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contents

13 news

30 Motherhouse oF the sisters oF st. Joseph oF peterBorough teepLe architectS’ characteriSticaLLy fLuid forMS aNd StroNG GeoMetrieS Give uNequivocaLLy coNteMporary forM to a hoMe for 80 eLderLy cathoLic NuNS iN peterborouGh, oNtario. teXt david SteiNer

40 Motherhouse For the daughters oF charity oF the sacred heart oF Jesus acdf* architecture | urbaNiSMe | iNtérieur deSiGNS a New hoMe aNd LoNG-terMcare faciLity iN Sherbrooke, quebec, eNabLiNG itS 160 iNhabitaNtS to aGe iN pLace GracefuLLy. teXt iaN chodikoff

61 insites

Brendan Cormier examines non-anthropo centric urban ethics, exploring bees as a source of exciting possibilities in environmental design.

67 Books

Four recent publications on architecture and communities across Canada.

73 calendar

50 sauder school oF Business a Major reNovatioN to aNd expaNSioN of the uNiverSity of britiSh coLuMbia’S buSiNeSS SchooL eMbodieS a Shift froM Staid teacher-ceNtred educatioN to a More dyNaMic aNd iNteractive StudeNt-focuSed approach. teXt adeLe weder

UBC selects design team for new Integrated Planning and Design Facility at the University of British Columbia; Teeple Architects Inc. in association with Architecture | ATB and Reich + Petch Design International to design River of Death and Discovery Dinosaur Museum in Wembley, Alberta.

Julian Bleecker lectures in Calgary; Construct Canada 2010 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

74 Backpage

Adele Weder discusses the inspiration provided by Canadian poet Al Purdy’s simple rustic A-frame cottage on the shores of Roblin Lake, Ontario.

NoveMber 2010, v.55 N.11

MotherhouSe of the SiSterS of St. joSeph of peterborouGh. photo by Shai GiL.

coVer

The NaTioNal Review of DesigN aND PRacTice/ The JouRNal of RecoRD of The Raic

11/10 canadian architect

9

Courtesy the town of MarkhaM

viewpoint

above LoCated In MarkhaM, the reCentLy CoMPLeted bILL Crothers seCondary sChooL exeMPLIfIes the forward-thInkInG PrInCIPLes of sustaInabILIty ChaMPIoned by the Mayor and CounCIL.

“Stop the gravy train!” Most architects cringe (or at least they should) when they hear City of Toronto mayor-elect Rob Ford speak about his platform, in which stopping the flow of gravy has proven to be the main event. Toronto’s next mayor appears to have little interest in championing community development projects, pedestrian-friendly design, and sustainable design initiatives. Throughout the recent mayoral election process, Ford positioned himself as a politician who vociferously pledged to reduce needless spending by Canada’s largest municipality. Bureaucrats at City Hall never anticipated the unprecedented wave of disenchantment from voters who have seen their salaries stagnate, household debt increase, and municipal taxes climb over the past several years, as they perceive public-sector elites to be amassing huge pay packets and spending taxpayers’ dollars on seemingly frivolous programs and services. To these voters, Ford is their defender and represents a candid politician who is able to speak for the angry everyman. To others, Ford’s boorish tactics and outspoken demeanour represent nothing less than a xenophobic, homophobic right-wing conservative who may singlehandedly erase whatever is left of a dwindling sense of public good in Toronto. The fact that Ford has comfortably won the election based on a platform that includes, among other things, cancelling Transit City—a hard-fought initiative to build eight new light rail transit (LRT) lines connecting neighbourhoods currently not served by rapid public transit—and vowing to tear up Toronto’s existing streetcar system, are just two reasons why urban-minded citizens should be concerned.

While the political barometer of change reads particularly gloomy for Toronto, a number of municipalities across Canada have also had their mayoral elections this fall and in many of these cities, voters will see positive changes in the weather, or at least a sense of municipal calm as their elected leaders pursue agendas that improve the quality of urban life.

For example, just north of Toronto in the Town of Markham, recently re-elected mayor Frank Scarpitti is achieving significant strides in progressively managing urban growth. With just over 10 canadian architect 11/10

300,000 people, Markham is aggressively pursuing the second phase of its bus rapid transit program and will likely establish a LRT system before any other municipality in the region. Furthermore, a new central business district is under construction—a $6-billion, 243-acre site that will include condominiums for 20,000 people, office space for 16,000 employees, and a host of ground-level retail and mixed-use housing—all within walking distance from each other. Scarpitti and his City Council will continue to promote compact transitoriented communities for its residents, complete with a variety of housing options and adequate access to public transportation. Markham is also proving to be quite green—a recently completed high school, a condominium development and a number of office buildings are connecting into the municipality’s district energy system for heating, cooling and hot water requirements. Other sustainability measures include the promotion of projects that use cisterns to capture rainwater, thereby reducing the water load on the city’s infrastructure.

One of this fall’s more exciting mayoral races occurred in Calgary. To the surprise of many, Naheed Nenshi, a 38-year-old Ismaili Muslim won, becoming the city’s first non-white mayor.

Nenshi produced a coherent and intelligent agenda based on optimism and common sense. His platform evolved into a set of issues that includes the promotion of sustainable mixed-use communities with good access to public transit and jobs.

Nenshi understands the difficulties associated with urban sprawl, and that continuing to provide infrastructure and services for typical suburban development is simply unfeasible. Canadians were surprised to see Calgary elect such a progressive mayor, but with 23.2 percent of daily commuters using transportation other than cars to get to work (just slightly lower than the more self-righteous city of Vancouver) and the fact that Calgarians spend more per capita attending arts performances than any other major Canadian municipality, traditional stereotypes of Calgary as a backward city need revisiting.

Despite the crushing disappointment felt by many that Rob Ford will be the next mayor of Toronto, there continue to be many bright lights leading municipalities across Canada who support policies that are inextricably linked to progressive architecture and urban design principles: transitoriented developments, a wide range of housing options, bike and pedestrian infrastructure, and macro-scaled sustainability policies. If politicians like Ford continue to pursue an agenda that favours the freedoms of the individual taxpayer over the wisdom of building for the common good, then everyone will suffer.

Ian ChodIkoff

ichodikoff@canadianarchitect.coM

editor Ian ChodIkoff, OAA, FRAIC associate editor LesLIe Jen, MRAIC editorial advisors John MCMInn, AADIpl. MarCo PoLo, OAA, FRAIC contributing editors GavIn affLeCk, OAQ, MRAIC herbert enns, MAA, MRAIC douGLas MaCLeod, nCARb regional correspondents halifax ChrIstIne MaCy, OAA regina bernard fLaMan, SAA montreal davId theodore calgary davId a. down, AAA Winnipeg herbert enns, MAA vancouver adeLe weder publisher toM arkeLL 416-510-6806 associate publisher GreG PaLIouras 416-510-6808 circulation Manager beata oLeChnowICz 416-442-5600 ext. 3543 custoMer service MaLkIt Chana 416-442-5600 ext. 3539 production JessICa Jubb graphic design sue wILLIaMson vice president of canadian publishing aLex PaPanou president of business inforMation group bruCe CreIGhton head office 12 ConCorde PLaCe, suIte 800, toronto, on M3C 4J2 telephone 416-510-6845 facsimile 416-510-5140 e-mail edItors@CanadIanarChIteCt.CoM Web site www.CanadIanarChIteCt.CoM Canadian architect is published monthly by bIG Magazines LP, a div. of Glacier bIG holdings Company Ltd., a leading Canadian information company with interests in daily and community newspapers and business-tobusiness information services. the editors have made every reasonable effort to provide accurate and authoritative information, but they assume no liability for the accuracy or completeness of the text, or its fitness for any particular purpose. subscription rates Canada: $52.95 plus applicable taxes for one year; $83.95 plus applicable taxes for two years (hst – #809751274rt0001).

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Postmaster: please forward forms 29b and 67b to 12 Concorde Place, suite 800, toronto, on Canada M3C 4J2. Printed in Canada. all rights reserved. the contents of this publication may not be reproduced either in part or in full without the consent of the copyright owner. from time to time we make our subscription list available to select companies and organizations whose product or service may interest you. If you do not wish your contact information to be made available, please contact us via one of the following methods: telephone 1-800-668-2374 facsimile 416-442-2191 e-mail privacyofficer@businessinformationgroup.ca mail Privacy officer, business Information Group, 12 Concorde Place, suite 800, toronto, on Canada M3C 4J2 member of the canadian business press member of the audit bureau of circulations publications mail agreement #40069240 issn 1923-3353 (online) issn 0008-2872 (print)

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news Projects teeple architects inc. in association with architecture | atB and reich + Petch design international to design river of death and discovery dinosaur Museum.

The River of Death and Discovery Dinosaur Museum (RDDDM) Society is a non-profit organization formed in 2010 by the County of Grande Prairie No. 1, and has selected Teeple Architects Inc. in association with Architecture | ATB and Reich + Petch Design International to realize the vision for this project. The RDDDM will be located within the township of Wembley, Alberta, and as one of the world’s foremost museums of paleontology and natural history, it will tell the fascinating story of how the Pipestone Creek Dinosaur Bonebed was discovered and then subsequently excavated by archaeologists. The Museum seeks to achieve international status as a destination for researchers, dinosaur enthusiasts and the general public alike. The Pipestone Creek Dinosaur Bonebed is one of the five most significant dinosaur bonebeds ever discovered in the world.

The narrative of the museum parallels the discovery of the bonebed, the paleontological process of the reconstruction of the dinosaurs and the experience of this prehistoric time. The processes that led to the demise of the local dinosaur population are revealed as one develops an understanding of the geological history of Alberta.

The bones and reconstructed skeleton of the native Pachyrhinosaurus Lakustai dinosaur will be a feature component on display in the Museum.

The architectural team is working closely with the RDDDM Society and staff scientists to develop a dynamic user experience. Viewing galleries will allow visitors to observe scientists at work in their laboratories. As an educational resource and learning centre to promote an understanding of paleontology, geology and archaeology, the 33,000-square-foot project is scheduled to be completed in December 2012. hoK|Montgomery sisam|dtah|Quad­ rangle architects|Populous collaborate on the creation of a vibrant, green neighbour­ hood on toronto’s waterfront.

Infrastructure Ontario, in partnership with Waterfront Toronto, announced the selection of HOK as the leader of the planning, design and compliance (PDC) team responsible for the section of the West Don Lands that will be home to the Toronto 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games Athletes’ Village. HOK|Montgomery Sisam| DTAH|Quadrangle Architects|Populous in collaboration are responsible for developing output specifications and preliminary design documents for the project. These documents will form the

celebrating the rich discovery of the nearby PiPestone creek dinosaur bonebed and slated for comPletion at the end of 2012, the new river of death and discovery dinosaur museum in wembley, alberta is exPected to become a global destination for dinosaur enthusiasts.

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guidelines and performance requirements within which the successful bidder team must work when preparing the overall design. The Athletes’ Village project will proceed under Infrastructure Ontario’s Alternative Financing and Procurement model whereby risks associated with designing, constructing and financing the facilities are transferred to the private sector. The Athletes’ Village project increases the pace of the West Don Lands revitalization, which is part of the renewal of Toronto’s waterfront. The design for the Athletes’ Village will be based on Waterfront Toronto’s vision for a green, modern and vibrant new community as outlined in the West Don Lands Precinct Plan. After the Games, the Village area will become a predominantly residential neighbourhood that includes affordable housing.

The Village will serve as the home away from home for the athletes and officials of the 2015

Pan/Parapan American Games, in which 10,200 athletes and officials are expected to participate in the summer of 2015. The team brings together global expertise in athlete village planning, design and operations, and the most creative minds in community and neighbourhood design in Canada.

awards richmond olympic oval receives Green Good design award for architecture.

Cannon Design has been honoured with the Green GOOD Design Award for the Richmond Olympic Oval by the prestigious European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies and The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design. The Green GOOD program emphasizes the importance of sustainable design 11/10 canadian architect

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and raises the international profile of firms that are doing the best work in advancing sustainable design for world environments. The signature venue for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, the Richmond Olympic Oval includes a landmark multipurpose sports, recreation, and community facility on Richmond’s waterfront. Beyond catalyzing transformation of the riverfront into a high-density, urban neighbourhood, the Richmond Olympic Oval functions as a venue for community events, creating a lasting legacy beyond its immediate purpose. The venue is the recipient of numerous design awards—including the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) Award of Excellence for Innovation in Architecture; the Institute of Structural Engineers Award for Sports or Leisure Structures; and the Vancouver Organizing Committee (VANOC) Sustainability Star and Society of American Registered Architects Design Award of Excellence.

Mouna andraos and Melissa Mongiat win Phyllis Lambert design Montréal Grant.

Helen Fotopulos, Ville de Montréal Executive Committee member responsible for Culture, Heritage, Design and the Status of Women, awarded the Phyllis Lambert Design Montréal Grant to Mouna Andraos and Melissa Mongiat.

The recipients work in the fields of interactive design and narrative environments. The $10,000 grant will enable Andraos and Mongiat to make a month-long research and creation trip to the Open Design City Lab in Berlin, a UNESCO City of Design, and to attend the DMY Berlin design festival. Fotopulos stated, “These two women are worthy ambassadors of Montreal, a UNESCO City of Design, because their projects inspire lively exchanges between member cities of the UNESCO Cities of Design network.” Phyllis Lambert herself also offered praise: “This third edition is an opportunity to salute once again this brilliant initiative of the City of Montreal, promoting talented young designers whose creativity is linked to the city. It is essential for our society’s advancement.” The jury members were swayed by, among other things, the recipients’ generosity in getting passersby directly involved with the facilities, an excellent way of democratizing design and sharing it with the general public. As part of their visit to the Open Design City Lab, Andraos and Mongiat wish to create a series of urban object prototypes that encourage exchange and communication between people on the street by inviting the public to contribute actively to the process and to retake possession of their space.

Working in the new media field, Mouna Andraos reinvents everyday technological experiences, thereby stimulating conversations and the imagination with regard to the impact and role these

the architecture team of atelier big city, fichten soiferman et associés and l’Œuf recently won the architectural comPetition to design the future notre-dame-degrâce cultural centre in montreal.

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new technologies have in our world. Her work as Creative Director with the Montreal firm Bluesponge has earned her many awards, including a Best of Show at SXSW and a Cyberlion at Cannes.

Melissa Mongiat’s approach revolves around participation by the public. Her creations have included a series of interactive environments for Royal Festival Hall in London, for which Wallpaper* magazine selected her as one of the world’s 10 most promising designers. She also stands out for her research projects in participative design, with institutions such as Arup and Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London. The recipients have been working together for a year and are continually seeking new ways of interacting and telling stories. Their recent projects include Bloc Jam, a monumental interactive project for Mutek, and the Musée des possibles, an ephemeral installation for the Quartier des spectacles in Montreal. The Phyllis Lambert Design Montréal Grant was created in honour of Lambert, founding Director of the Canadian Centre for Architecture. The grant is awarded annually by the Ville de Montréal. It is intended to mark the outstanding quality of studies and work by Montreal designers who have 10 years or less of professional experience and to emphasize the interest they have shown in the city. winners of the 2010 sustainable Buildings canada achievement awards announced.

Sustainable Buildings Canada (SBC) announced the recipients of the 2010 Lifetime and Special Achievement Awards. SBC honoured four indi-

viduals who demonstrated a deep and lasting commitment to the environment and sustainability. This year, the Lifetime Awards were given to: Geoff Cape of Evergreen; Ed Lowans, formerly with Stantec Engineering; Patrick Guran of PowerStream; and Dianne Young, CEO of Exhibition Place, who was recognized for outstanding achievement as it relates to a specific project.

Through his efforts with Evergreen, Geoff Cape has led and developed a number of exciting urban reclamation projects, most recently at the Brick Works in Toronto. Lowans led over 100 projects aimed at improving energy efficiency in commercial buildings across the country. Through hands-on action, education and mentorship, he has helped engrain the energy efficiency message in a new generation of building engineers. As the Manager of Conservation and Demand Management (CDM) at PowerStream, Guran has overseen the implementation of an aggressive CDM program portfolio. His commitment to this activity is founded in more than 25 years of support for the industry including pioneer efforts around solar energy, electric vehicle infrastructure and smart grid applications. And Young has overseen the implementation of the GREENsmart initiative, a multifaceted program aimed at reducing waste, conserving resources and showcasing the latest in sustainable technologies at Exhibition Place in Toronto.

Five Projects receive the 2010 aga Khan award for architecture; oleg Grabar to receive chairman’s award.

The five projects selected for the 2010 Aga Khan 11/10 canadian architect

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Award for Architecture will be announced at a ceremony to be held at the Museum of Islamic Art on November 24, 2010. His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani the Emir of Qatar and Her Highness Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al Missned will join His Highness the Aga Khan in presiding over the ceremony. The five projects selected by the 2010 Master Jury are: Wadi Hanifa Wetlands, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Revitalization of the Hypercentre of Tunis, Tunisia; Madinat AlZahra Museum, Cordoba, Spain; Ipekyol Textile Factory, Edirne, Turkey; and Bridge School, Xiashi, Fujian, China. At the Award ceremony, His Highness the Aga Khan will also present the Chairman’s Award to Professor Oleg Grabar in recognition of his lifetime contribution to the field of Islamic art and architecture. The Aga Khan Award for Architecture was established by His Highness the Aga Khan in 1977 to identify and encourage excellence in architecture and other forms of intervention in the built environment of societies where Muslims have a significant presence. The Award is given every three years and recognizes all types of building projects that affect today’s built environment, from modest, small-scale projects to sizable complexes.

The Award’s mandate is different from that of many other architecture prizes: it selects projects—from innovative mud and bamboo schools to state-of-the-art “green” buildings—that not only exhibit architectural excellence but also improve the overall quality of life. Since the Award was launched 33 years ago, 105 projects have received the award and more than 7,500 building projects have been documented. The Award will be featured in a three-part documentary series, Architects on the Frontline, to be broadcast on BBC World television. www.akdn.org/architecture

coMPetitions UBc selects design team for new integrat­ ed Planning and design Facility.

The University of British Columbia has announced the selection of a multi-faceted team to steer the design and construction of a new facility that will enhance integrated teaching, learning and research in planning, architecture and landscape architecture. Chosen from a shortlist of four firms was the joint venture of Vancouver’s Shape Architecture, Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios from the UK, and PWL Partnership Landscape Architects from Vancouver. The three other competing firms were: OMA with CEI Architecture; Patkau Architects; and Teeple Architects with Proscenium Interiors. Led by principals Nick Sully, Alec Smith, Peter Clegg, Jo Wright, Derek Lee and Margot Long, the winning team 16 canadian architect 11/10

will be producing a feasibility study and the anticipated full design for the UBC Integrated Planning and Design Facility. Joining the core design team is Andrew Harrison (DEGW), a leading expert in learning environments as well as Patrick Bellew from Atelier 10, consultants in sustainable design. The facility will house the School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture (SALA) and the School of Community and Regional Planning (SCARP). Currently, the two schools are located in scattered spaces around campus, which creates challenges for interdisciplinary learning and collaborative projects. In addition to accommodating SALA and SCARP, the feasibility study will also include the School of Art History, Visual Art and Theory at the University of British Columbia. Encompassing an estimated 6,000 square metres, the preliminary construction budget is approximately $16 million. The new facility is planned as a complex infill within the existing MacKenzie Arts Precinct. This northwestern zone of the campus includes the Lasserre Building (current home of the architecture programs in SALA), Frederick Wood Theatre, Belkin Gallery and Music Building, all grouped around an underutilized plaza space. Because of the diverse client group and physical constraints of the project, the SHAPE / FCBS / PWL team has proposed a conceptual approach and a unifying theme based on the ambition to privilege ideas as the common ground between disciplines. “The selection committee commends SHAPE / FCBS / PWL for thoughtfully assembling a team that addresses the specific needs of the user groups and developing a thorough and inclusive stakeholder consultation process,” says Gerry McGeough, University Architect. In addition to McGeough, the selection committee consisted of representatives from the student body, SALA, SCARP, the Faculty of Arts and UBC Properties Trust. www.publicaffairs.ubc.ca/2010/10/19/ubc-selectsdesign-team-for-new-integrated-planning-anddesign-facility/ atelier Big city, Fichten soiferman et asso­ ciés and L’ŒUF win architectural competition for notre­dame­de­Grâce cultural centre.

A jury chaired by Dan S. Hanganu has selected the team of Atelier Big City, Fichten Soiferman et Associés and LŒUF as winner of the architectural design competition for the future Notre-Damede-Grâce Cultural Centre. Construction of the facility comes under the 2008-2011 Agreement on the Cultural Development of Montreal, and the library component benefits from the joint financial support of the Ministère de la Culture, des Communications et de la Condition féminine du Québec and the City of Montreal. The jury’s recommendation to the Borough of Côte-des-

Neiges—Notre-Dame-de-Grâce was unanimous.

It took account of programming goals and of the criteria set out in the competition regulations.

The jury noted that the selected project stands out for the way indoor and outdoor spaces are organized and the way activities are distributed, for its understanding of the needs of the various user groups, and for its openness to the community.

While innovative in form, this project shows respect and realism in meeting budgetary considerations and sustainable-development goals. The NDG Cultural Centre represents a total investment of $21 million. The remaining three finalist teams were: Chevalier Morales architectes and Busby Perkins + Will; Les architectes FABG (Andre Brodeur, Eric Gauthier and Andre Lavoie); and Menkès Shooner Dagenais Letourneux architectes.

what’s new okanagan­based Bevanda architecture merges with cei architecture Planning interiors.

CEI Architecture Planning Interiors has signed an agreement that will see Bevanda Architecture of Penticton, BC join its team. The firms say the merger will bolster the ability of CEI to deliver projects of any size and scope to clients across a variety of sectors, including retail, industrial, office, educational, residential, recreational, transportation and health care. Having collaborated on a number of projects together in the past, Bevanda staff will become part of CEI’s Kelowna office. The combined firm will have over 100 professional staff with expertise in master planning, architecture and interior design, with 29 LEED-accredited professionals who will work to deliver innovative and sustainable projects. www.ceiarchitecture.com and www.bevanda.ca halsall associates, Pivotal Projects and Loop initiatives join Parsons Brinckerhoff.

Peter Halsall, Chairman of the Halsall group of employee-owned professional services companies, recently announced that the companies have become the Canadian operating company of Parsons Brinckerhoff (PB), the 14,000-person global professional services firm specializing in infrastructure planning, design and program/ construction management. The merger includes Halsall Associates, the consulting engineering firm founded in 1956; Pivotal Projects, the national project management company; and Loop Initiatives, the corporate sustainability consulting business. Halsall, Pivotal and Loop will continue to serve clients through the current executive leadership, project managers and staff.

ISSuE 32.4 AuTuMN/WINTER 2010

$1.6 million in Federal Funding to help Integrate Foreign Architects into Canada The Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development held a news conference in the lobby of the Architecture Canada | RAIC office on Sept. 13 to announce Architecture Canada will be receiving $1.6 million under the Foreign Credential Recognition Program The funding will enable Architecture Canada to work with the provincial and territorial regulators to develop, pilot and implement a program for evaluating and recognizing the credentials of Broadly Experienced Foreign Architects so that those whose skills and

experience meet Canadian professional standards can be licensed to practice in Canada.

The project will entail completing development of a competency-based evaluation framework and refining this through a series of pilot evaluations Once completed, it’s planned that a national organization will administer the program on a national basis. The objective is to have the program operational by the second quarter of 2012.

The HRSDC funding will also support development of program elements of the new RAIC Centre for Architecture at Athabasca university, notably the creation of virtual studio modules. Through the RAIC Centre for Architecture program, foreign architects will have access to learning tools such as courses on professional practice in Canada, building codes and other regulations; before they even arrive in Canada. Courses are expected to begin being offered at Athabasca university this fall.

“This funding will enable us to create a fair and transparent system for assessing and licensing internationally trained architects into our profession on a timely basis while ensuring that Canadian standards are upheld,” said Jim McKee, Architecture Canada | RAIC Executive Director.

Foreign trained architects are encouraged to begin the process of collecting necessary documentation while still in their home countries. More information can be obtained at Architects Going to Canada.

Jim McKee, Executive Director, Architecture Canada; The Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development; Royal Galipeau, MP, Ottawa-Orléans; Mourad Mohand-Said, Executive Director / Registrar, Canadian Architectural Certification Board | Photo: Jonathan Ouellette

It is time to renew your membership Enjoy access to quality Professional Development programs, practice support documents, Committees and Working Groups, and international activities; as well as eligibility for nomination to the College of Fellows (after five consecutive years of membership).

Each member in Canada also receives a free subscription to Canadian Architect, SABMag, and AWARD magazine; and discounts on many other publications such as Architectural Record and Azure.

It is as simple as using Architecture Canada | RAIC’s online payment system – www.raic.org/membership.

Along with the traditional membership categories – Architects, Interns or Intern Architects, Graduates, Faculty and Fellows – opportunities are available for Life Members, Student Associates and Affiliates.

New Award for Young Architects Architecture Canada is proud to announce a new award to accompany the call for submissions for the Awards of Excellence, Prix du xxe siècle, Architectural Firm Award and RAIC Gold Medal – the young Architect Award. This award honours architects under the age of 35 who are making their mark in the field. See www.raic.org for more information.

Architecture Canada – RAIC’s new name encompasses all the services and benefits historically offered to members and the public.

To maintain the reputation behind designations, the legal name and corporate registration remains the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada – members can continue to use MRAIC and FRAIC with pride.

Licensed architects are also encouraged to emphasize the many roles of the profession in society by using the title “Architect” too.

2009-2010 Board Members President Ranjit (Randy) K. Dhar, FRAIC 1st Vice-President and President-Elect Stuart Howard, FRAIC 2nd Vice-President and Treasurer David Craddock, MRAIC Immediate Past President Paule Boutin, AP/FIRAC Regional Directors Wayne De Angelis, MRAIC (British Columbia/Yukon) Wayne Guy, FRAIC (Alberta/NWT) Charles Olfert, MRAIC (Saskatchewan/Manitoba) David Craddock, MRAIC (Ontario Southwest) Ralph Wiesbrock, FRAIC (Ontario North and East/Nunavut) Claude Hamelin Lalonde, FIRAC (Quebec) Paul E. Frank, FRAIC (Atlantic) Chancellor of College of Fellows Alexander Rankin, FRAIC Council of Canadian University Schools of Architecture (CCUSA) Kendra Schank Smith, MRAIC Director Representing Intern Architects W. Steve Boulton, MRAIC Editorial Liaison Ralph Wiesbrock, FRAIC Executive Director Jim McKee Editor Sylvie Powell Architecture Canada | RAIC 330-55 Murray St. Ottawa ON K1N 5M3 Tel.: 613-241-3600 Fax: 613-241-5750 E-mail: info@raic.org

www.raic.org MASThEAD PhoTo: LANGuAGE TECHNOLOGIES RESEARCH CENTRE AT uNIvERSITy OF QuEBEC IN OuTAOuAIS | MENKèS SHOONER DAGENAIS LETOuRNEux ARCHITECTS / FORTIN CORRIvEAu SALvAIL ARCHITECTuRE + DESIGN | PHOTO: MICHEL BRuNELLE

Nu M é R O 3 2 . 4 AuTOMNE/HIvER 2010 Conseil d’administration de 2009-2010 Président Ranjit (Randy) K. Dhar, FRAIC Premier vice-président et président élu Stuart Howard, FRAIC Deuxième vice-président et trésorier David Craddock, MRAIC Présidente sortante de charge Paule Boutin, AP/FIRAC

Une subvention de 1,6 million $ du gouvernement fédéral pour favoriser l’intégration des architectes de l’étranger L’honorable Diane Finley, ministre de Ressources humaines et Développement des compétences a annoncé, lors d’une conférence de presse tenue dans les locaux d’Architecture Canada | IRAC le 13 septembre dernier, l’octroi d’une subvention de 1,6 million $ en vertu du Programme de reconnaissance des titres de compétences étrangers.

La subvention permettra à Architecture Canada de collaborer avec les ordres provinciaux et territoriaux au développement, à l’expérimentation et à la mise en œuvre d’un programme d’évaluation et de reconnaissance des titres de compétences des architectes de l’étranger ayant une vaste expérience, afin de faciliter la délivrance des

Administrateurs régionaux Wayne De Angelis, MRAIC (Colombie-Britannique/Yukon) Wayne Guy, FRAIC (Alberta/T.N.-O.) Charles Olfert, MRAIC (Saskatchewan/Manitoba) David Craddock, MRAIC (Sud et Ouest de l’Ontario) Ralph Wiesbrock, FRAIC (Est et Nord de l’Ontario/Nunavut) Claude Hamelin Lalonde, FIRAC (Québec)

Conseil canadien des écoles universitaires d’architecture (CCÉUA) Kendra Schank Smith, MRAIC Conseiller représentant les stagiaires W. Steve Boulton, MRAIC Conseiller à la rédaction Ralph Wiesbrock, FRAIC Directeur général Jim McKee Rédactrice en chef Sylvie Powell Architecture Canada | IRAC 55, rue Murray, bureau 330 Ottawa (Ontario) K1N 5M3 Tél. : 613-241-3600 Téléc. : 613-241-5750 Courriel : info@raic.org

www.raic.org PhoTo EN CARToUChE DE TITRE : CENTRE DE RECHERCHE EN TECHNOLOGIES LANGAGIèRES DE L’uNIvERSITé Du QuéBEC EN OuTAOuAIS | MENKèS SHOONER DAGENAIS LETOuRNEux ARCHITECTES / FORTIN CORRIvEAu SALvAIL ARCHITECTuRE + DESIGN | PHOTO : MICHEL BRuNELLE

Le projet consistera d’abord à définir un cadre d’évaluation des candidatures basé sur les compétences, puis à le perfectionner après avoir mené un projet pilote.

Par la suite, on prévoit confier à un organisme national l’administration du programme à l’échelle canadienne. On vise le lancement du programme au deuxième trimestre de 2012.

La subvention de RHDCC aidera également au développement de certains éléments du programme du nouveau Centre d’architecture de l’IRAC à l’université Athabasca, notamment à la création de modules de studios virtuels.

Grâce à ce programme, les architectes de l’étranger pourront suivre à distance des cours sur la pratique professionnelle au Canada et sur les codes du bâtiment et autres règlements applicables, avant même leur arrivée au pays. Certains cours devraient ainsi être offerts dès l’automne à l’université Athabasca. « Cette subvention nous permettra de créer un mécanisme équitable et transparent pour évaluer les compétences des architectes de l’étranger et leur délivrer des permis en temps opportun dans le respect des normes canadiennes », a déclaré Jim McKee, directeur général d’Architecture Canada | IRAC. Les architectes formés à l’étranger sont invités à commencer de monter leur dossier et à rassembler les documents nécessaires à l’évaluation de leur candidature avant de quitter leur pays. Pour un supplément d’information, veuillez consulter le site Bienvenue aux architectes.

Paul E. Frank, FRAIC (Atlantique) Chancelier du Collège des fellows Alexander Rankin, FRAIC

permis d’exercice aux candidats dont les compétences et l’expérience satisfont aux normes professionnelles en vigueur au Canada.

Jim McKee, directeur général, Architecture Canada; L’honorable Diane Finley, ministre des Ressources humaines et du Développement des compétences; Royal Galipeau, député d’Ottawa-Orléans; Mourad Mohand-Said, directeur général / registraire, Conseil canadien de certification en architecture | Photo : Jonathan Ouellette

C’est le temps de renouveler votre adhésion L’adhésion vous donne accès à des programmes de perfectionnement professionnel de qualité et à des documents d’aide à la pratique; elle vous permet de faire partie de comités et groupes de travail et de participer à diverses activités internationales; et elle vous rend admissible à l’obtention du titre de fellow (après cinq années consécutives d’adhésion).

Tous les membres reçoivent un abonnement gratuit aux magazines Canadian Architect, SABMag et AWARD et ont droit à des rabais sur bien d’autres publications, dont Architectural Record et Azure.

Il est très facile de renouveler votre adhésion à l’aide du système de paiement en ligne d’Architecture Canada | IRAC : www.raic.org/membership.

En plus des catégories de membres usuelles – architectes, stagiaires, diplômés, professeurs des écoles universitaires et fellows – il est aussi possible d’être membre à vie, étudiant associé et membre affilié.

Nouveau prix pour les jeunes architectes Architecture Canada est fière d’annoncer un nouveau prix dont l’appel de candidature accompagne ceux des prix d’excellence, du Prix du xxe siècle, du cabinet d’architectes de l’année et de la Médaille d’or de l’IRAC – le nouveau Prix du jeune architecte. Ce prix vise à rendre honneur à des architectes de moins de 35 ans qui se distinguent dans le domaine. Pour de plus amples renseignements : www.raic.org.

Architecture Canada – Le nouveau nom de l’IRAC englobe tous les services et les avantages traditionnellement offerts aux membres et au grand public.

Afin de conserver la réputation conférée par les désignations, le nom légal et l’inscription de l’organisme demeurent Institut royal d’architecture du Canada – les membres peuvent donc continuer d’utiliser avec fierté les désignations MIRAC et FIRAC. Par ailleurs, les architectes sont également invités à faire valoir les nombreux rôles qu’ils jouent dans la société en utilisant aussi leur titre d’architecte.

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fair and square

a richly conceived plaza is initiated through an inspired design competition sponsored by the city of montreal.

Square DeS FrèreS-Charon, Montreal, quebeC aFFleCk + De la riva arChiteCtS with robert DeSjarDinS anD raphaëlle De Groot text thoMaS StriCklanD photos MarC CraMer project

design team

In the 1990s, Montreal, like many North American cities, took up the 20thcentury project of cleansing and repurposing the smoky urbanity of the factory system. Given that a core component underpinning the rezoning and restoring of 19th-century industrial architecture and spaces was to draw tourists and locals to these areas, it follows that the urban plaza would secure a significant role in the process. Designs for Square des Frères-Charon and Place d’Armes, two plazas located in Old Montreal, offer interesting insights into the way a site’s history and design methodology activate different experiences and roles for users of complex heritage spaces.

Square des Frères-Charon is almost perfectly square, but this is an accident of history. The small plaza is on part of a former community founded in the 1690s by priest Jean-François Charon de la Barre to provide alms for working men. In 1842, McGill Street was extended south to the port, leaving an interstitial space between the road and the estate that is the current plaza. The square changed ownership and uses many times from the 1850s to the 1980s, serving at one time as a storage area for building materials and 22 canadian architect 11/10

at others as a terminus for light transit trains. In the 1960s and ’70s, the land was expropriated by the City of Montreal and a pumping station was constructed to buttress the flow of the city’s primary east/west and north/ south sewer lines, which still gush 10 storeys below the site. Officially established as a park honouring Charon’s philanthropy in 1986, the square was by that time supporting trees, a grassy core, a bus stop and the small pumping station.

Today, the plaza is demarcated by a soft circle of local prairie grasses, recalling the once vast landscape that grew beyond the walls of the old city.

Designed by the multidisciplinary team of landscape architect Robert Desjardins, artist Raphaëlle de Groot, and Affleck + de la Riva Architects, the most striking feature of the design is the perfect circle in the square. Filled with a variety of grasses, shrubs and seasonal blooms, the circle emits a sweet aroma that is a delight and a surprise, especially once one learns about the sewer. In this momentary shift of the senses, the nearby residential towers and the daunting elevation of the Old Customs House on McGill recede, and one’s attention turns toward the swirling grasses. A textured concrete boardwalk populated with benches crosses the centre of the circle, diagonally connecting McGill and Marguerite d’Youville streets. Intersecting the boardwalk, slightly off-centre, is a slim path that steps down from the periphery, lowering the pedestrian into the flora for closer inspection. Seemingly a great sunken planter carved out of the contiguous civic sidewalk, this verdant space gives a majority of the plaza area over to non-pedestrian activities.

What is interesting about the soft circle and its intersecting boardwalk and pathway is the resulting position and perspective of the plaza’s users.

Planting a large portion of the area, in fact, runs counter to the traditional

practice of covering civic plazas with hard surfaces, challenging long-held beliefs about the material qualities of publicness. While the soft surface prevents pedestrians from using a large part of the plaza, the boardwalk gives people access to a place generally reserved for monuments and fountains: the centre. Furthermore, the benches along the central median suggest rest rather than action and turn the user’s gaze outward across the plantings towards the peripheral sidewalks. In this way, the plantings and the people are the object of observation rather than monuments and buildings. A curious interloper in this calm geometry is a small building in the tradition of the architectural folly, located on the northwest edge of the plaza. Covering the pumping equipment, this small cylindrical tower is wrapped by a stair and topped with a bench and didactic information explaining the history of the site. On this tower, one is not sitting at the base of the monument looking up, but is instead offered a position usually reserved for a privileged few—a view from above.

To better understand how the historical machinations of a site intermingle with the material qualities and spatial practices of publicness, Square des Frères-Charon can be compared to the redesign of Montreal’s most prestigious site: Place d’ Armes. In the fall of 2007, the City organized a charrette which resulted in three proposals for the plaza. While the final design for Place d’Armes is currently in the construction phase, it is still useful to look at one proposal from a large team that includes, in addition to landscape architect Claude Cormier and six other contributers, two designers from the Square des Frères-Charon project, architect Gavin Affleck and artist Raphaëlle de Groot.

Anterior to Notre Dame Basilica, the august Gothic revival church, Place

an overall view oF Square DeS FrèreS-Charon hintS at the riChly hiStoriC Context oF olD Montreal. above publiC benCheS are proviDeD on the DiaGonal axiS oF the Square that CutS throuGh a SoFt CirCle oF planteD loCal prairie GraSSeS. opposite

d’Armes has been and continues to be a highly determined space. Built to replace a 17th-century parish church, the Basilica was constructed between 1824 and 1829, with towers being added in 1843 and a chapel in 1890. The square began to take its present form in 1845; in line with the fashion of the Victorian era, the streets were paved, and a park and fountain were located at the centre. Signalling the arrival of high finance to the square, the fountain was removed in 1895 and replaced with a monument to Paul Chomedy de Maisonneuve, the first governor of Montreal. Over the next 60 years, corporate buildings reflecting periodic architectural styles rose around the perimeter of the square. Throughout these changes, the Basilica and the monument at the centre of Place d’Armes remained, marking the square’s ongoing role as the symbolic heart of Montreal.

The team’s proposal, like that for Frères-Charon, emphasized the square’s history. The presence of elements that function as important symbols informed a different approach to the use of the Plaza. In the proposal, an elevated platform representing the footprint of the 17th-century parish church becomes an arrival area in front of the Basilica. The plaza is to be resurfaced and curved lines cut into the finish to draw pedestrians towards de Maisonneuve at the centre of the plaza. Supporting both the tradition of Place d’Armes and common practices connected to civic plazas, the proposed hard surface of the square focuses on the monument. Here, the emphasis on the 11/10 canadian architect

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a SerieS oF photoGraphS DiSplayS the eFFeCtS oF ColoureD liGhtinG on the CiviC plaza DurinG eveninG hourS, anD eaCh iMaGe revealS the linear pathwayS inSCribeD in the Square’S Central CirCle. bottom the ContraSt between the harDSCapeD paveD pathwayS anD SoFtly FlutterinG aroMatiC prairie GraSSeS iS eviDent in thiS iMaGe.

above, left to right

centre turns the visitor’s gaze towards the statue, and while it is possible to get close to the apex of the space, the pedestrian can never achieve this point.

The subject of the plaza is not the user but Montreal’s founding governor.

While the proposal’s broad resurfacing implies a more pedestrian-friendly area than the streets and sidewalks of previous iterations, the church-shaped

24 canadian architect 11/10

platform on the porch of the Basilica sanctions the sacred purpose of the site over other activities and subjectivities. Thus, the role of the square as support for the Basilica and as a symbolic gateway to the city remains intact. In this space, whether tourist or parishioner, one’s gaze is to be turned upward toward the material embodiment of Montreal’s history.

An important and telling aspect of these two projects for civic plazas in Old Montreal is their design methodology; both of these projects were planned to integrate public participation in the process through the website for Old Montreal (www.vieuxmontreal.qc.ca). At the outset of the design process for Square des Frères-Charon, before a program was established, people responded to questions via the website, expressing their opinions and commenting on the viewpoints of others regarding plans for the square.

client City oF Montreal, larGe park ManaGeMent DiviSion architect, landscape architect and urban art team Gavin aFFleCk, robert DeSjarDinS (lanDSCape arChiteCt), raphaëlle De Groot (artiSt), riCharD De la riva, briGitte bouDreau, Dany haSSwani, luCie robin, valÉrie vinCent, pierre Duhaine, Sylvain leGault, pierre yveS leblanC structural/mechanical/electrical Genivar civil and urban infrastructure Genivar construction management quartier international De MontrÉal contractor terraMex (lanDSCape) anD Celeb ltÉe (pavilion) lighting ÉClairaGe publiC (GilleS arpin) horticulture SanDra barone industrial design Morelli DeSiGnerS museology MoitiÉ-MoitiÉ expoSition inC. area 1,600 M2 budget $2.2 M completion Fall 2008

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Frères-Charon foregrounded the project with public opinion, thereby giving the user a primary place in the process and collaterally in the square; an imperative made concrete by the arrangement of benches, boardwalks and towers. The designs for both urban spaces in Old Montreal are technically and aesthetically confident, recognizing the history of their sites and sharing a belief in public participation. However, a comparison of the Place d’Armes proposal and Square des Frères-Charon reveals how public input can challenge designers to look at the history of a site differently and to imagine new relationships between people and urban places. ca Thomas Strickland is a J.W. McConnell Doctoral Fellow at the McGill University School of Architecture.

rue normand

rue King

Based on the public’s suggestions, a spatial and aesthetic mandate was established that informed design choices such as the arrangement of benches and the verdant circle. In this way, Montrealers’ hopes for the future of the square were embedded in the first sketches of Square des Frères-Charon.

For the refurbishment of Place d’Armes, the public was also asked to communicate with the designers over the Web. However, rather than being integrated at the beginning, Montrealers were asked to view and comment on three proposals developed during the charrette. In this process, the citizen’s role was preceded by that of the designers. In this sense, the public’s place in the design process of Place D’Armes is secondary to the authority, and is collateral to its role in the plaza itself, which is to gaze respectfully upon monuments and buildings. Conversely, the design for Square des

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a view north oF the hiStoriC builDinGS alonG rue MCGill FroM the Square’S DiaGonal path; alonG the SaMe path, a view South oF the More ConteMporary rue DeS SoeurS GriSeS StreetSCape.

above, left to right

site plan

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20m

11/10 canadian architect

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1968 Social environmental movements take hold.

WHO SHapeS tHe future Of green deSign?

You do.

1978 Earth Day brings awareness to Earth’s need for continual care.

What was once a quiet evolution has become a revolutionary force. Your desire for sustainable design has helped redefine the meaning of green. Since we began making nora® rubber flooring over 50 years ago, we’ve evolved with you.

1988 1,000 communities in America initiate curbside recycling.

Your concern for the environment continues to create new standards for designing in harmony with nature. it is why we continually explore ways to blend the best of technology with greener thinking.

1998 EPA launches voluntary programs for energy, water, indoor air quality, waste and smart growth.

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2008 U.S. Green Building Council member organizations grow to 15,000.

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3230-1053_PencilTwit_caD5.indd 1

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Open arms

30 canadian architect 11/10

teeple architects’ latest prOject builds On the firm’s reputatiOn fOr dramatic fOrms and fluid gestures tO create a magnificent cOnvent fOr just Over 90 cathOlic nuns in peterbOrOugh.

Motherhouse of the sisters of st. Joseph of peterborough, peterborough, ontario architect teeple architects inc. teXt DaviD steiner phOtOs shai gil prOject

Over the past 110 years, the Sisters of St. Joseph convent have been selling off land, and slowly paring back their facility to accommodate a shrinking membership. A few years ago they sold the original chapel, dormitories and administration space to finance the construction of a new building that would consolidate all their activities. Many of the nuns have spent much of their lives outside Canada, living in difficult conditions. They wanted a new facility to provide a measure of comfort, to be energy-efficient (the historical buildings were drafty and impossible to heat), and to accommodate a group of about 80 women with an average age of 80.

Sister Sandra, involved throughout the entire process, was not concerned about the aesthetics or form of the building so long as the Sisters’ mandate was met. They were fully willing to give up the historical home of their convent: a cluster of handsome and stout masonry buildings—imposing speci-

protecteD by a lanDscapeD berM, curvilinear forMs that Define the space within the chapel seeMingly peel away froM the exterior wall to reveal a DraMatic coloureD-glass coMposition. abOve fibre-reinforceD ceMentitious panels proviDe a Much lighter contrast to the soliDity of the liMestone base that forMs this courtyarD space.

OppOsite

mens from a previous and more bustling era of the Church. Designed by Teeple Architects, the new building is on a patch of land on the north end of the site where the nuns used to grow vegetables and herbs. The new facility sits in an open space on the side of a hill, removed from the former buildings by a row of mature trees.

Bernard Jin, the project architect from Teeple Architects, described the idea behind the design as lightweight ribbons resting above a heavy stone base. Bright-white cement panel cladding hangs like armour over the top half of the building’s walls. The gleaming white panels emphasize the building’s sculptural form, making it stand out sharply from the surrounding greenery. From a distance, it appears like a jumble of cedar soffits, white walls and black-framed windows. Here and there, small canopies appear, their underbellies sheathed in cedar.

The building’s overall form is comprised of two long arms clambering down the site. Each arm holds the individual living quarters. Where the arms converge is the building’s communal space. Protruding from the southern end is the chapel, the focal point of the facility and its most prominent feature. Teeple Architects demonstrate through their work that con11/10 canadian architect

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clOcKWise frOm tOp when viewing the entire western elevation, the suM of the builDing’s forMal gestures coalesce into an elegant coMposition of eleMents sitting serenely on the site; a view of the builDing froM one of its lanDscapeD roofs; a large berM protects the chapel froM a roaD that services the convent; a coMplete exterior view of the chapel.

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shiplappeD panels were useful in proviDing the architects with greater freeDoM to sculpt the convent’s exterior envelope; a Detail of a Juncture between exterior panels anD glazing—custoM-DesigneD religious furniture MaDe of corian can be seen through the chapel winDow. clOcKWise frOm OppOsite tOp this photograph is eMbleMatic of the architects’ Desire to create a ribbon-like builDing; by using inexpensive Materials such as Drywall in the Main gathering area, teeple architects are aDept at forMulating DraMatic interior spaces whereby shaDows, recesseD winDows anD fraMeD openings elevate one’s spatial experience; the Double-height space of the Dining rooM.

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ceptual design ideas are a big driver of their practice. Here, they seem to pursue some ideas to the extreme. For example, on the east end of the north housing arm, the upper roof wraps down and around the limestone face of the building, completely obscuring a two-storey strip of window.

As you move closer to the convent, its details become more apparent, such as the shiplap pattern of the white panels and the rhythm of the bay windows beside narrow punched openings.

Up close, the building resolves itself into a rough assembly of materials. Between the cedar soffit and stone wall is a 50-millimetre recess stuffed with black netting. Flashing appears everywhere: leading into the building are low garden walls clad in limestone with coping made from bent metal flashing.

Inside, the building switches gears to a more

spiritual mode. The hallways of the housing wings, lit by clerestory light, gently bend around towards a double-height communal gathering space, then funnel out to the main entrance of the facility. From the exterior, the clerestory windows are not noticeable. Consequently, the natural light illuminating the hallways from above is unexpected, making the procession through them more dramatic. Teeple Architects have taken great care to craft ceilings that evoke an idea of flowing white ribbons. Drywall bulkheads hang down throughout, jutting out over hallways and creating partial ceilings. At other times, diffuse sunlight filters in from windows tucked behind the bulkheads. For example, in the chapel, a bulkhead hangs in front of the south wall undulating around the room, transforming itself as it becomes the wall of the balcony area above. Entering through a single vertical window,

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natural light strikes the bulkhead from behind, making it appear to glow.

The chapel space is flexible and welcoming.

The room can be oriented in three directions: the full-height coloured-glass wall to the west, the blank north wall, or the glazed south wall. Regardless of the orientation, the view is only of the sky and sloping embankment rising around the chapel on two sides. “The idea was that the chapel would be an outcropping,” says Jin, “surrounded and ending in nature.” Teeple Architects designed the religious furniture—an altar, lectern, fountain and table. Portable and light, they are constructed from white Corian—a common countertop material—folded so expertly, they appear to be made of hardened ribbon.

Teeple Architects’ initial proposal submitted during a limited competition organized by the Sisters, was a predominantly cloistered scheme.

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st. Joseph watches over the new Motherhouse in the Distance.

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It was rejected because it closed the nuns off from their surroundings. They were interested in a building that opened out to the environment, expressing their concept of worship and devotion. As a result, the architects went back and revised the scheme to what was ultimately constructed: two building strips that flow over the terrain and open out with views of Peterborough.

A courtyard still remains and is accessible from both the first and second floor—along with a sheltered garden.

It is a bit unexpected that a group of older nuns would choose an architect whose body of work— and material palette— is so contemporary. In the end, it was their logical process that led them to an open-minded solution: find examples of excellent architecture in the city (Peterborough has a good crop of quality Modern buildings, with Ron Thom’s original Trent University as the gold standard) and see who was involved in its production (Teeple Architects have already built four institutional buildings in Peterborough). By working with the architects to understand the function and their intentions—to basically design a retirement home with a spiritual focus—the Sisters of St. Joseph put great faith in their architect to produce a new convent that met their needs. In return, the Sisters ultimately received a supremely satisfying building. ca

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David Steiner is a freelance writer living in Toronto.

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client corporation of the sisters of st. Joseph of the Diocese of peterborough architect team stephen teeple, bernarD Jin, chris raDigan, Mark baechler, grahaM baxter, francesco Martire, luc bouliane, eDwarD lee structural cpe structural consultants liMiteD electrical/mechanical enerMoDal engineering ltD. interiOrs teeple architects inc. landscape teeple architects with phillips farevaag sMallenberg envirOnmental building/leed enerMoDal engineering ltD. cOntractOr ellisDon corporation area 5,245 M2 budget withhelD cOmpletiOn March 2009

1 Main entrance 2 chapel 3 parlour 4 offices 5 aDMinistration 6 Dining rooM 7 patio 8 Main gathering space 9 library/archives 10 typical suite 11 kitchen 12 loaDing bay

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“By modeling sustainable urban development, we can be part of the solution”

David Stonehouse, Evergreen Brick Works, Toronto, Canada: Winner of the Holcim Awards Acknowledgement 2008 North America

Develop new perspectives for our future: 3 rd International Holcim Awards competition for projects in sustainable construction. Prize money totals USD 2 million. www.holcimawards.org In partnership with the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich), Switzerland; the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, USA; Tongji University, Shanghai, China; Universidad Iberoamericana, Mexico City; and the Ecole Supérieure d’Architecture de Casablanca, Morocco. The universities lead the independent juries in five regions of the world. Entries at www.holcimawards.org close March 23, 2011.

The Holcim Awards competition is an initiative of the Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction. Based in Switzerland, the foundation is supported by Holcim Ltd and its Group companies and affiliates in more than 70 countries. Holcim is one of the world’s leading suppliers of cement and aggregates as well as further activities such as ready-mix concrete and asphalt including services.

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Faith in Form

the expansion oF a sherbrooke convent to include long-term care expresses a conscious departure From the original building.

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proJect Expansion of thE MothErhousE for thE DaughtErs of Charity of thE saCrED hEart of JEsus, shErbrookE, QuEbEC architect aCDf* arChitECturE | urbanisME | intÉriEur text ian ChoDikoff photos MarC CraMEr

With an average age hovering around 80 years old, the Daughters of Charity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus are becoming increasingly frail, their health issues more complex with age. The largest concentration of this Catholic order lives in Quebec, where their population currently sits at just under 300 members. But the Daughters aren’t planning on going anywhere yet. A 56,680-square-foot expansion to their existing motherhouse in Sherbrooke has recently been completed. As they age in place, these women will soon require a long-term-care facility that must be integrated into their daily lives, while not overshadowing their religious activities. As a result, the architects were charged with the task of achieving a social balance between the elderly Daughters of the community and the more ablebodied nuns while maintaining a high level of social connectivity in an environment where most of them have spent the past 60 years. In this motherhouse in Sherbrooke, which contains roughly half the Quebec population of this Catholic order, the Daughters are also contemplating future eventualities, such as opening their new long-term-care facility to a wider population, or even possibly selling their entire campus altogether.

To Guy Courchesne, Sylvain Allaire and Maxime Frappier—the three partners of ACDF*—the project provided an excellent opportunity to balance the needs of 160 religious women and 40 staff members occupying this significant site along the Saint-François River. A new 54-room health-care unit with all the necessary medical facilities is firmly rooted to the site, and connects to the existing chapel. The architects also designed a new kitchen to serve 200 people, a physiotherapy room, a library, an inner courtyard, and maintenance workshops. Winning the commission can be attributed to Courchesne who completed a feasibility study of the Daughters of Charity’s changing demography four years ago, and the firm continues to undertake similar work for the Daughters in Rimouski and Quebec City.

The original design for the Sherbrooke motherhouse positioned the new addition perthE nEw long-tErM-CarE faCility hovErs ovEr a gabion wall whiCh is DEsignED to protECt thE ConvEnt froM rEgular flooDing. top right thE bluE-grEy briCk anD torrEfiED wooD DEMonstratEs an ElEgant Contrast in MatEriality. right thE shEltErED CourtyarD garDEn ovErlooks thE saint-françois rivEr. opposite

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an ovErall viEw of thE shEltErED CourtyarD. thE sCalE of thE two-storEy aDDition is wEll-proportionED in rElation to thE garDEn, whilE CrEating a ClEar DistinCtion froM thE original builDing. above a grounD-lEvEl viEw of thE nEw garDEn.

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pendicular to the original building, creating two gardens on both sides of the original chapel to form an H-plan configuration. As the view toward the Saint-François River proved to be too important, this idea was dropped in favour of extending and terminating the central axis with a well-proportioned U-shaped expansion that is connected to the chapel through an active common gathering space. This strategy also provided every room with a view of the river while framing a centrally located outdoor garden accessed from the main gathering space. The garden concept was developed by NIPpaysage, and has plants that bloom from spring to early autumn.

Both the client and architects wanted to encourage the nuns in the long-term-care facility to move about the entire building as much as possible, and to mingle with their relatively younger colleagues in the main gathering spaces. This strategy was useful in reducing the dependency on nursing and medical staff to monitor the residents. The convent typically has six medical staff on duty—four during the day and two at night.

A large gabion wall is situated beneath the termination of the two expansion wings. This stone wall is intended to defend the building against regular flooding that occurs nearly every year, while emphasizing the motherhouse’s connection to the riverfront. “We can feel that this overall campus was moving toward the river,” notes Frappier. Some attempts were made to create a riparian landscape in front of the gabion wall, but this did not occur. Hopefully, a more resolved planting scheme will be designed in the future.

The architects chose a blue-grey face brick for the new wings to complement the slate roof on the original building, while providing contrast to the historic red brick. The reflective nature of the blue-grey brick was also helpful in presenting a dynamic range of colour under a variety of light conditions. Perhaps most importantly, the bluegrey brick was chosen to express a clear distinction between the health-care facility and the main motherhouse, providing a level of reassurance to the more able-bodied Daughters who are not yet ready to move into an assisted-living environment. Tucked in at the back of the new facility is a service area that is easily accessible by ambulances and paramedics, keeping such activities far away from the chapel entrance. Visitors arriving at the campus can clearly distinguish between the sacred programmatic elements of the motherhouse and chapel and the more prosaic health-care functions. At one point during the design-phase discussions, there was talk of having a separate building for long-term care but this strategy was heavily discouraged by the architects. Having a completely separate building would give the impression to the Daughters that this was a building where they would go to die.

Along with many architects—in Quebec partic-

thE ovErall Massing of thE MothErhousE, with thE nEw hEalth-CarE aDDition in thE forEgrounD. above, leFt to right two viEws show thE rElationship bEtwEEn thE nEw hEalth-CarE wing anD thE stonE basE anD gabion walls. thEsE stonE basEs follow thE gEoMEtry of thE natural shorElinE as MuCh as possiblE, antiCipating thE annual flooDing in thE arEa.

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ularly—Frappier was seduced by the allure of torrefied wood, largely because of the rich hues it offers and its affordability in comparison to traditional wood cladding materials. Torrefied wood—essentially roasted wood—consists of heating wood at high temperatures to lower its moisture level to almost zero. The wood is then stabilized with a steam injection to bring the material’s moisture content back up to around four percent. The end product offers a richer colour palette, but the material is also sensitive to cracking. After having experimented with torrefied wood, Frappier is eager to return to working with traditional materials such as concrete and brick.

“We can produce a lot of interesting architecture with standard materials that we have been using for thousands of years,” he states. One of the architectural motifs that he finds particularly interesting is the contrast between soft and hard materials. Thus, to accentuate the integrity of the project’s material palette, he juxtaposed the softer qualities of the wood with the solid aspects of the brick veneer. “For me, architecture is about the manipulation of objects, not a manipulation of façades,” he adds.

Financing for the project came from the motherhouse’s collective savings. Most of the Daughters had been earning salaries as teachers or nurses, and are now collecting their pensions and spending their money saved up over the years. There was no set budget, but the project was certainly designed with quality in mind—the Daughters were not interested in paying higher operating costs over the long term as a consequence of selecting inferior building materials.

They even managed to include geothermal and radiant-floor heating in the project. Although the client chose to withhold the final budget, the construction cost worked out to be roughly 15-20 percent more expensive than a typical developer project. Throughout their lives, the Daughters have put considerable faith in God, and when it came time to put faith in their architects, it wasn’t too much of a stretch. But faith is not blind. The 12-person building committee was extremely drawing-literate and the members were able to ask pertinent questions throughout the design and construction process.

Along with Benoit Dupuis, Allaire, Courchesne and Frappier established ACDF* in September 2006. Dupuis recently left to set up his own firm, while the three remaining partners continue to evolve their approach to operating a practice that is different from most similarly sized firms. The three prefer to work on every project together, rather than divide the office into three defined segments. Typically, Courchesne handles the business side of the practice, while Allaire looks after some of the technical and project management aspects. Frappier dedicates his time to design development. This division of duty has 44 canadian architect 11/10

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enabled the office to achieve a consistent standard of work, while strengthening the office’s collaborative spirit. Allaire was the partner in charge for the motherhouse’s expansion.

With an office of around 50 people, ACDF* is going through a period of new growth. It has been pursuing tower projects in Vietnam, and is currently working on two interesting projects here in Canada—the Cité Collégiale main campus in Ottawa, and the library competition that they recently won in Saint-Eustache, Quebec. Certainly, their expansion to the motherhouse for the Daughters of Charity in Sherbrooke indicates that they are able to marry sophisticated building programs with an evocative architectural expression to better define and give identity to regional centres. ca

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client DaughtErs of Charity of thE saCrED hEart of JEsus in shErbrookE architect team sylvain allairE, MaxiME-alExis frappiEr, guy CourChEsnE, bEnoit Dupuis, lisE parEntEau, laurE giorDani, Joan rEnauD, MariE-EvE barnabÉ, robErt DEQuoy, JaCQuEs DEslanDEs, MathiEu st-hilairE, Martin houlE, DEnis lavignE, suzannE MonDor, gabriEl villEnEuvE structural CiMa + mechanical/electrical tEknika hba landscape CiMa +, nip paysagE (garDEn ConCEpt) area 56,680 ft2 budget withhElD completion fEbruary 2010 south section

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thE original briCk ConvEnt; thE sErviCE aCCEss for aMbulanCEs anD DElivEry truCks is tuCkED in bEhinD thE CoMplEx anD bEnEath thE hEalth-CarE wings; a viEw insiDE onE of thE hEalth-CarE rooMs. right on axis with thE ChapEl, thE Main gathEring arEa EnCouragEs thE MorE infirM MEMbErs of thE ConvEnt to soCializE with thE gEnEral population of thE MothErhousE. opposite, top to bottom

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Designing for the World Canada is privileged to have one of only 30 national pavilions at the Venice Biennale in Architecture – an unparalleled opportunity to showcase Canada’s profession on the world stage.

Every two years the Canada Council for the Arts identifies a worthy recipient for this exclusive presentation.

Hylozoic Ground – Philip Beesley (2010) 1 41° to 66°: Architecture in Canada - Region, Culture, Tectonics – co-curated by architectural professors John McMinn and Marco Polo and organized by Cambridge Galleries (2008) 2 SweaterLodge – Pechet and Robb Studio of Vancouver (2006) Metamorphosis: Found Objects – Saucier + Perrotte (2004) 3 Next Memory City – Michael Awad, David Rockeby and Eve Egoyan (2002) Un Dictionnaire… – Melvin Charney (2000)

PHOTO: MICH

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Architecture Canada | RAIC and the RAIC Foundation are committed to ensuring the Canadian architectural profession shines on the world stage in the manner it deserves, and with the profession’s support, to make the most of this exclusive showcase of Canada’s architectural excellence.

For this reason, the RAIC Foundation will be collecting contributions* dedicated to enhancing Canada’s presence at the Biennale. * Every contribution is entitled to a tax receipt.

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With every architect’s help, Canada’s best contemporary architecture can continue to be showcased to the world.

Send cheque today:

2012 Venice Biennale c/o RAIC Foundation 330-55 Murray St. Ottawa ON K1N 5M3

Or donate online:

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10/14/2010 4:46:27 PM

everybody’s business

one of a number of business schools in the process of getting makeovers at universities across canada, the renovation and expansion of the sauder school of business at the university of british columbia represents the changing culture of business education.

Sauder SCHOOL OF BuSINeSS, VaNCOuVer, BrItISH COLumBIa aCtON OStry arCHIteCtS INC. text adeLe Weder photos NIC LeHOux, uNLeSS OtHerWISe NOted proJect

architect

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Business is a sector that prides itself above all in innovation, being on top of time, adapting to changing conditions; moreover, it is proud to stand out. The architecture of the head office has sporadically reflected this—among others, Johnson Wax and the Seagram Building—but business schools have traditionally dissolved into the general morass of university architecture, neither distinctive nor particularly suited to the subject.

Breaking away from that sorry tradition is the Sauder School of Business at the University of

British Columbia. At the centre of the campus, the major addition to and renovation of a shopworn mid-1960s building is just the first phase of a multi-year wholesale transformation of the entire complex. But with its penthouse addition, five-storey wraparound expansion and all the amenities within it, it’s the key phase.

Led by Russell Acton, Marc Ostry and Alex Percy, the design team faced a “dog’s breakfast” in the old Thompson Berwick & Pratt (TB & P) building, recounts Acton. The original 1965

SymBOLS OF INterNatIONaL CurreNCy are INgeNIOuSLy uSed aS pIxeLS tO FOrm grey-SCaLe ImageS OF dONOrS’ FaCeS. above tHe COLOured gLaSS Façade OF tHe Career CeNtre INjeCtS SOme VItaLIty INtO tHe uBC CampuS, a muCH Needed BOOSt durINg VaNCOuVer’S FrequeNt OVerCaSt dayS. opposite

structure was appended in the 1970s by two Brutalist blocks and then in the 1980s by a Postmodern tower.

When Acton Ostry first took on the project, the complex was not only dilapidated but completely untenable with respect to current standards of

student comfort. “Here we’re talking about a world-class business school, with the highest standards of research in Canada, and yet they had a terrible facility,” recalls Acton. In addition to its inefficiency in handling modern interactive technology, the building had few provisions for 11/10 canadian architect

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the student body in general. Between classes, students sat on floors in dark hallways, recalls Acton: “It just wasn’t dignified.”

The key ambition was to bring light, comfort, visual unity and “corporate cool” into the project.

For the five-level addition, the design team employed the concept of a bar code as the generating device for the pattern of the glazed façade wrap.

The result is an evocative alternation of transparent and translucent glass panels—a leitmotif for the project. “It counters the banality of how glass is used in the city,” says Acton.

At the heart of the transformation is the fullheight atrium, defined on one side by the old classroom block and on the other three sides by the new addition. The atrium serves as focal point, plan generator and unifier, fusing the original building with the new five-storey addition and creating a hub to which the spokes of every other department can link.

Open from basement to top floor, the atrium’s skylit ceiling undams a flood of daylight that seems to pour into every nook and corridor, right down to the sub-grade floor at the very bottom. On the upper levels, the balusters of the wraparound balcony fence correspond in position and scale to the vertical concrete ribs projecting from the older façade, visually uniting the two structures.

The light-and-transparency motif carries through with interventions on the older building.

TB & P’s classroom block is now topped with a VIeW OF tHe rear Façade tOpped By tHe VaLLey-rOOFed LeaderSHIp CeNtre; tINted gLazINg OFFerS deLICateLy Hued Framed VIeWS OF tHe CampuS; tHe aLmOSt reLeNtLeSS eaSt Façade FaCeS tHe CampuS’S maIN maLL; a gLaSS-COVered arCade OFFerS prOteCtION FrOm tHe eLemeNtS OutSIde tHe CaFé.

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Acton Ostry’s penthouse addition, which comprises the Robert H. Lee graduate school. The fully glazed addition streams light into the top floor, and offers a sun-filled corner lounge and outdoor deck for stressed-out grad students on their breaks.

The mode of education delivery has been inverted from teacher-centred to student-oriented, says the school’s dean, Dan Muzyka—or “Dean Dan,” as he is affectionately known by students and peers alike. It’s a salutation that reflects the changing culture in business education. Traditonal school-design approaches have been based on the proverbial “sage-on-stage” model, where the instructor was the focus of the program, and the architectural environment was built around that premise.

The more interactive, student-led approach requires more breakout rooms, lounges, and basic gestures to accommodate the presence of students. Program and facilities are increasingly geared to allow students to participate proactively in their education. The contemporary business school, says Muzyka, is “less about teaching and more about learning.”

In this project, transparency is a concept that moves beyond the literal and symbolic into a practical tool for conveying a fusion of the two.

The concept is put to its most distinctively powerful use for the donor recognition program. In place of a lugubrious gilt-framed oil painting or a sterile engraved metal plaque, the architects devised a brilliant mode of incorporating donors’ likenesses into the glazed interior walls on each floor. A series of “grey-scale” images, similar to the half-tone photographs in old-fashioned newspaper photographs, was generated using the symbols of international currency as pixels. It’s an ingenious concept, one that sublimates the

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aCtON OStry arCHIteCtS aCtON OStry arCHIteCtS

SeatINg IS prOVIded IN tHe WIde aNd WeLL-LIt CONCOurSe tHat ruNS aLONg tHe atrIum. a pIxeLLated gHOSted Image OF a FaCe appearS ON ONe OF tHe INterIOr gLaSS dONOr WaLLS. opposite tHe atrIum rISeS OVer FIVe StOreyS, aNd SerVeS aS a FOCaL pOINt, pLaN geNeratOr aNd uNIFIer. top

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maIN maLL puBLIC OpeN SpaCe CaFé CONCOurSe atrIum uNdergraduate tHeatre

gender and age of the donors (i.e., male and middle) into an abstraction of the person. As you approach each glass donor wall, you can read the bio-info plaque but the fritted pixellation dissolves the facial outlines; as you walk away, the identity of each donor becomes more literally apparent.

For good measure, the school’s eponymous donor gets the full monty: a four-storey glass panel of Mr. William L. Sauder, former head of International Forest Products, towers up through one atrium wall segment like a centuries-old conifer. The trees get their due as passive donors too, by way of a similar fritted pixellation of a forest scene, embedded in the glass wall of the student lounge.

This concept of a grey-scale recurs throughout the project, more abstractly in the glazed grid of the rear façade. Here, a strategic mix of transparent panels, opaque glass panels, and steel ventilation grilles create a pattern, generating an artful arrangement. Crowning this wing of the project is the valley-roofed Jimmy Pattison Leadership Centre. Constructed with huge ribs of bentwood glulam beams, each of its two lobes generates a strikingly curved roofline that acts as a counterpoint to the rectilinearity of the main building, set back from the rooftop edge in a gesture of astute restraint.

Business is a sector that often measures its success through quantitative terms, but in this case, it’s the qualitative observations that are more useful. On this reporter’s recent site visit— just a typical Wednesday morning in the middle of the fall term—the students looked markedly at ease in their new built environment. They ensconce themselves comfortably in the groundfloor café, which is entirely open to the main foyer but for a row of energetically hued limegreen seismic braces. Or they lounge around on the oversize “sitting steps” built into the staircase outside of the main auditorium. And they seem mostly bereft of that university-student pallor

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West Vancouver and two elementary schools in Haida Gwaii, presented a young and culturally ambitious firm with a slight tendency to overcomplicate things visually. This much larger and more complex project is ironically the firm’s most cohesive major work. Perhaps a higher level

generated by cheap fluorescent lighting and sleep-deprived angst.

This massive and well-orchestrated synthesis of function and aesthetics marks the entry of Acton Ostry into a different league. The firm’s earlier work, such as the Har El Synagogue in 1 2 3 4 5

uNdergraduate tHeatre BreakOut rOOm uNdergraduate CeNtre CLaSSrOOmS LIBrary

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of discipline was honed or summoned by the relentless demands of such an intricate project.

Whatever the case, the Sauder School of Business transformation is a brilliantly unified response to a highly complex and demanding program. The interflowing spaces and deft use of ma-

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terials relay the school’s energy, inclusiveness and interaction with society, as Muzyka says. “The symbolism is very important,” he maintains. “Business is not apart from society, and business needs to be transparent.” ca

above left a deCadeS-OLd pHOtOgrapH CaptureS tHe HaNdSOme SImpLICIty OF tHe OrIgINaL uBC BuSINeSS SCHOOL deSIgNed By tHOmpSON BerWICk & pratt IN 1965. above CurVed gLuLam BeamS prOVIde a dyNamIC CONtOured rOOFLINe IN tHe LeaderSHIp CeNtre.

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

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SeCurIty graduate CeNtre uNdergraduate CeNtre meetINg BreakOut exIStINg CLaSSrOOm tHeatre exIStINg admINIStratION exIStINg reStauraNt LaNe uNdergraduate tHeatre CLaSSrOOm

client uNIVerSIty OF BrItISH COLumBIa architect team ruSSeLL aCtON, mark OStry, aLex perCy, SteWart CHILd, aNtONIO COLIN, aNNaLISa meyBOOm, ryaN mCCuaIg, peter padLey, VOLker rItter, raFaeL SaNta aNa, mark SImpSON, NeBO SLIjepCeVIC, HaNNaH teICHer, SergeI VaHkrameeV, aNdreW WeyrauCH, mattHeW WOOd, daVId zeIBIN structural gLOtmaN SImpSON CONSuLtINg eNgINeerS, jm eNgINeerINg mechanical COBaLt eNgINeerINg electrical StaNteC landscape pHILLIpS FareVaag SmaLLeNBerg interiors aCtON OStry arCHIteCtS INC. contractor SCOtt CONStruCtION grOup

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acoustic daNIeL LyzuN & aSSOCIateS audiovisual mC2 SyStem deSIgN grOup furniture, fixtures and eQuipment CarOLINe WeBSter Wayfinding gaLLOp/VarLey code gage BaBCOCk civil eartH teCH, FraNSeN eNgINeerINg building envelope read jONeS CHrIStOFFerSeN area 58,500 Ft2 (NeW CONStruCtION); 48,500 Ft2 (reNOVatION) budget $45 m completion jaNuary 2010

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insites

secrets of the Beehive

When­designing­for­bees­in­the­public­ realm,­one­must­consider­a­variety­of­ issues­such­as­ethics,­practicalities­and­ broader­ecological­considerations. ­brendan­cormier ­brendan­cormier­and­christopher­ pandolfi Photos­sabrina­malach teXt

GraPhics

Bees may have more to do with architecture than we think. In the past few years, these proverbial labourers have entered into the conversations of designers as a handful of projects and headlines have appeared highlighting their importance to our ecosystem and our own daily life. Rooftop honey farms and community apiaries are some of the design projects emerging in response to in­ creased awareness about the ecological signifi­ cance of bees.

For many architects, the idea of designing for bees offers exciting possibilities in en­ vironmental design. Wary of an already omni­ present greenwash manifested in architectural

renderings, designers are seeking to raise the bar in sustainable thinking by pursuing what Italian architect Stefano Boeri has calls “a non­ anthropocentric urban ethics.” This means going beyond an ethic that simply aims to satisfy the needs of humans to an ethic of satisfying the needs of all life forms.

Bees have emerged in the design world as one of the first species to be considered in this new urban ethic, confronting designers with two essential questions—“What exactly are the life needs of bees and how can we design with those needs in mind?” the importance of Bees

Ironically, bees are a good starting point in non­ anthropocentric thinking precisely because we are so dependent on them. According to a recent report by environmental economist Nicola Gallai in the transdisciplinary journal Ecological Economics, it is estimated that bees are responsible for $218 billion worth of our crop production worldwide through the pollination services they

­a­chef­oversees­honey-manufacturing­operations­on­the­14th-floor­ roof­garden­of­the­fairmont­royal­york­ in­toronto.­the­honey­produced­is­used­ for­the­hotel’s­oWn­restaurants.

aBove

provide. Roughly one­third of what ends up on our plate is in some way or another produced through animal pollination, and some plant spe­ cies are wholly dependent on bees cross­pollin­ ating their seeds during bloom season for surviv­ al. The almond tree is a good example. Every year in February, beehives are trucked in from around America to park in Californian almond orchards to ensure that there will be another season of al­ mond trees, making it the largest “managed pol­ lination” practice in the world.

The current interest in locally produced food has also exalted the profile of the bee, with urban agriculture and honey farming revealing the pro­ ductive role that bees play in the city. The close relationship between humans and bees is one of the reasons many say that bees can play an im­ 11/10­­canadian architect

­61

A Day in the Life The typical North American backyard is inhabited or visited by roughly 30 different species of bees. “A Day in the Life” explores some of the basic actions and behaviours performed by bees on a daily basis. With a greater understanding of how bees live among us we can start to adapt and change our living habits in order to create an environment we can both thrive in.

Honey Bees drink nectar from the side of some plants.

Honey Bee

Bumble Bees snap open the floral head and exchange pollen while they sip on the nectar.

Solit ary B The dance is used to help communicate new and various sites in order to find a new home.

Mov em

ent

Nectar C ollect io The Bee is discovered by Karl Von Frisch.

Foraging

Commun icatio n

40°

ee

nn

The dance is described by a figure 8. The central part of the 8 is disected by 2 lines. While moving along this line the bee waggles its body. Different waggles symbolize different things.

The Alkali Bee nest consists of a series of tunnels.

The Mason Bee builds its nest with pebbles and is held together by glandular secretions.

Trees

The Leaf Cutter Bee makes its home in the hollows of leaves.

Pebbles Leaves

The dance is used to help communicate different food sources to the colony.

Pollen sac with egg

Solitary B ee Hone y Be

Hygiene i n t h e Hiv e

e

Honey Bees are able to detect larvae that die.

Genetics show that different bees have different capabilities. Some are able to uncap but not able to remove the dead larvae and vice versa with others who cannot uncap. This act helps to prevent the spread of disease within the Hive.

Ground

Habitta t

Trees

Leaves

Colony sizes can reach into the thousands.

Dea th

The Carpenter Bee deposits its eggs in holes burrowed through wood.

The Honey Bee, unlike the Solitary Bee, lives in a communal hive.

Disease The Honey Bee will depart from the hive if sick. Leaving to die on its own prevents the spread of sickness.

Bee Killers Varroa Mite

Fungi Nosema ceranae

An external parasitic mite that attacks honey bees. It attaches at the body of the bee and weakens kens e h the bee by sucking hemolymph, in the process spreading RNA.

Electromagnetic Radiation n

A ssmall, m unicellular parasite tha that mainly affects Apis Cerana, the Asiatic honey bee.

C K Known to kill a bee after 8 days.

Pesticides

Research has shown that bees can n be negatively affected by electromagnetic radiation. Cellphone ch towers are the main source of such radiation.

Colony Collapse Disorder

Much of the decline in bee populations is attributed to widespread use of pesticides in farming practice.

CCD

A phenomenon in which worker bees from a beehive or European honey bee colony abruptly disappear.

Bee Rentals

Bees trucked around the country to pollinate fields causes bee confusion and exhaustion, contributing to early death.

Bee Collapse

35

# of states reporting cases of bee colony collapse disorder.

62­canadian architect­11/10

45%

average bee population loss as reported by beekeepers.

5.9

# of millions of managed honey bee colonies in 1947.

2.4

# of millions of managed honey bee colonies in 2005.

portant educational role in getting people to bet­ ter understand ecological processes. Community groups and food activists have responded in kind by installing beehives in community gardens to play such a role.

In 2005, honeybee populations suddenly began to decline through a mysterious phenomenon called Colony Collapse Disorder. Beekeepers re­ ported a 45 percent drop in the population of their colonies and until recently, there was no rational explanation for this die­off. The event had the media and several important thinkers postulating a dystopian world without bees—most notably in Douglas Coupland’s 2009 novel Generation A. The news also helped propel bees into popular conversation and is possibly re­ sponsible for some of the new bee­related design propositions we are seeing today. toronto: a Bee’s city

There is evidence to suggest that Toronto is be­ coming an important centre for bee­related pro­ jects and research. Several key figures are push­ ing a broader discussion around bees and expanding our collective imagination as to the fu­ ture role that they can play in the city. In 2008, the Fairmont Royal York made headlines when it announced that they would start their own honey manufacturing on the 14th­floor roof garden.

The story was widely circulated as it nudged against preconceptions of the downtown being a concrete island, and spoke to the bee’s versatility in searching out food sources and navigating to its vertigo­inducing home base. Local not­for­ profit food distribution organization FoodShare mirrored the hotel’s efforts by implementing several beehives in local community gardens, and initiating a group called the Toronto Beekeepers Cooperative, which offers courses in honey har­ vesting.

York University professor Laurence Packer has also been instrumental in bee research and con­ veying the importance of bees to a broader pub­ lic. Working with the David Suzuki Foundation, he helped release a small booklet, which profiles the 22 major species of bees in Toronto, as well as several other important pollinators. He urges the public to look beyond the honeybee to the larger, more complex and diverse world of wild bees. Together with his team of researchers, they are hoping to study how bee pollination can help sustain a burgeoning urban agriculture move­ ment. The study would be one of the first to focus on the effects that wild bee pollination has on ­a­detailed­diagram­illustrates­the­ Ways­in­Which­honey­bees­Work,­live,­ and­communicate­amongst­themselves.­ Left­facts­and­figures­des­crib­ing­ the­threats­and­dangers­to­bee­populations­in­north­america.

toP Left

urban food production.

Finally, International Pollinator Week debuted this summer, further entrenching Toronto as a centre for all things bee­related. The event was organized by York University student Sabrina Malach and the week­long event included work­ shops, exhibits, lectures and a cabaret—all aimed at communicating to the public the importance of pollinators and fostering new partnerships and collaborations between pollinator enthusiasts. designing for the Bees

Having established the global and local signifi­ cance of bees, and how bees are a logical stepping stone in non­anthropocentric thinking, the im­ portant question now is to ask what the implica­ tions are of designing for bees in the public realm?

At the basic level, promoting rooftop gardens, on­site hives, and native plant vegetation which wild bees thrive on, are seemingly easy steps in this direction—although there are technical, poli­ cy, and client obstacles that need to be overcome.

Anecdotal stories have already pointed to bee­ hives being placed too close to ventilation sys­ tems, thereby causing bees to subsequently in­ vade the interiors of buildings. Also, the negative notion of bees as pests needs to be countered to convince clients that fostering a healthy on­site bee population is a good idea in the first place.

Probably the thorniest issue, however, is a legal one. Most jurisdictions place spatial limits on beekeeping. In Ontario, the law requires that any beehive be placed a minimum of 30 metres from a property line. In a city where property widths are an average of 7 to 10 metres, this effectively rules out the idea of beekeeping in the city. Most new beekeepers simply ignore the law, but in­ cluding mention of beehives in any set of draw­ ings used in a building permit application is a quick way to rapidly become entangled in a bu­ reaucratic mess.

Perhaps the more interesting question of de­ signing for bees emerges at the urban and re­ gional scale. Urban development can have many deleterious effects on local bee populations and some cities do substantially better than others in fostering a sustainable environment for bees.

Berlin, with its verdant landscape and numerous plots of vacant land, has one of the healthiest populations of bees in Europe. Conversely, Phoe­ nix, Arizona is a heavily paved and sprawling city, and has seen its bee diversity plummet through­ toP riGht­bee­colonies­have­been­established­in­various­locations­across­ toronto,­such­as­on­top­of­the­fairmont­royal­york­and­the­evergreen­ brick­Works.­ riGht­a­map­of­toronto­ attempts­to­describe­the­variety­and­ density­of­bee­populations­across­the­ vast­city.

Local Habitat

30

approx. average # of bee nests in a typical Toronto backyard.

500m

12

typical foraging distance from the hive of a large bee species. The grid on the map is set at 500m intervals.

approx. # of different species 5 - high-rises or high asphalt content 20 - wooded areas 30 - suburban homes not close to ravines or parks

# of community bee farms currently run by Foodshare.

40 - downtown homes 50 - houses backing onto ravines and parks 70 - large parks

Local Production

320

# of kg honey that can be produced from the three hives at the Fairmont Royal York.

10,000 30m # of honey bees being kept on the 14th-floor rooftop garden of the Fairmont Royal York.

The minimum legal distance at which a bee farm can be placed from a property line.

11/10­­canadian architect

­63

strips in order for bees to thrive in urban envi­ ronments.

It is evident that there is a mountain of work to do in order to properly plan and design with bees in mind. Official plans, land­use maps and stra­ tegic park planning all need to work together in hemming the negative effects of needlessly sprawling urban development and fostering healthy bee populations. Policies regarding bee­ keeping need to be altered, and green roof prac­ tices need to be refined. Most importantly, an education campaign needs to be sustained to get people over their fears and misconceptions about

out the course of its urban development. In Michael Klemens’s book Nature in Fragments: The Legacy of Sprawl, he documents how typical patterns of urban sprawl can help kill off whole species of bees in a given area. Because the forag­ ing radii of certain smaller species are limited, a development pattern that includes a lot of pave­ ment or hard surfaces can effectively cut off a bee from its nest, thwarting access to the plant sourc­ es it requires. Isolated parks and green islands are not enough to sustain populations, as in­ breeding weakens the genetic code of the species.

The alternative is to plant continuous green

bees. However, such an ominous workload should not overshadow the strides that have been made by simply beginning to address the issue.

Non­anthropocentric design thinking opens up new opportunities for ecological design innova­ tion, and it is evident that bees have become the stepping stone to this kind of thinking. ca Brendan Cormier received a Master of Science from the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar. He is part of the Toronto-based research and design collective called the Department of Unusual Certainties.

Bee Rental Example of an annual route for bee rentals, shipped across the country following the bloom seasons of different crops

3&4

Yellow indicates states where cases of CCD have been reported

The Dakotas for Alfalfa and Clovers Late June - Early July

Maine

N. Dakota N. Dakota to S. Dakota 210 +/- mi

2

S. Dakota

Missouri to California

California

Maine for Blueberries and Cranberries Mid-May

S. Dakota to Missouri 450 +/- mi

Maine to N. Dakota 1900 +/- mi

1500 +/- mi

6

Missouri

5

California for Almonds February

Florida to Maine 1400 +/- mi

Missouri for Goldenrod Late August - September

Total 5460 Miles

Florida

Transport trucks act as an extension of the bee’s normal foraging radius.

1

Florida for a wide variety of Citrus Fruits March - April

Local Preservation # of steps recommended by York University Professor Laurence Packer in order to maintain healthy bee populations in the city.

1. Grow bee-friendly plants, preferably native species (see images below) 2. Provide nest sites for bees 3. Do not use pesticides Cardinal Flower

Bee Balm

Lupine

English g Lavender Nasturtium

64­canadian architect­11/10

4. Buy organic food whenever possible 5. Walk on the grass (improves habitat for ground nesters) 6. Encourage bee-friendly practices at various governmental levels

Sage Zinnia

Cosmos Co C o osmos

Mint Fuch Fuchsia hsia

Phlox Honey Suckle uccklle

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Books

reviewed BY

­Ian­ChodIkoff­and­BIndya­Lad

Full spectrum: the architecture of Jeremy sturgess Edited­by­Geoffrey­Simmins.­Calgary:­University­of­Calgary­Press,­2010.­

This limited-edition book from the University of Calgary Press is a collection of essays describing the impact that architect Jeremy Sturgess has made on the city of Calgary and the Prairies, and in contributing to architectural dialogue in Canada over the past 30 years. Encased in a jarringly vivid box emblazoned with fuchsia text on the cover, the book screams colour—something that is seemingly part of Sturgess’s overarching design philosophy. One of the book’s essays, David Down’s “Chromatic Iconoclast,” elaborates on Sturgess’s fascination with colour, equating this preoccupation with a very human approach to building—seen in the design for the Chuzenji Kanaya Hotel in Japan (1989). There, Sturgess fuses the Canadian mountain lodge typology with Japanese architecture, allowing the landscape to behave as a colourful backdrop to the hotel. Full Spectrum contains nine booklets, each one bearing its own distinct colour and containing dozens of inspirational sketches and informative drawings of a wide range of projects. Designed by Melina Cusano, the book is thoughtfully edited by Geoffrey Simmins, who is also the curator of the travelling exhibition bearing the same name. Full Spectrum includes a requisite essay by Trevor Boddy—a Prairie-minded iconoclast in his own right—who has followed Sturgess’s career since he himself was an architecture student. Anne Suche has written an insightful essay that examines Sturgess’s multi- and single-family residences, and an essay by Keith Orlesky discusses the importance of Sturgess’s contribution to the evolution of the Calgary urban design fabric. Other essays include those by George Baird—a former teacher of Sturgess, and Derek Besant—a well-known artist who has worked with Sturgess in Calgary’s arts scene for many years. ic Building a University: the architecture of UnB By­John­Leroux.­fredericton:­Goose­Lane­Editions,­2010.

This year, the University of New Brunswick (UNB) is celebrating its 225th anniversary. UNB is Canada’s oldest English-language university and has

grown in size by nearly 25 percent over the past eight years, reaching a student population of 12,000. Written and compiled by John Leroux—an architect, historian and native son of New Brunswick—Building a University: The Architecture of UNB is a richly illustrated compilation that documents this university’s proud history. From its modest beginnings inside a Loyalist schoolhouse in 1785, the university became one of the most important universities in Canada when it moved into its impressive King’s College building in 1829. Leroux’s book captures the evolution of building UNB, a history that followed a markedly different trajectory than the great era of university building in the mid-1960s—which saw the creation of Canadian campuses for Simon Fraser University, the University of Lethbridge, Trent University, and the University of Toronto at Scarborough.

Leroux divides the development of UNB into seven distinct building periods, many of which were marked by innovative buildings. However, Modernism was a reluctant arrival to UNB. When the university’s Memorial Student Centre opened in 1955, the building symbolized a definitive break from its past, but the adoption of subsequent Modernist buildings did not immediately occur. Under the influence of architect and urban planner Fred Larson, the architecture of the UNB campus in Fredericton during its expansion phase from the late ’50s to the late 1960s was decidedly Georgian and largely influenced by traditionally planned college campuses across the Northeastern United States. This resulted in buildings constructed of red brick with wooden sash windows and copper-clad gabled roofs. When the University of New Brunswick in Saint John (UNBSJ) campus began construction in the late 1960s, the architecture was unapologetically Modern, inspired by the energy created by John Andrews and his massive site-cast concrete Scarborough College for the University of Toronto. From 2003-2005, the urban design firm of Brook McIlroy developed detailed plans for both UNB campuses, advocating a set of principles that adopt social, environmental and sustainable economic growth as models for development. Looking into the 21st century, and as UNB pursues higher-density planning approaches that are safe and accessible while embracing more collaborative efforts with the community, we can only surmise how subsequent books will examine the future of this often overlooked Canadian university. ic 11/10­­canadian architect

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st. andrews architecture 1604-1966 By­John­Leroux­and­Thaddeus­holownia.­kentville,­ nova­Scotia:­Gaspereau­Press,­2010.

With the blessing of King Henry IV, a 79-man expedition from France sailed to Acadia in 1604 in search of fur, fish and other riches for export to Europe. This early expedition landed a few kilometres up the mouth of the St. Croix River to establish the first year-round settlement, but it wasn’t until 1783 when some of the 14,000 American refugees loyal to Great Britain foundede what eventually became present-day St. Andrews. The Loyalists immediately laid out a typical British grid pattern over the land to establish the streets of St. Andrews. (In 1998, the town grid was designated a National Historic District by the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada.) St. Andrews prospered as the secondary economic hub in the province up until the 1840s when global trading patterns changed.

The advent of the steam ship along with a lack of sufficient rail lines to St. Andrews strangled the community economically. As Leroux notes, “had it not been for the peculiar activity of growing turnips...there would have been little or no optimism.” But along came tourism, an integral component to the economic prosperity of St. Andrews that continues to this day. Thousands of people vacation in the region every year, often staying at the Algonquin Hotel (1889), or living in one of the many Cape Cod cottages, Georgian manors

An enduring passion for wood.

and Shingle Style summer homes originally constructed for wealthy American families or captains of industry from Montreal. In 1905, the Canadian Pacific Railway acquired the Algonquin Hotel, thereby promoting St. Andrews as a healthy seaside community with a championship golf course and a host of outdoor activities. Along Water Street, there is Georgian architecture that dates back to the late 1700s and early 1800s, in addition to fine examples of mercantilist Loyalist and Victorian architecture.

Queen and Edward Streets contain a host of Greek, Classical Revival, Neoclassical, Cape Cod and Georgian-styled single-family residences. One of the highlights of the architectural history of St. Andrews is the influence of the Arts and Crafts movement in addition to the Shingle Style on its many grand manors. This can be seen in the iconic Pansy Patch, an Arts and Crafts building designed by Montreal architect Charles Saxe. Many spectacular homes designed by Montreal-based architects Edward and William Maxwell are still standing, such as Rosemount (1908), Hillcrest (1909) and Cliffside (1912). On Minister’s Island, the Maxwells also designed one of the largest barns ever built in the province (1899). Even Modernism entered the realm of St. Andrews with the elegant W.C. O’Neill Arena (1962, 1965) by the Associated Designers and Inspectors of Fredericton, followed by John Disher of Saint John. Another favourite is the Sir James Dunn Academy (1966), also designed by Disher. The book is beautifully printed and contains over 150 richly hued black and white photographs taken by Thaddeus Holownia, who, along with John Leroux, has certainly succeeded in conveying the unique social history of St. Andrews through its architecture. ic stroll: Psychogeographic walking tours of toronto By­Shawn­Micallef.­Toronto:­Coach­house­Books,­2009.

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More of a personal journal rather than a guidebook, Shawn Micallef’s latest publication entitled Stroll: Psychogeographic Walking Tours of Toronto, shares his memoirs as he explores the vastness of Toronto’s built form on foot. The book expands upon Micallef’s EYE WEEKLY column “Stroll”—now called “Psychogeography.” His walking tours provide a series of colourful narratives documenting the effects of geographical factors on a wide range of human emotions and behaviour in the city. Micallef’s stories provide intimate details of Toronto’s neighbourhoods, streets, buildings and their architects, along with the people affected by them. Commenting on the social, economic, political, and aesthetic forces involved in creating and maintaining these spaces, Micallef makes considerable effort in discussing the neglected, ignored, and often overlooked—all of which become more evident when walking. Walks are conveniently grouped according to area, allowing one to complete them in succession. Although the majority of walking tours are focused on the downtown, some of the itineraries stretch out to Scarborough, North York, Etobicoke, and Mississauga to capture places such as Pearson International Airport. Each walk is introduced by a legend indicating appropriate attire, suitable age groups, trip duration, recommended equipment, and connecting strolls. The text is supplemented with maps, illustrations and historic photographs which add a scrapbook appeal to the overall project. Stroll is a recommended read for those who enjoy Micallef’s interpretations of the city, for urban enthusiasts who now call Toronto home, and for people who simply possess a modicum of curiosity and a good pair of comfortable walking shoes. BL

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calendar Julian Bleecker lecture

November 18, 2010 As part of the Design Matters lecture series hosted by the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Environmental Design, Julian Bleecker of Near Future Laboratory in Los Angeles speaks at 7:00pm at the Uptown Stage and Screen in Calgary. Admission is $5 but free for University of Calgary students. www.evds.ucalgary.ca Coy Howard: Part II—Whispers and Echoes

November 19, 2010-January 9, 2011 This exhibition at the Los Angeles Harbor College Fine Arts Gallery takes the form of an installation of shrouded forms and enigmatic writings, exploring some perennial issues of architectural experience. www.sciarc.edu Mirko Zardini lecture

November 22, 2010 As part of Carleton University’s Forum Lecture Series, Mirko Zardini, Director of the

Canadian Centre for Architecture in Montreal, delivers a lecture at 6:00pm at the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa.

Gregory henriquez: the inclusive city

November 22, 2010 This lecture by Gregory Henriquez of Vancouver’s Henriquez Partners Architects takes place at 6:00pm in Room G10 of the Macdonald-Harrington Building at McGill University. www.mcgill.ca/architecture/lectures/ cities alive Green roof and Wall conference

November 30-December 3, 2010 Taking place at the Pan Pacific Vancouver Hotel and Vancouver Convention Centre, this conference is an excellent opportunity to learn from a wide variety of experts the latest in research, policy, design, and product development for green roofs, walls and other forms of green infrastructure. http://citiesalive.org/

hans hollein: alles ist architektur (everything is architecture)

December 1, 2010 Esteemed Pritzker Prize-winning Viennese architect Hans Hollein lectures at 7:00pm in the W. M. Keck Lecture Hall at SCIArc in Los Angeles. www.sciarc.edu construct canada 2010

December 1-3, 2010 Taking place at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Construct Canada features over 1050 exhibits, the very latest in products, technologies, best practices and applications for the design, construction, operation, retrofit, and renovation of all types of buildings. And with over 450 speakers, the seminar program will focus on a wide range of educational sessions on improving project delivery and smart business practices, leadingedge technology for project design, green buildings, building environments and performance, building envelope solutions, legal, regulatory and risk management, and design

trends for building interiors. www.constructcanada.com todd hirsch lecture

December 2, 2010 As part of the Design Matters lecture series hosted by the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Environmental Design, Todd Hirsch, Senior Economist at ATS Financial in Calgary speaks at 7:00pm at the Uptown Stage and Screen in Calgary. Admission is $5 but free for University of Calgary students. www.evds.ucalgary.ca hilary Sample: recent Work

December 8, 2010 Hilary Sample of New York’s MOS Architects lectures at 7:00pm in the W. M. Keck Lecture Hall at SCI-Arc in Los Angeles.

MOS, led by Michael Meredith and Hilary Sample, is an interdisciplinary practice engaging in architecture and design through an inclusive methodology of research, expansive collaboration and extensive experimentation. The work develops

Taking a Fresh Look at the World as a Whole.

A Global History of Architecture, Second Edition

Francis D. K. Ching, Mark M. Jarzombek, Vikramaditya Prakash The award-winning First Edition of A Global History of Architecture was a publishing event that forever changed the way architectural history is viewed and studied.

Translated into five languages to date, it has set a high bar for both scholarship and presentation of 5,000 years of the built environment.

This Second Edition surpasses the first with a lavish new design, illustrated throughout with drawings and photographs in full color, and even more maps and diagrams detailing global interconnections. The signature drawings of Francis D.K. Ching are more informative than ever, updated with scale, annotation, and function.

This revision is sure to remain the most relevant book on the topic.

A GLOBAL HISTORY OF

ARCHITECTURE SECOND EDITION

F R A N C I S D. K . C H I N G MARK M. JAR ZOMBEK V I K R A M A D I T YA P R A K A S H

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By taking a fresh look at the world as a whole, and looking at what went on in different parts at specific time periods, A Global History of Architecture transcends older models of architectural history.

About the author:

Francis D.K. Ching is Professor Emeritus of Architecture at the University of Washington. He is the author of numerous architecture and design books, including Architecture: Form, Space, and Order; Architectural Graphics; Interior Design Illustrated; and Building Construction Illustrated, all from Wiley.

978-0-470-40257-3 | Cloth | 864 pages | November 2010 | $114.00

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through research, ranging from typology, digital production, structure, material, program and use, to larger networks of social, cultural, and environmental consideration. www.sciarc.edu

Chicago presents more than 30 proposals and ideas from an international group of architects and designers, including Florencia Pita/ mod, Jurgen Mayer H., R&Sie(n), Experimental Jetset, EMERGENT/ Tom Wiscombe, Arik Levy, Studio Makkink & Bey, Shigeru Ban, Joris Laarman, Nacho Carbonell, and Matali Crasset. Instead of borrowing from past discourses, these architects and designers move beyond them with projects that illustrate the potential that is inherent in more open-minded and inventive ways of working that encourage innovative new directions, fresh thinking, and discovery. www.artic.edu

gary. Admission is $5 but free for University of Calgary students. www.evds.ucalgary.ca conversations in design Symposium

January 27, 2011 The Interior Design Show will be hosting its second annual Conversations in Design Symposium, presented by Relative December 9-10, 2010 Taking place at Space and the City of Toronto. Ten the Holiday Inn Yorkdale in Toroninternational thinkers and designto, this unique summit provides an ers will share their practical experiengaging platform for a variety of ences with crowdsourcing, social experts in disciplines including media and open source as it relates planning, architecture, policy deto commercial design practice and velopment and real estate, to intehumanitarian design practice. grate their diverse disciplines to Speakers include John Winsor (Vicensure suburbs develop sustainably. tors & Spoils, Boulder); Matthias Themes touched upon include mitiHollwich (HWKN, New York City); gating environmental degradation, Heather Fleming (Catapult Design, enhancing liveability, and progresadam caruso lecture sive smart growth strategies.

January 6, 2011 As part of the Design San Francisco); Cameron Sinclair (Architecture for Humanity, San www.sustainablesuburbs.ca Matters lecture series hosted by the Francisco); Jason Bruges (Jason University of Calgary’s Faculty of Environmental Design, Adam Caru- Bruges Studio, London); Douglas Hyperlinks: Architecture and Coupland (Vancouver); Hunter Tura so of Caruso St. John Architects in Design Vicwest Cndn Arch Half Horz ads:Layout 1 8/23/10 11:04 AM Page 1 London, UK speaks at 7:00pm at the (Bruce Mau Design, Toronto); Roo December 11, 2010-July 20, 2011 This Rogers (Redscout Ventures, New Uptown Stage and Screen in Calexhibition at the Art Institute of 2nd annual retrofitting & planning Sustainable Suburbs

York City); Helen Walters (Monitor Innovation/Doblin, New York City); Dan Rockhill (Rockhill + Associates/ Studio 804, Kansas); and Robert Fabricant (frog design inc., New York City). www.conversationsindesign.com 2011 interior design Show

January 27-30, 2011 Taking place at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, the Interior Design Show is in its 13th year, and is Canada’s largest contemporary design event. The newest and most innovative in international and Canadian products are annually presented by 300 exhibitors. Legendary design stars and fresh talent are set to share their ideas through never-before-seen exhibits and inspiring talks. www.interiordesignshow.com For more inFormation about these, and additional listings oF Canadian and international events, please visit www.canadianarchitect.com

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28 Uses for al PUrdy’s a-frame al purdy’s iConiC a-framE CottagE is nEstlEd in idylliC roblin lakE, ontario, and sErvEd as poEtiC inspiration for muCh of his work.

left

Efforts arE undErway to prEsErvE lEgEndary Canadian poEt al purdy’s Crumbling a-framE CottagE, in hopEs of inspiring gEnErations of poEts to ComE. teXt

adElE wEdEr dunCan pattErson

Photo

Al Purdy’s A-frame cottage is very much like his poetry: an architecture of the everyday, cobbled together from found objects—right down to the bent ventilation plate that serves as one of its ad hoc pilings.

Built in 1957 by the poet himself on the shores of Roblin Lake, Ontario, Purdy’s modest cottage loomed large in the poet’s life and work. This “ragged cobweb against the sky,” as he described it, became the locus classicus for literary gatherings; for much of his writing, it served as both fodder and factory. As raw and rustic and beloved as the poet himself, it eventually aged into his “crumbling little house,” as he wrote in the 1990 poem “An Arrogance.”

Purdy died in 2000, but if a dedicated group of friends and colleagues get their way, his little 74 canadian architect 11/10

house won’t crumble to dust but will instead be preserved to inspire the next generation of poets.

Led by writer Jean Baird, the preservation campaign now has its own monograph, The Al Purdy A-Frame Anthology. Just released by Harbour Publishing, the book serves jointly as fundraising tool and literary tribute to both Purdy and the A-frame typology itself.

In the anthology’s essay “Thinking Through the A-Frame,” designer and architectural graduate Duncan Patterson pays tribute to Purdy and his domestic handiwork and also to the building type itself. Patterson became interested in Purdy’s A-frame while researching his Master’s thesis at the University of Waterloo School of Architecture. He wondered whether there was a Canadian analogue to Heidegger’s mountain hut and all its embedded inspiration. It didn’t take him long to discover Purdy’s legendary construction. And though ultimately it didn’t figure in his thesis, the subject stuck with him, inspiring his contribution to the anthology.

Patterson cites from Purdy’s “An Arrogance” to suggest a link between his A-frame and the poetics of construction: the cleaving on an

A-frame’s sharp peak that changes, as Purdy observed, “the contour of the earth itself,” and which fences in “a portion of the sky.” There is much in common between both the tasks and creations of the poet and the architect, suggests Patterson.

Purdy had remembered the plan for the A-frame as coming from House Beautiful—an irony probably relished by this beer-drinking barroom romantic. But Patterson deduces that it was, in fact, ordered from an edition of Canadian Homes and Gardens that featured the A-frame on its cover and a boast that you could construct it for a mere $2,000. “It was this everyman architecture that anyone can build, and Purdy was an everyman poet,” notes Patterson. It fits.

In some ways, the humble vernacular A-frame cottage is perhaps the most unmodern house of our time, an icon of Canadian hoser architecture.

Its ferociously steep roofline reaches close to the ground, obliterating the possibility of sidewall glazing and steeping its corners in shadow. But the darkness was fitting, too. Eventually the cottage became a memento mori, as suggested in “An Arrogance,” in which Purdy wrote: my small passion for permanence is to stand outside at night (conceding probability to the “Big Bang”) in the full rush and flow of worlds dancing the firefly dance of the universe stand on my local planet and neighbourhood galaxy beside my crumbling little house inside my treacherous disappearing body while the dear world vanishes and say weakly & I don’t like it & I don’t like it —to no one who could possibly be listening.

Adele Weder divides her time between the Queen Charlotte Islands and Vancouver.

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73

82

91

2

11

20

29

38

47

56

65

74

83

92

3

12

21

30

39

48

57

66

75

84

93

4

13

22

31

40

49

58

67

76

85

94

5

14

23

32

41

50

59

68

77

86

95

6

15

24

33

42

51

60

69

78

87

96

7

16

25

34

43

52

61

70

79

88

97

8

17

26

35

44

53

62

71

80

89

98

9

18

27

36

45

54

63

72

81

90

99

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