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12/11 canadian architect 5

cOVer RendeRing of the Remai aRt galleRy of SaSkatchewan by kuwabaRa Payne mckenna blumbeRg aRchitectS in aSSo-ciation with Smith caRteR aRchitectS and engineeRS.The NaTioNal Review of DesigN aND PRacTice/

The JouRNal of RecoRD of The Raic

decembeR 2011, v.56 n.12

cOntents

18 b+h bunting coady aRchi-tectS inc.

20 kuwabaRa Payne mckenna blumbeRg aRchitectS in aSSocia-tion with Smith caRteR aRchi-tectS and engineeRS

26 ZeidleR PaRtneRShiP aRchitectS in joint ventuRe with Snøhetta

28 williamSon chong aRchi-tectS

34 mcfaRland maRceau aRchi-tectS ltd.

35 gh3 aRchitectS and land-ScaPe aRchitectS, kaSian aRchi-tectS inteRioR deSign and Plan-ning ltd.

38 john dueRkSen, univeRSity of manitoba

39 PRithula PRoSun, univeRSity of wateRloo

9 awards Of excellence thiS yeaR’S Selected PRojectS diStinguiSh themSelveS

thRough unique and accomPliShed ReSPonSeS to bRoadeR notionS of ecology and aRchitectuRe.

12 the winners PRofileS of the 2011 awaRd ReciPientS.

42 list Of entrants

22 Patkau aRchitectS inc. in joint ventuRe with keaRnS man-cini aRchitectS inc.

24 gh3 aRchitectS and land-ScaPe aRchitectS, R.v. andeRSon aSSociateS limited

30 SaucieR + PeRRotte aRchitecteS in joint ventuRe with hugheS condon maRleR aRchitectS

32 mackay-lyonS SweetaPPle aRchitectS limited

36 5468796 aRchitectuRe inc.

37 maRc blouin, aRchitecte

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viEwpoint

6 cAnAdiAn­ArchitEct 12/11

Ian ChodIkoff ichodikoff@cAnAdiAnArchitEct.coM

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AbovE two attawaPIskat teenaGers seek refuGe InsIde aPPaLLInGLy substandard housInG CoMPrIsed of PLywood and PLastIC sheetInG.

council claims that the government has audited and accepted the veracity of their finances over the past several years.

Waking up Canadians to what is occurring within our borders, the crisis has been attracting donations to the Red Cross and to non-profits like Habitat for Humanity’s Aboriginal Housing Program to help the people of Attawapiskat. Since 2007, Habitat for Humanity has been successful in building 35 homes for Aboriginals across Canada—both on and off reserve. Ottawa-based True North Aid is another charity which has been helping Aboriginal communities. One of their teams recently delivered a truckload of warm clothing and supplies to Attawapiskat. Such gen-erosity is appreciated, but it is not sustainable and only extends the short-lived media circus that is producing newsworthy stories during this gift-giving holiday season.

Possible solutions do exist. The Victor Mine, one of the world’s richest diamond mines, is situated 90 kilometres west of Attawapiskat—and on Cree land. Mining royalties from here flow directly to the provincial government, not to the Cree First Nation community of Attawapiskat. While De Beers Canada—the owners of the Victor Mine—have donated heated trailers to the Attawapiskat community as a temporary response to the housing crisis, greater partnerships must be established with this and other resource-based industries to build the local economy and improve residents’ health and prosperity. Shouldn’t the government help improve Attawa-piskat’s long-term financial state by providing it with revenue-sharing opportunities derived from resource-based royalties? Couldn’t those living in Attawapiskat be given a chance to work as skilled labourers in the mines? These are but two examples that provide the local Cree population with greater incentives to sustain and develop their communities, offering a preferred alterna-tive for Attawapiskat than to continue receiving demeaning financial handouts monitored by bureaucrats and accountants thousands of kilo-metres away.

From an urban-planning perspective, Attawa-piskat barely qualifies as a viable community in its current form. From a humanitarian and cultural perspective, we cannot tolerate such deplorable living conditions in any community in this country. Canada has an obligation to pro-vide adequate health-care facilities, schools, housing for the elderly and other essential infra-structure requirements for all citizens. With no simple resolution, one thing is certain—political posturing and inaction don’t result in better housing in First Nations communities like Attawapiskat.

The recent political scandal focusing on the Attawapiskat First Nation community is shame-ful. Rather than taking steps to resolve an acute housing crisis and consider a sustainable urban-planning strategy, Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s government has chosen to blame the problem on the band council’s inability to man-age its own finances. Harper’s political posturing has merely resulted in a federally appointed third-party manager to oversee the financial activities of the reserve—essentially removing the band council’s ability to manage itself in-dependently. Not surprisingly, upon arriving at Attawapiskat, the government-appointed ac-countant was duly sent away by Chief Theresa Spence, who was later quoted as saying, “It is in-credible that the Harper government’s decision is that instead of offering aid and assistance to Canada’s First Peoples, their solution is to blame the victim.” Spence added, “This rationale is mere political deflection as the conditions cited by the department are present in numerous other First Nations communities.”

Located on the western shore of James Bay, the Attawapiskat crisis situation is heart-wrenching and embarrassing to Canadians. As sub-zero winter temperatures take hold in this northern Ontario community, many of its 2,000 residents continue to live in overcrowded shacks con-structed of mouldy plywood with no insulation or running water. More than two dozen residents have been forced to move into tents while others continue to live in conditions where plastic- covered window openings are expected to protect them from minus-20-degree temperatures.

Centred around the Attawapiskat scandal is the claim that the federal government has given the reserve $90 million since 2006 with apparently little to show for it. Placing the band council under third-party management is the govern-ment’s solution to determine where that suppos-ed figure has been spent; meanwhile, the band

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awards of excellence 2011

Since 1968, the Canadian Architect Awards of Ex-cellence have been given each year to architects and architectural graduates for buildings in the design stage, and this year’s winners have been selected by a jury consisting of Diarmuid Nash of Moriyama & Teshima Architects in Toronto, Walter Francl of Walter Francl Architecture in Vancouver, and Peter Sampson of Peter Sampson Architecture Studio in Winnipeg. All three prac-titioners were in agreement that the unusually large number of strong project submissions made the selection of this year’s winners particu-larly difficult, but they nevertheless managed to pare down a rather lengthy shortlist to a group of projects that distinguish themselves through their highly sophisticated responses to ecology and architecture.

In order to provide a bit of context to the ad-judication process, it is perhaps useful to include some of the jurors’ comments on their overall thoughts about the submitted projects and the current state of architectural practice.

According to Walter Francl: “In number and quality, this year’s submissions achieved a very high standard and yielded more award-worthy projects than could be recognized. Viewing the work submitted this year, one is struck by the power of landscape, both urban and natural, to inform and inspire the architectural response. The variety and range is a reflection of the physic-al and cultural diversity of this country. Projects like the Fort York Visitor Centre and the West Coast Middle School engage the natural landforms

in vastly dissimilar settings and to very different effect. Other projects, such as the Environmental Learning Centre on the west coast and the Two Hulls House on the east coast explore the bar as building form, evoking a heightened and cali-brated appreciation of their bi-coastal settings. Smaller projects are particularly noteworthy and widely divergent, exemplars of projects that are of their place. St. Matthews Parish Church is con-structed with a cultural and regional language unique to the north. The Storm Water Quality Facility in Toronto registers a deep and enigmatic note in its tough urban landscape. One submis-sion that we seriously considered but which did not receive an award—Acton Ostry Architects’ English Bay Bistro in Vancouver—envelops its program in multi-coloured glazing that resonates with the celebrations and sunsets for which the site is famous. In form, materiality and expres-sion, each is redolent of a particular environment or urban setting. A sustainable design narrative from earlier years that wore its fins and louvres as additive accessories has now matured. The best of the recent work, such as the Ryerson University Student Learning Centre and the UBC Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, has developed beyond these earlier themes into a convincing architec-tural language of fritted-glass cladding and deep-walled sections that can still achieve the required envelope performance.”

Diarmuid Nash speaks of form and landscape. “In reviewing the projects we selected as deserv-ing of an Award of Excellence, I have noted that

they are highly sculptural in nature; we seemed to gravitate to cantilevered box-like compositions such as the Remai Art Gallery of Saskatchewan, the Two Hulls House and the Faculty of Pharma-ceutical Sciences at the University of British Columbia. Abbey Gardens and the West Coast Middle School also possessed these similar geo-metric qualities that seemed to tie into and connect to the landscape; the box forms seem to float above as viewpoints from which to survey the surrounding context.”

A uniquely comprehensive approach was adopted by Peter Sampson in his personal as-sessment of the intensely engaging adjudication process, distilling his thoughts into three distinct strands and providing a useful framework for in-terpreting where the architectural profession is in Canada today and how it reflects and addresses current global realities.

The first strand concerns architecture and ecology. “As a member of this year’s jury I was curious about coming away with a sense of what it means to practice today in a country like this in the second decade of the 21st century. This year’s sub-missions confirm that accomplished responses to ecology and architecture exist in a variety of forms, approaches and actions. Present in many of the winning entries is an architecture charged with

architecture and ecology

an unusually strong group of submissions to the 2011 Canadian arChiteCt awards of excellence made it a diffi-cult task for the jury to isolate those projects truly deserving of the distinctions of excellence and merit.

above­Walter­Francl,­Peter­SamPSon­and­diarmuid­naSh­intently­Pore­over­the­204­entrieS­to­the­2011­Canadian arChi-teCt­aWardS­oF­excellence.

10­canadian architect­12/11

walter franclAfter graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from the University of Alberta, Walter Francl received a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of British Columbia, followed by a Master’s degree from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design. After several years in practice with a number of firms in Vancouver and Boston, Francl launched his own firm in Vancou-ver in 1994. His work encompasses a broad range of project types, including institutional, infra-structure/transportation, commercial/retail and residential/mixed use. Along with a number of transit stations for the Greater Vancouver Regional District, recent projects include the Rennie Art Gallery & Offices (see CA, October 2010), the Creekside Community Recreation Cen-tre (with Nick Milkovich Architects Inc.), and the False Creek Energy Centre. Francl has also taught as a sessional instructor at the University of Brit-ish Columbia’s School of Architecture. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including several Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia Awards, a Design Award for Sacred Land scapes from the American Institute of Architects, a Globe Foundation Award for Excellence in Green Build-ing, and a Canadian Architect Award of Excellence.

diarmuid nashDiarmuid Nash has enjoyed over 20 years with To-ronto-based Moriyama & Teshima, having joined the firm in 1988 after completing work on the Ca-nadian Embassy in Tokyo, a $137-million design-build project. A partner since 1998, Diarmuid is particularly skilled and adept at managing complex projects, delivering award-winning buildings on time and on budget. A graduate of the University of Manitoba, Nash has taught at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Architecture, Landscape & Design, and was President of the Royal Architec-tural Institute of Canada in 2001. He acted as part-ner in charge of the new Canadian War Museum in Ottawa (a recipient of a Governor General’s Award in 2008), and the recently completed multi-phase Queenston Plaza border-crossing redevelopment. As architects of record, Moriyama & Teshima are responsible for the $250-million fast-track multi-phase Aga Khan Museum complex in Toronto, a project that Nash is currently leading. Additional-ly, he is directing the M&T team on the new $300-million City Hall project for the City of Sur-rey in British Columbia. Nash has been honoured with the President’s Medal from the American In-stitute of Architects and from the Federacion de Colegio de Arquitectos de la Republica Mexicana.

peter sampsonPeter Sampson is a practicing architect who has taught at the Universities of Toronto, Waterloo, and Manitoba. He has a degree in Literature from McGill University and received his professional degree in Architecture from the University of Toronto. Having mentored with Levitt Goodman Architects in Toronto, he established Peter Sampson Architecture Studio in Winnipeg where he now resides with his wife and children. He is a founding partner of the DPA+PSA+DIN Collective, the architects of the University of Winnipeg’s Buhler Centre and Plug In ICA’s new contemporary art gallery. Committed to work that enables the pursuit of a socio-ecological archi-tecture practice, his 10-person studio continues to contribute to the evolution of net-zero-energy design and construction—albeit, one small step at a time. Current commissions include a down-town bike lab, urban design for a northern community, health, wellness, and educational facilities, affordable housing, and private resi-dences. Peter also finds time to pursue freelance writing opportunities, and is the proud recipient of a Canadian Architect Student Award of Excel-lence—an achievement that dates back to 1999.

negotiating the massive and not yet fully realized implications of shifting global ecologies. In par-ticular, a number of projects have close relation-ships to water, suggesting a predominant preoccu-pation with the current state of the environment and how Canadians practicing architecture situate themselves relative to this topic. Whether the rela-tionship to ecology is aestheticized or acted upon, architecture’s immediate kinship to ecology—over, say, art—seems to be emerging as a central plat-form in this generation of work.”

Secondly, Sampson isolated a theme of residue and rehabilitation. “In a country dependent on

fragile and failing infrastructures and on a strain-ing relationship to nature, I am drawn to architec-ture that makes, invents, or rehabilitates ecologies at the residual edges and in-betweens of conven-tional development. Refreshingly different than the pseudo-scientific, gumpy fanfare of an engin-eered environmentalism of earlier decades, this generation’s response to the presence of ecology in our practice reveals promising work that is knowledgeable, confident, and playful in its com-mitment to place, people, technology and time.”

The third strand explores the inherent diffi-culty in the categorization of awards, and the dis-

tinctions to be made between that which truly qualifies as excellence and that which meets a standard of merit. “In thinking about a categoriz-ation of Awards of Merit, there were projects compelling enough to be meritorious, but not necessarily comprehensive enough to advance past a purely architectural idea. What compels me about most of the works that ended up receiving Awards of Excellence is that they presented a full activity of the architect who reveals how the com-ponents or events of an ecology surrounding an idea—in its complete and multi-faceted nature—can be negotiated.”

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winners

Based in Vancouver, Patkau Architects seek to explore the full richness and diversity of archi­tectural practice, understanding it as a critical cultural act that engages our most fundamental desires and aspirations. They refuse singular def­initions of architecture: as art, as technology, as social service, as environmental agent, as political statement. Instead, they embrace all these defin­itions, together, as part of the rich, complex and vital discipline that they believe architecture to be. In over 30 years of practice, both in Canada and in the United States, the firm has been re­sponsible for the design of a wide variety of build­ing types for a diverse range of clients. Current work includes the Marcel A. Desautels Faculty of Music and the School of Art at the University of Manitoba, the Goldring Centre for High­ Performance Sport at the University of Toronto, a series of cottages at Fallingwater in Pennsylvania, as well as a variety of residential projects in diverse locations ranging from a northern island

off the coast of British Columbia to a farm in Ad’Diriyah, Saudi Arabia. Patkau Architects is recognized internationally for design excellence, and has received 12 Governor General’s Awards, four Progressive Architecture Awards, and 16 Canadian Architect Awards of Excellence. Estab­lished in 1984, Kearns Mancini Architects Inc. is a progressive and innovative design firm with a strong commitment to serving client and user needs. They are very closely attuned to their cli­ents’ requirements, respecting their social and cultural aspirations, and they are particularly conscious of the need for sustainable, contextual design that respects the environment. KMA has been honoured with numerous awards for excel­lence in architectural design from the Ontario Association of Architects, Cana dian Architect magazine, and the City of Toronto. KMA buildings have been featured in many public exhi bitions and in numerous publications, both in Canada and internationally. In 2009, the firm won OAA

awards for the George Brown College Centre for Hospitality and Culinary Arts and Ireland Park. The firm is well known for its public and com­munity buildings which address personal, social and life skills development, rehabilitation and wellness. One of its larger projects in recent years, within a consortium of architects, was the design of the new campus for the Centre for Ad­diction and Mental Health in downtown Toronto. At present, KMA’s institutional and educational work includes the University of Waterloo’s Stu­dent Health Clinic addition, and the new Micro Satellite Technology Centre and the redesign of the main campus entrances at the University of Toronto. Back row, left to right: Luke Stern, Mike Green, John Patkau, Shane O’Neill, James Eidse, Peter Ng, Jonathan Kearns, Tony Mancini. Front row, left to right: Peter Suter, Michael Thorpe, Dimitri Koubatis, Patricia Patkau, Thomas Schroeder, Dan McNeil, Lucy O’Connor, Gabriel Didiano.

The B+H group is a full­service architecture and design firm recognized for the delivery of sus­tainable and technically complex projects which range from medium to large scale. B+H Bunting­Coady Architects is an innovative architectural practice with a reputation for creating high­ performance buildings and is the B+H global centre of excellence in the development of sustainable projects. The firm creates “living, breathing buildings” through a holistic design process, which results in the creation of healthy environments that balance ecological concerns and which strive to produce buildings in the most responsible manner possible. Each project care­fully considers its environmental, economic and social impact with the intent of creating better buildings and enriching our communities, which ultimately help build better cities. Left to right: Dylan Durst, Stephanie Gust, Dwayne Smyth, Mike Wartman.

12/11 canadian architect 13

Founded in 1988 by Gilles Saucier and André Perrotte, Saucier + Perrotte architectes is a multidisciplinary practice internationally re­nowned for its institutional, cultural and resi­dential projects. The firm represented Canada at the prestigious Architecture Biennale of Venice in 2004, and has been honoured with numerous awards, including seven Governor General’s Medals and Awards in Architecture and two International Architecture Awards (presented by the Chicago Athenaeum and the European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies). Saucier + Perrotte’s highly acclaimed buildings have been published the world over, reflecting the office’s status as one of Canada’s premier de­sign firms. While continuing to add to its signi­ficant body of built work in Canada, the firm is expanding its international portfolio of work in Japan, China, the Middle East and Africa. In 2009, Saucier + Perrotte received the RAIC

The association of Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architects (KPMB) with Smith Carter Architects + Engineers Incorporated (SCAE) for the Art Gallery of Saskatchewan (AGS) continues a successful history of collaboration producing award­winning architecture. This includes Mani­toba Hydro Place and the Canadian Embassy in Berlin (a joint venture of KPMB, Gagnon Letellier Cyr architectes, and SCAE). The team for the AGS includes Transsolar Engineering with whom KPMB and SCAE worked as an integrated design team on Manitoba Hydro Place. In August 2011, SCAE/KPMB/Transsolar was one of ten invited

Award of Excellence for Best Architectural Firm in Canada. The firm believes that the architectur­al process can touch all aspects of design inter­vention—from master planning and redevelop­ment to single­family homes, from sustainably designed dwelling complexes to museums and theatres, from interiors to object design. Since its inception, Saucier + Perrotte has integrally linked its architecture to geology and the land­scape, stressing the physical and symbolic im­portance of the site and reflecting the firm’s understanding of architecture’s role in shaping the contemporary city and the rural landscape. Hughes Condon Marler Architects (HCMA) is a team of 45 people with a passion for sustainable, integrated and innovative architecture. With offices in Vancouver and Victoria, the firm is a collaborative practice where the four principals—Roger Hughes, Darryl Condon, Karen Marler and Stuart Rothnie—and nine associates take a truly

hands­on approach and work closely alongside all staff members. HCMA’s open studio environ­ment facilitates dialogue and problem­solving among senior architects, project work groups, and industry experts and specialists. Since the founding of the predecessor firm in 1976, HCMA has worked with a wide range of clients on many projects including civic/public structures, edu­cational and health­care institutions, mixed­use and residential developments, offices and recreation facilities. HCMA has developed an ex­tensive knowledge of LEED and the application of this rating system to a variety of different build­ing types. Top row, left to right: Roger Hughes, Bill Uhrich, Craig Lane, Paul Fast, Rachel Lacey, Nick Worth, Craig West. Bottom row, left to right: Gilles Saucier, David Moreaux, Dominique Dumais, Marc­André Tratch, Yutaro Minigawa, Olivier Krieger, Patrice Begin, Greg Neudorf, Charles­Alexandre Dubois, André Perrotte.

international firms who submitted a design com­petition scheme for the new headquarters for ENI, Italy’s major energy provider and the sixth­largest in the world. KPMB is one of Canada’s premier architectural practices, and their work has been recognized by the highest honours in the field of architecture, including 11 Governor General’s Awards. The AGS is KPMB’s 11th Cana dian Architect Award of Excellence. KPMB played a lead­ing role in Toronto’s Cultural Renaissance, with six projects including Canada’s National Ballet School, the Royal Conservatory, and the Toronto International Film Festival Lightbox. In addition

to the AGS, current clients include the Massachu­setts Institute of Technology (MIT), Princeton University, and the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. Established in 1947, SCAE is one of Canada’s leading integrated design practices. Through its offices located in Winnipeg, Calgary, Ottawa, Atlanta and Washington, SCAE works with clients from government, institutional and private­sector organizations across Canada and around the world. Collaboration has facilitated innovation at the firm, and areas of expertise range across all types of complex projects with specialties in the design of health­care and re­search environments. Of particular importance to the firm are projects that support the vital urban fabric of the communities in which they are locat­ed, including the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, Manitoba Hydro Place, University College of the North, and the Art Gallery of Saskatchewan. Top row, left to right: Thomas Auer, Matthew Krivosudsky, Paulo Rocha, Brad Cove, Neil Hume, Marcus Colonna. Bottom row, left to right: Matthew Wilson, Bruce Kuwabara, Vince Varga, Shirley Blumberg, Grant Van Iderstine.

14 canadian architect 12/11

Williamson Chong Architects is the architecture and design office of Betsy Williamson, Shane Williamson and Donald Chong. The partnership emerged out of their collective interest in archi­

tectural craft as expressed through the synthesis of new technology with traditional methods of construction. They view projects as opportunities to explore the intricate relationship between site,

Zeidler Partnership Architects (ZPA) has had overlapping partners continuously since it was first formed in 1880 in Peterborough, Ontario; the Toronto office opened in 1955. Senior part­ners today are Alan Munn, Tarek El­Khatib and Vaidila Banelis plus six others. Worldwide, ZPA has some 220 professional and support staff members. The Toronto office is headquarters for the firm with 10 other offices in Calgary, Vancou­ver, Victoria, West Palm Beach, Beijing, Shang­hai, Chengdu, Abu Dhabi, Berlin and London. ZPA’s projects cover virtually the entire range of architectural, urban and interior design, and the scale of projects varies from large mixed­use complexes to small residences and offices. The

firm’s major body of work is located in Canada and the United States, but it has also, over the past 25 years, developed a significant inter­national presence in Europe, Asia and the Middle East. SNØHETTA formed as an architecture, landscape and interiors collaborative in 1989 when its members designed the competition­winning entry for the Alexandria Library in Egypt. Since then, SNØHETTA opened an office in Oslo, Norway, and its two founding members established an office in New York City after win­ning the commission to design a new museum at the World Trade Center site in 2004. The collab­orative and multi­national character of the office has allowed it to work in a wide range of cultural

contexts from Asia to Africa, Europe and the Americas. Recently having completed the new National Opera and Ballet in Oslo, SNØHETTA has gained a number of other prominent projects including the new King Abdulaziz Center for Culture in Saudi Arabia, the James B. Hunt Jr. Library in Raleigh, North Carolina, the Ryerson Learning Centre in Toronto, the redesign of Times Square in New York, and the expansion of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Left to right: Tarek El­Khatib, Vaidila Banelis, Mike Smith, Dennis Rijkhoff, Mitsuru Delisle, John Kontuly, Misako Murata, Samuel Brissette, Anne Rachel Schiffmann, Michael Cotton, Carrie Tsang, Michael Loverich, Craig Dykers.

program and materiality, creating well­detailed modern environments that shape positive and engaging experiences. From institutional pro­jects and urban design strategies to residential architecture and furnishings, the office aims to create tailored solutions for each client. The work of Williamson Chong has been recognized with numerous awards for design innovation and ex­cellence from the Ontario Association of Archi­tects, the City of Toronto, the Design Exchange and the North American Wood Council. The part­ners have been recognized for their innovation in the field with the Ronald Thom Award for Early Design Achievement from the Canada Council for the Arts, the Young Architect’s Prize from the Architectural League of New York, a selection to Dwell magazine’s 100 Houses We Love, and a nomination to the Marcus Prize for Architecture. Left to right: Chris Routley, Vlad Berezovskiy, Ultan Byrne, Donald Chong, Shane Williamson, Betsy Williamson, Dimitra Papantonis.

12/11 canadian architect 15

gh3 was founded in 2006 by Pat Hanson and Diana Gerrard, each with over 30 years of experi­ence in their respective careers. The firm designs in the complex realm where architecture, urban­ism and landscape overlap. With a Modernist’s eye to order and beauty, and an environmental­ist’s awareness of sustainability and long­term thinking, their studio­based practice brings together expertise in architecture, landscape, urban design and ecology. They believe that the full spectrum of the built environment should benefit from thoughtful design, and approach every design problem with a context­specific ap­proach supported by technical research that uses site and architecture to make inspiring and beautiful places to live, work and play. The firm has quickly established itself as one of Canada’s most innovative integrated design practices, having garnered 12 major awards, including a 2010 Governor General’s Medal.

Halifax­based MacKay­Lyons Sweetapple Archi­tects is a practice that works locally and inter­nationally on cultural, academic and residential projects, providing full architectural and interior design services. There are two partners—Brian MacKay­Lyons and Talbot Sweetapple—and one senior associate—Melanie Hayne. In over 30 years of work, the practice has built an inter­national reputation for design excellence con­firmed by over 90 awards, including five Govern­or General’s Medals and the American Institute of Architects Honor Award. In addition, the firm’s work has been featured internationally in over 300 publications and 100 exhibitions. Both partners are active in architectural education: MacKay­Lyons has been a full professor and faculty member at Dalhousie University for 30 years, and Sweetapple is also an adjunct profes­sor, with 14 years of teaching under his belt. Together, they have held 18 endowed academic chairs and visiting professorships at leading uni­versities worldwide, such as the Peter Behrens School of Architecture, Washington University in St. Louis, and Harvard University. They have also given over 200 public lectures on their work worldwide. Left to right: Brian MacKay­Lyons, Talbot Sweetapple.

SWQF team, left to right: Pat Hanson, Diana Gerrard. Louise Clavin, Raymond Chow. Missing: Grazyna Krezel.

Castle Downs team, clockwise from top left: Pat Hanson, Diana Gerrard, Joel Di Giacomo, Kamyar Rahimi, Simon Routh, Raymond Chow, Byron White, Louise Clavin.

16 canadian architect 12/11

5468796 Architecture Inc. is a Winnipeg­based studio, established in 2007. Clockwise from top left: Eva Kiss, Jordy Craddock, Aynslee Hurdal, Sharon

Ackerman, Ken Borton, Johanna Hurme, Sasa Radulovic, Colin Neufeld, Mandy Aldcorn, Zach Pauls, Jayne Miles, Shannon Wiebe.

McFarland Marceau Architects Ltd. (MMA) is an established Vancouver­based architectural prac­tice specializing in the programming, planning, and full architectural services of community­based, educational, recreational and institutional projects. Together, partners Larry McFarland and Marie­Odile Marceau offer over 45 years of architectural practice along with an extensive portfolio of buildings, including over 50 com­munity­based and First Nations projects, all de­livered with particular attention to client needs, scope, schedule and budget. The firm is commit­ted to environmentally responsible building design, incorporating sustainability concepts

within each project. They have extensive experi­ence with LEED, including designing the first Platinum­certified building in Canada—the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve Operations Centre in Sidney, BC. The office has been recognized with a wide range of awards and honours includ­ing a Governor General’s Award in 1994 for the University of British Columbia First Nation House of Learning, a Holcim Award in 2008 for the North Vancouver Outdoor School Environ­mental Learning Centre in Squamish, BC, and most recently, a Canadian Green Building Award for the Deep Bay Field Station—Vancouver Island University’s Centre for Shellfish Research. MMA

currently employs a staff of 11, which includes registered architects, intern architects, experi­enced architectural technicians, and architectural support staff. Collaboration and design excel­lence are at the forefront of their approach, and they strive to produce buildings that are sensitive to local site conditions and to the global environ­ment while responding to the demands for func­tionality, flexibility and practicality. Left to right: John Hemsworth, Andrea Davison, Alvin Martin, Larry McFarland, Marie­Odile Marceau, Craig Duffield.

12/11 canadian architect 17

Architect Marc Blouin has founded an innovative Quebec firm that stretches beyond typical bound­aries to encourage an interdisciplinary approach that encompasses architecture, landscape archi­tecture and urban design. Based on the rigorous contextual analysis of each project, the firm’s broad approach promotes collaboration and establishes an atmosphere of constructive dia­logue and mutual exchange. The firm’s steadfast belief in sustainable design forming the heart of every project affects every stage and scale of intervention. Marc Blouin was the architect in charge of the multidisciplinary team involved in the TOHU project at La Cité des Arts du Cirque in Montreal, a building whose positive impact on the community has been widely recognized and celebrated. For many years, Blouin has been in­volved in various northern communities and has contributed to northern cultural expression and economic development. The firm has gained in­depth knowledge through these experiences, and has developed an acute awareness of the challen­ging realities of northern life through the suc­cessful completion of several projects in the Nunavik territory. These projects include the design of cooperative hotels, offices, stores, so­

cial housing and public buildings in a number of villages in Nunavik, where the firm eagerly ex­plored new construction approaches adapted to

this specific geographical context. Left to right: Marc Blouin, Maxime Héroux, Philippe Nolet, Sylvain Bilodeau.

John Duerksen is a recent graduate of the Master of Architecture program at the University of Manitoba, and also holds a Bachelor of Environ­mental Design from the same faculty. Throughout his studies, Duerksen has acquired an interest in adaptable and performative architecture, which was emulated in his final thesis. He lives in

Steinbach, 60 kilometres south of Winnipeg, and has spent much of his life in the lake country of both Manitoba and Ontario. Consequently, the rural setting has become a desired canvas on which he hopes to study the sensitive and reactive characteristics of architecture. Duerksen is cur­rently interning at PSA Studio in Winnipeg.

Prithula Prosun received her Honours Bachelor of Architectural Studies degree in 2008, and her Master of Architecture with Distinction in 2011 from the University of Waterloo. She is a LEED­ accredited professional working as an intern architect at CS&P Architects Inc. in Toronto. Prosun received the ECOPOLIS Design Award and Research Grant for the research and devel­

opment of the LIFT House in 2009, the ARCC/King Student Medal in 2010, and a NSERC In­novation Challenge Award in 2011. Her work has been featured in numerous publications world­wide, including the upcoming book Design Like You Give a Damn 2 by Architecture for Humanity and Housing Solutions for a Rapidly Changing World by Bridgette Meinhold.

18 canadian architect 12/11

West coast Middle school

aBoVe The building’s u-shaped form cre-aTes an elevaTed courTyard. oPPosite toP a secTion Through a classroom wing illusTraTes The school’s inTegraTion wiTh The landscape. oPPosite Middle, leFt to

riGht The connecTion beTween naTure and The school’s inTerior spaces re -inforces an educaTional environmenT ThaT is immersive wiTh iTs siTe.

architect b+h bunTing coady archiTecTs inc.location anmore, briTish columbia

The underlying goal of the new middle school de-sign is to create an environment for learning that captivates the imagination of the students and actively encourages exploration and growth. The space intends to simultaneously stimulate teach-ers, staff and visitors through their experience within the school. The result is a design that creates a series of carefully considered, light-filled spaces which seamlessly integrate into the natural landscape.

Understanding the manner in which children learn, interpret and discover our world provided the underlying methodology for the design of the new middle school which focuses on education through interaction. The result is a design con-cept which places emphasis on student explora-tion and provides a learning-based environment which has been conceived “through the eyes of the students.”

The school takes the form of a U-shaped build-ing where the two primary classroom wings and the centrally located library open onto a common elevated courtyard space. The connection to na-ture and specifically the adjacent forest creates a place where children learn to interact with their environment, while playing without structure or program. As a core philosophy, there is a belief that sustainability is ultimately achieved through education.

Inspiration for the building massing and for-mal architectural character of the new school has evolved by means of an abstracted derivative pro-duced through interpretation of intrinsic geom-etry that is evident in the natural world. This is readily apparent in areas where receding moun-tain ranges vanish into obscurity as the fore-ground mountains remain backlit and left as a stark silhouette. The abstraction of these innate natural forms has informed the manner in which the building has been shaped and carved to re-ceive natural daylight, and to respond to solar orientation and the environment, all while creat-ing a diminutive building profile that recedes into the natural milieu.

WF This project recasts the typology of the school and the environment that supports education. Building forms abstracted from and nested into a terraced natural setting, reconnecting student and teacher with the landscape. This would be a wonderful place to be a student or a teacher.

dn This school has a geometric composition that seems through its drawings to blend with the site, taking advantage of views and capturing natural light. The geometry creates these won-derful interior spaces, which seem to make for some great opportunities for learning environ-ments. The presentation has a confidence and a muted quality that seems to reflect a design that is very thoughtful and sculpturally powerful,

but in a quiet way. I think this will be a great school environment to contain and nurture the restless movement, boundless inquisitive energy, and the endless conversations and laughter of young students.

Ps This is a promising composition whose ecological foundation does not get submerged beneath the predictable and easy-to-digest tropes of sustainable architecture. Rather, its disciplined and dynamic response to site and program appears to shape a pedagogical foray into a kind of hopefulness that is fitting not only of a generation of schools that is emerging, but of the optimism of architecture itself. Refreshingly devoid of the technical, formal and graphic stylistics of an environmental aes-theticism, and delightfully confident in its ex-pectation that architecture shapes futures, this project promises a response to ecology that is about site and experience as materials them-selves. The qualities of health and ecology here form the building blocks of rich architectural

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Main leVel

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1 classrooms 2 Team work areas 3 sTudenT services 4 neighbourhood learning

5 compuTer lab 6 media cenTre 7 meeTing room 8 counselling

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experiences which, I expect, will contribute to pedagogical mandates and ideas about ecological stewardship in our public institutions for dec-ades to come.

client coquiTlam school disTricT no. 43architect teaM Teresa coady, dwayne smyTh, mike warTman, sTephanie gusT, dylan dursT, keiTh holmes, JusTin Thompson, ian allmark, daniel dubugras, michael scarboroughstrUctUral cwmm consulTing engineers lTd.Mechanical/electrical mcw consulTanTs lTd.

landscaPe sharp & diamond landscape archiTecTure inc.interiors b+h bunTing coady archiTecTs inc.area 5,400 m2 BUdGet wiThheldcoMPletion 2013

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20 canadian architect 12/11

remai art Gallery of SaSkatchewan

aBoVe The new arT gallery is poeTically siTed along The souTh saskaTchewan river. Below renderings of The gallery’s upper meeTing room and main lobby.

architect kuwabara payne mckenna blumberg archiTecTs in associaTion wiTh smiTh carTer archiTecTs and engineerslocation saskaToon, saskaTchewan

To be built in one of Canada’s fasting-growing urban communities and healthiest economies, the Remai Art Gallery of Saskatchewan is critical to the urban vitality of Saskatoon. It contributes to the realization of a 30-year plan to transform Saskatoon’s south downtown into the River Landing, an urban redevelopment project to create a cultural and community hub between the city and the South Saskatchewan River. The gallery is conceived as the civic heart of River Landing.

Since the Mendel Art Gallery opened its doors in 1964, the city has nearly doubled in size, diversified its economy, embraced a global per-spective, and become known as the “Gateway to the New North.” The new gallery builds on the Mendel’s legacy to serve the city and its environs, and the design responds to community, context, resources and program. It focuses equally on the gallery spaces and the spaces between the pro-gram to offer Saskatoon and its citizens a com-fortable, engaging public realm through all sea-sons, and particularly during the extreme cold winter months.

The massing strategy responds to the L-shaped site located between 1st and 2nd Avenues. It faces south to the river, and east to one of a series of roundabouts that connect the city to the river-bank. The form responds to the low, flat topog-raphy of Saskatchewan’s prairie landscape and evokes agrarian traditions of building indigenous low-rise rectilinear sheds and barns. Four canti-levered horizontal volumes engage the river edge to the south and 2nd Avenue to the east. The south elevation spans the length of the site and the ground floor is fully glazed to provide continuous daylit public spaces with access to the river. En-trances at each end integrate the gallery into the new pedestrian flows along the riverbank.

Each of the four stacked horizontal volumes is designed as flexible loft space and oriented for views to the river. The horizontal stratification maximizes south exposure for views and access to natural sunlight. Double-height areas and atria draw light deep into the floor plate, optimizing the low sun angles for passive solar heat gain. Overhangs and screens block sunlight during warmer seasons. These and other architectural and technical strategies are designed to collect-ively achieve 50% lower energy consumption compared to international gallery standards.

Every public space on every level is organized

to face the river, and a central atrium organizes the plan, while supporting a daily range of amen-ities and special events. The ground floor fea-tures a generous connecting stair which initiates

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Site Plan

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atrium, Gallery, actiVity Suite

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client ciTy of saskaToon and The arT gallery of saskaTchewanarchitect team kuwabara payne mckenna blumberg archiTecTs (design archiTecTs): bruce kuwa­bara, shirley blumberg, maTThew wilson, paulo rocha, maTThew krivosudsky, Terry kim. smiTh carTer archiTecTs & engineers incorporaTed (archiTecTs of record): granT van idersTine, brad cove, neil hulme, marcus colonna.Structural enTuiTivemechanical crossey engineeringelectrical mulvey + bananilandScaPe phillips farevaag smallenberginteriorS kuwabara payne mckenna blumberg archiTecTsmuSeum PlanninG conSultantS lundholm associaTes archiTecTsclimate enGineerinG TranssolarcoStinG TTcm2racouSticS daniel lyzun & associaTesViBration enGineerinG aercousTicsSecurity, it, aV mulvey bananileed conSultant enermodalciVil and tranSPortation mmm groupcode leber rubesSiGnaGe enro­creaTive fireliGhtinG TilloTsonfood SerViceS PlanninG & deSiGn kaizen foodrenderinGS adrian phiffer/kpmbarea 11,500 m2 base building and parkingBudGet $71 m consTrucTion cosT; $84 m projecT cosTcomPletion spring 2015

6 saunders place 7 non­arT handling 8 arT handling 9 parking10 acTiviTy suiTe enTrance

a continuous path—an interior, vertically con-nected community street—through all levels.

The exterior will be clad in a copper-coloured metal screen. The use of copper was inspired by the Bessborough Hotel (CNR, 1932), one of Sas-katoon’s historic architectural landmarks located further north along the river.

The new architecture of the gallery simultan-eously looks back and forward. It forges a strong relationship to the legacy of the Mendel and cre-ates a platform to reinforce the role of art for the “advancement of Saskatoon as a creative city dedicated to life-long learning.”

dn The public spaces outside the individual gal-leries, the gallery lounge, conference rooms and administrative space seem to take full advantage of what I would imagine as magnificent views of the South Saskatchewan River and the incredible changing skies that dominate this part of the country. The building has a strong sculptural quality with cantilevered box elements floating away from the main building mass, which gives the gallery a sense of presence and gravitas.

PS The rational composition of gallery and theatre volumes on the banks of Saskatoon’s river valley will be a compelling addition to the city’s south downtown precinct. The project is well situated and will bring an important cultural identity to the city’s green-space development. I was in-trigued by the clarity of the ecological mandate for the gallery, the effectiveness of which will cer-tainly be tested by the large surface areas at canti-levers and the scheme’s many glass walls. aBoVe The gallery’s plaza inviTes communiTy engagemenT and inTeracTion.

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22 canadian architect 12/11

Fort York national historic site Visitor centre

architect Patkau architects inc. in joint ven-ture with kearns Mancini architects inc.location toronto, ontario

Fort York, considered the birthplace of Toronto, is a national historic site. It represents the single-most important cultural heritage link to British military and social history remaining in the city of Toronto. The Fort’s layered historical themes and associations with a rich archaeo-logical past reinforces the need for sensitivity in design; the larger challenge of this project is not only to present the above-ground cultural herit-age resources and to preserve the below-ground archaeological resources, but also to contribute in making the social, military and intangible histories of this site more present and palpable.

The project is the winner of an international competition to design and construct a new visitor centre at the Fort York National Historic Site in downtown Toronto. The Centre manages to ad-dress the natural and historical context of the site while simultaneously gaining efficiencies from a partially buried north façade and large concrete mass. The complex site chosen for the Visitor Centre sits directly beyond the Gardiner Ex-press way which runs along the southern end of the site.

The Centre is part of a plan to revitalize the en-tire 17-acre site and is scheduled for completion in 2012 for the Bicentennial Commemoration of the War of 1812.The Fort York Visitor Centre will inform and educate the public about the history

of this great site. Caught in a maze of giant infrastructure, the

Visitor Centre participates in the architecture of lines and liquid landscapes of Fort York. Below the Common, the Centre constructs an escarp-ment of weathering steel, an extended wall to the site, one capable of joining with the scale of the Gardiner Expressway above to form the wall and roof of an extra-large new urban space for To-ronto. The steel escarpment re-establishes the original sense of a defensive site, stretching

toP a ribbon-like steel arMature defines the sPine of this intensely PrograMMed visitors’ facility. BottoM this section illustrates how the building sliPs underneath the gardiner exPressway, transforMing a dank, barren wasteland into active and useable sPace.

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across the site to meet the grassed escarpment directly below the Fort.

The outlines of former structures on the Com-mon are projected down onto the urban site. These terraces trace footprints of an archaeology that is no longer actually present on the site due to the construction of the Gardiner Expressway. Traces differ in surface from contemporary ter-races and are inscribed in various ways with text.

At the point that the land disturbed by the con-struction of the Gardiner ends, the lower Fort

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aBoVe cor-ten steel is used both as a canoPy and as cladding to Provide an aPProPriate counterPoint to the overwhelMing scale of the gardiner exPressway above. BottoM a rendering of the overall facility iMbues the Project with a dreaM-like quality.

client city of torontoarchitect teaM john Patkau, Patricia Patkau, jonathan kearns, tony Mancini, Mike green, Michael thorPe, dan Mcneil, Peter shuter, luke stern, diMitri koubatis, shane o’neill, thoMas schroeder, jaMes eidse, Peter ng, lucy o’connor, gabrial did-ianostrUctUral read jones christoffersen consulting engineersMechanical/electrical cobalt engineering llPlandscaPe janet rosenberg and associates landscaPe archi-tectureinteriors Patkau architects/kearns Mancini architectsheritaGe consUltants unterMan McPhail associatesProJect ManaGeMent o.P. Mccarthy & associates inc.QUantitY sUrVeYor a.w. hooker quantity surveyorsliFe saFetY aon risk solutionsFood serVices fs strategyarea 1,980 M2 BUdGet $12.3 McoMPletion deceMber 2012

York Archaeological Site begins. Access to this site is carefully controlled. Visitors walk only on raised boardwalks to view the activities of the dig.

On exiting the Centre, visitors can choose to ascend into the “ghost screen” to a viewing plat-form. At this height, an overview stretches be-tween Fort York and the small cemetery to the west. The viewing platform is a prime location for watching re-enactment events on the Common.

Neighbours will continue to use the flatness of the Common for play, dog-walking and general recreation. The new pedestrian/bicycle bridge over the rail lines to the north connects across the Common, down the cut between the steel escarp-ment and the old concrete retaining wall toward the armoury. Other bike routes connect along the north edge of the fort, under Bathurst Street to eastern neighbourhoods and the new library and through the cemetery to the west. At night, the softly illuminated site and ghost screen encourage community events, signalling a new, safe, active and unique urban place to reconnect with history and play out the occasions of modern life.

wF This project invites the public to engage in a project that lays siege to the Gardiner Express-way. It takes the difficult underbelly of the ex-pressway as the raw foil for an architecture of ro-bust simplicity. Both additive and subtractive in its composition, the building speaks to the on-going exploration of the history of the site.

dn Framed from above by the Gardiner Express-way, the main façade of the visitor centre creates a strong and interesting elevation along Fort York Boulevard. The innovative way the architectural massing of the centre brings people through it in section, unrolling the history of Fort York as well

as mediating different grades for views and ac-cess to the main fort works very well with the site and the adjacent Gardiner Expressway. The sculptural “panels” facing Fort York Boulevard create a type of ephemeral view that suggests it could disappear if the panels are closed.

Ps Set between a decaying Modernist infrastruc-ture and a hard-to-access heritage site, this pro-ject spans two fading histories which form an in-triguing context and story about place. How we handle the remnants of civic infrastructure is be-coming a critical discussion in Canada. Because of this, I think there is a poignancy to the urban condition in this proposal that reaches beyond Toronto. All Canadian cities are facing the hard-ships of decaying highways and bridges. Pres-sures to tend to the preservation of historical sites are as strong as the increasing demands to

1 entrance vestibule 2 lobby 3 recePtion 4 treasury disPlay 5 café 6 café kitchen 7 catering set-uP

8 Public washrooMs 9 gift shoP10 Multi-function & activity rooM11 faMily washrooM12 resource centre/library13 orientation & Multi-Media rooM14 Projection/audio booth

15 Meeting/events rooM16 changing features gallery17 treasury raMP18 tiMe tunnel (iMMersive threshold)19 archaeological dig (uPPer level)20 office recePtion21 lounge

22 green wall court23 MuseuM adMinistrator24 MuseuM curator25 secretary/bookkeePer26 MuseuM coordinator27 PrograM officer28 develoPMent officer

29 events coordinator30 food & retail coordinator31 workstations32 volunteer work rooM33 Meeting rooM34 Mechanical rooM35 non-collection shiPPing & receiving

36 is telePhone/server37 staff washrooM/changing/shower38 shiPPing/receiving

maintain failing bridges and highways. My hope is that the Centre, by bringing people in close proximity to this discussion, will nurture a kind of latent understanding of the severity our cities face in being able to successfully tend to both issues in years to come. The scheme itself prom-ises to be a strong urban experience.

24 canadian architect 12/11

SWQF

aBOVe The arTful expression of This waTer-filTraTion faciliTy belies The imporTance of iTs funcTion. BeLOW The sToic mason-ry building exudes a sculpTural counTer-poinT To The elevaTed expressway in The background.

architect gh3 archiTecTs and landscape archiTecTs, r.v. anderson associaTes limiTedLOcatiOn ToronTo, onTario

Situated in Toronto, the Storm Water Quality Fa-cility (SWQF) will treat urban runoff from the new West Don Lands development. While the project represents state-of-the-art handling and treatment of storm water, the design for the fa-cility enclosure and site also elevates the spatial role of the infrastructure, evoking other historic infrastructural works—the R.C. Harris Treatment Plant, the Bloor Street Viaduct, and the Hearn Power Station—whose architectural character has helped define Toronto’s identity. The site, on the northeast corner of Lake Shore Boulevard and Cherry Street, will house a facility comprised of four major elements. The first is the storm-water reservoir, a 20-metre-diameter shaft covered by a radial steel grate that acts as an inverted siphon and receives untreated storm water from the sur-rounding development. Directly above is a dis-crete pump building perched on the edge of the reservoir. Finally, the most prominent elements of the facility are the storm-water treatment plant itself and the surrounding ground plane of stone paving that provides vehicular access.

The design for SWQF takes these constituent

parts and unifies them into a whole that renders the infrastructural function legible, didactic and aesthetically compelling. By intensively treating storm water, SWQF supports world-leading mu-nicipal standards for water quality in the city; by supporting the urban, mixed-use development of the West Don Lands, it contributes to vibrant and sustainable neighbourhoods; and through com-pelling design, it declares and celebrates the im-portance of public infrastructure to a thriving city.

The 300-square-metre facility will be a highly visible gateway to the West Don Lands. The client, Waterfront Toronto, wanted a landmark building to fill this crucial role in defining a new and distinctive precinct of the city. Creating this possibility within the site required a design that successfully addressed the intensive character of the surrounding infrastructure, including a rail-way bed to the north, and the ramps and road-ways of Lake Shore Boulevard and the Gardiner Expressway to the south. The faceted, limestone-clad plant is set on a plane of the same material, creating a monolithic composition whose formal abstraction provides a striking counterpoint to the infrastructural complexity around it. Stra-tegically placed glazed apertures within the façade reveal glimpses of the building’s inner workings, and become luminescent highlights

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within the form at night. Even when seen at high speeds from the Gardiner and Lake Shore, the form and site plinth register as a poetic ellipsis amid the intensity of their surroundings.

Programmatically, the SWQF is a building that

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tOP a bird’s-eye view of The new faciliTy wiTh The gardiner expressway looming in The background. aBOVe an inTerior view of This new sTaTe-of-The-arT waTer filTraTion faciliTy conveys a darkly ominous ambiance.

cLient waTerfronT ToronToarchitect teaM gh3 (design archiTecTs): paT hanson, diana gerrard, raymond chow, louise clavin. r.v. anderson associaTes limiTed (prime infrasTrucTure consulTanT): grazyna krezel.StrUctUraL/MechanicaL/eLectricaL/ciViL/interiOrS r.v. anderson associaTes limiTed LandScaPe gh3cOntractOr easTern consTrucTionFaçade enGineer picco engineeringarea 3,000 fT2 BUdGet $1.5 m cOMPLetiOn 2012

tells a story of water. The design of the facility enclosure comes from the idea of a stone well, inverted to manifest as a sculptural form above ground. This modern interpretation of an ancient vernacular is further embellished by etchings on its surface that are transformed by precipitation into a system of rain channels running from roof to wall, to ground plane and shaft—a narra-tive of the larger system of urban hydrology in which the building is embed-ded. Additionally, exterior and interior LED luminaires will abstractly regis-ter information about the building’s performance. Thus, an infrastructural system that, in another context may have been completely opaque or ille gible, here registers transparently and com pel ling ly the work of sustaining a city to its inhabitants.

The fundamental intent of the SWQF is to contribute to a more sustain-able model of city-building. In treating urban storm water that would otherwise discharge directly into the surrounding watershed, the facility speaks to a future in which dense urban development and healthy natural ecosystems are integrated and mutually beneficial. At the level of built de-sign, both the facility and landscape utilize a local stone that is light in col-our as the predominant exterior finish—a material that will have a low con-struction footprint, mitigate solar heat gain, and will last well beyond the service life of the facility. The result is a building whose individual per-formance will match its contribution to the broader project of sustainable development in the West Don Lands.

WF A concise urban insertion, exquisitely polished and set with lapidary precision into the site. It is at once enigmatic and compelling in its simpli-city. A beautifully crafted piece that engages both its plaza forecourt and the public in the dialogue about a valued resource. dn A strong design in the tradition of elevating the architectural role of infrastructural work. In Toronto, this is in keeping with such work as the Hearn Power Station and the R.C. Harris Treatment Plant. It is a strong sculptural piece that simultaneously fits in and stands out in a very intense concrete grey industrial area, framed by a raised expressway, ramps, road-ways and a railway bed. The material palette is clean and simple.

PS Starkly formal but intense in its integration of weather, site, and the management of urban hydrology, this project finds delight in the residue of the engineered act. Absent is the glorification of the mechanics of treat-ment, and very present is the promising and sustained enjoyment of the aural and active event of treating water itself. I am drawn to the pure sim-plicity of this small performance as it transforms an urban ecological infra-structure from act into art. It is confident, bold, and superbly disciplined in its intentions. Mostly, I have fallen in love here with the promise of re-establishing architecture at the core of an otherwise overly engineered landscape of civic infrastructure that defines our cities.

Site PLan

26 canadian architect 12/11

ryerson student Learning centre

aBoVe A view of the spectAculArly clAd student leArning centre At the corner of yonge And gould streets. BeLoW the “vAlley view” of the mAin lobby.

architect Zeidler pArtnership Architects in joint venture with snøhettALocation toronto, ontArio

Located at the northeast corner of Yonge and Gould Streets in downtown Toronto, the new eight-storey Ryerson University Student Learning Centre (SLC) will mark Ryerson’s new face on Yonge Street and provide a gateway to the ever-

expanding Ryerson community. Featuring an ele-vated plaza and glass façade with bridges to the existing library, the SLC is home to a range of academic, study and collaborative spaces for Ryerson’s students, faculty and staff. Yonge Street frontage will feature destination retail at and below grade, creating a prominent storefront and continuing the commercial fabric of the street.

Each level will have a distinctive character—some will be open and interpretive with flexible furniture, while others will have enclosed study

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north-south section

cLient ryerson universityarchitect teaM Zeidler: vAidilA bAnelis, tArek el-khAtib, mike smith, mitsuru delisle, dennis rijkhoff. snøhettA: crAig dykers, michAel cotton, jon kontuly, Anne-rAchel schiffmAnn, cArrie tsAng, sAmuel brissette, misAko murAtA, siobhAn rockcAstle, fred holt.structuraL hAlcrow yollesMechanicaL/eLectricaL/teLecoM/Lighting/sustainaBiL-ity crossey engineering ltd.ciViL rv Andersonacoustics AercousticsPLanning bousfieldscode lriinteriors ZpA/snøhettAcontractor ellisdonarea 155,460 ft2 Budget $60 mcoMPLetion jAnuAry 2014

BottoM the “beAch” on the sixth floor encourAges interAction And engAge-ment Amongst students And fAculty.

1 entrAnce hAll/events spAce 2 retAil 3 cAsuAl seAting 4 study AreA 5 study room 6 clAssroom/seminAr room 7 computer stAtion 8 computer instruction/multimediA lAb 9 office10 office support/lounge11 building services/storAge12 digitAl mediA Zone (dmZ)13 entry plAZA

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rooms dividing the floors into various configura-tions. The 6th-floor “beach” will be open with terraced seating, ramps and furniture defining the casual study areas while the 7th-floor “forest” will be divided by a wall of study rooms into quadrants to encourage independent quiet study and contemplation.

The program required establishing an educa-tional building with an iconic presence on a commercial street known for its billboards and advertisement. To achieve this, the building has two faces: a retail face at grade along Yonge Street, and a series of stairs, ramps and seating areas which form a public plaza and the entry to the SLC.

The lightweight transparent high-performance glass skin will feature a surface design that will vary lighting intensity within the interior space. While the concrete structure is visibly rugged and heavy, the glass skin of the building will be light-weight and transparent. A frit pattern emphasizes this delicate nature, while also creating varying lighting qualities within the interior. The fritted coating also acts to improve the shading coeffi-cient and to increase thermal comfort and pro-vide glare control. This will allow students to find a place to study that could be in direct sunlight or under more diffused lighting conditions.

Construction on the building is expected to begin early next year, with a targeted completion date of Winter 2014.

Wf Delicately clad glass fritted façades overlaid on a robust concrete armature. It announces and animates the entry to the Ryerson campus. A ser-

ies of spatially interleaved floors animates the adjacent library that it supports. It gives life and renewed purpose to the existing building and proposes a new suite of spaces to support a range of learning options in a very public way.

dn The building seems to work as a gateway to the campus, and the materiality of the transpar-ent glass skin, fritted with intriguing patterns, offers interesting views into the building, which will be welcome along this portion of Yonge Street. It will serve as a great visual portal into the activities of the student centre, opening up the university to the city. Ps Not all university campuses have the privilege of giving shape and energy to their downtown cores. There are a handful in Canada that, through location alone, can extend their cam-puses beyond the gates and into the city. I am drawn here by the serious investment that Ryer-son is making to its neighbourhood. From sheer energy and density of activity alone, the Learning Centre will transform Toronto’s Dundas Square into a hybrid civic and campus commons. The building itself is richest in its sectional compos-ition where it seems to unfold the city into its complex of interior spaces. I am intrigued by the project’s mandate to expose real-time energy consumption in a way that brings occupants and machines as close together as the dashboard of a car. The high-performance glass skin will mediate between site and occupancy into a performance that is at once mechanical and art-istic. Moves like these seem to transpose the elements and discourse of energy management squarely into the discipline of architecture where it should reside.

0 15’

28 canadian architect 12/11

abbey Gardens

abOVe Plate-like roof forms above the low-lying building make for a dramatic statement within the landscaPe.

launching a vibrant social enterprise. The initial built project would begin with a series of green-houses, then later flanked with a low-level arma-ture housing a visitors’ centre, gallery spaces and a restaurant which would provide chef training and menu-tasting of local foods. This area would also host conferences and lectures, known as “Thought for Food,” aiming to appeal to the emerging breadth of people who find food to be central to their disciplines and/or interests.

Using the artists-in-residence format, people from all walks of life who in their own way engage food—nutritionists, agriculturalists, urbanists, chefs, farmers, food-policy planners—could find a home at Abbey Gardens, where seemingly dis-parate interests can provide a place for a healthy coalescence of advanced thinking. In many ways, the gardens can be an “abbey” where ideas are cultivated and developed with thorough study, focus and collegial input.

Through a series of modular greenhouse struc-tures which can grow in stages, the flagship structure known as the Cradle would shape itself along a cresting path which houses a public view-ing loggia. This loggia would structurally support a climate-controlled trunk route which would ac-celerate efficient ventilation and air exchange by virtue of the tapered tower stack—which doubles

Through the Abbey Gardens initiative, the design team is working with a group of concerned resi-dents who have accepted the challenge to work together to make Haliburton County a hub of en-vironmental initiatives and provide a demonstra-tion of what a community can do in response to the challenges of climate change, carbon reduc-tion and greening. Abbey Gardens is the master-plan proposal for a prototypical community vil-lage. The project aims to revisit food as the natural binding social agent towards building naturally sustainable communities whose foun-dation would be a long-term framework for shar-ing food and ideas.

Serving its immediate locale, as well as a broader regional audience across Southern On-tario and Quebec, the scheme is centred around distinct built projects which would, over time, stitch into existing open “rooms” left behind what was once a gravel quarry—on a 210-acre lot three hours north of Toronto in Haliburton County, Ontario.

Abbey Gardens is a reclamation project, an op-portunity to reuse what may otherwise be leftover “carcass” land while rekindling a community and

architect williamson chong architectsLOcatiOn haliburton county, ontario

as the lateral-resisting side core for a nine- storey Food Spire.

The Food Spire would be the repository for all resources and ideas in the form of traditional library-format stacks but also open-source media storage and retrieval. The uppermost floor is equipped with a dining hall and test kitchen for conferences, workshops and small-format lec-tures, dovetailed with a lookout towards the surrounding lakes. It will also provide an obser-vation laboratory in which to survey growth pat-terns, wind and climatological conditions over time and calibrated for the possibility of sharing data across similar points throughout the region.

As the flagship project—which is positioned to grow in modules around a solar-optimized arc facing south but with slightly varying angles—the Cradle would frame the forecourt Nest, which would draw any water from the south-facing sloping surfaces. The Cradle frames the moat-like liner which is configured with a masonry-wetland-cistern strategy for gravity-drawn natural filtering in a xeriscaped landscape to enhance local flora and fauna activity.

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site PLan VOLume diaGramcradLe PLan

tOP a rendering of the new Performing arts centre. abOVe a sectional PersPective of the cradle, which shaPes itself along a cresting Path.

wf An ambitious examination of the inter-relationship between community, food produc-tion, and the architecture that might enable intensive agricultural production.

dn This is a very smart and exciting project, fus-ing reclaimed and regenerated land with produc-tion buildings. I am not sure if we made a con-nection between the Storm Water Quality Facility and Abbey Gardens, but it seems both these pro-jects have very strong infrastructure components that address the notion that great design emerges from a clear, strong program, and a sense of connection to their respective contexts. Good de-signers recognize the architectural potential of these project types. In terms of the landscape and architectural design, the master plan delineates all the pieces that comprise Abbey Gardens. Ps The proposal for Abbey Gardens is a compel-ling reclamation of otherwise residual and under-used land. The commitment to a social ecology here is strengthened by the architectural response to program and site, linking the place and its users to the broader region and its community. The inherent suggestion that shelter, like food, is a natural adhesive for community positions the architecture as a fundamental maker not of form, but of people, their values, and the manner in which they commit to the places they inhabit. The successful investment that architecture makes here is not simply a promotion of values but rather, it is the actual commitment the project makes to sustaining the emergence of a local quality of life.

marketfrOnt

PerfOrminG arts centre

the cradLe

cLient John Pattersonarchitect team donald chong, shane williamson, betsy wil-liamson, chris routley, vlad berezovskiydrawinGs and renderinGs williamson chong architectsarea 28.5 hectares (70 acres new landscaPed area; 25,800 m2 building area)budGet withheldcOmPLetiOn 2016

30 canadian architect 12/11

Faculty oF Pharmaceutical ScienceS/cdrd

Section through central atrium

buildings will be measured—both in Canada and abroad. The building creates spaces for the exchange of ideas and research—for

both intellectual and social interaction. The project’s unconventional layout affords students and researchers opportunities that traditional university buildings have not. By means of the careful implementation of programmed and public spaces, students and faculty are able to work both collaboratively and independently as they study, conduct research, or carry out experiments.

Just as it will become a vibrant node of the sciences and new technology, the building has taken into consideration the current and future needs of the University’s pharmaceutical program. In this way, the exchange of knowledge is the principal factor behind the design of the new building and is the catalyst for its unique architectural form.

The design for the Pharmaceutical Sciences/CDRD Building reflects the fac-ulty’s world-class researchers and the University of British Columbia’s status as an internationally recognized institution in scientific endeavours. A state-of-the-art facility, the new project houses both the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences and the University’s Centre for Drug Research and Devel op ment. Critical to the design is the ability to go beyond the norm to thoroughly pro-mote enjoyable, liveable, and sustainable spaces for research and learning. Its architectural expression gives the building a striking presence on campus, and when coupled with the project’s technological functionality, the facility becomes a new, cutting-edge part of the UBC landscape.

Located on the corner of Wesbrook Mall and Agronomy Road, the site consists of a 20,240-square-metre parcel of land, immediately north of the UBC Thunderbird Parkade, and is restricted to a maximum buildable height of five to six storeys above grade, plus a basement. At this strategic location, the new building becomes an important landmark for the southeastern edge of the campus core. Functioning architecturally as an active gateway or entry point into the academic core, the building engages the community with a ground floor that is transparent, inviting, and will openly showcase the re-search taking place within.

Adjacent to the site are the University Endowment Lands/UBC residential communities to the east of Wesbrook Mall, the Life Sciences Building to the north of Agronomy Road, and “Agronomy Knoll,” a large open space to the west. This public plaza terminates the mid-block greenway that connects the southern part of campus, through UBC’s athletic facilities, to the Health Science Precinct.

The new Pharmaceutical Sciences Building becomes a notable building for the entire city and region—one filled with inventive and innovative ideas. To successfully contribute to UBC’s legacy of architecture and pharmaceutical research, the design was intended to produce a signature building that would become the standard by which future education and high-level research

architect Saucier + Perrotte architecteS in joint venture with hugheS condon Marler architectSlocation vancouver, BritiSh coluMBia

aBoVe the view froM agronoMy road, looking eaSt.

weStern red cedar FiniSh

loungeS

Black Painted Steel StairS

Story oF medicine hall

leVel 6

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Foliage laBoratory VolumeS emerging tree FormS new ground Plane

wF I admire the way in which the main floor circulation spaces draw the ground plane into the building and then continue spatially to infuse the concrete armature of the upper floors of the building. A passionate narrative of interconnected spaces informing a rational and rigorous archi-tecture.

dn I like the strong sculptural qualities of this building with the wood boxes wrapping the labs and teaching spaces. The pixellation of a tree canopy into a Cartesian grid of wood boxes (foliage) provide a sculptural framework for this building, especially the west façade overlooking the main entrance and a plaza where the wood box elements appear to be trans-forming into a grid or escaping from the grid. In a way, this project reminds me of the powerful concrete qualities of Erickson’s MacMillan Bloedel office building in downtown Vancouver. Furthermore, the presentation seems to capture an atmospheric quality of the site.

PS This project is strongly presented and the drawings clearly describe the character and intentions for an architecture that can be seen as a social infrastructure for knowledge. Clearly designed for durability, this project is accomplished and despite its nod to a kind of signature institutional

Modernism, it will be relevant for years to come. The simplicity of the box controls the project’s sustainable mandate, while its free and fluid public spaces, especially at ground level, promote a social foundation for the scheme that slips the campus into the building.

aBoVe a view of the Main loBBy. middle a SerieS of diagraMS exPlaining the evolution of the deSign concePt. Bottom, leFt to

right the north elevation BringS in Plenty of natural daylight; the contraSting South elevation iS More cloiStered and aBStractly SculPtural in coMPariSon.

client uBc ProPertieS truStarchitect team gilleS Saucier, andré Perrotte, roger hugheS, Bill uhrich, david Moreaux, craig lane, doMinique duMaiS, Paul faSt, Marc-andré tratch, craig weSt, yutaro Minagawa, rachel lacey, olivier krieger, nick worth, eli wolPin, nicko elliott, joel legault, Patrice Begin, charleS-alexandre duBoiS, greg neudorf, charleS leManStructural glotMan SiMPSonmechanical/laB Stantecelectrical aeSlandScaPe kPacontractor ledcorarchitectural concrete ucc grouParea 11,500 M2 Budget $93 McomPletion SePteMBer 2012

32 canadian architect 12/11

two hulls house

aBoVe The house’s Two linked pavilions ReseMBle a paiR of BinoculaRs lookinG ouT oveR The dRaMaTic and awe-inspiRinG coasTal landscape of The aTlanTic ocean.

architect Mackay-lyons sweeTapple aRchiTecTs liMiTedlocation poRT MouTon, nova scoTia

This project is situated in a glaciated, coastal landscape with a cool maritime climate. The geomorphology of the site consists of granite bedrock and boulder till, creating pristine white sand beaches and turquoise waters. The two pavilions float above the shoreline like the hulls of two ships up on cradles for the winter, forming protected outdoor places both between and under them. This is a landscape-viewing instrument—like a pair of binocu-lars, first looking out to sea. A third transverse “eye” looks down the coast-line, and forms a linking entry piece. A concrete seawall on the foreshore protects the house from rogue waves.

This is a full-time home for a family of four, consisting of a “day pavil-ion” and a “night pavilion.” One approaches from the understated land side between the abstract, library ends of the two pavilions, then passing through toward the sea—or left into the living pavilion, or right into the sleeping pavilion. One structure contains a central core, while the other contains a side core. The seaward ends of the two main forms (living and master bedroom) delaminate, creating protected outdoor porches or night-time “lanterns” over the water. The third linking form contains the gener-ous entry foyer, core, and the kitchen. The great room contains a floating 24-foot totemic hearth. The house remains a fertile research vehicle in the education of an architect.

This is a steel-frame house with a wood skin. Its white steel endoskeleton resists both gravity loads and wind uplift. The 32-foot cantilevers and concrete-fin foundations invite the sea to pass under without damage. The wooden rain screen consists of 8-inch vertical board-on-batten on the two “hulls,” while the linking piece is a monolithic block of weathered wood inside and out, clad in 4-inch horizontal shiplap. The lantern ends de-materialize by eliminating the 1-inch channel joints. The fenestration of the

“binocular” ends is minimalist curtain wall with structural silicone, while the side elevations contain storefront glazing. The concrete floors contain a geothermally heated hydronic system. This sculptural yet calm and mature project contains generous white volumes on the interior, and exhibits the ironic monumentality of boats on the exterior.

site Plan

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0 10’ 20’

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Below, left to right inside one of The 32-fooT canTileveRed sTRuc-TuRes; The space in BeTween The Two pavilions; each lanTeRn’s sTeel consTRucTion caGe ReMains exposed aT The poinT wheRe pRoTecTed Balconies oveRlook The ocean visTas.

6 kiTchen 7 day pavilion lanTeRn deck 8 fiRsT BedRooM 9 second BedRooM10 MasTeR BedRooM

client wiThheldarchitect teaM BRian Mackay-lyons, TalBoT sweeTapple, kevin Reid, david BouRque, oMaR Gandhi, sawa RosTkowska, JoRdan Ricestructural caMpBell coMeau enGineeRinG liMiTedinteriors Mackay-lyons sweeTapple aRchiTecTs liMiTedcontractor delMaR consTRucTionPresentation RiMon soliMan, MaRc holland, pioTR kolodzieJ, peTeR BRaiThwaiTePhotograPher GReG RichaRdsonarea 3,360 fT2 Budget wiThheldcoMPletion deceMBeR 2011

wf A pair of crafted spatial armatures, lofted above the smooth undulating stone shoreline. A finely calibrated response to site with a material palette that speaks to its nautical roots.

dn Very strong in its execution with a unified material palette. The Two Hulls House has a simplicity, rigour of scale and detailing that stands per-haps in contrast to the refined and very fine work of Ian MacDonald. The residence sits or, it seems, balances on the landscape, and the way the cladding wraps around the exterior unifies the composition, while on the

interior there seems to be a sense of contrasting lightness created by the light, colour and expansive views of the exterior.

Ps The familiar discipline that articulates the authorship of this work is, as always, formidable. The work is clearly presented, beautifully drawn, and the submission demonstrates that the project can be built to the same stan-dards of excellence. Two Hulls reveals to me what many of us cannot afford to lose sight of, and that is that the built work has to be as relentless in its pursuit of excellence as the first sketch. Here, the early sketches promise a commitment to technical simplicity and they expose a confidence of know-ledge in construction and its procedures. As the work advances into con-struction, it becomes evident that an honest regard for the autodidactic capacity of the making itself is present here. It has the ability to stir the master builder aching for attention in many of us.

34 canadian architect 12/11

environmental learning centre

client North VaNcouVer School DiStrict #44architect team larry McFarlaND, JohN heMSworth, alViN Mar-tiN, aNDrea DaViSoN, Marie-oDile Marceau, craig DuFFielDStrUctUral equilibriuM coNSultiNgmechanical/electrical StaNtec coNSultiNglandScaPe MaruyaMa laNDScape architectScivil Kerr wooD leiDel aSSociateSenergY eNerSyS aNalyticSenvironmental caScaDe eNViroNMeNtalcommiSSioning cobalt eNgiNeeriNginteriorS McFarlaND Marceau architectSKitchen conSUltant liSa bell & aSSociateScontractor DgS coNStructioN area 950 M2 BUdget $5.7 McomPletion SpriNg 2012

toP a View oF the New School FroM acroSS caNoe poND. aBove, leFt to right the claSS-rooM SpaceS hoVer aboVe the ForeSt Floor aND proViDe Direct ViewS oF the ForeSt caNopy; a croSS-SectioN oF the School reVealS itS coNcrete pilotiS.

architect McFarlaND Marceau architectS ltD.location bracKeNDale, britiSh coluMbia

The intent of the Environmental Learning Centre (ELC) is to create an experiential environment that blends natural, human and building ecolo-gies. It is the first building in a master plan that will repair an important ecosystem compromised by years of inappropriate development. Set in a lush river valley in the Coast Mountains of BC, the building will provide a critical context for learning at the heart of the North Vancouver Out-door School’s rural campus. The facility includes a “welcoming” space (with a nature gallery and exhibition space), a multi-purpose hall, dining hall, commercial kitchen, multi-purpose learning spaces, administrative offices and washrooms.

The building itself will act as an educational tool and demonstration facility, integral to the educational programming of the Outdoor School. The project’s dependence on outside sources of energy and its impact on the environment are minimized to uphold the philosophical principles of the school, which aims for LEED Platinum.

In direct response to the linearity of the valley and river, the building assumes a narrow linear form, raised above the forest floor on pilotis,

whose underside inscribes the line of the 200- year-old floodplain. The carefully proportioned form is slotted between stands of mature con-ifers—preserving trees and forest floor alike. The users are permitted to occupy an unexpected van-tage point within the forest canopy while the area beneath the building becomes a “found” program space, providing generous cover for outdoor activ-ities. This direct response to the forces of the site lifts the users into an intimate position within the canopy, preserves the integrity of local habitat, and renders the floodplain both evident and moot.

WF This project responds to site and program with a finely proportioned sequence of spaces that invites exploration and student participation. The raised linear platform lifts the students into a novel and intimate relation to the forest canopy.

dn Up on stilts and among the trees, this pencil-box tree house features wood cladding as the dominant material on the walls, roof and soffit. It is a strong composition in its simplicity.

PS This project is deserving of attention in that like many of the other award-winning projects, it asks where the ground lies for new architectures. This rational treehugger caught my attention be-cause of the way it registers present and potential grounds in the midst of a floodplain. The restora-tive nature of the architect’s intervention here is promising and the school will be a rich learning environment for students, teachers, and parents alike. I am especially drawn to the mixed fore-ground of columns and tree trunks that merge in such a way as to float the building into a hovering canopy.

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award of Merit

castle downs Park Pavilion

site Plan

concePt

aBove Children play in front of the linear park pavilion. BottoM left Mirrored stainless steel Cladding will be both iMpaCt- and vandal-proof. BottoM riGht a bright-red glazed portal will provide aCCess to washrooMs, and offiCe and adMinistration areas.

Located in a suburban park, the Castle Downs Park Pavilion unifies a wide range of outdoor recreational facilities and helps imbue them with a collective sense of place. Housing primarily public washrooms and storage facilities, the strong linear form of the building—along with the extension of its primary axis by a path and future viewing platforms—creates an armature for broader spatial organization within the park. In-spired by the pattern of a Hudson’s Bay Company blanket, the coloured bands of east-west datum recall the city’s historic roots while acting as a staging and orientation zone for the diverse users who occupy the site. The iconography of the de-sign evokes Edmonton’s historic trading-post roots in its coloured bands, with green and red bands denoting entry points into the building, while yellow and black bands denote future shelters/viewing platforms.

The path along the north side of the building extends across the breadth of the park. The path is interspersed by the coloured bands of the iconic HBC blanket at each entry point to the building as well as at the locations of future shelters/viewing platforms to the west. Indigenous trees are plant-ed alongside the path to further delineate its presence. Public art installations will be concen-trated within the spine, and should have an interactive or dynamic component that echoes the energetic activities of the park.

The building is organized into a punctuated horizontal bar. Storage components are housed in the east module of the building, which are accessed through a bright green entry niche.

Further to the west, a second portal offers entry to the remaining program spaces: this vibrant red portal is glazed, allowing views through the building while providing enclosed circulation space for the washrooms, office and maintenance areas of Phase 1, as well as the user-funded pro-grams of Phase 2. By arranging program com-ponents into modules around shared portals, the design allows for flexible access, phasing and growth.

Taking a holistic approach to sustainability, the building uses both passive and active strategies to address the challenge of sustainable design. Mul-tiple skylights ensure uninterrupted daylight in winter months and rain-harvesting capabilities address storm-water requirements. Features such as roof-mounted solar panels, and an on-site bio-filter system for reusing grey water help reduce the building’s resource demands. Materi-als like post-industrial recycled stainless steel and fly-ash concrete help ensure the building’s environmental footprint is further decreased.

Clad in composite stainless steel panels, the façade’s reflective facets mirror the surrounding park, its users, and the changing conditions of the days and seasons. Public washrooms, often bereft of natural light, are glazed with one-way mirrored glass, allowing for both abundant day-light and privacy.

wf A carefully calibrated structure that is part installation, part pavilion and part abstracted artifact. The folded reflective plates multiply and amplify the activities on either side. Coloured

architect gh3 arChiteCts and landsCape arChiteCts, kasian arChiteCts interior design and planning ltd.location edMonton, alberta

client City of edMontonarchitect teaM gh3: pat hanson, diana gerrard, rayMond Chow, louise Clavin, siMon routh, Joel di giaCoMo, byron white, kaMyar rahiMi. kasian: vaugh hoy.strUctUral Chernenko engineeringMechanical/electrical/leed consUltant vital engineeringlandscaPe gh3PhotoGraPher gh3area 783 M2 BUdGet $2.6 McoMPletion 2012

portals link the fieldscape on either side, at once concealing and revealing the promise on the other side. Animated and vigorous, it will feed the youthful energy of the place.

dn This pavilion is innovative in its use of ma-terial, which will look very interesting against those endlessly long days of summer, mirroring the blue skies and reflecting the sun. The form of the folded plates seems appropriate for this ma-terial. I very much like the innovative considera-tion of what a pavilion in a playground should be.

Ps Materially, structurally, formally, artistically pure, this project’s complexity emerges from a programmatic hybridity of sport and art brought into the everyday. A delicious little project, it is encouraging to see work like this amidst a des-pair ing landscape of the beige ideas that are its surrounding ecology. I can only hope every child in the park and in this neighbourhood will be touched by this project in ways that will challenge their status quo.

36 canadian architect 12/11

Bond tower

aBoVe Bond Tower sTands in sTark con-TrasT To iTs environs. BottoM, LeFt to riGht The narrow sliver of a Building sTrives To caTalyze developmenT; views of The ciTy from one of The Building’s “incisions.”

cLient mark penner, green seed developmenT corporaTionarchitect teaM sharon ackerman, mandy aldcorn, ken Bor-Ton, Jordy craddock, aynslee hurdal, Johanna hurme, eva kiss, Jayne miles, colin neufeld, zach pauls, sasa radulovic, shannon wieBePhotoGraPher 5468796 archiTecTure inc.area 45,500 fT2 BUdGet $8 mcoMPLetion consTrucTion Begins 2012

architect 5468796 archiTecTure inc.Location winnipeg, maniToBa

Envisioned as a distinct landmark by day and glowing billboard by night, Bond Tower is an 11-storey office building that stands in clear con-trast to the downtown Winnipeg skyline. Rising as a thin, black bar between the city centre and the Red River, the building absorbs daylight and frames unique views through a series of apertures that pierce its rigid skin.

After polling local business owners, it became clear that a need for purchasable office space exists in the downtown, and the idea for business condominiums emerged. To ensure a complete sellout, the project requires the right scale of units—from a configuration of 20 small owners to one large tenant—depending on market demand.

The ownership model within the project has been structured so that floors can be broken up into mul-tiple tenants per floor, sold as individual levels, or combined into multi-floor offices, de pend ing on the company’s programmatic requirements.

The tower overcomes its tight 33’ x 108’ foot-print by stretching skyward, offering ten 4,200-square-foot floors of office condomin-

iums and views of the downtown, resting on a commercial base. While the main level sits within the city’s setback regulations, the upper storeys cantilever 15 feet over the sidewalk on each short end, engaging the streetscape below, extending the useable floor space and capturing daylight.

Due to the narrow lot width, it becomes neces-sary to build flush with the side yards in order to maximize square footage requirements. As a re-sult, no windows are permitted directly on the east or west façades. In addition, while the short-er north and south façades can be constructed with full-height glazing, they cannot provide enough natural light on their own to serve the entire building. Thus, the introduction of hori-zontal “courtyards” cutting through the structure allows the space to be broken up into smaller compartments, increasing access to light, views and fresh air.

The tower’s rain screen consists of 2’ x 8’ clear-coated, cold-rolled steel panels that are in-stalled proud of the building, creating a cavity where lights can be installed, thereby allowing the structure to read as an electronic billboard and giving life to a building that would otherwise be unoccupied in the evenings.

wF Revisits the stock building conventions of the urban office tower as both an urban artifact and the everyman’s working environment. The aper-tures into and through the building offer varied opportunities for indoor-outdoor relationships for the tenants of the building. These landscaped incisions, with views out the city, suggest a novel understanding of how the urban office tower is to be occupied.

dn In close proximity to the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, the building is distinctive in its narrow floor plates with holes cut into the party walls. As a spec office tower, it seems to have the potential to create some intriguing work environments for creative agencies and ateliers looking for an alternative to warehouse space.

PS This schematic presentation is playfully ideal-istic in its reassurance that architecture has the capacity to bring plausible solutions to the world of commercial development. The presentation was thin in its ability to demonstrate how the en-gineering disciplines would enrich the architec-tural concept, yet the strength of the parti alone and its ability to convey architecture’s capacity to solve challenges for urban development are de-serving of recognition.

award oF Merit

12/11 canadian architect 37

aBOVe the essential components of the church: a lightweight wooden base, a metal skin, translucent walls at each end, and a vaulted interior shell inspired by ice structures. BOttOM, LeFt

tO riGht the church in its northern context; the vaulted igloo-inspired interior compels with its iconic simplicity.

cLient saint matthew’s parish church of puvirnituqarchitect teaM marc blouin, philippe nolet, sylvain bilodeau, maxime héroux, kim pariseau, Julie marchand, david giraldeauStrUctUraL/MechanicaL/eLectricaL équation groupe conseilLandScaPe/interiOrS marc blouin, architectePrOJect ManaGeMent pierre royarea 515 m2 BUdGet $2.9 mcOMPLetiOn 2012

architect marc blouin, architecteLOcatiOn northern village of puvirnituq, nunavik territory, quebec

The Puvirnituq Anglican parish seeks to reconcile the traditional religious values of the community and the iconic representation of the church to create a visual and spiritual beacon for the village.

The church is located in the heart of the village and will be built adjacent to an existing church, which will then become a community centre annex in the second phase of the project. The community square, whose stairway gives onto exposed rock, will become a dynamic public space that will also accommodate snowmobiles and other vehicles.

Resting on wood railings, the lightweight structure anchors a delicate metal skin. Translucent and luminous walls and wood beams are painted white, and close off both ends of the church, heralding its presence in the boundless landscape.

Entering the church and standing under the white vault is like inhabiting the interior layer of a shell that seems to have been carved out of the icy snow itself. The channels of light that pierce through the vault reveal the thickness of the structure, creating a sanctuary for contemplation that is removed from the outside world. With its simple lines and isolated ample volume, the new church will be equipped with a heating/natural convection heat-recovery system in which the bell tower will act as a withdrawal chim-ney. The volume thus becomes a modern interpretation of the igloo. The church will be a wood/steel hybrid structure with prefabricated insulated floor panels, exterior walls and a roof-panel system. A local labour employ-ment plan will guarantee that a maximum number of resources from the community will be involved in this major parish project.

The firm’s involvement in several cooperative public-housing projects in Nunavik and Puvirnituq led to this project, which began in 2008 and has benefitted through long-term planning and fundraising.

WF A beautifully considered exploration of the evolving possibilities of spiritual architecture in the Canadian north. It is interpreted in a language

drawing on nomadic roots, to posit future meanings for the building typol-ogy in an evolving native culture. The building forms, construction and ma-teriality have the lean tautness required in a land and culture of limited re-sources and vast distances.

dn This project stands in contrast to many other submissions that seemed cliché in the expression of First Nations cultural elements and site. The drawings express a simplicity of form and rigour with respect to the reli-gious icon of the church steeple and how it flows into the walls and roof of the building. The honesty in the expression seems appropriate in this small northern community.

PS There is a subtlety to this project which deserves merit. Although im-bued with a stylized western symbolism, this project is appreciated when held up against a number of other northern works that were submitted. There is little attempt to appropriate native symbolism as a tack-on to con-temporary technologies. Rather, the project—and I have to assume the architect as well—attempts to learn from a lightness of indigenous ap-proaches to building that inform how we inhabit structures and places. Em-bedded in the work is a soft attention to detailing, light and ground that promises a strong experiential quality.

Saint MattheW’S PariSh chUrch OF PUVirnitUqaWard OF Merit

38 canadian architect 12/10

Student award of excellence

reinhabiting a loSt landScape—farming fiShleft An intricAte model conveys the proj-ect’s complexity. bottom, left to right A view of the south elevAtion; the public Arm seen from below the wAter’s surfAce.

Student john duerksen, university of mAnitobA

In an attempt to study architecture’s ability to merge rather than resist the living landscape, University of Manitoba architecture student John Duerksen set his sights on the Bergman Cutoff, an abandoned rotating bridge isolated on the Red River in the heart of Winnipeg. This bridge is re-plete with memories of an optimism to engage with the river. At one point, a single person with-in the central rotating point of the bridge deter-mined the flow of both train traffic across the river and boat traffic along it. To access the site and experience the river, Duerksen rented a kayak with intentions to paddle to the central isolated point of the bridge. Through his experi-

ence, he recognized the volatility of the river at various points along his journey. These “knuckles”—or points where the liveliness of the landscape forces a physical reaction—represent a common dilemma between architecture and the Red River. Architecture asks to be positioned and static, and with the datum of the river constantly shifting, architecture—as most commonly seen—is not able to react.

Programmatically, Duerksen’s response was to propose a catfish farm. The channel catfish of the Red River is one of the largest species of catfish in the world, and the nutrient-rich waters of the Red River are ideal grounds for its existence.

The architectural proposition of this thesis re-volves around the study of the river and its forces. Developing a physical analogue topography of the

forces of river, he was able to develop an archi-tecture that reacts to the various dimensions of the site. Seasonal changes and fluctuations deter-mine the form and nature of the architecture as a constantly shifting environment, and provide unique opportunities for the public to access and experience the river.

wf A compelling feat of architectural modelling. This project has three-dimensionalized an ex-ploratory design process for rehabilitating a found architectural artifact. The reinhabitation of abandoned structures is a theme of increasing relevance in the discussion of how to repurpose derelict components of the urban fabric in a sus-tainable and meaningful way.

dn This was a beautifully considered, drawn and modelled building that grew from an idea de-veloped while canoeing on the Red River. Using an existing structure like the bridge as the main frame for this commercial enterprise gives it strength. This is a labour of love that is meticu-lously explored and delightfully resolved. I would love to see a cluster of these on the river along with the restoration of a once-thriving industry kickstarted to a new life.

pS A disciplined critique of the imprint of urban architecture on the ecologies that it occupies, this inhabitation of the ever-active Red River in Win-nipeg is a compelling and hypnotic journey into the fantastical construction of an otherwise mod-est notion of kinetic architectures. The intimacy and the level of authorship present in this project stands out for me in particular because much of the student work submitted was too broad in scale to fully imagine the worlds they had authored.

Site plan

12/10­­canadian architect­39

LiFt house LeFt­Multiple­stages­of­construction­of­the­lift­house­in­Dhaka,­BanglaDesh.

student­prithula­prosun,­university­of­Waterloo

The LIFT House (Low-Income Floodproof Tech-nology) pilot project was designed and con-structed in Dhaka, Bangladesh as a solution for sustainable housing for low-income commun-ities in flood-prone areas. It is an approach to housing that provides all the basic services to its residents without connection to the city service systems, through the use of indigenous materials and local skills.

Millions are displaced and many lives are lost during severe floods due to the overflowing of rivers, inadequate drainage and monsoon rains in Bangladesh. Floods cause the most damage to the low-income population who live in informal settlements throughout the urban centres of the country. As the city’s population continues to grow, access to adequate housing is denied to low-income citizens, forcing 3.5 million people—representing 37.4% of the region of Dhaka—to find shelter in slums. More than ever, concerns for global warming have brought the issues of flood mitigation to the forefront for low-lying areas around the world, where improvements in

flood protection are mandatory in order to miti-gate future catastrophes.

The LIFT House provides low-cost flood- resilient housing that is amphibious, functioning both in land and in water. The two amphibious units of the LIFT House float upwards with rising water levels due to floods and return to ground level as the water recedes. Amphibious architec-ture is a cost-effective and safe alternative to permanent static elevation and is achieved by the design of buoyant foundations.

Instead of relying on the struggling service sys-tems of the city, the LIFT House is self-sustaining in providing basic services without relying on city infrastructure by using passive resources such as solar power, natural ventilation, rainwater har-vesting, and composting toilets.

Buoyancy is achieved by two different methods that allow the house to float with rising water levels: a hollow ferro-cement foundation for one house and a bamboo-frame foundation filled with used plastic water bottles collected from a local hotel for the other. Both foundations per-form similarly by floating when surrounded by water. The service spine of the house is a static structure, constructed out of brick and concrete

that provides the vertical guidance and stability for the two amphibious bamboo units when float-ing. The rainwater-harvesting system is located in the service spine where water is collected and filtered during the rainy season and further re-cycled through filtration to be used throughout the year. Electricity is derived from two 60W solar panels for lighting and fans. The shared composting toilet allows the residents to create compost from human waste that can be sold or applied to the vegetable garden after 10 years of use. Urine is directed to the garden as a source of nutrients through an underground pipe system.

The pilot project was tested successfully by sim-ulating a flood to make the amphibious units float during the inauguration in January 2010. The LIFT House represents Bangladesh; an embodiment of what is important to the country, its people, its en-vironment, its economy, and its water.

WF This project is a reminder of to all of us in the profession of our collective responsibilities to the vast majority of humanity that we typically do not serve. Kudos to the group of faculty and students that took the time to actually build a working prototype of a building that would be of practical use in many flood-prone areas of the world. Not great and glorious capital “A” archi-tecture, but a replicable, indigenous architecture in the service of humanity.

dn A very powerful idea in addressing the con-stant threat of flooding in urban environments located in unregulated flood zones. I like the idea of building the lifting and floating capacity into a house during the construction process, contem-plating devastating emergencies that may or may not arrive, providing a level of security and safety to homeowners and their families. The fact that Thailand recently experienced its worst flood-ing—with a land mass equivalent to the area of France under water—made the LIFT House a very real and urgent proposition that should be fur-ther explored and researched.

Ps With this project, I am encouraged by the pres-ence of mind that brings research, technology, ethics, practice and academics together to succeed in pulling architecture into action. The LIFT House is not by any stretch high architecture. It does, however, challenge Canadian architects to examine our place of privilege in the world. Al-though prosaic, LIFT asks us to consider architec-ture as a mechanism that negotiates the pending shifts in the ecologies of our future, and I suspect this question will remain with us permanently.

student aWard oF Merit

40 canadian architect 12/11

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42 canadian architect 12/11

acknowledgements

British colUmBia Acton Ostry Architects, Allen + Maurer Architects, Battersby Howat Architects Inc., Brian G. Hart & Company, Broadway Architects, Campos Leckie Studio, Cannon Design, CEI Architecture Planning Interiors in joint venture with Parkin Architects, Clifford Wiens Architect, DSK Architecture, Evoke International Design Inc., Helliwell + Smith—Blue Sky Architecture, Henriquez Part­ners Architects, Joe Y. Wai Architect Inc., JWT Architecture and Planning, LWPAC—Lang Wilson Practice in Architecture Culture, Matthew Soules Architecture, Omicron Architecture Engineering Ltd., One Seed Architecture + Interiors, Perkins+Will Canada, Public Architecture + Communication, Salikan Architecture Inc.

alBerta DIALOG Alberta Architecture Engin­eering Interior Design Planning Inc., Gibbs Gage Architects, Riddell Kurczaba Architecture, Sherri Turpin Architect, Stantec Architecture Ltd., Stur­gess Architecture, Terry Frost Designer Architect Ltd., The Marc Boutin Architectural Collaborative Inc., Toker + Associates.

saskatchewan RBM Architecture Inc.

manitoBa Cibinel Architects Ltd. & Batteríio Architects Ltd., Number Ten Architectural Group, Smith Carter Architects & Engineers Inc., Stantec Architecture Ltd. ontario 25:8 Research + Design, architects­Alliance, Atkinson Architect, Baird Sampson Neuert Architects Inc., Batay­Csorba, B+H Architects, BBB Architects Toronto Inc., Cindy Rendely Architexture, Climans Green Liang Architects Inc., CSV Architects, Diamond and Schmitt Architects, Drew Mandel Design, duToit Architects Limited, George Friedman Architect, Hariri Pontarini Architects, HOK, Ian Mac­Donald Architect Inc., Jason Dobbin Architect, Levitt Goodman Architects, Levitt Goodman Architects in association with Walter Fedy and Phillip H. Carter Architect, MacLennan Jaun­

kalns Miller Architects, MacLennan Jaunkalns Miller Architects/HIP Architects—architects in joint venture, Montgomery Sisam Architects Inc., Page + Steele/IBI Group Architects, Parkin Architects Limited, Paul Raff Studio, PLANT Architect Inc., PLANT Architect Inc. and Douglas Coupland, Queen’s Quay Architects International Inc., RAW Design Inc., RDH Architects Inc., Spiracle Design, Stantec Architecture Ltd., Stantec Architecture Ltd./KPMB Architects—architects in joint venture, TACT Architecture Inc., Taylor Hazell Architects, Teeple Architects Inc. + Architecture ATB, The Ventin Group Toronto Ltd., Tyler Sharp, Unit A Architecture Inc. & RAW Design Inc., Zeidler Partnership Architects in association with DSRA Architects.

QUeBec AFO—Atelier Big City/Fichten Soifer­man & Associés/L’OEUF, AKA, Andrew King with Nicolay Boyadjiev, Anne Vallières Architecte, Architecturama, Architecture Open Form, ARCOP/FGM—architects in joint venture, Atelier Pierre Thibault, Brière Gilbert + Associés Archi­tectes, Cannon Design/DCYSA Architects, CGA + D, Chevalier Morales architectes, Dan Hanganu architectes, Dan Hanganu + Côté Leahy Cardas architectes, DMG + Bourgeois | Lechasseur Architectes en Consortium, Fichten Soiferman et Associés Architectes, Fournier Gersovitz Moss Drolet & Associés Architectes, KANVA, Lachance & Associée Architectes, Laroche et Gagné + Labbé, Lemay, L’OEUF in collaboration with NIP paysage, Paul Laurendeau | François Beauchesne | Architectures en consortium, Pelletier de Fon­tenay, Régis Côté & Associates, Smith Vigeant Architectes, TBA (Thomas Balaban Architecte).

new BrUnswick Acre Architects Inc.

noVa scotia MacKay­Lyons Sweetapple Architects Limited in association with ARCOP, Omar Gandhi, Rayleen Hill Architecture + Design Inc., Susan Fitzgerald Architecture.

colorado IBI Group.

Drew Adams (University of Toronto), Janak Alford (Carleton University), Jordan Allen (University of Calgary), Natalie Badenduck (Uni­versity of Manitoba), Matthew Beall (University of British Columbia), Ryan Beecroft (Dalhousie University), Michael Blois (Ryerson University), Frédérick Boily (Université de Montréal), Erik Boyko (University of Waterloo), Liana Bresler (University of Waterloo), Christopher Chevalier (University of Calgary), Jon Cummings (Uni­versity of Toronto), Yusef Dennis (Dalhousie University), Michael Faciejew (McGill Univer­sity), Ali Fard (University of Toronto), Chantal Galibois (Université Laval), Mindy Gud zinski (Dalhousie University), Derek Judson (Carleton University), Muhidin Kadric (Université de Montréal), Lilia Koleva (McGill University), Nicolas Labrie (Université Laval), Monica Leung (Dalhousie University), Michael Lis (University of British Columbia), Alison MacLachlan (Uni­versity of Calgary), Chad Manley (University of British Columbia), Ashley Marcynuk (Carleton University), Robert Micacchi (University of Waterloo), Ariel SJ Mieling (University of British Columbia), Brett Osness (University of Calgary), Simon Pelletier (Université Laval), Gabrielle Poirier (McGill University), Jeff Powers + Byron White (University of Toronto), Nadia Qadir (Ryerson University), Dustin Sharrow (Univer­sity of Manitoba), Kendra Spanton (Carleton University), André St­Pierre (Université Laval), Jason Tsironis (McGill University), Rose Uomo­bono (Université de Montréal), Elmira Yousefi (Ryerson University).

list of entrants

2011 awards of eXcellenceIn addition to this year’s winners, the editors thank the following individuals and firms for partici­pating in the 2011 Canadian Architect Awards of Excellence:

2011 stUdent awards of eXcellenceIn addition to this year’s winners, the following architecture students were chosen by their schools to enter their thesis projects in this year’s awards:

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