Dq spring 2018

Showcasing BC & Alberta’s architects and interior designers

SPRING 2018 Vol. 18 No.4

PM 40063056

d e s i g n q ua rt e r ly

Crosstown Elementary School David Nicolay, Evoke International | Kitchen & Bath | Flooring | 2018 WoodWORKS! BC AWARDS

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in this issue

06 Features 06 Designer Profile

David Nicolay “lives and breathes architecture” every day and that passion has guided Evoke International Design into one of Vancouver’s leading design firms.

10 Project Profile

Crosstown Elementary is the first urban school to be built in Vancouver in more than a decade. The non-traditional school had to overcome many challenges to meet the needs of the community.

10

18 Kitchen & Bath

▶ Matte Finishes Shine ▶A natomy of a High Impact Small Kitchen

22 Flooring

▶ Bigger is Better ▶ T oday’s Evolving Sustainability ▶

Demands Making Art with the Floor

28 AIBC Awards of Excellence

ON THE COVER: Crosstown Elementary School in downtown Vancouver.

Photo: Michael Elkan

Departments 04 FROM THE EDITOR Spring 2018 | DESIGN QUARTERLY

3

from the editor

High quality

spring 2018 Vol. 18 No.4

www.designquarterly.ca PUBLISHER Dan Gnocato dang@mediaedge.ca Managing Editor Cheryl Mah Graphic Design Tang Creative Inc. CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Stephanie Brown Jason Parachnowitsch Heidi Schumann Bill Wright B.C./ALBERTA SALES Dan Gnocato 604.549.4521 ext. 223

When it comes to food, Vancouver has a thriving culinary reputation with a plethora of choices from critically acclaimed world-class restaurants to small neighbourhood spots. The steady opening of new restaurants, concepts or renovation of existing ones keeps the food scene dynamic and vibrant. Every time I travel (to destinations with sub-par food), I’m reminded of how lucky I am to live and eat in a city with so many high quality offerings.

Over the years, restaurant design in Vancouver has stepped up to match the quality of food. David Nicolay, principal of Evoke International Design, was one of the pioneers in bringing change to restaurant interiors.

Delivering modern forward designs, Evoke has become one of the most sought after firms when it comes to hospitality and residential work. Read more about the firm in our designer profile.

Inside this issue, you will also read about Crosstown Elementary School. At first glance, the school could easily pass as a residential or commercial building. The design breaks the traditional model and sets a benchmark for how to successfully incorporate schools into an urban setting.

The project recently earned Francl Architecture an AIBC Special Jury Award, which is given for exceptional achievement. All the AIBC Architectural Award winners can be found starting on page 28.

We also showcase the winners of the WoodWorks!

BC Wood Design Awards. Excellence in structural and architectural wood design was recognized at the annual event held in February.

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DESIGN QUARTERLY | Spring 2018

The purpose of Design Quarterly is to reflect and represent practitioners and professionals in the architectural, interior design and design resource communities throughout British Columbia and Alberta.

DESIGNER PROFILE

Mason Residence

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DESIGN QUARTERLY | Spring 2018

DESIGNER PROFILE

Forward Thinking

By Cheryl Mah | Photos by Janis Nicolay Photography

W

When it comes to finding

outstanding design talent in Vancouver, you don’t have to look very far. And one design firm that definitely stands out is Evoke International Design.

The award-winning, multidisciplinary studio has developed an impressive list of projects that showcase a high level of design and quality of detail. Incorporating conceptual thinking, interior design and graphic design to create coherent branded environments for clients has fueled the studio’s success for almost two decades.

Today, Evoke has a solid base of clients with a portfolio that is an equal mix of residential and commercial. The Vancouver-based studio is a team of 15 with a one-person office in Toronto.

“We’re a very design forward and very technical studio,” says principal David Nicolay, describing the studio’s design approach as collaborative and interdisciplinary. “With houses, we’re pure modernists. They are highly customized, very modern and minimal in detail with warm materials. We definitely have an

aesthetic that people come to us for in houses.”

The studio is extremely busy and understaffed. Like other professions associated with the building sector, the architectural industry is facing a talent shortage. The challenge to fill the talent gap has unfortunately meant turning down some projects, says Nicolay. “It’s an ongoing challenge. Everyone is busy and good people are hard to find. There is plenty of good work for young designers — a great time to be coming out of school right now.”

When the Vancouver native was going to school, he didn’t always know architecture would be his career path. Growing up, he enjoyed both the arts and science, but it wasn’t until after a couple of years at Simon Fraser University that he realized his true calling. He then moved to Nova Scotia where he completed his Bachelor of Environment Design Studies and Master of Architecture from Dalhousie University.

After graduating in 1993, Nicolay did a short stint in Los Angeles before returning home to start his own

design business, forgoing the traditional formal architecture path.

“I was first and foremost into design and wanted to work on my own,” recalls Nicolay, who as an intern architect with the AIBC quickly became aware of the limitations of what he could and could not do. “But I figured my way through the process and started with custom houses. When necessary, we work with consultants and architects to verify our work.”

While he is a registered interior designer in B.C. and Ontario, Nicolay admits he has been just too busy to “stop and finish the exams” to obtain his architecture license. “I haven’t needed a license and I’m fine with the process of working with others to sign off,” he says.

Along the way, Nicolay met graphic designer Robert Edmonds and after working on projects together (including opening their first restaurant Tangerine in Kitsilano), they merged their two companies in 2000 to create Evoke International Design.

“We grew quickly from different small jobs and custom homes. Our

Spring 2018 | DESIGN QUARTERLY

7

DESIGNER PROFILE

DHX Media

8

DESIGN QUARTERLY | Spring 2018

first big job was with the Glowbal Group — we did all the original restaurants for them — Glowbal in Yaletown, Coast and Sanafir,” says Nicolay.

Hospitality work was a key focus in the early days and that led Evoke to develop sophisticated and modern forward interiors not only for Glowbal, but for a number of local neighbourhood restaurants like Union Bar, Cascade Room and El Camino’s — three restaurants that Nicolay and Edmonds (brothers-in-law) also co-own along with a craft brewery.

“We were one of the very few firms who wanted to be design focused and try to bring something different to restaurant design that wasn’t happening here,” says Nicolay. “Now there are so many great design studios doing cool restaurants.”

Over the years, Nicolay has been the lead designer for many different projects at various scales. He remains very hands on with most of his time currently devoted to residential work.

“We have a lot of designers taking care of the commercial work but on houses, there are only three of us. At any given time, we have four to five house projects going.”

One ongoing residential project which Nicolay calls a “career highlight” is a 20,000-square-foot house in Whistler in collaboration with Brazilian Studio MK27. Other current projects include new locations for Heirloom Restaurant, a chain of cannabis stores, redesign of Nando’s Canada restaurants and a new student union lounge facility at Douglas College.

“The vast majority of our projects are located in the Lower Mainland.

Nationally we have Nando’s, Noodlebox and now the cannabis stores,” says Nicolay, adding a typology that he would love to do is hotels.

While challenges vary on each project, Nicolay says they usually involve building codes and/or permits. For example, the roll out of their client’s cannabis stores, with the first one under construction in Vancouver, has encountered conflicting provincial and city regulations.

“The province insists that you can’t see the product from the street, whereas the city insists that you don’t screen the windows — wants you to be able to see in,” he says. “It can be pretty intense with what we have to do day-to-day to meet codes and regulations.”

The studio’s largest project to date is the 75,000-square-foot animation studios for DHX Media, a global producer of award-winning children’s animation and live action content.

The design concept uses a RGB (red, green, blue) colour scheme as homage to one of the principals in 2D animation, resulting in playful and energetic spaces.

“It was a really successful project on a very lean budget. And when you do a big project like that, it opens doors to more big projects and now larger companies are looking at us,” says Nicolay, whose studio also did the Canadian head offices for Pixar Studios.

DHX Media was one of three projects that earned Awards of Merit at the 2017 IDIBC Awards of Excellence, a prestigious awards program that showcases the talents and innovations of B.C.’s registered interior designers. The other two winning projects were Fable Diner and Mason Residence.

“It was really nice to be recognized in that way. I’m a big supporter of professional boards and seeing how IDIBC is growing and how everyone is doing great work is a positive for the whole design community,” he says.

As for the future of design in Vancouver, Nicolay is excited about the number of significant projects by major international architects — Bjarke Ingels, Kengo Kuma, Herzog & de Meuron — coming to the city.

“While we do have amazing architects and designers locally, it’s pretty exciting to see these big international groups coming here — some amazing work happening with major international architects. I think it raises the bar and inspires the local design community,” he says.

While retirement is still far off for the 50-year-old, Nicolay says his thoughts are turning to succession planning to ensure the longevity of the studio. “We will need to start looking at naming associates and potential partners to make sure the company carries on.” DQ

PROJECT PROFILE

Non-traditional

School Approach

By Cheryl Mah | Photos by Michael Elkan

W

When it comes to delivering public schools, architects

are often challenged to achieve quality architecture and diverse program requirements with restricted budgets.

Those challenges were magnified and more with the new Crosstown Elementary School which was squeezed onto a “postage stamp size site” in downtown Vancouver.

The 47,000-square-foot school had to be integrated into an existing 30-storey residential tower over a two-storey below-grade parkade. It also shares a public park and is connected to an existing daycare.

Despite a complex site, Francl Architecture was able to deliver a modern and highly functional school that provides a 21st century learning environment for students while blending seamlessly into the urban landscape.

“This was probably the most complicated project I’ve worked on so far,” says Alvin Martin, associate and project lead at Francl Architecture.

Located on Expo Boulevard and across from Rogers Arena, the school was part of an original development plan which saw the residential project completed in 2006 and then a daycare added. It was not until 2013 when Francl Architecture was commissioned to design the school, when the need for one had greatly increased in the downtown area. This led to the demand for a 510 student school — much larger in size than originally intended.

“We were left with a site which was an existing surface parking lot over top of the existing parkade for the residential buildings,” says Martin, adding they were not allowed to modify the layout of the below-grade parkade and it remained fully operational throughout construction.

The first of many logistical challenges was the need to undertake a full structural and seismic upgrading of the existing parkade to ensure it could support the new structure.

“By the time we started to build the school, we were three seismic codes and several structural codes from the original so it was a major structural challenge to fit everything down there to support the school,” says Martin, noting the upgrade itself took eight months of construction.

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DESIGN QUARTERLY | Spring 2018

PROJECT PROFILE

Spring 2018 | DESIGN QUARTERLY

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PROJECT PROFILE

Colour is used for staircases to accentuate circulation.

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DESIGN QUARTERLY | Spring 2018

The upgrade to support the new four-storey steel structure above required the addition and thickening of columns, footings and slab bands.

More than 1,500 holes had to be drilled in the ground floor slab alone to place new reinforcing rebar to tie new into existing.

Adding to the challenge, the columns had to fit within the existing parking spaces without affecting the number or size of any spaces, according to Martin.

Fitting the program into the trapezoidal shaped site required innovative design solutions. The unique building form and massing are direct responses to the existing conditions, program elements and city requirements.

The school features 22 classrooms, a full-sized gymnasium, multi-purpose spaces and landscaped outdoor learning spaces on the third and fourth floor roof decks. Levels 3 and 4 had to be stepped back from the residential tower by 15 and 11 metres

respectively to preserve sun angles and views to the park from the units. This stepped massing extends out towards Andy Livingstone Park, creating a three-storey box above an open, transparent ground floor.

The building has also been carefully designed to incorporate and encourage community use by clustering public spaces on the ground floor. Large glazed walls enclose most of this level, which includes the gymnasium, multipurpose spaces and a servery, creating a strong visual connection to the street.

The city also funded a second multipurpose space to facilitate a before and after school care program, which was squeezed in below and adjacent to the existing daycare.

Opening the multipurpose spaces onto the park creates a relationship with the playground and extends the school’s program into the public realm, explains Martin.

“We also had to overhang the park with the classrooms — about five

metres over top of that park to fit the whole program on the site without going up another floor,” he says, but an existing covenant on the park did not allow this, requiring an application to the B.C. Supreme Court to have it revised.

The school district and city also had to form an agreement to update and allow school use of the playground within the park since there was no traditional playing field available.

“The main school entrance is off the park, instead of busy Expo Boulevard, and that contravenes typical city standards for design so we had to get special approval for that too,” notes Martin.

To blend into the urban fabric, the exterior is a bright white and charcoal grey with extensive metal alucobond cladding. The south facade, along Expo Boulevard, features reading nooks that “pop out in blocks of colour” from the classrooms. The

PROJECT PROFILE

The coloured panels and sunshades attract attention and enhance the learning environment.

proportions, scale and colours of the nooks are varied, giving a dynamic expression along the street. On the building’s east facade, there are two distinct frames (one white, one grey) that identify the main entrance to the school.

The use of colour was important, notes Martin, to add a playful element and to contrast with the lack of colour used on the surrounding towers and the often grey, rainy weather in the city. The coloured panels and sunshades attract attention and enhance the learning environment.

“We took the colour inside as well,” he continues. “The walls are white but we put different coloured flooring throughout — for example, circulation is one colour and classrooms are another. We used yellow for the staircases to accentuate circulation, especially on the underside of the central stair way.”

An open central stair way is used to link the ground floor through to the fourth floor with full height glazing that provides the necessary 14

DESIGN QUARTERLY | Spring 2018

daylighting into the centre of the building and beyond.

“We kept that stair open through the four storeys so that we wouldn’t separate or isolate any level from the rest of the school,” says Martin.

“But building code only allows two storeys of interconnected space. We addressed this by employing a smoke curtain that drops down at the third and fourth floors.”

The unique smoke curtain is one of only two in Canada. The first installation was at Telus Garden, also in Vancouver. In case of a fire, the smoke curtain drops and isolates the atrium from the stairwell that runs up the building. “What that does is stop the smoke from the bottom two floors from coming up and filling the top floors, allowing everyone to exit the building safety,” explains Martin, noting the central staircase is not an exit stair.

The main hub of the school is located on the second floor which includes the kindergarten pod and library. The library departs from traditional design by being completely

open with no walls or security system in place, creating a more “inviting space”. Classrooms are clustered around common learning spaces and multipurpose rooms, modeled on 21st century learning principles.

ITC Construction Group completed the 20-month project on time and within budget, achieving substantial completion in February 2017. The school officially opened in September 2017.

“This is definitely not your stereotypical school. It’s the first urban school built in Vancouver in over a decade,” says Martin. “Crosstown sets a model for how the school district, city and developers will have to work together to build future schools in the downtown core.”

Collaboration between the many stakeholders was critical to the success of this project. “We knew it wouldn’t be easy from the start. But in the end it made it very satisfying and I’m happy and I think everyone is happy with the final product too.

The teachers are embracing it and the kids sure love it,” he says. DQ

Collaborative classrooms deliver 21st century learning principles.

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Awards evening held on Monday, February 26, 2018 • Vancouver Convention Centre

in

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BC

2018 Wood WORKS! BC Wood Design Award winners sig n awa r

ds

Residential Wood Design

Multi-Unit Residential Wood Design

Environmental Performance

D’Arcy Jones, D’Arcy Jones Architecture Vancouver Okada Marshall House, East Sooke

Adera Development Corporation Vancouver Prodigy, Vancouver

Cornerstone Architecture Vancouver The Heights, Vancouver

HDR | CEI Architecture Associates, Inc. Vancouver

Prefabricated Structural Wood

Western Red Cedar

Wood Innovation

International

StructureCraft Builders Inc., Abbotsford Abbotsford Industrial Shop and Office Abbotsford

Larry Adams, NSDA Architects, Vancouver GoodLife Fitness Family Autism Hub (The Hub), Richmond

Acton Ostry Architects Inc., Vancouver Brock Commons - Tallwood House Vancouver

Event Sponsors

Trophy Sponsor

And BC member associations Proud to be a part of

Jury Sponsor

Sponsors

Commercial

Jinjiang Zhou, Suzhou Crownhomes Co., Ltd. Suzhou, China

14 years of Wood Design Awards in BC

were celebrated by 450 distinguished design and building professionals, including architects, engineers, project teams, local governments, industry sponsors and guests. The annual awards evening recognizes leadership and innovation in wood use and publicly salutes continued excellence in wood building and design. There were 100 nominations in 14 categories from all over BC as well as international and national nominees.

Wood WORKS! is a national industry-led program of the Canadian Wood Council, with a goal to support innovation and provide leadership on the use of wood products and systems. Wood WORKS! BC provides education, training and technical expertise to building and design professionals throughout BC.

Wood Design

Interior Beauty Design

Jury’s Choice

Technologist Award

Bill Downing, Penticton Structurlam Products Ltd., Penticton

Karla Fraser, Vancouver Urban One Builders, Vancouver

Institutional Wood Design: Small Institutional Wood Design: Large

Okanagan College, Kelowna Trades Renewal and Expansion Project Okanagan College, Kelowna

Penticton Lakeside Resort - West Wing Penticton

Cornerstone Architecture Vancouver Crofton House School Dining Hall, Vancouver

Kimberly Johnston, Johnston Davidson Architecture + Planning Inc., Vancouver Logan Lake Fire Hall, District of Logan Lake

(Architect: Diamond Schmitt Architects, Toronto/ Vancouver in assoc. with David Nairne + Associates)

Wood Design

Engineer

Architect

Wood Champion

Timber Structure Acton Ostry Architects Inc. Fast + Epp and GHL Consultants Ltd. Enterprise Pavilion in Shelley Craig, Urban Arts Architecture, VancouverBC Vancouver Jiangsu Horticultural Vancouver, Expo, Suzhou City Brock Commons Student - Tallwood House,Vancouver, VancouverBC Brock Commons - Tallwood House, Vancouver UBC Engineering Centre,

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Kevin Mahon Adera Development Corporation, Vancouver

@WoodWORKSBC_CWC

kitchen + bath

Matte finishes shine Modern interiors are embracing the warmth and versatility of matte finishes.

By Stephanie Brown | Photos by Ema Peter

“All that glitters� is no longer the gold standard in design. As we continue to see modern interiors influenced by Scandinavianstyle, a noticeable shift away from polished surfaces and fixtures has dominated design trends. Designers and clients alike are embracing the texture, warmth, and functionality of matte finishes.

FLOORING The movement toward matte is perhaps most apparent in flooring choices.

Low-sheen hardwood dominates the marketplace, and manufacturers have responded to the maintenance and durability issues of oiled flooring with new technology in polyurethane finishes. A raw, natural aesthetic is now achievable with a maintenance-free finish, offering long-term protection against stains and scratches.

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DESIGN QUARTERLY | Spring 2018

kitchen + bath

Similarly, tile and stone flooring are experiencing a resurgence. The aesthetic qualities of honed natural stone, whether in large format or geometric mosaics, haves becoming a trademark feature in modern luxury interiors. Where matte natural stone may fall short in terms of durability, affordability and sustainability, porcelain tile has responded. Vast improvements in realistic-looking stone patterns, paired with maintenancefree matte finishes have elevated the desirability of porcelain flooring.

SURFACES From everyday functional surfaces to specialty installations, the use and availability of matte finishes continue to grow. Polished finishes have long been the predominant option in countertops, however honed and matte finishes are growing in popularity and availability. Honed granite and concrete are no longer the sole option for matte durability. Quartz manufacturers have responded to the matte trend by introducing lowsheen slabs in desirably modern tones such as white, grey and simulated marble.

Vertical surfaces can be enhanced by a growing range of matte materials. The raw, industrial aesthetic of ship-lap concrete can be recreated via board-form concrete tile, making for a much more feasible fireplace facing or accent wall. For bathrooms and kitchens, matte wall tiles have gone beyond basic rectangular porcelain formats and now feature interesting geometric patterns or three-dimensional surfaces. Such tiles may be precision crafted or feature a more hand-made quality with ridges, ribbing, or sculpted geometric patterns, adding texture and depth to otherwise sleek and minimal spaces.

FIXTURES Often regarded as the “jewelry” of interior design, lighting, plumbing fixtures and hardware have become a more understated feature in modern spaces. While years past saw a trend in brushed-gold fixtures and hardware, it’s fair to say black is the current metal finish of choice. Once designated for rustic or traditional spaces, matte black plumbing fixtures are now available in sleek, modern silhouettes, making them suitable for the modern interiors. Alternately, for a more minimal and airy aesthetic, matte white plumbing fixtures are a growing trend, offering tonal simplicity and pure functionality in a sleek modern form.

Light fixtures are typically synonymous with glitz and sparkle.

Designers of modern spaces have often struggled with the balance of adding decorative light fixtures for interest and function, without detracting from an otherwise clean and minimal interior. The shift to matte finishes is seen in parallel with a move towards extremely minimal light fixture design. Perhaps thanks to the new abundance in suitable LED options, modern “decorative”

fixtures have become anything but.

Simple elongated tubes or bars in matte white or black become solitary, airy statements above kitchen islands or workspaces. Cylindrical ceilingmount can lights (again, matte white or black) become stylish alternates for recessed fixtures. And even in the realm of overtly decorative fixtures such as chandeliers and wall sconces, the focus is on simple geometric forms and subtle, matte finishes.

FURNISHINGS As modern interiors embrace quieter palettes, the elements of form, texture, and tonal contrast play a fundamental role in furniture and textile selections.

Case goods, tables and accent pieces are offered in a multitude of matte finishes. Matte wood finishes range from raw and natural, to cerused finishes with pigmented grain or rich, dark charcoal and ebony stains. Metal accents such as furniture legs, bases and frames formerly provided that “hint of bling” in polished chrome.

These elements are now more architectural, often in matte black, white or even a subtle accent colour in a powder-coated finish.

Thoughtful selection of upholstery and textiles adds warmth and texture to modern interiors, without detracting from the architecture.

• Natural fibres are an ideal solution; their pure and unblended form is innately matte.

• Wool and cotton-velvet are an excellent choice for upholstery, providing consistent texture and colouring which highlights the clean forms of modern furniture beautifully.

• The woven texture of linen adds depth and interest paired against clean forms and smoother surfaces and works well for both upholstery and window coverings.

• Modern area rugs also depict a shift to more natural, matte finishes.

• Wool rugs being the most popular and versatile, ranging from chunky woven textures to smooth cut-pile, provide warmth, durability and an environmentally friendly, sustainable choice. DQ Stephanie Brown, BAID, RID, is principal interior designer of Stephanie Brown Inc., a residential design firm in Vancouver.

Spring 2018 | DESIGN QUARTERLY

19

kitchen + bath

Anatomy of a High Impact Small Kitchen

By Heidi Schumann

A small kitchen design that meets the client’s bold taste.

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DESIGN QUARTERLY | Spring 2018

Inspiration

comes

from

many different sources, and for this small condo kitchen, the inspiration started with a closet full of paisley shirts, in every imaginable colour. As part of the first meeting to discuss the renovation of a 1,000 sq. ft condo, the client went to his closet and opened up the doors to reveal approximately 40 colourful paisley shirts. It signalled an opportunity to introduce some bold colours that clearly the client loved, while at the same time ensuring that these high impact colours did not overwhelm the space. Also with a smaller space, it is important to be very mindful of form and function.

We discussed the critical points, as well as the wish list and even

though the kitchen did not take up a lot of real estate within the condo, it was the place where people gather to socialize and therefore it needed to be one of the focal points of the design. The homeowner loved to cook and entertain and the kitchen in its current configuration was closed off into a small 8 x 8 foot space. Opening up the kitchen space was therefore a priority and as a result of this change in plan, the kitchen would now be a more dominant component of the overall space, and it would need to have a huge wow factor.

Creating High Impact To maximize the use of space we decided to steal one wall of the

adjacent eating area and move some of the appliances into that space.

Instead of the traditional fridge/ freezer combo we incorporated a freestanding 24 inch Miele fridge with the 24 inch Miele freezer and created a snack zone/beverage zone area between the two with a microwave drawer. This area outside of the kitchen now housed the coffee maker, blender and other small appliances and allowed there to be a second prep area and snack zone. •S tainless steel tile or glass on a backsplash visually expands a space as the light bounces off it, creating a seamless look that blends in with the appliances.

kitchen + bath

dropped down from the underside of the upper cabinets frees up the backsplash from the visual clutter of plugs and switches. Check out Hafele or LeGrande for some of these exciting new options.

• Cladding the walls that separated the kitchen from the living area visually enlarged the space. Using the same cabinet material for the walls made the kitchen feel more integrated into the rest of the home. This can also be achieved with the beautiful large format tiles on the market now.

• Don’t neglect the foyer, this is the first introduction to the condo and interesting details can make for a wonderful first impression.

Tile inlay that looks like a carpet in the hardwood floors allow for surface interest without breaking up the space into multiple flooring surfaces. Opening up the walls

with art niches and lighting creates a beautiful ambiance and personalizes the space.

• Adding open shelves above the cabinets in the hard to reach places creates room for artwork and treasured display pieces. Lighting these open shelving units creates the option of additional mood lighting at night.

• There are now LED light panels that can be installed under countertops that will create a soft glow through any of the lighter quartz or onyx stone tops.

• Pop up electrical plugs either installed in the countertop or

•U se of sliding barn doors instead of traditional closet doors gives the walls more visual interest and supports the trend of biophilic design. Clients are looking for materials that speak to an inherent need for nature and natural products in our homes.

This kitchen shows there is no need to be entrapped in the belief that light colours expands a space, as sometimes this just limits us to a small colour palette, with little visual impact. Small kitchens force us to critically review each material chosen for both the function and the form. DQ Heidi Schumann is a kitchen and bath designer for Mid Island Cabinets on Vancouver Island. This kitchen was selected as the second place finalist in the BC National Kitchen and Bath Association Small Kitchen category.

Spring 2018 | DESIGN QUARTERLY

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flooring

Bigger is Better Larger tiles need more stringent installation requirements

By Bill Wright

The designer trend towards tiles and stone that are larger and have fewer grout joints continues in 2018.

Many new sizes such as 60x60cm, 75x75cm, 90x90cm, 120x120cm and larger in both natural stone and porcelain tiles have become popular. Along with these new panel formats, the more stringent requirements for substrate flatness, anti-fracture membranes, proper setting material systems and expansion joints layout must be followed. Experienced installers and installation tools have also become more specialized and are vitally important for a successful, attractive installation.

The preparation of the substrates is a key factor in the overall successful outcome. Both floors and walls must 22

DESIGN QUARTERLY | Spring 2018

be flat to 2mm across 3049mm at the maximum. These strict criteria are necessary to avoid any lippage between the tiles. Lippage is a dangerous trip hazard on a floor and must be avoided.

INSTALLATION In new construction for floors over concrete, where possible specify to allow for a depressed slab of 2-3 inches.

The tile or stone is then installed into a mortar bed (a mix of sand, cement and a binder) over a 6mm poly slip sheet.

This installation method is more than 2,000 years old and allows for plenty of room to adjust for any unevenness in the subfloor and achieve a beautiful flat outcome without any trip hazards.

With an average cost of about $1$2.00 /sqft labour and materials it is a very economical solution.

For retro fit installations several options are available. Self levers are often used as option. Many allow for build ups from a feathered edge to 12mm thick. These options may be used over old adhesive residue, existing tile and other difficult substrates (consult your mortar systems supplier).

The average cost ranges to about $3.00/sqft labour and materials.

For both new and retro fit installations both bonded and unbonded anti-fracture membranes are available. These membranes allow for independent movement between the tile and substrate. The unbonded

flooring

version simply floats atop the exiting flat subfloor and the tile is bonded directly to the membrane mat. This system has the benefit of being laid out over substrates that are difficult to otherwise tile over such as old vinyl and linoleum floors, old painted or treated concrete. With often little or no floor prep, these systems save time and time is money. The bonded option is installed on to the subfloor with either a mortar or a special adhesive on the level or leveled substrate.

Walls must be equally flat to the same tolerance as floors with the added criteria of being sturdy enough to support the weight of the massive slabs. It will be likely that both existing and new walls will have to be parged flat to meet flatness requirement. Cement board or similar CBU have a better stiffness and are preferred for these large panels.

MORTAR New technology in mortars has advanced along with the growing tile sizes. Many manufacturers have developed systems to support these heavier tiles. Installers require increased working time to comb the mortar over the substrate and back butter the tile.

Also, increased non-sag capabilities are important factors when installing walls and floors. Often the tile suppliers will have recommendations for the proper installation products and systems to follow. Your supplier partners want you to be successful so follow their guidance. Keep in mind that these are new, very large panels to install and many installers have never seen a 75x75cm or 90x90cm tile before, whereas the tile suppliers consult clients and specifiers daily on their use and installation product requirements.

JOINTS Plan to have perimeter joints and expansion joints as required by the industry guidelines in TTMAC detail 310MJ. The recommended spacing and sizes for expansion joints and control joints are as follows: • for interior tile applications: the control joints must be spaced at intervals of 4800 mm to 6100 mm in each direction. The minimum joint width is 6 mm wide. In areas exposed to moisture or direct sunlight the spacing placement reduced to 2400 mm to 3700 mm apart in each direction. The minimum joint width is 6 mm wide. For above-grade concrete slab substrates again the placement is 2400 mm to 3700 mm apart in each direction. With a minimum width of 6 mm wide.

• for Exterior tile applications: due to high temperature fluctuations, use a minimum 10 mm wide control joint spaced at intervals from 2440 mm to 3600 mm apart in each direction. In areas of extreme temperature variations (over 40ºC) between summer highs and winter the joint width shall be a minimum of 13 mm.

These large panel sizes will require new handling tools. Suction cups or an aluminium handing frame for moving these pieces are a must. Large portable light weight tile cutters and tile water saws are now available for the installers.

When all the pieces are properly in place, the finished installations are beautiful and long lasting. DQ

New technology in mortars has advanced along with the growing tile sizes.

Bill Wright is training and education, technical services manager at Stone Tile International.

Spring 2018 | DESIGN QUARTERLY

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flooring

Today’s Evolving Sustainability Demands Transparency and certification inspiring flooring products

By Jason Parachnowitsch

Sustainability in the floor-

The Lichen Collection 24

DESIGN QUARTERLY | Spring 2018

ing industry continues to evolve with the growth of a younger, digitalfocused, and more savvy generation of specifiers. With millennials more likely to have sustainability and corporate social responsibility at the forefront of decision-making processes, the game has changed.

Though design is still very important, younger customers are often more concerned with sustainable and social business practices than their predecessors. Flooring companies are responding by developing more sustainably sourced products and focusing more on transparency in product composition, manufacturing processes and sustainability efforts.

In modern-day contract design, sustainability is rarely an afterthought. It’s now seen in some form or fashion as essential and fully integrated into most of the commercial spaces being created today. Even on projects that are not completing some kind of certification, specifiers are using the standards in their projects. Market segments, from healthcare to hospitality to education, recognize the need to design for a more sustainability savvy end user and manufacturers and suppliers are stepping up. Additionally, the design community is placing a larger emphasis on designing spaces that check all the boxes for an environment that promotes the health and wellbeing of all who interact with the space. Flooring is one way that some of these concerns and opportunities can be addressed.

flooring

More Sustainable Products Product transparency drives the approach to manufacturing and design in the flooring industry and has inspired companies to look more introspectively at its flooring products and their ingredients.

Mohawk’s product portfolio is among the largest of Red List-free flooring products across soft and hard surfaces, free of harmful chemicals of concern. At the forefront of this product trend is the first of its kind, The Lichen collection. Lichen is a modular plank carpet tile that became the first flooring product to receive Living Product Challenge Petal Certification from the International Living Future Institute (ILFI).

The product certification program, advocacy tool and philosophy define the most advanced measure of sustainability in product manufacturing today. Lichen marries beauty in biophilic design with sustainability as a product that is on track to give more resources back to the environment than it uses during its entire life cycle.

The Importance of Certification and Transparency To meet the demands of environmentally conscious and digitally connected customers, some companies are pursuing rigorous green building certifications while also manufacturing products that help customers meet many of the same designations. There is a broad range of products to meet the compliance pathways for Living Building Challenge, LEED and the WELL Building Standard. Also, products are complying with the requirements of CRI Green Label Plus for carpet and FloorScore for hard surface offerings.

A wide variety of third-party product certification programs now in existence today offers customers a complete disclosure of ingredients and chemicals using tools like Declare labels, similar to “nutrition labels” for building materials. Health Product

Declarations (HPDs) provide a full scope of the human health impacts on an ingredient-by-ingredient basis.

Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), on the other hand, provide a product’s environmental impacts using life cycle analysis.

The beauty of these product transparency initiatives is how simple and straightforward they are and in how the information really helps guide decision-making processes.

The flooring industry is committed to transparency, accountability and doing better together.

There is a broad range of products to meet the compliance pathways for Living Building Challenge, LEED and the WELL Building Standard.

A Change in Defining Sustainability Some companies have moved away from the exclusive definition of sustainability in the traditional sense of “recycle, reduce, reuse” to look at how they engage with employees and their communities at large — a more holistic strategy around corporate social responsibility.

Customers are paying more attention to flooring company policies and commitments that extend beyond environmental impact. Specifiers have access to more information than ever before that paints a clearer picture of what the company stands for and how their values might align with those of potential customers. Additionally, these specifiers want to know how the products they select will directly and indirectly impact those in the space.

Sustainability in flooring will continue to change with the times to reflect industry-wide movements and current events. Flooring manufacturers and distributors must lean on research and their relationships with the architecture and design community to meet these changing needs. One thing remains true — regardless of how it manifests in the built environment, sustainability is here to stay. DQ Jason Parachnowitsch is strategic account manager — Western Canada at Mohawk Group. Mohawk is a leading producer and distributor of quality commercial flooring.

Spring 2018 | DESIGN QUARTERLY

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flooring

Making Art with the Floor Inside the mind of a product designer

How does a carpet go from initial inspiration to actual product on the floor?

Unsurprisingly, it’s a very technical process. Like a finely tuned machine, Interface global product designer Kari Pei and her team take in a lot of information and translate it into beautiful flooring. But it’s not as easy as it looks.

Step One: Inspiration “Everybody thinks that inspiration comes out of the blue.”

Pei has been designing products for years, and even as she rounds out three years at Interface, she’s still learning. From the company, her colleagues, and her customers. She stresses, “You have to know your customers. You have to be with them face-to-face, designer-to-designer, asking them: What influences your decision making?”

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flooring

Understanding the needs of people actually using the product is key. It means talking to them and getting their feedback. It means understanding their day-to-day realities and how they use their spaces and what issues they have.

Really, it’s not just about aesthetics — it’s about creating a space that has multiple functions.

“Problem solving is sort of inspiration. You really don’t want to put something out there that’s not a solution for our customers. You don’t want to give them something they don’t use.”

And even though her approach seems very scientific, Pei is still very much an artist.

“I used to create my own art, but this is my art now. When I look at almost everything, I’m thinking, ‘How would you convey that beauty into product?’”

Step Two: Design “My view is that the product should sell itself. It has to be unique. It has to justify its reason for being.”

Pei always starts with the big picture when it comes to design. She gathers her team first, and they look at overall design trends, draw ideas from fine art, and talk through the problem together.

One thing Pei always keeps in mind is the company’s sustainability mission. “(Interface) is definitely a leader in sustainability, without a doubt. It’s a leader in providing beautiful options for sustainable customers.”

Does this mandate limit her creative process at all? She doesn’t seem to think so, given her experience creating beautiful and sustainable products. “That’s what so cool, you know, is when you take a stand and you get the industry to move.

So coming to Interface was like the culmination of my whole career.”

Throughout the process, she treats Interface as her customer, asking “what the problems are, how does this relate to our brand?” She adds that the product design team spends a lot of time iterating, “so when we present (the product or collection) to the business, we have a really well-defined idea that they can either pull apart or take it as is, or they can walk away from it.”

Step Three: Visualizing the Product This is when Pei really leans on her trusted team. She creates all of her art in Photoshop, which then gets moved into another software where the designers create the patterns that become product samples.

Sometimes, Pei will create posters of her artwork. These vibrant pieces hang on the walls of The Hive (the office where her product team works),

mixed in with stacks of carpet, yarn samples, and art books — a world full of color that keeps the energy flowing and her team motivated. It’s important to her that “everyone has a voice, and everyone can create an idea. How we execute that idea depends on how it fits into the bigger picture.”

Clearly, product design is not solitary work. And while she has a strong team of designers and artists around her, the final product always has a clear touch of Kari Pei to it.

However, she eschews the idea of a signature style and focuses instead on continuous themes within her work: “I think you can see my thumbprint on things, and I think that’s the imperfect. I really want to keep a sense of craft in the making of products — that’s what keeps it connected to the human. That’s what connects us all.

That’s what makes it unique.” DQ Spring 2018 | DESIGN QUARTERLY

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AIBC

2018 AIBC Architectural Awards Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia Award in Architecture – Medal Okada Marshall House

D’Arcy Jones Architecture Inc.

Photo credit: Sama Jim Canzian

Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia Award in Architecture — Medal UBC Aquatic Centre

MacLennan Jaunkalns Miller Architects Ltd. and Acton Ostry Architects Inc.

Photo credit: Ema Peter

Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia Awards in Architecture – Medal Columbia Valley Centre

SHAPE ARCHITECTURE INC. IN JOINT VENTURE WITH HINDLE ARCHITECTS. Photo credit: Ema Peter

Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia Awards in Architecture – Merit Langara College Scinece and Technology Building

Proscenium Architecture and Interiors Inc. in association with Teeple Architects Inc.

Photo credit: Andrew Latreille

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AIBC

Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia Awards in Architecture – Merit UBC Campus Energy Centre

Dialog BC Architecture Engineering Interior Design Planning Inc.

Photo credit: Ema Peter

Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia Awards in Architecture – Merit South Surrey Operations Centre

Carscadden Stokes McDonald Architects Inc. Photo credit: Mike MacDonald

AIBC Emerging Firm Award Leckie Studio Architecture + Design Inc.

Photo credit: Plus Visual

AIBC Innovation Award Sechelt Water Resource Centre

WMW Public: Architecture + Communication Inc. Photo credit: Martin Tessler

Spring 2018 | DESIGN QUARTERLY

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AIBC

AIBC Innovation Award Brock Commons Tallwood House

Acton Ostry Architects Inc.

Photo credit: Michael Elkan

Special Jury Award The Dock Building

Michael Green Architecture

Photo credit: Ema Peter

AIBC Innovation Award UBC Quantum Matter Institute

WMW Public: Architecture + Communication Inc.

Photo credit: Martin Tessler

Special Jury Award Crosstown Elementary School (see project profile in this issue)

Francl Architecture Inc.

Photo credit: Michael Elkan

Special Jury Award Swallowfield Barn

Asher deGroot Architect Inc. (now Motiv Architects Inc) Photo credit: Ema Peter

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DESIGN QUARTERLY | Spring 2018

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