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18 Surrey City Centre Library Bing Thom Architects anticipate and address the creation of sustainable communities in this project for a rapidly expanding municipality south of Vancouver. TEXT Tanya Southcott
28 Halifax Seaport Farmers’ Market
Craft Sanyuu
NIC LEHOUX
JAMES INGRAM
Contents
11 News
38 Insites
Environmental stewardship is a key driver in the adaptive reuse of a massive building on the piers of Halifax’s waterfront. TEXT Michael Carroll
34 HK+NP Studio Adam Maitland
Expanding the boundaries of architecture in a most exquisite fashion, a Vancouver couple demonstrates entrepreneurship and diversifies a broad skill set through the creation of an independent jewelry design studio. TEXT Leslie Jen
First phase of Underpass Park in Toronto opens; 2012 National Urban Design Awards recognize projects across the country.
arry Downs reveals the extraordinary B artistry of architectural photographer Selwyn Pullan, evidenced in his iconic images of Mid-Century West Coast Modernist buildings.
43 Practice
David Steiner reviews some of the basics behind alternative financing and procurement in Ontario.
45 Legal
Elaine Pantel details how changes to the Architects Act in Ontario create new opportunities and challenges with respect to growth and succession.
49 Calendar
Vertical Urban Factory at the Design Exchange in Toronto; Winnipeg Design Festival.
50 Backpage
Courtney Healey urges the City of Vancouver to further its goal of intercultural connection through continued support for the Urban Republic Arts Society’s noble and joyful Karaoke Kiosk events.
SEPTEMBER 2012, v.57 n.09
The National Review of Design and Practice/ The Journal of Record of Architecture Canada | RAIC
COVER Surrey City Centre Library by Bing Thom Architects in Surrey, British Columbia. Photograph by Nic Lehoux.
09/12 canadian architect
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Ema Peter
Viewpoint
ABOVE The District Education Centre for the Surrey School District symbolizes a commitment to consolidating and partnering on projects that address 21st-century teaching challenges.
September is back-to-school season and the month is marked by a noticeable increase in traffic associated with school buses and carpools. Inside our chronically underfunded and overcrowded public schools, life is more hectic. Teachers must constantly adapt to increased demands on their schedules while school administrators and trustees struggle to address the evolving complexity of student needs. Financ ing the upkeep and expansion of the public school system remains a perennial challenge that negatively affects the innovative design of educational facilities. Is the architectural profession able to keep pace? Many of us are aware that our elementary and secondary school systems are undergoing considerable change. Teachers have become more like coaches while students are less inclined to listen to a “talking head” at the front of the class. Open-concept schools are coming back. To help streamline the delivery of an education offered to as many different types of learners as possible, provincial governments across Canada are experimenting with online tools to help maximize a student’s potential. Meanwhile, tablets such as iPads, smart phones and nearlimitless software applications continue to provide a mix of distractions and useful learning tools for teachers, students and parents. Beyond evolving teaching methodologies, innovative school design at the elementary and secondary level of education remains slow to materialize. Schools are complex building types. Their definition of success is determined by various stakeholders and includes input from provincial authorities, academics, unions, private-sector interests, trustees and parent advisory councils—all of whom constitute a vital network of partners required for progressive design. Innovation through partnerships occurs when local social-service agencies, non-profits, and businesses work together with school boards to develop a rich palette of student learning ex8 canadian architect 09/12
periences. These can range from ArtsSmarts, a non-profit organization that brings teachers and artists together in the classroom, to large corporations pursuing e-learning technologies like Desire2Learn, which recently received funding from the venture capital arm of OMERS, the Ontario-based pension fund for teachers. With provincial governments looking to streamline teachers’ salaries, they are also having an increasingly difficult time finding the necessary resources to build, or even maintain existing schools. With limited funding available, school boards across the country must look at inventive ways to maintain the delivery of extracurricular activities, teaching support, and programs for children with special needs. This is where real estate partnerships can enhance the effectiveness of the public school system. In recent years, discussions relating to the disposition of school assets to finance new or renovated schools have gained favour as a viable option to raise capital for school projects. Many school boards across the country sit on sizeable real estate portfolios that were amassed decades ago. As the value of these holdings has increased, it is now desirable for a given school’s underutilized property to be sold or leased. Provincial governments view these properties as valuable public assets for delivering education and community services, but reconsidering how these assets can benefit both the students and the community will inevitably lead to imaginative and progressive city-building ideas. It remains to be seen how the new era of educational partnerships will translate into architecture. One example might be in Surrey, British Columbia. In 2010, B+H Bunting Coady completed the District Education Centre for the Surrey School District, the largest school district in the province. The education centre was designed with the latest generation of sustainable design strategies and serves to consolidate the Surrey School District’s administrative capacities while symbolizing its commitment to managing 21st-century teaching challenges. In addition to its elementary and secondary schools, the Surrey School District has five learning centres, three adult education centres, an online learning program, and many satellite and interagency programs serving a range of intellectual, social and economic student needs. The need for innovative partnerships extends beyond the simple task of delivering a school curriculum. Educational partnerships provide opportunities for schools to become rich with diverse learning environments, thereby leading to the enhancement of architecture and design excellence in our public school system. Ian Chodikoff
ichodikoff@canadianarchitect.com
Editor Ian Chodikoff, OAA, FRAIC Associate Editor Leslie Jen, MRAIC Editorial Advisors John McMinn, AADipl. Marco Polo, OAA, FRAIC Contributing Editors Gavin Affleck, OAQ, MRAIC Herbert Enns, MAA, MRAIC Douglas MacLeod, ncarb Regional Correspondents Halifax Christine Macy, OAA Regina Bernard Flaman, SAA Montreal David Theodore Calgary David A. Down, AAA Winnipeg Herbert Enns, MAA Vancouver Adele Weder Publisher Tom Arkell 416-510-6806 Associate Publisher Greg Paliouras 416-510-6808 Circulation Manager Beata Olechnowicz 416-442-5600 ext. 3543 Customer Service Malkit Chana 416-442-5600 ext. 3539 Production Jessica Jubb Graphic Design Sue Williamson Vice President of Canadian Publishing Alex Papanou President of Business Information Group Bruce Creighton Head Office 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). Price per single copy: $6.95. Students (prepaid with student ID, includes taxes): $34.97 for one year. USA: $105.95 US for one year. All other foreign: $125.95 US per year. Single copy US and foreign: $10.00 US. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Circulation Dept., Canadian Architect, 80 Valleybrook Dr, Toronto, ON Canada M3B 2S9. Postmaster: please forward forms 29B and 67B to 80 Valleybrook Dr, Toronto, ON Canada M3B 2S9. Printed in Canada. All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced either in part or in full without the consent of the copyright owner. From time to time we make our subscription list available to select companies and organizations whose product or service may interest you. If you do not wish your contact information to be made available, please contact us via one of the following methods: Telephone 1-800-668-2374 Facsimile 416-442-2191 E-mail privacyofficer@businessinformationgroup.ca Mail Privacy Officer, Business Information Group, 80 Valleybrook Dr, Toronto, ON Canada M3B 2S9 Member of the Canadian Business Press Member of the Audit Bureau of Circulations Publications Mail Agreement #40069240 ISSN 1923-3353 (Online) ISSN 0008-2872 (Print)
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NEWS Projects
Located under and around the Eastern Avenue, Richmond and Adelaide overpasses, Underpass Park is the most extensive park ever built under an overpass in Canada, and the first ever in Toronto. One of the city’s most innovative urban parks, the first phase of Underpass Park, a 2.5-acre mixed-use space, opened in early August. Constructed in two phases, the first completed sections of the park are between St. Lawrence Street and Bayview Avenue. The second phase of the park, on the west side of St. Lawrence Street, is under construction and expected to open in spring 2013. Designed by Vancouver-based landscape architects Phillips Farevaag Smallenberg with The Planning Partnership, Underpass Park is part of an ongoing effort to transform pockets of neglected urban spaces on the waterfront into valued public amenities. With the objective of transforming derelict and underused space, the park takes full advantage of the concrete beams and columns of the overpasses to create a unique and inviting community asset and provide yearround weather protection. www.waterfrontoronto.ca/explore_projects2/west_ don_lands/underpass_park
Awards 2012 National Urban Design Awards recognize projects across the country.
Architecture Canada | RAIC, the Canadian Institute of Planners, and the Canadian Society of Landscape Architects have announced the winners of the 2012 National Urban Design Awards. The North Vancouver City Library in North Vancouver by Diamond Schmitt Architects and CEI Architecture Planning Interiors, in joint venture have taken the top spot in the Urban Architecture category, while Elm Street Four Unit Infill in Ottawa by Jason C. Flynn Architect Inc. and One Cole in Toronto’s Regent Park by Diamond Schmitt Architects with Graziani + Corazza Architects Inc., NAK Design Group were recognized with Certificates of Merit. In the Urban Design Plans category, the East Village Master Plan in Calgary by Broadway Malyan with Roland Berger Strategy Consultants won the top award, and two projects received Certi ficates of Merit—Toronto Avenues and Mid-Rise Buildings Study by Brook McIlroy and the City of Toronto with ERA Architects, Quadrangle Architects and the Urban Marketing Collaborative; and VYR Vancouver International Airport in Richmond by Sharp & Diamond Landscape
Courtesy of Waterfront Toronto/Nicola Betts
Phase One of Toronto’s Underpass Park opens.
ABOVE A view of Underpass Park in Toronto reveals an abundance of new play structures and a mirrored honeycomb effect on the underbelly of the concrete overpass.
Architecture Inc. Two projects won awards in the Urban Fragments category—ESPA 2010 Mural Project (aka “Transition” Mural Project) in Edmonton by the Edmonton Small Press Association; and Gathering Circle in Thunder Bay by Brook McIlroy and Ryan Gorrie. Canada’s Sugar Beach in Toronto by Claude Cormier + Associés and Waterfront Toronto with The Planning Partnership took top spot in the Civic Design Projects category, while two Certificates of Merit were claimed by Garden City Play Environment, City of Richmond by space2place design inc. with POD Design; and West Toronto Railpath by Scott Torrance Landscape Architect Inc. (Prime) and Brown and Storey Architects Inc. Marché Lionel Daunais in Boucherville by Sylvie Perrault architectes/Atelier Urban Face Inc. won the only Award in the Civic Design Projects (Small Town) category. Meanwhile, Sherbourne Common in Toronto by Phillips Farevaag Smallenberg and Waterfront Toronto with The Planning Partnership took the prize in the Civic Design Projects (Sustainable Award) category. Finally, in the Student Project category, Feed Toronto: Growing the Hydrofields (Pickering, Ontario) by Drew Adams/Fadi Masoud/Karen May/Denise Pinto/Jameson Skaife won the top spot, followed by Loose Change (Montreal) by Chun Fung Law/AnneMarie Desmeules/Aisha Sheikh, who won a Certificate of Merit. The RAIC, CIP and CSLA, in cooperation with Canadian municipalities, promote public and private awareness of urban design through this awards program, which was
established to recognize individuals, organizations, firms and projects that have contributed to the sustainability and quality of life in our Canadian cities. The National Urban Design Awards are part of a two-tier program held in co-operation with major metropolitan centres in Canada. Recipients are previous year’s winners from participating municipalities such as Toronto, Mississauga, Calgary, Edmonton, Vaughan and Ottawa, as well as submissions from other communities in Canada. The National Urban Design Awards will be presented at an award ceremony held during IIDEX Canada on September 21, 2012 at the Direct Energy Centre in Toronto. www.raic.org Zeidler Partnership’s CIBC Breast Assessment Centre wins the International Future Health Design Award.
Up against projects with construction values in the hundreds of millions, the $5-million, 1,100square-foot CIBC Breast Assessment Centre has won the International Future Health Design Award at the 8th Design & Health World Congress and Exhibition in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Designed by Zeidler Partnership Architects for Hamilton Health Sciences for the Juravinski Hospital site, the Centre responds to the chang ing role of the hospital within the wider health system and the community; it was lauded as a prototype for community-centred care that could be applied universally. Medical research has shown how sensory design improves the 09/12canadian architect
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defining the way we work, play and organize our lives. Out of 285 entries from 19 countries, Checkwitch Poiron Architects Inc. was announced as one of the five winners of the Design Is...Award. With offices in Vancouver, Nanaimo and Saltspring Island, the firm was recognized for the Nanaimo Cruise Ship Terminal in Nanaimo, BC. For cruise ship passengers visiting the mid-Vancouver Island area, the Nanaimo terminal makes a striking first impression that reflects the values of the region. Extensive use of warm inviting wood combines the beauty and native industries of the region. Sustainable products used in the offices overlooking the welcome centre provide a subtle yet playful and dynamic counterpoint to the richness of the natural wood used throughout the terminal. Five distinguished members of the design community evaluated each project based on its design solutions beyond aesthetic quality: Lucy Baraqui, senior design manager, Starbucks; Aneetha McLellan, associate vice president, HDR Architecture; Vito Lotta, senior director of design, Doubletree Hotels of Hilton Hotels; Steve Louie, teacher, Design School of Temasek Polytechnic; and Casey Jones, design director, General Services Administration. John Peterson, founder and
rate of successful patient recoveries. Based on the principles of salutogenesis, the CIBC Breast Assessment Centre is the first in North America that follows what is becoming an international trend in wellness centres that concurrently emphasize emotional and physical health. The Centre exemplifies the union of environment, humanity and sustainability to reduce anxiety in a holistic manner through physical integration with the city and the existing hospital, and through its programming of community activity and education. Water, natural light and landscape work with the Centre’s interior design to create an oasis-like dignified environment for arrival and waiting. With an anticipated opening of Summer 2014, the Centre will be located at the Juravinski Hospital and Cancer Centre, occupying the former Henderson Hospital Emergency Department site. Checkwitch Poiron Architects one of Design Is…Award winners.
In its seventh year, the Shaw Contract Group Design Is…Award program honours architecture and design firms that are changing the very idea of what design is. Through these winning projects, selected from commercial spaces from around the globe, we see how design is re-
president of Public Architecture, moderated the discussion. www.shawcontractgroup.com/Content/press_ releases/8-10-12-Shaw-Contract-Group-Design-IsAward-Winners.pdf
Competitions Gow Hastings Architects receive honourable mention in healthcare interior design competition.
The International Interior Design Association (IIDA) recently announced the winners of the inaugural Healthcare Interior Design Com petition, an international competition honouring and celebrating outstanding originality and excellence in the planning and design of healthcare interior spaces. The winners of the competition were selected from over 100 submissions from around the globe by an expert panel of interior design professionals who specialize in healthcare interiors. Winners were announced in four categories that included Hospice Care; Hospitals; Senior Living & Residential Health, Care and Support Facilities; and Ambulatory Care Centres—the category in which Gow Hastings Architects were recognized with an Honourable Mention. Winners
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What’s New Edmonton’s HIP Architects to merge with Kasian.
Kasian Architecture Interior Design and Planning Ltd (Kasian), one of Canada’s largest global architecture, interior design and planning firms, has entered into an agreement to merge the Edmonton-based practice of HIP Architects into its existing operations. Originally founded in 1938, Edmonton’s HIP Architects has evolved through seven decades of practice to create some of the most recognizable buildings in Alberta’s capital city. These include the Art Gallery of Alberta, the Commonwealth Community Recreation Centre and the Sturgeon Community Hospital Expansion. Kasian also has deep roots in Edmonton, with its establishment in the city nearly 30 years ago. Under the terms of this agreement, HIP partners Stewart Inglis and Randy Krebes will become principals with Kasian. In addition, 15 members of HIP’s staff will transfer to Kasian’s Commerce Place headquarters in Edmonton, significantly increasing office capacity and capability. Craig Henderson of HIP will continue in his position as senior consultant assisting with business development for emerging key clients and providing design leadership on complex new projects. http://kasian.com/content/news-stories/all Announcing the new Global Cities Institute at the University of Toronto.
The John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design has announced the Global Cities Institute (GCI), a new research centre at the University of Toronto. This cross-disciplinary initiative aims to harness its rapidly expanding global network to secure a better future for cities around the world. There is a massive increase in the number of people moving to and living in cities, and the GCI will examine how to best identify and act on the key factors that will ensure sustainable urbanization and prosperity across cities and nations throughout the globe. “The Global Cities Institute will launch a democratic, global conversation that crosses political, social, economic and disciplinary boundaries,” says Patricia McCarney, newly appointed Director of the GCI. The GCI will house the Global City Indicators Facility (GCIF), which has already created a knowledge network that connects over 200 cities globally and builds global partnerships across government, universities, international agencies and industry. The Facility assists cities in drawing comparative lessons from other urban centres world-wide. The networks created through the GCI will not only lead to new global partnerships, but will also enable a cross-disciplinary team of researchers, designers, policy-makers and economists—among others—to model and visualize new and progressive forms of urbanization. The GCI will facilitate research and experiment with new ways to increase physical and social mobility, and accommodate increased intensification without compromising happiness, health and prosperity in our rapidly transforming cities. www.daniels.utoronto.ca/news/2012/07/announcing_new_global_cities_institute
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Mole Magazine seeking submissions.
A group of architecture students affiliated with the University of Waterloo School of Architecture is launching a new publication called Mole Magazine. With a jury including Mason White of Lateral Office, Daniel D’Oca of Interboro Partners, Aileen Kwun of Project Projects, Brigitte Shim of ShimSutcliffe Architects, and John Hong and Jinhee Park of SsD, the first issue is expected to print in January 2013. The inaugural theme is “Cute Little
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Things.” As our world expands, its components are becoming infinitely small: smartphones, microchips, MP3s, teacup chihuahuas, and so forth. We have become obsessed, and increasingly adept, at compacting complex systems and ideas into cute little packages. New forms of infrastructure, technology and architecture are emerging in response to this vastly expanding framework. Architectural representation has begun to stray from the standard methods of communication, encapsulating entire projects into intellectually bite-sized diagrams. What could be the new methods in organizing complexities embedded in our social networks and consumer culture? What is the role of designers in a world that asks for hyper-specialization? What are the potentials of small in mobility, transferability, economy, new materials, and customizations? Mole begins its inaugural launch with small beginnings and invites a discussion on all things cute and little. The deadline for submissions is September 30, 2012. Submissions should take the form of an article, project, drawing, or be photography-based. Please send submissions to editor@molemagazine.com. www.molemagazine.com/index.php?/publications/ submissions/ Laurentian Architecture to showcase cross-laminated timber.
A provincial investment of $350,000 through the Centre for Research and Innovation in the BioEconomy (CRIBE) will help to fund the incorporation of cross-laminated timber technology, or CLT, in the construction of Laurentian University’s School of Architecture. The CRIBE grant will allow Laurentian Architecture to showcase the first significant use of cross-laminated timber in a public building in Ontario. An engineered wood product, CLT is made by gluing and pressing together successive layers of spruce, pine or fir 2x4’s or 2x6’s to form large solid blocks or sheets that can be precision-trimmed to specific purposes. CLT manufactured products can be used as walls, floors and roof panels in building construction. CRIBE is a non-profit agency set up by the Ontario government to advance the commercialization of the forest products industry in the province. The CRIBE grant will assist in the purchase of CLT materials, and will also defray the costs for the consultant team including building code experts, to develop strategies to successfully detail and secure approvals for the two-storey section of the new Laurentian School of Architecture, set to open in the fall of 2015. Current schematic designs by Levitt Goodman Architects show the west wing of the new structure, comprising the Classroom, Lecture Hall and Library, built with CLT. Much of 14 canadian architect 09/12
the 12,000-square-foot structure would be exposed to view, with clear curtain glazing. The new School, the first to open in Canada in more than 40 years, has also received significant funding from the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund, the Greater Sudbury Development Corporation, TD Insurance Meloche Monnex and the organization representing businesses and service providers in downtown Sudbury. Donations to Laurentian Architecture will be used to support scholarships, bursaries, state-of-the-art computer software, and resources needed for the Community Design/Build projects. www.laurentian.ca Colin Ripley appointed new Chair of Ryerson Department of Architecture.
The Department of Architectural Science at Ryerson University has announced the appointment of Colin Ripley as new Departmental Chair. Professor Ripley, who has been at Ryerson since 2003, is a partner and director of the architectural firm RVTR (www.rvtr.com), and has been the recipient of a number of awards, including the 2009 Canada Council Professional Prix de Rome in Architecture. He has been published widely both in Canada and abroad and has co-edited the book In the Place of Sound: Architecture|Music|Acoustics. Beyond his academic and professional engagements, Colin brings to the department a new vision for architectural education for the 21st century—one that is responsive to emergent technologies and encourages cross-disciplinary research. He anticipates that the future will be about the coordination of complex processes and teams, operating across global and virtual networks, in collaboration with both human and non-human partners. “Architect AIBC” is now the official title for BC-registered architects.
The bylaw changes supported by members at the May 12, 2012 AIBC Annual Meeting have successfully passed the provincial government’s “disallowance” period and are now in effect. Ten bylaws are affected, but most significant is the amended Bylaw 10, which used to require AIBC members to use the initials “MAIBC” after their name. The new Bylaw 10 establishes “Architect AIBC” as an architect’s exclusive title. Specifically: 10.0 A registered member shall use the title “Architect AIBC” after the member’s name. No associate or other registrant is entitled to use the title “Architect AIBC” or any variation thereof that implies registration as an architect with the AIBC. This bylaw takes effect immediately. As a result, letterhead, e-mail signatures, business cards, title blocks, website information and other marketing material should be modified to
reflect new titles. You are encouraged to make these changes as quickly as reasonably possible. The Institute will be advising other regulators, local governments, planners’ and building officials’ organizations, and other stakeholders about the title change to ensure there is clarity and consistency in the public interest. Specific information about the bylaw can be found in the 2012 AIBC Annual Meeting package. http://aibcenews.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/2012annual-meeting-booklet1.pdf Peter Streith appointed President of the Alberta Association of Architects.
Peter Streith, a principal in the Edmonton office of global architecture, design and planning firm Kasian, has been appointed President of the Alberta Association of Architects (AAA). Founded in 1906, the AAA is a self-governing professional body charged under the Architects Act with the registration and regulation of the practice of architects and licensed interior designers. Streith spearheaded the development of a needs assessment and campus master plan for the 100-year-old Lakeland College in Alberta, creating a 30-year strategy for the redevelopment of buildings and facilities at Canada’s only interprovincial college. Streith was also principal in charge for the development of the $14-million Library and Student Forum at the University of Alberta Augustana campus, western Canada’s premier public liberal arts and sciences facility. McGill architecture students create ContemPLAY pavilion.
The ContemPLAY pavilion is a combined steel and wood structure created by the McGill School of Architecture DRS (Directed Research Studio M.Arch.) students as a capstone project for their final year. It is built in collaboration with F.A.R.M.M. (Facility for Architectural Research and Media Mediation, founding director Michael Jemtrud), and Maria Mingallon, current Gerald Sheff Visiting Professor. The pavilion project is an excellent demonstration of the latest developments in the DRS program, exposing advanced construction techniques, digital processes and theoretical approaches to architecture in the public realm. The pavilion is donated to the public and open to all as a means of making architecture relevant and important in the community. Members of the pavilion team include: Hamza Alhbian, Simon Bastien, Justin Boulanger, Evguenia Chevtchenko, Elisa Costa, Jason Crow, Nicolas Demers-Stoddart, Andrew Hruby, Olga Karpova, Shelley Ludman, Diandra Maselli, Maria Mingallon, Courtney Posel, Dina Safo nova, Dieter Toews and Sophie Wilkin. http://web.farmmresearch.com/pavilion/
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Reading the Future
A recently opened central library ushers in a new level of dynamism and sophistication for the rapidly growing municipality of Surrey. Surrey City Centre Library, Surrey, British Columbia Bing Thom Architects TEXT Tanya Southcott PHOTOS Nic Lehoux PROJECT
ARCHITECT
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Last December’s inauguration of Surrey’s Mayor and Council marked a significant step towards the transformation of Metro Vancouver’s sprawl ing suburb into what is anticipated to be the province’s next cosmopolitan centre. The ceremony, traditionally performed in Council Chambers, was instead set against the panoramic view of nearly $100 million in con struction activity committed to creating a burgeoning civic precinct and catalyst for future growth and investment in the city. From the vantage of the grand cascading stair in the atrium of the new Surrey City Centre Library, over 300 in attendance were witness to the impact of architecture on the evolving identity of the city. An integral component in the development of City Centre (one of six town centres in Surrey, otherwise referred to as North Surrey or Whalley) and the Build Surrey program for capital projects, the construction of the Civic Centre over the next five years will include the new City Hall (sched uled for completion in September 2013), a performing arts centre, a Simon Fraser University expansion and civic plaza, as well as additional
commercial and residential space. At the heart of the development, the area bound by University Drive, 104 Avenue and the City Parkway, City Hall and the new regional library will form a fractured arrowhead to the northeast corner that filters pedestrians from the streets to the public core of the city, a generous open space designed to accommodate up to 5,000 people at a time. As the first parcel of the site to be constructed, the library anchors the development with a landmark architectural gesture by Vancouver-based firm Bing Thom Architects (BTA) that celebrates both the community’s investment in literacy and its commitment to the future growth of the city. According to Surinder Bhogal, Deputy Chief Librarian and former manager of the Whalley branch previously located on the northeast corner of the site, this library is a critical space for the community of North Sur rey as it transitions towards the city’s metropolitan centre. Housed in an old plumbing store for over 30 years, the Whalley Library catered pre dominantly to a population of immigrants, refugees, low-income families
OPPOSITE Traditional hand-finished plaster walls combined with an aggressively contemporary curvilinear design convey a certain elegance in this new library facility. ABOVE Dynamically configured and large picture windows look out onto the Skytrain and the evolving centre of Surrey.
and senior citizens who relied heavily on the programs and services avail able in the neighbourhood facility. Now at almost eight times the floor area with over triple the staff, the new City Centre Library must continue to service its local community while meeting the aspirations of a regional facility. Public consultation and community engagement in both the design and construction of the new facility was instrumental in creating a sense of pride and ownership for the neighbourhood. “It is impossible for the library to be all things to all people,” Bhogal maintains. “But above all, it must be open to everybody.” Built as part of the federal government’s 09/12canadian architect
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OPPOSITE, LEFT TO RIGHT The corner of the library, viewed from the south end of the site; Trainspotters will be delighted by the Skytrain line, visible through the windows of the library’s “living room.” ABOVE the North and east side of building, with the construction site of the future civic centre and plaza in the foreground.
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TOP Most of the library book stacks can be seen from the central atrium, a wonderful orienting device. ABOVE A solitary patron studiously attends to his reading material.
Economic Action Plan, the project was subject to a strict 18-month schedule in order to qualify for federal stimulus funding and a matching amount by the province. Although local librarians had already composed their wish list in anticipation of the regional facility, the critical timeline chal lenged the design team to engage the public in less conventional ways. BTA worked with library staff to integrate social media into their market ing strategies for the new building, setting up blog, Facebook, Twitter and Flickr accounts to communicate construction progress and to en courage community members to contribute im ages and ideas about what they wanted to see in 22 canadian architect 09/12
their library. The team also met with local high school students over sketchbooks and kits of modelling clay to generate concepts for furni ture, an exercise that inspired hammock-styled lounges and pod-like listening chairs designed to make the library visit a unique experience. For Bing Thom, founding principal of BTA, the library remains a unique civic space whose role for modern communities is continually evolving. Closer to the community or recreation centre in function than a repository for collec tions of books and other print material, today’s library is fundamentally a gathering space that brings people together. It is a social experience
that must simultaneously support individual contemplation and active collaboration. “A good library should not distract but engage its users,” says Thom. “People come to feel inspired by other people and books.” Surrey City Centre Library prioritizes people by placing users at the centre of the building’s experience. From the formal entry off the fu ture civic plaza, library-goers enter directly into the heart of the building, a generous amoebashaped atrium, where they are welcomed by staff at the circulation desk and café first rather than being instantly overwhelmed by laby rinthine stacks of books. Unlike a more trad itional reading sanctuary, this space is filled with sounds of civic engagement—children gig gling, tour guides lecturing, strains of random conversations and construction noise—that per colate through the open volume. The grand staircase directly adjacent is both stair and seating, with concrete steps and wide wooden ledges that promise the ideal spot to enjoy a cof fee while reading a paper in the morning sun. This is the beginning of the sculptural balus trade, a thick white band that weaves through the entire space carrying the eye upward to wards the glowing halo skylight, and marking the circulation path through the public areas of the building. From this vantage, the library is easily understood, and visitors are able to quickly orient themselves and locate their de sired destination. There is a fluidity of space in the library as cent that undulates between generous open areas that are sometimes multiple storeys in height for larger displays and less formal activi ties, and intimate nooks reserved for more specific focused tasks. Seating and social areas feature more domestic furniture, plush leather armchairs, low coffee tables and oversized floor lamps; even a freestanding fireplace brings warmth, comfort and a sense of scale to an otherwise oversized space. Almost one year after opening, the building still feels less than full, and its harsher critics argue its bulk as a waste of space. Fortunately, the flexibility of the floor plate is designed to allow the community to grow into the building as their collection ex pands and new programming needs arise. To date, the size and scale of the facility together with its range of available spaces have inspired programming such as Imagine Surrey, an urban planning forum to engage architects, develop ers and planners in the transformation of North Surrey, and an extension of Doors Open Surrey, where architects lecture on the evolving area and nearby developments. The completion of City Hall’s 230-seat auditorium and the civic plaza promises opportunities for crossprogramming, and the ability to attract an even broader audience.
1 City Hall 2 Surrey City Centre Library 3 Central City
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The stunning plasticity of the architectural concrete permits the building to taper to a fine point at its north end. ABOVE The library under construction. TOP
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From University Drive, the concrete-andglass structure has been described as both a ship set to sea and an open book resting gently on its spine. Generated by the curve of the road and the area master plan, the dynamic form twists horizontally to engage the ground plane. South and west façades are largely architectural concrete, with floor-to-ceiling glazing to the north and east opening up the building to the
most public and pedestrian-oriented space, the civic plaza. The splayed walls are designed to protect the library stacks from direct sun while flooding the remaining space with natural light. White plaster finish and angled surfaces bounce light deep into the building so that the entire space glows with an ambient light ideal for reading, like a lantern illuminated from the inside.
Efficiency of construction was critical to the project’s success, and the design team worked with PERIform, a German formwork product to create walls that curve and slope simultaneous ly, with an architecturally exposed concrete fin ish on both inside and outside faces. After their experience using the product at the University of British Columbia’s Chan Centre for the Per forming Arts, BTA saved critical time by com pleting shop drawings in house, and helped train crews on site. The modular design relies on one specialized form—the curve used at the windows—strategically mirrored and rotated throughout the elevations to create visual inter est while managing cost and schedule. While the original project brief called for three storeys at 65,000 square feet of useable space, BTA estimated the city would outgrow this facility in less than three years’ time, given Surrey’s current growth rate of nearly 10,000 new residents annually. The firm convinced the client to invest in a fourth floor which has been leased to Simon Fraser University as their Con tinuing Education satellite campus, a win-win strategy for both institutions as it increases the reach of the library while providing for its fu ture growth. Since its inception, BTA has built a reputation on their holistic approach to archi tecture, by balancing elegant and timeless de sign solutions with innovative and progressive strategies for pushing projects beyond their in itial vision. At the crux of this interdisciplinary perspective is the desire to build sustainable communities by recognizing that the built en vironment and the economic and social condi tions of the community are closely intertwined. Surrey City Centre Library brings value to its community not only as an engaging work of architecture, but as an investment in the betterment of its citizens, and represents a critical piece of civic infrastructure designed to secure a prosperous future for the city. CA Tanya Southcott is a Vancouver-based architect and writer.
ABOVE The horizontal expansion joints and uniquely shaped windows contribute to the library’s sense of fluidity and movement across the site.
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CLIENT City of Surrey/Surrey Public Library ARCHITECT TEAM Bing Thom, Michael Heeney, Venelin Kokalov, Ling Meng, Francis Yan, John Camfield, Shinobu Homma, Robert Sandilands, Marcos Hui, Lisa Potopsingh, Harald Merk, Berit Wooge, Dan Du, Michael Motlagh, Nicole Hu STRUCTURAL Fast + Epp ELECTRICAL Applied Engineering Solutions MECHANICAL AME Consulting Group LANDSCAPE Phillips Farevaag Smallenberg INTERIORS Bing Thom Architects CONTRACTOR Stuart Olson Dominion (formerly Dominion Fairmile Construction Ltd.) GEOTECHNICAL EXP Services Inc. (formerly Trow Consulting Engineers) BUILDING CODE LMDG Building Code Consultants TRAFFIC Bunt & Associates QUANTITY SURVEYING/COSTING LEC Quantity Surveying Inc. BUILDING ENVELOPE Morrison Hershfield ACOUSTIC Brown & Strachan PROJECT MANAGER Turnbull Construction Services Ltd. AREA 82,000 ft2 BUDGET $26.5 M COMPLETION Fall 2011
AALFS Residence Portola Valley, CA (United States)
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Market Performance
Environmental stewardship is a key driver in the adaptive reuse of a massive building on the piers of Halifax’s waterfront. Halifax Seaport Farmers’ Market Lydon Lynch Architects TEXT Michael Carroll PHOTOS James Ingram PROJECT
ARCHITECT
The Halifax Seaport Farmers’ Market, opened in 2010, is one of those projects in which the client, program, site and underlying philosophies of the architect align to create a case-study project that addresses issues of sustainable design from the macro to the micro scale. In terms of the client and program, the building is owned and developed by the Halifax Port Authority and is leased to the Halifax Farmers’ Market Cooperative. The Cooperative was founded in 1750 and is the oldest continuously running farmers’ market in North America. The current market houses over 200 vendors 28 canadian architect 09/12
selling high-quality local products from food to crafts. Within the 40,000-square-foot expanse of the new market, sited in Pier 20 on the Halifax waterfront, it is apparent that the building design not only encompasses but amplifies the Cooperative’s inherent philosophy and focus on environmental stewardship and the careful use of limited resources. A symbiotic relationship exists between the market’s content and its LEED Platinum “architectural container”—both highly invested in reducing their impact on the immediate and extended environments in which they operate. In terms of site, the Halifax Seaport Farmers’ Market is a stellar example of adaptive reuse and incisive architectural intervention. From the 1970s to the 1990s, the piers consisted of a vast, underutilized set of warehouses that stretched about 2,000 feet along the Halifax waterfront. Before this area was redeveloped, one could walk or even bike through the semiabandoned warehouses, where pigeons would fly through the large open doors that offered dramatic views of nearby George’s Islands. Lydon Lynch Architects have managed to keep
the industrial memory of the piers alive through reusing the original structure of Pier 20 as its primary skeleton, with the existing roof deck planking reinstated and left exposed to the interior. The 16-bay steel truss structure is a robust architectural statement, which is further amplified as the building delaminates northward to address a new civic square that links the market and the nearby offices of the Halifax Port Authority to the harbour, as well as the southern gateway to the Halifax Waterfront Boardwalk. This semi-enclosed, northern end of the market building is architecturally the most complex and compelling of the entire project. The looming roof canopy and the exposed trusses and columns define a generous outdoor urban room that forms not only the north entry to the market but also extends and shelters a ground-level terrace, along with a second-storey balcony that projects eastward towards Halifax Harbour. Within the rigour of the existing 16-bay structure of Pier 20, various architectural elements have been inserted. From an exterior
perspective, the most dramatic and transformative architectural intervention to the existing building is the presence of four three-storey solar lanterns that allow an abundance of natural daylight into the market space and provide a vertical flue for passive ventilation. The glass lanterns also enhance the transparency of the existing structure and connect the cityscape to the harbour, or, more abstractly, the land to the sea. From the interior, the glass lanterns mark two entrances along Marginal Road. The middle two lanterns flank one of the main architectural elements of the whole project—a grand staircase that leads the public from the ground-level market stalls to a mezzanine that lines the west side of the market. Double-height volumes demarcate the zones where the mezzanine intersects the lanterns to achieve maximum transparency through the building. As one moves through the central staircase, it is apparent that this is the heart of the project, where conversations, musical performances, and peoplewatching occur. To mark this central zone, a bio-wall has been installed not only for visual interest, but also to help filter the air and im-
prove its quality. From the vantage point of the mezzanine, the zoning of the ground floor below becomes apparent. The main floor slab is designed to accommodate three different zones— one strip has only electrical outlets, the middle strip has water and electrical, and the third strip, directly below the mezzanine, is equipped with gas. In turn, the stalls are organized according to their needs. Craft stalls that only need electrical are zoned along the eastern edge of the building, while the fully equipped stalls that serve prepared food line the opposite side of the market. Not only did the building reuse the existing steel structure of Pier 20, but most of the concrete was crushed on site for reuse in order to reduce the need for both new materials and to increase the diversion rate to the local landfill. In keeping with the philosophy of a “green market,” building products were sourced locally where possible, the result being that one-third of all the materials used came from the region. Also, given the project’s proximity to the ocean and a nearby rail yard, any additional products sourced from outside the region were delivered
OPPOSITE Microturbines and an extensive green roof enhance both the sustain ability factor and the enjoyment of visitors to this accessible and busy public market. ABOVE Shoppers circulate through the two levels of market stalls and shops, and a living green wall is located behind the central stairwell.
by train or ship. In accordance with LEED Platinum criteria, sustainable wood products were used in construction with most wood products certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. As an added feature, the wood used for parts of the stairs, handrails, counters and benches within the market’s interior was salvaged from Hurricane Juan that devastated nearby Point Pleasant Park in 2003. The salvaged wood, with its more distinct wood-grain pattern, colouring and patina, adds an interesting texture and depth to the detail of the overall project. Perhaps one of the most hidden architectural interventions to the original Pier 20 building is perhaps its most successful. It is one of the largest green roofs in North America and is located on top of the farmers’ market. The reasons for 09/12canadian architect
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the green roof were many; however, one of the primary motivations was the designation of the Halifax Seaport Farmers’ Market as an international port and cruise-ship terminal. Because of this allocation, ground-level access to the seawall by the public was not possible; therefore, the rooftop was developed as an alternative area to offer uninterrupted views of Halifax Harbour and St. George’s Island. As Keith Tufts, lead architect of the project commented, the resulting rooftop is a grand urban room available for the public to enjoy. Accessible through stairs and elevators from below, the generous roof deck proves to be a memorable space—a grand promenade in the sky with expansive pergolas and seating. An uninterrupted glass railing on the deck’s eastern side overlooks a well-established green roof that is planted with 10 different species of sedum. The undulating pattern of various plants and the subtle gradation of colour create a green roof that is not only visually compelling but also forms an eco-system that supports local insect species. To add to the drama of the roof, four 2 kW microwind turbines tower at the edge of the building, their blades slowly turning with the gentle ocean breeze. At the northern end of the roof is a projection that houses the offices of Lydon Lynch Architects. Ample glazing offers uninterrupted views of the green roof, the city and the ocean. On top of this projection is an extensive array of solar evacuated tubes that provide heat for hot water and space heating. In addition to the solar tubes, 17 geothermal wells drilled to a depth of 650 feet are sited in front of the market. As an added bonus, extra solar heat capturd during the summer can be stored in the geothermal wells for use in colder months. LED lights embedded in the concrete sidewalk along Marginal Road denote the location of each well, another subtle feature used by the architects to reinforce the interconnection of the project’s various systems. In terms of water, the market is designed to reduce its consumption. Water is collected from the roof in a 10,000-gallon cistern which holds grey water that is used for the market’s nonLEFT, TOP TO BOTTOM Recycled and salvaged materials were used throughout the project, such as in portions of the roof and superstructure; a wood trellis breaks up the scale of the rooftop deck; the extensively planted roof gar den provides additional enjoyment for visitors while admiring views of Halifax Harbour. OPPOSITE, TOP TO BOTTOM The en trance to the market is defined by sever al glass lanterns; an overall view of the market’s green roof and promen ade; two interior views of the market.
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BELOW The Farmers’ Market boasts a highly flexible plan to permit various configura tions in the size and number of vendor stalls.
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potable requirements. The building is also designed to deliver 100% fresh-air ventilation with zero air conditioning. If the mechanical system is used, warm air is chilled with the help of a seawater cooling coil. As in any architectural project designed within the confines of sustainable design, the questions about its success extend beyond the formal to the performative. Does the Halifax Seaport Farmers’ Market deliver on its promises? How can it be calibrated and adapted to the changing uses of a seasonal food market? How can the building act as a didactic device that demonstrates to users its day-to-day performance? The answers to these questions are addressed in part by the fact that the building’s energy, water and indoor air quality are constantly monitored, reported and controlled by the owner. The building is heavily metered and sensored to measure effectiveness and usage through various control packages linked to an Energy Management Control System (EMCS). In terms of disseminating this information to the public, a large flat-screen monitor displays monthly averages of the market’s energy use and how this compares to a similar-sized building built in 1980. On this day, the reading shows that the market has consumed a monthly average of 160 million BTUs compared to 300 million BTUs in the 1980 model. The reading is further broken down to show monthly and daily percentages of energy generated by solar, wind and geothermal energy as well as water use and CO2 emissions. Given the paradigm shift that has occurred in architecture with the emphasis on sustainable and generative design, architecture no longer exists as a formal exercise; it has been transformed into a more organic entity. Given the emphasis on performance, architecture now exists as a kind of open-ended experiment that must be calibrated in order to be a highly responsive, energy-efficient system. Perhaps one of the most endearing facts about the Halifax Seaport Farmers’ Market is the architect’s continued investment in the project. Lydon Lynch Architects as long-term tenant of the building, perched on its roof, are truly the ones who are constantly assessing the building’s performance as they monitor on a daily basis the various operations of the building. In this regard, it is not only scientific facts and counts that matter, but also the richness of experience that the market continues to deliver on a daily basis. As the vendors and buyers come and go, the green roof blooms and the wind turbines spin. CA Michael Carroll is based in Atlanta and is an Assist ant Professor of Architecture at SP_ ARC (Southern Polytechnic State University Department of Archi tecture).
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Bright Shiny Things
Expanding the boundaries of architecture in a most exquisite fashion, a Vancouver couple demonstrates entrepreneurship and diversifies a broad skill set through the creation of an independent jewelry design studio. HK+NP Studio Leslie Jen PHOTOS HK+NP Studio, unless otherwise noted DESIGNER TEXT
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It is not unusual these days for architects to adopt a multidisciplinary approach to their careers, and the Vancouver-based team of Hiroko Kobayashi and Neil Prakash is no exception. Though partly borne out of necessity—HK+NP Studio arose from the economic downturn of 2008/2009, when their jobs at Nick Milkovich Architects were pared down to essentially half-
ABOVE An overlapping array of HK+NP Studio’s popular Twist series silver bangles, the first product developed by Hiroko Kobayashi and Neil Prakash in Vancouver and produced in Japan.
time—Kobayashi and Prakash also sought another outlet for their design expertise, one that would bear the fruits of their labours in a shorter time frame than architecture typically permits. Together now for about five years, they are partners in life as in work since meeting in 2005 as intern architects at Milkovich’s Vancouver office. The two have vastly different
backgrounds, a study in contrasts that seems to complement their personal and professional partnership. Kobayashi hails from Japan, and prior to her arrival in Canada in 2004, was schooled and employed in the intensely crowded and hyperkinetic metropolis of Tokyo. Conversely, Prakash was raised in the pastoral prairie landscape of Saskatchewan, and attend ed architecture school at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg. After receiving a loan from the Canadian Youth Business Foundation in 2010, the pair embarked on their entrepreneurial initiative full steam. With Kobayashi having some experience in jewelry design on the side while studying architecture and working for Kengo Kuma’s firm in Tokyo, she and Prakash felt a jewelry design studio was a viable initial foray not only to expand the range of their design portfolio, but to learn firsthand the business side of the design industry. It is certainly not the first time that architects have worked with jewelry: Frank Gehry has been designing various trinkets for luxury goods purveyor Tiffany & Co. for years. At the beginning, it made logical sense to find a manufacturer locally in Vancouver or even in Canada, but this was no easy task, as most silversmiths in this country are focused on designing and producing their own work, and not the work of others. Consequently, the couple expanded their scope further afield, deciding to base the production process in India, where Prakash’s family had connections to the jewelry trade. But after meeting with the Indian silversmith who had developed the initial prototypes for their first pieces, they were dissatisfied with the level of quality; along with a number of imperfections and blemishes in the finished product, the silver tarnished quickly as a result of an inferior alloy blend. Plan C then took their search to Kobayashi’s home country of Japan, where their ideal fabricator was ultimately found. Based in the city of Niigata, located approximately 250 kilometres north of Tokyo on the northwest coast of Honshu Island, Craft Sanyuu is a small family-run business that produces other people’s designs as well as their
Neil Prakash and Hiroko Kobayashi launched their own jewelry design studio in 2010 to complement their architectural careers. BOTTOM Embodying the mathematical conundrum of the Möbius strip, the strikingly minimalist Twist series silver bangle is available in three separate finishes—matte, mirror and scratch. ABOVE
own. Their impressive level of expertise and knowledge became readily apparent when they were able to immediately identify the problems with the existing prototypes, and suggested improvements to the process to achieve optimal results. Kobayashi and Prakash are more than pleased with the relationship, as the products are flawless in quality, and they are happy to be contributing to the silversmithing industry for which the Niigata region is historically known. This diversification of practice permits the duo to pursue their design endeavours at a much smaller scale than what they are normally accustomed to. Further, HK+NP Studio allows them a degree of creative freedom and autonomy that they could never achieve at an architecture firm, where the scale and time frame involved in realizing a building project renders each individual just a cog in the machine. While they love working for Milkovich and appreciate the generous mentorship he provides, they can distinguish themselves and emerge from anonym-
ity far better through their independent studio. Fortunately for Kobayashi and Prakash, much of the work they do by day at the architectural firm is very focused on design development and detail; not all architects are so lucky. One of the projects they were recently involved in was the design of a residence for a successful restaurateur in West Vancouver, which took seven years to complete. Designed in the spirit of master builder Arthur Erickson—with whom Nick Milkovich collaborated with professionally for some 40 years—the house possesses such a high degree of custom design that project architect Anne Gingras was dedicated exclusively to the project for the entirety of the seven years. Every square inch of the house is detailed, such that the resulting documentation for all the design details ran to 200 pages. With this sort of highly finessed training in architecture and custom interior design, it was not difficult to transition to working at a much smaller scale. In fact, the pair finds the two
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Craft Sanyuu Craft Sanyuu
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Trevor Lewis Trevor Lewis Trevor Lewis
LEFT, TOP TO BOTTOM The Q series is comprised of cufflinks, pendant, ring and earrings. Kobayashi developed the cufflinks initially as a gift for Prakash, hoping to achieve a more three-dimensional sculptural effect than what is typically available. ABOVE Four images depict workers at Craft Sanyuu in Niigata, Japan fashioning the jewelry to highly exacting standards.
Trevor Lewis
disciplines quite complementary, maintaining that the design process with respect to architecture and jewelry is very similar. Both involve traditional and contemporary techniques of sketching, origami, paper/cardboard/wood modelling, and computer-aided modelling to give their ideas a more concrete threedimensional form, working back and forth amongst the various media to achieve the optimal solution. For their jewelry designs, the computer models are digitally transmitted to China where plastic models are created through rapid prototyping, after which they are examined and revised for another round of rapid prototyping if necessary, then sent to Japan for fabrication through the creation of a series of molds and wax models prior to the finished silver product. With the jewelry designed in Vancouver, the models produced in China, the finished pieces fabricated in Japan and sold back in Canada and the US, this embodiment of the global village erases the vast geographical distances between the key players in this undertaking as drawings, concepts, models, molds and finished products crisscross continents 36 canadian architect 09/12
many times before the public ever sets eyes on the gleaming silver treasures. Currently, there are two series available in the range of HK+NP Studio’s offerings, Twist and Q. As the first item in their jewelry portfolio, the Twist series bangle was inspired by the “interplay of light reflecting off a water ripple,” resulting in a perfect loop of sterling silver with a single twist. Its origins in origami can be detected, as it takes the form of a Möbius strip, the algebraic conundrum that has captivated mathematicians for generations. By incorporating a single twist in a strip of material before joining the ends, the resulting loop form possesses only one side and one edge. Danish design powerhouse Georg Jensen produced a similar bangle in 1968—designed by the late Swedish silversmith and jeweller Vivianna Torun BülowHübe—though it is bolder and less delicate than the HK+NP Studio version. In addition to the bangle, Twist’s other manifestations are ring, pendant and earrings, and all are available in three enticing finishes—mirror, scratch, and a honed matte appearance. The Q series began with a pair of cufflinks
Craft Sanyuu
Craft Sanyuu
Craft Sanyuu TOP, LEFT TO RIGHT The elegant simplicity of the Twist bangle captivates; the graphic restraint of the stamp’s font on the inside face of the bangle is an appropriate complement to the perfectly exquisite form itself. ABOVE, LEFT TO RIGHT Three images provide a glimpse into the production method involved in the creation of the Twist series bangle: the orange plastic mold from which the green wax model is created; three bangles sprout from the wax model tree; the silver bangle tree bears the fruit of three bangles, which will be further refined and polished into matte, mirror and scratch finishes.
that Kobayashi designed as a birthday present for Prakash. With the objective of achieving a more three-dimensional and sculptural quality than what the typical flat two-dimensional cufflink offers, she arrived at a hollow spherical form comprised of grooved silver bands resembling the longitudinal lines of the earth. She named the result “Q” for its spherical form and backing that, when viewed together, resembles the capital letter Q. Moreover, the phonetic sound of the letter Q is also the Japanese word for “sphere”—lending even greater significance to the name of the series. Although the Twist and Q series are the only two lines currently in full production, they assure me that there is more to come, but the existing prototypes need to be finessed to the pair’s exacting standards. Kobayashi and Prakash are finding that in the field of jewelry design—as in architectural design—there can be a startling difference between the seemingly successful prototype or model and the finished
product, particularly when tolerances in various materials prove to be vastly different. For now, these bright shiny things are available in a select range of galleries and shops in Western Canada and the US; they hope to expand their reach eastward in the near future. There is mention that they are also toying with the idea of flatware, since they are already well versed in the process of casting work. In the two short years since its inception, HK+NP Studio is garnering recognition for its work outside of Canada. At the suggestion of colleague and exhibition designer Kenji Hoshide, they were selected by curator Rachel Kitagawa for inclusion in the current group ex hibition entitled George Nakashima: A Master’s Furniture and Philosophy at the Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience in Seattle, which runs until January 20, 2013. Though the studio’s contribution to the show is relatively modest, Kitagawa felt their work possessed a thematically consistent, complement-
ary and shared sensibility with the late Japanese-American architect and furniture maker, George Nakashima (1905-1990). Besides enabling Kobayashi and Prakash to cut their entrepreneurial teeth, what is clearly achieved through the design studio is a focus on craft, something that is increasingly being lost in architecture, which seems in recent years to favour a technological focus. The pair’s eye for detail and process is reminiscent of the way Carlo Scarpa used to work, with the precision and sensitivity of a jeweller, evidenced by the meticulous intricacy of his architectural details. Ideally, Kobayashi and Prakash will continue to transfer the design skills and obsessive attention to detail developed in their architectural work to their independent studio endeavours— and vice versa—in their ongoing parallel careers. CA For more information on HK+NP Studio, please visit www.hkplusnp.com. 09/12canadian architect
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Insites
Photo finish An excerpt from the recently released book entitled Selwyn Pullan: Master Craftsman reveals the extraordinary relationship between architect and author Barry Downs and one of the finest 20th-century architectural photographers.
38 canadian architect 09/12
TEXT
Barry Downs Selwyn Pullan
PHOTOS
My first encounter with Selwyn Pullan and his work was during my post-graduation days as a new employee at Thompson, Berwick & Pratt (TBP), the flourishing architectural firm of the day. Although Ned Pratt had often sought the photographic services of Graham Warrington to document his important early houses, Selwyn was fast becoming the firm’s image-maker of choice. I had already witnessed the prowess and skill of Leonard Frank and Tony Archer, both of whom had photographed my parents’ 1938 neoTudor house and garden designed by pioneer architect C.B.K. Van Norman. Somehow Selwyn’s approach to architectural photography seemed desirously simplistic: identify the spirit and essence of the subject building; appraise its setting, interior character and inhabitants; and take a picture that shows a distinctive and powerful image. There was no doubt his in sightf ul photos eloquently captured the qualities of modern-day living. Indeed, his command of the art form reminds us how important exemplary and stimulating design is in our lives today. During my stay at TBP I was able to sort through Selwyn’s most recent photographs, often admiring the clarity and finish of the fine semi-gloss prints as much as their subject matter. Mounted on firm card, they were always a joy to handle and appreciate for their professional quality. A group of us took Pullan’s finishing process further while handling the firm’s submissions to the newly established award competitions sponsored by the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada and the Massey Foundation. We realized that a combination of outstanding and highly edited photographs with pared-down mounting layouts could influence design-oriented juries. The Pullan lowgloss finishing method helped; and with largeformat photographs, the observer was drawn into the images to better absorb the beauty and meaning of the architectural statement. As TBP was Selwyn’s largest supporter, he later invited us to assemble our project presentation boards in his well-equipped, newly constructed studio. Designed by architect Fred Hollingsworth, a longtime friend, the studio workshop came complete with darkroom, layout tables, paper cutter and hot-press equipment, Barry Downs and his family pose for a photograph inside their own home in 1961. LEFT, TOP TO BOTTOM the Art Phil lips residence (designed by Barry Downs and completed in 1957) is sited within a group of tall conifers; The Chow family prepares for a ski excursion in this 1965 photograph of their home. OPPOSITE
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ABOVE, LEFT TO RIGHT This photograph of the Trethewey family lounging by the pool at their home conveys Pullan’s desire to portray an idealized West Coast family lifestyle; Pullan’s own Jaguar XKE is parked in front of the Staples Residence. LEFT De signed by Kenneth H. Gardner in 1956, The Mitchell Residence was photographed by Pullan in 1968.
which were essential to producing and mounting a large-scale photo montage onto display boards. Selecting key images, trimmed precisely, we fitted one against the other in a Mondrian-like collage. With Selwyn’s urging, total cohesion and sparseness were accomplished. Architectural content always played a major part in final award selection, but there was no doubt that the “Pullan effect” and his artistry added an extraordinary dimension to our final product. When I joined architect Fred Hollingsworth later in partnership, Selwyn became my unofficial instructor of photography. He captured the substance of my early houses and, later, the work I did with Fred. Sometimes he invited us both to accompany him, and it was during these expeditions that he revealed his instinctive understanding of site and spatial design and his ability to tap a building’s emotional content. As a collaborator, I would help set up interior furnishings or hold evergreen branches a few feet in front of his lens, to provide 40 canadian architect 09/12
depth of field or to soften the central image. Selwyn would let me see the framed composition through his viewfinder, sometimes with a grunt of impatience. He was always thinking about negative control, exposures in the darkroom and the direct means to an “expressive print.” When photographing our house in Vancouver’s Southlands in 1961, Selwyn first made a preliminary visit. He contemplated the character of each room and observed when the sun would penetrate important spaces. On his second visit he arrived with a large-format 4 x 5 camera, a tripod and floodlights and headed directly to our glass-walled garden room, the heart of the house. Soon he had directed supplemental lighting to the dark, beamed ceiling and the foreground furnishings I had built—all to balance indoor and outdoor light conditions. Selwyn asked me to start a small blaze in the fireplace and positioned Mary, the children and myself in a traditional triangular composition. He placed my copy of Arthur Drexler’s The Architecture of Japan at the corner of our low kotatsu tea table, for indeed the house design reflected Japanese influences. Sunshine streamed in through bamboo leaves. Selwyn had, once again, chosen the perfect time of day to blend inside and outside in a family portrait. Framing the subject matter, finding detail in the shadows, modulating the spaces, his camera told the story of the house—revealing its personality, what it wanted to be. CA From Barry Downs’s essay “Selwyn Pullan: Master Craftsman” in the book Selwyn Pullan: Photographing Mid-Century West Coast Modernism © 2012 published by Douglas & McIntyre, an imprint of D&M Publishers Inc. Reprinted with permission of the publisher. Barry Downs has been practicing architecture for over five decades, first with Thompson, Berwick & Pratt Architects, then in partnership with Fred Hollingsworth, and later, with Richard Archambault. His designs have been awarded the Massey Foundation Medal and many City of Vancouver Heritage Awards.
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Practice
Cannon design
Delivered as Promised
A review outlines some of the basics behind alternative financing and procurement (AFP) in Ontario. David Steiner
TEXT
In 2005, the Ontario government changed its approach to building large provincial infrastructure projects. The traditional stipulatedsum contract between owner and contractor was replaced with a program to use private-sector financing—often referred to as public-private partnerships and known as Alternative Financing and Procurement (AFP) in Ontario. The provincial agency Infrastructure Ontario was created to implement this program. There were two main reasons for the shift in procurement models. One was to transfer the inherent risks involved in construction and operations to the private sector, which can manage them best. Change orders, scope creep, delayed decisions and disorganization have often ensnared large infrastructure projects, caused delays and made projects go over budget. In AFP projects, the theory is that if the scope and intent of the building is clearly set out, the private sector will deliver the building on time and on budget. The second reason is to use private-sector innovation to produce projects that are more efficient and cost-effective than the government
ABOVE Currently under construction, the St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton campus depicts the next generation of AFP projects in Ontario. The architects for the project—Cannon Design—intend this 305-bed full-service Inpatient and Outpatient Mental Health research and education facility to become an inclusive, integrated centre that strives to support a new era in behavioural healthcare.
could have realized through a traditional method of project delivery. In a stipulated-sum contract, an architectural team works closely with a client and produces one design that is put to market and priced. The thinking goes that in an AFP project, the owner will get three solutions, produced under competitive pressure, where the likelihood of cost and design efficiencies are much greater. And because the facility design is the largest driver of project costs, the architect sits at the centre of this project delivery model. Scope
Architects have one of two roles in AFPs: they can work for the owner and produce a set of detailed guidelines, or they can work with a contractor, designing the building and administering the contract. Though a firm can bid on both roles, conflict of interest prevents it from providing both services. Here’s how it works. An architecture firm is hired and managed by the provincial agency Infrastructure Ontario, which works with an owner/sponsor, such as the Ministry of the Attorney-General (court-
houses) or a hospital. The firm will create an Output Specification that includes performance criteria, specifications and a set of preliminary drawings that indicates what the owner requires. The Output Specification will become one part of the overall agreement between the owner and the consortium that eventually constructs and maintains the building. Developing these documents takes about a year. When this package is ready, Infrastructure Ontario will release a Request for Proposals (RFP) to three pre-qualified consortia. Each team consists of a developer, who is the overall team lead, a contractor, a lead architect (along with a battery of consultants) and a facility manager. During the RFP period, each of the three teams develops a design based on the indicative drawings and specifications the compliance architect prepared. Design drawings, taken to a level of 50% design development, along with a fixed price for construction (including financing) and 30 years of main tenance, form the basis of the bid. The AFP design and bid process is substan09/12canadian architect
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tially more involved than a conventional competition. Each team has design sessions with the owner and compliance architect to ensure its design meets the owner’s expectations. Fairness in the bid process prevents coaching the bidders. For example, an owner is not permitted to say a design would be stronger if an elevator bank were moved to the other side of the corridor and two courtrooms switched positions. Only direct references to the Output Specifications are permitted, and instructions are limited to telling a firm if its solution, or parts of it, are compliant. Infrastructure Ontario, along with the owner and compliance architects, will review the submissions, the price, and the technical capacity of the contractor and facility maintenance provider with points awarded for each. The bidder with the highest score is invited to enter negotiations with Infrastructure Ontario and the owner. Negotiations are typically focused on resolving design issues without adjusting the price. Only now will the owner openly discuss specific design modifications to make the submission compliant. Bidders are required to hold their price for about five-and-a-half months. During this time, all design and financial issues must be agreed upon with the highest-scoring team. It falls to the architect to do much of the work to reach a satisfactory design. Under the developer’s guidance, the architect will produce revisions to meet the owner’s requirements without adjusting the price. Once the owner is satisfied, the parties work toward closing the deal and starting construction. The main difference between AFP projects and a conventional delivery model is who pays and when. Unlike conventional design-build projects where the owner pays the contractor monthly once a project is under construction, under the AFP model, the project is funded by private lenders. Consequently, the contractor and architects are under enormous pressure to meet their self-imposed deadline. In its bid, the consortium specifies a date to turn the building over to the owner. On this date, money is paid by the owner to the consortium for the first time— usually three to four years after the RFP was released. Miss the date, referred to as “substantial completion,” and significant interest penalties accrue. Transferring risk—design, schedule, budget— from the government to the private sector is the heart of this procurement model. While the private sector cannot borrow at the same rates as the province, the government benefits from transferring to the private sector many of the typical risks on a large infrastructure project. The government also gets certainty that the hospital, courthouse, highway or detention cen44 canadian architect 09/12
tre will be delivered on time, on budget, and free of technical problems. This benefit is referred to as Value for Money: added upfront costs are recouped by avoiding the often higher cost of traditional project delivery pitfalls. Risk—Compliance
Architects assume various risks depending on which side of the project they are on. For compliance architects, the main risk is identifying when the project’s scope is expanding beyond their contract and obtaining the owner’s agreement on what is a valid extra. An unconventional product makes it difficult to accurately gauge the amount of resources required—schematic drawings, performance criteria, review of bidders’ work for compliance, transactions with municipalities for site plan approval. The compliance architect’s contract is a fixed fee, and the province typically wants them to take the risk for estimating the amount of work involved. Still, an AFP compliance contract is significant and will run for a few years. An additional benefit is the limited liabilities. Compliance architects do not stamp any drawings or specifications. While they are professionally responsible for producing quality documents that can withstand scrutiny from multiple architecture and construction firms, liability for the building’s technical performance resides with the bidder’s designer. Risk—Project Company
For architects working on a bid team, there are risks similar to any business pursuit and there are associated costs if your team doesn’t win. The two unsuccessful teams produce 50% of design development drawings and specifications, and Infrastructure Ontario pays them an honorarium that typically covers a percentage of the overall bid cost. All bidders will agree it is crucial to be very selective in the team you join because much of the outcome is based on your team members’ abilities. Selecting the best possible partners is of paramount importance. Many factors, outside the architect’s design and fee, weigh heavily on the outcome: facility management pricing, construction pricing, lenders’ terms. Nevertheless, the biggest chance of success lies in producing an outstanding design based on first principles—maximum efficiency without compromising the intended function. Design
The province wants three compliant submissions in every AFP competition, where compliance means a design meets a minimum quality threshold. In theory, if all the proposals are of acceptable quality, then price will decide, maximizing the benefits to taxpayers. This is different from a competition where the lowest
bid wins. In the AFP process, an exceptional design that is competitive in price (though not the lowest bid) could win since scoring is based on total points awarded in the bid evaluation. Should a bidder submit a design that falls below a minimum design threshold, its bid is not considered. As such, the architect is squeezed between two opposing forces: keeping costs low by steering closely to the minimum compliance threshold, and producing a design that will impress the evaluation team. Not an easy task. The contractor or developer—who is almost always paying the architect—wants to keep a tight handle on the design, ensuring a low price. At the same time, the owner and compliance architect have written an indicative document that sets a standard to achieve high quality. Sheena Sharp, president of the Ontario Association of Architects, calls it “falling alive across the compliance line,” implying that a minimal offer is enough. This sentiment may be pervasive among the architectural competitors; however, the projects that have been completed or that are underway don’t necessarily indicate it is true. The best example is St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton, Margaret and Charles Juravinski Centre for Integrated Healthcare, in Hamilton. On a steeply sloping site, Cannon Design came up with a scheme that was substantially more efficient than the indicative design in terms of area, travel distance and energy consumption. These factors generate all other bid prices—construction cost, financing, maintenance fees—resulting in the most competitive solution. The size of this hospital project and the sloped site perhaps allowed greater design flexibility than a more urban location. Still, a calculated risk during the design stage can generate a large payoff when the bids close. Future
A quick look through Infrastructure Ontario’s website highlights many larger firms as the architect on winning bids. The AFP process favours groups that can mobilize a lot of resources and organize big production teams. Smaller offices still compete and often partner with other architects to provide the widest variety of expertise. Small firms that specialize in a niche— clinical-care design, barrier-free design, a specific building type like police stations or courthouses—are a valuable part of a successful bid. Large infrastructure built under the AFP model is undoubtedly a difficult game to compete in, but a design firm with strong and reliable track record is in a good position to parlay this into more. CA David Steiner works for Infrastructure Ontario and as a freelance writer.
Legal
Growth and Succession Changes to the Architects Act in Ontario create new opportunities…and challenges. Elaine Pantel
TEXT
In early 2010, our firm, which has had a specialized practice area for many years devoted to the specific needs of architecture, engineering and design clients, was invited by the Ontario Association of Architects (OAA) to consult on proposed changes to the Architects Act in Ontario that would offer much greater flexibility in how the ownership of firms governed by the Act could be structured and organized. Of particular interest to the OAA was finding out what the impact of the proposed changes would be on its members and in defining the new opportunities they would present to the owners of architectural firms throughout their active practice years and into retirement. Among the many benefits to the firms impacted by these changes—which were implemented in 2011—is that they now have more options than ever to develop a long-term vision and strategy for growth, including internal employee succession plans, growth through a merger and/or acquisition, and the sale of the firm to an outside third party. This first instalment of a two-part series outlines the key legislative changes in the Act relating to the ownership of architectural firms in Ontario. The next instalment will expand on how these changes can help firms in moving forward with the implementation of their longterm strategic growth plans by exploring a variety of new options. Many of these planning issues will impact any firm contemplating future growth strategies. Arguably, the biggest change presented by the amendments to this area of the Act is that an ownership stake can now be taken on by a wide range of parties who had previously been prohibited from doing so. As before, the Act requires that at least 51% of the votes and value of the firm is held by members of the OAA and/or the Professional Engineers of Ontario. However, until the changes to the Act were introduced, the remaining interest could only be held by full-time employees of the firm. Provided the 51% test is met by the firm, ownership shares can now be held by such parties as: • Employees who are not OAA members (e.g., technical professional staff, senior finance and administrative personnel). Already, we’re seeing that internal succession plans in which
OLD RULE
NEW RULE
A minimum of 51% of the shares of each class must be held by members (OAA/PEO), and all nonmembers who are shareholders must be full-time employees.
Member 51%
Non-member Full time employee 49%
Non-member Non-member Employee Spouse 19% 10%
Member 51%
FIRM
Non-member Non-member Retired Investor 10% 10%
FIRM
OLD RULE
NEW RULE
All partners must be members ( OAA/PEO)
Member 34%
Member 33%
Member 33%
PARTNERSHIP-FIRM
Member 34%
Member 33%
Non-member Investor 33%
PARTNERSHIP-FIRM
Two examples of the wide range of structuring options available to architecture firms under the old and new rules found in the Architects Act in Ontario.
ABOVE
ownership is offered to a broad base of employees over a period of years is becoming an increasingly popular organic growth strategy. • Family members. This creates opportunities for income splitting and overall tax savings for the family, as income may be allo cated to a spouse and adult children who are in a lower tax bracket, commonly through the use of a family trust. • Retired owners who may wish to continue to hold an ownership interest. This provides a continued source of capital for the firm and a potential tax-effective income stream for the indiv idual through the use of a holding company. • Outside investors. This provides new opportunities for funding working capital, financing the expansion of the firm and
providing funds to buy out existing owners. Investors may participate by way of loans and/ or equity. An additional significant change in the Act is that the legal manner in which ownership interests may be held has broadened, permitting a greater range of creative planning strategies using personal holding companies and trusts, and multiple classes of shares. The firm may be organized as a corporation or a partnership, and the overall legal structure may now involve the use of multiple operating and holding companies. Using personal holding companies creates many tax planning and investing opportunities. In certain scenarios, for instance, cash can be paid by the firm to a holding company as a taxfree dividend, allowing the shareholder to accu mulate surplus funds in a tax-efficient manner. 09/12canadian architect
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A Few Specific Points
Changes Impact All Firms in Ontario
Financial risk needs to be considered at several levels, starting internally with cash flow and profits from business operations, terms and conditions of financing by third-party lenders and investors, and how the owners’ retained profits may be protected from creditors. Some strategies include the use of holding companies and securing shareholder advances to the company. Liability risk is a complex area that differs for each firm. Professional liability risk, which flows to the individual licensees, is covered by professional liability insurance. Commercial risk which relates to other business activities is covered by business insurance. The strategy is to isolate the risks for different business segments in the corporate structure through the use of separate legal entities, particularly where there is a multidisciplinary firm which includes an architecture practice. Business risk is addressed through properly considered and drafted ownership and participa tion agreements. The key sections of these agreements deal with management and decisionmaking, buy-sell clauses for future changes in ownership interests, and dispute resolution.
Regardless of whether an architecture firm is contemplating an ownership change, the revision of the Act essentially provides an opportunity for all such firms in Ontario to undergo a review of their ownership structure to ensure everything is optimized for business and tax planning purposes. However, whenever the number of owners is set to change, there are more factors to consider, and each owner will have a unique personal situation that may require a specific tax planning approach. The key is that the structure needs to be considered as early as possible in the planning process, because changing the ownership structure can be a complicated and time-consuming process. The ultimate goal is to have everything in place or at least mapped out before you proceed with the strategic plan. CA Elaine Pantel, CGA, is Principal, Assurance and Business Advisory at Toronto-based Shimmerman Penn LLP. Elaine is co-lead of the firm’s industry specialist group for architecture, engineering and design firms.
46 canadian architect 09/12
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The new ownership rules provide added flexibility in structuring the ownership of an architectural firm in Ontario by making it easier to bring in new owners to the firm, creating the ability to form new business arrangements and attract outside investment for the growth of the firm. At any time when ownership changes are contemplated, it is important to step back and review the existing structure to determine whether it still meets the needs of the current owners and what may need to be changed to make it more appealing to future owners. Encompassed within this is the need to ensure the ownership structure properly addresses all related business and income tax issues. A key point worth mentioning is that it is vitally important when considering the structure that fits with the owners’ strategic plan for the firm that long-term risk management issues are being adequately addressed. These key risk areas need to be considered during the due diligence process and before a corporate restructuring is undertaken, as this will most definitely impact on the specific ownership structures and related tax planning that will be implemented.
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Calendar Vertical Urban Factory
London Design Festival 2012
September 13-December 9, 2012 This exhibition at the Design Exchange in Toronto presents the history and questions the future of urban fac tor ies, featuring a timeline com paring industrial technology, so cial issues, and factory design over the centuries. Over 30 factories are presented through 200 photos, drawings, models and films. www.dx.org
September 14-23, 2012 Since 2003, the Festival has been responsible for showcasing a range of exciting and ambitious projects, from in stallations in London’s public spaces to commissioned projects, highlighting emerging talent in museums and galleries. www.londondesignfestival.com
Considering the Quake: Seismic Design on the Edge
September 13-December 9, 2012 This exhibition at the Design Exchange in Toronto features various projects that surpass conventional ap proaches to seismic design, por traying the relationship between the architect and engineer. Exam ples include ARUP’s Hermès Build ing in Tokyo featuring the work of Renzo Piano Architects, and the York University Subway Station in Toronto by Foster + Partners. www.dx.org
disciplinary partnerships with in dustry and like-minded organiza tions to promote the value of good design in art, architecture, and the greater built environment. www.winnipegdesignfestival.net White Cube, Green Maze: New Art Landscapes
September 20-21, 2012 This event at the Direct Energy Centre in Toron to brings together over 15,000 in terior designers, architects, facility managers, real estate and business executives in a national forum which powers the design industry in Canada. www.iidexneocon.com
September 22, 2012-January 13, 2013 This exhibition at the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh examines six sites, each a unique expression of the ambitions and collaborations of patrons, archi tects, landscape architects, artists and curators. The work of Tadao Ando, Tatiana Bilbao, Johnston Marklee, TOA and Topotek 1 is featured. http://web.cmoa.org/?page_id=5994
Winnipeg Design Festival
Juergen Mayer H. lecture
September 21-29, 2012 The Winnipeg Design Festival celebrates and pro motes contemporary architecture, planning, design and art in the city of Winnipeg, cultivating inter
September 27, 2012 Juergen Mayer H., Principal of J. Mayer H. Architec ture Design Research in Berlin, de livers the David J. Azrieli Lecture at 6:30pm in Architecture in the FDA
IIDEX Canada 2012
Auditorium at McGill University. www.mcgill.ca/architecture/lectures/ Manon Asselin & Katsuhiro Yamazaki lecture
October 15, 2012 Manon Asselin and Katsuhiro Yamazaki, Principals of Atelier TAG in Montreal and Ger ald Sheff Visiting Professors in Architecture, deliver a lecture at 6:00pm in Architecture in Room G10 of the Macdonald-Harrington Building at McGill University. www.mcgill.ca/architecture/lectures/ Heribert Gies lecture
October 18. 2012 Architect and Pro fessor Heribert Gies of BDA, Mainz and the Fachhochschule Frankfurt delivers a lecture at 6:30pm at Ryerson University in Toronto. www.arch.ryerson.ca/?page_id=12 For more information about these, and additional listings of Canadian and international events, please visit www.canadianarchitect.com
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Civic Song A group of Vancouver architects introduce a fun way to bring disparate communities together through song.
TEXT
Courtney Healey Adam Maitland
PHOTO
The sound is audible from a few blocks away, canned pop music and passionate but mediocre live singing. A circular red carpet covers the sidewalk at Robson and Howe Streets. There’s a microphone stand in the centre and a red plywood kiosk to one side. An emcee invites the audience to step closer. Two young women with blue-streaked hair belt out Journey’s Any Way You Want It. A woman swipes slowly through a Spanish playlist while a gaggle of Japanese girls poke at potential song selections. A petite woman in a floral sundress croons in Mandarin while the crowd slowly disperses. A First Nations man, channeling Johnny Cash, delivers a haunting rendition of Nine Inch Nails’ Hurt and people stop to watch again. This steady stream of impromptu performances is Sing! Karaoke Kiosk, an interactive multilingual installation designed by the Urban Republic Arts Society. Director Peeroj Thakre states, “one of [Vancouver’s] strengths is its 50 canadian architect 09/12
variety of culturally distinct communities, yet many Vancouverites find there are too few op port un ities to interact on a social level.” The City of Vancouver has actually named this lack of intercultural connection as a concern. Thakre and Co-Director Henning Knoetzele chose karaoke because of its cross-cultural popularity, and created a custom player to deliver thousands of songs in Vancouver’s most widely spoken languages: Cantonese, English, Filipino, French, Japanese, Hindi, Mandarin and Spanish. Sing! was originally proposed for smaller neighbourhoods where people might form ongoing connec tions and a sense of community through greater proximity. However, the City used funding re strictions to persuade them to relocate downtown. On August 19th, Robson Square was packed with events, the road overtaken by a large lumpy white dunescape, food carts and street vendors lined the sidewalk, and the underground rink overflowed with salsa dancers. The message is clear: Vancouver is a diverse global city with vibrant public spaces. Urban Republic says it will “seek to bring the Karaoke Kiosk to neigh-
ABOVE A man belts out a karaoke tune along Robson Street. the Karaoke Kiosk to his right offers a wide variety of songs in several languages commonly spoken in ethnically diverse Vancouver.
bourhoods throughout Vancouver in the future.” Thakre admits that lasting social impact is less likely at the downtown locations if only because people are less likely to run into each other again. Instead, she views it as an opportunity to “share a joyful feeling and engage in a social experience with other Vancouverites.” Maybe that’s enough. But directing all of its spectacle downtown can make Vancouver’s preoccupation with its global image seem at odds with its own local agenda. Maybe next summer Vancouver should put its money—and the Karaoke Kiosk—where its mouth is. 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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