CANADIAN INTERIORS
January/February 2013
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City life
January/February 2013
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January/February 2013
Official publication of the Interior Designers of Canada
37
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COVER — 19 Loft in Montreal, designed by architect Jean Verville. Photo by Jean Verville Architecte
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CONTENTS FEATURES
City Life
12
TO THE MAX IN MONTREAL — 19 To reinvent an artist/collector’s loft, architect Jean Verville started by grasping in one hand five pens of the client’s favourite colours and drawing a series of multi-coloured lines across stark white paper. The final result is no shrinking violet. By Rhys Phillips IN & OUT IN TORONTO — 25 At the heart of a new house on a twin lot in the Beach neighbourhood – designed by nkArchitect – is an outdoor living space that melds seamlessly into the interior. In fact, it was the pivot around which the whole house was planned. By Leslie C. Smith OFF THE WALL IN OTTAWA — 31 Down with the tyranny of the room: faced with small floor plates and large structural columns, partners Paul Kariouk and Frederic Carrier stripped a condo back to its raw volume and reconfigured the space to suit themselves. By Rhys Phillips
WELCOME TO TILE TOWN — 37 The best of Cersaie 2012. By Peter Sobchak DEPARTMENTS
WHO’S WHO — 40 LAST WORD — 42 Go Figure3 Bringing Quebec’s Simons to Edmonton. By Michael Totzke
INSIDE — 8 WHAT’S UP — 10 THE GOODS — 12 Just add water The latest, greatest bathing beauties. By Michael Totzke
Following page 42
January/February 2013 VOL.50 NO.1
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Canadian Interiors magazine is published by BIG Magazines LP, a division of Glacier BIG Holdings Company Ltd. Tel: 416-442-5600, Fax: 416-510-6875 e-mail: info@canadianinteriors.com website: www.canadianinteriors.com Canadian Interiors publishes seven issues, plus a source guide, per year. Printed in Canada. The content of this publication is the property of Canadian Interiors and cannot be reproduced without permission from the publisher. Subscription rates Canada $38.95 per year; plastic wrapped $41.95 per year (plus taxes) U.S.A. $71.95 US per year, Overseas $98.95 US per year. Back issues Back copies are available for $10 for delivery in Canada, $15 US for delivery in U.S.A. and $20 overseas. Please send payment to Canadian Interiors, 80 Valley brook Drive, Toronto, ON M3B 2S9 or order online www.canadianinteriors.com For subscription and back issues inquiries please call 416-442-5600 ext.3543, e-mail: circulation@canadianinteriors.com, or go to our website at: www.canadianinteriors.com Newsstands For information on Canadian Interiors on newsstands in Canada, call 905-619-6565 Canadian Interiors is indexed in the Canadian Magazine Index by Micromedia ProQuest Company, Toronto (www.micromedia.com) and National Archive Publishing Company, Ann Arbor, Michigan (www.napubco.com).
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Design: figforty
Inside
Life is but a dream Ever since I can remember, I’ve lulled myself to sleep at night by picturing myself – safe and sound – in an imaginary shelter: in winter, a log cabin in the woods, in the middle of nowhere; in summer, a ‘60s-era cottage on the eastern shore of Lake Huron, or a snug bunky in Muskoka; and at any time of year, a midcentury modern bungalow tucked into a hillside. Vague, impenetrable and infinitely comforting – constructed over the years from bits of memory and a lot of wishful thinking – they are literally my “dream houses.” The owners of the three residences featured in this issue made their dreams of the ideal home come true. A Montreal artist and avid collector of contemporary art and design objects turned to architect Jean Verville to transform his large industrial loft into “a space that generates creativity” (“To the max in Montreal,” page 19). A Toronto couple hired Nelson Kwong of nkArchitect – a personal friend with a shared taste for modernity – to raze a decrepit house in the Beach neighbourhood and design a sunny family home around an outdoor living space, which melds seamlessly into the interior (“In & out in Toronto,” page 25). And Ottawa partners Paul Kariouk and Frederic Carrier stripped their awkwardly configured high-rise condo back to its raw volume and reconfigured the space to suit themselves, rather than some developer’s notion of the “modern urban dweller” (“Off the wall in Ottawa,” page 31). As for me, well ... once a week or so, on the way to work, I drive by a house pointed out to me by an associate: the perfect, sprawling, flat-as-a-pancake ‘50s bungalow. It’s highly unlikely I’ll ever step foot in this house (set on a half-acre of land on Toronto’s ultra-private and outrageously affluent Bridle Path), let alone inhabit it; and I’m content with what I have (a three-storey, semi-detached Victorian in Leslieville, with high ceilings and a happy aura) – but I can dream, can’t I? c I Michael Totzke mtotzke@canadianinteriors.com
“our new space was completed just the way we wanted” Contact: 905.602.0692 www.casinteriors.com
16 Announcing The
16th annual Best of canada Design competition
Be part of the country’s only design competition to focus on interior design projects and products without regard to size, budget or location. For information and entry form, visit canadianinteriors.com INTERIORS
Official publication of the Interior Designers of Canada
What’s Up
JAN./FEB. Many Montreals The Canadian Centre for Architecture is presenting the fourth in a series of exhibitions investigating the city it inhabits. ABC: MTL is an open-source initiative that draws on the participation of individuals and institutions to produce a multi-faceted portrait of today’s Montreal. The result is a collection of projects, installations and public programs whose contents will be periodically updated. An open call for submissions during the summer of 2012 – still ongoing as the program opens – set the ABC: MTL wheels in motion. Out of nearly 250 proposals, 90 contributions will be displayed or presented in the CCA galleries, covering a wide range of formats and media – including photography, video, installations, performances, workshops, lectures and architectural projects. About a third of these shortlisted submissions make up the first installment of the project, on view until the end of January. “Territory is not just a physical subject but rather a complex reality, made up of the multiple representations that try to describe it,” says curator Fabrizio Gallanti. “The control of these narratives becomes a political issue. We wanted to open the discourse on Montreal, considering ABC: MTL as a dynamic platform where alternative points of view could be put in dialogue and taking a critical position around some of the transfor-
mations that are happening right now. For us this is a form of democracy: the identity of one site is not the privilege of a few but rather a perpetually unstable condition that is the result of a real polyphony of voices.” The proposals on view in the first installment are presented under intriguing keywords: Data, Electrosmog, Arrivals, Montroyalite, Hippodrome, Hyperbâtiment, Partition, ruelles, Threshold, Bridge, Métropole, Turcot, Citoyens, Continuité, Mobilisation, urgence, Culte, Soccer and Exile. Contributors include the collective SyN; photographers Arjuna Neuman and ramak Fazal; art cooperative Audiotopie; and local architecture firms Atelier Big City, FABG Architectes, and Saucier + Perrotte Architectes. The four series of exhibitions investigating Montreal – Opening the Gates of Eighteenth Century Montreal (1992), Montreal Métropole, 1880–1930 (1998), Montreal Thinks Big (2004) and now ABC: MTL – reflect the CCA’s commitment to the urban phenomenon: how cities have been imagined, realized, inhabited and perceived over time. ABC: MTL runs at the CCA through Mar. 31. For more information, visit cca.qc.ca.
10 CANADIAN INTERIORS JANuAry/FEBruAry 2013
Clockwise from right illuminated Sign Series, La Fierté a une ville, Montréal, 1983, by gabor Szilasi; Aerial view of La Ronde amusement park and the Jacques cartier Bridge, Montréal, 2004, by olivo Barbieri; Reminiscence, 2001, by nicolas Baier; Rock in the Woods, Mont Royal, 1990, by Robert Burley.
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The Goods
Just add water The latest, greatest bathing beauties. —By Michael Totzke
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The Goods
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1-IDRO OF ITALY BLU Scavolini has introduced seven collections under the art direction of the Castiglia Associates Studio. One of these is Idro, whose hallmark is a door with a groove cut out of the upper thickness of the door itself. Available in both glossy and matt lacquered finishes, it comprises 25 washbasins, sanitary fittings, taps, shower units and trays, tubs, mirror units, and accessories. bluscavolini.com 2-A TALE OF TWO MATERIALS Kube is the initial offering of the Kubico brand, created by Delineodesign. A visually striking freestanding washbasin, it combines the rough and the smooth: Apocem, a new material of fibre cement, and Corian. The front panel features an innovative slot for hanging up towels, which hides a drawer. delineodesign.it 3-PALATIAL Andreas Dimitiadis of Platinumdesign created the Palace collection for Laufen. A versatile bathroom suite, it features washbasins that can be cut to size to fit snugly into any bathroom layout. Palace also includes contemporary furniture and an integrated towel rack. laufen.com 4-CHOICES, CHOICES Hansgrohe’s new Metric collection of bathroom faucets features multiple spout heights; whether you’re brushing your teeth, filling up a fishbowl of even washing your hair, there’s a faucet that makes it easy. hansgrohe.ca
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The Goods
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1-HIGH & DRY Duravit’s latest introduction is the Architec Dry Urinal. Entirely water free, it uses a specially developed organic-gel cartridge that keeps odours at bay, as well as dry-flush technology to save thousands of gallons of water in its lifetime. duravit.com 2-(IM)PERFECTION Also from Duravit, the Starck 2 range of washbasins has been redesigned by its creator, Philippe Starck. Large, deep and just slightly oval, they seem entirely organic. duravit.com 3-WHO’S THE FAIREST? Native Trails has introduced a pair of mirrors handcrafted from FSC-certified bamboo. Shown here is Solace, with a graceful minimalist shape and optional detachable shelf. (The second mirror, Harmony, is rectangular.) nativetrails.net 4-WHAT’S BLACK & WHITE… The latest introduction from Montreal-based Wetstyle is the Head/Back Rest, made of PVC and available in black and in white. Placed directly on the bottom of the bathtub, it leans on the back slope of the bathtub; four little suction cups prevent it from floating. wetstyle.ca 5-FROM THE SOUTH POLE Vancouver-based Sustainable Solutions manufactures and distributes products – made from heavy brass construction for durability – that aim to reduce water flow. Its latest collection of faucets is Fluid, which includes the whimsical Penguin. sustainablesolutions.com
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City Life
To the max in
To reinvent an artist/collector’s loft, architect Jean Verville started by grasping in one hand five pens of the client’s favourite colours and drawing a series of multi-coloured lines across stark white paper. The final result is no shrinking violet. —By Rhys Phillips
Photography by Jean Verville Architecte
Let’s play The largely open, voluminous loft, occupying 1,400 square feet in a historic building, is flooded with natural light from two walls of oversized industrial windows. Verville reinvented the space using uncompromising splashes of brilliant colour, counterpointed by glossy surfaces of pure white and given further punch with the deft use of a mirrored wall. He resurfaced the alread-in-place bamboo flooring with a super-hard, high-gloss epoxy coating into which are inserted strips of vinyl, a sort of mix of bar–cum–QR codes in colour, using unique blends prepared by an artist collaborator.
20 CANADIAN INTERIORS JANuARy/feBRuARy 2013
Canadian winters provide striking contrasts. Dark, even sombre hues poke through pristine white expanses, while long hours of pale twilight are offset by short bursts of striking, ozone-saturated northern light. Despite this environmental character, our default setting for design seems so often colourless. We haul out winter clothing ranging from dreary browns, greys and blacks to, at best, muddy reds or blues. It is the haberdashery equivalent of the thousand shades of beige that passes as interior design in so many Canadian homes. In other Nordic countries, colour plays a life-affirming role in interiors. While white and pale yellows or blues are frequently used as a means of diffusing precious light, “there’s actually a world of beautiful color at work in these cold climates…ways to delight the eye and make their interiors…come to life,” says the internet blog Living In Colour. It is a sentiment supported by architect Jean Verville. for a Montreal artist and avid collector of contemporary art and design objects, he has reinvented a 1,400-square-foot loft in a historic industrial building using uncompromising splashes of brilliant colour. These are counterpointed by glossy surfaces of pure white and given further punch with the deft use of a mirrored wall. “The client wanted a space that generates creativity,” Verville tells me as we tour the largely open, voluminous space that is flooded with natural light from two walls of
oversized industrial windows. After connecting at a party and spending most of the night talking art and architecture, the Laval university–trained architect (and not incidentally ex-professional dancer) and client spent months working through what kind of functional, livable space could also actively stimulate new avenues in the latter’s own work. “The answer,” Verville says, “lay in minimal interventions, simple materials and bursting colours that would awaken the senses and blur the perception of conventional domestic space.” He started by grasping in one hand five pens of the client’s favourite colours and drawing a series of multi-coloured lines across stark white paper. The unit’s entry is indeed a shock of royal purple that gives onto a brilliant red hallway. In turn, a large open bedroom “nook” on the left is bereft of cluttering detail and soaked in a palette of mixed colours but dominated by canary yellow. A high, built-in sleeping platform, more a yellow padded stage than a traditional bed, sits atop deep storage drawers for storing art and beside purple clothes closets. A monolithic wall of glossy white cabinets by master cabinetmaker Pierre Daigle highlights the importance of storage space. Reaching up 11 feet to concrete beams supporting the equally raw, unpainted concrete ceiling, the cabinets’ highly light-reflecting surface stretches along the unit’s inner wall and out across the main living space. “The owner,” Verville says,
“wanted his art stored in the unit to be rotated frequently, thus allowing constant renewal of the space.” Additional storage is also created in a thick second inner wall running out from the very simple kitchen corner. This wall of acrylic mirrors by Judith Lamour, in addition to playing with one’s spatial perceptions, is also penetrated by the doorway to the condo’s single bathroom, a large, all-black spa highlighted by six very distinctive light fixtures. As this most private of spaces opens abruptly into the loft’s most public area, the depth of the cabinets offers a modest sense of separation, Verville explains. Several deep alcoves populated with a menagerie of art objects are also punched into this wall, their interiors painted in bright colours. But what really stamps a sense of applied artistry on the design is the treatment of the floor, where the significance of the bold streaks with the handful of coloured pens becomes tangible. Verville resurfaced the already-in-place bamboo flooring with a super-hard, high-gloss epoxy coating into which are inserted strips of vinyl, a sort of mix of bar–cum–QR codes in colour, using unique blends prepared by an artist collaborator. The mirror surface extends these strips of colour, creating “multiplied space modifying the usual domestic proportions.” yet despite the loft’s capaciousness and its vivid colours, dazzling whites, gritty concrete, open mechanical
JANuARy/feBRuARy 2013 CANADIAN INTERIORS 21
Shock therapy A large open bedroom “nook” is bereft of cluttering detail and soaked in a palette of mixed colours but dominated by canary yellow, a high, built-in sleeping platform, more a yellow padded stage than a traditional bed, sits atop deep storage drawers for storing art and beside purple clothes closets. The unit’s entry is a shock of royal purple that gives onto a brilliant red hallway. Says Verville, “The client wanted a space that generates creativity,”
22 CANADIAN INTERIORS JANuARy/feBRuARy 2013
ductwork, minimal architectural detail and teasing perspectives, the overall effect is surprisingly homey, even comfy. This is helped by an elegant grand piano but also by the owner’s delightfully whimsical approach to furnishings. for example, pieces include finnish designer eero Aarnio’s 1971 Tomato chair in green and his playful 1973 Pony in orange peeking around a corner; and the colourfully striped, child-like bench Mr TTT by friends With you. Around the sliver-thin Less table by Jean Nouvel are Sue Richard’s bright-yellow molded chairs (immodestly named La Sue) and Philippe Starck’s throne-like high back chair Out-In, in white. These, and virtually every other piece in the loft, constitute a furniture collection in which each piece has been carefully selected for its unique presence as an art object, albeit with a careful eye for both function and comfort. Verville eschews the notion that the Prismatic Colours loft represents a signature of his work, except in the sense that it is about experimentation in sculpturing space that projects the user into the sketch. “I believe in collaboration,” he says, “in which the client is the defining muse.” c I
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City Life
In & out in
tegral
lean
roject.
At the heart of a new house on a twin lot in the Beach neighbourhood – designed by nkArchitect – is an outdoor living space that melds seamlessly into the interior. In fact, it was the pivot around which the whole house was planned. —By Leslie C. Smith
Photography by Peter A. Sellar
JAnuAry/feBruAry 2013 CAnADIAn INTERIORS 25
26 CAnADIAn INTERIORS JAnuAry/feBruAry 2013
Bottom left The sliding-glass door “wall” makes the transition from terrace to main floor appear seamless. (The design reminds the homeowners of a Caribbean timeshare, “where you can wake up and go outside into the sunlight.”) The kitchen is fitted with white oak–veneered cabinetry, a Wolf stove, and twin-troughed sinks set in a Corian-topped island. Top left The main floor from the other direction, looking toward the street, with the living room at right. Below More private than the open-plan main floor, the dining room features lowered nine-foot ceilings, Artemide glass fixtures and a walnut-stained table made from rough-cut salvaged pine by Toronto artisan Kimberley Jackson.
There’s only one thing to do when you’ve got a double-wide lot and an uncomfortable, rundown house with zero insulation and severe sewage problems: flatten and reconfigure. Christina and Simon, married mid-30s professionals, knew that they and the children they planned to raise deserved something better, and they could afford to do something about it. The couple asked nelson Kwong, principal at Toronto’s nkArchitect, to step in. Kwong, a close personal friend with a shared taste for modernity, obliged by razing the decrepit 1920s structure and filling in the Beach neighbourhood twin lot with a 3,000-square-foot home featuring every client wish-list item, from a media room and two-car garage to his-and-her closets. But this wasn’t just a case of conventional, cut-and-paste design: front yard, big house, big garage and back yard. Kwong saw the site’s east-west orientation as an opportunity to engage in passive building strategies for the home’s natural heating, cooling and lighting systems. It also gave him his key inspiration: carving away a portion of the traditional block-house plan to create an outdoor living space that melds seamlessly into the interior. The south-side terrace, in fact, became the pivot around which the whole house was planned. “Once we settled on the side terrace,” Kwong says, “the functions fell into place. We established an L-shaped plan that sheltered the terrace in the wintertime by having the
house itself act as a windbreak, and a cantilevered second floor that shaded it in the summertime.” Southern exposure means sunlight streams in through the main floor’s facing floor-toceiling glass doors, illuminating a great deal of the living space. The huge, 10-by-7-foot sliders framed in Douglas fir are set in their own L-shape, with the corner pointing inward rather than out, so that when the doors get thrown open in clement weather, the exterior cedar-plank terrace and interior kitchen and living room form a single, integrated unit. even when closed, the glass wall appears to be no wall at all, and the effect remains. Such transparency, which carries through to the open staircase and motor-operated windows rising a full two storeys on the west side – overlooking a pool and hot tub – offers not only fresh air and kitchen ventilation during much of the year, but also almost unimpeded sightlines. This is important for Simon and Christina, because in the three years since the house was commissioned and a year-plus after moving back in, as planned, they now have a small family, consisting of 2½-year-old Jackson and 2½-month-old Joshua. “I love the openness,” Christina says. “There are so many different spaces on one floor but I can still keep an eye on the kids.” One of those different spaces is a dining room, tucked behind the kitchen and up a short staircase on the north end. Here, the main
JAnuAry/feBruAry 2013 CAnADIAn INTERIORS 27
Above The house’s passive air, light and temerature-control system includes an upstairs light well/ventilation shaft that allows heat to ascend and sunshine to descend via glazing along the upper balcony. The two-storey mullioned window rising from the west wall, operated via remote control, offers further air regulation. Left The elegance of the master suite’s bathroom is bumped up several notches by the inclusion of a see-through gas fireplace situated at a focal point in the partial wall between soaking tub and sleeping area. A plasma TV above and ritzy glass chandelier overhead add to the suite’s sybaritic ambience.
28 CAnADIAn INTERIORS JAnuAry/feBruAry 2013
floor’s 12-foot ceilings descend to a more intimate nine-foot height. LeD artwork spots and twin white-glazed glass fixtures from Artemide assist the natural light from the back glass door that leads to an eight-foot-long cedar balcony upstairs, in the hallway dividing the kids’ bedrooms and bathroom, laundry, den and guest bathroom, an elongated light well/air shaft looks directly down on the kitchen’s twin-trough sinkcounter. Instead of a typical skylight slicing the roof above, however, Kwong employed south-facing vertical glazing that allows for indirect natural light to filter softly downward and also permits overwarm air to drift upward and outward. Like the downstairs area, the second-floor master bedroom is artfully designed around a pivot point – in this case, the central wall partially dividing the sleeping area from the bath-soaking area. flaunting overhead flat TV screens on either side, the wall’s main focus is a punchthrough, glassed-in gas fireplace at bed and bath eye level, which forms a centrepiece for the entire space and incidentally looks breathtaking when backlit. “In the master suite, we were conscious of taking the same approach of open seamlessness,” says Kwong, referring to himself and his associate neal Prabhu. “The bedroom, bathroom and double closets rotate around the fireplace in a circuit, so the space actually feels like a suite, not three different elements.” Discretion or modesty prevents him from adding it’s a highly romantic setting: so much so that in a few years’ time, even this large house may require a new addition. c I
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City Life
Off the wall in Ottawa
Down with the tyranny of the room: faced with small floor plates and large structural columns, partners Paul Kariouk and frederic Carrier stripped a condo back to its raw volume and reconfigured the space to suit themselves. —by rhys Phillips
Photography by Photolux Studio / Christian Lalonde
January/february 2013 CanaDIan INTERIORS 31
Developers invariably believe it is easier to market even very modest-sized condominiums as “two bedrooms” than as “open space living without walls.” Paul Kariouk, an architecture professor at Carleton university who also maintains a design practice, and his partner, frederic Carrier, an architect with Public Works and Government Services Canada, begged to differ when faced with a carved-up loft apartment at the very heart of downtown Ottawa. Located on the 17th floor of the Mondrian, named after the Dutch artist because of the tower’s geometrically patterned curtain wall interspersed with transparent red glass panels, the 850-square-foot corner apartment featured two floor-to-ceiling glazed walls. but while it was marketed as “modern urban living,” a very tight kitchen/dining/living room space was shoehorned between two walled bedrooms with a full bathroom bumping out from the back wall. The developer’s marketing cliché, says Kariouk during an interview at the unit, actually means imposing on small floor plates, further restricted by large structural columns and intrusive mechanical systems, a spatial logic of segregated spaces at best suitable for larger suburban houses. as this severely prescribes the owner’s choice of furniture and layout, the slogan “ironically suggests that ‘modern urban living’ is really just the equivalent of utter predictability and the suppression of individual choices.” Kariouk and Carrier commenced by stripping the unit
back to its raw volume. They tore down the bedroom walls, dismantled the intruding bathroom box, and removed all the conventional closets. The idea was to reconfigure the space through, in Kariouk’s words, “the dynamic and poetic use of poché, the conventional ‘service space’ of any home including mechanical conduits” and the minimization of circulation space. across the back width of the unit they also introduced a seven-inch-high platform that permitted the flexibility to alter water pipes and drains. a unifying white porcelain tile floor, extended out onto the balcony to visually connect inside and out, adds “reflective properties that contribute to an entirely luminous interior.” Likewise, J.P. Jelle’s handcrafted, floor-to-ceiling cabinetry that skirts the inner perimeter, as well as a freestanding closet “screen” for the sleeping area, are glossy-white with minimalist detailing. In the substantial entry hall, these cabinets taper inward creating a gently expanding space; it’s rather whimsically marked with a niche containing a low-splash urinal bowl, equipped with a Kohler spout, that their large Leonburger, Charlemagne, can activate to get a drink on his own. The kitchen for Kariouk constitutes the heart of a home. Thus, a 15-foot-long island topped in light-grey quartz and complete with cooking appliances and a sink, is cantilevered along the edge of the platform bridge overlooking the loft’s public spaces. Modest tapering on the island’s suspended side
adds enough extra space to accommodate a dining-table area in the unit’s glazed southeast corner, a sunlit space that provides the best view over the city. To ensure both a generous kitchen and a doubling of cabinet space, Kariouk and Carrier introduced a radical rethinking of how a bathroom functions. The typical bathroom, Kariouk explains, requires at least some wasteful circulation space. but, if you remove the shower/tub, an airplane-like sink and toilet washroom fit neatly into the width of the cabinets stretched across the back of the apartment. reinstating the now-missing shower, as well as dealing with the awkwardness of two existing concrete columns and two pre-determined mechanical towers, required a creative solution. While one of the mechanical towers is hidden within the bedroom wall screen, the second and “most egregious central mechanical unit” (along with one of the building’s structural columns) is enveloped within a floor-to-ceiling elliptical form. as the space separating the two given elements then serves as a closet, the result is “utmost spatial efficiency.” This element also serves to separate the living room from the dining area. a slightly more elongated ellipse surrounds the other structural column but also serves both as a second screen separating the sleeping area from the main public space and as a clothes closet. both ellipses are constructed of silk fabric stretched on steel frames, thus
Right and below Opposing views of the loft’s public spaces. Floor-to-ceiling elliptical forms – constructed of silk fabric stretched on frames - artfully hide structural columns. A unifying white porcelain tile floor, extended out onto the balcony to visually connect inside and out, adds “reflective properties that contribute to an entirely luminous interior.” The kitchen constitutes the heart of a home; a 15-footlong island, topped in light-grey quartz, is cantilevered along the edge of the platform bridge overlooking the public spaces. Bottom A view at dusk highlights the “shower with a view,” visible from almost anywhere in the condo. It too is a freestanding ellipse but of frameless curved glass, although also covered by a removal outer silk skin.
What’s Up
January/february 2013 CanaDIan INTERIORS 33
Above J.P. Jelle’s handcrafted, floor-to-ceiling cabinetry skirts the condo’s inner perimeter. In the substantial entry hall, these cabinets taper inward creating a gently expanding space; it’s rather whimsically marked with a niche containing a low-splash urinal bowl, equipped with a Kohler spout, that the designers’ large Leonburger, Charlemagne, can activate to get a drink on his own. Left An airplane-like sink and toilet washroom fit neatly into the width of the cabinets stretched across the back of the condo.
ensuring lightness and semitranslucence. but what of that elusive shower? It too is a freestanding ellipse but of frameless curved glass, although also covered by a removal outer silk skin. Visible from almost anywhere in the apartment, the roomy shower stands prominently on the bridge. Says Kariouk, “How many apartments can boast a shower with a 270-degree view over the city?” as the thin silk is hardly opaque, a recessed ceiling track allows a bronze coloured curtain, tucked away within the cabinetry, to be drawn around the shower for privacy while a similar system can also fully close off the bedroom. all of these quirky forms, Kariouk adds, “are calibrated to inflect the movement throughout the entire apartment with nuanced delineations of a sleeping area, a dining area and a living area.” unlike most condo balconies that soon morph into storage areas, Kariouk and Carrier wanted theirs to be a functioning living space. To augment the white tiles, fibre-optic acrylic rods of varied lengths were placed along the balustrade. Lit from below and flexible enough to sway in the wind, the rods act as a “garden” wall of willow reeds. It is a conceit that gives texture, definition and even sound to the balcony’s perimeter while, more functionally, stops the dog from putting its paws up on the rail. The redeveloper apartment, as its designers call it, succeeds in taking the irony out of the marketing phrase “modern urban living” by reinstating fluidity, quirkiness and a sense of the unexpected, some of the hallmarks of residing downtown. c I
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Welcome to tile town The best of Cersaie 2012 —By Peter Sobchak
The population of Bologna swelled in late September as the 30th edition of Cersaie served up the latest designs and technical innovations in ceramic tile to thousands of visitors. Not surprisingly, it was a smorgasbord of trends and influences being integrated into this medium. Bold geometric graphics, intentionally random patterns and encaustic-inspired tiles were popular design motifs; size obviously matters with new dimensions of long planks and super slim (3-4mm) and thick (20mm) options becoming more prevalent; and of course sustainable initiatives such as self- or environment-cleaning ceramics were a hot topic.
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1—LIVIN’ ON THE EDGE Philippe Starck plays with the idea of joints for his first-ever ceramic tile collection Ceramica Sant’Agostino. The joint, which is typically minimalized or hidden entirely, becomes a central feature and decorative modular element for Flexible Architecture. It can be specified on each tile side, a combination of sides or none at all to create an endless array of architectural compositions. A variety of thicknesses (7mm and 12mm), surfaces (matte and glossy) and colours (white, yellow, grey and greige) also add to the product’s flexibility. ceramicasantsgostino.it 2—IN BLOOM One of the undisputed kings of glass mosaics, Bisazza continued its collaboration with major international designers with the launch of three new mosaic patterns at Cersaie 2012: Kumo-Cloud and Hana-Flower (see Contents on page 5) designed by Nendo; and a design by Marcel Wanders called Bloem, mounted using an andamento technique (shown). bisazza.com
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 CANADIAN INTERIORS 37
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1—CHEERS TO THAT ABK’s Soleras is a collection of porcelain tiles inspired by the wooden staves from barrels used for Criaderas y Soleras, a technique for aging wines and spirits like sherry, Madeira and brandy. With a beautiful patina, the tiles are available in two plank sizes with a hand-planed appearance. abk.it 2—LIGHTNESS OF BEING Bardelli launched two new lines by Davide Pizzigoni designed to be mixed and matched. Orchestra is a set of 15 wall tiles, each with a different musical instrument, while Ventagli (shown) is intended to evoke the lightness of air by featuring a colourful array of fans with close-packed folds and embellished with 38 CANADIAN INTERIORS JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013
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designs featuring small animals, flowers, leaves or fruits, on 16-by-16-inch glossy white wall tiles. bardelli.it 3—RANDOM ACTS OF URQUIOLA Azulej, the latest porcelain tiles designed by Patricia Urquiola for Mutina, are inspired by ancient handcrafted majolica and made of hydraulic cement. The 8-by-8inch glazed porcelain tiles are available in three neutral base colors (white, light grey and dark grey) in a choice of nine patterns, which means 27 different design options. The result is a deliberately random patchwork of tiles for floors and walls, both indoors and out. mutina.it 4—LOVELY AS A TREE To create a mixed wood effect, Emilceram-
ica uses HD technology to transform photographs of 50 fossilized wood blocks into the Petrified Tree collection. Bark reproduces the bark of fossilized wood with a rough-hewn, anti-slip finish, while Core reinterprets the petrified core of wood. This line is available in three colours: Beige Tiger, which is made of exotic minerals, iron and manganese (shown); White Lion, which contains smoky quartz, silicates and ferric oxides; and Grey Panther, which contains coal and cobalt. emilceramica.it
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5—SHARP AS A THISTLE The influence of fashion on tiles could be seen in this year’s influx of fabric-based collections. The I Tessuti collection created by Elena Strafella for Cottoveneto features an interesting fabric-inspired composition of exceptionally small natural stones called micromosaics in a range of patterns, including Scottish (shown), Tweed, Shantung, Tartan and Twill. All use thin lines that cross in remote corners, creating refined orthogonal geometries or elegant linear effects. cottovenetogroup.it
6—WARNING: GRAPHIC LANGUAGE Ceramiche Refin’s Frame collection, designed by Milan-based graphic-design agency Studio FM Milano, comprises
30-by-30-inch square tiles that take traditional patterns from majolica tiles of the 19th and 20th centuries and run them through the re-interpretation mill for a more graphic, avant-garde design. refin.it 7—MR. CLEAN WOULD BE PROUD Fincibec SpA used Cersaie 2012 to launch Antibact: a proprietary antibacterial technology that significantly enhances the sanitizing effects during cleaning and does not require sunlight to be activated. Technica by Century is the first tile collection from the Fincibec Group that features this technology. The LEED-compliant porcelain tiles are available in six colours, three modular rectified formats and four different finishes.
8—BANISH THE BACTERIA Casalgrande Padana unveiled Bios Self Cleaning Ceramics, which uses Hydrotect technology from the Japanese brand Toto to create self-cleaning, anti-bacterial and pollution-reducing tiles. The Hydrotect coating contains two active agents: titanium dioxide, which is photo-catalytic; and a formulation of metals that offer antibacterial and antivirus properties. The technology is especially useful for exterior cladding and can be applied to all Casalgrande Padana products. casalgrandepadana.com
century-ceramica.it
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 CANADIAN INTERIORS 39
Who’s Who IDC LEADERS BREAKFAST Members of the design community oohed and aahed as they took the first look at the spanking new four Seasons Toronto flagship, venue for the annual Interior Designers of Canada and International Interior Design Association Leaders breakfast. ray Staples was posthumously honoured with the 2012 IDC/IIDA Leadership Award of excellence. During her 70-year career, “Mother ArIDO” – as she was nicknamed for her help in founding (and presiding over) the Association of registered Interior Designers of Ontario – co-hosted the CbC television show Outside/Inside and regularly guested on CityTV’s CityLine, giving tips and answering viewers’ home-decor questions.
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1—Theo West-Parks, principal of her eponymous firm and chairman, ArIDO board of governors; Janine Grossman, principal, Kasian Architecture, and ArIDO president-elect; Marilyn Kiewiet, production designer, Directors Guild of Canada, daughter-in-law of ray Staples and wife of ray’s son, Kevan; Kevan Staples, film-music composer and member of rough Trade, the hot 1970s and ’80s Canadian new wave rock band; Sue bennett, principal of her namesake firm and former ArIDO president, wearing ’70s-evocative op art; and eliisa Petersen of her namesake firm and ArIDO past president. 2—Canadian Interiors editor Michael Totzke, flanked by keynote speaker John fluevog, the Vancouver-based shoe-design and –marketing star, with 100 employees and branded 16 stores, wearing a suit made by really really Pretty blonde Girls from Moods of Norway, and his wife, ruth, co-ordinator of charitable giving at the company, wearing a shrug by ruth rachel Mara from Moule in Vancouver. 3—Marilyn Maxim, Pr manager, Keilhauer; Ottilie Nienkämper, marketing and media relations manager at Nienkämper, and its president/founder and her father, the eponymous Klaus. 4—Intercede Design’s Lesley Melliship, senior associate, and Micheline bartlett, president; and Olivia Palenstein, associate A&D market manager, Haworth. 5—Peter Sobchak, editor, Building, as well as deputy editor, Canadian Interiors; and IDC president David Gibbons, principal at Ottawa-based CLWG facility Planning and Design.
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business & pleasure —Text and photos by David Lasker
KNOLL METRICS Did you know that the average usable square feet in office buildings was 227 square feet 10 years ago and is 135 square feet today? This and other space-planning insights were presented at The Metrics of Distributed Work seminar and party at Knoll’s showroom in Liberty Village. 1—Knoll’s Chris ross, National A&D manager; Terri robinson, regional manager, Canada; fabiana Stubrich, national director business development; and seminar presenter Dr. Michael O’Neill, senior director, workplace research. 2—Knoll sales reps Joana Peixoto (eastern Canada), Megan Simpson and Judy brant (KnollStudio) with architect rig Mugford, integrated designer, Zeidler Partnership Architects.
40 CANADIAN INTERIORS JANuAry/februAry 2013
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DX INTERSECTION To celebrate the Design exchange’s rebranding as Canada’s Design Museum, it changed the name of its annual fundraiser, the black and White Gala, to DX Intersection, and attracted a broader range of partygoers, including filmmakers and artists. 1
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B+H BASH b+H Architects celebrated the holiday season with a party in its newly renovated university Avenue offices; guests left with a sleekly slip-cased book on the international firm’s 25 years in China.
1—Living mannequins in front of guest-of-honour Douglas Coupland’s Imagine a Car Crash. Daren Lupovici, freelance model; and Alexandra Desplanque, u of T semiotics student. 2—Canadian Interiors publisher Martin Spreer and his wife, Doreen Pimenta, CbC News business manager. 3—Physiotherapist Diana Sinniger, cousin of Caspar Sinnager, banking lawyer at Home Capital; and famed film director Atom egoyan. 4—Digital installation artist David Carter; Sarah Keenlyside, producer, Inkblot Media; and fashion designers Stephen Wong, partner in women’s-wear maker Greta Constantine, and Project Runway winner evan biddell, whose boutique, NuPlace, creates costumes for film and television. 5—Paul raff Studio team members cluster round their Knob Portrait: Mayor Ford. Samantha Scroggie, senior designer; Paul raff, principal architect; Jean Solowski, intern architect; and Therese baron, communications director. And to think that raff claims never to have heard of Chuck Close!
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WE CARE TORONTO for the second year in a row, the non-profit and business partnership known as We Care brought seasonal sparkle to 165 GTA children. Held at the university Settlement (the first community-based social-services centre in Toronto, established in 1910), the event brought children from community youth programs together with furniture manufacturer Herman Miller Inc. and dealer partner Workplace resource, along with a number of the country’s leading interior design firms – to enjoy entertainment, arts and crafts, and snacks, along with a special visit from Santa. (Photos by Vinnie Krieger)
1—Marant Construction’s Gino Vettoretto, president, and Jennifer Vopni, VP marketing and business development, flank Global’s Deborah bachly, director, business development Globalcare, and A&D rep Helen Gillard. 2—b+H brass William Nankivell, CeO; Dan McAlister, chairman; Tonu Altosaar, senior principal and director, Middle east; and Patrick fejer, principal, design director.
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1—Crafty: kids and designers from figure3 (from left: Carly Durrant, Marie-eve Paris and Sarah Stafford). 2—The gang’s all here: We Care volunteers from Herman Miller Canada, Workplace resource, and seven members of the furniture and design industry (b+H Architects, Cannon Design, Dialog, figure3, HOK, Parkin Architects and Straticom).
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JANuAry/februAry 2013 CANADIAN INTERIORS 41
Last Word
Go Figure3 Bringing Quebec’s Simons to Edmonton. —By Michael Totzke
“Go big or go home” could be the motto of Peter Simons, president and CEO of the fashion retailer founded by his ancestors in Quebec City in 1840, with stores in Quebec City, Montreal, Laval, Saint-Bruno and Sherbrooke. Deciding to expand the business beyond “la belle province,” Simons chose for the first foray the West Edmonton Mall, the largest shopping mall in North America and the 10th largest in the world. To freshen the brand and design the new, 115,000-square-foot store, he chose Toronto-based firm Figure3, whose retail projects are among the country’s most adventurous (think Umbra in Toronto or the Telus Generation 2 Store in Laval, Que., both raking in multiple design awards). As for Figure3’s motto, on this project it may well have been (après extensive consumer-behaviour research) “give ‘em what they want” – “they” being Simons’ four main target demographics, characterized by its private-label brands: trendsetting young women in their late teens to mid-20s (Twik); cool guys in the same age range (Djab); woman over 25, whether fashion-mad (Icone) or a tad more trad (Contemporaine); and men over 25,
42 CANADIAN INTERIORS JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013
Photos by Steve Tsai
whether hip (Le 31 urban) or apt to be a little square (Le 31 traditional). Thus: in the Twik and Djab departments, “Photostar booths” resembling giant iPads linking pretty young things and skater boys to Simons social-media sites (for immediate feedback from absent friends); on the Twik side, remote-control “pop-down” fitting rooms for busy periods; on the Djab side, gaming stations and port-a-potties transformed into cheeky, bright-red fitting rooms; for Icone and Contemporaine, a curated boutique environment with white glass and light oak finishes; for Le 31 urban and Le 31 traditional, a blue-on-blue, valet-inspired space, including fitting rooms in highgloss petrol blue (with bright knit animal trophy heads providing a whimsical men’s club reference). My favorite space? The Icone fitting rooms (equipped with iPad technology and offering ample room for stylists): glassy, glossy green, with high-gloss interior finishes and eye-popping furniture. Yowza. The store launched in October to great fanfare. Thanks to Figure 3, Simons says “this is where it’s at.” c I
dimensions V O L .1 /2013
Retail psychotherapy / La psychothÊrapie du magasinage Probing the minds of designers for insight into the ever-changing face of retail design. Explorez l’esprit des consommateurs et des designers pour en savoir plus sur le visage toujours changeant du design de la vente au dÊtail.
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Having profoundly influenced the culture of design, Sagmeister is perhaps best known for his album covers for Talking Heads, Lou Reed, and The Rolling Stones, and innovative campaigns for HBO and Levi’s. The Happy Show offers visitors the experience of walking into the designer’s mind as he attempts to increase his happiness, training his mind as you would train your body.
Stefan Sagmeister The Happy Show is organized by the Institute of Contemporary Art, University of Pennsylvania. ICA is grateful for primary sponsorship from The Pew Center for Arts and Heritage through the Philadelphia Exhibitions Initiative. Additional funding has been provided by The Chodorow Exhibition Initiative Fund for support of the exhibition’s tour.
contents/ sommaire
dimensions magazine VOL. 1 /2013
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idc board of management conseil d’administration David Gibbons, President/Président (ON) Ada Bonini, 1st VP/Première vice-présidente (BC) Donna Assaly, Past President/Ancient président (AB) Adele Bonetti, Director/Secretary/Secrétaire/directeur (AB) Clinton Hummel, Director/Treasurer/Directeur/Trésorier (ON) Aandra Currie Shearer, Director/Directrice (SK) Anne-Marie Legault, Director/Directrice (QC) Dede Hiscock, Director/Directrice (NS) Denise Ashmore, Director/Directrice (BC) Kimberley Murphy, Director/Directrice (NB) Stephen Lamoureux, Director/Directrice (MB) Peter Heys, Director At Large/Directrice (ON) Rachel Clarida, Director At Large/Directrice (BC) Dorothy Stern, Director, Education/Directeur, formation (ON) Meryl Dyson, Director, Industry/Directeur, industrie (BC) Nicole Cormier, Director, Intern/Provisional/Directrice (NB) Trevor Kruse, IIDEX Liaison/Liaison avec IIDEX (ON) David Hanson, Chair, Board of Governors/Président du Conseil d’administration (BC) Susan Wiggins, Chief Executive Officer/Directrice générale (ON)
Dimensions is the official magazine of IDC (Interior Designers of Canada) ©2010 Dimensions est le magazine officiel des dic (Designers d’interiéur du Canada) ©2010
features/ dossiers
departments/ département
8. retail psychotherapy la psychothérapie du magasinage Nothing changes faster than the fickle whims of shoppers. Interior designers are challenged with responding to the ever-changing face of retail design. Rien ne change plus rapidement que les humeurs des consommateurs. Les designers d’intérieur doivent relever le défi en s’adaptant au visage toujours changeant du design de la vente au détail.
4/5 on a professional note… sur une note professionnelle…
11. leading with imagination l’imagination en tête Striking a balance between business and innovation can be tricky. Beware of putting all of your energy into the business of running a business. Creativity may be the key to your success. Trouver un équilibre entre les affaires et l’innovation est parfois difficile. Faites attention de ne pas mettre toutes vos énergies dans les affaires. La créativité peut être la clé de votre réussite. dimensions team l’équipe de dimensions Publisher/Éditrice : Susan Wiggins, Chief Executive Officer, IDC Directrice générale, DIC swiggins@idcanada.org Editor/Éditrice : Julia Salerno, Manager, Communications, IDC Directrice des communications des DIC dimensions@idcanada.org Editorial Advisory Board/ L’Équipe éditoriale : Donna Assaly (AB) Lise Boucher (MB) David Chu (SK) Ron Hughes (ON) Johane Lefrançois-Deignan (ON) Carolyn Maguire (NS) Susan Steeves (BC) canadian interiors team l’équipe de canadian interiors Publisher/Éditeur : Martin Spreer, mspreer@canadianinteriors.com Deputy Editor/Éditeur : Peter Sobchak, psobchak@canadianinteriors.com Art Director/Directeur artistique : Scott Christie christie-stewart.com French Translation/Traduction française : Pierre-Éric Villeneuve Interior Designers Of Canada C536–43 Hanna Avenue Toronto ON M6K 1X1 t 416.649.4425 f 416.921.3660 tf 877.443.4425
6/7 in conversation with… en conversation avec… 14/15 on your behalf… en votre nom… 16 industry members/ membres d’industrie
idc staff l’équipe des dic Susan Wiggins Chief Executive Officer/Directrice générale Irma Kemp Executive Assistant/Agente d’administration Georgi A. Ito Administrative Assistant/Assistante administrative Tony Sienes Manager, Accounting/Directeur des finances Victoria Fellowes Director, Business Development/Directrice du développement des affaires Sue Gravelle Director, Professional Development/Directrice du développement professionnel Candis Green Member Services Coordinator/Coordonnatrice des services aux membres Debora Abreu Manager, Marketing/Directrice du marketing Enrique Gaudite Marketing Coordinator/Coordonnateur du marketing Julia Salerno Manager, Communications/Directrice des communications Rachael Factor Communications Coordinator/Coordonnatrice des communications Alexandra Tichinoff Communications Coordinator/Coordonnatrice des communications
dimensions@idcanada.org www.idcanada.org
dimensions 03
on a professional note… sur une note professionnelle…
Welcome to 2013. In typical New Year’s fashion you have likely set some personal and professional goals, perhaps even with timelines attached. Are your goals reasonable and achievable? Will your goals make a difference to you and/or to others? Have you shared your goals or are they known only by you? We all manage the annual tradition of resolutions differently. There is no correct way; it’s a highly personal choice. What does change, however, are external factors: when the economy is strained, for instance, this may influence the type of goals you establish. This past year, IDC was exposed to an external factor—or a common theme, rather—that we feel would make an honourable and responsible goal for interior design practitioners. The goal is to contribute, in some small way, to a better world for others, whether the result of that contribution is seen next month, next year or twenty years from now. At IIDEX Canada this year we learned about the work of Mass Design in NYC, which delivers a holistic design approach in developing countries with a particular emphasis on improving social equity and health outcomes through design innovation. We also learned about another organization through ASID called The 1% —a nonprofit launched in 2005 by Public Architecture to encourage pro-bono service within the architecture and design professions. If every member of IDC donated one percent of their time, or just five hours of time a year, towards a social design initiative, we could donate 12,500 hours to Canadian communities. That’s the equivalent of a six person firm working full time on social initiatives to improve the lives of others. Think about it.
David Gibbons, President/Président Susan Wiggins, Chief Executive Officer/Directrice générale
Bienvenue en 2013. Comme le veut la tradition annuelle, vous avez pris des résolutions personnelles et professionnelles. Peut-être avez-vous dressé un calendrier des dates importantes? Est-ce que vos objectifs sont réalisables et raisonnables? Feront-ils une différence pour vous ou pour d’autres personnes? Avez-vous partagé vos intentions avec d’autres ou êtes-vous la seule personne à les connaître? Chacun respecte cette tradition des résolutions annuelles différemment. Il n’y a pas de bonnes façons de le faire, il s’agit toujours de choix personnels. Ce qui varie, par contre, ce sont les facteurs extérieurs comme les réalités économiques, qui peuvent influencer le genre de résolution que vous voulez honorer. L’année passée, les DIC ont dû composer avec un facteur extérieur déterminant ou une thématique récurrente, plutôt, qui, nous le croyons, devrait faire partie des résolutions professionnelles des praticiens du design d’intérieur. L’objectif est de contribuer tant bien que mal à faire un monde meilleur pour les autres, que les résultats de cette contribution soient perceptibles dans le mois prochain, dans l’année à venir ou dans les 20 prochaines années. Cette année, à IIDEX Canada, nous avons appris des choses intéressantes au sujet du travail de Mass Design, à New York. Cette firme a une approche holistique du design dans les pays en voie de développement et accorde une attention particulière à l’amélioration de l’équité sociale et à la santé grâce à l’innovation en design. L’ASID nous a permis de rencontrer une autre organisation qui se nomme The 1%, un organisme à but non lucratif lancé en 2005 par Public Architecture pour encourager les services bénévoles dans les professions du design et de l’architecture.
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Alternatively, consider the following two challenges. IDC is a supporter of the Construction Resources Initiative (CRI). Their goal is simple: to have zero construction waste to landfill by 2030. It seems impossible when you think of your typical work week, but we must find a way. Can you or your firm start working towards this goal in 2013? Can you mandate that contractors reduce disposal to landfill by 50% or even 25% as a condition of the contract? RAIC | Architecture Canada, also a supportor of CRI, advocates a second 2030 challenge. This challenge has been issued to building professionals worldwide by the organization Architecture 2030, and it calls for design activities that will significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions of new and renovated Canadian buildings. The goal of this challenge is straightforward: to achieve a dramatic reduction in the climate-change-causing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of the building sector by changing the way buildings and developments are planned, designed, and constructed. Can any of the above programs be part of your 2013 goals? We encourage you to choose one
of these programs, choose your goal within that program, and then work towards realizing a better tomorrow for future generations. After all, there are no rules to resolutions. They can be made at any time of year. May your 2013 be filled with excellent health, good fortune and a socially conscious thought or two.
If every IDC member donated five hours per year towards a social design initiative, we could give 12,500 hours to Canadian communities.
Si tous les membres des DIC donnaient 1 % de leur temps, ou 5 heures par année, pour des initiatives de design social, on pourrait donner jusqu’à 12 500 heures à des communautés canadiennes.
Si tous les membres des DIC donnaient 1 % de leur temps, ou 5 heures par année, pour des initiatives de design social, on pourrait donner jusqu’à 12 500 heures à des communautés canadiennes. Cela correspond à l’équivalent de 6 personnes qui travaillent à temps plein pour améliorer la vie des autres. Pensons-y! En revanche, considérons les deux défis envisagés pour l’an 2030. Les DIC soutiennent les travaux de Construction Resources Initiative (CRI), dont le but est le plus simple: atteindre le gaspillage zéro dans les sites d’enfouissement d’ici 2030. Cela semble impossible si vous pensez à votre semaine typique, mais il faut trouver des manières de le faire. Est-ce que vous ou votre firme pouvez commencer à travailler vers cet objectif en 2013? Pouvez-vous vous assurer que les entrepreneurs réduisent de 50 %, ou de 25 %, leurs déchets dans les sites d’enfouissement et même qu’ils en fassent une condition contractuelle? IRAC | Architecture Canada, qui soutient aussi les travaux du CRI, fait la promotion d’un autre défi pour 2030. Ce défi a été présenté aux professionnels du bâtiment partout à travers le monde par l’organisation
Architecture 2030. Le programme souhaite voir plus d’activités de design qui réduisent les émissions de gaz à effet de serre de manière significative dans les bâtiments nouveaux ou rénovés au Canada. Le but de ce défi est clair : atteindre une réduction optimale des changements climatiques responsables des émissions de gaz à effets de serre (GES) dans le secteur du bâtiment en changeant les façons de planifier, de développer, de créer et de construire les bâtiments. Est-ce que ces défis peuvent faire partie de vos résolutions en 2013? Nous vous encourageons à en choisir un parmi ces programmes et à essayer d’offrir un meilleur avenir aux générations futures. En somme, il n’y a aucune restriction aux résolutions. On peut les faire à tout moment durant l’année. Nous souhaitons que votre année 2013 soit prospère, saine et consacrée à une ou deux idées socialement responsable.
Follow IDC on twitter: @idcanadatweets www.theonepercent.org www.raic.org/architecture_architects/green_architecture/2030_about_e.htm www.architecture2030.org/2030_challenge/the_2030_challenge
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www.theonepercent.org www.raic.org/architecture_architects/green_architecture/2030_about_e.htm www.architecture2030.org/2030_challenge/the_2030_challenge
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in conversation with… en conversation avec… Dimensions speaks with IDC Intern member Amy Pothier of Ontario. Dimensions échange avec Amy Pothier, de Ontario. Amy est membre stagiaire des DIC. By / Par Julia Salerno
How did you decide to pursue a career in interior design? I’ve always known that interior design was the career for me. I never imagined, however, that I would end up in such a specialized division. When the opportunity arose to become an accessibility specialist, I realized it was the right fit for me. I’ve always excelled at problem solving and I like the challenge of working within stringent guidelines to create functional and aesthetically appealing spaces. Once enrolled in school, what surprised you most about the profession? I was most surprised to realize that interior designers are responsible for a lot, especially project coordination! It’s not only about understanding your client’s needs and space planning, it’s also about keeping up with the latest audiovisual technologies and understanding mechanical engineering, to name a few. Now that you’re working in the field, what has been one of your favourite projects thus far? I have had the opportunity to work on some fantastic projects at Quadrangle, including our new studio in Toronto. There are many customized aspects of the project, like pieces of reused wood from our former location. We also had the ability to create a fully accessible office space that showcases how universal design can be beautiful and creative. Quadrangle is an expert in universal design. I do a lot of in-office consulting and collaborate with our many designers, which allows me to work on a broad range of projects including, condominiums, broadcast facilities, and retail spaces. What path have you followed to get to where you are today? I joined ARIDO as soon as I graduated and began tracking my hours for the Interior Design Experience Program (IDEP). I soon realized it was not right for me in my role as a building code advisor and accessibility specialist because I wasn’t getting all of
Name: Amy Pothier Design School: Georgian College Year of graduation: 2006 Favourite design tool: The Proposed Accessible Built Environment Standard Least favourite: Google SketchUp
Nom : Amy Pothier École de design : Georgian College Année de graduation : 2003 Outil de design favori : The Proposed Accessible Built Environment Standard Outil de design le moins apprécié : Google SketchUp
Comment avez-vous décidé de poursuivre une carrière en design d’intérieur? J’ai toujours su que le design d’intérieur était une carrière pour moi. Cela dit, je n’ai jamais pensé que je me retrouverais dans un secteur aussi spécialisé. Lorsque l’occasion de devenir une spécialiste du design associé à l’accessibilité s’est présentée, j’ai réalisé que c’était la chose parfaite pour moi. J’ai toujours excellé dans la résolution de problèmes et j’aime le défi que représente le fait de travailler avec des contraintes afin de créer des espaces à la fois fonctionnels et esthétiques. Une fois inscrite dans une école, quelle est la chose qui vous a étonnée le plus? J’ai été surprise de réaliser que les designers d’intérieurs ont beaucoup de responsabilités, surtout la coordination de projets! Il ne s’agit pas seulement de comprendre les besoins des clients et la planification des espaces, il faut aussi se tenir au courant des technologies audiovisuelles les plus récentes et comprendre l’ingénierie mécanique. Maintenant que vous travaillez dans le domaine, quel a été votre projet préféré jusqu’à maintenant? J’ai eu l’occasion de travailler sur des projets extraordinaires chez Quadrangle, incluant notre nouveau studio à Toronto. Il y a plusieurs aspects sur mesure du projet, comme des pièces de bois réutilisé et provenant de nos anciens bureaux. Nous avons aussi eu la possibilité de créer un bureau entièrement accessible, qui montre comment le design universel peut être à la fois beau et créatif. Quadrangle est une firme spécialisée dans le design universel. Je fais beaucoup de consultations au bureau et je collabore avec nos nombreux designers. Cela me
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the required hours in each section. I later switched into the Direct Supervision Work Experience Program and I am busy accumulating hours in preparation for writing the NCIDQ exam next year. Being an ARIDO Intern member has been very rewarding. It allows me to connect with so many inspiring interior designers around Ontario.
Where do you hope to go from here? I am excited to write (and pass!) the NCIDQ exam so that I can become a Registered Interior Designer – a long time goal of mine. Professionally, I am committed to helping Canada become a more accessible country so that all Canadians and visitors can fully participate in society and visit, work and play in the beautiful spaces we design.
Continue the conversation: @idcanadatweets
How are you preparing for writing the exam? What advice do you have for other Intern/Provisional members who are preparing for the exam? My first step in preparing to write the exam was to set up information interviews with interior designers who have recently passed the exam. They were all willing to share their experience of the exam and studying. I’ve started reading the required reference manuals early to help me utilize any information learned in my day-to-day work. My advice to other Intern/Provisional members who are preparing for the exam is to seek out people who have recently written (your association may be able to help you with this) and ask them to share their experience of the NCIDQ exam. A cup of coffee can go a long way in helping you prepare for writing the exam!
Amy’s advice to other Intern/Provisional members:
Le conseil d’Amy aux autres membres stagiaires ou provisoires :
“ Get advice from those who’ve « Demandez des conseils à des gens qui ont récemalready written. Their experience ment passé les examens. Leur expérience peut vous can help you prepare for the exam.” aider à mieux les préparer. »
permet de travailler sur plusieurs projets, incluant des condominiums, des édifices de télécommunication et des espaces de vente au détail. Quelle est la trajectoire de carrière que vous avez suivie pour en arriver ou vous êtes aujourd’hui? Je me suis jointe à ARIDO dès que j’ai obtenu mon diplôme et j’ai commencé à accumuler mes heures pour l’Interior Design Experience Program (IDEP). J’ai rapidement vu que cela ne correspondait pas à mon rôle de conseillère du Code du bâtiment et de spécialiste des questions d’accessibilité, puisque je n’avais pas les heures requises pour chacune des sections. J’ai rapidement intégré le programme Direct Supervision Work Experience et j’accumule les heures dans le but de me préparer à passer les examens du NCIDQ l’année prochaine. Le fait d’être membre stagiaire d’ARIDO a été très valorisant. Cela me permet de rencontrer plusieurs designers d’intérieur inspirants de partout en Ontario. Echanger avec d’autres personnes de l’industrie m’aide à mieux comprendre mes objectifs de carrière.
Comment vous préparez-vous à passer les examens? Quel conseil pouvez-vous donner aux autres membres stagiaires et provisoires qui se préparent aux examens? La première étape de préparation des examens a consisté à des entrevues d’information avec des designs d’intérieurs qui viennent de les réussir. Ils étaient tous heureux de partager leur expérience des examens et de leurs études. Très tôt, j’ai commencé à lire les livres de références obligatoires pour pouvoir utiliser toutes les informations dans mon travail au quotidien. Le conseil que je donnerais aux autres membres stagiaires ou provisoires serait de trouver des gens qui ont récemment passé les examens. De plus, votre association sera peut-être en mesure de vous aider dans cette démarche. Demandez-leur de partager avec vous leur expérience des examens du NCIDQ. Une simple tasse de café peut faire des miracles en vous aidant à vous préparer à passer ces examens! Et que se passera-t-il ensuite ? Je suis excitée par l’idée de passer (et de réussir!) les examens du NCIDQ, et de devenir une designer d’intérieur enregistrée. C’est un des mes plus vieux objectifs. Je suis engagée à aider le Canada à devenir un pays plus accessible, pour faire en sorte que les Canadiens et les gens qui visitent notre pays puissent pleinement participer à la société, visiter, travailler et s’amuser dans les beaux espaces que nous créons.
Pour continuer la conversation : @idcanadatweets
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retail psychotherapy la psychothérapie du magasinage
Nothing changes faster than the fickle whims of shoppers. Interior designers are challenged with responding to the ever-changing face of retail design. Rien ne change plus rapidement que les humeurs des consommateurs. Les designers d’intérieur doivent relever le défi en s’adaptant au visage toujours changeant du design de la vente au détail. By / Par Julia Salerno
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Retailers have mere seconds to capture the attention of a passerby. In today’s cutthroat consumer landscape, retailers must elevate and continuously evolve their brand if they want to remain competitive. The recent influx of American and international retailers is forcing existing retailers to evaluate their current brand profile. This is the changing face of retail design. One can draw many parallels between retail design and other industry sectors. Each is rooted in creating functional and aesthetically pleasing spaces, drawing on their client’s needs. The distinction however, lies in the research phase. Retail interior designers are charged with probing the minds of consumers to create emotional experiences so that visitors become shoppers and ultimately return time and again. “Retail design is more seductive then other design sectors,” says Sarah Turnbull, Regina based interior designer at the firm P3 Architecture. “It’s about enticing a client into a space and tempting them to stay.”
Les magasins ont seulement quelques secondes pour attirer l’attention des passants. Dans le paysage de la consommation d’aujourd’hui, les vendeurs doivent élever et promouvoir leur marque de commerce s’ils veulent demeurer compétitifs. L’influence grandissante des vendeurs américains et internationaux forcent les magasins existants à revoir le profil de leur marque. Cela change aussi le visage du design des espaces de la vente au détail. Il est possible de faire des parallèles entre le design de magasins et celui d’autres secteurs de l’industrie. Chacun est bien ancré dans la création d’espaces esthétiques et fonctionnels, répondant ainsi aux besoins des clients. Cependant, la distinction a lieu dans la phase de recherches. Les designers d’intérieur des magasins doivent comprendre l’esprit des individus pour créer des expériences émotionnelles qui motiveront les visiteurs à devenir des consommateurs et, finalement, des clients fidèles. Sarah Turnbull, de la firme P3 Architecture, à Régina, affirme que «le design de magasin doit être plus séduisant que le design d’autres secteurs. Il est question d’attirer un client dans un espace et tout faire pour qu’il y reste.»
Brian Bettencourt, senior creative director for Toronto’s Watt International Inc., says an interior designer must first develop a clear understanding of the retailer’s core customer base, their needs, and how they shop. “We typically review business performance and layer in consumer data, like shopping habits, a need-state analysis of the consumer, and brand health metrics,” says Bettencourt. “We also develop an internal perspective on a brand’s performance and emerging retail trends.” At the start of every project, research needs to take place on several levels. “We first look at our client’s operations and how they’re currently functioning, as well as their needs and goals, but it goes much deeper than that,” says Scott Andrews, senior project manager for Vancouver’s SmartDesign Group. “We need to understand merchandising and how many different products are being sold, their sales philosophy, competitors, stock
and receiving, staffing, and their target demographic, to name a few.” Andrews’s team has been working globally for years. The largest retail project currently on their books is 30 plus shops in the New Doha International Airport in Qatar. The research gathering phase is so important to Toronto firm figure3 that they have a staff member completely dedicated to what they call ‘experience design.’ “Experience design is an indepth, evidence-based look at our clients’ and their competitors’ business to dig up what they may be too close to see themselves,” says Andrew Gallici, director of retail at figure3. Retail design involves an intimate understanding of all customer touch points that inform the overall experience. “Most of all,” says Bettencourt, “Retail design needs to be spatially and operationally efficient while creating a sense of discovery, with a compelling message for the consumer.” And that message needs to be consistent for a successful shopping environment.
Le directeur expert de la création pour la firme torontoise Watt International Inc., Brian Bettencourt, dit qu’un designer d’intérieur doit en premier lieu développer une compréhension claire de la clientèle centrale du magasin, de ses besoins et de la façon dont elle magasine. Bettencourt précise : «Nous examinons de près la performance des affaires et évaluons les donnés du consommateur, comme les habitudes de magasinage. Nous analysons les besoins et l’état du consommateur, la santé de la marque de commerce. Nous développons aussi une perspective interne sur la performance de la marque et les tendances en devenir dans le secteur de la vente au détail.» La recherche doit se faire à plusieurs niveaux dès le début du projet. Scott Andrews, directeur expert de projets de la firme Smart Design de Vancouver, affirme : «Nous regardons en premier lieu les opérations de nos clients, comment elles fonctionnent, quels sont leurs besoins et leurs objectifs, mais c’est plus profond que cela.» Andrew ajoute : «Nous devons aussi comprendre la mise en marché et comment les différents produits sont vendus, la philosophie de vente, les compétiteurs, l’inventaire et les nouveaux produits, le recrutement et la population ciblée, pour n’en nommer que quelques aspects.»
L’équipe d’Andrews travaille dans une perspective globale depuis des années. Le projet de vente au détail le plus important de son agenda est un centre d’achat de plus de 30 boutiques dans le nouvel aéroport international de Qatar. Cette phase de collecte des données de la recherche est si importante pour la firme torontoise figure 3 qu’elle a des employés dont le travail est complètement consacré à ce qu’on appelle «l’experience design». Le directeur de la vente au détail chez figure 3, Andrew Gallici, affirme: «L’expérience design pose un regard empirique sur les affaires de nos clients et de leurs compétiteurs pour les éclairer sur ce qui est trop proche et qu’ils ne peuvent voir eux-mêmes.» Le design dans le secteur de la vente au détail implique une compréhension intime de tous les angles névralgiques des consommateurs, ces choses qui influencent l’expérience en général. Bettencourt affirme que plus que tout le reste, «le design de magasin doit être efficace au niveau spatial et opérationnel, tout en créant une impression de découverte, avec un message attirant pour le consommateur.» Et ce message doit être aussi conçu pour un environnement favorable au magasinage. Le président de Ruscio Studio, à Montréal, Robert Ruscio, dit que «les consommateurs ont peu d’égards et dimensions 09
Robert Ruscio, principal of Ruscio Studio in Montréal, says consumers have short attention spans and typically have a pre-conceived sense of what to expect from a particular retailer. If a store does not deliver on that promise, consumers will shop elsewhere. “It’s important for a brand’s messaging to be clear and concise. Our work as designers is to help focus and communicate a brand so that the retailer exceeds expectations, resulting in a positive brand experience and brand loyalty.” A product’s packaging affects its perceived value and that rings true for retail design. “We pay attention to as many touch points as possible within the experience. It is beyond the layout or the finishes; it is the quality of light, signage and graphics, packaging, uniforms, and even the scent within the space,” says Andrews. He adds that knowing your client’s primary demographic is key to aligning the design with their philosophy. It can dictate everything from aisle widths, display heights, lighting levels and finish selections. According to Bettencourt, consumer research should provide insight into shopping habits and behaviours: how consumers shop and why they buy, which can be segmented demographically.
Online shopping is taking a bite out of the traditional retail market and it is only growing stronger. With that being said, online shopping cannot replace the tactile experience that can only be had in store. “The online component of retail is a strategic tool that helps inform and guide the consumer, but it lacks the ability to elevate the ‘experience’ of the brand,” says Bettencourt. According to Gallici, more retailers need to embrace the omni-channel concept, a multi-faceted approach to the consumer experience through all available shopping channels including, social media and the physical store. Gallici’s recent design of Simons Department Store’s West Edmonton Mall location features a photo booth in the girls’ department fitting rooms. “The idea behind the booth is two-fold. Not only is it fun, but girls can get their picture taken, post it to Facebook and get real-time feedback on their potential purchase.” Technology is critical to today’s retailer, but beware, it can equally
become a deterrent, warns Ruscio. “There needs to be a clear purpose for its use that helps to engage the customer. Malfunctioning technology, burnt out bulbs, and boring looped content can all drive customers away. If technology is part of your business, we advise there be a high level of commitment to its maintenance.” Retail design is forever changing. “By its very nature it must constantly reinvent, to stay in touch with the customers ever-changing values. Many retailers recognize this and are willing to invest,” says Andrews. “Our biggest challenge is getting people to slow down enough to enjoy the experience, make a purchase and remember to come back and do it all over again.”
qu’ils ont, le plus souvent, des attentes devant ce qu’ils trouveront dans tel ou tel magasin en particulier.» Si un magasin n’honore pas cette promesse, les consommateurs iront ailleurs. Il ajoute : «C’est important que le message de marque soit clair et précis. Notre travail comme designer est d’aider à formuler et à communiquer une marque pour que les vendeurs dépassent leurs attentes: le résultat d’une expérience positive et fidèle de la marque.» L’emballage d’un produit influence la perception de sa valeur et cela est aussi vrai pour le design dans le secteur de la vente au détail. Andrews mentionne : «Nous faisons attention à autant de points importants et inhérents à l’expérience que possible. C’est audelà de la présentation ou de la finition. Il est question de la qualité de la lumière, de la signalisation et du graphisme, de l’emballage, des uniformes, et même des odeurs à l’intérieur de l’espace.» Il ajoute que la connaissance de la clientèle cible du client est importante pour créer un design qui correspond à une philosophie. Cela peut déterminer l’ensemble, de la largeur des corridors et l’éclairage des tablettes à la sélection des finitions. Selon Bettencourt, la recherche du consommateur doit fournir des aperçus sur les habitudes et les comportements des consommateurs, comment ils magasinent et pourquoi ils achètent, ces éléments qui peuvent être segmentés selon le portrait démographique. Ruscio affirme que les hommes et les femmes magasinent différemment. Il dit : «Les hommes le font selon les besoins, tandis que les femmes magasinent de manière plus émotionnelle, traduisant souvent une expérience sociale. Elles
mesurent leurs options et sont spécifiques dans leur magasinage.» Le magasinage en ligne, qui prend une place importante et réduit le marché de la vente au détail plus traditionnel, est en pleine expansion. Cela dit, le magasinage en ligne ne peut remplacer le contact et l’expérience tactile qu’il est possible d’avoir uniquement en magasin. Bettencourt dit que «la vente en ligne est un outil stratégique qui aide à informer et à guider le consommateur, mais il n’aide en rien la capacité d’élever l’«expérience» de la marque.» Selon Gallici, plusieurs magasins doivent embrasser le concept du commerce omni-canal, une approche multidisciplinaire de l’expérience du consommateur à travers toutes les formes d’expérience de magasinage, incluant le e-commerce, les médias sociaux et le magasin dans sa réalité physique. Il précise : «Les magasins doivent élargir leur manière de voir le magasin comme le seul morceau d’un casse-tête.» Il dit qu’il doit y avoir plus d’inter-connectivité avec la marque à tous les niveaux pour que la vente en ligne soutienne l’environnement physique du magasin et vice-versa, en une seule expérience continue. Le design récent du magasin Simons au centre d’achat West Mall, à Edmonton, a placé une cabine de photos dans les salles d’essayage des jeunes filles. «Il y a deux dimensions à
cette cabine photographique. Non seulement c’est amusant, mais les jeunes filles peuvent faire prendre des photos, les mettre sur Facebook et avoir des commentaires sur-le-champ sur ce qu’elles veulent acheter.» La technologie est un élément essentiel de la vente au détail de nos jours, mais attention, cela peut aussi être un inconvénient, précise Ruscio. «Il doit y a voir un objectif précis dans son usage qui aide et stimule le consommateur. La technologie qui ne fonctionne pas bien peut nuire et des messages en boucle ennuyants peuvent faire courir les consommateurs ailleurs. Si la technologie fait partie de votre entreprise, nous vous suggérons de voir à son bon fonctionnement.» Le design dans le secteur de la vente au détail change sans cesse. Andrews remarque : «Dans sa nature même, il doit continuellement réinventer, pour maintenir le lien avec les valeurs des consommateurs qui, elles aussi, changent sans cesse. Plusieurs magasins le reconnaissent et sont prêts à investir. Notre plus grand défi est de ralentir assez les gens pour qu’ils puissent jouir de l’expérience, acheter et vouloir revenir pour revivre cette expérience encore et encore.”
Continue the conversation: @idcanadatweets
Pour continuer la conversation : @idcanadatweets dimensions 10
leading with imagination l’imagination en tête
Striking a balance between business and innovation can be tricky. Beware of putting all of your energy into the business of running a business. Creativity may be the key to your success. Trouver un équilibre entre les affaires et l’innovation est parfois difficile. Faites attention de ne pas mettre toutes vos énergies dans les affaires. La créativité peut être la clé de votre réussite. By / Par Leslie C. Smith
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The difference between a young, up-and-coming designer and one who has already attained some level of prominence lies in the lessening of time given over to creative matters. The business of running a business often intrudes, and sometimes takes over completely. So, how do you maintain an appropriate balance between managerial responsibilities and personal artistry? We asked a group of senior designers from firms of varying sizes for their input. Nadia Kuhni, principal at Design Matrix Inc., in London, Ontario, heads up a 10-person office. She estimates her typical week comprises 5% creative activity, 10% teamwork, 20% project management and 40% office administration, with the remaining 25% spent on restructuring and growing her
La différence entre le jeune designer en devenir et celui qui a déjà atteint une certaine notoriété se loge dans le temps accordé aux divers aspects de la création. La part administrative des affaires est souvent envahissante et prend parfois toute la place. Alors, comment maintenir une juste balance entre les responsabilités administratives et la création personnelle? Nous avons demandé à un groupe de designers seniors travaillant dans des firmes de tailles variées de nous dire ce qu’ils en pensent. Nadia Kuhni est la présidente de la firme Design Matrix Inc., à London, en Ontario. Elle est à la tête d’un bureau de 10 employés et estime que sa semaine typique est composée de 5 % de créativité, de 10 % de travail d’équipe, de 20 % de gestion de projets, de 40% de tâches administratives et d’un dernier 25 % accordé à la restructuration et à la croissance de son entreprise. Cette dernière activité implique que son rôle est le plus souvent celui d’un expert de l’efficacité. Son équipe de design lui donne tout l’espace nécessaire. Elle précise : «Les individus sont différents mais nous avons les mêmes objectifs. Nous nous assurons que nos actions soient cohésives
business. The latter activity means her role right now is most often that of an efficiency expert. Her design team gives her the breathing room she needs. “They’re very different people with like-minded goals. We make sure, with transparent documentation and regular meetings, that our objectives are cohesive down to the end result.” Kuhni keeps creativity alive by scheduling downtime for herself and her employees. “It’s vital to have a clear mind. The more at ease you are, the more the energy flows and the more productive you are.” Céline Gaudreault, senior design associate at Spatium in Montréal handles a 20-person office that includes six design teams. She views herself as more of a quality control officer. “My personal task, because I manage the studio, is to act as senior advisor. I ensure that what a team proposes is in keeping with the client’s needs and Spatium’s standards. It’s really important to have the same quality everywhere.”
She, too, spends only 5% of her time working on her own, 70% advising her teams, and 25% on administration, proposals and marketing. If she had more time, that would go into research and development on computerized tools to assist her teams. “It’s practically impossible for me to take one minute. I’m with people 40 to 50 hours a week. An interior designer’s work doesn’t begin at eight and end at five. It’s something you are,” says Gaudreault. “We meet with our teams each month. To keep the mind always fresh with new information, new creativity in objects, graphics, and culture, you must nourish the creative soul.” With 30 people in his office, James Youck, principal and architect with Regina’s P3 Architecture, says his role is akin to that of an editor. Or perhaps a professor. “We run the design studio like a studio in college. On every job, you have to provide the overview. Give your team the big picture and have them come up with creative solutions that you then edit.
jusqu’aux résultats finaux et nous les justifions avec des documents transparents et des réunions régulières.» Kuhni stimule la créativité en mettant à l’horaire des temps libres pour elle et ses employés. Elle ajoute: «C’est important d’avoir un esprit clair. Lorsque nous sommes reposés, nous sommes plus énergiques et productifs.» Céline Gaudreault est designer senior associée de la firme Spatium, à Montréal. Elle gère 20 employés formant six équipes de design. Elle se voit davantage comme une directrice du contrôle de la qualité. Elle le mentionne : «Considérant que je m’occupe du studio, mon rôle est d’agir comme conseillère experte. Je m’assure que ce qu’une équipe propose correspond aux exigences, aux besoins du client et des normes de Spatium. C’est important de retrouver la même qualité partout.» Elle passe 5% de son temps à travailler pour elle-même, 70 % à conseiller ses équipes et 25 % à accomplir des tâches administratives, des propositions et du marketing. Si elle avait plus de temps, elle le passerait à faire des recherches et du développement sur des outils électroniques pour aider ses équipes. Madame Gaudreault ajoute : «C’est pratiquement impossible pour moi de prendre une minute. Je passe entre 40 et 50 heures par semaine avec des
gens. Le travail d’un designer d’intérieur ne commence pas à 8 h pour se terminer à 5 h le soir, c’est ce que vous êtes.» «Nous rencontrons nos équipes tous les mois. Pour stimuler les esprits avec des nouvelles informations, une créativité nouvelle dans les objets, les graphiques et la culture, il est important de nourrir l’âme créatrice.» James Youck, est le président et un des architectes de la firme P3 architecture, à Regina. Il y a trente personnes dans son bureau et son rôle est celui d’éditeur, ou peut être de professeur. Il souligne : «Nous gérons le studio de design comme un atelier au collège. Pour chacun des projets, on doit fournir une vue d’ensemble. Il faut donner à l’équipe le portrait global et leur demander de lui fournir des solutions créatives que vous éditerez ensuite. Le défi se loge dans la transmission des efforts créateurs de l’équipe.» Il ajoute : «Je vais mettre la main à la pâte et sortir mon crayon. Mais c’est difficile à faire lorsque vous gérez six projets différents simultanément, comme c’est souvent le cas.» Sa semaine typique est compartimentée comme suit : 15 % du temps est accordé au travail créateur en solo, 20% est voué au travail d’équipe et le dernier 65 % à une combinaison de tâches administratives, allant des dimensions 12
The challenge is channelling the creative efforts of the team,” he says. “I will also roll up my sleeves and put pen to paper. But that’s pretty tough to do when you’re managing six different projects at once, as it often happens.” Youck’s typical week sees his time split into 15% solitary creative activity, 20% team effort, and the remaining 65% on a combination of business affairs, from human resources and marketing to overall project management. He believes that creativity, while critical, is only one element of a successful project. “The process of design you learn in school. The business of design you learn on your own. My best advice is to make sure you’re hiring people who are diversely creative. That way everybody learns. Continually push them to raise the bar and they’ll do the same for you.” At Number Ten Architectural Group in Winnipeg, senior interior designer Holly Handford works with a 10-person interior design team that’s part of a larger, 60 employee workplace. Collaboration is key to her role, from informal gatherings with the company’s specialized silo studios to regular meetings with her own group. Her work week breaks down into 15% solo creative, 15% collaborative creative, 30%
management of contract documents and 40% contract administration. Handford’s idea of maintaining business and creative equilibrium is accepting, without resentment, that you have to make time for both, and stay inspired throughout the design process. Most important, she says, is remembering that whatever you see and do – collaborations, new products, magazines, travel, new images and beautiful things around you – can inspire you, keep you renewed and refreshed. “I’m not sure how to strike the right balance, but I know you have to do it. It’s important to the company’s success.”
ressources humaines au marketing, en passant par la gestion de projet. Il a la certitude que même si la créativité est critique, elle représente un élément nécessaire à la réussite d’un projet. Il insiste : «Le processus du design est appris à l’école. Les affaires du design, on les apprend tout seul. Mon meilleur conseil est de vous assurer que vous engagez des gens qui ont des talents créateurs variés. Ainsi, tout le monde fait des apprentissages. Il faut continuellement les forcer à aller au-delà des exigences et ils feront la même chose pour vous.» La designer d’intérieur expert, Holly Handford, de la firme Number Ten Architectural Group, de Winnipeg, travaille avec une équipe de 10 personnes, qui fait partie d’un bureau de 60 employés. La collaboration est une partie importante de son rôle, allant des rencontres informelles avec les studios silo, une des spécialités de la compagnie, jusqu’à des rencontres régulières avec son équipe. Son travail hebdomadaire est composé de 15 % de création en solo, de 15 % en collaboration, de 30 % dans la gestion de documents contractuels et de 40 % de tâches administratives variées. Madame Handford croit qu’il est essentiel d’accepter sans ressentiment qu’il est important d’accorder du temps au maintien des affaires et à l’équilibre dans la créativité, et de demeurer inspiré durant le processus du design. Elle mentionne que le plus important est de se souvenir que ce que vous voyez et faites, qu’il s’agisse de collaborations, de nouveaux produits, de magazines, de voyages, de nouvelles images ou de belles choses autour de vous, peut vous
inspirer, vous permettre de vous réinventer et de vous renouveler. «Je ne sais pas comment trouver le meilleur équilibre, mais je sais qu’il faut le faire. C’est important pour le succès de la compagnie», dit-elle.
Continue the conversation: @idcanadatweets
Pour continuer la conversation : @idcanadatweets
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on your behalf… en votre nom…
In November 2012, the Vancouver Sun published an article titled, “I Hate my Interior Designer.” The article collected biased client rants about designers billing practices, lack of communication skills, and general incompetence. In response, IDIBC president Alyssa Myshok, with the assistance of IDC, submitted a letter to the editor, which was published a few days later. Her response successfully discredited the article’s sweeping allegations and negative claims. Our response to that article is just one example of the many ways IDC protects the interests of its members and the profession, on your behalf. We see the value in what you do and our job is to educate the public so that they too understand the importance of hiring an interior designer. We are sometimes faced with having to take a reactive approach to promoting the profession, or setting the record straight, as in the case of the above example. It’s important for us to respond to such critique in a timely manner and look at it as an opportunity to educate. If you come across a similar article, please bring it to our attention so that it can be addressed promptly. More often, IDC takes a proactive approach. Whether it’s through regular columns in national and provincial publications, visits with governments, advertisements, information sessions and round tables, or at trade shows, our message remains the same: interior designers are trained professionals who meet a high standard of education, experience and examination. Interior designers create healthy, safe, accessible, and functional spaces. In our minds, our effor ts are not going unnoticed. Clients are increasingly knowledgeable and while awareness has improved, it is not yet as well established as we would like it to be. Still, to the untrained public, air quality, fire safety, ergonomics
En novembre 2012, le quotidien Vancouver Sun a publié un article intitulé : «I Hate my Interior Designer.» Cet article se voulait une compilation de plaintes de clients au sujet des pratiques de facturations des designer d’intérieur, du manque de communication et de l’incompétence généralisée. La présidente de l”IDIBC, Alyssa Myshok a répondu par une lettre à l’éditeur publiée quelques jours plus tard, discréditant à souhait les propos diffamatoires et les commentaires négatifs de l’article. Notre réponse à cet article est un exemple parmi tant d’autres révélant comment les DIC protègent les intérêts de leurs membres et de la profession. Nous voyons la valeur de ce que vous faites et notre travail est d’informer les membres du public pour qu’ils comprennent mieux l’importance d’engager un designer d’intérieur. Nous devons souvent adopter une approche défensive de promotion de la profession ou remettre les pendules à l’heure, comme c’est le cas dans l’exemple mentionné ci-dessus. C’est important pour nous de répondre à ce genre de critiques sur-le-champ et de les voir comme des occasions d’informer la population. Si vous voyez un article journalistique similaire, n’hésitez pas à nous en parler pour que nous puissions agir promptement. Les DIC optent le plus souvent pour une approche proactive. Qu’il s’agisse d’écrire une chronique régulière dans un journal national ou dans une publication provinciale, de rencontrer les gouvernements, de visiter des maisons de publicité, de suivre des sessions d’information, de participer à des tables rondes ou à des salons, notre message demeure le même : les designers d’intérieur sont des professionnels formés qui doivent satisfaire aux normes élevées d’éducation, d’expérience et de réussite d’examens. Les designers d’intérieur créent des espaces sains, sécuritaires, accessibles et fonctionnels. Dans notre esprit, nos efforts ne sont pas vains. Les clients sont de plus en plus informés et, même si la sensibilisation est plus élevée, les choses ne sont pas aussi ancrées qu’on le voudrait. Qui plus est, pour le public en général, les questions de la qualité de l’air, de la sécurité des incendies, de l’ergonomie et de l’impact environnemental
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and environmental impact are foreign concepts. It’s relatively unknown that understanding technical construction codes including, plumbing, electrical, structural and mechanical are all within an interior designer’s scope of work. There is still work to be done. And that work cannot be done without your help. We encourage you to represent and stand up for your profession. We are enlisting your help to speak at events, enter awards programs and submit story ideas to the media about your recent work. We also encourage you to help us come up with new and innovative ways we can educate the public about interior design. We look forward to hearing from you. Need us to act on your behalf? Let us know. We’re here to help.
sont encore des concepts peu familiers. Peu de gens savent que la compréhension des codes techniques de la construction, incluant la plomberie, l’électricité, la mécanique et la structure font tous partie du travail du designer d’intérieur. Il y a encore beaucoup de travail à faire. Et nous ne pouvons le faire sans votre aide. Nous vous encourageons à représenter et à défendre votre profession. Nous demandons votre aide pour parler dans le cadre d’événements, soumettre votre candidature dans des programmes de prix et vos idées aux médias au sujet de vos dernières réalisations. Nous vous encourageons également à nous aider à trouver des nouvelles façons d’informer les membres du public au sujet du design d’intérieur. Nous espérons avoir de vos nouvelles bientôt!
What can IDC do to stand up for interior design? Let us know @idcanadatweets. Que peuvent faire les DIC pour soutenir le design d’intérieur? Faites-le-nous savoir @idcanadatweets.
Vous avez besoin de nous pour agir en votre nom? Faites-le-nous savoir. Nous sommes là pour vous aider.
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Interior Designers Of Canada C536–43 Hanna Avenue, Toronto ON M6K 1X1 t 416.649.4425 tf 877.443.4425 f 416.921.3660 www.idcanada.org
Industry members *Membres de l’industrie
With thanks to our industry members for their continued support of IDC. Avec nos remerciements aux membres de l’industrie pour leur soutien continu aux DIC. IDC/IIDEX Partner Partenaires des DIC/IIDEX Altro Cree Canada Inspire Interface Levey Wallcoverings Philips Teknion IDC National Member Membres nationaux des DIC Caesarstone Canada Hunter Douglas LP. Knoll North America Corp. Shaw Contract Group Steelcase Canada Ltd. StonCor Group Tandus Flooring Williams-Sonoma Inc. Designer Marketplace IDC Regional Member Membres régionaux des DIC 3M Canada - Architectural Markets Ames Tile & Stone Ltd. Cambria Natural Quartz Surfaces Formica Canada Inc. GLOBAL GROUP Haworth Ltd. INSCAPE Kravet Canada Lutron Electronics Canada Inc. Milliken & Company IDC Provincial Member Membres provinciaux des DIC Allseating Allsteel American Standard Brands Arborite, division de/of ITW Canada Beaulieu Commercial Benjamin Moore & Co. Ltd. Ceragres Tile Group Contrast Lighting M.L. Inc Crown Wallpaper & Fabrics Dauphin North America Delta Sierra Construction & Millwork Ltd. Hettich Canada L.P. Joel Berman Glass Studios Julian Ceramic Tile Inc. Kohler Canada Co. LEEZA Distribution Inc. Mabe Canada (GE Monogram) Mapei Inc. MARANT Construction Ltd. Metropolitan Hardwood Floors Inc. Miele Limited Odyssey Wallcoverings Paloform Inc. Partition Components Inc. Robert Custom Upholstery Ltd. Three H. Furniture Systems TORLYS Smart Floors IDC Media Partner Partenaires des médias des DIC Canadian Interiors HOMES Publishing Group
IDC Print Partner Partenaire d’imprimerie des DIC Entire Imaging Solutions Inc. IDC Local Member Membres locaux des DIC 2KGrafx 3form 3G Lighting Inc. Abet Corp. Aeon Stone & Tile Inc. AGA Marvel Alendel Fabrics Limited AMTICO International Inc. Appliance Love Applied Electronics Ltd. Arconas AriaArt Art Works Gallery Astro Design Centre Atlas Carpet Mills Inc. Avant Garde division of Master Fabrics AYA Kitchens and Baths Ltd Banner Carpets Ltd. Beckwith Galleries Bermax Furniture and Design bf workplace BL Innovative Lighting BL Woodworking & Design Blackburn Young Office Solutions Blum Canada Ltd. BoConcept Bradford Decorative Hardware Inc. Bradlee Distributors Inc. BRC Canada Brunswick Manufacturing Co. Ltd. Buckwold Western Ltd. - MB Business Interiors by Staples California Closets Canadel Canlyte Inc. Cantu Bathrooms & Hardware Ltd. Carpenters Union, Local 27 CAS Interiors Inc Cascadia Design Products cd/m2 LIGHTWORKS corp. Century Wood Products Inc. Ceratec Inc. CGC Inc. Chase Office Interiors Inc. Cherrywood Studio Chestnut Grove Cabinetry & Millwork Ciot Click Lighting and Home Coast Wholesale Appliances Cocoon Furnishings Coja by Sofa4life Colin Campbell & Sons Ltd. Colonial Countertops Ltd. Command Performance Exclusive Electronic Solutions Commercial Electronics Ltd. Connect Resource Managers & Planners Inc. Convenience Group Inc. Cooper Bros. International Coopertech Signs and Graphics CPNA Furniture Crate and Barrel Canada Creative Custom FurnishingsJones Upholstery & Guildhall Collections Creative Matters Inc Credible Upholstery CTI Working Environments Cubo Design Inc. Custom Closet Organizers Inc./Hiddenbed Canada Custom Range Hoods Inc. Daltile Canada Dasal Architectural Lighting Decor-Rest Furniture Ltd. Dell Smart Home Solutions Denison Gallery Design Exchange Design Lighting
Design Living Centre Digital Smart Homes Divine Hardwood Flooring Ltd. DOM INTERIORS TORONTO Dominion Rug Sales Ltd. D’or Art Consultants DPI Construction Management Drechsel Business Interiors E. Roko Distributors Ltd. / Formica Emily Quinn Emma Dane Design + Build Ensuite, The Entertaining Interiors Environmental Acoustics Envirotech Office Systems Inc. Erv Parent Group Ethan Allen European Flooring Group Fendi Casa, Canada Fleurco Products FloForm Countertops Floor Coverings International Flux Lighting Inc. Fontile Kitchen and Bath Forbo Linoleum Inc. Gautier Geovin Furniture Inc. Grand & Toy GRANGE Furniture Inc. Greenferd Construction Inc. Gresham House Inc. Grohe Canada Inc. Grosfillex Inc. Hardwoods Specialty Products Hauser Industries Inc. Heritage Office Furnishings Ltd. Heritage Office Furnishings Victoria Ltd. Herman Miller Canada Inc. High Point Market Authority Holmes & Brakel Humanscale IDEE17 Impact Office Furnishings Limited Indigo Books & Music Inc. Info-Link/Enviro-Link Interior Consciousness Interior Surfaces Inc. Interna Furniture Design Ltd. Island Window Coverings Ltd. Isted Technical Sales JCO & Associates Johnsonite Jones Goodridge Keilhauer Kinetic Design Products Ltd. Kobe Interior Products Inc. Korson Furniture Design Kraus/Floors with More Krug La Scala Home Cinema + Integrated Media Leber Rubes Inc. Leonardi Construction Ltd. Leon’s at the Roundhouse Liesch Office Interiors Light Resource LightForm LSI Floors Lumigraf Inc. M.R. Evans Trading Co. Ltd. Mac’s II Agencies Maharam Marble Trend Ltd. Marco Products (W Group) Marilyn Harding Art Martin Knowles Photo/Media Mercury Wood Products Metro Wallcoverings Inc. Miller Thomson LLP Millson Technologies Inc MOEN INC. Momentum Group Monk Office Interiors mpengo Ltd. M-Tec. Inc.
My Greener House Nienkamper Furniture and Accessories Inc. Novanni Stainless Inc. Octopus Products Ltd. Office Shop, The Office Source Inc. OLON Industries Inc. Olympia Tile International Inc. Orion Hardware Corporation Pacific Stone Tile Ltd Para Paints Pentco Industries Inc. PI Fine Art/ Posters International POI Business Interiors Powell & Bonnell Home Inc. Pravada Floors Prima Lighting Prolific Marketing Inc. Pure Wood Studio Inc. Rae Brothers Ltd. Ram Mechanical Marketing - Manitoba Reeves Group Agents Ltd., The Robert Allen Fabrics Canada Rodgers Wall Materials Inc. Roman Bath Centre Salari Fine Carpet Collections Schoolhouse Products Inc. Sherwin Williams Silk and Style By Dann Imports Silverwood Flooring SMARTWaste Canada smitten creative boutique SOFA, Source of Furniture and Accessories Solutions Workplace Furnishings Sound Advice Sound Solutions 1997 Inc. Spacefile International Corp Spacesaver Corp. Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. Stonequest Inc. Streamline Sales & Marketing Inc Stylish Fireplaces by Huntington Lodge Sullivan Source Inc., The SwitzerCultCreative Symmetry Lighting Tappatec Inc. Tasco Distributors Taymor Industries Ltd. The Brick Commercial Design Centre Midnorthern Appliances The Mohawk Group The Pentacon Group The Sliding Door Company Tierra Sol Ceramic Tile TOR The Office Resource Tremont Wood Specialties Inc. Tremton Construction Inc. Tri-Can Contract Inc. Tripped On Light design inc. Tritex Fabrics Ltd. TUBS The Ultimate Bathroom Store Turco-Persian Rug Co. Ltd. Turnkey Lifestyle Technologies Tusch Seating Inc. Twelve O’clock Dream Valley Countertops Industries Ltd. Vandyk Commercial Co. Ltd. Vantage Controls Vesta Marble & Granite Vicwood Industry (Suzhou) Co., Ltd. Vifloor Canada Ltd. W Studio Decorative Carpets Waterflo Kitchen & Bath Gallery Weavers Rug Gallery Westport Mfg. Co. Ltd. White-Wood Distributors Ltd. Wilsonart Canada Window Works Ltd. Worldwide Iozza Your Home Custom A/V Systems *As of Nov. 22, 2012 *À partir du 22 nov. 2012
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