Canadian Architect November 2024

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TECHNICAL INNOVATION

3 STERLING ROAD & T3 BAYSIDE

Sister developments in Toronto—by DLR Group with WZMH and by 3XN with WZMH—deftly deploy mass timber construction systems. TEXT Lloyd Alter

LD CROW COMMUNITY CENTRE

A community centre by Kobayashi Zedda Architects in a remote Yukon village is a regional hub for the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation. TEXT Adele Weder

AISONNEUVE LIBRARY AND OCTOGONE LIBRARY

Major interventions on two Montreal libraries, by EVOQ Architecture and by Anne Carrier Architecte with Les architectes Labonté Marcil, exemplify the strengths of Quebec’s architectural competitions system. TEXT Odile Hénault

04 VIEWPOINT

Editor Elsa Lam speaks with Calgary architect Bill Chomik, whose technical specialization has led him to become the world’s leading planetarium design expert.

07 NEWS

Claude Cormier wins Governor General’s Medal in Landscape Architecture; lease for Therme’s development at Ontario Place released.

15 RAIC

JOURNAL

New president Jonathan Bisson begins his term; RAIC launches Life Cycle Assessment Training Workshops.

44 TECHNICAL

Under the wing at Bombardier’s new manufacturing facility in Toronto, designed by NEUF architect(e)s.

48 BOOKS

Reviews of new volumes on vernacular architecture, Casa Loma, and more.

50 BACKPAGE

A 2.7-kilometre-long domino run in downtown Toronto forges physical and social connections.

COVER Maisonneuve Library in Montreal, Quebec, by EVOQ Architecture. Photo by Adrien Williams

STAR SPECIALIST

Architecture has traditionally been a profession of generalists, but can offer fulfilling opportunities for those who choose to specialize.

This was the case for Bill Chomik, a Calgary-based architect who, over the latter half of his career, has become the world’s leading expert in planetarium design.

Chomik’s foray into this esoteric specialty happened largely by circumstance. In 1993, he was Chair of the Calgary Science Centre Society when the centre needed to upgrade its aging planetarium. Because of Chomik’s experience as an architect, he helped write an RFP for retrofitting the building with the new style of planetarium a tilted dome that allowed for upright seats, replacing the original flat dome that required almost fully reclined seats.

There were no bids on the RFP: the obvious candidate to take the job would have been the planetarium’s original designer, Jack Long, but Long had by then become a City Councillor. So, with the support of the Science Centre Society, Chomik resigned from the board, and his 10-person firm took on the project.

To complete the design, Chomik consulted extensively with suppliers. He also travelled to Finland to visit the just-opened Hereka Planetarium, by Heikkinen-Komonen Architects.

Chomik and colleague Urs Kick studied the new structure from top to bottom, and ultimately used it as a model for the Calgary planetarium.

At the grand reopening of the Calgary venue, suppliers approached Chomik saying that he was good to work with, and that unlike many architects, whose designs undermined the ability of the projectors and other technical elements to perform at their best

LEFT Calgary

Architect Bill Chomik is contributing his expertise to a current redesign for the Heureka Planetarium, in Helsinki, Finland.

EDITOR

ELSA LAM, FRAIC, HON. OAA

ART DIRECTOR

ROY GAIOT

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

ANNMARIE ADAMS, FRAIC

ODILE HÉNAULT

LISA LANDRUM, MAA, AIA, FRAIC

DOUGLAS MACLEOD, NCARB FRAIC

ADELE WEDER, FRAIC

ONLINE EDITOR

LUCY MAZZUCCO

SUSTAINABILITY ADVISOR

ANNE LISSETT, ARCHITECT AIBC, LEED BD+C

VICE PRESIDENT & SENIOR PUBLISHER

STEVE WILSON 416-441-2085 x3

SWILSON@CANADIANARCHITECT.COM

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

FARIA AHMED 416 441-2085 x5

FAHMED@CANADIANARCHITECT.COM

CIRCULATION CIRCULATION@CANADIANARCHITECT.COM

he listened to what they had to say about their equipment. Chomik replied, “We’re Canadians, we listen and deal with everyone around us.”

A month later, he got a call from Athens: his name was put forward for a new planetarium being built there. He interviewed and got the job. Soon after, he was working on planetariums in Chicago, Guangzhou, Seoul, and San Jose. Although they were not the sole focal point of his practice, the firm took on these projects, and he continued to work on planetariums one a year or so after his practice was acquired by Kasian and he became a principal with the larger firm.

To date, Chomik has been involved in the design of some 18 completed planetariums, with another 14 projects currently underway. Now retired from Kasian, he is a sole practitioner who works as a consultant to firms leading the design of planetarium-containing venues. In this capacity, Chomik has worked with the likes of I.M. Pei, Ricardo Legorreta, MAD Architects, and Zaha Hadid Studio.

His scope now focuses on high-level conceptual design, and Chomik is glad for the opportunity to have a seat at the table, and for the travel his work involves. “I’d encourage young architects to try and develop a specialization if they want to have an interesting time in the prime of their career,” he says. “I made it a point 30 years ago to really understand planetariums what clients wanted, what technologies were out there to support it, what flaws were out there that should never be repeated again and became a world expert.”

PRESIDENT & EXECUTIVE PUBLISHER ALEX PAPANOU

HEAD OFFICE

126 OLD

Innovation that meets Passive House Standard

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Cliff Youdale

Chief Development Officer

Ottawa Community Housing

Success Story | Ottawa

While designing new affordable housing units for families, seniors and couples to Passive House Standard, Ottawa Community Housing collaborated with sustainable building experts from the Savings by Design program to optimize energy performance, build better than code and earn financial incentives.

To get the most out of your next project, contact Alex Colvin, Energy Solutions Advisor. enbridgegas.com/sbd-affordable alexander.colvin@enbridge.com 519-670-2484

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ABOVE The Spirit Garden, designed by Gow Hastings Architects and Two Row Architect, has opened at Toronto’s Nathan Phillips Square. It is the first public space built in a Canadian capital city to honour those impacted by the Residential Schools program.

PROJECTS

Spirit Garden opens at Toronto’s Nathan Phillips Square

On September 30, 2024, the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation, the Spirit Garden opened at Nathan Phillips Square, after seven years in development. More than 100 residential school survivors became the first to walk in the space alongside Indigenous community members, Mayor Olivia Chow, The Honourable Edith Dumont, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, and Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland.

The Spirit Garden was designed by Gow Hastings Architects and Two Row Architect as a new permanent space to honour residential school survivors and all the children who were lost to their families and communities. It also honours the diversity of First Nations, Inuit and Métis cultural traditions.

The garden’s design centres around a six-foot-tall limestone Turtle sculpture by Anishinaabe artist Solomon Kin, placed in a reflecting pool. It symbolizes the First Mother, a commonality of creation stories for many Indigenous peoples. As the Turtle climbs over a boulder, it represents the strength and resilience of residential school survivors, a process introduced originally as the ‘Restoration of Identity’.

The fully accessible site also includes a Two Row Wampum path, a Voyageur canoe, an Inukshuk, a Tree of Peace, a Three Sisters illustration on metal, and a timber-frame Teaching Lodge.

The Spirit Garden is the first public space built in a Canadian capital city to honour those impacted by the Residential Schools program and to directly respond to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Action 82.

Nathan Phillips Square was selected by the City of Toronto, in partnership with the Toronto Council Fire Native Cultural Centre, as a publicly accessible, highly visible location to celebrate the resilience of survivors and their families, with space for teaching, learning, sharing and healing. The garden serves as a space for contemplation, gatherings and spiritual ceremonies, and is open to all people seeking connection and understanding.

toronto.ca

Design competition launches to reimagine former airport runway

Northcrest Developments has launched a global design competition for the Runway at YZD in Toronto, formerly home to the historic Downsview Airport.

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The YZD Runway Design Competition asks cross-disciplinary design teams to transform the two-kilometre airstrip into a key centrepiece for the future series of mixed-use communities across the expansive 370 acres.

The former airstrip links the seven complete communities at YZD, and will be animated by community uses, public amenities, and recreation opportunities for the 55,000 residents and 23,000 workers who will eventually live in, work in, and visit the site.

Submissions for Expression of Interest, the first phase of the twophase competition, are due on November 22, 2024. For phase two, Northcrest Developments will issue a closed Request for Proposals to shortlisted teams. Once selected, the winning team will start work on the YZD Runway Design guidelines in mid-2025. yzd.ca/runwaydesign

AWARDS

Claude Cormier wins 2024 Governor General’s Medal in Landscape Architecture

The Canadian Society of Landscape Architects has announced that Claude Cormier is the 2024 recipient of the Governor General’s Medal in Landscape Architecture.

The Governor General’s Medal in Landscape Architecture is the highest honour that is bestowed on a landscape architect by the CSLA. The biennial medal aims to honour exceptional landscape architects whose lifetime achievements and contributions to the profession have had an impact on Canadian society.

Cormier died on September 15, 2023, at his Montreal, Quebec, home at the age of 63. The cause of death was complications from Li-Fraumeni Syndrome, a rare genetic condition that predisposes carriers to multiple cancers.

24 of Cormier’s projects were CSLA award-winners, including his first project, Les Pruches (1990), and one of his last projects, The Ring (2023). Other Canadian awards include National Urban Design Awards for Sugar Beach, Berczy Park, and 18 Shades of Gay, along with dozens of other accolades throughout the decades of his career.

“Claude Cormier, a Fellow of the CSLA , Honorary Fellow of RAIC, and Chevalier of the Order of Québec epitomizes the spirit of the Governor General’s Medal in Landscape Architecture: honouring exceptional landscape architects whose lifetime achievements and contributions to the profession have had a unique and lasting impact on Canadian society. Claude had reached national and international acclaim through his impact on placemaking,” said the jury statement.

“He used his unique voice to highlight diversity, address hostile environments, and make simple, powerful, artistic and scientific-based designs that are infused with joy. The concept of joy also guided Claude’s life and legacy. Throughout his career, Claude faced many challenges. Despite that, he inspired, supported and influenced a generation of landscape architects. He built and sustained powerful teams

ABOVE A pair of aerial maps—one from the summer of 2024 and the other captured during clear-cutting on October 3, 2024—show the impact of the removal of some 865 mature trees at Ontario Place in downtown Toronto.

JULY 2024

OCTOBER 2024

HELEN STOPPS

and developed an important network to create awareness about the profession. Through his work and his words, he engaged with the public by introducing playfulness in the landscapes. Though he left us too soon, Claude Cormier’s generous spirit and playful, impactful work will be forever imprinted on our landscapes and in our hearts.” www.csla-aapc.ca

WHAT’S NEW

Amid 865 trees coming down, Province releases 95-year lease with Therme

Under cover of darkness, Infrastructure Ontario began the removal of 865 trees at Ontario Place on the evening of Wednesday, October 2, 2024. Within 36 hours, workers had completed the job, removing every single tree on the western portion of the waterfront site adjacent downtown Toronto.

The work is part of the approximately $200-million in site preparations that taxpayers are funding to prepare the land for Therme, an Austrian spa company, to develop a stadium-sized indoor waterpark on the site.

As the mini-forest was being razed on October 3, the Province  released the details of its 95-year lease with Therme, which journalists and grassroots organizations have been seeking for years to obtain through Freedom of Information requests.

The timing, critics say, aimed to distract from the tree removal in progress. It also anticipates the expected release later this year of an Auditor General’s report about the lease, which would make public many details about the arrangement between the Province and Therme. (Agen-

cies like Infrastructure Ontario are given early access to Auditor General’s reports in order to provide official responses.)

The lease details that Therme has the right to rent the property for 75 years, with the option for a 20-year renewal for a total term of 95 years. While Therme can terminate the agreement with minimal penalties $250,000, and back rent to a maximum of $5 million the Province doesn’t have an easy way to back out.

If the Province ended the agreement today, they would have to pay Therme $30 million. But the window to exercise this option is closing quickly: it only exists until the “first applicable building permit (excavation permit) for initial construction of any aspect of the Project by the Tenant” has been issued. A fact sheet issued to journalists by Infrastructure Ontario indicates that this milestone will be reached around 2025.

After that, the Province can only cancel the contract after the facility has been operational for 10 years. They can then end the arrangement with five years’ notice but taxpayers would be on the hook to pay for Therme’s buildings to be demolished, and for the facility to be rebuilt at an alternate site provided by the Province. This kind of clause has been described as a “poison pill.”

Therme’s rental cost for the prime waterfront site seems well below market rates for Toronto. The arrangement stipulates a “minimum rent” of 3.5% of the assessed land value, indexed to inflation, as well as, beginning in year six, a “performance rent” of 2.45% of Therme’s gross revenues. However, there is also a ceiling to this arrangement, with rent limited to 8% of the land value.

The current assessed land value, as stated in the lease, is $3.5 million per acre a number that appears to be on the low side, but that Infrastructure Ontario says relates to the existing land-use and zoning rules

24_010884_Canadian_Architect_NOV_CN Mod: September 25, 2024 2:41 PM Print: 10/03/24 4:41:32 PM page 1 v7

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for Ontario Place. The rent calculation uses the “core area” of the development, which does not include the public areas being constructed by the company. If Therme was to start paying its full rent today, the revenue to Ontario would be a paltry $1.8-4.1 million dollars per year. (The land value will only be reassessed at the 20-, 40-, and 60-year marks after the lease begins.)

To reach the higher end of this rent payment, $4.1 million, Therme would need to make $167 million annually in today’s dollars meaning having an average of 5,300 visitors daily for 365 days of the year (some two million visitors annually), and charging each of them an after-tax average of $100.

The Province states that over the duration of the lease, the rent will amount to $1.1 billion dollars but this figure depends on using the almost century-long term of the lease, and applying inflation to the rent over that term.

It adds that Therme will pay property tax and utilities. But since this is provincial land, at current rates in 2024, property tax to the province could amount to only $10,500 a year. The City of Toronto receives about $1 million in payments in lieu of taxes from Ontario Place as a whole each year; as one of at least three key tenants, Therme’s share would likely be less than a third of this total.

Therme will also be responsible to contribute to ongoing site maintenance, which the government says will amount to $855 million over the term of the lease but again because of the long lease, this will mean a yearly payment, in present dollars, of perhaps $2.5 million per year.

To receive this $4.3-6.6 million per year in rent and park maintenance, the Province has committed to spending over half a billion dollars in public money now.

30 YEARS OF INNOVATION IN EVERY DETAIL

In order to prepare the site, the Province is contributing some $25 million to flood mitigation, shoreline repair measures, and extending a public trail across the West Island. As Infrastructure Ontario stated in 2022, they are also spending approximately $200 million preparing the site for Therme, and are obligated under the terms of the lease to build and operate a parking garage with 1,600 spaces reserved for Therme customers.

A preliminary estimate for this garage pegged a 2,000-space underground parkade at $307 million. The current plan is to construct a 2,700-space parkade intended to also service the Live Nation concert venue and other visitors to the site. Assuming a straight-line extrapolation, this means the garage will cost some $411 million at minimum, bringing the tally of public investment on site preparations and parking to at least $636 million.

The Province states that Therme will spend some $700 million of private dollars on construction, including $500 million for constructing its 8.4-acre waterpark facility, and $200 million on lake infill, shoreline works, and creating 16 acres of public parkland  intended to compensate for the parkland that is being razed for the development.

However, while access to that new parkland will be open to the public, the lease grants Therme the exclusive right to “conduct commercial activity and programming” on up to 30 percent of that space. This potentially allows for a high density of commercial activity comparable to the CNE fairgrounds with food concessions, midway games, toy and souvenir sellers, personal care services, equipment rentals, cabanas, and other amenities that fit under the broad description in the lease of “year-round, inclusive and diverse, family-oriented, indoor and outdoor aquatic facilities focused on fun, health, wellness and relaxation.”

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Ultimately, Therme may not even be the one operating those concessions, or even the facility as a whole. The lease allows Therme to sublet 25% of the project and surrounding lands without seeking the consent of the Province, and allows the licensing of the operation of up to 40% of the project and surrounding lands without seeking the Province’s consent.

The entire lease can also be assigned, but in this case, Therme would need to seek the Province’s written consent, and would share a portion of the revenue from such a lease assignment with the Province. In this scenario, Therme would retain a 25% internal rate of return and 70% of the net proceeds above that amount, with the Province receiving the remaining 30%.

While the lease cannot be assigned to a person involved in an illegal business, these clauses would effectively allow Therme to contract out large parts of its operation, on favourable terms, to parties that it selects without outside vetting or public oversight or to sell the project outright and pocket the vast majority of the proceeds.

MEMORANDA

International Garden Festival

Proposals for temporary gardens for the 26th edition of the annual festival on the site of Les Jardins de Métis | Reford Gardens are due November 4, 2024. This year’s theme is Borders, exploring distinctions between digital and analog, inside and outside, and landscape and geography. internationalgardenfestival.com

RAIC Annual Awards

Submissions are open for the RAIC’s annual awards, including its Gold Medal, Architectural Practice Award, Emerging Architectural Practice Award, Advocate for Architecture Award, Architectural Journalism and Media Award, Research & Innovation in Architecture Award, and Prix du XXe Siècle. The deadline for submissions is January 13, 2025. raic.org

Whole Building Life Cycle Assessment Workshops

RAIC has partnered with the National Research Council of Canada to offer full-day LCA training. In-person workshops, delivered by Ha/f Climate Design, are offered in Vancouver (February 3, 2025), Calgary (February 5, 2025), Regina (February 7, 2025), Halifax (May 22, 2025), and Montreal (May 31, 2025), with an online option to follow. raic.org

OAA SHIFT Challenge

The Ontario Association of Architects’ SHIFT Challenge, on the theme of Reshaping Communities, is open for entries addressing the challenges posed by climate change and social shifts. Submissions may be made by individuals or teams until January 17, 2025.

oaa.on.ca

For the latest news, visit www.canadianarchitect.com/news and sign up for our weekly e-newsletter at www.canadianarchitect.com/subscribe

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CALENDAR

Vancouver

11/06-10

ADFF

This year’s edition of the Vancouver Architecture & Design Film Festival includes the B.C. premiere of the documentary Arthur Erickson: Beauty Between the Lines. www.adfilmfest.com

11/22

Hortense Blanchard + Susana Rojas Saviñón

SALA’s annual Garden Design Lecture features the Franco-Mexican duo behind Estudio Ome. The studio’s work is rooted in research and inspiration from botany, archaeology, infrastructure, agroecology and art. sala.ubc.ca

Calgary

11/13

Mayor’s Urban Design Awards

This year’s winners will be announced at a gala event, to be held at the new BMO Centre in Stampede Park. calgary.ca

11/19

Why Arthur Erickson Matters

Trevor Boddy presents a public talk at the Calgary School of Architecture, Planning, and Landscape, in celebration of the 100th anniversary of Erickson’s birth. sapl.ucalgary.ca

Edmonton

–12/07

Glad you Closer Home / New White Whisker Mary

An exhibition at MacEwan University’s Mitchell Art Gallery explores the work of local architects Mary Imrie (1918-1988) and Jean Wallbridge (1912-1979), who operated Canada’s first women-run architecture firm from their west Edmonton home. mitchellartgallery.macewan.ca

Regina

11/29

Prairie Design Awards

The best work across Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba will be unveiled at an event hosted by the SAA. prairiedesignawards.com

–01/19/25

Spring on the Prairie

An exhibition at Regina’s Mackenzie Art Gallery features the mid-century work of Kiyoshi Izumi, the earliest known Canadian architect of Japanese descent, and his firm Izumi Arnott and Sugiyama. The exhibition is curated by Bernard Flamen and Tak Pham. mackenzie.art

Winnipeg

01/26/25–

Warming Huts

This annual festival adorns the Nestawaya River Trail with dozens of warming hut art installations, including the three winners from this year’s design competition. warminghuts.ca

Toronto

11/09

BEAT Leadership Seminar

BEAT’s biannual seminar this year features six women who have developed in-depth technical expertise. beatoronto.com

–11/28

DAS Bash

The current exhibition at Toronto Metropolitan University’s Department of Architectural Science celebrates over 75 years of architectural education. It features an interactive timeline of the Department from 1948 to the present, and a large-scale model of its RonThom-designed building.

www.torontomu.ca

11/29

TSA BASH

The Toronto Society of Architects’ annual year-end party takes place this year at The Well, the city’s largest building project of the last 20 years. The celebration includes backof-house building tours.

torontosocietyofarchitects.ca

–12/01

Toronto Biennial of Art

This year’s multi-venue exhibition, titled Precarious Joys, includes commissioned new works, performances, hands-on workshops, and other learning experiences. Admission is free; registration is required for some events. torontobiennial.org

Montreal

–11/10

Parcours: 50 ans de créativité

Celebrating the 50th anniversary of UQAM’s School of Design, this exhibition follows the career trajectories of fifty graduates from the School’s six academic programs, tracing their first student works to their most recent creations.

centrededesign.com

11/12

Laurie Olin

For McGill’s annual David J. Azrieli Lecture in Architecture, Laurie Olin reflects on fifty years in landscape architecture. mcgill.ca

11/14–03/16/25

Being There: Photography in Arthur Erickson’s Early Travel Diaries

An exhibition at the CCA’s Octagonal Gallery examines Erickson’s exchanges with people, places, landscapes, buildings, rituals, and ideas during his early travels in Europe, North Africa, and Asia.

cca.qc.ca

11/20

Foregrounding Canadian Women

Architects

A wiki edit-a-thon honouring the women who have planned and designed our built environment is followed by snacks, guided tours, and networking.

cca.qc.ca

11/27

Soirée des Grands A Architecture Sans Frontières Québec’s annual fundraising evening takes places at the Centre des Sciences on Montreal’s waterfront.  asf-quebec.org

Quebec City

11/21

Roberta Fonti

Munich-based conservation architect Roberta Fonti lectures at Laval University’s Faculty of Planning, Architecture, Art and Design. arc.ulaval.ca

For the latest events, visit www.canadianarchitect.com/ events and sign up for our weekly e-newsletter at www.canadianarchitect.com/subscribe

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Renew Your RAIC Membership Today  Join us as we continue to lead the way in Canadian architecture. The RAIC not only supports architects nationwide through advocacy and community initiatives but also offers valuable member benefits, services, and programs designed to drive your professional success. Join or renew today at raic.org/why-join.

Renouvelez votre adhésion à l’IRAC  Joignez-vous à nous, alors que nous continuons d’être un leader dans l’architecture canadienne. L’IRAC soutient les architectes de tout le pays en menant son action de plaidoyer et ses initiatives dédiées à la communauté tout en offrant à ses membres des avantages, des services et des programmes précieux conçus pour favoriser leur réussite professionnelle. Consultez la page raic.org/fr/ raic/pourquoi-adherer

New Open Access Course

The RAIC is proud to once again partner with Parks Canada Agency to bring an important educational offering in our Heritage Conservation Series to the architecture community. Standards and Guidelines for the Conservation of Historic Places in Canada: Integrating Accessibility is the second open access course developed by the RAIC in collaboration with Parks Canada. Learn more and register for free at raic.org/raic-and-parks-canada.

Nouveau cours en libre accès

L’IRAC est fier de s’associer à nouveau avec Parcs Canada pour offrir à ses membres un cours important de sa série sur la conservation du patrimoine, Normes et lignes directrices pour la conservation des lieux patrimoniaux du Canada : Intégration de l’accessibilitié. Il s’agit du deuxième cours en libre accès élaboré par l’IRAC en collaboration avec Parcs Canada. Pour en savoir plus et vous inscrire : raic. org/fr/raic/lirac-et-parcs-canada.

Conference on Architecture

RAIC Journal Journal de l’IRAC

Celebrating Creativity and Community Saluons la créativité et la communauté

Giovanna Boniface

RAIC Chief Commerical Officer

Chef de la direction commerciale de l’IRAC

Mark your calendars for the 2025 Conference on Architecture from June 1-4, in Montreal, Quebec. Registration will open in early February 2025.

Conférence sur l’architecture

Inscrivez la Conférence sur l’architecture 2025 à votre agenda. Du 1er au 4 juin, à Montréal (Québec), cette conférence réunira des professionnels et des passionnés de l’architecture. L’inscription ouvrira au début de février 2025.

The

for

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

In this edition, we celebrate the synergy of creativity and community within architecture. We begin by spotlighting Field Collective’s Beaux Arts Drag Ball, featured at the 2024 RAIC Conference on Architecture. Next, we explore the VIS Network’s initiatives enhancing professional connections and promoting knowledge-sharing.

The RAIC has also been providing opportunities for capacity-building in sustainable building practices. Our partnership with the National Research Council provides a one-year rapid-deployment project to train members of the Canadian architectural community through a high-quality, handson, case-study-based Whole Building Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) curriculum.

We warmly welcome our new President, Jonathan Bisson. In this issue, he sets the tone for continued innovation and growth within the architectural landscape.

Mark your calendars: we are excited to announce our 2025 Conference on Architecture, which will be held June 1-4, 2025, in Montreal, Quebec. Stay tuned to book your registration soon!

Dans ce numéro, nous nous réjouissons de la synergie de la créativité et du sens de la communauté au sein de la profession. Nous présentons d’abord un article sur le bal des Beaux-arts moderne tenu dans le cadre de la Conférence sur l’architecture de l’IRAC 2024, puis nous traitons des initiatives du réseau du sud de l’île de Vancouver pour renforcer les liens professionnels et promouvoir le partage de connaissances.

Nous vous informons ensuite des occasions de renforcement des capacités en matière de bâtiment durable offertes par l’IRAC. Notre récent partenariat avec le Conseil national de recherches porte sur le déploiement rapide sur un an d’un projet qui offre à la communauté architecturale canadienne une formation sur l’analyse du cycle de vie de l’ensemble du bâtiment, un programme de grande qualité, pratique et basé sur des études de cas.

Notre nouveau président, Jonathan Bisson, que nous accueillons chaleureusement, nous fait part de ses réflexions pour continuer d’innover et de croître dans le contexte actuel de la profession.

Nous sommes ravis d’annoncer que notre Conférence sur l’architecture 2025 aura lieu du 1er au 4 juin 2025 à Montréal. Notez ces dates à votre agenda et restez à l’affût, l’inscription ouvrira bientôt!

RAIC is the leading voice

excellence

Thinking Differently to Shape the Future

Penser autrement pour façonner l’avenir

Jonathan Bisson, FIRAC

The role of Chair of the Board is an honour and a responsibility that I take very seriously, especially at a time when our benchmarks and reference systems are changing rapidly.

At the end of this mandate, I will have been practicing and involved in various architectural organizations for 30 years. Having been involved for several years, I have witnessed, and played an active role in, a healthy transformation within our century-old institution. How can we fail to feel a deep optimism about the mission we are evolving to build a better world? It is with pride that I pledge to implement our 2025-2027 strategic plan, which is undoubtedly the fruit of a unifying collective effort.

As a practicing architect, I observe a profession at a decisive turning point. Ecological challenges are now an absolute necessity. It’s essential that we think differently and adapt our practices to these new realities. Collectively, we have the power to solve problems on a national scale, while respecting our regional and cultural particularities. Our past successes will continue to be enhanced, because architecture is multifaceted, and I’m convinced that our creativity inspires and becomes part of the conversation.

Together with our team and partners, I aspire that creativity and diverse forms of excellence will elevate a true design culture within our community, at a time when our industry is undergoing an unprecedented technological revolution.

fond optimisme à l’égard de la mission que nous poursuivons de bâtir un monde meilleur? C’est avec fierté que je m’engage à mettre en œuvre notre plan stratégique 2025-2027 qui est incontestablement le fruit d’un effort collectif fédérateur.

En tant qu’architecte praticien, je constate que la profession est à un tournant décisif. Il est désormais essentiel de relever les défis écologiques. Nous devons absolument penser différemment et adapter nos pratiques à ces nouvelles réalités. Collectivement, nous avons la capacité de résoudre les problèmes à l’échelle nationale tout en respectant nos particularités régionales et culturelles. Nos réussites passées continueront d’être valorisées, parce que l’architecture est une profession à multiples facettes et je suis convaincu que notre créativité inspire et fait partie de la conversation.

Jonathan Bisson, FIRAC, is the new President of the RAIC.

Jonathan Bisson, FIRAC, est le nouveau président de l’IRAC.

We need to elevate our practice, encourage innovation and strengthen the appreciation of design. Doing things differently will not only consolidate our position as leaders, but also promote the cultural and economic impact of our profession. Our concrete actions of recent years will be multiplied and extended on a national scale.

For our voice to be heard, it’s crucial that we communicate our work clearly. We need to build a strong value proposition, in order to effectively promote our brand and increase our market presence. It’s essential that we are heard by our members, our politicians, our academics, our professional bodies, but above all by the public and our industry, who place their trust in us.

Together, I’m convinced we can achieve great things, by rethinking our role with a bold new perspective, supporting excellence and innovation, and affirming a confident design culture that will shape a remarkable future for Canada’s architectural landscape.

La présidence du conseil d’administration est un honneur et une responsabilité que je prends très au sérieux, surtout en cette période où nos repères et nos systèmes de référence évoluent rapidement.

À la fin de ce mandat, j’aurai cumulé 30 ans dans l’exercice de l’architecture et l’implication dans diverses organisations architecturales. Bénévole depuis plusieurs années au sein de notre institut centenaire, j’ai été témoin de sa saine transformation et j’y ai participé activement. Comment ne pas ressentir un pro-

Avec notre équipe et nos partenaires, j’aspire à ce que la créativité et les diverses formes d’excellence favorisent l’essor d’une réelle culture du design au sein de notre communauté alors que notre secteur subit une révolution technologique sans précédent.

Nous devons rehausser notre pratique, encourager l’innovation et nous assurer d’une plus grande reconnaissance de la valeur du design. En faisant les choses différemment, nous consoliderons notre position de chefs de file et nous soulignerons l’impact culturel et économique de notre profession. Nos mesures concrètes des dernières années se multiplieront et s’étendront à l’échelle nationale.

Pour bien communiquer notre message, nous devons expliquer clairement ce que nous faisons. Nous devons bâtir une solide proposition de valeur pour être en mesure de promouvoir efficacement notre marque et d’accroître notre présence sur le marché. Nous devons nous faire entendre par nos membres, nos politiciens, nos universitaires et nos ordres professionnels, mais surtout par le public et les intervenants de notre secteur qui nous font confiance.

Ensemble, je suis convaincu que nous pouvons accomplir de grandes choses, en repensant notre rôle dans une perspective nouvelle, en soutenant l’excellence et l’innovation et en renforçant une culture de la conception confiante dans ses possibilités, afin de façonner un avenir remarquable pour le paysage architectural du Canada.

RAIC Launches Life Cycle Assessment Training Workshops L’IRAC lance des ateliers de formation sur l’analyse

Giovanna Boniface RAIC Chief Commercial Officer Chef de la direction commerciale de l’IRAC

Assessing embodied carbon impacts throughout a building’s life cycle is a necessary step in a shift towards regenerative and lower carbon design. In Canada the built environment is the third-highest source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and there is an urgent and critical need to accelerate the knowledge, skills, and competencies of professionals who design Canada’s buildings.

By understanding and addressing the carbon footprint of buildings, architects, engineers, and other stakeholders can significantly contribute to the reduction of GHG emissions. This initiative is vital not only for meeting Canada’s environmental targets but also for setting a global example in sustainable building practices.

To address this need, the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) has partnered with the National Research Council of Canada in a one-year rapid-deployment project to train members of the Canadian

architectural community. This training will be conducted through a high-quality, hands-on case study-based Whole Building Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) curriculum. The LCA curriculum is designed to equip professionals with the tools and knowledge necessary to evaluate the environmental impacts of buildings from conception to demolition.

Whole Building Life Cycle Assessment provides an estimate of the total GHG emissions associated with a building. This includes emissions due to operations and

those associated with the extraction, manufacturing, transport, installation, replacement, and end of service life for products and materials used in a building. These stages collectively contribute a significant proportion of a building’s whole-life carbon emissions. By analyzing these factors, professionals can identify critical areas where interventions can make the most significant impact in reducing emissions.

The RAIC is proud to collaborate with Ha/f Climate Design to organize in-person workshops on LCA for practicing industry professionals. These workshops are designed to provide both theoretical and practical knowledge. Following a theorybased lecture on LCA, embodied carbon, and related methodologies, participants will engage in hands-on training.

“As architects, it is our responsibility to build and design with environmental leadership as an underpinning value and principle. Focused on our purpose to create a better world for all, this partnership with the National Research Council Canada is one step in the right direction for the building sector to decarbonize at rapid scale and to accelerate the pace of climate action needed for Canada to achieve its 2030 and 2050 targets,” states Jason Robbins, FRAIC, Past President of the RAIC. This statement underscores the commitment of the RAIC to lead by example in the fight against climate change.

This workshop, hosted by the RAIC and available to the larger community, is designed for architectural professionals, including licensed architects, interns, technologists, students, and others who want to learn about Life Cycle Assessment and how to reduce embodied carbon in real-life projects. Participants will leave the session with knowledge of definitions, methods, targets, and standards, as well as the opportunity to practice with LCA software to implement into practice. This practical experience is crucial for integrating LCA methodologies into everyday architectural practices.

Funding to support this workshop is provided by the RAIC and NRC, demonstrating their commitment to making this training accessible to all. By investing in the education of architectural professionals, these organizations are paving the way for a more sustainable built environment. This initiative not only aims to reduce the carbon footprint of buildings but also to

inspire a new generation of architects to prioritize sustainability in their designs.

The workshops run until May 2025 in various locations across Canada, including Ottawa, Toronto, St. Andrews, Winnipeg, Regina, Vancouver, Calgary, Halifax, and Montreal. For more information about curriculum, dates, and to register, visit www.raic.org/ LCAworkshop.

L’évaluation des impacts du carbone intrinsèque tout au long du cycle de vie d’un bâtiment est une étape nécessaire pour le passage à une conception régénérative et sobre en carbone. Comme l’environnement bâti du Canada est la troisième source d’émissions de gaz à effet de serre (GES) en importance, il est urgent et crucial d’accélérer l’acquisition des connaissances et des compétences et le renforcement des capacités des professionnels qui conçoivent les bâtiments du Canada. S’ils comprennent l’empreinte carbone des bâtiments et qu’ils en tiennent compte, les architectes, les ingénieurs et les autres parties prenantes peuvent contribuer considérablement à la réduction des émissions de GES. Cette initiative est essentielle, non seulement pour atteindre les cibles environnementales du Canada, mais aussi pour créer un exemple mondial sur les pratiques du bâtiment durable.

Pour répondre à ce besoin, l’IRAC s’associe avec le Conseil national de recherches du Canada dans un projet d’un an à déploiement rapide visant à former les membres de la communauté architecturale canadienne en leur offrant un programme basé sur des exemples concrets et de grande qualité d’analyses du cycle de vie de l’ensemble du bâtiment (ACVeb). Le programme est destiné à doter les professionnels des outils et des connaissances nécessaires pour évaluer les impacts environnementaux des bâtiments, de leur conception jusqu’à leur démolition.

L’ACV de l’ensemble du bâtiment fournit une estimation de la quantité totale d’émissions de GES associées à un bâtiment qui comprennent les émissions dues à l’exploitation des bâtiments et celles qui sont associées à l’extraction, à la fabrication, au transport, à l’installation, au remplacement et à la fin de vie utile des produits et matériaux utilisés dans un bâtiment. Ces émissions constituent une proportion importante des émissions de carbone d’un bâtiment pendant toute sa durée de vie. En analysant ces facteurs, les professionnels peuvent identifier les domaines critiques dans lesquels ils peuvent intervenir pour avoir le plus grand impact sur la réduction des émissions.

L’IRAC est fier de collaborer avec la firme Ha/f Climate Design pour organiser les ateliers en personne qui porteront sur l’ACV pour les professionnels en exercice. Ces ateliers permettront aux participants d’acquérir des connaissances théoriques et pratiques. Après un exposé théorique sur l’ACV, le carbone intrinsèque et les méthodologies connexes, les participants s’engageront dans une formation pratique.

« En tant qu’architectes, nous avons la responsabilité d’assumer un leadership environnemental fondé sur des valeurs et des principes lorsque nous concevons et réalisons des bâtiments. Centré sur notre objectif de créer un monde meilleur pour tous, ce partenariat avec le Conseil national de recherches du Canada est un pas dans la bonne direction pour favoriser la décarbonation du secteur du bâtiment à grande échelle et accélérer le rythme de l’action climatique dont le Canada a besoin pour atteindre ses objectifs pour 2030 et 2050 », a déclaré Jason Robbins, FRAIC, président sortant de l’IRAC.

Cet atelier, présenté par l’IRAC et disponible pour la communauté élargie, est conçu pour les professionnels de l’architecture (architectes, stagiaires, technologues, étudiants, etc.) qui désirent en apprendre davantage sur l’analyse du cycle de vie et la réduction du carbone intrinsèque dans les projets réels. Les participants acquerront des connaissances sur les définitions, les méthodes, les cibles et les normes de l’ACV et ils auront l’occasion de s’exercer avec un logiciel d’ACV en vue de son utilisation dans leur pratique. Cette expérience pratique est cruciale pour l’intégration des méthodologies de l’ACV dans les pratiques architecturales quotidiennes.

Le financement de cet atelier est assuré par l’IRAC et le CNRC, ce qui témoigne de leur engagement à le rendre accessible à tous. En investissant dans la formation des professionnels de l’architecture, ces organisations ouvrent la voie à un environnement bâti plus durable. Cette initiative vise à réduire l’empreinte carbone des bâtiments tout autant qu’à inciter une nouvelle génération d’architectes à prioriser la durabilité dans leurs designs.

L’atelier est présenté jusqu’en mai 2025 dans diverses villes du Canada : Ottawa, Toronto, St. Andrews, Winnipeg, Regina, Vancouver, Calgary, Halifax et Montréal. Pour en savoir davantage sur le contenu, les dates et l’inscription, visitez : www.raic.org/LCAworkshop.

Conference delegates at the Masque After Parti.

Délégués de la conférence à Masque, la fête de fin de soirée.

A Parti for All Une fête pour tous

Tracey Mactavish, AIBC, FRAIC

Jackie Rosborough

The 2024 RAIC conference after-parti was one-of-a-kind as The Field Collective— an informal network of small architecture firms—took on the planning of Masque: a Modern Beaux-Arts Ball. A party with a long history in our profession, the Beaux Arts Ball began its life at the École des Beaux Arts, before migrating around the globe. It has evolved over time and from place to place, but a common theme in the last century has been for architects to come dressed as recognizable buildings. Historically, the Ball has not been inclusive of the full spectrum of people who now comprise the architectural community. So, for our modern interpretation, Masque paired six local drag artists with six small architecture firms. The result was a series of unique performances, sets, and costumes inspired by architecture and brought to life by members of the incredibly talented Vancouver drag community.

Pairings included PM with MOTIV Architects, SKIM with Tony Osborn Architecture + Design, Mx Bukuru with PH5 Architecture, Maiden China with wndr Architecture + Design, Batty Banks with 2x2 Architecture Studio, and Sabrina the Teenage Bitch with Atmospheric Perspective Architecture.

group with big goals, it values collaboration and the sharing of resources.

A huge kudos to the RAIC for being open to this collaboration. The diversity of voices present in this creative evening are an inspiration and important precedent for the future of our beautiful—but somewhat slow-tochange—profession.

While the focus was on the drag performances, the planning team also aimed to create a low-barrier way for the entire audience to be involved. They crafted a variety of hats in the shape of well-known buildings to get people into the Beaux-Arts spirit, without having to put thought to a costume.

Batty Banks was the host of the show, keeping everyone entertained between numbers as sets were swapped out between performances. Vancouver was highlighted in numerous performances, which featured performers costumed as Science World, Vancouver House, and the future Art Gallery. Hats floated around in the crowd shaped like the Polygon Gallery and the Museum of Vancouver. Audience turnout for the event was impressive, and with dancing extended into the night.

The Field Collective is an informal network of small architecture firms that have organized to advocate for the value of small firms, while also hosting events, initiating design and practice dialogue, and speaking up for changes in policy and process to better enable small firms to succeed and thrive in a competitive marketplace.

Through social and educational events, The Field Collective has connected small firms, students, academic groups, and others within the art and design community. A grassroots

La fête de fin de soirée de la Conférence de l’IRAC 2024 était unique en son genre du fait que The Field Collective – un réseau informel de petites firmes d’architecture –s’est chargé de l’organisation de Masque : un bal des Beaux-arts moderne. Le bal des Beaux-Arts est une fête qui a une longue histoire dans notre profession, étant né à l’École des Beaux-Arts, avant de migrer dans le monde entier. Il a évolué au fil du temps et d’un endroit à l’autre, mais au siècle dernier, il a toujours encouragé les architectes à revêtir des costumes représentant des bâtiments reconnaissables. Historiquement, le bal n’était pas ouvert à l’ensemble des personnes qui composent aujourd’hui la communauté architecturale. Pour son interprétation moderne, Masque a donc associé six artistes de la drag locaux à six petites firmes d’architectes. Les participants ont eu droit à des spectacles, des décors et des costumes uniques inspirés par l’architecture et mis en scène par des membres de la communauté drag de Vancouver au talent incroyable.

Les jumelages étaient comme suit : PM avec MOTIV Architects, SKIM avec Tony Osborn Architecture + Design, Mx Bukuru avec PH5 Architecture, Maiden China avec wndr Architecture + Design, Batty Banks avec 2x2 Architecture Studio, ainsi que Sabrina the Teenage Bitch avec Atmospheric Perspective Architecture.

Bien que l’accent ait été mis sur les performances des drags, les membres de l’équipe de planification ont aussi voulu créer un moyen peu contraignant d’impliquer l’ensemble des participants. Ils ont donc créé une variété de chapeaux en forme de bâtiments connus pour que les gens se mettent dans l’esprit des Beaux-Arts, sans avoir à se déguiser.

Batty Banks, en tant qu’animatrice de la soirée, a diverti tous les participants pendant les changements de décors entre les numéros. Vancouver a été mise en valeur dans plusieurs numéros, les artistes portant des déguisements du Science World, de la Vancouver House et de la future gale-

Cale Tian Photography

rie d’art. Les chapeaux en forme de la Galerie Polygone et du Musée de Vancouver flottaient au-dessus des têtes. La participation à l’événement a été impressionnante et la danse s’est poursuivie tard dans la nuit.

The Field Collective est un réseau de petites firmes d’architecture qui se sont organisées pour défendre leur valeur tout en organisant des événements, en lançant un dialogue sur le design et l’exercice de la profession et en prônant le changement dans les politiques et les processus afin de favoriser la réussite des petites firmes et leur essor dans un marché concurrentiel.

Par des activités sociales et éducatives, The Field Collective a mis en relation des petites firmes, des étudiants, des groupes universitaires et d’autres membres du milieu de l’art et du design. Ce petit groupe aux grands objectifs valorise la collaboration et le partage des ressources.

Un gros bravo à l’IRAC pour son ouverture à une telle collaboration. La diversité des voix présentes à cette soirée créative est une source d’inspiration et un précédent important pour l’avenir de notre profession qui, aussi belle qu’elle soit, évolue néanmoins plutôt lentement.

RAIC Vancouver Island South members gathering at DAU Studio in Victoria, BC.

Des membres du réseau du sud de l’île de Vancouver réunis dans les bureaux de DAU Studio, à Victoria.

Vancouver Island Network Connections Le réseau de l’île de Vancouver

Stacey McGhee, Architect / Architecte AIBC, LEED AP, FRAIC

Sabrina the Teenage Bitch was paired with Atmospheric Perspective Architecture, who developed her costume as Vancouver House.

Sabrina the Teenage Bitch, jumelée à la firme Atmospheric Perspective Architecture, déguisée en Vancouver House.

The Vancouver Island South (VIS) Network of the RAIC taps into the Victoria region’s rich history of collegiality amongst its architectural colleagues. Going back more than five decades, local architects have taken opportunities to socialize together. This is linked to the region’s relative geographic isolation: Victoria was a manageably sized metropolis of 170,000 in the sixties, and has a population of just under 400,000 today.

Over the past twenty years since it formerly gathered—initially as a chapter of the AIBC and most recently as a network of the RAIC—the Vancouver Island South Network has remained committed to mounting events that bring architects together and satisfy continuing education requirements. Historically, these gatherings have been well attended and much enjoyed.

Fast forward to this spring, when, after a series of Zoom gatherings during the pandemic, we reverted to in-person meet-ups, organized by local volunteers with the collaboration of local firms. The group has enjoyed four events to-date this year, generously hosted in the offices of local firms Cascadia Architects, Christine Lintott & Associates, Low Hammond Rowe Architects and DAU Studio.

These events have set out to connect professionals in the region, but have also provided younger architectural staff with the opportunity to connect. Attendees have greatly enjoyed socializing with well-established friends and meeting new ones. Given the interest and the generosity of local firms, these social events have provided a momentum that we hope will continue in the coming years.

Le réseau du sud de l’île de Vancouver de l’IRAC s’appuie sur la riche histoire de la région de Victoria en matière de collégialité entre architectes. Depuis plus de cinquante ans, les architectes locaux saisissent toutes les occasions de se rencontrer. Cela s’explique par l’isolement géographique relatif de la région : Victoria était une métropole de taille raisonnable, comptant 170 000 habitants dans les années soixante. Elle en compte un peu moins de 400 000 aujourd’hui.

Depuis vingt ans, les membres qui se sont d’abord réunis en tant que chapitre de l’AIBC et qui le font depuis peu en tant que réseau de l’IRAC sont déterminés à organiser des activités qui rassemblent les architectes tout en leur permettant de satisfaire à leurs exigences de formation continue. Ces rencontres ont toujours attiré de nombreux participants et sont toujours très appréciées.

Au printemps dernier, après une série de rencontres sur Zoom pendant la pandémie, nous avons repris les rencontres en personne organisées par des bénévoles locaux en collaboration avec des firmes locales. Le groupe s’est réuni à quatre reprises jusqu’à maintenant cette année et il a été accueilli généreusement dans les bureaux de Cascadia Architects, Christine Lintott & Associates, Low Hammond Rowe Architects et DAU Studio.

Ces événements ont permis aux professionnels de la région de se rencontrer tout en donnant aux plus jeunes employés de leurs firmes l’occasion de tisser des liens. Les participants se sont réjouis de retrouver des amis de longue date et de s’en faire de nouveaux. Compte tenu de l’intérêt de la communauté architecturale et de la générosité des firmes locales, ces activités sociales ont créé une dynamique qui, nous l’espérons, se poursuivra dans les années à venir.

DAU Studio –Victoria, B.C.

Improve new building performance with energy modelling

The Savings by Design program from Enbridge Gas provides new construction project teams with FREE energy modelling as part of a design assistance workshop led by green building experts. Adam Barker explains how energy modelling can help architects optimize design choices for commercial and multi-residential buildings.

Energy modelling helps save energy and money

What energy modelling does extremely accurately is comparative analysis, such as comparing three or four different wall assembly options and seeing how they impact energy use—which is really difficult to do well without an energy model. That kind of comparison allows you to run a financial analysis to see which wall option is going to make the most sense for you.

Energy modelling can help uncover low-cost solutions

Energy modelling is great at showing that the devil’s in the details. If you’ve been using the same wall assembly for years, for example, you’re likely also using the same details: where a wall meets a floor, there’s a thermal bridge, and when you have 30 floors, it really adds up. There’s potentially a very low-cost solution to make that more efficient.

To get the most out of your next project, contact Venoth Jeganmohan, Energy Solutions Advisor. enbridgegas.com/sbd-commercial venoth.jeganmohan@enbridge.com 647-502-6759

TIMBER REDUX

A PAIR OF TORONTO OFFICE BUILDINGS LEAD THE WAY FOR LARGE MASS TIMBER CONSTRUCTION IN THE CITY—AND BEYOND.

PROJECTS T3 Sterling Road and T3 Bayside Phase 1

ARCHITECTS–T3 STERLING ROAD DLR Group Architecture inc. (Design Architect and Architect-of-Record) and WZMH (Local Affiliate Architect)

ARCHITECTS–T3 BAYSIDE 3XN (Design Architect) and WZMH Architects

TEXT Lloyd Alter

In 1970, Barton Myers and Jack Diamond bought the Eclipse Whitewear Building on King Street in Toronto and converted it into offices. They left the brick walls and massive wood structure exposed, and kept visible all the conduits, ducts, sprinkler pipes and other mechanical paraphernalia, layering in industrial lighting. When you entered the space, you got the shock of the old: the existing warehouse adapted for modern use. Soon, warehouse conversions were happening around North America, including in San Francisco and in Minneapolis, where a renovation of the half-million-square-foot Butler Building became the continent’s most prominent example.

Creative industries loved these spaces, which quickly filled with architects, advertising firms, and tech startups. Jane Jacobs understood this,

writing in The Death and Life of Great American Cities , “Old ideas can sometimes use new buildings. New ideas must use old buildings.”

But old buildings were not without their problems. The floors were usually mill decking, where lumber such as 2x10s were nailed to each other to carry the heavy industrial loads. Noise passed right through them, as did dirt: staff would often find dust and debris on their desks.

In 2016, real estate developer Hines built the continent’s first large new mass timber building, which they called T 3 (for Timber, Transit, Technology). They aimed to capture the look and feel of a warehouse, without the drawbacks. It was sort of a new-old building. Hines noted in their marketing materials at the time:

“We love old brick & timber warehouses. We love the feel of them, the originality, and the entrepreneurship that lives inside their bones. They are cool places to collaborate, create, and innovate. Unfortunately, these buildings lack good natural light, are drafty, noisy, and have outdated HVAC systems. So we asked ourselves, why can’t we solve these problems by selecting an authentic location, surrounded by heritage buildings, and construct a brand new, vintage building? All the charm of an old brick & timber building, with none of the downsides.”

The Minneapolis T3, designed by Canadian mass timber pioneer Michael Green and American firm DLR Group, was built with gluelaminated columns and beams. Its floor slabs were made of Nail-Laminated Timber (NLT) supplied by StructureCraft of British Columbia, and nailed together in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Modern NLT was developed in Germany in the 1970s by engineer Julius Natterer. NLT was used because it was in the building codes and could be made anywhere, by anyone with a nailgun; Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) was not yet approved or manufactured in North America. Unlike conventional construction, with mass timber, the supplier often acts as the timber structural engineer and builder, delivering the complete package. StructureCraft says, “Our

ABOVE The two buildings of T3 Sterling Road are a contemporary take on the former industrial fabric of their neighbourhood, west of downtown Toronto. ABOVE RIGHT A new landscaped park is framed by T3 Sterling Road to the south, and the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) to the east. RIGHT The leasable spaces feature Dowel-Laminated Timber (DLT) floor assemblies, along with glulam columns and beams.

Engineer-Build model brings responsibility for all the steps of engineering and construction under one roof, to a company that has significant experience taking on this responsibility. Engineer-Build synthesizes and smooths out the building process.”

T 3 Minneapolis was a success, and Hines took the concept to other cities, with a total of 27 buildings completed, under construction, and in design. The most recent finished T 3s are in Toronto, where Hines has opened two projects: T 3 Sterling Road and T 3 Bayside.

Hines pitches its T 3 projects as “timber buildings with a conscience,” claiming “ T 3’s exceptional amenities prioritize health and well-being, and the natural wood interior and bright, inspiring spaces help people feel and do their best.” Research backs this up. An Australian study, Workplaces: Wellness + Wood = Productivity found that “Employees surrounded with natural wooden surfaces on average reported higher personal productivity, mood, concentration, clarity, confidence and optimism and were more likely to find their workplaces relaxing, calming, natural-feeling, inviting and energising.” These ideas are captured in the concept of “biophilia,” a term coined in the mid-80s by Harvard professor Edward O. Wilson to refer to humans’ fondness for nature, including plants, wood, and natural light.

Hines also points to the environmental benefits, noting that building with wood avoids the emissions that come from making steel or concrete, which together total about 15 percent of global carbon emissions. “When a tree is taken and used in a building that will last for centuries,” the developer writes, “that piece of wood is storing that carbon dioxide in the material for the life of the building.”

For T 3 Sterling Road, Hines brought DLR Group and StructureCraft together again, including lead designer Steve Cavanaugh, who

ABOVE LEFT Mullioned windows and upper-level diagonal braces emulate the appearance of industrial buildings. ABOVE RIGHT Ground floor amenities include a generous co-working space.

worked with Green on T 3 Minneapolis. StructureCraft’s roles once more encompassed acting as the timber structural engineer, coordinating timber sourcing, and providing supply and installation. The team also included WZMH Architects as the local architect of record.

Toronto’s Sterling Road district has become a hotbed of warehouse conversions and brewpubs, anchored by the Museum of Contemporary Art; the New York Times has described it as “newly hip, its appeal broadening beyond the small cadre of tuned-in artists and bohemian types who for years have had it to themselves.” The site certainly nails the Transit of the T 3 moniker, with a short walk to the Bloor subway and the UP Express train, which connects to downtown and the airport. The environmental importance of location and available transit is often underestimated: Alex Wilson of BuildingGreen calculated that the energy used by tenants commuting by car to a building was 2.3 times the energy consumed operating the building.

Phase 1 of the Sterling Road project includes two buildings totalling 300,000 square feet, constructed of glulam columns and beams, and with Dowel-Laminated Timber (DLT) floors. DLT was developed in the 1990s by a German company which called it Dübelholz, German for “dowelled wood.” Holes are drilled in softwood lumber with a moisture content of about 15 percent, and hardwood dowels, dried to about 8 percent, are driven in. As the dowels absorb moisture from the surrounding wood, they expand, locking the assembly together. Structure-

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Craft has built sophisticated DLT machinery in its Abbotsford plant, which can spit out massive 12-foot-wide by 60-foot-long panels. Sterling Road is a bit rough around the edges, and the design for T 3 Sterling aims to be edgy as well, with exposed diagonal bracing and steel bars added on the exterior to emulate the appearance of industrial windows. The program is geared towards young urbanites; while the upper floors are conventional leased office space, the ground floor has a large co-working space, a well-equipped gym, and bicycle storage. Different types of mass timber have distinct looks and feel, and DLT can be finished in different ways. T 3 Sterling’s DLT is made of 3”-wide boards with a kerf on the corner, giving it a seriously industrial look, like you used to get in warehouses when wood was thicker. While most modern office buildings have a 30-foot-by-30foot grid, mass timber is not cost-effective at that span, so the grids in the T 3 are 20-by-30. DLR lead architect Steve Cavanaugh explained that many layouts were tested against the grid, and it was found to maintain planning flexibility.

Although they both share the T 3 label and are made of mass timber, T3 Bayside is a very different building from T3 Sterling Road. It’s located in the rapidly developing area just east of the downtown core, and is surrounded by new residential towers.

In branding this building, Hines adjusted the second “ T ” in T3 to substitute “Talent” for “Transit,” because it’s a fairly substantial 24-minute walk to Union Station. (A light rapid transit line, approved by the City in 2019, is currently in the design phase.) WZMH is back as the architect of record, with Danish firm 3XN as lead designer.

Where T3 Sterling Road is industrial and edgy, T3 Bayside is all business. Its defining architectural feature is a stepped, recessed band of glazing ringing the façades, which permits a succession of double-height spaces. The original concept included grand stairs running through these double-height spaces from ground to top floor, but this was before the pandemic, when it was anticipated that the building might be occupied by a single tenant who would appreciate the interconnection of their spaces. However, the market has changed significantly, and the building

At T3 Bayside, a band of glazing steps up to accommodate the possibility of interconnected spaces between office floors. ABOVE On the building’s west side, the stepped glazing corresponds with the staggered, stacked spaces of the building’s atrium, a communal lounge, and a shared meeting room.

is starting to be leased to smaller tenants. The double-height spaces are now called “opportunities,” and are currently filled with removable slabs. Common areas on the first, second, and third floors do remain connected, resulting in a small set of dramatic spaces, linked by enticing stairs.

As at T 3 Sterling, the columns and beams of T 3 Bayside are made of glue-laminated timber, but this location’s slabs are Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT). The laminations in CLT are made up of 2x4s, laid up flat to form a layer; the next set is laid at 90 degrees to the layer below, and so on. The whole sandwich is glued together in giant presses. CLT was invented in the States and patented in 1923, but modern CLT was developed by Professor Gerhard Schickhofer at Graz University in the 1990s. Austria had a large lumber industry, but being landlocked, exports were expensive. Turning lumber into CLT added significant value.

CLT is more dimensionally stable than DLT, and can act as a twoway slab, supported on columns without beams. However, Hines specifies a column-and-beam design so they can get competitive pricing between the different mass timber technologies. To avoid the noise transfer that was endemic in older warehouse conversions, the CLT floor is topped with a sound mat and 2.6 inches of concrete.

CLT is usually more expensive than DLT, but the wood, structural design and assembly for T 3 Bayside is supplied by Nordic Structures. Nordic is a subsidiary of Chantiers Chibougamau, a vertically integrated lumber company controlling close to six million acres of black spruce Quebec forest; the company processes 15 percent of the renewable resources in the province’s woodlands. Geographically, Quebec is a lot closer than British Columbia, so it is likely that the reduced transport expense helps to balance out costs.

In the base building, there are no dropped ceilings to block the view of the mass timber beams and slabs, and no raised floor all mechanical and electrical services are exposed. What is normally hidden and often installed haphazardly has to be precise and straight. Every conduit and duct is laid out in advance in the BIM model; notches are cut into the

tops of beams for them to pass through. With rare exceptions, the electrical conduits in both Toronto T 3s are a work of art, resembling a circuit board rather than a typical electrical installation. The ventilation ductwork is also lovely to look at; in Bayside, there is a narrow structural bay without beams running around the core so that the main supply ducts can run east-west, while the smaller ducts run north-south between beams. It is all brilliantly coordinated. No lighting is installed in the base building; that is added after the tenant layouts are determined.

Hines notes that T3 Bayside “will store 3,886 metric tons of carbon dioxide.” However, this isn’t counted or credited by LEED. According to the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) report, “biogenic carbon is excluded since it is assumed that at the end of life, the wood will be disposed and the embodied carbon will be re-emitted back into the atmosphere.”

The treatment of biogenic carbon in LCA calculations is a major topic of discussion and controversy in both the industry and academia. Some in the industry don’t believe any credit should be given for carbon being stored in the wood, given that roots are left to rot in the ground, slash is left behind, scrap is burned to kiln-dry the wood, and wood panels are transported from factory to site in fossil-fuel-powered vehicles. Others, like Paul Brannen, author of the book Timber!, claim that so much carbon is sequestered in the wood that developers should be able to sell carbon credits for every tonne stored, to help reduce the cost premium and to encourage more wood construction.

Some also worry that building out of wood will lead to deforestation and the loss of old-growth timber. Hines counters by saying: “The trees we use at Hines come from responsibly harvested forests/certified sustainable forests. The forests in the U.S. and Canada, for example, reproduce the timber required for T 3 buildings every 20 minutes.”

Adding to their claims, Hines measures and mentions “avoided emissions,” the carbon emissions that don’t happen because of the decision to go with wood. They note in a FAQ that “Compared with steel or concrete, T3 Sterling Road’s timber construction avoids emitting

OPPOSITE

Substack

T3 STERLING ROAD

ARCHITECT TEAM DLR GROUP—STEPHEN J. CAVANAUGH, KEVIN CURRAN, KELLY GOFFINEY, CHARLIE MCDANIEL, BOBBY LARSON, KAILEY SMITH, NEELY SUTTER. WZMH—TED DUARTE ROBERT SAMPSON (MRAIC) | STRUCTURAL MAGNUSSEN KLEMENCIC ASSOCIATES | MECHANTMP | LANDSCAPE JANET ROSENBERG STUDIO | INTERIORS PARTNERS BY DESIGN ELLIS DON AREA 28,234 M2 BUDGET WITHHELD | COMPLETION SPRING 2024

ENERGY USE INTENSITY (PROJECTED) 45.6 KWH/M2/YEAR

T3 BAYSIDE PHASE 1

ARCHITECT TEAM 3XN—COMPETITION PHASE: JENS HOLM, AUDUN OPDAL, KIM HERFORTH NELSON, ELIZABETH NICHOLS, SAI MA, MONTY DE LUNA, SEAN LYON, MATTHIAS ALTWICKER; DESIGN PHASE: JENS HOLM, MATTHIAS ALTWICKER, ELIZABETH NICHOLS, LAURA WAGNER, SAI MA, CATHERINE JOSEPH, JACQUELYN HECKER, IDA FLØCHE, THOMAS HERVE, ALEKSANDRE ANDGHULADZE, FARZANA HOSSAIN, BENJI MAGIN, CHRISTIAN HARALD HOMMELHOFF BRINK, LYDON WHITTLE, SANG YEUN LEE, ANN CHRISTINA RAVN, THOMAS LUND, ELIANA NIGRO, DORA LIN JIABAO, MAJBRITT LERCHE MADSEN, MORTEN NORMAN LUND; EXECUTION PHASE: MATTHIAS ALTWICKER, CATHERINE JOSEPH, ELIZABETH NICHOLS, JENS HOLM. WZMH—ROBERT SAMPSON (MRAIC), NICOLA CASCIATO (MRAIC), LEN ABELMAN (MRAIC), PAUL BROWN, TED DUARTE (MRAIC), NAZANIN SALIMI, DEREK SMART, LIU LIU, ASHLEY MCKAY, SAMER RICHANI, AKHILESH AHUJA, TEREK ALY, LOC NGUYEN, TRACEY GAULL | STRUCTURAL DESIGN MAGNUSSON KLEMENCIC ASSOCIATES | MASS TIMBER PRODUCTION NORDIC STRUCTURES MECHANICAL THE MITCHELL

PARTNERSHIP INC. ELECTRICAL MULVEY & BANANI LANDSCAPE JANET ROSENBERG & STUDIO | INTERIORS PARTNERS BY DESIGN CONTRACTOR EASTERN CONSTRUCTION COMPANY LTD. | CODE VORTEX FIRE | CIVIL WSP | GEOTECHNICAL EXP CONTROLS AND SECURITY HMA CONSULTING | ACOUSTICS CERAMI & ASSOCIATES INC., HGC ENGINEERING (SITE PLAN ONLY) | SUSTAINABILITY PURPOSE BUILDING INC. ENERGY MODELLING EQ BUILDING PERFORMANCE | ENVELOPE ENTUITIVE CONSULTING ENGINEERS | COMMISSIONING RWDI CONSULTING ENGINEERS & SCIENTISTS | TRANSPORTATION BA CONSULTING GROUP LTD. | WIND GRADIENT WIND ENGINEERING | VERTICAL TRANSPORTATION SOBERMAN ENGINEERING

Carbon Upfront! At T3 Bayside, Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) floor assemblies are paired with glulam columns and beams. Dropped ceilings are absent from both T3s, opening panoramic views to the city and lake.

NORTHERN LIGHT

A COMMUNITY CENTRE IN A NORTHWEST YUKON VILLAGE IS A REGIONAL HUB FOR THE VUNTUT GWITCHIN FIRST

PROJECT Old Crow Community Centre, Old Crow, Yukon

ARCHITECT Kobayashi + Zedda Architects

TEXT Adele Weder

PHOTOS Andrew Latreille

Arriving in Old Crow is like entering another country. Tucked into the northwest corner of Yukon, this tiny village of 280 citizens of the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation is accessible only by air, or for intrepid seafarers along the adjacent Porcupine River. A grocery store is the sole commercial outlet. All-terrain vehicles putter through a network of dirt roads lined with simple wood houses in various stages of weathering, many festooned with caribou antlers.

In this otherworldly hamlet, Old Crow’s new Darius Elias Community Centre, designed by Kobayashi Zedda Architects (KZA), stands out like a spaceship.

From the road, the building reads like a giant cylinder clad in wood slats. From the waterfront side, it flexes inward, roughly framing the outdoor space into a naturalistic courtyard and subtly echoing the meandering river. On a balmy late-summer evening, a young man and woman and their dalmatian are hanging out around the building under the building, actually. Like almost all structures built in the Arctic, the Centre is raised above the ground so that its warmth does not melt the top layer of permafrost that sheathes the Arctic. This building is raised even higher than the norm, partly to account for the periodic flooding of Porcupine River. Architect Antonio Zedda notes

NATION.

that the building’s elevated condition creates “a completely different planar experience” inside and out.

The Centre comprises a community hall, Elders’ lounge, industrial kitchen, games room, meeting spaces, offices, and exercise room. The main space the large, circular hall hosts the Vuntut Nation’s assemblies, which include intense discussions, heritage dances, bonding, and reconnecting. Although Old Crow is the current home base of the Vuntut, the Nation’s thousand citizens are dispersed across Yukon. A few times a year, those citizens gather and reconnect in the large hall. “It’s a beautiful space for dancing,” observes Vuntut Gwitchin Chief Pauline Frost. The adjoining kitchen industrial in both size and equipment calibre runs at full steam during those events to provide the accompanying traditional feasts.

The oblique angles and concentric double circle of the ceiling’s radiating structural beams make the space feel alive and active even when empty, and emphasize the centrifugal force of the plan.

At the other end of the structure, the spacious exercise room offers a stunning panoramic vista of the river, and doubles as a repository for traditional costume-making materials, with a hundred-plus bolts of fabric stacked floor-to-ceiling along one wall. The textiles are end-rolls

PEDESTRIAN TRAIL

donated to the community for use by local seamstresses. While it would be incongruous for a big-city gym, this juxtaposition makes perfect sense for a tiny community reclaiming its heritage crafts.

KZA also designed the John Tizya Cultural Centre a few dozen metres down the road, a rectangular mass sheathed in corrugated metal. The Cultural Centre serves as a venue for locals and visitors to explore Vuntut Gwitchin culture and history. That compact and superbly designed building, like the new Community Centre, resulted from the advocacy of Chief Frost, who successfully lobbied for these and other new buildings while serving as the Vuntut Gwitchin’s MLA from 2016 to 2021. She was sworn in as Chief last year, in the same Community Hall that she helped bring to fruition.

The Community Centre presents an architectural contrast to KZA’s Cultural Centre, both in terms of massing and material. “The clients wanted a building clad in wood, period,” recalls Zedda. “Not metal, nor anything simulating wood. That was the challenge for us; the reality in Yukon is that wood does not last long because of the extreme sun and extreme temperatures.” In response, the design team researched an array of materials, finally settling on modified pinewood by Kebony, a Norwegian wood producer. Infused with an alcohol solution that preserves the wood, Kebony pine will naturally weather into a silvery hue over time, but will not decompose.

To many locals, the building is shaped like a snowshoe an Aih in Gwichin. Others, like Vuntut Gwitchin Deputy Chief Harold Frost, tell me it’s designed to resemble a caribou trap. To this reporter, as a descendant of Prairie settlers, the plan evokes a leather waterskin. Read into it what you will. Drum? Snowshoe? Caribou trap? “It’s all those things,” says Zedda. “We don’t typically design things that reference something specific.” When the architects showed the floor plans to community members, he recalls, “they started to infer ideas of what it resembled.”

For Zedda, the original community hall a wooden octagon that still stands, vacant and rotting, beside the new structure was the biggest driver. “The idea was to capture the essence of that building and its [interior] space in the newer building,” he says. The concept of circularity, rather than any specific representation, is at the heart of the design, echoing Indigenous respect for the cycle of life.

But here is the uncomfortable question: is this building too big, and too state-of-the-art? For Chief Frost, the biggest challenge of the Community Centre is its high heating costs. That is not an architectural failing per se: the design team followed the design brief in terms of size, but few buildings of this size and scope could keep their energy costs low in an Arctic locale with viciously cold winters. The huge circular space that is so highly appropriate and welcoming for the quarterly gatherings of the Vuntut Nation is otherwise often vacant.

PREVIOUS SPREAD The curved shape of the community centre echoes the bend of the meandering river. ABOVE The volume of the building is more closed towards the north side, lending it protection from winter weather. OPPOSITE The structural beams topping the main gathering room radiate outwards, adding a dynamic energy to the space.

Zedda argues that our system of consistent building-code application and aggressive energy targets is problematic for remote places like Old Crow, with populations so small that residents are unlikely to have the skill sets to address and maintain the technical issues and features. “In terms of codes and standards that affect building systems such as mechanical heating and ventilation, for example, the code requirements tend to overly complicate the systems without understanding the context in which they are being placed,” he says. “This needs to be revisited. Otherwise, highly complex and efficient systems, if not operated properly, tend to perform poorly and are more expensive to operate.”

The time has come, he argues, to question whether it’s imperative in every instance to follow every code requirement when in certain communities it might be inappropriate or cost-prohibitive. “And by inappropriate or cost-prohibitive,” he clarifies, “we are not talking about life safety items, for which there should be no flexibility.  What’s needed is more consideration for the immediate geographic and cultural context.”

He cites a real-life example from a past project in Old Crow: “The client asked why we needed to include a wheelchair ramp in the building design. Being on permafrost, the raised building resulted in a steel ramp system that was over 12 metres long with a price tag of over $50,000.” The client told Zedda that a ramp wasn’t strictly necessary, since on the rare occasions when someone would need assistance to enter and exit the building, others in this tightly-knit community would step up to help. “They would never leave an Elder or mobilitychallenged individual to navigate these spaces and places on their own,” says Zedda. “I was in awe hearing this.”

What are the fixes for the Darius Elias Community Centre and buildings like it? An architectural solution unfeasible now, but perhaps viable with some future technology is crafting a means to expand and contract a building’s capacity in response to shifting needs. As for the challenge of making and maintaining buildings in small and isolated places, it may be time to consider encouraging flexibility with certain code requirements and energy targets in such communities.

Ultimately, for the Vuntut Gwitchin, the Darius Elias Community Centre is not just a functional amenity, but an existential one. Their periodic gatherings are essential as a cultural reaffirmation, both amongst their Nation’s citizens and to the outside world. “We were essentially the forgotten community, because of our remoteness and social isolation,” says Chief Frost. “We didn’t have anything before. But what’s happened here in the last six or seven years is so amazing.”

Adele Weder is a contributing editor to Canadian Architect. KZA Architects contributed a portion of the travel costs for this article.

(MRAIC), CHRIS CHEVALIER, SHEELAH TOLTON, PHILLIPPE GREGOIRE, DAVID TOLKAMP | STRUCTURAL ENNOVA

WHAT QUEBEC CAN TEACH CANADA ABOUT COMPETITIONS

MAJOR INTERVENTIONS ON TWO MONTREAL LIBRARIES EXEMPLIFY THE STRENGTHS OF QUEBEC’S ARCHITECTURAL COMPETITION SYSTEM.

PROJECT Maisonneuve Library, restoration and extension

ARCHITECT EVOQ Architecture

PROJECT Octogone Library, transformation and extension

ARCHITECT Anne Carrier Architecture in consortium with Les architectes Labonté Marcil

TEXT Odile Hénault

PHOTOS Adrien Williams

ABOVE The Maisonneuve Library is at the heart of a working-class district in the eastern part of Montreal. The project centred on restoring a former City Hall, opened in 1912, to its original splendour. The jury report described the winning competition entry as “a beautiful dance between two eras.” LEFT The site plan demonstrates urban design firm civiliti’s attention to the library’s immediate grounds and to the larger heritage-designated site.

Late last spring, as I was lining up outside Montreal’s Théâtre du Nouveau Monde, waiting for the doors to open, I started a casual conversation with the person nearest me. At one point, totally out of the blue, she asked: “Have you visited Montreal’s new libraries?” Before I had a chance to answer, she went on: “You know, they are the result of architectural competitions. A great system!” I couldn’t help laughing and thinking this was the moment I had long been waiting for… The word was spreading! The news was reaching the public!

Over the past three decades, the Quebec government has gradually set in place an enviable competition system for cultural buildings that is, museums, theatres, interpretation centres, and libraries. It results from a policy adopted in June 1992 by the province’s Ministry of Culture, which aimed at “holding public competitions for cultural facility projects presented by municipalities and organizations and produced with the assistance of government grants, the cost of which is over $2 million” (Ministère de la Culture du Québec, La politique culturelle du Québec, 1992).

A new cultural landscape

Thanks to this policy, a new cultural landscape has gradually emerged across Quebec’s major cities as well as in its smaller municipalities. Competitions have been behind the design of at least 16

theatres, 20 museums of various sizes, and numerous interpretative pavilions. As far as libraries are concerned, the wave of competitions started in 2001 with the small Bibliothèque de Châteauguay (by Atelier TAG with JLP architectes). Since then, more than 20 libraries were the object of competitions. Several of these new cultural institutions have gone on to win awards, and to be covered in journals such as Canadian Architect.

The benefits to the public are obvious, even though the average Montrealer (with the exception of my theatre-going friend) is mostly unaware of the competition process at work. Needless to say, architects have gained a lot from this policy, which has allowed them to explore ideas and concepts they might not have been able to address in a standard RFP system.

Two competitions

It is often presumed that while design competitions may be suitable for new-builds, the complexities of additions and renovations put them out of reach for competitions. However, the contrary is proving to be the case: quite a few of Quebec’s library competitions have been for additions or the quasi-total transformation of existing buildings.

This is the case for two recently-inaugurated amenities in Montreal: the Maisonneuve Library and L’Octogone both fit into this latter category. They are also among the largest of the city’s 45 branch public

ABOVE A reading area, located on the west wing’s second level, includes a playful shelf-wall intended to appeal to children and youth. BELOW Steel portals and spatial voids were introduced to emphasize the transition from the light-filled contemporary wings to the more subdued ambiance of the original building. RIGHT The formidable historic stone columns remind visitors of an aspirational earlier era.

OPPOSITE, LEFT AND BELOW Key to the design was the introduction of a tower off the east wing, containing a vertical circulation core and serving as the library’s universally accessible entrance. OPPOSITE, RIGHT Elements of the historical building were meticulously restored, including an ornate cast iron stair and stained glass skylight. ABOVE The east wing stairs illustrate the architects’ neutral colour palette and respectful choice of materials.

libraries, including seven that were the objects of architectural competitions. Both Maisonneuve and L’Octogone existed as libraries before 2017, when separate competitions were launched to renovate and expand them.

Maisonneuve Library

Maisonneuve Library is a rather unique case, since it is sited in a historic City Hall part of a grand City Beautiful plan carried out by a few enlightened entrepreneurs, who developed this sector of Montreal at the turn of the 20th century. Opened in 1912, their new City Hall only filled its role for a short period, as the heavily indebted Cité de Maisonneuve was amalgamated to Montreal in 1918. The Beaux-Arts building, designed by architect Louis-Joseph Cajetan Dufort, remained standing through the last century, relatively unaltered thankfully by its successive occupants. In 1981, it became part of Montreal’s public library network.

Four teams were selected to take part in the Maisonneuve Library competition: in situ atelier d’architecture + DMA architects; Saucier + Perrotte/DFS inc.; Chevalier Morales Architectes; and Dan Hanganu architectes + EVOQ A rchitecture. All four teams are considered to be among Quebec’s most creative architectural firms, a reputation they acquired mostly through competitions. They were paid the pre-tax sum of $82,000 to take part in the competition, a sum which was included in the winning team’s eventual contract.

The challenge for the four teams was to triple the size of the 1,240-square-metre original facility with a contemporary intervention that would pay homage to the former City Hall. The Hanganu-EVOQ

team had a definite advantage, EVOQ being one of very few offices in Quebec with a strong expertise in heritage preservation. Their parti was therefore centred on restoring the historic building (then in an advanced state of disrepair) to its original splendour, and treating it as a jewel inserted at the centre of a sober, contemporary composition. The alignment of the new curtain walls and the rhythm of a brise-soleil took their cues from the existing neoclassical colonnade.

On the exterior, stone façades and monumental doors were carefully restored. On the interior, similar attention was paid to the original plaster mouldings, wood panelling, and mosaic floors. The former piano nobile’s marble staircase and its two imposing stained-glass features were painstakingly restored by a team of remarkable artisans, who still work using traditional construction methods.

Every effort was made by EVOQ which now includes the late Dan Hanganu’s former team to ensure the library would be fully accessible to all. This led to the design of a circular entrance pavilion, projecting from the east wing. An architectural promenade takes one from the new entrance, through the historic building, and onwards to the west wing. A sheer delight. The subtly handled transition points between old and new celebrate the original 1900s monument and the skill of its builders.

Slightly less convincing is the west wing’s shelf-wall, visible from Ontario Street. It reflects an influence from Sou Fujimoto Architects’ Musashino Art University Museum & Library in Tokyo (2010), with its striking wooden shelving doubling as wall structure.

In both cases, aesthetics seem to have been chosen over utility as many books stored in these areas are challenging to access.

While intent on keeping alive the memory of the past, the local librarians simultaneously embraced the progressive outlook of the International Federation of Library Associations and Federations (IFLA)

The Maisonneuve Library looks clearly to the future, particularly in its mission is to improve local levels of digital literacy. Gone are the administrative offices hidden away from the public: staff members wheel mobile stations around the building, plugging into a large array of floor outlets. The library’s offerings also now include a playful children’s area, a Media Lab, and a small roof garden. Silence is no longer the rule, except for in a few enclosed spaces.

Octogone Library

Another major library competition was also launched in 2017: this one for Octogone Library, in a totally distinct environment situated towards the western tip of the Montreal Island. A suburban street pattern is prevalent in the borough and the site of the library is off a banal commercial strip. The area’s most interesting feature

is perhaps the adjoining Parc Félix Leclerc, with its gentle landscape and large weeping willows.

The original Octogone Library building was the outcome of decades-long advocacy efforts by the local community, which did, finally, lead to the government commitment for a public library in 1983. The following year, a low-scale, rather Brutalist building opened its doors to the public. The architects were Bisson, Hébert et Bertomeu. The long-awaited amenity was named Centre culturel de l’Octogone in reference to its role in the community and to its geometry.

When the 2017 competition was launched for a renovation and addition to the existing building, the resulting proposals aimed to perpetuate the memory and the name of the 1984 building. Again, four teams were selected to participate in the competition: Atelier Big City with L’Oeuf; BGLA with Blouin Tardif architects; EVOQ

A rchitecture with Groupe A; and finally, Anne Carrier architecture in consortium with Les architectes Labonté Marcil, the winning team. The octagonal foundations were deemed solid enough to handle the loads of a new construction, but the existing walls presented competitors with a number of difficulties.

OPPOSITE In the new design, the library’s three wings—evocative of a windmill’s blades—are arrayed around a central hub. ABOVE A secondfloor view shows the building’s three levels, from the main entrance below to a small, secluded reading area at the top. RIGHT A central helicoidal staircase is a stunning feature of the library.

GROUND FLOOR

ENTRANCE

RECEPTION DESK

GRAPHIC NOVELS

CARTOONIST LAB

RESOURCE CENTRE

CHILDREN’S AREA

GLASSED-IN ACTIVITY AREA

COMMUNITY ROOM

CAFE

FOOD LAB

STAFF AREA

ABOVE The presence of the retained octagonal foundations is evident in this view of the southwest façade. On the second level, an inviting, protected roof terrace is accessed from a reading area, offering views to the nearby park.

Carrier and Labonté Marcil’s entry was, as noted by the jury, a “vigorous” and “joyous” response to the program. The team had opted not to adhere too closely to the original octagonal plan and to refer instead to a far more significant symbol for LaSalle citizens: the 1827 Fleming Mill. The project’s most striking feature is a central helicoidal stair, or “hub”, which immediately attracts attention as one enters from either side of the new building.

The second-level plan is laid out to evoke a mill’s three giant blades revolving around a central pivot, which culminates in a quiet, more secluded, circular space enlivened by an airy artwork. Produced by artist Karilee Fuglem, this piece alludes to Octogone’s extensive collection of graphic novels and comics the largest such collection in Montreal’s library network.

Conclusion

While architectural competitions have yet to spread across Canada, Quebec can boast a rich repository of experience in this domain. At the end of three decades, and with dozens of projects successfully built through the competition process, the province’s landscape of libraries, theatres, and museums is obvious proof that competitions are worth the effort.

Of course, there are improvements to be made. The process has gradually been burdened with overly complicated programmatic specifications some preliminary documents are now up to several hundred pages long. The constraint of tight budgetary commitments in a highly volatile context can also seriously hinder creativity. But in the end, despite the need to revisit and simplify the process, a healthy competition culture has emerged, not just in Montreal and Quebec City, but all over the province.

At 32 years old, Quebec’s architecture policy is entering middleage, and it’s perhaps worth considering how it might be adjusted

to prompt even more innovative, mature expressions of architecture. Can programs be loosened to allow for more daring concepts? Is there a place for open design competitions, creating opportunities for younger generations of architects? Despite some shortcomings experienced over the last three decades, Quebec has successfully put competitions to the test. And the rest of Canada could learn from it.

Odile Hénault is a contributing editor to Canadian Architect. She was the professional advisor for two pilot competitions that led to the adoption of the Quebec Ministry of Culture’s 1992 policy on architectural competitions.

MAISONNEUVE LIBRARY

CLIENTS VILLE DE MONTRÉAL AND ARRONDISSEMENT MERCIER-HOCHELAGA-MAISONNEUVE

ARCHITECT TEAM EVOQ—GILLES PRUD’HOMME, SYLVIE PEGUIRON, MARIANNE LEROUX, GEORGES DROLET, NATHAN GODLOVITCH, ANNE-CATHERINE RICHARD, LYNDA LABRECQUE, SIMONA RUSU, ALEXIS CHARBONNEAU ARCHITECT (HISTORIC BUILDING, 1911) LOUIS-JOSEPH CAJETAN DUFORT LANDSCAPE CIVILITI | ENVELOPE ULYS COLLECTIF  | STRUCTURAL NCK CIVIL GÉNIPUR | MECHANICAL/ELECTRICAL PAGEAU MOREL ENVELOPE/QUALITY CONTROL UL CLEB | ELEVATOR EXIM | DOORS, HARDWARE SPECIALISTS ARD | COMMISSIONING CIMA+  | FURNITURE/SIGNAGE/MULTIMEDIA GSMPROJECT | ERGONOMICS VINCENT ERGONOMIE | LIGHTING LIGHTFACTOR SUSTAINABILITY WSP | ACOUSTICS OCTAVE | METAL/HISTORIC DOORS M&B MÉTALLIERS MOSAIC ARTÈS MÉTIERS D’ART ORNAMENTAL PLASTERS PLÂTRES ARTEFACT MASONRY MAÇONNERIE RAINVILLE ET FRÈRES | CONSERVATOR/MASONRY TREVOR GILLINGWATER  | STONECUTTERS ALEXANDRE, TAILLEURS DE PIERRES + SCULPTEURS | STAINED GLASS STUDIO DU VERRE  ARTIST (PUBLIC ART) CLÉMENT DE GAULEJAC | AREA 3,594 M2 | CONSTRUCTION BUDGET $38.6 M COMPLETION JUNE 2023

L’OCTOGONE LIBRARY

CLIENTS VILLE DE MONTRÉAL AND ARRONDISSEMENT LASALLE ARCHITECT TEAM AC/A—ANNE

CARRIER (FIRAC), ROBERT BOILY, MARTIN L’HÉBREUX, PATRICIA PRONOVOST, MATHIEU ST-AMANT, ANDRÉE-ÈVE GAUDREAULT, BRENDA CÔTÉ. LES ARCHITECTES LABONTÉ MARCIL IN CONSORTIUM—PIERRE LABONTÉ, JEAN MARCIL, ANDRÉANNE GAUDET, MICHEL DESMARAIS | STRUCTURAL/ MECHANICAL/ELECTRICAL EXP LANDSCAPE ROUSSEAU LEFEVRE | INTERIORS ANNE CARRIER

ARCHITECTURE/LES ARCHITECTES LABONTÉ MARCIL EN CONSORTIUM | CONTRACTOR DÉCAREL ERGONOMICS VINCENT ERGONOMIE | ACOUSTICS OCTAVE | SCENOGRAPHY GO MULTIMEDIA ARTISTS (PUBLIC ART) CLAUDE LAMARCHE (1984), KARILEE FUGLEM (2024) AREA 4,500 M2 | BUDGET

$28.6 M | COMPLETION OCTOBER 2024

J0032 BIANCO KOS

UNDER THE WING

TO CRAFT BOMBARDIER’S ADVANCED AEROSPACE FACILITY, THE ARCHITECTS WERE CHALLENGED TO DISTILL A HIGHLY COMPLEX REGULATED MANUFACTURING PROCESS INTO A WORKPLACE ENVIRONMENT.

ARCHITECT NEUF architect(e)s

TEXT Ian Chodikoff

PHOTOS Salina Kassam

Creating an aircraft manufacturing space is a unique programmatic challenge for an architect, combining advanced technology, precision engineering, and meticulous attention to safety. When Bombardier approached NEUF architect(e)s to create its new aircraft assembly centre at Toronto Pearson International Airport, the architects embarked on a five-year-long journey to realize a state-of-art facility, with 2,000 employees manufacturing over a dozen planes at a time.

A complex coordination challenge

Not unlike the complexity of planning for a hospital, the project required NEUF to navigate many client requirements, specifications, and workflow methodologies, translating them into a functional design. Beginning with client-supplied diagrams built in Excel, the architects worked through detailed programmatic diagrams to assimilate everything from equipment requirements to unique fire and life safety standards. The complexity was multiplied by the challenges of the site the aeronautic campus was to be built adjacent to Canada’s busiest runway, handling over 200,000 planes annually.

NEUF partner Lilia Koleva led the project, working alongside Marco Chow and Rainier Silva to ensure every detail aligned with Bombardier’s operational requirements; Linh Truong headed up the interior design. At one point, the NEUF team had 30 staff coordinating with 120 external professionals from various disciplines and specialties, including over

75 engineers and designers from Stantec. The project began in late 2019; after nearly 400 meetings, it officially opened in the spring of 2024. Koleva’s ability to coalesce complex programming requirements was previously honed through her involvement with the renovation and expansion of the Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM) completed in 2021, where, in collaboration with CannonDesign, she coordinated a constantly evolving list of facility and equipment requirements for dozens of operating theatres. For the Bombardier facility, Chow noted the creation of over 750 room data sheets with the client, as well as over 3,200 requests for information (RFIs) for the construction phase alone, 260 sheets of drawings, 3,000 Revit wall tags, 3,718 Revit construction notes and 58,000 Revit families. The architects had to address Bombardier’s evolving corporate needs as well. During the pandemic, the facility’s footprint was reduced by 30 percent, requiring the team to adapt the program to ensure it met Bombardier’s operational and strategic goals.

Adapting to a new site and scale

Bombardier’s previous site was a century-old 366-acre campus at Downsview Airport. To enable the move to a much smaller, irregular 41-acre parcel at Pearson, the architects had to negotiate a comprehensive site planning process, and navigate complex municipal infrastructure requirements and aviation regulations.

PROJECT Bombardier Global Manufacturing Centre, Toronto Pearson Airport, Mississauga, Ontario

TECHNICAL

PREVIOUS PAGE An on-site ground run-up enclosure allows for aircraft engine testing as part of the quality control process. The enclosure blocks the transmission of sound to noise-sensitive locations, while providing jet blast protection built into the rear wall structure. ABOVE Workstations are integrated on the production floor, allowing for quick responses to any issues that arise as the planes are assembled. OPPOSITE Individual components are transported to Toronto using specially designed handling equipment, then undergo an initial inspection after being unloaded.

Upon arrival at the new facility, one first notices an enormous parking lot filled with dozens of Teslas. There is a culture within Bombardier to improve the sustainability of their business in addition to their aircraft design as they continue to explore environmentally friendly aviation fuel options, and to reduce waste and emissions. Over 50 percent of the energy used on-site comes from renewable sources. The facility’s expansive exterior façades are marked by barcode-like vertical strips of curtain wall and translucent polycarbonate panels, which help to maximize daylight. 88 percent of workstations have access to natural light, boosting workplace health and wellbeing while reducing energy demands. The design intuitively orients employees to the fire exits, highlighted by narrower, single-width translucent overhead panels.

The new campus is responsible for Bombardier’s Global line of business jets, marketed for use by governments and private clients. NEUF’s detailed planning was most intense for the 60,000-square-metre manufacturing building the largest standalone building constructed at Pearson airport in the past 20 years. The extensive production floor is divided into 16 interior work centres, each measuring approximately 38 by 38 metres, and tailored to specific stages of aircraft assembly. There are eight similarly dimensioned exterior work areas. The 75-metre clear span over the production floor allows plenty of natural daylight through highly translucent fabric “megadoors,” while the large volume of space makes for considerably reduced ambient noise compared to the old Downsview production facility. Beyond the production floor are testing areas, flight sim-

ulation rooms, offices for engineers, classrooms for the aerospace program at Centennial College, and training, orientation and computer labs. Separate buildings include a 10,600-square-metre flight test hangar.

Designing anything near an airport means the architects must adhere to strict Transport Canada and NAV Canada regulations, including the Obstacle Limitation Surface (OLS). James Lambie, Industrialization Director at Bombardier, explains that with OLS protocols, nothing can be built within 100 metres from the centreline of the nearby runway. From there, every seven feet you go out, you can go up one foot. At the tightest points, the building stays within 15 centimetres of the OLS to provide construction tolerance. Safety and environmental considerations also required integrating advanced fire suppression, ventilation, and lighting systems.

Koleva estimates that, given the number of employees and requirements for the building, the needed municipal infrastructure upgrades that Bombardier performed were equivalent to handling the needs of six or seven residential towers. The existing sewers were nearing capacity before construction. Therefore, Bombardier had to build a new sewer alongside the runway and underneath the aprons for the busy FedEx distribution centre next door. At specific points, excavations had to go down 20 metres to build a sewer that could then be tied back into the main trunk lines for the City of Mississauga. At the same time, the airport runway and the FedEx facility maintained their complete operations, without any dust or disturbance that could affect the safety of the aircraft. Similarly, the architects had to control stormwater before re-

leasing it to the City, by installing four underground tanks. The capacity of the two largest tanks totals 7.6 million litres of water the equivalent of three Olympic-sized swimming pools.

Integrating advanced systems and equipment

Various custom solutions were needed to accommodate large component handling, specialized racking systems for the thousands of parts on reserve, and the need for precise clearances along the manufacturing line.

Large parts like wings and fuselage sections manufactured at other Bombardier facilities outside of Toronto are transported to Pearson using specially designed vehicles and handling equipment, to ensure they arrive without damage. Wing sections unloaded in the aerostructures facility undergo an initial inspection, and are then decanted in a climate-controlled area. This allows the components to expand or contract back to factory-specified dimensions in the case that they have been transported in excessively hot or cold environments.

Specialized robotic arms assist in drilling and riveting, as well as performing component quality checks. These robots are programmed to perform tasks with incredible precision, and are guided by specialized GPS sensors embedded in the concrete slab. An elaborate system of sprinklered scaffolding and cranes runs overhead and underneath the aircraft components as they move along the line, eventually arriving at a point when the fuselage, cockpit, wings and landing gear are assembled. In the factory, they call this the transformation into “weight on wheels.”

The building isn’t air-conditioned, only humidity-controlled. This is because the one-metre-thick double-reinforced concrete floors that run through much of the facility act as an effective heat sink. These floors are designed to house some 1.5 kilometres of slab-on-grade trenches, which run beneath the floors to accommodate power lines, vacuum systems, and hydraulic connections. The trenches help keep the workspace free and clear of objects and hazards, minimizing the risk of foreign-object debris (FOD). Anything from a plastic wrapper to a screwdriver could cause severe damage if it were to interfere with, or contaminate, the aircraft in any way.

To Bombardier Vice-President of Management and Programs Julien Boudreault, the biggest challenge in designing the new facility is to allow listening and seeing to happen. “It is the first line of defense where you must be able to quickly see which aircraft is in position on the assembly floor at any given time, and this is our company’s culture.” Many senior management offices have windows overlooking the two U-shaped assembly lines; the offices are also positioned to allow anyone to walk out onto the assembly floor quickly. “This configuration fits within Bombardier’s ‘go-and-see’ approach,” says Boudreault, referring to the concept that the CEO, a mechanic, and an engineer can quickly resolve an issue together, during any assembly stage.

This exceptional degree of accessibility extends to all levels of production. The aeronautics industry is highly regulated, with many trades concentrated on the production floor. At every manufacturing stage, clusters of desktop workstations bring engineers within earshot of the

TECHNICAL

ABOVE Highly translucent super-sized fabric doors allow for natural daylighting for the manufacturing facility.

production crew, so they can quickly collaborate to identify and resolve problems. Around the perimeter of the production line are areas where a new part can be replaced, modified or built all designed so that workers in charge of those parts are within a four-minute walk from any point they need to access on the floor. Specialized tooling shops on the periphery operate around the clock to keep the flow moving.

The facility’s high-power engine run booth, unique to Pearson Airport, is designed to handle the immense power, heat, and noise generated during the testing and calibration of aircraft engines the most expensive part of the aircraft, valued at around $10 million per pair. The extensive aircraft inspection process also includes a process known as “soaking,” where the aircraft is fuelled to its maximum capacity and left to sit to check for leaks or other issues that could affect performance.

Some bespoke aspects of the build-out are handled at Bombardier’s Montreal facility, including custom interiors, unique paint jobs, and the installation of specific equipment. Whether a customer chooses a particular sound system, carpeting, or bathroom fixture, each piece of equipment must be carefully sourced and documented similarly to the plane’s rivets, bolts, or landing gear to ensure airworthiness and safety.

A

complex building for a complex process

“Building an aircraft is an undertaking that rivals the complexity of a major building project,” says Graham Kelly, Vice President of Operations for Global Aircraft at Bombardier’s Toronto facility. “We needed a space that could not only handle the scale of our manufacturing operations, but also reflect our commitment to innovation and to exceeding client expectations, while ensuring the safety and wellbeing of our employees.”

NEUF became one of Bombardier’s “Diamond Suppliers” after completing the landmark facility at Pearson. Architects may not like to be referred to as “suppliers,” but in this context, it is an honour that demonstrates an earned trust with a client that lives and breathes a technical, process-driven culture.

For Koleva, designing this facility was also a personal achievement. She flew a lot with her parents as a child, and was fascinated by planes. She wanted her thesis project at McGill University to be an airport. (It ended up being an embassy.) As an architect, she always hoped to design an airport. From her perspective, “the Bombardier facility is as close to an airport as it gets, because it’s about all the requirements for moving people through space.” Bombardier builds the planes, while NEUF builds for the people who make them.

Ian Chodikoff is an architect and consultant focused on architectural leadership and business strategy.

BOMBARDIER | ARCHITECT TEAM LILIA KOLEVA (RAIC), ANTOINE COUSINEAU (RAIC), ANDRÉ COUSINEAU (FRAIC), AZAD CHICHMANIAN (RAIC), MARCO CHOW (RAIC), RAINIER SILVA, LINH TRUONG, ANNABELLE BEAUCHAMP, JEAN-LUC BOURBEAU, STÉPHANE CLAVEAU, AILSA CRAIGEN, SOPHIE DEL SIGNORE, FEROZ FARUQI, GABRIEL GAROFALO, MARIE-PIER GERVAIS, VALÉRIE GODBOUT, GARY HLAVATY, SARAH IVES, MATHIEU JOLICOEUR, NADIA JUAREZ, KAZIM KANANI, MADINA KOSHANOVA, GUILLAUME LALLIER, CELIA LAUZON, ALAIN PICCAND, JAMES RENDINA, KRISTEN SARMIENTO, MARINA SOCOLOVA, NAOMI SU HAMEL, SAM TAYLOR, SERGE TREMBLAY, DON TOROMANOFF, VARTENI VARTANYAN | STRUCTURAL/MECHANICAL/ELECTRICAL/ACOUSTIC/LANDSCAPE STANTEC | INTERIORS NEUF ARCHITECT(E)S | CONSTRUCTION MANAGER LEDCOR AVIATION CONSULTANT BDI BLAST DEFLECTORS | AREA BUILDING AREA–54,250 M2 ; GROSS FLOOR AREA–70,400M2 | BUDGET $500 M | COMPLETION MAY 2024

CLIENT

Edited by Sandra Piesik (Thames and Hudson, compact edition 2023)

Vernacular architecture is generally understood as referring to domestic, native and Indigenous structures. So it is perhaps of little surprise that in our contemporary scape dominated by forms of monolithic scale and proportion methods of producing vernacular architecture have often been overlooked and marginalized. Yet, as a strand of construction indebted to a rich history of making, the vernacular’s sphere of influence can be seen as an important response to the growing climate crisis. Habitat: Vernacular Architecture for a Changing Climate, assembled by architect-author Sandra Piesik, offers an insightful overview of ageold methods of production, and supports and celebrates present-day efforts that follow in their wake.

Unconcerned with its own behemoth scale (the framing as a ‘compact’ edition referencing a shrinking from an earlier version with larger type), Piesik’s text navigates the breadth of global vernacular construction, convening an encyclopaedic collection of references with considered commentary. Ordered around climatic typologies tropical, dry, temperate, continental, and polar the book provides concise introductions by regional experts, inviting consideration of a world foreign to many who operate within the narrow scope of contemporary architecture. Crucial to the book is the vast array of photos that support the edited essays; although these have a somewhat domineering presence, they are effective in facilitating an understanding of how the texts should be read. Through the displayed architectures, the kaleidoscopic nature of the vernacular shines: the volume surveys a truly global footprint, from the global South to Iceland and the Arctic, and from rural environments to Brazil’s favelas.

The integrated essays penned by experts span a legion of fields. A text by Anna Yu Mainicheva, ‘Homesteads of Northern and Central Russia’, appears in the continental section alongside a contribution from Aldona Jonaitis examining the ‘Indigenous Dwellings of America’s Subarctic and Northwest Coast’. Beyond challenging polit-

ical barriers, this careful placement of content plays a significant role in articulating the volume’s ambition, demonstrating relevance across a global scale. Similarly, words by the likes of Ronald van Oers point to the dynamism within the vernacular; his case study surveys the plethora of influences on chattel houses and the timber architecture of the Caribbean. Texts by Canadian scholars Tammy Gaber and Miriam Ho are also included, looking respectively at vernacular architecture in Turkey and Kazakhstan.

Towards the book’s end, an appendix perhaps better understood as a sixth ‘chapter’ offers a modern account of the vernacular by presenting contemporary references. Francis Kéré’s Gando Primary School Complex represents arguably the most lauded example. However, less celebrated yet equally impressive works include Hollmén Reuter Sandman Architect’s Rufisque Women’s Centre, and Architype’s Enterprise Centre at the University of East Anglia. Canadian architect Brian MacKay-Lyons’ Muir Craig Cottage is also included in the mix. These aid in providing a rich register of the vernacular, and, yet again, evidence its global multiplicity. Despite a somewhat muted presence against the dazzling imagery, the short texts that accompany these examples facilitate an ease of understanding, supporting the volume’s ‘lessons to be learned’ approach. Like the short essays in the main section, the pockets of texts throughout the book work hard and add depth.

In sum, Habitat: Vernacular Architecture for a Changing Climate is a wellconstructed compendium. The volume provides a highly considered overview of the vernacular, while retaining a format which is both approachable and inviting. While perhaps imagined to be read across its breadth, the weight of the tome makes it even more valuable as a reference document. For those committed to a different kind of architecture and a nonextractive approach, this book is a useful starting point, ably demonstrating that a ‘new’ way of thinking can be found in the ‘old’.

— James Haynes

Habitat: Vernacular Architecture for a Changing Climate

ABOVE Habitat documents hundreds of vernacular building traditions from around the world, including the round huts (or rondavels) of the Zulu people in the Lalani Valley, Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa.

DOMINO EFFECT

TEXT Elsa Lam

A SITE-SPECIFIC URBAN DOMINO INSTALLATION SPARKS CURIOSITY AND DELIGHT IN TORONTO.

In mid-October, downtown Toronto was host to a surreal sight a 2.7-kilometre-long run of two-metre-tall dominoes. Made of lightweight concrete, the 8,000 oversized dominoes snaked down sidewalks, meandered through parks, and even wandered into buildings: a library, stores, a condo tower lobby.

Setting up the dominoes took the better part of a day. Then, at 4:30 pm, it was gotime: the first domino was tipped over, and the chain tumbled through the city.

The production was hosted by The Bentway and curated by Station House Opera, a British performing arts company that premiered Dominoes as a way to link the five host boroughs of the 2012 London Olympics. Since then, the site-specific performance has toured to cities including Copenhagen, Melbourne, Marseilles, and Malta. For Toronto, the artists chose a path tracing the development of the city’s west end: from the Victorian residential fabric south of King West, to the industrialinspired Stackt Market, then weaving its way through the waterfront’s high-rise neighbourhoods before ending at Lake Ontario.

Putting together the event was a logistically complex undertaking, including negotiating

with city agencies for crossing streetcar tracks, getting sign-off from more than 40 site partners, and setting up with help from some 300 volunteers. Near the end of the run, the line of dominoes crossed Lakeshore Boulevard. The busy street could only be closed for six minutes a tense window in which time the dominoes were quickly set up, knocked down, and cleared away.

The enormous effort was worth it, says Ilana Altman, co-executive director of The Bentway. She explains that while The Bentway is anchored in its eponymous space an urban park and public art venue under the raised Gardiner Expressway the organization’s mission centres on revealing opportunities and connections in the urban landscape. “Dominoes helped Toronto to really see these possibilities in a compelling and convincing way,” says Altman.

The Bentway is looking to make those connections more permanent. Its own site is growing: its first phase, designed by Public Work, opened in 2018, and this fall, the organization named Field Operations and Brook McIlroy as the designers for its second phase. Earlier this year, Toronto City Council

ABOVE An oversized domino is launched from the upper terrace of Canoe Landing Park to continue the cascade of dominoes below.

endorsed a public realm plan that outlines a comprehensive vision for the remainder of spaces below and adjacent to the 6.5-kilometre expressway.

Beyond the physical links that were created by the line of dominoes, the event created important social connections. “It was quite moving to see the level of interest we got from volunteers,” says Altman. “People were passionate and invested in it; people were meeting neighbours for the first time.”

On show day, my seven-year-old son and I delighted in rediscovering pockets of downtown, in chatting with the volunteers setting up the dominoes, and in seeing the clever ways that the white slabs had been laid to climb hills, zigzag through open areas, and even hop over a park bench. It was a sunny fall afternoon, and hundreds of people were out, engaging with an openness facilitated by the charming installation. As 4:30 pm approached, the crowds grew along with the sense of anticipation. My son and I were stationed at the end of the run, and cheered alongside a throng of Torontonians as the dominoes fell one by one and the last domino splashed into Lake Ontario.

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