Canadian Architect March 2012

$6.95 mar/12 v.57 n.03

Technique & Design

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contents

21 Buchanan courtyard pavilion PublIc archITecTure + communIcaTIon along wITh PhIllIPs farevaag smallenberg have InTroduced a hIghly sculPTural PublIc sPace InTervenTIon aT The unIversITy of brITIsh columbIa ThaT brIngs beauTy, vITalITy and meanIng To The camPus. teXt adele weder

26 centre for interactive research on sustainaBility The TenacITy of a few key vIsIonarIes have raIsed The bar globally for susTaInable buIldIng, embodIed by ThIs groundbreakIng new research facIlITy on The unIversITy of brITIsh columbIa camPus by PerkIns+wIll canada. teXt sean ruThen

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news

ang Shu of The People’s Republic of W China wins the 2012 Pritzker Architecture Prize; Alberta Association of Architects presents the renowned 2012 Banff Session.

16 report

35 technical

John marTIns-manTeIga/domInIon modern

Jyhling Lee documents the intensely collaborative process of putting together Migrating Landscapes, Canada’s entry to the Venice Biennale in Architecture.

Courtney Healey discusses the rigorous Passive House principles employed by Measured Architecture Inc. to construct extremely energy-efficient homes.

39 practice

Nadia Amoroso relays how creative mapping techniques and research are becoming an integral part of the architectural and landscape design practice.

45 Books

Two recent publications further examine the continuing evolution of the Canadian cities of Vancouver and Toronto.

49 calendar

march 2012, v.57 n.03

The cenTre for InTeracTIve research on susTaInabIlITy In vancouver. PhoTo by marTIn Tessler.

cover

Liz Diller lectures at the University of Toronto; Preston Scott Cohen lectures at the University of Calgary.

50 Backpage

Ian Chodikoff introduces John MartinsManteiga’s labour of love, Métro: Design in Motion.

The NaTioNal Review of DesigN aND PRacTice/ The JouRNal of RecoRD of aRchiTecTuRe caNaDa | Raic 03/12 canadian architect

5

IbI GrouP arChIteCts

viEwpoint

a new student resIdenCe for ryerson unIversIty wILL be fInanCed by the PrIvate seCtor. It Is an exaMPLe of what the druMMond rePort ConsIders to be the new reaLIty for the deLIvery of PubLIC servICes In ontarIo.

AbovE

The recently published 562-page report entitled the Commission on the Reform of Ontario’s Public Services—otherwise known as the “Drummond Report”—has already had a significant impact on the ways in which provincial budgets across Canada are being considered. Chaired by Don Drummond, the former Toronto-Dominion Bank chief economist, the report gives an overview of Ontario’s economy and the many threats that are impeding its growth. How might this report impact the ways in which design commissions are awarded to architects by municipal and provincial governments in the future?

Architects might expect to see more retrofit projects in their public sector work. The government of Ontario is the largest owner of buildings and land in the province, with a portfolio worth about $14 billion. Given that the average age of provincially owned buildings is 46 years, it is expensive to maintain the vast majority of Ontario’s real estate holdings. Last year, the province spent $842 million to operate and maintain its realty holdings, most of which are in the form of jails, courts and hospitals. However, the province does own a number of office buildings in which many of the various overlapping ministerial functions can be consolidated, thereby reducing the government’s “realty footprint” while providing revenue streams for itself through sale-leaseback agreements, transferring air rights, or an outright selling off of land. This could provide some interesting work for architects.

Evolving alternative financing and procurement (AFP) methods for capital projects will become increasingly prevalent in public sector work. For example, postsecondary institutions 6 cAnAdiAn­ArchitEct 03/12

will likely choose the AFP approach for projects that do not qualify for government funding (i.e., student residences). Ryerson University recently announced that its new 500-bed residence will be developed through a public-private partnership with the MPI Group who will handle the construction and development costs while Ryerson will provide a steady stream of student tenants. Other ways in which Drummond sees postsecondary educational facilities improving the management of their operational budgets is through an increased reliance on renewable energy and energy-efficient designs. Hopefully, this will also translate into more work for architects.

The biggest percentage of any provincial budget is allotted to health care. In Ontario, the health-care budget is roughly 40 percent of the total budget and our aging population is estimated to add approximately one percent every year to the cost of running hospitals and communitycare facilities. This is an area where architects can provide their expertise. The report cites Denmark as a country that stopped creating new long-term-care beds in the late 1980s to focus on building a wider variety of housing types that can be adapted for the elderly. As a result, over 80 percent of Denmark’s elderly population lives independently while receiving home care and community social support. In this instance, good design has saved precious health-care dollars.

One major public policy gap at all levels of government is in the realm of social and affordable housing—an area of jurisdiction that is the responsibility of Ontario’s municipalities despite the fact that provincial governments are the ones who set the standards for municipalities to follow. In 2011, Ontario signed a three-year agreement with the federal government to allocate $480.6 million (shared evenly between the federal and provincial governments) to fund the creation and repair of roughly 6,000 affordable housing units. With no federal funding commitment beyond the end of this agreement, there will be little long-term financing to spend on building, repairing or operating any more social and affordable housing. This situation will open up opportunities for non-profit and/or private interests to deliver this kind of housing. Architects can also play a pivotal role by helping to organize fledgling partnerships, and to design innovative projects through them.

The Drummond Report can be considered a useful guide for architects as there are many possibilities for our profession to help municipal and provincial governments reform the delivery of effective public services. If we are involved in the process, we might find ourselves working on better projects in the public sector.

Ian ChodIkoff

ichodikoff@cAnAdiAnArchitEct.coM

­Editor Ian ChodIkoff, OAA, FRAIC AssociAtE­Editor LesLIe Jen, MRAIC EditoriAl­Advisors John MCMInn, AADIpl. MarCo PoLo, OAA, FRAIC contributing­Editors GavIn affLeCk, OAQ, MRAIC herbert enns, MAA, MRAIC douGLas MaCLeod, nCARb rEgionAl­corrEspondEnts 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 AssociAtE­publishEr GreG PaLIouras 416-510-6808 circulAtion­MAnAgEr beata oLeChnowICz 416-442-5600 ext. 3543 custoMEr­sErvicE MaLkIt Chana 416-442-5600 ext. 3539 production JessICa Jubb grAphic­dEsign sue wILLIaMson vicE­prEsidEnt­of­cAnAdiAn­publishing aLex PaPanou prEsidEnt­of­businEss­inforMAtion­group bruCe CreIGhton hEAd­officE 80 vaLLeybrook drIve, toronto, on M3b 2s9 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: $54.95 plus applicable taxes for one year; $87.95 plus applicable taxes for two years (hst – #809751274rt0001).

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news PrOjects Paul Laurendeau’s award-winning troisrivières amphitheatre project beginning construction document phase.

Characterized by a slender roof supported by eight thin columns, this award-winning 10,000seat amphitheatre in Trois-Rivières, Quebec is designed by Montreal-based Paul Laurendeau Architecte in consortium with local TroisRivières firm Beauchesne Architecture | Design.

Sure to be a striking landmark in this small community, the amphitheatre consists of a covered orchestra with 3,500 fixed seats and a lawn accommodating 5,500 people. A stage and fly tower accommodate a variety of shows ranging from rock, jazz and pop concerts to Broadway musicals to ballet and circus acts. During winter months, a huge guillotine door closes the stage opening, allowing its interior to be used for receptions, private events, shows and banquets. The geometric roof concept arose from the need to provide shelter for the fixed seating area. Its form covers and integrates the fragmented volumes of the backstage functions (loading dock, storage, dressing rooms, administration offices) and the fly tower. Measuring a vast 80 x 90 metres, the roof’s slender edge gently slopes underside from 10 millimetres to 6 metres at its centre. Monumental letters facing the Saint Lawrence River are constructed of solid wood, recalling the site’s former life as the home of a paper mill. With a budget estimated at $41 million, the project is scheduled for completion in 2014. www.paullaurendeau.com/amphitheatre-3rvssl/ ryerson University developing new student residence in downtown toronto.

To meet growing demand, Ryerson University has announced a modern new student residence project in downtown Toronto that will create more than 500 additional spaces. The residence, to be developed by the MPI Group and designed by IBI Group Architects, is expected to open in September 2016. “This new residence will add more than 500 beds, increasing the number of residence spots by 30%—and this is just the first wave of 2,000 new residence spaces that we plan to add by 2020,” said Sheldon Levy, president of Ryerson University. The innovative public-private partnership between Ryerson and the MPI group will see the private company cover all of the construction and development costs while the university will provide the student tenants for the building as well as a range of vibrant student life services. The proposed residence is in keeping with Ryerson’s approach to city-building and reflects the core principles of the Ryerson Master Plan: urban intensification, putting people first

through pedestrianization of the urban environment, and a commitment to design excellence.

While the design of the new student residence has not been finalized, preliminary plans feature a two-storey podium at grade providing retail and other services, and a 20+-storey building offering a mix of 1-, 2-, 3- and 4-bedroom units.

awards wang shu of the People’s republic of china named the 2012 Pritzker architecture Prize Laureate.

Wang Shu, a 48-year-old architect whose architectural practice is based in Hangzhou, The People’s Republic of China, was announced as the recipient of the 2012 Pritzker Architecture Prize by Thomas J. Pritzker, chairman of The Hyatt Foundation which sponsors the prize. The formal ceremony for what has come to be known throughout the world as architecture’s highest honour will take place in Beijing on May 25, 2012.

The purpose of the Pritzker Architecture Prize, which was founded in 1979 by the late Jay A. Pritzker and his wife, Cindy, is to honour annually a living architect whose built work demonstrates a combination of those qualities of talent, vision and commitment, which has produced consistent and significant contributions to humanity and the built environment through the art of architecture. The laureates receive a $100,000 grant and a bronze medallion. According to Pritzker Prize jury chairman, The Lord Palumbo: “The question of the proper relation of present to past is particularly timely, for the recent process of urbanization in China invites debate as to whether architecture should be anchored in tradition or should look only toward the future. As with any great architecture, Wang Shu’s work is able to transcend that debate, producing an architecture that is timeless, deeply rooted in its context and yet universal.” Wang earned his first degree in architecture at the Nanjing Institute of Technology, Department of Architecture in 1985.

Three years later, he received his Master’s degree

­A­strikingly­elegAnt­new­Amphi­ theAtre­in­trois­rivières­by­pAul­lAuren­ deAu­Architecte­in­consortium­with­ beAuchesne­Architecture­|­design­is­ scheduled­for­completion­in­2014.

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at the same institute. When he first graduated from school, he went to work for the Zhejiang Academy of Fine Arts in Hangzhou undertaking research on the environment and architecture in relation to the renovation of old buildings. Nearly a year later, he was at work on his first architectural project—the design of a 3,600-squaremetre youth centre for the small town of Haining.

In 1997, Wang Shu and his wife, Lu Wenyu, founded their professional practice in Hangzhou.

By the year 2000, he had completed his first major project, the Library of Wenzheng College at Suzhou University. In keeping with his philosophy of paying scrupulous attention to the environment, and with careful consideration of traditions of Suzhou gardening which suggest that buildings located between water and mountains should not be prominent, he designed the library with nearly half of the building underground. His other major projects completed, all in China, include in 2005, the Ningbo Contemporary Art Museum and five scattered houses in Ningbo which received acknowledgement from the Holcim Awards for Sustainable Construction in the Asia Pacific. In that same city, he completed the Ningbo History Museum in 2008. In his native city of Hangzhou, he did the first phase of the Xiangshan Campus of the China Academy of Art in 2004, and then completed phase two of the same campus in 2007. True to his methods of economy of materials, he salvaged over two million tiles from demolished traditional houses to cover the roofs of the campus buildings. That same year in Hangzhou, he built the Vertical Courtyard Apartments, consisting of six 26storey towers, which was nominated in 2008 for the German-based International High-Rise Award. Also completed in 2009 in Hangzhou was the Exhibition Hall of the Imperial Street of Southern Song Dynasty. Other international 03/12­­canadian architect

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recognition includes the French Gold Medal from the Academy of Architecture in 2011. The year before, both he and his wife, Lu Wenyu, were awarded the German Schelling Architecture Prize. Since 2000, Wang Shu has been the head of the Architecture Department of the China Academy of Art in Hangzhou. Last year, he became the first Chinese architect to hold the position of “Kenzo Tange Visiting Professor” at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. He is also a frequent visiting lecturer at many universities around the world, and has participated in a number of major international exhibitions. www.pritzkerprize.com winners of the alumia Prize for Photography and design announced.

Winners of the Alumia Prize for Photography and Design produced extraordinary photographs that capture the unique qualities of aluminum in architecture and industrial design. The $5,000 first prize was awarded to Xavier Proulx who chose as his subject the Schulich School of Music at McGill University. Four second-prize winners each received $1,000: Yien Chao won for photographs of Théâtre de Quat’Sous; Alexandre Guérin photographed the water filtration plant in Lévis; Olivier Blouin chose Westmount Square as

his subject; and Amanda Wormsbecker portrayed the essence of aluminum in photographs of the Georges-Émile-Lapalme Cultural Space at Place des Arts. Honorable Mention awards of $500 went to: Stéphanie Vermeersch for her photographs of the Édifice Normand-Maurice; Hugues Rivest for his portrayal of Place Ville-Marie; Étienne Bourque-Viens for images of the Canadian Centre for Architecture, Noémie Latour for the Moulin de la Chevrotière Bridge and Julie Charette for photographs of outdoor lighting fixtures, Luminaires Leonis. Commenting on the final submissions, jury member Ian Chodikoff, Editor of Canadian Architect, noted that “This inaugural photography competition revealed the value and significance of an extremely adaptable and versatile building element—aluminum. The photographs exhibited a rigorous approach in expressing the themes present in the architecture of the projects, while extolling the more poetic aspects of aluminum.” The Alumia Prize for Photography and Design is an initiative of the Aluminum Association of Canada which represents the three largest producers of aluminum in Canada: Alcoa, Aluminerie Alouette and Rio Tinto Alcan.

An exhibition and publication of the works will soon follow. www.alumia.ca

cOmPetitiOns 100-mile house: Open ideas competition.

The Architecture Foundation of British Columbia has announced the launch of a new ideas competition which invites participants to explore, rethink, question and experiment with new ideas that will challenge the concept of the regional house and the way we live. Historically, most houses were constructed as 100-mile houses— from caves, sod houses, log cabins and stone houses to the First Nations’ indigenous cedar houses, tepees and igloos. People worldwide used whatever available materials were at hand to build shelters for themselves and their families.

But is this possible in a modern 21st-century city like Vancouver? This competition will challenge all participants to rethink the way we live and select materials, systems and technology that reflect this reality in the world of computers, the internet and Facebook. Geographically, the Foundation has selected the city of Vancouver to be the focus of the competition for the 100-Mile House. Participants are challenged to design a house to accommodate four people with a maximum area of 1,200 square feet using only materials and systems made/manufactured/recycled within 100 miles of the city of Vancouver. The

individual basins now available!

10­canadian architect­03/12

registration deadline is on April 19, 2012, followed by the submission deadline on April 26, 2012. There is a $50 CDN entry fee per submission ($20 CDN for students). www.100mh.architecturefoundationbc.ca

what’s new alberta association of architects presents the renowned 2012 Banff session.

Every two years, the Alberta Association of Architects holds a conference in the beautiful Rocky Mountains of Banff, Alberta. In an arena of open dialogue, unencumbered by the everyday pressures of the workplace, the Banff Session provides an opportunity for those involved in the practices of architecture and interior design to discuss their work, ideas and beliefs. Five keynote speakers and a collective of esteemed professional development speakers will explore how “cultural context” impacts and enhances design decisions and working methods while connecting people to places. Keynote speakers include Anna Heringer of Anna Heringer Architecture in Salzburg, Austria; Craig Dykers of Snøhetta in Oslo, Norway and New York; Kim Nielsen of 3XN in Copenhagen, Denmark; Lauren Rottet of Rottet Studio in Houston, Texas; SOPREMA_PubSopraRock-CanadianArchitect.pdf and Lorcan O’Herlihy of LOHA in Los Angeles,

California. Registration closes on April 13, 2012. www.banffsession.ca important Yonge street landmark finally to be revitalized.

Toronto’s MOD Developments Inc. has purchased 197-201 Yonge Street in the celebrated Theatre Block in downtown Toronto. The 20,000-squarefoot site contains the historically designated Canadian Bank of Commerce Building, designed by Darling & Pearson Architects in 1905, which has been vacant since 1987. MOD plans to completely restore the four-storey portion of the bank and erect a 60-storey mixed-use development behind the historic landmark. For this project, MOD has assembled a team that includes Tricon Capital Group Inc. as financial partners, and Hariri Pontarini Architects as project architects. ERA Architects will act as heritage consultants, Cecconi Simone Interiors will provide interior design direction, and Janet Rosenberg and Associates are the landscape architects for the project. www.moddevelopments.com request for proposals for third phase of saskatoon city centre Plan.

Saskatoon is enjoying an era of unprecedented 1 12-02-22 3:07 PM growth and development, and with a diverse and

vibrant economy, growing population, and highly rated quality of life, all indications suggest that this trend will continue. At the same time comes recognition of the need to adapt to address new challenges including sustainable growth, economical provision of services, and responsiveness to the diversity of its population. Saskatoon’s City Centre, which includes the downtown core and adjacent areas, is also experiencing significant change. In January 2009, the City of Saskatoon initiated the City Centre Plan Project.

The purpose of the four-year project is to develop a new comprehensive Plan for the downtown and adjacent areas situated along important corridors to the City Centre. The Plan is intended to create the vision for the City Centre, and ensure that the downtown remains the heart of commercial, office, retail and high-density residential uses.

Phase 1 and 2 of the City Centre Plan have now been completed, and Phase 3 is underway, the purpose of which is to develop a comprehensive plan detailing an integrated approach to achieving the desired vision for the City Centre as defined in Phase 1 and 2. All submissions must be received prior to 3:00pm (CST) on April 5, 2012. www.saskatoon.ca/departments/community%20 services/planningdevelopment/urbandesign/citycentreplan/Pages/CityCentrePlan.aspx

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12­canadian architect­03/12

ISSuE 34.1 SPRINg 2012

Architecture Canada starts the year with new Board In keeping with Architecture Canada | RAIC’s Board term that follows the annual calendar, David Craddock, FRAIC, stepped into his role as President with the ringing in of the new year. He will be joined on the Executive by Paul E. Frank, FRAIC, First vice-President, Wayne De Angelis, FRAIC, Second vice-President and Past President, Stuart howard, PP/FRAIC.

2012 Board Members

New to the Board as Regional Directors are: Samuel oboh, MRAIC, (Alberta/NWT), Michael Cox, MRAIC, (Saskatchewan/Manitoba), and Edmond Koch, FRAIC, (Atlantic). They join: Leslie M. Klein, FRAIC, (Ontario Southwest), Allan Teramura, MRAIC, (Ontario North East & Nunavut), Jean-Pierre Pelletier, FIRAC, (Québec) and Steve Boulton, MRAIC, (Interns and Intern Architects).

1st Vice-President and President-Elect Paul E. Frank, FRAIC

Barry Johns, FRAIC, (Chancellor of College of Fellows) and Kendra Schank Smith, MRAIC, (Council of Canadian university Schools of Architecture) round out the Board.

See RAIC’s web site for the 2012 President’s Message.

President David Craddock, FRAIC

2nd Vice-President and Treasurer Wayne De Angelis, FRAIC Immediate Past President Stuart Howard, PP/FRAIC Regional Directors

Festival organizers welcome Patron sponsor The Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Architects and Architecture Canada | RAIC are pleased to welcome the Cement Association of Canada as Patron sponsor of this year’s Festival of Architecture – Deep Roots in a New Energy City. The Festival takes place June 12-16 at the Delta St. John’s Hotel and Conference Centre.

Renew now and keep receiving a complimentary Cana­dian­Architect Remember RAIC membership comes with the benefit of a free subscription to Canadian Architect – please ensure address details and mailing preferences are correct by logging in to the Services Portal on RAIC’s web site.

The 2012 renewal season is in full swing. Login to access the renewal form, with the option of paying instantly by credit card or request an invoice by selecting the pay by cheque option.

Samuel Oboh, MRAIC (Alberta/NWT) Michael Cox, MRAIC (Saskatchewan/Manitoba) Leslie Klein, FRAIC (Ontario South and West) Allan Teramura, MRAIC (Ontario North and East/Nunavut) Jean-Pierre Pelletier, FIRAC (Quebec)

The schedule features speakers – featuring Ted Cullinan, hon. FRAIC, Peter Busby, FRAIC, Robert Mellin, FRAIC, and Archaeologist gerald Penney, as well as offering a wide variety of ConEd and great opportunities for professional networking, and of course, the chance to tour St. John’s and enjoy the sights.

Check out festival.raic.org and register soon – hotel rooms will be scarce and delegates are advised to book flights and hotel rooms early or risk finding camping on the Rock the only option left.

Wayne De Angelis, FRAIC (British Columbia/Yukon)

Edmond Koch, FRAIC (Atlantic) Chancellor of College of Fellows Barry Johns , FRAIC The Rooms Museum, Art Gallery and Archives | Architect: PHB group Inc. | Photo: Chris Crockwell

Council of Canadian University Schools of Architecture (CCUSA) Kendra Schank Smith, MRAIC Director Representing Interns and Intern Architects W. Steve Boulton, MRAIC Executive Director Jim McKee

Migrating Landscapes on tour in Canada The National exhibition of Migrating Landscapes has arrived at the Winnipeg Art gallery. The winners will form the young, architectural “Team Canada” that goes to the 2012 venice Architecture Biennale. To date 90 per cent of the budget has been raised and help is needed to raise the final $100,000 to ensure that Canada looks great on the world stage.

Please donate on RAIC’s web site using the Venice Biennale Fund: Make a Donation button, and receive a charitable tax receipt and help the next generation of Canadian architects and designers!

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 4 . 1 PRINTEMPS 2012

2012 marque l’entrée en fonction du nouveau Conseil Conseil d’administration de 2012 Président David Craddock, FRAIC Premier vice-président et président élu Paul E. Frank, FRAIC Deuxième vice-président et trésorier Wayne De Angelis, FRAIC

Le nouveau président d’Architecture Canada | IRAC, David Craddock, FRAIC, est entré en fonction au début de la nouvelle année, car les mandats des administrateurs suivent maintenant l’année civile. Feront également partie du comité exécutif, Paul E. Frank, FRAIC, premier vice-président, Wayne De Angelis, FRAIC, deuxième vice-président, et Stuart howard, PP/FRAIC, président sortant.

Le Conseil accueille par ailleurs les nouveaux administrateurs régionaux suivants : Samuel oboh, MRAIC, (Alberta /T.N.-O.), Michael Cox, MRAIC, (Saskatchewan/ Manitoba), et Edmond Koch, FRAIC, (Atlantique) qui se joignent aux administrateurs dont le mandat se poursuit : Leslie M. Klein, FRAIC, (sud-ouest de l’Ontario), Allan Teramura, MRAIC, (nord-est de l’Ontario et Nunavut), Jean-Pierre Pelletier, FIRAC, (Québec) et Steve Boulton, MRAIC, (stagiaires et architectes stagiaires).

Président sortant de charge Stuart Howard, PP/FRAIC

Enfin, le Conseil compte parmi ses membres le chancelier du Collège des fellows, Barry Johns, FRAIC, et la représentante du Conseil canadien des écoles universitaires d’architecture, Kendra Schank Smith, MRAIC.

Administrateurs régionaux

Lire le Message du président 2012 sur le site Web de l’IRAC.

Wayne De Angelis, FRAIC (Colombie-Britannique/Yukon) Samuel Oboh, MRAIC (Alberta/T.N.-O.) Michael Cox, MRAIC (Saskatchewan/Manitoba) Leslie Klein, FRAIC (Sud et Ouest de l’Ontario) Allan Teramura, MRAIC (Est et Nord de l’Ontario/Nunavut) Jean-Pierre Pelletier, FIRAC (Québec) Edmond Koch, FRAIC (Atlantique) Chancelier du Collège des fellows Barry Johns, FRAIC Conseil canadien des écoles universitaires d’architecture (CCÉUA) Kendra Schank Smith, MRAIC Conseiller représentant les stagiaires W. Steve Boulton, MRAIC 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

Les organisateurs du Festival saluent le Patron de l’événement L’Association canadienne du ciment sera le patron du Festival d’architecture de cette année tenu sous le thème Des assises solides pour la ville des énergies nouvelles, qui se déroulera du 12 au 16 juin, à St. John’s (Terre-Neuve), en partenariat avec la Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Architects.

Les congressistes auront la chance d’entendre les conférenciers Peter Busby, FRAIC, et Ted Cullinan, hon. FRAIC, et de combler leurs besoins en formation continue en plus de rencontrer des collègues et de réseauter et, bien sûr, de visiter la ville de St. John’s et sa région. visitez le festival.raic.org et inscrivez-vous dès maintenant ! D’autre part, les chambres d’hôtel seront rares et nous vous recommandons de réserver rapidement vos vols et votre hébergement si vous ne voulez pas faire de camping (la seule autre option possible).

Renouvelez maintenant et continuez de recevoir gratuitement le Canadian­Architect L’adhésion à l’IRAC donne droit à un abonnement gratuit au magazine Canadian Architect – vérifiez l’exactitude de vos coordonnées et préférences en ouvrant une session dans le Portail de services sur le site Web de l’IRAC. La saison du renouvellement 2012 bat son plein. Ouvrez une session dans votre compte du Portail de services pour obtenir le formulaire de renouvellement. vous pouvez payer instantanément par carte de crédit ou demander qu’une facture vous soit envoyée en cochant l’option « chèque ».

Musée, galerie d’art et archives The Rooms | Architecte : PHB group Inc. | Photo : Chris Crockwell

Migrating Landscapes présentée dans plusieurs villes du Canada L’exposition nationale de Migrating Landscapes est arrivée aux Musée des beaux-arts de Winnipeg. Les lauréats du concours national formeront la jeune « équipe Canada » qui représentera le Canada à la Biennale de venise en architecture de 2012. Jusqu’à maintenant, la campagne de financement a permis d’amasser 90 pour cent de l’objectif final et il manque encore 100 000 $ pour assurer que le Canada puisse se distinguer sur la scène internationale. Nous vous invitons à faire un don. C’est facile, vous n’avez qu’à appuyer sur le bouton « Fonds de la Biennale de Venise : Faites un don » sur la page d’accueil du site Web de l’IRAC. vous recevrez un reçu d’impôt et vous aiderez les architectes et designers canadiens de la relève !

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report

mlo (migrAting lAndscApes orgAnizer)

the road to Venice

the complex process of putting together cAnAdA’s entry to the 13th venice BiennAle in Architecture requires the tireless dedicA­ tion of mAny to represent our country At this prestigious culturAl event. teXt

Jyhling lee

There is a hopeful new model being developed for Canada’s participation in the 13th Venice Bi­ ennale in Architecture, the premier international exposition for architecture. Migrating Landscapes, the selected entry for 2012—along with the assist­ ance of Architecture Canada | Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC)—is ambitiously chang­ ing the entire nature of the program from its funding strategy to national inclusivity. Migrating Landscapes has established a process for mobiliz­ ing and engaging interest in architecture across the country, appealing in particular to emerging architects and regional grassroots support while at the same time strategically building a founda­ tion of financial support in the lead­up towards its final presence in Venice.

Since 2010, the RAIC—with assistance from the Canada Council for the Arts—has taken on the role of project management for the Biennale pro­ 16 canadian architect 03/12

gram to provide support and a fundraising struc­ ture for the selected Canadian team. This much needed role, currently under development, will help sustain the program on an ongoing basis and allows the selected team to focus on the content and evolution of their proposed exhibition entry without the previous financial strain. As a means to build this foundation, Migrating Landscapes has been an ideal and ambitious project model.

Canada has been officially represented on the international stage at the Venice Biennale since 1991, then in 1996, 2000, and every two years following. Nationally, however, general aware­ ness of and interest in Canada’s involvement in the Biennale has been a matter of relatively low public interest. That said, the selected Migrating Landscapes entry is potentially in the process of becoming a success story, offering a new model for engaging national interest in architecture and the Biennale.

In the past, there have been two types of exhib­ itions presented at the Venice Biennale, one being practice­based, focusing on a body of work, and the other being curatorial­based, thematically presenting a pre­selected range of built projects.

For the Migrating Landscapes project, proposed by

A rendered model of the proposed Migrating Landscapes instAllAtion with­ in the confines of the cAnAdiAn pAvil­ ion At the venice BiennAle.

aBoVe

the team known as Migrating Landscapes Organ­ izer (MLO)—led by Jae­Sung Chon (an instructor at the University of Manitoba Faculty of Archi­ tecture), Johanna Hurme and Sasa Radulovic (founding partners of 5468796 Architecture), the distinguishing focus is not on a presentation of their own work or existing architectural works.

Instead, MLO has proposed a curatorial platform from which the content of the exhibition could be generated through an inclusive national competi­ tion staged through a series of seven regional exhibitions and one national exhibition. These exhibitions, in effect, present a survey of emer­ gent architectural thinking and bring the Biennale to Canada as a means for engaging the national audience in the lead­up to Venice.

Migrating Landscapes is a Canadian project. The curatorial intent is to capture the story of migra­ tion and settlement in a new land—a truly Cana­ dian narrative. The story of migration is one that is familiar and personal to our multicultural

PEOPLE + FIGURES MLO Curators: Admin: Regional Coordinators: Volunteers: Jurors: RAIC Project Manager:

SPONSORS Architectural Practices: Provincial Associations: Engineering, Developers, Building/Construction: Individual Donors: Other: Partners:

3 1 8 75 32

35 4 40 13 40 21

FUNDING Canada Council for the Arts: Sponsorship: In-Kind Donations: Total to Date:

$204,000 $384,000 $170,000 $758,000

OTHER Species of Wood: Douglas Fir, Hemlock, Poplar Total Weight of Wood: 25,600 kg

1

WINNIPEG The Forks Market Centre Court NATIONAL EXHIBITION Winnipeg Art Gallery

VANCOUVER BC Museum of Vancouver

CALGARY Alberta College of Art + Design

SASKATOON Mendel Art Gallery

TORONTO Brook eld Place Allen Lambert Galleria

MONTREAL Parisian Laundry

HALIFAX Dalhousie Faculty of Architecture + Planning

BY REGION Projects at Regional Stage: Projects going to National Stage: Volunteers: Pieces of Wood:

BC 15 5 13 8,100

AB 4 3 8 3,400

SK 4 3 12 3,400

MB 12 4 14 8,100

ON 26 4 3 14,100

QC 18 5 15 9,400

demographic. Each one of us carries our own personal migration story through which our rela­ tionship to “dwelling” and architecture is inte­ grally tied. With this understanding, Migrating Landscapes has poignantly established a common point of departure and an emotional connection that has drawn interest from competition partici­ pants, financial sponsors, regional volunteers, and the wider public. The level of support and participation garnered for an architectural pro­ ject slated for the Venice Biennale has to this point been unprecedented.

The theme of migration is strengthened by the fact that the exhibition is itself a travelling show.

The exhibition moves through seven Canadian cities (Vancouver, Calgary, Halifax, Saskatoon, Montreal, Toronto and Winnipeg), culminating at the Venice Biennale in August. The exhibition is conceptually and figuratively a landscape. Com­ posed of a series of square wood modules, the ex­ hibition forms an undulating sculptural terrain that is flexible, malleable, and quickly assembled.

michAel friesen

MARITIMES 7 2 10 4,700

JAcqueline young

VENICE Canadian Pavilion Giardini Pubblici

TOTAL 86 26 60+ 97,000

This landscape becomes the topography within which each competition entry will come to “dwell.” Its distinct aesthetic and material pres­ ence establishes a consistent language between each exhibition (while also introducing a pleas­ antly noticeable wood scent). This highly flexible strategy for absorbing the topography of each competition entry into a seamless topographical whole also becomes the immersive installation landscape through which to experience the exhi­ bit. The strategy also allows it to adapt and morph from exhibition venue to exhibition venue, with the most challenging being the Canadian pavilion in Venice. As a way to test the project in its final space and to bring a piece of Venice to Canada, the layout of each regional exhibition installation follows the outline of a portion of the actual foot­ print of the Canadian pavilion.

Taking on an international exhibition at the Venice Biennale is no small logistical or financial undertaking. Migrating Landscapes has distin­ guished itself by bringing together the impressive

kyle Burrows

A series of imAges cAp­ tures the opening celeBrAtions of the Migrating Landscapes regionAl exhiBi­ tions in winnipeg, cAlgAry, montreAl And sAskAtoon, respectively.

cLocKWiSe FroM aBoVe

involvement and a network of support from across the country. It has taken the scale of the organizational effort and the model for strategic fundraising to a higher level. The main organiza­ tional team is composed of the three curators, one administrative coordinator, and eight volunteer regional coordinators who oversee and manage each regional exhibition installation. The desig­ nated regional coordinators (who are all alumni of the University of Manitoba Faculty of Architec­ ture) have worked to promote interest and mobil­ ize people within their respective communities, engaging with architectural schools, provincial associations, and cultural organizations.

The other critical team member is the RAIC Biennale project manager, Sascha Hastings, who

ryAn Archer 03/12 canadian architect

17

JAcqueline young

kyle Burrows

mlo (migrAting lAndscApes orgAnizer)

kAte thompson

sAschA hAstings

is in the process of establishing a greatly im­ proved strategy for fundraising, aided by the gen­ eral marketing appeal of the Migrating Landscapes project, and by the simple act of starting the fundraising initiative early on. The project has had an impressive track record of connecting to sponsors across the country, and people have re­ sponded for a number of reasons. The project is inclusive; it is about supporting the next genera­ tion of designers; it acknowledges our cultural diversity; and its presence is both national and international. Growing this network of sponsors has happened in part through a word­of­mouth referral process and through new affiliations made with the help of key influential figures. The sponsors and donors vary widely—from the fi­ nancial, corporate and construction sectors to provincial architectural associations to a number of architectural practices and private individuals.

Bringing the Venice Biennale back to Canada through a series of regional exhibitions has also been essential in making the connection to the project tangible. The result of the collective effort is clear. To date, a total of $384,000 (and climb­ ing) in additional funding has been raised to supplement the $184,000 Biennale base project funding from the Canada Council and an addi­ tional $54,000 in other Canada Council program grants. Approximately $170,000 of in­kind donations has also been raised. Although no previous Biennale project has come close to in­

mlo (migrAting lAndscApes orgAnizer)

18 canadian architect 03/12

cLocKWiSe FroM top LeFt the Arduous process of instAlling the regionAl exhiBitions requires the pArticipAtion of not only the mlo teAm But of mAny volunteers, seen in these photogrAphs tAken in toronto, cAlgAry, vAncouver, winnipeg And montreAl. BottoM the migrAting lAndscApes orgAnizer teAm.

dependently raising this amount, it is still a ways from reaching the MLO project budget of $1 mil­ lion, which is the expected cost of carrying out a project of this scope and quality for the inter­ national stage at the Venice Biennale.

What may not be obvious is that Venice is an expensive city with a monopoly on the cost for services, particularly during the alternating Venice Biennale festivals in art and architecture.

Project procurement is affected by challenges re­ lated to the competition for services, limited supplies, and special equipment available on the island, and by other aspects such as the coordin­ ation of works during the critical installation phase in August, which is a holiday month for Italians. As an example of the exorbitant costs in­ volved, transporting an item internationally from Canada to Venice is comparable in cost to locally moving that same item from the Venice port in Tronchetto to the Giardini Pubblici exhibition grounds, a mere 10 kilometres away.

Migrating Landscapes also faces the challenge of designing a compelling exhibition installation and experience within the awkward confines of the Canadian pavilion. Canada is fortunate to have a permanent pavilion within the prime Giardini area amongst the other 29 national pa­

vilions. However, it is tucked away between the British and German pavilions, and there has been some difficulty attracting visitors to the interior of the pavilion due to its introverted architecture.

Somehow, the exhibition will need make its presence known outside the building as a way to entice visitors in. Designed by the Italian archi­ tect Enrico Peressutti from the Milan­based Stu­ dio d’architetti BBPR in 1958, the architectural form of the building is purported to be inspired by the wigwam, which presents a questionable representation of Canada’s architectural identity.

Many have struggled with designing an installa­ tion for this oddly splayed fan­shaped Canadian pavilion, due to its irregular geometry, substan­ dard ventilation, problems with controlling nat­ ural light, and other restrictions. The building and long­term lease of the site are owned by the National Gallery of Canada. However, having recently been designated as a listed heritage building by the Italian government, any wishful thinking with respect to replacing this pavilion with a new one will likely stay as such.

Having firsthand experience assisting with the installation for the Saskatchewan regional exhi­ bition at the Mendel Art Gallery in Saskatoon, the sense of community involvement and volunteer

pArmJit pArmAr/montAnA ridge ent.

JAe­sung chon And JohAnnA hurme stAnd By their proJect in the soAring cAlAtrAvA­designed Allen lAmBert gAlleriA in toronto during the ontArio regionAl reception.

aBoVe

support from local architects, students and carpenters was clear. The design intelligence of the wood modules allowed for the quick and easy creation of the exhibition landscape over the course of two days. The opening event was attended by familiar local supporters and some welcome new participants.

My attendance at the recent Ontario regional exhibition and sponsors’ event held in the appropriately dramatic six­storey Santiago Calatrava­designed galleria at Brookfield Place in Toronto further instilled in me a feeling of optimism for the future of Canadian architecture—particularly while in the midst of such a diverse group of key contributors and sponsors from many sectors, all working together to realize the Migrating Landscapes project.

The last of the regional exhibitions have concluded and all of the finalists are now on display at the national exhibition at the Winnipeg Art Gallery for the month of March prior to the final selection. What seems to be clear in the lead­up to this ambitious project at the Venice Biennale are the lessons being learned in the process. Migrating Landscapes has introduced an in­ clusive new curatorial platform to capture a contemporary expression of Canadian architecture. It has built national interest in and support for architecture by bringing the Biennale to Canada first. It has also set into motion a new strategic approach to fundraising, which will hopefully—with the support of the RAIC—be able to help establish an ongoing and sustain­ able framework to allow future Canadian teams to fully participate in and reflect the best of Canadian architectural culture on the world stage in Venice.

Beyond Venice, Migrating Landscapes has established a timely and highly relevant national competition. It is a model worthy of consideration in the future as a means to survey the evolving and emergent architectural context of our uniquely diverse and multicultural country. ca For more information on Migrating Landscapes and the Venice Biennale, please visit www.migratinglandscapes.ca and www.labiennale.org/en/architecture/.

Jyhling Lee is an architect and public artist based in Saskatoon and Toronto.

Her multidisciplinary practice, Figureground Studio, is focused on the socially enabling role of design within our built environment.

03/12 canadian architect

19

a Public PurPose the first of a series of Public sPace interventions on the university of british columbia camPus merges the high modernism of its context with a sustainable future.

nic­lehoux

­ubc­faculTy­of­arTs­buchanan­courTyard­renewal,­ universiTy­of­briTish­columbia,­vancouver,­briTish­columbia architects­public­archiTecTure­ +­communicaTion­in­associaTion­ wiTh­phillips­farevaag­smallenberg text­adele­weder Photos nic­lehoux,­bob­maTheson ProJect

For many erstwhile denizens of the University of British Columbia, the building known as the Buchanan Block evokes memories of bleak walkabouts, visual monotony, and wayfinding challenges. Designed by Thompson Berwick Pratt and Zoltan Kiss in the late 1950s, the interlocking glass, steel and brick complex is admirable in its formal proportions and clarity.

At the same time, its surrounding space has not only been hostile to student needs but derelict in projecting any sense of its own programmatic identity.

The Buchanan Block is the main centre for UBC’s humanities seminars, but its visual austerity and empty, windswept courtyards have belied that noble purpose for a very long time.

Now, though, the landscape redesign around the Buchanan Block is the harbinger of a massively ambitious overhaul of the university’s outdoor commons and corridors. Its flagship gesture is an as-yet-untitled structure known simply as “the pavilion,” designed by the young firm Public Architecture + Communication—which, like the pavilion itself, is destined to become much better known, used and discussed in the coming years.

The pavilion and its surrounding interventions are elements within the overall master plan for the twin courtyard complex, designed by landscape architects Phillips Farevaag Smallenberg (PFS). Led by Andrew Robertson, PFS had already devised a basic template (with provisions for seating and a rectilinear pond that Public would later design) and have created an otherworldly, naturalistic micro-park in the western courtyard of the complex.

­The­new­sculpTural­concreTe­pavilion­brings­viTaliTy­and­ delighT­To­a­previously­windswepT­and­barren­courTyard,­judging­by­The­number­of­sTudenTs­who­inhabiT­The­sTrucTure.

above

For the adjacent eastern courtyard, it was decided that an outdoor performance pavilion and seating would provide the new animus. At that point, Public was brought in.

Steered by principals Brian Wakelin, John Wall and Susan Mavor, Public is positioning itself as one of the more imaginative design practices in Vancouver. Fittingly enough, both Wakelin and Wall are UBC alumni, receiving their architecture degrees there in the mid-1990s. Wakelin spent his postdegree years honing his skills at Busby & Associates and Acton Ostry Architects; Wall interned at Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architects before starting a small practice which he dubbed Superkül. The two crossed paths often, exchanging ideas and in some cases commissions. Then, recalls Wakelin, “the idea of a large, collaborative practice started to emerge.”

Their firm name is an homage to a Vancouver bar called the Public Lounge, where Wakelin and Wall were imbibing when they made their decision to join forces. Mavor joined shortly afterward as a crucial complement to the two architects: she studied communication design at what was then known as the Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design, and before that, theatre design in Ontario. Mavor’s role is especially important, notes Wakelin, given that the major innovations of the last decade have not been in architecture per se but in media. As the task of architects broadens to encompass an entire spectrum of skill sets and perspectives, the more nimble firms will embody that expertise within their design teams.

The Buchanan Courtyard project is a case in point. Although the pavilion structure is the heart of the project, the program also required Public to de03/12­­canadian architect

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arts Pavilion formwork

unfolded water section

22­canadian architect­03/12

0

20m

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site Plan 1­buchanan­a 2­buchanan­b­(above) 3­buchanan­c 4­buchanan­d

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9­pavilion 10­rain­garden 11­grass­berm

20m

sign the peripheral furniture and building canopies; now they’re focusing on the graphic communications strategy for the entire arts faculty.

The built-in courtyard furniture—amoeba-like backless stools by PFS complemented by built-in wood-and-concrete benches by Public—helps make the courtyard more inviting to pedestrians. But the new seating design is not as compelling as the pavilion itself. A striking mass that cants and folds inwards upon itself, the pavilion is theatrical and people-friendly (even on a cool January day, I saw students taking pictures of it and sitting on its platform bench) while still respecting the High Modernism that surrounds it. “In the context of that site, a more artisanal approach wouldn’t have worked,” notes Wakelin. The design team at Public used a self-consolidating concrete (Agilia) to ensure the fine aggregate mixture would feel smooth to the touch yet set properly in the tall formwork. However, the top of the pavilion formwork was poured with conventional concrete, which has created a subtle, almost invisible striation line. The pavilion floor cleaves and slopes into the shallow pond water, like Berthold Lubetkin’s Penguin Pool at the London Zoo. And sandblasted into the floor of the pond are 26 quotations, selected from each of the university’s arts and science faculties, running in 03/12­­canadian architect

­23

bob­maTheson

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left

nic­lehoux

nic­lehoux

concentric arcs. The idea, says Mavor, was to “physically express what an arts program is”—not an A-to-B linear path but a circuitous journey.

Wakelin cites as influences Spanish architect Félix Candela, master of the thin-shelled concrete form; and Vancouver artist B.C. Binning, whose compositions are predicated on an obliquely inflected grid. The pavilion also suggests a rectilinear variation of a standalone sculpture by Henry Moore—whose organic Modernism, like that of Lubetkin, had strongly informed Binning’s own compositional sense.

The pan-cultural approach has helped earn and inform Public’s current projects, including exhibition design, cultural branding campaigns, and a graphic identity system for the UBC arts faculty. For now, the pavilion is garnering the 11-person firm its most important acclaim to date, but the principals have their eyes on more variegated kinds of programs, in the expectation that the future will demand such diversity of skills. “Right now,” says Wakelin, “we have to collaborate or die.”

The Buchanan Courtyard project is the first of a series of interventions in the outdoor public spaces on the university’s main campus. Overseen by UBC head architect Gerry McGeough, the overall plan will unfurl over 15 years with a $50-million budget. The broad architectural mandate, says McGeough, is to “borrow from the legacy of the International Style openness, but also reflect the future.” The future means sustainability—for instance, through rainwater retention and reuse as configured by PFS in this project. But it also means transforming the anachronistic elements of the International Style—which means, in this case, enriching the Buchanan Block courtyard with human reference, scale and usefulness, and making it, simply put, a pleasant place to be. ca Adele Weder is an architectural curator and critic based in British Columbia. client­ubc­projecT­services architect team­chris­forresT,­brian­wakelin,­john­wall,­david­ Zeibin landscaPe & master Plan­phillips­farevaag­smallenberg­ structural­fasT­+­epp mechanical­sTanTec electrical­acumen­engineering contractor­scoTT­consTrucTion­group fountain­vincenT­helTon industrial design­3d­services communication design­public­archiTecTure­+­communicaTion lighting­eos­lighTmedia area­247­m2­ budget­$2.25­m comPletion­augusT­2011

24­canadian architect­03/12

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regenerative design Over a decade in the making, this research facility On the UBc campUs is attracting interest frOm leading sUstainaBility thinkers arOUnd the wOrld.

prOJect Centre for InteraCtIve researCh on sustaInabIlIty, vanCouver, brItIsh ColumbIa architect PerkIns+WIll Canada teXt sean ruthen phOtOs martIn tessler

There is no doubt that the environmental movement has exerted a tremendous impact on present-day architecture. Just as the Greeks and Romans would have had no place for an electrical substation in their agora or forum, the masters of modern architecture in the early part of the 20th century would have been as equally perplexed over recent developments in building technology and its quest for carbon neutrality. Our built en26 canadian architect 03/12

vironment continues to be rethought and retrofitted. Where buildings were once retrofitted for life safety issues such as seismic upgrades to heritage properties, they are now being upgraded to stringent environmental standards from something as minor as weatherstripping and energy-efficient appliances to the addition of photovoltaic panels, geothermal exchangers, and heat-recovery units. Along with the populist rhetoric of such personalities as Al Gore, the culture of sustainable building has witnessed a sea change in its ideology over the past decade with champions like Vancouver-based Dr. John Robinson and Peter Busby of Perkins+Will Canada.

Like an unseen sun, the ideology of regenerative sustainability that they promote is slowly being adopted the world over with the hope that collectively, we can reduce our out-of-control global carbon footprint.

What is most remarkable about the newly opened state-of-the-art Centre for Interactive Research on Sustainability (CIRS) at the University of British Columbia (UBC) is as much what you don’t see as what you do. Clearly, the photovoltaic arrays, geothermal heat exchanger and heat-recovery unit shared with the neighbouring Ocean Sciences Building are all readily visible, along with the green roof, the design elements

promoting natural ventilation and daylighting, a wood Parallam structure sequestering 600 net tonnes of carbon, rainwater harvesting, on-site solid waste treatment, and a living wall on the building’s west façade. What you don’t see, however, is the 10 years it took to realize the project, during which time the public opinion on climate change evolved from ignorance to awareness to ambivalence. When touring the building, you would not be able to see the heroism and dedication of Robinson, who championed the building throughout the process, which has evolved into a project that has achieved LEED Platinum status and imminent Living Building Challenge recog-

the atrIum’s Clear-fInIshed Wood InterIor undersCores the breathabIlIty and eCologICal aWareness of the buIldng. aBOve the exterIor metal sCreens WIll eventually be laden WIth greenery that WIll PartIally shIeld sunlIght streamIng Into the oPerable WIndoWs behInd. OppOsite

nition. The fact that CIRS has had three different sites with five different budgets further complicates this project’s history. Invisible, yet most astonishing, is that the building is “net positive”—its carbon footprint is actually smaller in size than its physical one. And lastly, if not most importantly, CIRS’s commitment to fostering human sustainability by teaching an awareness of the notion of regenerative sustainability is cer-

tainly not obvious to the casual observer.

CIRS is so much more than the sum of its parts—a 5,700-square-metre office building and lecture theatre—and even more significant than the aspirations of the architecture firm of Perkins+Will and the University of British Columbia. This project is the realization of a decade-old dream shared by a group of visionaries that includes Peter Busby, Dr. Raymond Cole, 03/12 canadian architect

27

Stephen Toope, and of course, Robinson. At long last, the Lower Mainland has a “living lab” that uses the most up-to-date technology to monitor all aspects of CIRS’s building life-cycle analysis, from its construction to its occupancy. This data is already being used by researchers at UBC to be shared with their peers around the world to better understand the impact of our human activities on the environment—from the carbon emissions of the automobiles driven by the building’s occupants to the sequestering of that same carbon by the materials used to construct the building.

CIRS represents a new building typology—simultaneously an educational building and a natural ecosystem, with streams and plants intermeshed 28 canadian architect 03/12

with a human ecosystem of offices and hallways. Intended as an educational tool for displaying green architecture, the Centre’s presence at UBC has inspired countless pilgrimages to its compound, drawing the attention of other universities, corporations, and overseas developers. Locally, BC Hydro has contributed to the project, and along with having an office in CIRS, bought the naming rights for one of the two lecture theatres—which is in fact now one of the largest lecture theatres on campus. Its natural daylighting, ventilation, and green roof are effective instructional tools for the students attending classes there, showing a more subtle and passive sustainability than the austere notion that we have to get by with less, usually

with respect to heating or lighting.

International interest in CIRS has included Beijing-based developer Modern Green, probably best known for its Linked Hybrid development in Beijing designed with Seattle-based Steven Holl Architects. Building at a current rate of one million square feet of green residential construction in China every year, Modern Green took interest in the project early on, contributing $3.5 million to the project’s funding. Since then, the company has gone on to develop a residential equivalent to CIRS in Vancouver’s upscale neighbourhood of Point Grey—a 101-unit housing project in Wesbrook, south of the campus’s main mall and currently the greenest housing de-

almost every Classroom, offICe and researCh sPaCe has aCCess to natural daylIght and oPerable WIndoWs, largely due to the generous InterIor Courtyard. OppOsite BOttOm, left tO right the InterIor Courtyard ColleCts raInWater and absorbs heat to helP InCrease aIr CIrCulatIon; one of the maIn audItorIums Is bathed In natural daylIght. tOp a Corner vIeW of the neW buIldIng, WIth the lIvIng Wall Clearly vIsIble on the West façade. aBOve, left tO right a Covered WalkWay at the Corner shelters amPle bIke ParkIng WhIle ProvIdIng a breezeWay. OppOsite tOp

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velopment on campus. As Martin Nielsen, project architect for CIRS for eight of its 10 years told me, “That’s a real-world spin-off!”

Peter Busby, director of the Vancouver office of Perkins+Will Canada, recalled that the idea for CIRS began in 2001, when the firm’s “Living Lab” project emerged at the same time that UBC professor John Hepburn asked Robinson to head the Sustainability Academic Strategy at the university (now called the University Sustainability Initiative, or USI). Robinson, whose shared research on climate change earned him the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007, is now continuing his work as both a UBC professor and Executive Director of the USI. Busby explained that our conventional notion of environmental sustainability is quite different from that of academic sustainability—what Robinson researches and teaches—and it is the USI’s mission to combine the two. CIRS is the perfect vehicle, as it exhibits the building’s environmental sustainability in an academic context. Hosting a major conference on sustainability this past November—and coinciding with the building’s grand opening—the USI presented itself and CIRS to the international scientific community.

It is no secret that CIRS is the real-world embodiment of Perkins+Will’s design philosophy. Along with the recently opened Van Dusen Garden Centre—also a LEED Platinum building and a project aiming for all the petals (i.e., key aspects) in the Living Building Challenge—CIRS represents

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PhotovoltaICs are embedded Into external solarshadIng devICes; the buIldIng InCorPorates systems to reCyCle raInWater for domestIC Water use through bIosWales and solar aquatICs bIofIltratIon; the Centre’s atrIum.

aBOve, left tO right

the culmination of many years of the firm’s experience and expertise in the area of sustainable design. “All the things that we do in CIRS we have done somewhere else, but I can’t think of any other project that even comes close to combining all of them in one building. CIRS is the most radical building we’ve done, the most complicated and sophisticated, and the most ‘out there’ in terms of ambitions,” explains Nielsen.

One of the many things that Nielsen and Busby are most proud of in CIRS is the miraculous fact that the building was able to be constructed without sacrificing its ambitions. Another is that the facility has already become a think tank for the climate-change community, housing offices for both the public and private sectors, including those of Robinson, BC Hydro, former Vancouver mayor and BC Premier Mike Harcourt, and representatives from the departments of psychology, architecture, and planning. They also agree that without Robinson, there would simply be no CIRS, as it was he that led the crusade to ensure that the major components of the building survived the cost-cutting when the project suddenly found itself in a $1.5-million shortfall.

At the heart of the building is the notion of “regenerative sustainability,” a concept that is more than just about humanity and the environment coexisting with each other, but instead concerns the ways in which the two elements can mutually benefit each other. Regenerative sustainability can be simply described using an example of a tree and a person. Both depend on carbon and oxygen to survive, but each needs what the other naturally provides. By extension, this is the guiding principle of CIRS, which recovers waste heat from another building and turns it into energy, transforms rainwater into drinking water, and converts sunlight into electricity. Even the building’s site, constructed over a well-worn footpath, incorporates an old university thoroughfare into an external passageway through the building, graded so as to make an otherwise impassable cross-slope wheelchairaccessible. It is this idea of the building’s social functions of sustainability that most animate Robinson.

“With the wastewater plant in a glass pavilion at the building’s southwest 32 canadian architect 03/12

corner, people are constantly passing by this part of the building. Even if a student never sets foot in this building, they will still experience it by passing by and through it on their way to class,” explains Robinson. When I first met him, he had just given a lecture on the earth’s population reaching seven billion; the crux of his presentation concerned the need to start building using the same regenerative green strategies that were used in CIRS. Additionally, Robinson brought up the 2007 Stern Review, which posited the notion that while the cost of acting on climate change would cost 2 percent of each nation’s Gross Domestic Product, the cost of inaction could be as high as 20 percent.

Robinson further added that CIRS cost approximately 20 percent more to build than a conventional UBC building, but that if one were to remove the building’s two main features—its heat-recovery unit and wastewater plant— the building cost would be about the same. Yet the project’s long-term sustainable aspirations extend far beyond its initial construction. The building is a part of the entire university campus’s effort to create its own district energy system. This realized “living lab”—which now includes CIRS—also consists of a soon to be completed biomass plant and the already mentioned Modern Green housing development, making UBC the greenest university in the nation. Taken as a kind of microcosm, Robinson and others like him hope that real live data on regenerative sustainability at the scale of a university campus could begin to influence the way other cities and communities could be built around the world.

It is precisely this bottom-up, more holistic life-cycle approach that Perkins+Will Canada view as the way to the future. As Nielsen explains: “The real action on climate change is happening at the local level, not in Copenhagen or Durban. Real sustainability will be emergent from everyday activities, so that we can build up from the community level instead of [having laws and regulations] being imposed upon us from above. For architects, our niche is to promote regenerative sustainability at the neighbourhood scale, and this can have a tremendous impact [on our built environment].”

In addition to having achieved a LEED Platinum rating (and currently awaiting its assessment for the Living Building Challenge), CIRS has also found a new aesthetic: “We have an external living wall on the west façade which acts as a sunscreen. To me, it’s one of the most poetic moves in the building—the way the leaves which shade the summer sun fall away in the

winter to provide more daylight for the building, and that the living wall changes colour with every season. It’s how that natural cycle is embodied in something physical and real that makes it poetic.”

Partially due to its university context and on a moderately sloped site between the Ocean Science Buildings and campus greenhouse, CIRS is essentially a sculpted four-storey cube, carved out of the tight university street grid in a part of the campus made up primarily of science buildings. With two lecture theatres and a café at its base, a pair of three-storey office wings fill out the remaining floors, all connected by a soaring central entry atrium in which the wood Parallam beams and columns of the building are clearly expressed. The building’s envelope is a triple-glazed glass-and-spandrel window-wall system, interspersed with brick at the building’s southwest corner, and crowned with a green roof at the second level, with banks of photovoltaics covering the building’s main roof. The bowing Parallam beams expressed inside the BC Hydro theatre are the equal and opposite reaction to the depth of soil above for the green roof, while the shadow pattern of the photovoltaics filter sunlight through the upper-floor skylights.

As a tool for demonstrating regenerative sustainability, it excels; the building’s use of non-carbon sequestering materials (i.e., steel and concrete) has resulted in the ability to calculate the volume of wood used for the structure to balance the building’s footprint. As well, the glass and spandrel’s high embodied energy is offset by the wood structure, exceeding local energy requirements while fitting in nicely with its context.

Robinson reminds us that the next 10 years are set to be very different than the decade it took to realize CIRS. The most enduring aspect to the building—even more than its net-positive footprint—is what the future holds for it. As Busby and Nielsen remind us, “Buildings are the most basic tool to teach people about regenerative sustainability, and so the architects and urban planning professionals are responsible, in partnership with the consultant engineers and landscape architects, for teaching the public that buildings aren’t just individual entities, but nodes in a network, part of a natural flow. The architect’s frontier is to lead the way in promoting a regenerative sustainability concept of neighbourhoods in cities—let’s fix our cities!”

If there ever was a building to point the way that Busby and Nielsen are advocating, CIRS would be it. The building has already prompted a massive change in the direction of the university’s policies towards sustainable design, with other universities looking to see how it can implement many of those green strategies already being pursued at UBC. And as Nielsen notes, “If CIRS achieves anything in terms of UBC, I hope it creates for them a rethink of how buildings are designed, built, and managed.” Meanwhile, with outside interest like that of Modern Green, there is real hope for a future where new cities being built across the globe could reduce their carbon footprints as well, and pursue alternative sources of energy such as photovoltaic or geo-exchange systems. When asked about Bruce Mau’s Massive Change exhibit—and its accompanying tagline of “What shall we do now that we can do anything?”—Robinson answered, “There was a great issue of Scientific American in which the writer of the feature entitled his piece “Managing Planet Earth?” and the editors removed the question mark— [which sends] a totally different message. Including the question mark sends the right message—what are we going to do now that we can do anything?

There has to be a normative and ethical perspective, otherwise we’re just doing whatever we want, whenever we can. This is not very productive. As it turns out, I think that this will lead us to unsustainability.” Whatever the outcome of our management of the planet, CIRS is firmly under the watch of Dr. Robinson, whose plans very much concern changing the world. ca Sean Ruthen is a Vancouver-based architect and writer.

aBOve, tOp tO BOttOm a vIeW out toWard the ubC CamPus; PhotovoltaICs are Integrated Into the atrIum’s glass roof; muCh Care Was taken to ComPose the south façade WIth sPandrel Panels and glazIng Where aPProPrIate.

client the unIversIty of brItIsh ColumbIa architect team Peter busby, magInnIs CoCIvera, sebastIen garon, brIan gasmena, Jörk grävensteIn, horaCe laI, blaIr mCCarry, martIn nIelsen, z smIth strUctUral stanteC mechanical fast + ePP electrical stanteC landscape PWl PartnershIP interiOrs PerkIns + WIll Canada cOntractOr heatherbrae ConstruCtIon cOde lmdg buIldIng Code Consultants

acOUstical bkl Consultants BUilding envelOpe morrIson hershfIeld lImIted water eCo-tek eCologICal teChnologIes, novateC Consultants civil Core grouP Consultants geOtechnical troW assoCIates InC. area 5,675 m2 BUdget $23 m cOmpletiOn oCtober 2011

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Wire Mesh Building Envelope, Car Park One At Chesapeake Greg Bryson

1-800-325-5993 Ext. 1257

greg@weavingideas.net

www.weavingideas.net

CANADA

technical

meAsured­Architecture

room and Board

A­VAncouVer­firm­demolishes­An­existing­ house,­only­to­creAtiVely­reuse­some­of­ the­construction­mAteriAl­to­build­A­new,­ energy-efficient­home. ­courtney­heAley ­michAel­bolAnd,­unless­otherwise­ noted

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Long praised as one of the world’s most liveable cities, Vancouver is looking to add a new feather to its cap by winning the Greenest City challenge by 2020. This is an admirable goal but as with most broad bureaucratic campaigns, it remains to be seen how much real change will follow. Build­ ings appear to be a good place to start, as construc­ tion and demolition account for about one­third

of the region’s total waste, and operations for roughly one­third of its total energy use.

Measured Architecture Inc. is up to the chal­ lenge, meeting both of these staggering statistics head on with their Cloister House in Vancouver’s West Point Grey neighbourhood. Directors Clinton Cuddington and Piers Cunnington along with project lead Katy Young employed a holistic view of the project—from the sustainable decon­ struction of an existing house to the design and construction of a durable low­energy home based on the principles of Passive House. Also known as Passivhaus, this is a building standard for ultra­low­energy­efficient homes developed in the German­speaking countries in the late 1980s.

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With a growing portfolio of tailor­made homes, Measured remains interested in the basics, or as Cuddington puts it, “buildings that stand up and keep the elements out.” They are also committed to reducing the amount of energy needed to achieve these simple objectives. Cunnington describes their work as “backdrops for people’s lives,” and the team saw the Cloister House as an opportunity to “get back to minimum standards of practice” and to “express the process of con­

03/12­­canadian architect

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meAsured­Architecture

meAsured­Architecture

struction,” all the while seeking to deliver a pro­ ject that is appropriate for both client and site.

Vacant lots are close to nonexistent in Vancou­ ver, so almost any building project necessitates some amount of demolition. Between 500 and 750 homes are demolished in Vancouver every year with nearly all of the resulting waste sent to a landfill, even when almost all of it could be re­ cycled or reused. Buildings get taken down for many reasons, but the existing house on this site was in poor condition and contained large amounts of asbestos. Cuddington believes that “if we can eliminate the need to demolish due to decay, then that’s a step forward.” Measured partnered with the City of Vancouver and Pacific Community Resources, a job­training organiza­ tion, to participate in a new Building Deconstruc­ tion pilot project as part of the City’s 2020 Zero Waste goals. The house was pulled apart and its

materials were sorted for recycling or reuse. This is only the second project undertaken in the pro­ gram and the city is carefully tracking the salvaged materials to see where they end up. The process is currently commensurate with the cost of conven­ tional demolition, largely through the low cost of labour, and a fast­tracked building permit pro­ cess eases the pain of the extra time on site.

The Cloister House is intended to serve as a refuge in the city and is so named for its internal focus and solid architectural perimeter. Its hill­ top site affords mountain and water views to the north, and the architects balance these long ex­ terior views with shorter internally focused ones.

The two­storey 2,400­square­foot house with an additional 700­square­foot laneway house are organized along a north­south spine demarcated by splayed steel or rock wall segments. The cen­ tral circulation path meanders inside and out

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BeloW, leFt to riGht

36­canadian architect­03/12

with modestly sized rooms and gardens arranged around it. The house is gently modulated in sec­ tion to work with the existing topography of the site, and close attention is paid to the relation­ ship between interior and exterior. A tiny 100­square­foot pocket garden in the centre of the house offers inhabitants the intimate view of a maple tree from the kitchen.

A comprehensive view of the building process from beginning to end has resulted in a number of simple but effective low­tech construction methods to reduce the amount of material and energy needed to build and maintain the house.

Measured looked to rigorous Passive House stan­ dards for energy efficiency when developing their design, and came very close to achieving the stringent 15 kWh/m2 in heating and cooling energy. Finding appropriate window assemblies proved difficult, and when the alternative solu­ tion would have resulted in reducing the overall number of openings by 15­20 percent, they and the client decided that they couldn’t sacrifice the views for a relatively small gain in efficiency.

meAsured­Architecture

Using Passive House principles, the all­ concrete construction employs an eight­inch­ thick interior structural concrete wall with four inches of insulation and rain screen, plus an­ other five inches of thermally broken hung concrete wythe on the exterior. These canti­ levered exterior panels allow for maximum con­ tinuity of insulation. One of the problems with concrete, from the standpoint of material effi­ ciency, is that two wood walls must be built to construct the concrete one—in this case, four wood walls for two concrete walls. Contractor Julien Winfield proposed to mitigate this excess by building a more intelligent formwork system of shop­fabricated 4’ x 8’ modular units. The modules could be easily manoeuvred on site and reused from level to level as well as on future projects. The forms are essentially boxes made of plywood and dimensional lumber that are faced with a finish material—in this case, charred tongue­in­groove fir planks. Charring eliminates the need for chemical preservatives and deepens the grain, leaving a rustic high­relief surface

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that the architects found desirable. In addition, Measured plans to use about 10­15 percent of the charred boards as soffit material, and some will be used to construct the perimeter fencing.

Winfield will store the remainder for use on a future job. Exposed yellow cedar beams appear to float in mid­air within the HBV wood­concrete­ composite floor system designed in consultation with Fast + Epp Engineers.

Further design and construction ingenuity can be seen where threaded form ties pass through walls to become the attachment system for de­ mountable interior panels. The potential for a relentless all­concrete interior is tempered by hanging cleated panels of Venetian plaster and white oak millwork locally sourced and milled by Nico Spacecraft. The panels offer some design flexibility over time and afford easy access to the electrical wiring hidden behind. Additional ser­

vices are corralled along the central spine and stair—a feature that is irreverently twinned with a custom steel slide, because fun and sustainability are not mutually excusive.

The ideal world envisioned by Vancouver’s Greenest City challenge must undoubtedly in­ clude delivery models like those used in the Cloister House, a small project that demonstrates what is possible when all members in the delicate building ecosystem—city, client, architect, con­ tractor (too often at odds in our current flawed world)—are finely tuned and working in concert toward common goals. The Cloister House is scheduled for completion this year. ca Courtney Healey is the Director of Lodge Think Tank and an adjunct professor at the University of British Columbia’s School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture.

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Deep Roots in a new eneRgy City Des assises soliDes pouR la ville Des éneRgies nouvelles Delta st. John’s Hotel and Conference Centre st. John’s, newfoundland and labrador | terre-neuve-et-labrador June 12-16, 2012 | 12 au 16 juin 2012 pResenteD by | pRésenté paR

Come celebrate architecture with your colleagues while enjoying:

Newfoundland & Labrador Association of Architects

•

Continuing education courses that qualify for core credits (hours)

•

inspiring talks from keynote speakers

•

presentation of awards and Honours with the top professionals of the year

•

social activities, tours and networking

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summer days in friendly st. John’s, and much more!

venez célébrer l’architecture avec vos collègues et profitez de l’événement pour :

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suivre des activités de formation continue donnant droit à des heures de formation dirigée;

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entendre des conférenciers inspirants;

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assister à des remises de prix et distinctions à des professionnels qui se sont illustrés au cours de l’année;

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participer à diverses activités sociales, visites architecturales et occasions de réseautage;

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profiter des belles journées d’été à st. John’s, ville accueillante; et plus encore!

For more information and to register pour en savoir davantage et pour s’inscrire

Festival.RaiC.oRg 2/22/2012 4:41:21 PM

Practice

creative MaPPing

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Creative mapping is becoming an integral part of the architecture and landscape design practice.

Through mapping and the images resulting from this process, the designer can reveal a considerable amount of site information that is otherwise left “hidden.” In this way, both the architect and landscape architect take on the enhanced role of

“mapmakers” who simultaneously combine conceptual art and design traditions with more conventional mapping processes. As such, acknowledged notions of what defines a “map” are being redefined by architects and landscape architects alike through the visualization of alternative depictions found within our cities, revealing hidden site potentials in a poetically striking way. Consequently, designers are evolving new and various mapping techniques that strategically reveal deeper insights into a given place.

Imagine a city is invisible to the human eye, only to manifest itself by its non-visual urban

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phenomena. What shape will it take? Through the aid of digital visualization technologies from Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to Google Earth, architects can separate various site char03/12­­canadian architect

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courtesy­bJork­cristenson­And­Allen­guillen nicholAs­de­monchAux cArlo­rAtti aBOve, tOP tO BOttOM­Allen­guillen­teAmed­up­with­fellow­student­ bJork­cristenson­At­sci-Arc­to­mAp­invisible­Aspects­of­the­city­ of­vernon­neAr­los­Angeles;­cAliforniA-bAsed­Architect­And­ educAtor­nicholAs­de­monchAux’s­locAl­code­proJect­used­ geospAtiAl­AnAlysis­to­visuAlize­And­explore­new­uses­for­ vAcAnt­lAndscApes­in­vArious­us­cities;­cArlo­rAtti’s­senseAble­ city­lAb­produced­A­mAp­describing­the­dAtA­emitted­by­cell­ phone­usAge­At­A­mAdonnA­concert­in­rome.

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acteristics into strategically organized layers. What kind of imagery does non-visual urban form make? How can the abstract invisible forces and information shaping urban life be rendered visually? How can GIS and creative mapping highlight the many challenges associated with synthesizing complex phenomena, thereby enhancing the capabilities of design practices today?

James Corner’s work warrants investigation in the field of mapping.

According to Corner, mapping is a process that involves a “complex architecture of signs.” In other words, mapping is a type of “visual architecture” that strategically selects, translates, organizes and shapes space. This becomes very important in the experimental phases of a project, where a proposed outcome constitutes the basis for rethinking the mapping process.

This idea was highlighted in his 1996 publication, Taking Measures Across the American Landscape, which profiled various landscapes throughout America via aerial photography. Relic landscapes, agricultural lands, railway sites, mountainous terrains, wind farms and burning fields (among other subjects) were captured in his publication along with captivating “mapdrawings,” the result of a hybrid mapping technique that incorporates a more artistic approach to collage with technical geographic mapping information as a means of interpreting territory and space to synthesize hidden aspects of a site. These map-drawings essentially convey both aesthetic and informational properties. Architects who wish to use rigorous GIS mapping as a base map can adapt Corner’s approach, and then apply more abstract site-related information in a more artistic way to render sophisticated mapping and diagramming techniques that can pre-figure the master plan.

Through this alternative and artistic approach, Corner’s drawings and photos provide expressive and inspirational visual data relating to his creative mapping styles, and can be found in many of his works ranging from the Fresh Kills landfill project on Staten Island to Lake Ontario Park.

Creative mapping is definitely part of a widespread trend. According to San Francisco-based landscape architect and urban designer David Fletcher, the success of his recent Los Angeles River master plan, entitled “Infrastructural Armature,” used various mapping techniques and visuals attributed to GIS. As Fletcher notes, parts of Los Angeles’s infrastructure network were carefully depicted from the “matrices of transportation, water and sewer networks and watersheds,” further remarking that “the master plan used GIS spatial analysis to map our various factors for appropriate site selection and acquisition, only to reveal hidden site factors that allowed the City to make better design decisions.”

California-based architect and professor Nicholas de Monchaux has also adapted creative mapping techniques in his design practice. His Local Code project uses geospatial analysis to profile thousands of publicly owned abandoned sites in major US cities. Through this project, he examines how these vacant landscapes can be employed to visualize a new urban system.

Using GIS, Local Code locates thousands of residual, publicly owned vacant lots throughout the five boroughs of New York. Local Code analyzes these neglected spaces in an attempt to provide revelatory design solutions to improve the physical and social health of the built environment.

Many architectural studio courses are encouraging alternative mapping techniques to discover various physical (visible) and non-physical (invisible) site relationships. Both Fletcher and his colleague at the Southern California Institute of Architecture, Christopher Michlig, asked their students to develop non-standard mapping techniques to help visualize the urban and infrastructural complexities in the city of Vernon, a small industrial area near Los Angeles filled with meatpacking plants and abandoned sites littered with discarded oil drums. Using GPS tracking devices and light and audio sensor meters, the team, led by students Bjork Cristenson and Allen Guillen, attached this assembled senses-mapping kit to a vehicle and drove through various parts of the city to record noise and light levels at night. They later interpreted the raw visual documentations, modelled light intensities and the flows and volumes of smells in the city. These factors

sci-Arc

were combined with the empty spaces rendered in 3-D. From these striking two- and threedimensional mapping visuals, a new map of the urban framework was developed.

In another example of student work, students in the Landscape Urbanism program at the Architectural Association School of Architecture (AA) in London are encouraged to use a variety of mapping and GIS software suites to help unfold, release and address site frameworks from urbanism, environmental engineering, and landscape ecology. Here, students use GIS, Maya, Rhino, Land Desktop, Grasshopper, RhinoScript, as well as more common digital design tools such as AutoCAD, Photoshop, and Illustrator to develop complex and creative diagrams and maps to visualize the invisibles of the site, and to help synthesize complex phenomena and ideas to make better decisions. These “sophisticated” diagrams resemble a completed design where mapping is definitely a creative process and not simply part of the research.

When the Rotterdam-based architecture firm MVRDV developed their concept of “datascape”— introduced in their 1999 book MetaCity/DataTown, the topic of spatial and 3-D mapping became popular in architecture. MVRDV used qualitative (visual) approaches to signify quantitative environmental problems (numerical data), thereby creating uncanny and shocking graphics of “what if” situations for The Netherlands.

These provocative mapping visualizations were expressed as potential urban designs. Since then, geospatial data mapping has become increasingly popular worldwide as more users have become aware of the potential applications of the processes. Computer programs such as 3D Studio Max, Rhinoceros, 3D AutoCAD, and GIS-related software have allowed most architects to be able to take advantage of these tools when crafting intriguing 3-D maps.

Creative mapping can also help synthesize complex phenomena and ideas to create practical design solutions. In my own research, I have examined ways of blending art, design and geoinformation to develop innovative mapping. I am mainly interested in a revised “datascaping” that crafts new landscape surfaces or abstract urban forms based on quantitative information such as real estate costs, crime rates, public surveillance spaces, cell-phone usage and urban densities.

Typically, these “non-physical” elements are described using 2-D diagramming (circles, lines, hatching, etc.). Using numerical data, some research design groups and architects, such as SenseAble City Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Christian Nold of Biomapping in the UK, Brian McGrath of Manhattan Timeformations, and the Spatial Information Design Lab at Columbia University are developing maps that are not just GIS outputs, but poetic visual

­southern­cAliforniA­institute­of­Architecture­reseArcher­christopher­ michlig­Asked­his­students­to­produce­vArious­kinds­of­mAps­of­the­city­of­vernon­ to­describe­noise­And­light­levels­Along­with­wAlkAbility­fActors­in­their­studied­AreA.

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03/12­­canadian architect

­41

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ArchitecturAl­AssociAtion­school­of­Architecture

documents capable of telling an unusual story of a new city or landscape.

For example, the works being generated at the Carlo Ratti-led SenseAble City lab are producing images best described as “map-landscapes”—a blending of urban data, art, design and landscape surface. One captivating image in particular illustrates terrain being generated over the urban fabric of Rome. This new map-landscape is crafted from the data emitted by cell phone usage at a Madonna concert at the Olympic Stadium in Rome. As the concert is about to begin, higher peaks in the landscape are crafted, indicating high cell-phone usage. Another example includes the sophisticated mapping works beginning to be produced by Professors Nick Dunn and Richard Brook and their students at the Manchester School of Architecture in the UK. There, they lead the research-by-design unit called [Re_Map].

Their research is concerned with the mapping and representation of urban networks and systems, data and conditions. One example project is the Physiological Data Mapping of 3-D Graphs of Sound Valuations, produced by student Patrick Drewello of [Re_Map]. According to Dunn, the “input of data sets and processed data sets into a user interface allowed for the data to be used in direct relationship with physical and emotional metrics collected within the city. The user could use both the graphology and photographic data sets to explore the physical context as a soundscape.” Jorya Ayala, a recent graduate of the Landscape Urbanism unit at the AA and now director of the AA Paris school, has applied 3-D mapping and diagramming to extrude environmental, topographical and geographical parameters of Paris to craft physical “map-landscapes.” For an industrial site in China, Ayala developed an urban framework that seeks to understand, articulate and visualize future possibilities for hyper-dense urban areas in China.

Almost all design professions concerned with site and urban development are using Google Earth. For example, the South Florida Virtual History is a geospatially enabled learning and discovery tool under development by Roberto Rovira (Chair of Florida International University’s Landscape Architecture Department), Jennifer Fu (Director of FIU’s GIS Center), and Jamie Rogers (Digital Projects Coordinator for FIU Libraries). The project creates a geospatially enabled web platform that facilitates access to various hyperlinked digital assets such as historical archives, video clips, oral history recordings, site photos and architectural plans through Google Earth and Google Map web environments. The goal of using these interfaces will hopefully develop a streamlined search system that employs visually based digital navigation rather than text searches.

Creative mapping in architecture and landscape is a great topic of interest in exploration. A strong connection exists between the information and its visual impact, primarily because architects are in control of the visual outcome of their maps. At a practical level, it is something that many of us can take advantage of, given our greater access to data, site maps, and a palette of geo-based programs. Creative mapping in many circumstances can be the precursor to strategically formulating the final design. ca Nadia Amoroso is the co-founder and creative director of DataAppeal. She is the author of The Exposed City—Mapping the Urban Invisibles and Representing Landscapes: A Visual Collection of Landscape Architecture Drawings. She also teaches at the University of Guelph and the University of Toronto.

­sci-Arc­students­developed­this­light-sensor­recorder­ thAt­collected­dAtA­for­them­to­produce­their­speculAtive­mAps.­ MiddLe LeFt­wenwen­wAng’s­students­developed­A­mAssing­locAtion­guidAnce­mAp­At­the­ArchitecturAl­AssociAtion­school­ of­Architecture­in­london.­ LeFt­sAn­frAncisco-bAsed­lAndscApe­ Architect­And­urbAn­designer­dAvid­fletcher­Attributes­the­­ success­of­his­recent­los­Angeles­river­mAster­plAn­to­creAtive­ mApping­strAtegies. tOP LeFt

42­canadian architect­03/12

laurentianarchitecturelaurentienne

Build a future.

Enrich communities.

Create a legacy.

The newly founded Laurentian University School of Architecture currently invites applications for tenure track position(s) to commence January 1, 2013, at the rank of:

ASSISTANT OR ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR The School of Architecture is a member of the Faculty of Professional Schools that will offer a four-year pre-professional Bachelor of Architectural Studies (BAS), beginning in September 2013, followed by a two-year Master of Architecture professional. As an architecture program situated in the Canadian north, our aim will include a focus on Francophone and First Nations, Métis, and Inuit student experience through local community-design and design-build exercises throughout the program. As part of this mission, the School of Architecture will offer an integrated co-operative program where students will gain professional practice experience through work-term placements at both undergraduate and graduate levels. The professional degree program will be delivered in English, with French language options for design studios, elective courses, and co-operative placements.

Full details of the posting including qualification criteria and deadline to apply are available at www.positions.laurentian.ca Laurentian University is a bilingual institution and an equal opportunity employer. It has a policy of passive bilingualism (English/French) as a condition of tenure. Laurentian University faculty members are part of LUFA (the Laurentian University Faculty Association). Information and the Collective Agreement can be found at www.lufapul.ca.

Laurentian University’s main campus is located in Sudbury, Ontario, a city and region offering unique cultural, recreational, and educational opportunities. Historically a resource-based community with hard-rock mining as its principal industry, Sudbury is now the major retail, economic, health and educational centre for all of Northeastern Ontario. Fifty years young, Laurentian University is one of the fastest growing universities in Canada, its enrolment having gone from 6,000 to over 9,700 students in the past decade alone. A relative newcomer in the field of graduate studies, Laurentian’s growth in research has already translated to a high ranking nationally for its research activity.

More information on the University can be found at www.laurentian.ca.

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Books reviewed By

­Ian­ChodIkoff­and­LesLIe­Jen

exploring vancouver: the architectural Guide By­harold­kalman­and­Robin­Ward.­Vancouver:­ douglas­&­McIntyre,­2012.

Since 1974, when Harold Kalman and Robin Ward first published their seminal guidebook to architecturally and historically significant landmarks located throughout Vancouver, the city has evolved considerably. Subsequent editions of their Exploring Vancouver guidebooks have documented new buildings and evolving communities—which, in many cases, have made Vancouver nearly unrecognizable from its relatively obscure existence in the mid-1970s. Since over a decade has passed since their last edition, it made sense for Kalman and Ward to update their essential and authoritative guidebook to ensure their coverage of Vancouver’s building inventory is as complete as possible.

Happily, the legacies of “Gassy Jack” Deighton and his famous 19th-century Gastown saloon, Canadian Pacific Railroad surveyor Lauchlan Hamilton, and sawmill operator Prescott Moody still have a place in the guidebook. No number of point towers or view-inspired community centres were able to completely eradicate the city’s rich history—one that is fundamentally based on timber, mining and shipping. Because of the guidebook’s conscious efforts to link the city’s history with its present urbanity, reading about the latest SkyTrain stations in the context of the inter-urban railway linking Vancouver to New

Westminster as early as 1891 provides a much richer experience when exploring the city-region.

This latest edition’s expanded discussions of Richmond, New Westminster and Burnaby are noteworthy and reflect the changing dynamics of British Columbia’s Lower Mainland. While Richmond has long been a bedroom community of Vancouver, it has evolved into something much more than merely a proximate site of affordable housing (relatively speaking) and shopping malls. The escalation of real estate prices, and an increasingly cosmopolitan population has enabled suburban municipalities surrounding Vancouver to evolve legitimate urban centres of their own.

Exploring Vancouver is organized into 14 chapters—or tours—where the mention of nearly every building features a photograph by John Roaf, along with the names of the architects and landscape architects responsible. How some of the heritage buildings have been altered, adapted or reused by subsequent generations of architects is of particular interest. And of course, new buildings are featured alongside older ones, which only emphasizes how the collective architectural inventory of Vancouver and its surrounding municipalities is both idiosyncratic in stylistic approach and rich in cultural history. ic

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Unbuilt toronto 2: More of the city that Might have Been By­Mark­osbaldeston.­Toronto:­dundurn­Press,­2011.

The success of and positive response to Mark Osbaldeston’s first effort in 2008, Unbuilt Toronto: A History of the City That Might Have Been, left the author feeling like he wasn’t quite yet finished with his research. As a consequence, in this second volume, Osbaldeston not only gives readers a more complete picture of how the city might be vastly different today, but also offers an intrigu-

ing behind-the-scenes account of the political machinations that either stymied or guaranteed the success of a number of undeniably significant architectural and urban design projects. They are grouped into three sections: Public Works, Commercial Buildings, and the last chapter—my favourite—Arts, Letters and Leisure.

Over the past decade, Toronto has enjoyed a cultural Renaissance of sorts with the construction of the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, and substantial renovations and additions made to the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) and the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO). Expensive marketing campaigns have firmly entrenched these institutions in the public imagination, and Unbuilt Toronto 2 provides a historical account of the architectural evolution of the latter two projects, detailing the schemes that preceded Daniel Libeskind’s current and much maligned “Crystal” scheme at the ROM, and Frank Gehry’s more successful interventions at the AGO. In the section dedicated to public works, we are treated to accounts of various failed or compromised transit initiatives, such as the 1910 subway plan, the 1915 radial railways plan, and the 1973 UTDC rapid transit system, which only proves that history is bound to repeat itself; we need only witness current Mayor of Toronto Rob

Ford’s perpetual ham-fisted bungling with respect to the issue of public transit.

The chapter entitled “Toronto’s New Skyline” is also of topical significance, as the skyline is presently awash in tower cranes, put in service to meet the apparently insatiable demand for highrise condominiums. Despite global economic turmoil, Toronto seems curiously insulated in this regard, if the unfettered rate of development is any indication. Though the skyline in the book refers to the commercial skyscrapers erupting in the city’s financial heart around the King and Bay nexus in the late 1920s, it does bring to mind the current steroid-enhanced vertical growth of Toronto. We might learn a sobering lesson: a compelling and detailed drawing from 1928 depicts an aerial perspective of Toronto’s downtown core including all of the proposed developments of the day. However, with the stock market crash of 1929, many of these buildings were never realized. Others were built to different plans, and several have since been demolished.

The author insists there will be no Unbuilt Toronto 3, but given the city’s continuing and astonishing rate of growth and long-awaited emergence from an awkward and prolonged adolescence, I suspect Osbaldeston will be back with more stories to engage, enlighten and entertain us. LJ

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Schöck Canada introduces Isokorb®, an innovative thermal insulating, loadbearing element which partitions and connects concrete-to-concrete and steelto-steel constructions. Proven throughout Europe for over 20 years, Schöck Isokorb® consists of a highly effective HCFC-free Polystyrene foam block which provides the thermal break.

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48­canadian architect­03/12

Noise, Vibration and Acoustics Consulting Engineers

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icYnene Md-c-200™ closed-cell Spray foam is about More than insulation ICYNENE MD-C-200™ affects more than inside temperatures. Of course you get the energy-efficiency and design flexibility you’d expect from a closed-cell spray foam — but you also get the industry-leading expertise of Icynene®. The building scientists behind ICYNENE MD-C-200™ understand the ins and outs of the entire building envelope, including the HVAC system, noise control and more, so you can achieve total building performance. For more information, call 800-758-7325. easi-Lite™ Lightweight Gypsum Board Makes installation and handling easier Up to 30 percent lighter than standard gypsum boards, Easi-Lite can be used for both interior ceilings and walls in residential and commercial applications. The lightweight design makes the wallboard easier to transport, stock on the jobsite and install, reducing muscle strain and fatigue. Easi-Lite features a uniform high-strength, sag-resistant gypsum core, achieving the same high performance standards of a traditional gypsum board. CertainTeed Corp.

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calendar Stop, Drop, Repeat: The Painted Work of Marlis Saunders

March 7-April 23, 2012 This exhibi­ tion at the Design Exchange in To­ ronto gathers over 100 works on paper that explore the early influen­ ces of the Arts and Crafts movement and Expressionism on the design philosophy and international spread of the Bauhaus School. Three main stylistic developments in the career of Canadian design pioneer Marlis Saunders are covered: the Bauhaus Style and Abstraction, Aboriginal Influence, and Flora and Fauna. www.dx.org

Patrick Condon of the UBC School of Architecture + Landscape Archi­ tecture discuss this topic at 2:00pm at the Museum of Vancouver.

Greg Burgess lecture

March 26, 2012 As part of the Forum Lecture Series hosted by Carleton University’s Azrieli School of Archi­ tecture & Urbanism, Greg Burgess of Gregory Burgess Architects in Victoria, Australia lectures at 6:00pm at the National Gallery in Ottawa. www1.carleton.ca/architecture/forumlecture-series-2

Parts to Wholes

Philippe rahm lecture

March 18, 2012 Blair Satterfield and Joe Dahmem of the UBC School of Architecture + Landscape Architec­ ture discuss this topic at 2:00pm at the Museum of Vancouver.

March 27, 2012 Philippe Rahm, prin­ cipal of Philippe Rahm architectes in Paris, lectures at 6:30pm at the Yaletown Roundhouse in Vancouver. hrvoje njiric lecture

david Gissen lecture

March 19, 2012 David Gissen of the California College of the Arts in San Francisco speaks at 6:30pm in the Peter Kaye Auditorium of the Van­ couver Public Library.

livers the Bulthaup lecture at the Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape & Design at the Univer­ sity of Toronto at 6:30pm. www.daniels.utoronto.ca/lectures

March 27, 2011 Architect Hrvoje Njiric of Njiric+ arhitekti in Zagreb delivers the Bulthaup lecture at the Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape & Design at the Univer­ sity of Toronto at 6:30pm. www.daniels.utoronto.ca/lectures

(Bjarke Ingels Group), lectures at 7:00pm in the Chan Centre for Per­ forming Arts at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. light+Building 2012

Preston Scott cohen lecture

April 5, 2012 Preston Scott Cohen of the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University delivers this lecture at 7:00pm at the University of Calgary downtown campus. www.ucalgary.ca/evds los carpinteros

April 5, 2012 As part of the Urban Field Speakers Series, Cuban artist duo Los Carpinteros speaks at 7:30pm at the Prefix Institute of Contemporary Art in Toronto about their contemporary art practice, emphasizing the place of built form within their work. www.prefix.ca Bjarke ingels lecture

April 12, 2012 Bjarke Ingels, princi­ pal of Copenhagen­based BIG

April 15-20, 2012 State­of­the­art smart­building technology is to be seen at this trade fair for architec­ ture and technology being held in Frankfurt am Main. 2,100 inter­ national exhibitors will launch their latest products in the fields of light­ ing, electrical engineering, home and building automation and soft­ ware for the building industry, pre­ senting the latest options, new smart products and systems, and tomorrow’s trends and technologic­ al concepts for intelligent buildings. www.light-building.com

For­more­inFormation­about­ these,­and­additional­listings­oF­Canadian­and­international­events,­please­visit www.canadianarchitect.com

William Morrish lecture

March 20, 2012 Urbanist William Morrish of Parsons The New School For Design in NYC and 2012 Mi­ chael Hough/Ontario Association of Landscape Architects Visiting Critic delivers a lecture at the Daniels Fac­ ulty of Architecture, Landscape & Design at the University of Toronto at 6:30pm. www.daniels.utoronto.ca/lectures reel artists Film Festival calgary

March 24-27, 2012 Reel Artists, the Canadian Art Foundation Film Fes­ tival, shares award­winning docu­ mentaries about visual art and art­ ists, creating an accessible point of entry for general audiences to con­ sider key personalities and philoso­ phies behind contemporary art. Ad­ mission is free to all screenings. www.canadianart.ca/microsites/ REELARTISTS/calgary/

2012 One of a Kind Spring Show and Sale

March 28-April 1, 2012 Taking place at the Direct Energy Centre at Exhibi­ tion Place in Toronto, this annual event features 450 Canadian arti­ sans and designers over the course of five days. Highlights include DIY workshops, designer seminars, fashion shows, and a Craft Com­ munity of Canada feature exhibit.

Enjoy fashion, flavours, home décor, art, toys, jewelry, ceramics, textiles and furniture. www.oneofakindshow.com/toronto Stephen teeple lecture

March 29, 2012 Stephen Teeple, principal of Teeple Architects in Toronto, delivers a lecture at 6:30pm at Ryerson University’s De­ partment of Architectural Science in Toronto. liz diller lecture

city Systems

March 25, 2012 Patrick Mooney and

April 2, 2011 Architect Liz Diller of Diller Scofidio + Renfro in NYC de­ 03/12­­canadian architect

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Backpage

digging Beneath the Surface A recent book celebrAting MontreAl’s Metro systeM explores its sociAl history As Much As its ArchitecturAl legAcy.

iAn chodikoff John MArtins-MAnteigA/doMinion Modern teXt

phOtOS

One of Jean Drapeau’s election promises when he ran for Mayor of the City of Montreal in 1960 was to see the development of a new subway system. A few months after he won the election, City Coun­ cil set aside the funds for the initial 16 kilometres of the subway system known as the Montreal Metro. Construction began in 1962—around the same time Montreal was awarded the Universal and International Exposition of 1967, or Expo ’67.

On October 14, 1966, after four years of con­ struction, the City of Montreal handed over the completed first phase of the Metro to the Mon­ treal Transportation Commission (better known today as the Société de Transport en Commun, or STM). Today, the Metro includes 68 stations and carries over one million passengers daily. To mark the occasion of its 50th anniversary, Toron­ to­based architecture aficionado John Martins­ Manteiga produced a self­published book entitled Métro: Design in Motion. With text in both English and French, the book documents the origins of the Metro, complete with an extensive collection of archival photographs and drawings.

As Métro: Design in Motion makes clear, the 50 canadian architect 03/12

construction of the first phase of the subway was backed by Jean Drapeau (the autocratic Mayor), Lucien Saulnier (Montreal City Councillor and Chairman of the City’s Executive Committee), and Claude Robillard (Chief Planner for the City of Montreal). Certainly, other important figures include professionals like Sandy van Ginkel, a Dutch architect and planner who was instrumen­ tal in devising the first plan for the subway sys­ tem. The plan, as his lifelong partner and noted architect Blanche Lemco van Ginkel remarked, “was the central instrument guiding the cohesion of a new sense of urbanism that included a plan for the downtown, expressways, and a subway.”

Pierre Bourgeau was the architect in charge of the Metro’s first phase, but the decision to hire dif­ ferent architects such as Jean­Paul Pothier, Roger d’Astous, Victor Prus and Norman Slater to design each station was critical in capturing the dynamism and ambitious city­building occurring in Montreal throughout the 1960s. Moreover, the commitment to dedicate a high level of architec­ ture and design established an important preced­ ent for the Metro that was carried through subse­ quent phases of its construction, right up to the completion of the De La Concorde, Cartier and Montmorency Metro stations in 2007.

Martins­Manteiga is not an academic, but his

photogrAphs tAken At A vAriety of Metro stAtions Across MontreAl.

aBOVe

ability to tell a passionate story about the origins of North America’s eighth subway system is equal to or greater than any architectural historian.

Perhaps the greatest achievement found in his labour of love is his systematic approach to docu­ menting all 68 subway stations; his impressions of daily life within each station were captured through the lens of his own camera. In addition to reflecting upon the extraordinary degree of thought and effort that went into the public art and architecture of the Metro, Martins­ Manteiga’s photography raises questions per­ taining to the changing demographics apparent in the various neighbourhoods located above and around each station—undoubtedly a fascinating indication of Montreal’s social and cultural evolution since the Metro was first inaugurated 50 years ago. ca Copies of John Martins-Manteiga’s book are still available. Limited to 1,000 copies due to financial constraints, Métro: Design in Motion was supported and saved from abandonment through the generous financial assistance of Jane and Eberhard Zeidler, and the STM.

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