remarque un intérêt croissant envers la SBQ sur le terrain. Dans la foulée d’un forum sur la SBQ qui a réuni des intervenants de l’industrie à Montréal, le printemps dernier, au moins une université aurait été incitée à envisager l’adoption de la SBQ pour un nouveau projet. « Nous avons eu l’impression qu’ils ont compris l’importance de la qualité », souligne Christian Bisson, l’un des organisateurs de ce forum.

Entre-temps, Lyne Parent et André Rainville demeurent prudemment optimistes même si le gouvernement provincial veut étudier différentes modalités de mise en œuvre de la SBQ. La SBQ est là pour de bon, souligne Lyne Parent. « La Commission Charbonneau l’a dit clairement : l’octroi de contrats publics est complexe.

Il n’y a pas de recette magique. Il est important de consulter le secteur avant d’adopter un règlement qui touche ses intervenants », conclut-elle.

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Design and social relevance meet in $100,000 international prize Un prix international de 100 000 $ où design et pertinence sociale ne font qu’un Previous shortlist nominees and winners agree that the Moriyama RAIC International Prize plays an important role.

Katsuhisa Kida

Takaharu Tezuka reflects: “I think it will take time for the public to understand the meaning of the Moriyama RAIC International Prize, but someday it will be very important in the world. The criteria are very genuine and unique. This prize will help us to understand the true meaning of architecture.”

By/par Eva Schacherl The Moriyama RAIC International Prize is unique in Canada, and indeed the world, for its emphasis on how great architecture transforms society.

It was launched in 2013 by celebrated architect Raymond Moriyama FRAIC CM, in collaboration with the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) and the RAIC Foundation. The RAIC will soon launch a call for submissions for the third edition of the prize.

The award is unique for its size – $100,000 for a single work of architecture – but above all for its intention. The building must have a transformative impact, demonstrating humanistic values of respect and inclusivity and creating environments for the well-being of all people. (Full criteria and requirements can be found at moriyama.raic.org.)

“This award, hopefully, will be about more than beautiful architecture,” Moriyama ex­plained in 2014. “I want it to recognize qualities of inclusion, equality, true democracy.”

Brian MacKay-Lyons (MacKay-Lyons

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Sweetapple Architects, Halifax) was on the jury for the first Moriyama RAIC International Prize and was a finalist for the second. “The award has succeeded and gained credibility,” he says, “by focusing on strong architectural design. On the 2014 jury, we wanted to make sure that the prize recognized great architecture coupled with social purpose.”

Li Xiaodong of China was the first winner, for a modest library in Beijing’s periphery that had a tremendous impact on tourism and development of its community. The jury praised the elegance of Liyuan Library’s siting, its contemplative spaces, and its environmental design.

The 2017 winner was the Tokyo firm Tezuka Architects, founded by Takaharu and Yui Tezuka, for its Fuji Kindergarten.

The project won against submissions from 17 countries across six continents.

The oval-shaped Fuji Kindergarten, with a large rooftop play area built around trees, restores a connection with nature and creates an environment where children can follow their instincts for play and movement. The design encourages calmness and focus in students.

Tezuka Architects’ Fuji Kindergarten, 2017 Moriyama RAIC International Prize winner.

École maternelle Fuji de Tezuka Architects, lauréate du Prix international Moriyama IRAC en 2017.

Katherine Faulkner is a partner in the Boston-based architecture and urban design firm NADAAA, shortlisted in 2017 for the Melbourne School of Design (in collaboration with John Wardle Architects).

She was impressed by the Fuji Kindergarten and its contribution to society, “demonstrating that architecture can inspire happiness,” as well as by the fact that jurors travel to every finalist project, no matter how far away: “One of the many lessons of the Moriyama RAIC International Prize was the reminder that excellence in architecture can only be appreciated upon visiting a building.”

“I can think of few other awards so committed to recognizing merit in our global profession,” says Faulkner. “In this time of hyper-media saturation, it’s worth emphasizing the power of experience and an architect’s obligation to the greater good.”

The 2019 Moriyama RAIC International Prize Gala will be held in October in Toronto. We welcome you to review our sponsorship opportunities at moriyama.raic.org and hope we can count on your support.

Le Prix international Moriyama IRAC est unique au Canada, et en fait dans le monde entier, car il insiste sur la façon dont la grande architecture transforme la société.

Il a été lancé en 2013 par l’architecte de renom Raymond Moriyama, FRAIC, CM, en collaboration avec l’Institut royal d’architecture du Canada (IRAC) et la Fondation de l’IRAC. L’IRAC lancera bientôt l’appel de candidatures pour sa troisième édition.

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Le prix se distingue par son ampleur – 100 000 $ pour une réalisation architecturale – mais surtout par sa finalité. Le bâtiment doit avoir un impact transformateur, illustrer les valeurs humanistes de respect et d’inclusion et créer des milieux qui assurent le bien-être de tous. (Les critères et les exigences du prix sont affichés à moriyama.raic.org.) « Ce prix, je l’espère, ira au-delà de la beauté architecturale », disait Moriyama en 2014. « Je veux qu’il reconnaisse les qualités d’inclusion, d’égalité et de réelle démocratie. » Brian MacKay-Lyons (MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects, Halifax) a fait partie du jury de la première édition du Prix international Moriyama IRAC et a compté parmi les finalistes de la deuxième édition. « Le prix a remporté un vif succès et a gagné en crédibilité en insistant sur la force du design architectural », souligne-t-il. « Le jury de 2014 voulait s’assurer de décerner le prix à un projet d’une architecture remarquable associée à un but social. » Li Xiaodong, de la Chine, a été le premier lauréat, pour une modeste bibliothèque en banlieue de Beijing qui a eu un énorme impact sur le tourisme et le développement de sa collectivité. Le jury a loué

Celebrating buildings that change lives 2014 Recipient The Liyuan Library, China

by Li Xiaodong 2017 Recipient Fuji Kindergarten, Japan

by Tezuka Architects

l’élégance de l’emplacement de la bibliothèque Liyuan, ses espaces contemplatifs et son design de l’environnement.

En 2017, le prix a été décerné à la firme tokyoïte Tezuka Architects fondée par Takaharu et Yui Tezuka, pour l’école maternelle Fuji. Le projet s’est démarqué parmi les candidatures provenant de 17 pays sur six continents.

L’école de forme ovale comporte une grande aire de jeu en toiture, construite autour des arbres existants. Elle rétablit un lien avec la nature et crée un milieu dans lequel les enfants peuvent suivre leurs instincts pour jouer et bouger. Le design favorise également le calme et la concentration chez les élèves.

Les lauréats et les finalistes des éditions antérieures s’entendent pour dire que le Prix international Moriyama IRAC joue un rôle important, ce que confirme Takaharu Tezuka : « Je crois qu’il faudra un certain temps avant que le public comprenne le sens profond du Prix international Moriyama IRAC, mais un jour viendra où ce prix sera très important dans le monde. Les critères sont vraiment originaux et particuliers. Le prix nous aidera à comprendre le vrai sens de l’architecture. » Katherine Faulkner est quant à elle une

Célébrer Des bâtiments qui changent des vies lauréat 2014 La bibliothèque Liyuan, CHine par Li Xiaodong lauréat 2017 Maternelle Fuji, Japon par Tezuka Architects

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associée du cabinet d’architecture et de design urbain de Boston, NADAAA, finaliste en 2017 pour l’École de design de Melbourne (en collaboration avec John Wardle Architects).

Elle s’est dite impressionnée par l’école maternelle Fuji et sa contribution à la société. « Ce projet démontre que l’architecture peut inspirer le bonheur », at-elle dit. Par ailleurs, elle se réjouit du fait que les jurés visitent tous les projets finalistes, peu importe où ils sont situés dans le monde. « Le Prix international Moriyama IRAC nous enseigne, parmi ses nombreuses leçons, qu’on ne peut apprécier l’excellence en architecture qu’en visitant un bâtiment. » « Je ne connais pas d’autre prix aussi déterminé à reconnaître le mérite dans notre profession à l’échelle mondiale », conclut-elle. « En cette époque de saturation médiatique, il vaut la peine d’insister sur le pouvoir de l’expérience et sur l’obligation des architectes par rapport au plus grand bien de tous. »

Le gala du Prix international Moriyama IRAC 2019 aura lieu en octobre, à Toronto.

Nous vous invitons à examiner les possibilités de commandites sur le site moriyama.raic.org et nous espérons pouvoir compter sur votre appui.

OPEN FOR SUBMISSIONS TO ARCHITECTS WORLDWIDE CAD $100,000 AWARD

For a building that transforms its society by promoting humanistic values of social equity, respect, and inclusiveness, and by creating environments for the well-being of all people.

OUVERT AUX ARCHITECTES DU MONDE ENTIER PRIX DE 100 000 $ CA

Pour un bâtiment qui transforme sa société en valorisant les valeurs humanistes d’équité sociale, de respect et d’inclusion et en créant des environnements qui assurent le bien-être de toutes les personnes.

To submit | Pour participer :

@MoriyamaPrize #MoriyamaPrize

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RAIC expands continuing education program in 2019 L’IRAC élargit son programme de formation continue en 2019 By/par Kristen Gagnon, MRAIC

From energy and architecture to advanced building envelopes, a new series of weekly webinars by the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) is part of the ambitious expansion of its continuing education program.

Until now, most RAIC learning opportunities and credits have been offered during the annual Festival of Architecture, in addition to occasional webinars and courses. Now the scope of opportunities is being significantly increased. The result will be not only expanded Festival opportunities, but also a new annual continuing education program.

In January, the RAIC introduced ‘Webday Wednesdays’ – online, themed webinar sessions. Each month a new topic is explored through weekly webinars presented by experts in their fields, in both English and French. January looked at the move towards digital strategies and Building Information Modeling, while February focuses on the relationship between energy and architecture. Future series will include adaptive reuse, architectural design processes, advanced building envelopes, wood architecture and construction, and marketing and communications in architecture.

In addition to online learning, the RAIC will offer limited-edition workshops in heritage conservation, based on unique opportunities and special site access. Following a successful 2018 schedule, the RAIC is also pleased to announce that the Project Management for Architects course will take place in Toronto, Montreal, Winnipeg, Victoria, and Moncton in 2019.

The RAIC looks forward to offering its members – and members of the larger architectural community – opportunities to further their education, gain new skills and knowledge, and receive learning credits through the RAIC’s high quality and engaging learning experiences. Find our full Webday Wednesdays program at raic.org/webday.

L’Institut royal d’architecture du Canada (IRAC) se lance dans une ambitieuse expansion de son programme de formation continue avec une nouvelle série de webinaires hebdomadaires. La série traitera de divers sujets allant de l’énergie et l’architecture jusqu’aux enveloppes du bâtiment avancées.

Jusqu’à maintenant, la plupart des activités et des crédits de formation continue de l’IRAC étaient offerts dans le cadre du Festival d’architecture annuel et quelques cours et webinaires étaient

présentés à l’occasion. L’IRAC élargit maintenant considérablement l’étendue de son offre. En plus d’accroître les possibilités de formation pendant le Festival, il offrira un nouveau programme annuel de formation continue.

Ainsi, l’IRAC a lancé en janvier les « mercredis en ligne », une série de webinaires hebdomadaires. Chaque mois, un nouveau thème est exploré dans ces webinaires présentés par des spécialistes de leurs domaines, en anglais et en français.

Le thème de janvier portait sur le passage aux stratégies numériques et la modélisation des données du bâtiment. Celui de février insistera sur les liens entre l’énergie et l’architecture. Au cours des mois suivants, les webinaires traiteront de la réutilisation adaptative; des processus de conception architecturale; des enveloppes du bâtiment avancées; de l’architecture et de la construction en bois; et du marketing et des communications en architecture.

En plus de ces activités de formation en ligne, l’IRAC offrira des ateliers en nombre limité sur la conservation du patrimoine, selon les occasions particulières qui se présenteront et la possibilité d’accéder à des sites donnés. Par ailleurs, après le succès remporté en 2018, l’IRAC a le plaisir d’annoncer que le cours sur la gestion de projet pour les architectes sera présenté à nouveau en 2019, dans les villes de Toronto, Montréal, Winnipeg, Victoria et Moncton.

L’IRAC se réjouit à la perspective d’offrir à ses membres et à ceux de la communauté architecturale élargie des occasions de se perfectionner, d’acquérir de nouvelles connaissances et compétences et d’obtenir des crédits de formation continue grâce à ses expériences d’apprentissage enrichissantes et de grande qualité. Pour consulter le programme des mercredis en ligne, visitez le raic.org/enligne.

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2019-01-24 2:34 PM

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Gordon Harris and Richard Littlemore Martin Tessler

PHOTOS

IN THIS BOOK EXCERPT, SFU COMMUNITY TRUST PRESIDENT GORDON HARRIS RECOUNTS HOW HCMA ARCHITECTURE + DESIGN’S PRESCHOOL MET HIGH SUSTAINABILITY GOALS WITHOUT A GREEN PREMIUM. The childcare project was sustainable community building in microcosm, a reminder, from consultation to implementation, of the need to apply best practices at every step. We began with a series of workshops, first with internal stakeholders and then with our governmental and regulatory partners. Then we sat down with the clients, a clutch of three- to five-year-olds, and invited them to submit their best ideas. This was the most fun. In the usual design charrette (that is, one involving adults), you’re often encouraging people to “think outside the box.” Well, preschoolers have no conception that there ever was a box. They were entirely unrestrained in their creativity.

That said, I hope they weren’t too disappointed that we didn’t wind up with a structure of white tree houses on crooked sticks.

Blue-sky dreaming notwithstanding, we needed to honour the rules of space and scale, access and safety. We were striving to meet the principles of the Reggio Emilia approach to childcare that had been identified from the outset by our partners at the SFU Childcare Society. Parents and professionals in the Reggio Emilia region of Italy designed this preschool philosophy after the Second World War, in the sobering light of the war’s devastation and in recognition of the importance of early childhood development. They created a program founded on principles of respect, responsibility, community and a self-

ABOVE Located at the heart of Simon Fraser’s sustainable campus community, the UniverCity Childcare Centre was the seventh building to register for the Living Building Challenge worldwide.

guided curriculum, and based on exploration and discovery in a supportive and enriching environment. It was a perfect fit with our goals of sustainable community building.

But we had another challenge—one that I imposed myself when [Dale] Mikkelsen [Director of Development, SFU Community Trust] first raised the childcare alternative. I said, “Sure! We can attempt a Living Building, on condition that it not cost a dime more than a conventional project. No green premium.” That’s where the innovations and accommodations from HCMA, Ledcor, and our other partners became so crucial.

As we had seen with Verdant [the surrounding residential neighbourhood], buildings that are well designed and well equipped from the outset can run more efficiently and more sustainably. If you begin with a structure that is well situated, well insulated and angled to take best advantage of radiant heat from the sun, you reduce the need for heating and lighting hardware, as well as the ongoing expense. We also made a deal with UniverCity’s new District Energy Utility to share energy from a rooftop solar-thermal array. This installation generates more thermal energy than the building can use, allowing us to sell the remainder back to the utility, offsetting both costs and the carbon footprint of the electricity that we still need for nighttime lighting.

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ABOVE To target the Living Building Challenge criteria, the design includes exceptional indoor air quality along with locally and responsibly sourced materials. It treats and recycles both greywater and blackwater for non-potable uses.

This example of “scale jumping” illustrates one of the biggest obstacles to positive change. Regulatory authorities and conventional utility partners are generally poorly equipped to deal with innovation. For example, the provincial electrical utility, BC Hydro, has a whole division called Power Smart, dedicated to helping clients conserve energy, thereby reducing the need for the utility to fund expensive capital expansions of its own. The folks at Power Smart loved the childcare project, even offering a grant to help pay for the solar array. But when it came time to hook the new building into the grid, BC Hydro’s services division ruled that the centre’s energy requirements were insufficient to justify a conventional connection and assessed a connection charge that was larger than the Power Smart grant. Having encouraged us to build a “Power Smart” building, they proposed to penalize us as a poor prospective customer. For the record, it all turned out in the end. For that, I would like to repeat a personal thanks to then-BC Hydro Chair Bob Elton, who, on learning about the mixed messages coming from his organization, intervened to have our connection charge waived.

The regulatory resistance to change arose again when we began negotiating a water connection. The Living Building Challenge involves being water independent, to use and reuse only what falls from the sky and to treat any run-off to the satisfaction of the salmon downstream. The Living Building standard forbids the use of noxious chemicals, such as chlorine. Again, senior municipal and health officials expressed admiration for those goals. But the municipal officials, whose job is to enforce the law as written, were unable to approve the re-use of water for potable purposes.

Everyone in Burnaby is mandated by law to use municipally sourced, chlorinated water for drinking, with no exceptions for starry-eyed innovators. When we suggested that our toddler-oriented infrastructure would treat and recycle blackwater for use in toilet flushing and irrigation, the regulators declined the application. On that point, however, we ultimately found a compromise, with the regulator supporting water re-use for non-potable purposes, making it possible to link the child-

care centre to the raingardens, the underground infiltration fields that are a big part of the award-winning UniverCity stormwater system.

Another obstacle came with the Living Building requirement that no part of the building or grounds include anything that is “redlisted”—that is, construction materials that are suspect for health or environmental reasons. The problem we ran into was suppliers who often couldn’t or wouldn’t guarantee or even disclose the contents of their products. Sometimes they said these details were proprietary information. Sometimes they admitted that they just didn’t know because they incorporated components from other vendors. We eventually sent out a complete Red List including substances prohibited by the Living Future Institute, and asked suppliers for a statement confirming that their products contained none of these materials.

All of the foregoing points to two problems for innovators in a fast-paced but heavily regulated world. First, the regulators who often attract so much criticism are the same people who help assure British Columbians the highest life expectancy in Canada (and among the highest in the world). Few public initiatives have saved more lives than the provision of chlorinated water. We seldom find ourselves faced with obtuse, unreasonable people, faceless bureaucrats who punch a clock and then sit at a desk ignoring anything that isn’t easy. We are dealing rather with people who have, themselves, fought to establish some of the best standards on the planet and who are justifiably wary about making exceptions.

Second, as our health and environmental understanding evolves, it’s hard to keep up. For example, the Living Building Responsible Industry prerequisite requires the use of wood that carries a Forest Stewardship Council certification. This is one of several good certification schemes that promote conscientious forestry practices. But the FSC stamp was not available for beetle-damaged Mountain Pine, which for availability and responsibility was the perfect product. The Mountain Pine beetle has been at home in British Columbia forests forever. It was a regional continued on page 49

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FIRST CLASS PARCEL A RIVERFRONT POST OFFICE IN A MID-SIZED ONTARIO CITY IS SENSITIVELY REMADE INTO CANADA’S FIRST BOOKLESS LIBRARY.

Idea Exchange Old Post Office, Cambridge, Ontario RDHA TEXT Anne Bordeleau PHOTOS Tom Arban PROJECT

ARCHITECT

The Idea Exchange Old Post Office is located in the former town of Galt, steps away from the historic main intersection, directly on the Grand River. Politically, the project lies at the heart of the City of Cambridge’s effort to revitalize its downtown areas and strengthen their connection with the Grand River. A three-minute walk from the Queen’s Square library branch, the new digital library is part of the Idea Exchange network, a set of well-designed libraries in the former towns of Galt, Preston and Hespeler. All of this together forms the context for this new branch: a network of beautiful library buildings, a sleepy downtown, a main artery and the Grand River—but also the desire to cater to the digital world of learning wherein production, creation and play claim the space traditionally occupied by the silent consultation of stored books.

RDHA came to the project with a portfolio of library buildings and renovations, including their Governor General’s Award-winning work on the Bloor/Gladstone Library in Toronto, a 1,115-square-metre addition to a listed heritage building. In Cambridge, the project called for the transformation of a skillfully executed granite-and-limestone post office designed by Dominion architect Thomas Fuller (1823-1898), who worked on Ottawa’s Gothic Revival Library of Parliament. Built in 1885 and designated a National Historic Site in 1983, the Galt Post Office was part of an effort to stake a federal presence through monumental buildings on key sites. With its Romanesque round-arched portico, Second Empire mansard roof and neo-Gothic turret flanking a clock-tower, the post office is an eclectic yet balanced composition, unified by articulated stonework details and rock-faced ashlar walls.

RDHA’s task was as much to re-anchor the heritage building as a monumental site in a lovely core awakening from dormancy, as it was to give shape to the somewhat paradoxical notion of a bookless library.

In terms of architectural heritage, RDHA uses a clear strategy reminiscent of their approach at the Bloor/Gladstone Library and of Kongats Architects’ recent addition to the Carnegie library in nearby Hespeler.

To distinguish between the old and the new, these three projects have glazed additions that set themselves apart from the existing masonry

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28 constructions. For the Old Post Office, RDHA predominantly used glazing to break the original symmetry between the front and back façades of the Fuller building. Preserving the integrity of the composition on the Water Street side, the architects very freely and rather exuberantly departed from it on the Grand River side. Between the “heritage” and “innovative” sides, certain elements call each other out, such as a diamond-patterned custom ceramic frit that cuts glare in the room over the river, and picks up on the motif of the pediment’s stonework. The result is a very solid presence of the heritage building and a no less active manifestation of the glazed addition.

In the process of transforming the post office, the architects had to double the area of the building on a rather constricted site. An irregularly shaped group of rooms, corridors and circulation cores—including a large lounge and a smaller meeting room—are daringly cantilevered off the back of the heritage building to extend above the Grand River, while other glazed volumes wrap around both sides of the building and land back on Water Street. If these boxy, transparent growths make the building appear somewhat clumsy in certain areas, they also offer exciting views of the surroundings. From outside, the strategy makes for some unexpected projections, whether glimpsed from Water Street, from the adjacent vehicular and pedestrian bridges, or from across the river. In contrast to the monumental Fuller building, the informal glazed protrusions make the building brighter, more open and welcoming. Even the glass entry box, which sits a bit oddly to the north of the Fuller building, is redeemed by the fact that it announces a commitment to universal accessibility.

Compositionally, there are moments when the resolution settles on somewhat haphazard encounters between the old (stone and slate) and the new (glass and metal). But the lopsided addition with its eclectic volumes could not make a more powerful case for a city that seeks

The modern addition takes form as a series of glass boxes wrapping around the heritage building. OPPOSITE, TOP The entry vestibule to the north of the former post office includes an elevator for accessibility. OPPOSITE, BOTTOM The main reading lounge cantilevers over the Grand River. RIGHT A café serves as an extension of the reading area, and can also be used for events.

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30 LEFT A children’s area includes interactive lite-brite walls, programmable robots, and thematic kits that encourage experiential learning for school-aged kids. OPPOSITE, TOP The attic of the historic building houses an adult-focused makerspace equipped with a laser cutter, 3D printer, sewing machines and carpentry tools. OPPOSITE, BOTTOM The contemporary addition adds a welcoming touch to the old post office.

to return to the river. Ultimately, questions of composition and proportion are subsumed in the overarching gesture that undeniably stands as a contemporary embrace of the nineteenth-century presence.

The opportunity to celebrate some of the existing craft is not lost, and the work on the old clock tower as well as the careful restoration of the masonry walls are exemplary in this respect. If RDHA’s renovation and addition to the Old Post Office meets high expectations at the urban level, this in part owes to how it successfully reinstates the heritage building as a valued and active piece of the core. Descriptions of the Fuller building frequently brought up the idea of the picturesque in reference to the roofline, the combination of details, and the attached elements such as the clock tower and porches. RDHA scales up and accentuates this quality, obviously enthralled by the way in which the new glazed attachments perform as they are perceived from different points in the city.

Inside, the duality between old and new is also at play. The circulation takes visitors in and out of the old building, with accompanying shifts in material palette and light intensity. Everywhere, hallways are as tight as possible in order to maximize the inhabitable space. But what is inside a bookless library?

I am reminded of Ian Sinclair’s quick dismissal of one of the precedents for this type of program, when he writes of a friend’s “physical difficulties, the struggle for breath provoked by a confrontation with [...] gaudy Ideas Stores in place of serious book-lined libraries.”1 This comment might resonate with us book lovers. However, as the Old Post Office also happens to sit across from the University of Waterloo’s School of Architecture, it is hard to ignore the intriguing questions raised by the first architectural embodiments of bookless libraries. What is the role of architects in re-thinking both the spatial and programmatic characteristics of such buildings in our digital world?

Here, the lower level offers a black box theatre with film and audio recording suites, gaming areas and musical instruments. The main floor is nearly entirely dedicated to a café that can serve as a reading

room or public presentation area. The second floor is equipped for children’s explorations—with smart tables, lite brite and magnetic walls, computer stations and robot-building kits—and the top level fosters adult creativity, supporting endeavours from sewing to carpentry and 3D printing. Making is the new reading.

Our traditional library buildings did not develop overnight, evolving gradually from monastic settings, to variously include programs such as the storage of books, the facilitation of book circulation, and the offering of monumental reading rooms. More recent changes have led to contemporary iterations on the model of OMA’s Seattle library. Likewise, the digital library is a type that will have to be defined over time, on its own terms, and not solely as an antithesis of the traditional library.

RDHA’s response to this novel program is one in which sequencing is key. Through the dual circulation cores and our movement between them, opportunities for learning and interacting are interwoven within the building, together with lessons from the historic building, experience of the immediate site and views of the greater urban context. The architects ultimately succeed in combining community revitalization with heritage preservation, achieving an architectural master feat of doubling the area and amount of daylight in an 1885 masonry building, and solving an engineering puzzle with great spaces overhanging the river and amphibious feet below the flood line (with a fully functional and heavily programmed lower ground floor). All this within a careful negotiation of old, new, centre and periphery that embraces accessibility in its broadest sense.

Entirely predicated as it is on the intricacy of the task and the tightness of the site, the project does not establish a new bookless library type, nor does it yield paradigmatic lessons on heritage and conservation. And yet, if we are to truly consider rebuilding mid-sized cities around their downtown cores, we need more buildings like the Old Post Office: projects in which the municipality clearly stakes a claim that promotes development while preserving heritage, with an idea of conservation rooted in the contemporary integration of structures in today’s urban life. The constant flow of people of all ages to the Old Post Office since its opening testifies to its ability to do just that. This project might be seen not exclusively as an exemplar of adaptive re-use, but more subtly as one of many possible approaches to heritage preservation—a spectrum that takes us from Viollet-le-Duc’s idea of reinstating a building “in a condition of completeness which could never have existed at any given time” to the candid, open and even slightly unpolished propositions of a present we had never quite imagined.

Anne Bordeleau is O’Donovan Director of the University of Waterloo School of Architecture.

[1] Ian Sinclair, The Last London . (London: One World, 2017), p. 55.

CLIENT CITY OF CAMBRIDGE AND THE IDEA EXCHANGE | ARCHITECT TEAM TYLER SHARP (MRAIC), BOB GOYECHE (MRAIC), JUAN CABALLERO, IVAN ILIC, SOO-JIN RIM, ANDREW CRANFORD, SIMON ROUTH | STRUCTURAL WSP | MECHANICAL/ELECTRICAL JAIN CONSULTANTS | ACOUSTICS AERCOUSTICS | LANDSCAPE NAK DESIGN GROUP | CIVIL VALDOR ENGINEERING | INTERIORS RDHA | CONTRACTOR COLLABORATIVE STRUCTURES | SUSTAINABILITY JAIN CONSULTANTS | HERITAGE STEVENS BURGESS | AREA 1736 M2 | BUDGET $12.4 M | COMPLETION OCTOBER 2018

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CONTESTED GROUND A COMPETITION FOR A NET-ZERO ENERGY, NET-ZERO CARBONREADY DEVELOPMENT GENERATES A RANGE OF PROPOSALS FOR REPLACING THE PUBLIC SERVICE BUILDING IN WINNIPEG’S EXCHANGE DISTRICT.

Market Lands Southern Parcel design competition, Winnipeg, Manitoba ARCHITECTS Daoust Lestage; DTAH; Saucier+Perrotte Architectes with Gustafson Guthrie Nichol; DIALOG; 1x1 Architecture Inc. with drMM and LDA Design TEXT Lawrence Bird PROJECT

A small city block in the centre of Winnipeg—the 2.4-acre-sized Market Lands—has long been a central (if in some senses marginalized) urban space. Its future is the subject of an international design competition that has attracted some of Canada’s best design talent.

When the site was acquired by the city in 1875 for use as a civic market, its deed stipulated that part of the block should remain “in public use” in perpetuity. This mandated civic role meant it was to play a part in the dramas that shaped the urban character of Winnipeg over the next 150 years.

Because of its proximity to City Hall, the market was a site of political protest, including for the Winnipeg General Strike of 1919. Eventually, the need for a central civic market waned, and in 1966 it was replaced by

the Public Safety Building, part of a new, high-modernist-styled Civic Centre. The Civic Centre was the first of many projects intended to structure and breathe life into a downtown from which life seemed to be dwindling. As the middle class moved out into burgeoning suburbs, downtown Winnipeg came to share the fate of city centres across North America: isolated and even feared. The Market Lands can be seen as a microcosm of that era of urban changes, its mandated “public use” shifting from commerce and politics to policing.

Despite massive investments in the core area, it wasn’t until the turn of this century that the recovery of downtown Winnipeg began to gain traction. A key instigator of change was CentreVenture Development Corporation, established by the city in 1999 as an arm’s-length agency to catalyze development. The Market Lands is one of numerous projects they are stick-handling from idea to reality.

A debate raged in design circles over the future of the site. In 2013, the police made plans to move its headquarters from the Public Service Building, whose dolomitic limestone cladding had badly degraded. For Susan Algie, executive director of the Winnipeg Architecture Foundation, the structure was an excellent example of Brutalism with undeniable

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1883 Brown’s Creek | ARCHIVES OF MANITOBA

Daoust Lestage’s winning proposal places the new market directly on the location of the original market. Identifying the site as the intersection of two urban fabrics, the designers proposed to split their mixed-use building along its axis, sliding the two halves across each other and turning the residential corridors into a cross-ventilated fresh air plenum, served at both ends by vertical gardens. Developed with Transsolar, the market includes a suspended garden and a glazed roof with a gradation of transparency, incorporating integrated photovoltaic cells.

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1906 Market Square: Buildings framing the public realm INSURANCE PLAN | ARCHIVES OF MANITOBA

1910 Market Square: Public realm and market animation MARKET AND CITY HALL | ARCHIVES OF MANITOBA

2018 Meeting of Winnipeg’s urban fabrics

heritage value. To Brent Bellamy, MRAIC, creative director at Number TEN A rchitecture and chair of CentreVenture, this was outweighed by its role as “a boulder in the stream of pedestrian circulation”—a physical and symbolic barrier. According to Angela Mathieson, CentreVenture’s president and CEO, the key strikes against potential repurposing of the building were cost and accessibility. Designed in part for temporary incarceration and raised on a podium, it was hard to see how the building could be salvaged for public use.

The first step in reimagining the site was a public engagement process, managed by Public City Architecture. An urban design framework identified “5 Big Moves”: connecting to the popular Old Market Square on the southeast; re-establishing east-west movement along the Market Avenue corridor on the north; strengthening movement to the north and west to encourage development in Chinatown; reinforcing urban edges; and focusing density toward the north. Public consultation generated a set of guiding aspirations including Belonging, Destination, Authenticity, Connectivity, and Innovation. According to Mathieson, the comprehensive program that was to drive this new urban space was itself aspirational. To ensure the “public use” required by the original deed, it envisaged a public market, outdoor public spaces and, in one mixed-use building, 100 units of affordable housing and a cultural hub.

Innovation was demanded by the requirement to, on a modest budget, be net-zero energy and net-zero carbon ready, targeting LEED Platinum. The project was also intended to kick-start residential development planned for the northern two-thirds of the block.

Twenty-three firms submitted qualifications under a two-stage process. Of the five finalists, only one was from Manitoba—1x1 architecture in partnership with the UK’s dRMM. This generated some controversy locally, but according to professional advisor Dudley Thompson, the intention of the competition was to see “bridges and links being made

art festival

movie night

market

outdoor concert

art & maker festival

daily use

ABOVE Based in part on their experience with Granville Island Public Market, DIALOG proposed multiple potential uses of public space conceived around a central “hearth.” The project integrates street activity and streetscaping with the public areas around City Hall to the east. Plantings to the south shelter the central space. The jury raised concerns about the shading and massive presence of the 10-storey mixed-use block, which otherwise shows an inventive mingling of cultural and residential space.

internationally.” Indeed, a number of the teams in the first round were composed of Manitoban firms with international partners, and initial inquiries came from 32 countries.

In addition to addressing the detailed and prescriptive program, proposals had to make sense of a complex urban morphology. The Market Lands are located near the intersection of several urban grids. One of these is derived from the long-lot land-division employed by Métis farmers, running perpendicular to the Red River. Another is a cardinal grid established for downtown by English settlers and municipal government. Three thoroughfares complicate the situation: Main Street, running roughly north-south; Portage Avenue, running east-west; and Notre Dame Avenue, running from the northwest diagonally into Portage near its intersection with Main Street.

That collision of urban forms bears witness to a social collision that originated a century and a half ago. In the 1870s, a federal agenda

of intensive settlement squared off against the First Nations and Métis presence on the Prairies. The original market was erected only a few years after federal troops had overthrown Louis Riel’s Provisional Government of Assiniboia in what the New York Times, in June of 1871, described as a “military reign of terror.” According to Owen Toews, author of the book Stolen City, as Winnipeg boomed over the next decades, it developed in ways that worked best for a white, Anglophone business class. But through the twentieth century, an increasingly marginalized Indigenous population came to form a significant demographic in the downtown core—in part due to suburban migration that could well be characterized as “white flight.”

One criticism of earlier downtown developments was that they predominantly served that suburban population, who commuted to the city centre instead of living there. Even today, while for some the city is in the middle of a resurgence, for others that success risks displacing those who

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long dwelt downtown when no-one else wanted to. According to Shauna MacKinnon, chair of the University of Winnipeg’s Department of Urban and Inner-City Studies, close to 300 units of downtown’s low-cost rental housing have been demolished or sold off by the provincial government in recent years. While the Market Lands’ 100 affordable units contribute to housing equity downtown, they do not replace such truly low-cost housing. Meanwhile, the 300 units on the adjacent northern parcel will be developed as standard market-rate housing.

While the project is for all Winnipeggers, it is generally recognized that revitalization today has to also be about reconciliation. The cultural hub in particular will be geared toward an indigenous presence.

CentreVenture’s intention is to attract Urban Shaman Gallery, perhaps Canada’s most respected venue for aboriginal art, as anchor of this site.

The one design team with a Winnipeg architecture firm on board, 1x1/ dRMM, worked with Niigaan Sinclair, associate professor in Native Studies at the University of Manitoba, to develop their project’s formal conceit, a warped grid. DIALOG carried out an extensive preliminary team-building exercise with the indigenous community. The winning proponent, Montreal’s Daoust Lestage, gave pride of place to a proposed public work by a yet-to-be-selected aboriginal artist.

According to Renée Daoust, it was precisely the cultural dynamic in Winnipeg, along with the rare hybrid program, that made the Market Lands interesting to their firm. For her team, the design priority was to distill the richness and multidisciplinarity inherent in the program into a clear plan and a strong urban figure that could be summed up in the aphorism “the audacity of simplicity.” Simplicity may have in some senses worked against an immediate embrace of the project.

A jury member questioned whether the project had satisfied the guiding aspirations of Belonging and Authenticity, and wondered whether Left and below 1x1 architecture and dRMM’s design is based on the agricultural grid of the Prairies, a key tool of colonization. They drew on the Anishinaabe notion of Aabijijinan, related to processes of movement and change, to distort that grid and implicitly criticize the motives behind it.

An “eroded soft grid” forms the basis of the landscape at ground and roof levels, as well as the vertical plane of the mixed-use Market Hall residence.

2019-03-04 1:40 PM

ABOVE DTAH’s three main volumes frame a plaza and reinforce diagonal connections to the southeast. In light of the dominant snow, concrete and stone in the surroundings, the project’s colours and material palette were selected for visual warmth. The Daybreak Hall is a multi-purpose space with a firepit as a focus, and together with the proposed gallery of Indigenous art and the Market Hall, it frames a diagonal passage through to Market Street to the north.

the site had been “whitewashed.” Daoust responded by pointing to the public art proposal, the historical grounding of the plan, and the choice of simple massing and local materials appropriate to the site.

Perhaps this difficult question is really about the role of design in the creation of public space. This matters for architects now, as the public places we design must support broad-based civic and political use, while acknowledging crucial questions of identity. Do we design to match or cite the specificity—even grit—of a particular urban environment?

Or do we create a framework within which local (or culturally-specific) social and political conditions can play out? Several of the proponents

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ABOVE Saucier+Perrotte’s design rotated the existing triangle of Old Market Square around its apex to generate what they termed the “urban bowtie,” a dynamically angular composition that made dramatic use of space beyond the boundaries of the competition site. As a counterpoint to the nearby Cube open air stage, Saucier + Perrotte proposed a sphere which Gilles Saucier described as “a three-dimensional dot”—an open signifier standing in for a future work of public art.

took the latter approach, and of them, Daoust Lestage’s proposal accommodates a complex program in the most pared-down and minimal form. A few moves go a long way. How well the framework functions will depend on the refinement of the design. Moreover, as another proponent, DIALOG, pointed out, the success of a project like this is as much about governance as it is about architecture. The stakes are high on this site which—as its “public use” has now shifted to culture and housing—continues to be a microcosm of global changes in cities. There are a number of tricky social programs to be choreographed as the project advances. It is a dance Winnipeg is going to want to get right as the Market Lands move from dream to reality.

Lawrence Bird, MRAIC is an architect, planner, and visual artist. Bobbi MacLennan, LEED AP BD+C, provided input on sustainability for this article. Both work at pico ARCHITECTURE inc. in Winnipeg.

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THE FIRST GOOD YEAR

The Bentway, Toronto, Ontario Public Work TEXT Stefan Novakovic PHOTOS Nic Lehoux, unless otherwise noted PROJECT

DESIGNER

A NEW KIND OF URBAN PARK, THE BENTWAY REPURPOSES THE AREA UNDER TORONTO’S GARDINER EXPRESSWAY. THE STRING OF OUTDOOR ROOMS BRINGS MUCH-NEEDED BREATHING SPACE TO THE CORE.

It’s early December. From Fort York, the skyline unfolds in blurry outlines and dim lights behind a thick afternoon fog. The temperature hovers around zero—it’s one of those anonymous wintery days that descend on Toronto anywhere from October to April—and parts of downtown still seem asleep. But underneath the Gardiner Expressway, ice is being formed into a snaking 250-metre track; something is stirring.

Two weeks later, The Bentway skate trail opens for its second season, bringing fresh crowds to an outdoor gathering area that has been popu-

OPPOSITE The park includes a mix of open spaces that can be used for larger gatherings, along with quieter gardens planted with indigenous species and equipped with seating areas.

LEFT The highway supports— also known as “bents”—provide a grand, rhythmic frame for the park’s string of spaces.

lar from day one. Part linear park, part event venue, and part public museum, The Bentway knits together the urban fabric beneath Toronto’s Gardiner Expressway, creating a vital and flexible space from the leftovers of the mid-century automobile infrastructure above.

Designed by Toronto’s Public Work, The Bentway is the most unusual public space in the city. Conceptualized by urban designer Ken Greenberg and made possible by a $25-million donation from philanthropists Judy and Wilmot Matthews in 2015, The Bentway in 2019 is an impressive work in progress.

Built on municipal land, the nascent public corridor has come to life quickly in a city hardly known for its bureaucratic efficiency. In late 2017— just two years after the project was announced—ice skaters inaugurated the first phase, and last summer, an expanded series of public spaces to the west opened, including the Strachan Gate amphitheatre at the edge of Liberty Village. In the coming years, the linear space will continue to expand, eventually spanning the 1.75 kilometres between Strachan and Spadina.

Public Work’s full plan envisions some 55 outdoor rooms, each defined by a set of “bents”—the massive concrete highway supports for

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which the park is named. For now, the promenade from Strachan Avenue to Fort York Boulevard unfurls from an overlook to include a series of performance and event areas, waking paths, gardens and playgrounds. Overhead, the presence of the bents frames the park with an imposing roof. Viewed from the elevated Strachan Gate, The Bentway stretches forth like the nave of some grand concrete cathedral.

Through simple but contextually attuned interventions, one finds unexpected beauty beneath all that concrete mass. Pockets that are further from noisy traffic are programmed as quieter, landscaped retreats.

Seating areas—whose moveable furnishings can make way for performances—are strategically positioned to take advantage of the best light.

In rare moments, the sunshine pours down like honey, with warm shafts of light shining through the bents. Each of the bents is numbered, drawing the eye along the rhythmic concrete supports.

Native plantings and a prominent wooden boardwalk are refreshingly earthy counterparts to the Gardiner’s hulking concrete supports.

Many of the planters are made from weathering steel, creating aesthetic continuity with the Fort York Visitors Centre. The Bentway also offers improved pedestrian connections to Strachan Avenue and

June Callwood Park. It will eventually link to the future West Block development and Mouth of Garrison Creek Trail.

The Bentway makes some more subtle connections to its surroundings, such as a narrow garden alongside the skate path that traces Lake Ontario’s former shoreline. The proximity of Fort York invites historical references, including a small garden named the American Invasion. Massive texts emblazoned across several of the concrete bents also recall the opening of the Grand Trunk Railway in 1856.

Across from Fort York, in much smaller script, a text of a different sort is printed on one of the pillars at eye level. It’s a quote from the late historian and civic activist Stephen Otto: “The Gardiner is an alien.

It doesn’t belong where it is.”

Otto’s declaration invites one to look beyond a superficially pleasant catalogue of the past. Even while enjoying the space, one might pause to consider the troubled reality that makes it possible. The presence of an elevated expressway in downtown Toronto remains dispiritingly misguided, particularly when one contrasts the billions spent maintaining it with the $25-million donation that spurred the creation of a public pedestrian space below. What does that say about our civic priorities?

OPPOSITE Fountains near the entrance to the Patkau- and Kearns Mancini-designed Fort York Visitor Centre playfully evoke the lake’s edge, which ran along Lakeshore Boulevard before being pushed south by infill. TOP At the western end of the park, Strachan Gate area includes a grand staircase and open amphitheatre that hosts up to 250 people for performances. ABOVE Part of The Bentway’s art exhibition last fall was the installation Iconic Site (#5) by art practice Sans Façon. The neon marker was originally developed as a commission for the Centre for the Urban Built Environment in Manchester, and was re-imagined for its new context using the typography of signs found on North American roadsides.

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ANDREW WILLIAMSON

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A figure-eight shaped skating trail was the first section of The Bentway to open, and has proved popular with locals and visitors. Over the following year, it was joined by gardens, an amphitheatre, and other gathering areas. The completed project will be 1.75 kilometres long.

ABOVE

The space’s current set of public art installations pushes the cultural dialogue further. Curated by The Bentway Conservancy (a non-profit agency that manages the project’s programming) the exhibition If, But, What If? looks to both the past and the future. Wally Dion’s striking 8-Bit Wampum interprets the surrender of land by the Mississaugas of the New Credit to the British Crown, while Sans façon’s Iconic Site (#5) playfully teases out the contradictions of The Bentway’s own unconventional popularity. Spelling out the words “Iconic Site” in red neon, the work explores the tension of creating a landmark public space on a discarded scrap of urban land. For three nights in October, artist Daan Roosegaarde’s Waterlicht transformed the space with a strange and haunting beauty, immersing its 25,000 viewers in blue light and fog.

As a mostly linear space, The Bentway makes for a somewhat unconventional event and exhibition venue. And yet, in addition to its public art program, it has already played host to everything from concerts to yoga lessons, a beer garden, and a swimsuits-and-knickers polar bear skate. For any public space, relying on a constant stream of programming is an inherent risk. If the novelty wears off, or funding slows, a park or square can feel like an empty husk. But The Bentway is a good public space first, and an event venue second. Even with nothing going on, the place is enticing. It’s also necessary.

Situated at the nexus of several rapidly expanding downtown communities, The Bentway adjoins neighbourhoods including CityPlace,

Liberty Village, and the Entertainment District—areas hemmed in by rail corridors. As these places gain in population density, their paucity of public space is keenly felt.

The need for urban parkland in Toronto is becoming increasingly urgent. Meeting that need requires new ways of understanding the potential of infrastructural spaces. The type of leftover land that forms The Bentway will need to be found—in different forms—city-wide.

In Scarborough, the planned 16-kilometre Meadoway aims to reclaim a power corridor, while the Rail Deck Park concept imagines a green space ambitiously built over a downtown rail corridor.

More immediately, The Bentway’s popularity evidences our hunger for public life. Its success is a paean to the importance of landscape architecture and urban design. Build something good, and people will come.

CLIENT AND MANAGEMENT TEAM THE BENTWAY CONSERVANCY IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY OF TORONTO AND WATERFRONT TORONTO, ENABLED BY JUDY AND WILMOT MATTHEWS FOUNDATION WITH KEN GREENBERG | DESIGN LEAD/LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT PUBLIC WORK | DESIGN TEAM MEMBERS MARC RYAN, ADAM NICKLIN, LAUREN ABRAHAMS, VIRGINIA FERNANDEZ RINCON, CHESTER RENNIE, BEN WATT-MEYER, MELISSA TOVAR, CLINT LANGEVIN, LAURA ETTEDGUI, MARY LISTON HICKS | DESIGN ADVISOR GREENBERG CONSULTANTS | STRUCTURAL BLACKWELL | LIGHTING TILLETT LIGHTING DESIGN ASSOCIATES | ELECTRICAL DPM ENERGY AND E-LUMEN | CIVIL/ MECHANICAL WSP | SIGNAGE AND WAYFINDING BESPOKE CULTURAL COLLECTIVE | ARCHITECT (STRACHAN GATE BUILDING) GENSLER | ARCHITECT (SKATING BUILDING) KEARNS MANCINI ARCHITECTS | STRUCTURAL ENGINEER (SKATING BUILDING) RJC | GEOTECHNICAL AMEC FOSTER WHEELER | FOUNTAIN DESIGN DEW INC. | IRRIGATION SMART WATERING SYSTEMS | AREA 7 ACRES | BUDGET $25 M (TOTAL COST FOR INITIAL PHASE); $19.8 M (CONSTRUCTION COST FOR INITIAL PHASE) | COMPLETION SUMMER 2018

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SINCERE FORMS OF FLATTERY TEXT

Adele Weder

ARE CERAMIC TILES THAT IMITATE OTHER MATERIALS ABHORRENT? OR ARE THEY THE SUSTAINABLE ALTERNATIVE WHEN THE REAL THING IS RUNNING OUT?

In the design industry, few materials can match the assets and adaptability of ceramic tile. In recent years, its remarkable shape-shifting capabilities have been industrialized to the point where ceramic tiling can seem to transform into any material imaginable. With ultra-high resolution scans of actual marble or stone slabs, combined with a manufacturing process that allows precisely calibrated surface textures, you can source uncannily realistic simulacra of marble, stone, wood and concrete, as well as a growing array of human-made materials like textiles and wallpaper. It is, for sure, impressive. Is it desirable?

The verisimilitude was on display in full force at the most recent Cersaie exhibition, held in Bologna last fall. Cersaie—the Italian acronym for the International Exhibition of Ceramic Tile and Bathroom Furnishings—presents architects, designers and journalists with a huge interactive encyclopedia cum yearbook of notable products and developments. And the show demonstrates the ever-increasing chameleon-like properties of ceramic tiling. Stall after stall displayed immersive dioramas of “marble look” panels so large and so intricately patterned that the lay eye is hard-pressed to differentiate it from the real thing.

Twenty-five years ago, during my first tour of the Italian ceramic-tile industry, the industry was more of an old-world affair, and ceramic-tile manufacturing was, if not quite artisanal, far more labour-intensive. The tile factory we toured back in the mid-1990s thrummed with workers.

The tiles they baked and pulled out of industrial kilns looked like—well, tiles. They were generally no bigger than a metre square, and our ethical quandaries focused on which phenomenon disgusted us more: the folksy kitsch destined for export to Germany, or the replication of the Castello Borgia’s sixteenth-century foyer floor tile. There were few patterns that attempted to mimic natural materials; those that did looked ridiculously fake.

These days, the entire industry has been turned on its head. When our group toured the Fincibec Group factory in Sassuolo last fall, it was eerily quiet and empty, as ambulatory robots loaded, carted and processed the materials. In factories like these throughout the region, huge machinery spews out tiles that can now be as massive as two or three metres long, and as slight as three millimetres thick. Digital technology has been standard for a decade now, but has advanced in quantum leaps in recent years to enable unprecedented high-resolution patterns and imagery. Photocatalytic printing and “sinking inks”

Caesar Ceramics’ Trace tiles skillfully imitate the look of weathered metal. MIDDLE The Pietra d’Iseo collection by Cotto d’Este is inspired by the ceppo di grè stone extensively used in Milan. BOTTOM The texture and grain of wood is convincingly replicated in Isla’s Essence tiles.

TOP

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can create f low-through colour with a great sense of depth.

In our marauding band of designers and critics, all guests of the Italian ceramic industry, one could hear periodic groans (sotto voce of course) about the lack of authenticity in these faux-natural offerings, even though—especially though—the tiles more than ever look like the organic materials they’re impersonating. Yet we accept that architects will keep sourcing them because clients keep wanting them, especially newly rich clients in emerging global economies.

But is there a design argument in support of mimicry? To New Yorkbased design historian Grace Jeffers, it’s a moot point: imitation is the only option left to us—if not now, then soon. “The bottom line is, we’re facing the extinction of various natural resources—and I do mean literal extinction,” she told me in a recent telephone interview. Now that we have such convincing simulacra of endangered natural resources, she says, “it is absolutely irresponsible to use the real.”

Jeffers, who also serves as consultant to material manufacturers, has thought and publicly argued long and hard about the concept of authenticity in materials. It’s not as simple as it used to be. Truth to materials— John Ruskin’s term from The Seven Lamps of Architecture—is one of the field’s sacred tenets, but Jeffers considers it an obsolete concept.

She brings up the recent Art Gallery of Ontario and National Gallery

of Canada exhibition Anthropocene, which includes artist Edward Burtynsky’s large-scale photographic images of natural-resource extraction. One of Burtynsky’s most memorable vistas is the Carrara mountain, largely eviscerated due to the endless human lust for its finely veined marble. “That mountain is half-gone now, so the big question is: Now what?

Are we going to stop, or are we just going to use it until it’s all gone?”

It is difficult to reconcile one’s horror at the earth’s desecration with the vague nausea induced by contemplating an endless panoply of material imposters. Meanwhile, the forgeries are becoming more life-like than ever. Fine tendrils of colour vein through the faux-marble. The appearance and texture of “wood look” ceramic tiling is astonishing in verisimilitude. That is, until you actually touch it and feel the cold, hard surface of something that is emphatically not wood. Petrified wood, perhaps.

But clearly a much more functional design solution for bathrooms. And clearly a more ethical solution than clearcutting the world’s rainforests.

Alternatively, perhaps designers could advise, educate and encourage their clients to choose an alternative material to actual endangered wood—or an alternative ceramic pattern to a material imposter.

At Cersaie, the exhibitors’ stalls acknowledge the simulacra with the modifying word “look”: Marble Look, Stone Look, Wood Look, Concrete Look. Ceramic that looks like concrete is arguably less of an impos-

© EDWARD BURTYNSKY, COURTESY NICHOLAS METIVIER GALLERY, TORONTO

ter than the first three, since concrete is already a man-made material.

It does not pretend to be part of nature, but its characteristics—hard, cold, abstract—are close to those of ceramic tiling. Also included in the roster of replicas is a term that gives one pause: Colour Look. I never thought of colour as being the subject of imitation; the acceptable design standard is that plain colours or abstract patterns are critically acceptable, since they are not “faking” any other material. Or are they?

The colour in materials is technically “fake,” argues Jeffers, and hasn’t been “real” since an 18-year-old chemistry student named William Henry Perkin accidentally invented the first synthetic dye—a hue of deep purple—in 1856. From then on, organic dyes—mostly sourced from plants—were incrementally replaced with synthetic dyes. So, today’s purists who insist on never faking organic materials might theoretically have to forgo any kind of synthetically tinted paint, tile or other material—which basically means any material of colour.

I find it less complicated to embrace the overtly playful, not-trying-tofool-you Domestic Jungle prints of Ornamenta or tire-tread textures of Serenissa; or the more expressionistic f looring for Papa Restaurant

by Caesar, or the Diamond patterns by Mosaico. Even though Mosaic’s own press materials reference its evocation of leaded-glass windows, these are homages—an excuse for playing with geometric form.

Edward Burtynsky’s Carrara Marble Quarries, Cava di Canalgrande #2 shows the massive scale of resource extraction. ABOVE Panera Ceramica’s Zero.3 Eternity products imitate marble using 6-millimetre-thick porcelain tile.

ABOVE

These days, we have entire mansions, restaurants and corporate lobbies sheathed in what looks to the untrained eye like zebra wood or Carrara marble, minus the ecological devastation. But one-upmanship never sleeps, and some fake-marble slabs are inlaid with slender strips of real gold. It is as vulgar in concept as it is in appearance, but it’s clear what drives this niche market. As Carrara marble—faux or real, doesn’t really matter—floods the market, the emerging wealthy must find a new way to signal their new spending capability. It’s an obnoxious quirk of human nature, and an enduring client reality.

The designer’s job is to address their clients’ needs, crass as they may be. However, it is also the designer’s role to educate, persuade, enlighten, advise. The ceramic-tile industry itself is conscious of environmental Armageddon, and has embarked on systematic improvements in sustainability and material recycling in the past decade. As the rainforests vanish and the earth simmers, it’s hard to maintain a Ruskinian objection to what is essentially an aesthetic choice.

Research for this article was conducted in part during a tour sponsored by the Italian tile industry. The tour organizers did not review or approve the content of this article.

Adele Weder is an architectural curator and critic based in British Columbia.

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continued from page 24 nuisance until climate change allowed a population explosion, as more beetles survived warmer winters only to kill so many trees that astronauts can now witness the damage from the window of the International Space Station. For several years, those trees, while dead, are still structurally sound. If the wood is harvested and used quickly, it serves to sequester carbon for the lifetime of the buildings in question. Left to rot or burn, the same trees will become another source of greenhouse gas emissions.

So, we had a sustainable solution, but no permission. We finally won approval, but only after proving supply chain continuity in the same way a Crown prosecutor must prove that a critical piece of evidence has been tracked and protected, right up to its day in court.

There was one last hurdle to meet the Living Building Challenge standard, and this one could be crippling for people outside well-serviced manufacturing centres. The International Living Future Institute requires that all sustainable energy technology be obtained from within 15,000 kilometres, that consultants travel no farther than 2,500 kilometres, and that building materials and products must be sourced from within 500 kilometres for the heaviest materials, and 2,000 kilometres for the lightest. These were hard targets to meet, even in the urbanized Pacific Northwest. They would be easier to achieve around Ontario’s Golden Triangle. But for communities in the far north, or even the likes of Fort St. John, Fort McMurray, Flin Flon or Churchill, this restriction could block the chance of ever achieving a Living Building certification.

But bad news can have a good corollary. We had a wonderful time finding local suppliers—especially when it came to things like outdoor play spaces. The Reggio Emilia system honours three teachers: the literal teachers who work with students; the parents who support their educa-

tion; and the environment in which they learn. Thanks to a number of local artists and artisans, our childcare environment is spectacular.

We also proved that lots of sustainable innovations are both doable and affordable in today’s market. Every consultant, every regulator, every contractor and every supplier who joined us on this journey is now better prepared to implement the most advanced solutions wherever they are working. We might not have achieved the full goal of building a completely sustainable community yet, but we certainly have developed a model for sustainable practices.

As to the childcare centre itself, we are incredibly proud of the result.

It’s been a hit with the client group and the International Living Future Institute had confirmed by press time that we had achieved five of the six petals on a performance basis. Of course, we still need to reach the sixth, but even the Institute’s founder and director [Jason] McLennan acknowledges that the Living Building Challenge is tough. By way of context, he is fond of saying that if the LEED Gold standard is analogous to rideyour-bike-to-work day, the Living Building Challenge is the Tour de France: it’s all about proving yourself over the long haul. We knew that when we started, and we are still in the race and still on track to celebrate the childcare centre as the first official Living Building in Canada.

ACROSS CANADA

04/04—04/05

Vancouver —03/31

Offsite: Polit-Sheer-Form Office A Hong Kong-based art collective imagines a new socialism based on communal activities such as physical exercise.

Winnipeg 05/01—05/05

Architecture + Design Film Festival A+DFF presents critically acclaimed films focusing on the importance of architecture and design in everyday life. www.adff.ca

www.vanartgallery.bc.ca

Hamilton 05/07

AIBC Confab 2019 This new one-day professional development event offers workshops, panel discussions, and intimate seminars, all with the goal of promoting conversation and a shared learning experience. www.aibc.ca

04/01

Urban Design and Architecture Awards The City of Hamilton’s biannual awards recognize excellence in the design of Hamilton’s urban environment. www.hamilton.ca

Excerpted from Building Community: Defining, Designing, Developing UniverCity (Ecotone Publishing, 2018).

Gordon Harris is an urban planner and real estate market analyst who has been President and CEO of SFU Community Trust since 2007, leading the development of UniverCity. Richard Littlemore is an author and journalist who specializes in sustainable development and academic affairs.

Grey to Green Conference Grey to Green highlights new policy, practices and technologies in the green infrastructure sector. www.greytogreenconference.org

Montreal

Quebec City 05/22—05/25

OAA Conference The Ontario Association of Architects hosts its annual general meeting and conference in Quebec City. www.oaa.on.ca

02/12—03/01

Now What?!

This travelling exhibition highlights the history of activism in architecture since 1968. www.architexx.org

—03/02

Nuit blanche à Montréal The 16th edition of the all-night art event is now part of the Montréal en Lumière series.

Halifax —05/28—05/31

45th Annual SSAC Conference The Society for the Study of Architecture in Canada hosts its 45th annual conference. www.canada-architecture.org

INTERNATIONAL

www.nuitblanchemtl.com

Calgary

Toronto

03/12—03/14

04/03—04/04

EVDS Design Matters March’s EVDS Design Matters series includes lectures by Dora Epstein-Jones, Julie Larsen, and Florian Idenburg.

Architect@Work Canada 2019 Architect@Work features innovative products and services for architects, interior designers and specifiers.

www.evds.ucalgary.ca

www.architectatwork.ca

Boston —04/07

02/21—04/21

Architecture Itself and Other Postmodern Myths This exhibition presents canonic projects from unexpected points of view through building fragments, drawings and models.

In the Public Interest: Redefining the Architect’s Role & Responsibility This exhibition showcases six architectural practices contributing toward the public good.

www.cca.qc.ca

www.architects.org/bsaspace

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BACKPAGE A sinuous pavilion at UBC is made up of I-beam-like wood elements that attach to each other through their flanges, which are overlapped and riveted together.

ABOVE

DAVID CORREA

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WANDER WOOD TEXT

David Correa, Oliver David Krieg and AnnaLisa Meyboom

THE THIRD IN A SERIES OF PAVILION PROJECTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA TESTS THE LIMITS OF ROBOTIC WOOD FABRICATION TECHNOLOGY. Wood is a fascinating material. From an early age, we become familiar with its smell, texture and warmth, yet we are seldom challenged to re-invent how to work with it.

Since 2016, the three of us have led a team of researchers, students and professionals in creating full-scale pavilions at the University of British Columbia that explore new ways to design, fabricate and assemble wood. Wood is a natural partner for digital fabrication technologies because of its ability to be easily milled and shaped. These experimental structures demonstrate the capabilities of digital technologies to be used with wood in innovative ways that celebrate the material’s unique properties and potential for formal complexity.

Wander Wood, the third of these pavilions, completed last fall, is sheathed with rows of overlapping wood tabs, which change in shape to create a rounded form that rises to a peak. The pavilion implements the structural principle of a stressed skin, a system used in airplanes, where internal ribs form a template covered by thinner members elastically bent to form (or compute) the final shape. A public bench along the inner edge of the curved pavilion invites passersby to come inside for a closer look.

The individual pieces of the pavilion were milled using a state-of-the-art industrial robot, interlocked into place, and fastened together with metal rivets. Each individual

component is embedded with enough assembly information to ensure exact placement of every subsequent piece, allowing for quick assembly on site. The geometric processing power of visual scripting was key in the design in order to define and manage 40 ribs, over 200 overlapping skin elements and 2,200 rivet perforations. The first step was to craft a robust workflow that enabled design iteration while ensuring the rapid output of precise geometry for fabrication. The result achieves the design vision while accounting for the material’s maximum bending radius and load transfer capacity, and the fabrication envelope of the CNC robot.

The design and development of the pavilion took place as part of a large-scale robotic timber fabrication workshop hosted by SALA and the UBC Centre for Advanced Wood Processing, which involved 15 UBC students and 22 professionals. Fabricated and assembled over three days, the pavilion is conceived as an adaptable design-to-fabrication system that can be customized to suit local material availability and fabrication tools. This type of hands-on building and fabrication experience gives practicing architects and designers a unique insight into the disruptive position that digital fabrication technologies may have within their own design work.

The intrinsic role of the architect is to be knowledgeable not only about structural and tectonic aspects of architecture, but also about the processing techniques behind materials and building elements. As such, the dissociation of building and making that occurred in the 20th century has become an increasing challenge for the profession. Digital design can further the distance between the physical and the abstract—or it can re-engage the latter through new methods of making. Our research work has repeatedly made us aware of the innovative potential of fabrication tools within a deeply rooted material practice.

David Correa is an Assistant Professor at the University of Waterloo and a Design Partner at IILab Design Laboratory. Oliver David Krieg is Director of Technology at LWPAC + Intelligent City. AnnaLisa Meyboom is Associate Professor at UBC’s School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture.

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Formica® Surfaces. FOR REAL.®

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All rights reserved. ©2019 The Diller Corporation. A member of the Fletcher Building Group.

NET ZERO THE PATH TO

FIRE ACOUSTIC

THERMAL MOISTURE

Sustainable Building Enclosure Solutions, Your Designs

As

an innovator of insulation, Owens Corning is a leader in Thermal, Moisture, Fire & Acoustic Solutions for many of the world’s greatest buildings. Our Building Science capabilities help you create the right solution for Design Performance & Code Requirements on your project. Building Science isn’t just a job for us, it’s everything we do. That’s why we’re the most trusted brand in insulation.

Meet the Owens Corning Building Science Team WESTERN CANADA Luis Faria, B.Eng, PMP, CMgr MCMI

CANADA & QUEBEC Salvatore Ciarlo, P.Eng

Technical Manager

Technical Services Manager, Western Canada

Architectural Solutions and Technical Services Manager, Canada

tyler.simpson@owenscorning.com

luis.faria@owenscorning.com

salvatore.ciarlo@owenscorning.com

GTA WEST, SOUTHERN & NORTHERN ONTARIO Tyler Simpson, B.Tech.

1.800.988.5269

Contact the Building Science Team Member in your area for any product information or to schedule a Lunch & Learn Seminar on topics such as:

1.833.258.5299

1.800.504.8294

• Principles of Acoustics & new ASTC Code Requirements • High Performance Building Envelope Solutions; Eliminating Thermal Bridges and Online Design Tools

THE PINK PANTHER™ & © 1964-2019 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. All Rights Reserved. The colour PINK is a registered trademark of Owens Corning. © 2019 Owens Corning. All Rights Reserved.

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