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p05 Contents 1/11/08 10:59 AM Page 5

CONTENTS
MARTIN TESSLER

ROBERT LEMERMEYER

ROBERT LEMERMEYER
15 WATER CENTRE 9 NEWS
2008 National Urban Design Awards call for
THE CITY OF CALGARY’S SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS POLICY DEMONSTRATES LEADERSHIP IN
submissions; Government of Canada an-
ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP, AS EMBODIED BY THIS NEW BUILDING BY STURGESS ARCHI-
TECTURE AND MANASC ISAAC ARCHITECTS. TEXT DAVID DOWN nounces investment to improve foreign cre-
dential recognition process for architects.

22 CENTRE FOR URBAN ECOLOGY 35 PRACTICE

J. Denis Seguin writes on the effectiveness
TAYLOR HAZELL ARCHITECTS AND ARCHITECTSALLIANCE KEEP SUSTAINABILITY OBJECTIVES AT
THE FOREFRONT IN THE DESIGN OF THIS STUNNING NEW FACILITY ON THE HUMBER of new project management software pack-
COLLEGE CAMPUS. TEXT LESLIE JEN ages that are being adapted by large firms
to direct complex, international projects.

27 HOUSE ON LAST MOUNTAIN LAKE 37 BOOKS

IN COLLABORATION WITH ORDA, LAURA PLOSZ AND TROY SMITH DESIGN A MODEST HOME Four recent Canadian publications to guide
IN SASKATCHEWAN BEACH THAT CONTEXTUALLY RESPONDS TO THE SUBLIME PRAIRIE LAND- the profession on the development of our
SCAPE. TEXT BERNARD FLAMAN cities and landscape.

41 CALENDAR
31 TELUS HOUSE ATRIUM A Work in Progress: Preserving Toronto’s
SUSTAINABLE DESIGN CONCERNS ARE FURTHER ADDRESSED BY BUSBY PERKINS + WILL IN THIS Architectural Record at the City of Toronto
ATRIUM ADDITION TO A VANCOUVER OFFICE BUILDING. TEXT MATTHEW SOULES Archives; Richard Florida leads Niagara-
palooza: Rethinking Our Cities.

42 BACKPAGE
The winners of Calgary’s annual Peepshow
competition conduct a live architectural
EXTRACT FANS
workshop in downtown Calgary.
CATWALK AND HANDRAIL
•
•

FRITTED & LAMINATED

TEMPERED GLASS
SPRINKLER LINES GUTTER
MONO RAIL
•
•
•

•
•
•
•
TENSION ROD
HSS COMPRESSION STRUCTURE
•
STEEL STRUT
•
TRACK LIGHTING •
MONO RAIL
• STEEL PLATE
PERFORATED WOOD PANELS
W/ACOUSTIC BACKING

JANUARY 2008, V.53 N.01

COVER THE CENTRE FOR URBAN ECOLOGY AT

HUMBER COLLEGE IN TORONTO, BY TAYLOR

HAZELL ARCHITECTS AND ARCHITECTS-
THE NATIONAL REVIEW OF DESIGN AND PRACTICE/ ALLIANCE. PHOTOGRAPH BY TOM ARBAN.
THE JOURNAL OF RECORD OF THE RAIC

01/08 CANADIAN ARCHITECT 5

p06 Viewpoint 1/11/08 11:00 AM Page 6

VIEWPOINT
KEITH BRADSHAW

EDITOR
IAN CHODIKOFF, OAA, MRAIC

ASSOCIATE EDITOR
LESLIE JEN, MRAIC

EDITORIAL ADVISORS
JOHN MCMINN, AADIPL.
MARCO POLO, OAA, MRAIC
CHARLES WALDHEIM, OALA(HON.), FAAR

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
GAVIN AFFLECK, OAA, MRAIC
TREVOR BODDY
HERBERT ENNS, MAA, MRAIC
DOUGLAS MACLEOD, NCARB

REGIONAL CORRESPONDENTS
ABOVETHE RECENTLY OPENED COPENHAGEN OPERA HOUSE DESIGNED BY HENNING LARSEN HALIFAX CHRISTINE MACY, OAA
MONTREAL DAVID THEODORE
ARCHITECTS IS ILLUSTRATIVE OF A DESIGN CULTURE THAT IS FLOURISHING IN DENMARK TODAY. WINNIPEG HERBERT ENNS, MAA
REGINA BERNARD FLAMAN, SAA
CALGARY DAVID A. DOWN, AAA
Interestingly enough, the month of January is been successfully adapted by Brock University EDMONTON BRIAN ALLSOPP, AAA
named for Janus—the god of the doorway. As good and the University of Ottawa: both have used por-
PUBLISHER
little architects who probably ate too much over tions of the MAP to develop more coherent urban TOM ARKELL 416-510-6806

the Christmas holidays, we are now in the process
of squeezing ourselves through the doorway into
2008 with firm resolve to improve our habits.
What might our New Year’s resolutions entail?
planning and design frameworks for their res- SALES MANAGER
GREG PALIOURAS 416-510-6808
pective campuses. CIRCULATION MANAGER
BEATA OLECHNOWICZ 416-442-5600 EXT. 3543
As an instrument of change, the Danish archi-
CUSTOMER SERVICE
tectural policy was prepared through the collabo- MALKIT CHANA 416-442-5600 EXT. 3539

Better commissions? Finding wealthier clients? rative efforts of various ministries such as PRODUCTION
JESSICA JUBB
Or perhaps we might seek to reduce the carbon Culture, Economic and Business Affairs, Social GRAPHIC DESIGN
footprint of our projects so that our buildings Affairs, Foreign Affairs, Defence, Transport and SUE WILLIAMSON

VICE PRESIDENT OF CANADIAN PUBLISHING

don’t consume so much energy.
Thankfully, many of the possible New Year’s
resolutions that architects might adopt (beyond
the commitment to eat less and exercise more)
have already been compiled as national architec-
tural policies in countries like France, Holland
and Italy. But it is Denmark that has developed
one of the most utilitarian, but equally visionary
architectural policies: in May 2007, the Danish
government published A Nation of Architecture—
Energy. Working with various public landowners, ALEX PAPANOU
the collaborative effort achieved a comprehensive PRESIDENT OF BUSINESS INFORMATION GROUP
BRUCE CREIGHTON
architectural policy that appears to be working.
One need only spend a few days in Copenhagen to HEAD OFFICE
12 CONCORDE PLACE, SUITE 800,
see just how much attention is being paid to con- TORONTO, ON M3C 4J2
TELEPHONE 416-510-6845
temporary design and architecture in both public FACSIMILE 416-510-5140
E-MAIL EDITORS@CANADIANARCHITECT.COM
and private sectors. As Denmark’s policy hand- WEB SITE WWW.CANADIANARCHITECT.COM
book explains, “the precondition for retaining
Canadian Architect is published monthly by Business Information Group,
and developing society’s architectural values over a division of BIG Magazines LP, a leading Canadian information company
with interests in daily and community newspapers and business-to-business
time is a determined focus by decision-makers, information services.

Denmark. Appended with the telling subtitle operators and users on their respective responsi- The editors have made every reasonable effort to provide accurate and
authoritative information, but they assume no liability for the accuracy or
“settings for life and development,” the policy bility to safeguard architectural quality.” completeness of the text, or its fitness for any particular purpose.

deftly outlines ten strategic target areas that
include: greater architectural quality in public
construction; promoting private demand for
Architects will increasingly be called upon to
respond to diverse issues such as infrastructure,
sustainability, the challenge of multiculturalism
Subscription Rates Canada: $51.95 plus applicable taxes for one year;
$81.95 plus applicable taxes for two years (GST – #890939689RT0001).
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foreign: $101.95 U.S. per year.

improved architectural design; increasing subsi-
dized housing; maintaining heritage; establishing
higher architectural standards in urban planning;
and creating the best architecture schools in the
on community development, an aging population,
and an increased demand for affordable housing.
Not only can the architectural policies of Denmark
or the RAIC’s MAP help articulate our profession’s
US office of publication: 2424 Niagara Falls Blvd, Niagara Falls, NY 14304-
5709. Periodicals Postage Paid at Niagara Falls, NY. USPS #009-192.
US postmaster: Send address changes to Canadian Architect, PO Box 1118,
Niagara Falls, NY 14304.
Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Circulation Dept., Canadian
Architect, 12 Concorde Place, Suite 800, Toronto, ON Canada M3C 4J2.

Postmaster: please forward forms 29B and 67B to 12 Concorde Place,

world. In Canada, no level of government has
expressly demonstrated any appreciation of
architecture as a cultural asset, much less articu-
lated with any clarity policies such as the Danes
have achieved. Our governments view architec-
ture as a trivial subject despite the fact that the
construction industry comprises approximately
12 percent of the Canadian economy.
In existence for roughly two years, the Royal
Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) has
developed its own Model Architectural Policy
(MAP) focusing on four objectives: improving the
quality of life for all Canadians, achieving sus-
tainability, contributing to and enriching Cana-
dian culture and heritage, and promoting inno-
vation and research. Although the document is a
non-governmental policy framework, it has since
value, thereby fueling our resolve to effect change,
but such documents can assist governments in
developing appropriate architectural policies and
benchmarks for decision-makers—be they private
developers or universities—to make informed
decisions affecting society at large.
We can learn from countries like Denmark
while promoting policies like the RAIC’s MAP so
that our governments will spend less energy on
counting the number of doorframes being built—
or doorways as in the case of Janus—and improve
the abilities of the public and private sectors to
cooperate for the sake of higher-quality build-
ings. Surely, the number of housing starts in sub-
divisions should not be the only measure of a
healthy economy.
IAN CHODIKOFF ICHODIKOFF@CANADIANARCHITECT.COM
Suite 800, Toronto, ON Canada M3C 4J2. Printed in Canada. All rights
reserved. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced either in
part or in full without the consent of the copyright owner.
From time to time we make our subscription list available to select companies
and organizations whose product or service may interest you. If you do not
wish your contact information to be made available, please contact us via
one of the following methods:
Telephone 1-800-668-2374
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Mail Privacy Officer, Business Information Group, 12 Concorde Place, Suite 800,
Toronto, ON Canada M3C 4J2
MEMBER OF THE CANADIAN BUSINESS PRESS
MEMBER OF THE AUDIT BUREAU OF CIRCULATIONS
PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT #40069240
ISSN 0008-2872

6 CANADIAN ARCHITECT 01/08

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p09-11 News 1/14/08 11:37 AM Page 9
PROJECTS
Iredale Group Architecture to design the
Robert Bateman Art and Environmental
Education Centre.
Royal Roads University in Victoria, BC has
selected award-winning BC firm Iredale Group
Architecture (IGA) to design an environmentally
innovative new building on its heritage site cam-
pus. IGA will begin work immediately on the
Robert Bateman Art and Environmental Educa-
tion Centre, a building that will be the centre-
piece of an initiative to transform the university
into a living laboratory for sustainability, and
one that will make key contributions to the
province’s climate change action plan to dramat-
ically reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2020.
The Centre is envisioned as a “living building”—
a standard that goes beyond the LEED (Leader-
ship in Energy and Environmental Design) stan-
dards in that it will create zero greenhouse gas
emissions and have a positive impact on the
environment. Living buildings are usually con-
structed from natural local materials and include
a variety of solar and thermal designs as well as
on-site wastewater treatment systems. This
project will also include restoration of the wet-
land that was on the Centre’s site 100 years ago.
The Robert Bateman Art and Environmental
Education Centre will house an extensive collec-
tion of donated originals and prints by Robert
Bateman in addition to photographs by Robert
and Birgit Bateman and archival material, sketch
books and correspondence. Planning for the
Bateman Centre will begin immediately with
construction slated to start in fall 2008. The
centre is scheduled to open in 2010.
AWARDS
2008 National Urban Design Awards call
for submissions.
The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada
(RAIC), the Canadian Institute of Planners
(CIP), and the Canadian Society of Landscape
Architects (CSLA) have announced a Call for
Submissions for the 2008 National Urban
Design Awards. Urban design and architectural
excellence play an important role in maintaining
and enhancing the quality of life in Canadian
cities. The Royal Architectural Institute of
Canada, in cooperation with Canadian munici-
palities, wishes to promote public and private
awareness of that role. For this reason, an Urban
Design Awards program has been established to
recognize individuals, organizations, firms and
projects that have contributed to the quality of
life and sustainability in our Canadian cities.
There are six different categories of urban
design projects. One award will be bestowed for
each category. Additionally, in 2008, there will
be two special jury awards selected from the
submissions received. Sustainable Development
concerns a project from within any of the cate-
gories that the jury deems best demonstrates the
principles of urban sustainable development
while also exemplifying sensitive urban design.
The Small or Medium Community Urban Design
Award recognizes a project from within any of
the categories, situated in an urban centre of
fewer than 500,000 inhabitants, that demon-
strates the value of urban design in a mid-size
community. The Student Projects category will
be administered through participating Canadian
universities’ programs in architecture, land-
scape architecture, and/or urban planning.
Entry forms and binders must be received before
4:00pm on February 15, 2008. An entry fee must
accompany each submission that is not from a
municipally administered local urban design
awards program.
www.raic.org/honours_and_awards/awards_urban/
urban-submission_e.htm
Design Exchange Award winners
announced.
At an awards dinner held on the evening of Nov-
ember 29, 2007, the Design Exchange an-
nounced the winners of its 2007 Awards pro-
gram. The Design Exchange Awards (DXA) cele-
brate the success of Canadian designers in the
areas of: Architecture, Fashion, Graphic Design,
Industrial Product Design, Interior Design,
Landscape Architecture and Urban Design. This
year, 35 awards were handed out to designers in
12 categories for projects completed in Canada,
the US and in international cities. The winners
of the 2007 Design Exchange Awards are as fol-
lows. In the Architecture—Commercial category,
the Umbra Concept Store by Kohn Shnier
Architects of Toronto captured Gold. Silver was
awarded to the Four Seasons Centre for the Per-
forming Arts by Diamond and Schmitt Archi-
tects of Toronto. The Brampton Soccer Centre
won Bronze, and was designed by Toronto’s
MacLennan Jaunkalns Miller Architects. In the
Architecture—Residential category, the Court-
yard House by Studio Junction Inc. of Toronto
was honoured with a Gold award, while Silver
was captured by Toronto’s Donald Chong Studio
for the Galley House. Cindy Rendely Architex-
ture, also of Toronto, won Bronze for the Ravine
Residence. An Honourable Mention was given to
the Laneway House by Kohn Shnier Architects of
Toronto. In the Interior Design—Commercial
category, the Multifaith Centre at the University
of Toronto by Moriyama + Teshima Architects of
Toronto won Gold, while Silver was scooped by
figure3 and Christopher Wright of Toronto for
the Umbra Premiere Retail Location. And once
again, the Brampton Soccer Centre by
MacLennan Jaunkalns Miller Architects won its
second Bronze award. An Honourable Mention
acknowledged IBM Canada, Workplace on
NEWS
Demand by figure3 and Suzanne Bettencourt of
Toronto. In the Interior Design—Residential cat-
egory, Gold was given to the Woodlawn House by
PLANT Architect Inc. of Toronto, while Silver
was awarded to a private residence by Core
Architects, Inc., also of Toronto. In the Interior
Design—Temporary or Portable category, Gold
was issued to KidZone by 3rd Uncle Design of
Toronto, and Silver recognized the National
Museum of Singapore Living Galleries by GSM
Design Exhibits Inc. of Montreal. Bronze was
taken by Eco-Suite, designed by Toronto’s
Andrea Kantelberg of Kantelberg Design. In the
Landscape Architecture category, Toronto’s
PLANT Architect Inc. won another Gold award,
this time for Foote’s Pond Wood. The UBC
Sustainability Street project by space2place
design inc. of Vancouver took the Silver award,
and Cecconi Simone of Toronto won Bronze for
the Carport. In the Urban Design category, HtO
by Janet Rosenberg + Associates, Claude Cormier
Architectes Paysagistes, and Hariri Pontarini
Architects captured Gold.
www.dx.org/dxa
Second Holcim Awards competition to
promote sustainable construction.
The second Holcim Awards competition to pro-
mote sustainable construction is open for
entries until February 29, 2008. The Awards are
an initiative of the Swiss-based Holcim Founda-
tion to encourage and inspire a built environ-
ment that goes beyond convention to address the
challenges of sustainability. The Awards are
open to anyone involved with projects in the area
of sustainable construction—architects, plan-
ners, engineers, project owners, etc. All building
projects are eligible for the competition if con-
struction had not started before June 1, 2007.
The Holcim Awards competition also seeks
visions and ideas at a conceptual level. This spe-
cial “Next Generation” category is open for pro-
fessionals younger than 35 years of age. Entries
in the competition may be submitted in English
only via a web-based entry form.
www.holcimawards.org
WHAT’S NEW
Government of Canada announces
investment to improve foreign credential
recognition process for architects.
In November, the Federal government an-
nounced its support for an initiative that
addresses the difficulty of internationally
trained architects obtaining credentials recogni-
tion here in Canada. The Royal Architectural
Institute of Canada (RAIC) will receive funding
of over $400,000 through the Government of
Canada’s Foreign Credential Recognition (FCR)
program. The RAIC will work with provincial
licensing bodies to develop a nationally accepted
01/08 CANADIAN ARCHITECT 9
p09-11 News 1/14/08 11:37 AM Page 10

CIRCLE REPLY CARD 16

p09-11 News 1/14/08 11:37 AM Page 11
system that will assess the educational qualifica-
tions and professional experience of interna-
tionally trained architects. In addition, they will
develop a multilingual web portal to provide
detailed information on the Canadian system of
professional qualifications and on the Canadian
architectural industry in general, as well as
online learning courses to facilitate entry into
the field. “The RAIC is thrilled with the support
it is receiving from the Government of Canada,”
said Jon Hobbs, RAIC Executive Director. “[The]
funding will enable us to create a fairer, more
transparent system for integrating internation-
ally trained architects into our profession, and
improve their access to labour market informa-
tion and learning tools that are vital to their suc-
cess in Canada.”
RAIC College of Fellows Centennial Fund
for Interns.
Interns or Intern Architects are the very future of
the architectural profession and it is an absolute
necessity that they are supported and honoured.
The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada
(RAIC) are asking once again for a donation to
the College of Fellows Centennial Fund for
Interns, which recognizes those interns who have
shown exceptional leadership and who have
made significant contributions to the profession
at an early stage of their careers. Never before has
the architectural profession been so busy. Please
take a moment to share your good fortune with
our future architects, and show your support by
contacting Chantal Charbonneau at 613.241.3600
x214 or at ccharbonneau@raic.org. All donations
to the RAIC Foundation are tax deductible.
Bold Visions: The Architecture of the Royal
Ontario Museum released.
The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) offers an
intriguing look at its architecture—past and pres-
ent—in its newest publication Bold Visions: The
Architecture of the Royal Ontario Museum. Author
Kelvin Browne presents the evolution of the
ROM’s architecture from the beginning of the
20th century to the June 2007 opening of the
Michael Lee-Chin Crystal. Bold Visions is avail-
able in the ROM Museum Store and bookstores
across the country for $44.99 (softcover) and
$64.99 (hardcover), plus applicable taxes.
Design exhibition opens at Toronto Pearson
International Airport.
Canadian design is highlighted in a new exhibi-
tion, Canada in the Making, now open in Terminal
1 at Toronto Pearson International Airport, as part
of the Art and Exhibitions Program of the Greater
Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA). Organized by
the Design Exchange (DX), Canada in the Making
features two mini-exhibitions, Cool Country, Hot
Design and Radio Prime Time. Cool Country, Hot
Design showcases contemporary Canadian design.
CIRCLE REPLY CARD 17
ABOVE DESIGNED BY W.J. DOIG, THE MIDGE
MODEL 5708 RADIO WAS FIRST MANUFAC-
TURED BY NORTHERN ELECTRIC IN 1950. THE
RADIO IS PART OF AN EXHIBITION CURRENTLY
ON DISPLAY AT TORONTO’S PEARSON INTER-
NATIONAL AIRPORT.
Michel Dallaire’s plastic attaché case has become a
design icon, with millions sold since its introduc-
tion in 1986. Anne Barros’ baby cutlery represents
a union of form and function—beautiful objects
that are safe and comfortable for babies to use.
Radio Prime Time includes radios designed and
manufactured in Canada’s heyday of radio produc-
tion between 1940 and 1960. The radios will
bring back memories for many passengers and
show others that Canada has produced cutting-
edge design for decades. The exhibition is on dis-
play until February 18, 2007 in the Skylight Exhi-
bits located in the International Departures area
of Terminal 1 at Toronto Pearson.
01/08 CANADIAN ARCHITECT 11
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p15-19 Water Centre 1/11/08 11:11 AM Page 15

WATERSHED

A NEW BENCHMARK OF SUSTAINABILITY, THIS ABOVE SITED ALONG 25 AVENUE, THIS NEW MUNICIPAL BUILDING RESTS
FACILITY FOR THE CITY OF CALGARY JUST MIGHT LIKE A LANDLOCKED SHIP.
CHANGE THE WAY THE CITY COMMISSIONS
ARCHITECTURE.
With its distinctive profile standing out boldly in the gritty light industrial
PROJECT THE WATER CENTRE, MANCHESTER YARDS, CALGARY, ALBERTA
Manchester area immediately southeast of Calgary’s downtown core, the
ARCHITECT STURGESS ARCHITECTURE IN COLLABORATION WITH MANASC new Calgary Water Centre is a watershed achievement for the City of Calgary
ISAAC ARCHITECTS LTD. on a number of fronts. In 2003, the City of Calgary adopted a Sustainable
TEXT DAVID DOWN Buildings Policy which made it the first municipality in Canada to commit
PHOTOS ROBERT LEMERMEYER
to ensuring that any new or renovated City-owned buildings will meet a
AERIAL PHOTOS KEITH WALKER
minimum LEED Silver standard or better. This new building is the first
City-owned operational/administrative building constructed under this

01/08 CANADIAN ARCHITECT 15

p15-19 Water Centre 1/11/08 11:11 AM Page 16

policy, providing an important opportunity to

showcase leadership and commitment to envi-
ronmental stewardship and to generate public
interest in and support for sustainable buildings.
In keeping with the City’s Triple Bottom Line
(economic, social, environmental) policy ob-
jectives, and its commitment to the Melbourne
Principles for Sustainable Cities developed
through the United Nations Environmental
Program, the Water Centre was designed to create
minimal impact on the environment by reducing
energy and water use, generating less waste, and
providing a healthy and dynamic working envi-
ronment for City employees.
The building brings together for the first time
800 employees of ten divisions within Water-
works and Wastewater into one centralized oper-
ation in a building that will act as a showcase for
water-efficient building and site design. As part
of this rapidly growing city’s Corporate Work-
place Centres framework, the project sought to
reorganize workplace requirements by function,
and, by moving them into a centralized location,
realize cost and work efficiencies. The new loca-
tion is situated near rapid transit, and supports
better collaboration between city departments, as
employees have faster and easier access to and
from the downtown core with less traffic and
parking-related stress. The open, linear building
layout enables better co-operation and commu-
nication among employees while meeting excep-
tionally high standards for workplace health and
safety.
The site, at the northern edge of the City’s
Manchester Yard operations complex, was reme-
diated from its brownfield condition to meet the
most stringent reclamation guidelines in Canada.
A pre-existing master plan for the 85-acre yard
proposed a conventional box surrounded by sur-
face parking at this location, but the design team
found inspiration in the both the past and the
future of the site which led to an alternate design
solution. Architect Jeremy Sturgess recounts that
25 Avenue, presenting a gently curving northern
edge to the site, traces the original route of the
Grand Trunk Railway from Medicine Hat. This
historic significance suggested a more suitably
civic street edge while the shape of the site pro-
vided the opportunity to optimize the solar ori-
entation. The result is a long single-loaded plan
realized over four storeys which creates a shelter-
ing “garden wall” opening out onto a large green
space to the south. Where surface parking might
have otherwise been, this public garden is

TOP WORKING RAIL YARDS OPERATE SOUTH OF

THE PROJECT WHILE THE BOW RIVER, SADDLE-

DOME AND CITY CENTRE ARE CLEARLY VISIBLE
TO THE NORTH. MIDDLE A DETAILED AERIAL
IMAGE DEPICTS THE LANDSCAPE ARCHITEC-
TURE OF THE SITE, INCLUDING THE INTEGRA-
TION OF STORM-WATER MANAGEMENT TECH-
NIQUES. LEFT THE NEW WATER CENTRE IS INDI-
CATED IN YELLOW IN THIS AERIAL PHOTO-
GRAPH.

16 CANADIAN ARCHITECT 01/08

p15-19 Water Centre 1/11/08 11:11 AM Page 17

designed with indigenous vegetation and innova-

tive storm-water swales which extend the water
resource theme into the landscape. As the flag-
ship of the Manchester revitalization plan, the
Water Centre will set the expectation for a high
standard of architectural design, environmental
responsibility and community involvement in the
emerging reinvigoration of this area of the city.
Across 25 Avenue, plans are underway for the
Ramsay Exchange, which will replace 21 acres of
former industrial land with a comprehensively
designed, mixed-use neighbourhood incorporat-
ing smart growth and sustainable design princi-
ples. As this and other adjacent developments
occur, the Water Centre will shift its role from a
lonely standout in an industrial hinterland to the
gatekeeper of a newly thriving part of Calgary’s
inner city.
In concept, Sturgess refers to the building’s
distinctive sculpted shape as a blanket wrapping
the space, turning a protective back to the north
while opening to the south. Inside, the full-
height south-facing atrium visually connects all
levels of the building’s open floor plan while a
dramatically open concrete stair connects them
physically. Purposefully open to foster teamwork
through increased worker connectivity, each
floor level cantilevers progressively further into
the atrium facilitating visibility between the
floors, providing additional shading, and alter-
ing the spatial character of each level. The strong
architectural quality of the atrium is further
enhanced by the careful placement of glazing
tints on the south wall, where the gradation from
light green to dark blue was carefully calibrated
to meet heat load requirements while maximiz-
ing natural light. The resulting interior light has
a rippling, watery quality which further under-
scores the building’s concept. Sturgess suggests
that one of the great successes of the building is
the simple and natural sense of orientation
which this vertical “space of communication”
provides.
Overall, the building meets high standards for
indoor air quality, controllability of ambient sys-
tems (light, temperature, operable windows and
views) and occupant comfort levels. It includes a
fitness centre and change facilities, cafeteria and
bicycle pool. It is estimated that the 183,000-
square-foot complex will use 59% less potable
water, generate 72% less waste water and be 57%
more energy-efficient than a comparable build-
ing, achieving energy savings worth over
$100,000 annually. Its water-efficient features
TOP THE SIGNATURE EXPRESSION OF THIS BUILDING IS CAPTURED IN THIS PHOTOGRAPH ILLUSTRATING
include a rainwater harvesting system which will ITS METAL-CLAD ROOF AMBITIOUSLY PROJECTING SKYWARD. ABOVE A DECEPTIVELY RESTRAINED ARCHI-
eliminate the need for potable water for irriga- TECTURAL EXPRESSION IS OBSERVED WHEN APPROACHING THE FRONT ENTRANCE TO THE BUILDING.
tion and toilet flushing. The innovative mechani-
cal design includes the use of radiant ceiling slab and out toward the landscape, firmly linking the Prairie Garden, which emphasizes the collec-
cooling in combination with under-floor ventila- project’s architectural concept to the site tion of roof storm water via distinctive rain-
tion, saving enough energy to prevent approxi- through the use of innovative storm-water man- water leaders and handcrafted runnels that also
mately 71 metric tonnes of CO2 from entering the agement techniques highlighted by the integra- define pedestrian areas. Various earthcast ves-
atmosphere every year. tion of public art. North Carolina artist Thomas sels “speak to the delicate balance between the
This outstanding effort at comprehensive Sayre collaborated with Carlyle + Associates natural rhythms of precipitation and the need of
sustainable design extends beyond the building Landscape Architects on the design of the humans to collect, channel, and contain water.”

01/08 CANADIAN ARCHITECT 17

p15-19 Water Centre 1/11/08 11:11 AM Page 18

This project was developed as part of the UEP

Public Art Master Plan which applies the
required one-percent-for-art funding to an
innovative program of art projects around the
city which will celebrate the regional watershed
and advocate water conservation. The ground
plane, with a temporary toupée of turf, will
evolve with the seasons as plugs of prairie
grasses are successively planted.
Now in the final stages of completion and
occupation, the building has already garnered an
RAIC Mayor’s Urban Design Award as well as
considerable public and media attention.
Through its ambitious environmental agenda,
EXPLODED AXONOMETRIC
its considerable stakeholder involvement and
substantial long-term economic benefits, it
sets a clear precedent in meeting Calgary City
Council’s leadership objectives for its own facili-
ties. Moreover, the building is a civic landmark
which is heralded as an illustration of the suc-
cess of the Integrated Design Process and of the
fact that, in Sturgess’s words, “LEED does not
hinder good architecture but in fact has made it
justifiable.” CA
David A. Down, AAA, FRAIC is a Senior Architect and
Coordinator of Centre City Development and Heritage
with the City of Calgary.

18 CANADIAN ARCHITECT 01/08

p15-19 Water Centre 1/11/08 11:11 AM Page 19

OPPOSITE, TOP TO BOTTOM AN EXTERIOR WALKWAY RUNS UNDER THE LIP OF THE DISTINCTIVELY CURVED CLIENT THE CITY OF CALGARY WATER SERVICES/WATER RESOURCES—
RUSS GOLIGHTLY
ROOF; STORM-WATER MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES SUCH AS THE COLLECTION OF ROOF STORM ARCHITECT TEAM KEITH ANNETT, LESLEY BEALE, DON BECKER, COURT-
NEY CLARKE, KIRSTEN DOW PIERCE, VANCE HARRIS, DEREK HESLOP, BOB
WATER VIA DISTINCTIVE RAIN-WATER LEADERS AND HANDCRAFTED RUNNELS CONTRIBUTE TO THE HORVATH, THOMAS LEONG, VIVIAN MANASC, WES SIMS, JEREMY
WATER-CONSCIOUS ARCHITECTURAL ATTITUDE OF THE PROJECT; AN EXTERIOR STAIR MAXIMIZES THE STURGESS, MIKE TURNER
STRUCTURAL READ JONES CHRISTOFFERSEN
SLIGHT GRADE CHANGE AND VIEWS THROUGH THE SITE. ABOVE, LEFT TO RIGHT NORTH-FACING MECHANICAL/ELECTRICAL STANTEC CONSULTING
OFFICES ARE AFFORDED GENEROUS LEVELS OF NATURAL DAYLIGHT; TWO INTERIOR VIEWS ILLUSTRATE LANDSCAPE CARLYLE + ASSOCIATES
INTERIORS STURGESS ARCHITECTURE AND MANASC ISAAC ARCHITECTS
HOW THE LINEAR SOUTH-FACING INTERIOR ATRIUM FOSTERS TEAMWORK AND CONNECTIVITY CONTRACTOR DOMINION CONSTRUCTION
AREA 16,000 M2
AMONGST THE FACILITY’S 800 EMPLOYEES. BUDGET $41 M
COMPLETION SEPTEMBER 2007

SUSTAINABILITY SECTION

01/08 CANADIAN ARCHITECT 19

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p22-25 Eco Centre 1/11/08 11:13 AM Page 22

EVERYTHING’S GONE GREEN

A NEW EDUCATION AND RESEARCH FACILITY
FOR HUMBER COLLEGE PERFORMS AS A LIVING
LABORATORY OF SUSTAINABLE BUILDING,
FOSTERING ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP
AND THE CREATION OF A GREENER CITY.

PROJECT CENTRE FOR URBAN ECOLOGY

ARCHITECT TAYLOR HAZELL ARCHITECTS LTD. PRIME CONSULTANT IN
ASSOCIATION WITH ARCHITECTSALLIANCE
TEXT LESLIE JEN

PHOTOS TOM ARBAN

22 CANADIAN ARCHITECT 01/08

p22-25 Eco Centre 1/11/08 11:13 AM Page 23

Located at the edge of a ravine within the Humber

Arboretum on the north campus of the Humber
College Institute of Technology and Advanced
Learning, the Centre for Urban Ecology replaces
the Nature Centre, a wood structure designed by
Jerome Markson almost three decades ago. As a
joint venture between Humber College, the City
of Toronto and Toronto and Region Conservation
Authority, the arboretum is characterized by
trails and boardwalks that lead visitors through
gardens, forests, meadows and wetlands.
Within the arboretum’s larger goal of protect-
ing and restoring habitat for native plants and
animals, the Centre for Urban Ecology provides
educational opportunities in horticulture and
environmental stewardship, and promotes the
advancement of technology in service of the
preservation of the natural world. The impetus
for the construction of the new facility was borne
from the fact that staff and programming had
long outgrown the existing Nature Centre, which
was physically being destroyed by the presence of
carpenter ants over the years.
Consequently, the contract for the newly
named Centre for Urban Ecology was awarded to
the joint-venture team of Taylor Hazell Architects
and architectsAlliance (aA), both firms with
extensive experience in site development, con-
servation and sustainable building strategies.
According to project leads Jill Taylor (of Taylor
Hazell) and Pat Hanson (formerly of aA and cur-
rently with design firm gh3), the architectural
goal of the project was to create a modern build-
ing signalling a change in values with respect to
sustainable development and energy conserva-
tion, using materials and forms that would com-
municate architectural and engineering ideas to a
wide range of visitors—in essence, creating a liv-
ing laboratory.
User groups include mostly school-age chil-
dren, but the Centre does provide some adult
education programs, as well as a broad range of
programs for Humber College students in areas
such as horticulture, architecture and environ-
mental science. Public school groups comprise
the vast majority of visitors, some as young as
three and four years of age. As a facility commit-
ted to teaching by example, it was decided that
the lessons communicated to this primarily jun-
ior audience had to be clear and memorable.

LOCATED IN THE MIDST OF THE

OPPOSITE

HUMBER ARBORETUM ON HUMBER COLLEGE’S

NORTH CAMPUS, THE CENTRE FOR URBAN
ECOLOGY INTEGRATES ITSELF WITH THE LAND-
SCAPE AS A FINE EXAMPLE OF SUSTAINABLE
BUILDING. TOP RIGHT SCULPTURAL FORMS AND
SPACES ARE CREATED AT THE REAR OF THE
BUILDING BY ENGINEERED LANDSCAPE WALLS
CAST WITH CIRCULAR RECEPTACLES INTENDED
TO ACCOMMODATE PLANTINGS. RIGHT THE
GRADE CHANGE OF THE CENTRE’S SITE IS
ACHIEVED THROUGH THE USE OF BACKFILL,
INTENDED TO FACILITATE INSULATION AND
RADIANT COOLING.

01/08 CANADIAN ARCHITECT 23

p22-25 Eco Centre 1/11/08 11:13 AM Page 24
TOP THE THERMAL CHIMNEY RISES ABOVE THE STAIRWELL LEADING TO THE
LOWER LEVEL OF THE URBAN ECOLOGY CENTRE, WHILE THE MAIN
CLASSROOM ENJOYS A VIRTUALLY PANORAMIC VIEW OF THE SURROUND-
ING HUMBER ARBORETUM. ABOVE THE LOWER-LEVEL WORKING PROJECT
ROOM WITH VIEWS OUT TO THE LANDSCAPED OUTDOOR CLASSROOM.
In furtherance of this goal, the design team worked with a joint committee
including members of the board and the School of Environmental Science,
reviewing various approaches to sustainable construction, heating and cool-
ing prior to determining the primary elements of the design.
As such, the building boasts a number of engineering features that have
earned it LEED Gold status. Aside from the use of environmentally friendly
and recycled building materials, a high-performance exterior glass wall
helps define the building as a transparent pavilion in the arboretum,
maximizing natural daylight and reducing the need for artificial lighting.
A green roof mitigates the heat island effect while helping to manage storm-
water and rain-water harvesting for landscape irrigation. High-efficiency
mechanical heating systems complement a radiant floor-heating system,
and passive cooling systems (such as the most dominant architectural fea-
ture of the projecting thermal chimney) reduce the reliance on air condi-
tioning. An on-site biofilter system treats all waste water and sewage from
the building, and water-conserving toilets were specified. Occupancy
sensor controls means that energy is not wasted if no one is in the Centre,
and a building automation system measures and relays information about
energy consumption for study purposes.
24 CANADIAN ARCHITECT 01/08
Of exceptional importance to both Taylor and Hanson is that the project
demonstrates the seamless integration of architecture and landscape—the
former should not be achieved at the expense of the latter. While the experi-
ence on the top floor of the Centre is akin to floating above the landscape,
the building is actually embedded into and enmeshed with its site through
the use of backfill to form an earth wall that wraps the building on three
sides. Apart from the benefit of providing greater insulation and radiant
cooling, this clever manipulation of the landscape creates highly sculptural
volumes and spaces, forming a sheltered outdoor classroom adjacent to the
building’s west elevation.
Planting was also an important consideration in this project. The entire
landscape component, including the green roof, utilizes native species in a
domesticated fashion. The west-facing courtyard is planted with a grove of
river birch, which will grow to eventually shade the west façade, reducing
summer heat gain. Planting was also executed on the structural retaining
earth walls that protect the ravine edge. And the concrete portions of the
engineered landscape earth walls were cast with circular depressions that
will eventually be planted, creating a whimsical pattern and texture which
also functions as outdoor public art. Together, these gestures create a mod-
ern landscape that contrasts with the domestic and demonstration planting
of the arboretum.
The approach to the building was carefully considered, and the arrival
and program sequence was structured such that visitors would experience
the landscape while reaching the building by foot: parking facilities are
located some distance away. On the pedestrian path, glimpses of the Centre
are apparent along the way, through the tress, and the glass skin permits
views right through the building to the landscape beyond. The path rises to
the front door—painted a glossy lipstick red to signal an unambiguous
entry—located on the upper level of the building, a high point of the site.
Once inside, visitors are provided with a privileged perch from which to
survey the entirety of the arboretum landscape.
In essence, this is a modestly sized building with a very simple program
that is executed with a great deal of sophistication. On the upper entry
level, one encounters the main classroom and an administrative office for
several employees, while the lower floor accommodates a secondary class-
room, washrooms, storage and a small staff kitchen. In the classrooms,
teaching occurs against the backdrop of the magnificent landscape, the
very subject of the education program. Wildlife such as deer and fox can
be seen roaming around the site, as are the squirrels that compete for the
feed set out for the many species of birds viewed from the classrooms
and offices.
Seasonal change is an exceptionally important aspect of the program,
and teaching extends not only visually but physically into the arboretum
through the experience of colour, sound, smell and temperature, providing
a constantly changing dynamic for visitors to the building. Against these
potent natural elements on site, the interior is kept spare and tightly
organized, and the materials used in the building’s construction are kept
deliberately neutral. The simplicity and clarity of polished concrete, glass
and steel allow the flora and fauna outside the building to dominate, while
on the interior, the artifacts used in the instruction process become the
primary focus.
According to the Centre for Urban Ecology staff, the building is a success
by all accounts. Staff members enjoy the features thoughtfully designed for
their needs, and are learning to appreciate the clean modernist aesthetic of
the building. Visiting children happily stream through the interior spaces
and into the arboretum lands to learn about their natural environment.
With programming occurring year-round, the building is well used. School
groups perpetually arrive in busloads throughout the academic year, and
summer camps keep the place buzzing through July and August. An intend-
ed increase in the number of adult programs means the Centre will stay
open later on some evenings. It can’t be long before the elegance and beauty
of the building and its impressive site stirs interest in those wanting to rent
the facility for social functions. CA
p22-25 Eco Centre 1/11/08 11:13 AM Page 25

1
6 3
8

2
4

SUMMER COOLING

SUMMER GREEN DIAGRAM

1 THERMAL CHIMNEY
2 VENTILATION AIR
3 BRISE-SOLEIL
4 LANDSCAPE SHADING
5 INSULATING EARTHMASS
6 GREEN ROOF
7 SKYLIGHT
8 WARM PLANE

SITE PLAN 0 50M

1
3
2 2

1
7

2
WINTER HEATING 5
8

WINTER GREEN DIAGRAM

1 DECIDUOUS PLANTING PERMITS SOLAR GAIN IN CONCRETE SLAB 6
1
2 HIGH-PERFORMANCE GLAZING REDUCES HEAT LOSS
9
3 RADIANT HEATING IN CONCRETE SLABS ABSORBS SOLAR LOAD 2
4 THERMAL CHIMNEY PROVIDES CONTROLLED VENTILATION 1
5 GREEN ROOF INCREASES INSULATION

UPPER LEVEL
1
1 ENGINEERED LANDSCAPE WALL/
SIERRA WALL SYSTEM
2 TERRACE
3 RAIN-WATER HARVESTNG TANK
4 BIOFILTER DISCHARGE
5 TRIPLE-GLAZED WALL
6 LOWER GREEN ROOF
7 THERMAL CHIMNEY
8 RADIANT HEAT IN CONCRETE SLAB
9 BRISE-SOLEIL

BIOFILTER SYSTEM
3
7 6 5 4 10
4
2

1
WATER REDUCTION + GREEN WASTE MANAGEMENT DIAGRAM
1 PLANTED ROOF
2 RAIN-WATER HARVESTING TANK
3 RAIN-WATER IRRIGATION
3 5
4 SEPTIC TANK
5 PUMP
6 BIOFILTER
7 PUMP 7
8 DISCHARGE TO SHALLOW TRENCH
8 2 6

3
9

CLIENT HUMBER COLLEGE INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY AND ADVANCED LEARNING, CITY OF TORONTO, TORONTO
AND REGION CONSERVATION AUTHORITY
ARCHITECT TEAM JILL TAYLOR, PAY HANSON, MARK WRONSKI, CHARLES HAZELL, FRANCIS WONG, JIM GRAVES,
JOHN VAN NOSTRAND, WALTER BETTIO, DENI DIFILIPO, DAVID AGRO 3
STRUCTURAL BLACKWELL BOWICK PARTNERSHIP—DAVID BOWICK, IAN MOUNTFORT
MECHANICAL ENERMODAL ENGINEERING LTD.—RICHARD LAY
ELECTRICAL ENERMODAL ENGINEERING LTD.—TIM DIETRICH
CIVIL MTE
LANDSCAPE GH3—DIANA GERRARD
LEED DESIGN ENERMODAL ENGINEERING LTD. LOWER LEVEL 0 10M
COST CONSULTANT VERMEULENS 1 MECHANICAL ROOM 5 THERMAL CHIMNEYS
CONTRACTOR JD STRACHAN CONSTRUCTION LTD. 2 TRIPLE-GLAZED WALL 6 RADIANT HEAT FLOORS
AREA 4,800 FT2 3 ENGINEERED LANDSCAPE WALLS (AS 7 LOWER CLASSROOM
BUDGET $3.4 M INSULATOR FOR PERIMETER) 8 GARDEN CLASSROOM
COMPLETION OCTOBER 2007 4 BACKFILL FOR INSULATION AND 9 BIOFILTER TANK LOCATIONS
RADIANT COOLING 10 BIOFILTER DISCHARGE

01/08 CANADIAN ARCHITECT 25

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p27-29 Plosz Residence 1/11/08 11:15 AM Page 27

LITTLE HOUSE ON
THE PRAIRIE
OVERLOOKING ONE OF SASKATCHEWAN’S MANY
BEAUTIFUL LAKES, THIS FAMILY-BUILT RESIDENCE
PROVIDES A VARIETY OF DELIGHTFUL VIEWS OF THE
SURROUNDING PRAIRIE.

PROJECTHOUSE ON LAST MOUNTAIN LAKE, SASKATCHEWAN BEACH, SASKATCHEWAN

LAURA PLOSZ AND TROY SMITH IN COLLABORATION WITH THE
ARCHITECT/DESIGNER

OFFICE OF RICHARD DAVIGNON ARCHITECT

TEXT BERNARD FLAMAN

PHOTOS ROBERT LEMERMEYER

It began quietly a few years ago: it may have been the provincial centennial
celebrations of 2005, the price of oil zooming past $40 per barrel, or maybe
even the launch of the television comedy Corner Gas, but somehow
Saskatchewan has become cool. If that might be an overstatement at this
point, it’s undeniable that there is certainly more interest in living in the
province, expressed not only by the sons and daughters of current resi-
dents, but also by former residents who have relocated to Alberta and
British Columbia. This attention has caused a massive leap in real estate
prices to a point where even empty heritage properties appear to be viable.
There is also a new optimism that has brought renewed appreciation of the
expansive landscape of the prairie and of historic cities and towns.
The most sought-after real estate is in the lake communities, both in the
boreal forests of the north and in the ravines and valleys of the more arid
south. The Saskatchewan and Qu’Appelle river systems along with their
tributaries have always been an antidote to the vast prairie, and have offered
respite and subtle beauty to everyone from First Nations communities to
generations of artists and summer residents. It is in this landscape, in the
community of Saskatchewan Beach near the hamlet of Silton on Last
ABOVE PERCHED AT THE EDGE OF A RAVINE, THE SIMPLICITY OF THIS HOME
IS REINFORCED BY ITS SQUARE, SHED-LIKE FORM AND THE CLADDING OF
BOTH ROOF AND WALLS IN CEDAR SHAKES.
Mountain Lake, that architects Laura Plosz and Troy Smith—in collaboration
with the Office of Richard Davignon Architect—have designed a house for
Laura’s brother Dave. How fitting for this story that Laura and Troy, both
originally from Saskatchewan, now live and work in Alberta. The project
became a true family affair; it was constructed by several members of
Laura’s family including her parents Greg and Penny.
Silton is known in architectural circles as home of the 1969 Massey
Award-winning summer chapel by Clifford Wiens, visible across the ravine
from the Plosz residence. Unfortunately, this masterpiece has not inspired
the design of subsequently built cottages and houses in the community,
which have typically defaulted to the standard suburban tract house model
with vinyl siding, a large garage and irrigated landscaping. The Plosz resi-
dence represents a design direction that walks the middle ground between
the two: where the Silton Chapel is a structural tour de force and touches the

01/08 CANADIAN ARCHITECT 27

p27-29 Plosz Residence 1/11/08 11:15 AM Page 28

ground ever so lightly on four concrete piers, the

Plosz residence is utterly conventional with a
concrete basement and wood stud construction.
Yet it asserts itself through its modesty and
uniqueness. While the 30’ × 30’ plan connects it
to four-square farm houses built across the
prairies, there is an evolution of this simple tra-
dition—an evolution that is filled with subtle sur-
prises in the careful way that the house occupies
what locals called an unbuildable site, in the
authenticity of the wood shakes used as both
roofing and wall cladding, and in the placement
of windows, composed from both exterior and
interior perspectives. The way the louvered rail-
ing folds around two sides of the deck, echoed in
the brise-soleil over the horizontal living room
corner, are detailed architectural elements that
convey a contemporary stylistic intention and
moves the design of the house away from a purely
historicist interpretation of a traditional building
type.
The composition of the windows is particularly
striking from the interior. Upon entering the
house, one notices a long view through the house
to a window directly opposite, and to the lake

LEFTSITTING OUT ON THE TERRACE BOUNDED

BY LOUVERED GUARDRAILS, ONE HAS THE PRIVI-
LEGE OF SURVEYING THE VERY LONG AND
THIN LAST MOUNTAIN LAKE.

4
3
8
2

7 A

1 MAIN ENTRY 5
2 POWDER ROOM
3 CLOSET/STORAGE
6 9
4 KITCHEN
5 DINING/LIVING
6 DEN
7 OPEN TO BELOW
8 DECK
SECTION A
9 COURTYARD BELOW

MAIN FLOOR

2
4

A
1

5
3 3
1 SIDE ENTRY
2 BATHROOM
3 BEDROOM
4 MECHANICAL
5 COURTYARD

SECTION B 0 20’ LOWER FLOOR 0 20’

28 CANADIAN ARCHITECT 01/08

p27-29 Plosz Residence 1/11/08 11:15 AM Page 29

beyond. A compelling framed panoramic view of

the lake is provided by the horizontal slot window
in the living area, and a window at the end of the
simple galley kitchen offers a view to the deck
and floods the kitchen in bright midday sunlight.
The cabinets, also constructed by the family, uti-
lize birch plywood and plastic laminate and are
inspired by the simple yet solid plywood kitchens
found on the prairies dating from the 1950s and
’60s. A skylight over the stair brings natural light
to the lower level where the bedrooms and serv-
ice areas are located.
The Plosz residence offers an alternative to the
“one design fits all and every location” tract
house. While its modesty makes it an unlikely
candidate for widespread architectural recogni-
tion and publication, it displays a refreshing shift
in the priorities of current residential design.
The emphasis here is clearly on abundant natural
light, authenticity of materials and a sensitive
relationship to a very subtle and particular land-
scape. It also suggests that there may be a possi-
bility for Canadian architects to once again par-
ticipate in the design of modest middle-class
houses, a common practice as recent as the early
1970s. Back then, the drawings often consisted of
a few sheets of plans and details that communi-
cated the entire design. Today, this would chal-
lenge the abilities of contemporary builders from
both a construction and contractual viewpoint.
Luckily, a few firms like Calgary’s Housebrand

ABOVE THE SOUTH-FACING COURTYARD IS PRO-

TECTED BY THE HEAVY ENCLOSURE OF A

GABION WALL COMPRISED OF LOCALLY
HARVESTED BOULDERS. LEFT A SERIES OF
PHOTOGRAPHS ILLUSTRATE THE VARIETY OF
POSSIBLE INTERIOR VANTAGE POINTS IN THE
HOME, WHICH PERMIT EXPANSIVE VIEWS OF
THE LAKE.

manage to overcome these difficulties by control-

ling both the design and construction processes.
The success of the Plosz residence depends as
much on the perseverance and dedication of a
family committed to building a quality home as it
does on the skill and sensitivity of its designers.
The result quietly takes a critical stance in rela-
tion to the accepted level of design in the com-
munity, and offers a house that respects its site
while prioritizing light, space and view over
sheer size. Silton has another good building. CA

Bernard Flaman is the Heritage Architect for Heritage

Resources, Department of Culture, Youth and
Recreation, Government of Saskatchewan, Regina.

CLIENT DAVID PLOSZ

ARCHITECT TEAM LAURA PLOSZ, TROY SMITH, RICHARD DAVIGNON
STRUCTURAL TRL & ASSOCIATES
CONTRACTOR GREG & PENNY PLOSZ
AREA 1,380 FT2
BUDGET WITHHELD
COMPLETION SEPTEMBER 2006

01/08 CANADIAN ARCHITECT 29

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p31-33 Telus Atrium 1/11/08 11:48 AM Page 31

OPEN-FACED
THE ADDITION OF AN ATRIUM TO A RENOVATED VANCOUVER OFFICE
BUILDING YIELDS AN INTELLIGENT SUSTAINABLE DESIGN STRATEGY.

PROJECTTELUS HOUSE ATRIUM, VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA

ARCHITECTBUSBY PERKINS + WILL
TEXT MATTHEW SOULES

PHOTOS MARTIN TESSLER

The housing of telecommunications equipment

presents an intriguing and altogether exceptional
urban condition. Buildings devoted to this pro-
gram are the only large and effectively industrial
structures that exist directly inside the centre of
the modernist city. Historically, the efficiencies
associated with locating telecommunications
machinery in close proximity to high densities of
end users led to the building of telephone
switching buildings within the Central Business
District. Remarkably, these buildings are usually
indistinguishable from neighbouring office
towers despite the fact that, being devoted to
machinery and equipment, they contain little or
no office space. These technological towers are
camouflaged to disappear within the fabric of
corporate space. In recent years, technological
transformation has effectively shrunk the
required space for telecommunications and
therefore presents opportunities to capitalize on
the newfound spatial surplus of these vertical
machines. Busby Perkins + Will’s recently com-
pleted atrium at Telus House in downtown
Vancouver strategically positions itself in relation
to this technological transformation to produce a
space that is a successful synthesis of program,
form and environmental performance.
Telus House, the headquarters of Canada’s
second-largest telecommunications company,
sits in the block bounded by Robson, Georgia,
Seymour and Richards Streets and is a large con-
urbation of abutting and interconnected build-
ings constructed over the previous century. It is
the Vancouver avatar of the camouflaged tele-
communications tower. Technological shrinkage
has allowed the consolidation of telecommunica-
tions space and the introduction of new programs
in a series of phased developments designed by
Busby Perkins + Will. Completed in 2001, the
first phase involved the reshuffling of technical
space and the transformation of the southern
portion of the block to office space. The latest
modification, Phase 2, is the atrium that sits in a
sliver of space between the block’s now office-
dominated southern portion and the remaining
northern portion, characterized by a more tech- ABOVE ALONG SEYMOUR STREET, THE INTENSITY OF THE NEW INFILL ATRIUM PROJECTS AN OPEN

nical focus. AND TRANSPARENT AESTHETIC TO PASSERSBY AT NIGHT.

This sliver was originally occupied by an eight-
storey structure devoted to technical equipment.
In the revitalization of the entire complex, it was
this building’s structural weakness combined with
surplus square footage that provided the depar-
ture point for the atrium. By removing the upper Telus employees, and further the environmental
five floors of the middle structure in the northern performance of Telus House as a whole.
and southern buildings, it would attain structural Relatively narrow and tall, the atrium is a gen-
autonomy, make room for a new scale of space for erous yet succinct social space. Multiple furniture

01/08 CANADIAN ARCHITECT 31

p31-33 Telus Atrium 1/11/08 11:48 AM Page 32

LEFTTHE AMBIENCE INSIDE THE ATRIUM IS INVITING, WITH WORK AND

MEETING AREAS WARMED BY HEAT GENERATED BY THE MASSIVE
TELECOMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT LOCATED BELOW. BOTTOM LEFT AS
THEY SLICE THROUGH THE ATRIUM, BRIDGES AT THE SIXTH AND EIGHTH
FLOORS ACT AS INDEPENDENTLY COOLED ZONES THAT TRAP AIR FROM
SMALL UNDERSIDE AIR CONDITIONERS.

configurations, under-floor wiring, and mobile landscape planters allow its

ground plane to facilitate various scales of use and to adapt for a range of
gatherings. Enclosed entirely in glass, it connects its users to the surround-
ing cityscape, a connection that is enhanced by a delicate steel structure that
incorporates elliptical columns from which steel arms hold vertical tension
rods supporting the glazing. From its exterior, this transparent zone offers a
degree of distinction and urbanistic order. But it’s hard to not want the atri-
um to extend at least in part to the street—to engage the public domain in a
more overt manner.
The sustainability strategy is simple and clever. By subtracting floors and
enclosing in glass, Busby Perkins + Will supply daylight to the newly created
office space in the formerly deep floor plates to the south and insulate the
two newly revealed elevations. One of the basic conditions of telecommuni-
cations equipment is the amount of heat it gives off. The switching hub that
remains in the floors beneath the atrium effectively acts as a heater to pre-
condition the atrium air and therefore dramatically reduce any additional
energy expenditure for heating. This approach is furthered by conditioning
only the lower three metres of the 26-metre-high space. During winter, the
warm air that rises to the top of the atrium is directed down to its ground
plane by fan-driven ducts concealed in the north wall. The bridges that
cross the atrium at floors six and eight also respond to thermal conditions
in a strategic and efficient manner. To mitigate the thermal rise in summer
months, they perform as cool tunnels that slice through the hot upper
reaches of the atrium by trapping cool air from small underside air condi-
tioners in five-feet-high glass guardrails. This thermal zoning and the capi-
talization of programmatic adjacencies demonstrate an underlying diversity
within what is seemingly a singular space.
The most compelling aspect of Busby Perkins + Will’s first phase of Telus
House is the double skin that they wrapped around the existing southern
building to offer both heightened insulating qualities and increased natural
ventilation. The air space between the new external glazing and the existing
internal façade is, as is to be expected, uninhabitable. It exists as a spatial
residue of sustainable considerations. In some ways, the new atrium can be
thought of as an expanded and reoriented version of Phase One’s double
skin. From this vantage point, the atrium is a double skin that has grown in
scale to the point of becoming inhabitable. This scale shift and the intro-
duction of usable space has necessitated a more direct interaction between
questions of program and form and the technological considerations of
environmental performance. On these terms, the atrium of Telus House can
perhaps be understood as part of an expanded deployment of sustainability L

concerns in architecture, an expansion that mirrors the maturation of

“green” thinking in society at large. The strategic and differentiated deploy-
ment of environmental optimization on equal terms with program and form
is the terrain of a reinvigorated polyvalent architecture. It heralds a new and
potentially exhilarating architecture in the building of cities—a trend that
we might begin to call the Eco-Metropolis. CA

Matthew Soules is the founding director of the Vancouver design firm MSD and
teaches at the School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture (SALA) at the
University of British Columbia.

CLIENT TELUS CORPORATION INTERIORS BUSBY PERKINS+WILL

ARCHITECT TEAM P. BUSBY, M. BONAVENTURA, AUDIOVISUAL CONCEPTRON
L. CHESTER, B. DUFFELL, M. GALLOWAY, V. GILLIES, ACOUSTICS BKL
J. HUFFMAN, H. LAI, D. PHILIPPOT, S. SCHOU COST CONSULTANT JAMES BUSH & ASSOCIATES
STRUCTURAL READ JONES CHRISTOFFERSEN ENVELOPE CONSULTANT REID JONES CHRISTOFFERSEN
MECHANICAL STANTEC CONSULTING BUILDER DOMINION CONSTRUCTION
ELECTRICAL SCHENKE BAWOL AREA 420 M2
SEISMIC UPGRADE MUSSON CATTELL MACKEY BUDGET $5.5 M L
LANDSCAPE CORNELIA OBERLANDER COMPLETION MARCH 2007 1
2

32 CANADIAN ARCHITECT 01/08

p31-33 Telus Atrium 1/11/08 11:48 AM Page 33

BUILDING D BUILDING C BUILDINGS A-B

(PHASE 2) (PHASE 1)

OFFICES ATRIUM EXECUTIVE OFFICES

4 4
11

3 3

3 3
11

3 3

3 3

2 3 3 10
10 2

5 3 3 5

LANEWAY
1 8 5 8 SEYMOUR
7 STREET
9 9
6
ROBSON
STREET

LONGITUDINAL SECTION CROSS SECTION 0 10M

1 LOBBY 7 RETAIL
2 ATRIUM 8 CABLE DISTRIBUTION ROOM
3 OFFICE 9 INCOMING CABLE ROOM
4 EXECUTIVE OFFICE 10 BALCONY
5 CONFERENCE ROOMS 11 BRIDGES
6 FITNESS ROOM

BUILDING D BUILDING C BUILDINGS A-B

PHASE 1—
(PHASE 2) (PHASE 1)
WILLIAM FARRELL BUILDING
REVITALIZATION
OFFICES ATRIUM EXECUTIVE OFFICES

PHASE 2—
SEISMIC UPGRADE AND ATRIUM

RO
BS
O
N
ST
RE
REET
ET
ST
R
U
O
M
Y
SE

SITE PLAN 0 45M

LEVEL 8

1 2

X
A DETAILED PHOTOGRAPH OF THE MAST-LIKE STRUCTURE
ABOVE, LEFT TO RIGHT

SUPPORTING THE ATRIUM’S DOUBLE-SKIN GLASS WALL; UNDER-FLOOR AIR

LEVEL 3 Y DUCTS ARE CLEVERLY INTEGRATED INTO THE SPATIAL ORGANIZATION OF
1 ATRIUM THE ATRIUM.
2 OFFICES 0 10M

01/08 CANADIAN ARCHITECT 33

p34 Woman House ad 1/17/08 1:43 PM Page 34

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I needed at the
CanadianArchitect.com
Product Directory
p35-36 Practice 1/11/08 11:17 AM Page 35
DATA RETRIEVAL
THE REALITY OF PRACTICE TODAY REQUIRES THE
COLLABORATION OF ARCHITECTS WORKING IN
DIFFERENT TIME ZONES IN VARIOUS OFFICES
AROUND THE WORLD.
TEXT J. DENIS SEGUIN
Sharing, retrieving, and disseminating informa-
tion on large international projects has become
incredibly complex given the collaborative nature
of working with architectural offices in many
cities, or amongst several firms. Managing various
project milestones demands proactive efforts to
mitigate risk and increase efficiency. With 25
offices and 2,600 employees around the world,
Helmuth, Obata and Kassabaum Inc. (HOK) has
honed its collaborative system to include a sophis-
ticated tools and information management infra-
structure designed to facilitate this process. These
tools relate to all aspects of the design business,
including marketing and business development,
client contracts, customer service, design, and
service delivery. One project that is putting HOK’s
business tools to the test—moving them to refine
and even develop new tools to ensure success—is
the King Abdullah University of Science and
Technology (KAUST) project in Saudi Arabia. Half
a dozen HOK offices are now working on KAUST,
and more may join in as the project moves into
design development and contract documents. For
example, the Atlanta office is responsible for the
master plan; the Houston office for academic facil-
ities; and the Toronto office for residential, retail,
and civic buildings, including a library and yacht
club. The Toronto team alone numbers around 50
staff members and the total number of those
working on the project, including engineers, con-
sultants, and local Saudi architectural firms com-
prise roughly 750 individuals. Without a sophisti-
cated series of client service delivery tools, includ-
ing the application of the Newforma Project
Center, Revit, and HOK’s KnowledgeNet, KAUST
would have been nearly impossible to coordinate.
On the KAUST project, HOK’s adoption of the
proprietary construction management software
called Newforma is used to retrieve and exchange
project information with both external and inter-
nal team members. The program allows for easy
browsing and search capabilities that reduce the
time to project manage using the critical path
method—whether this involves e-mails, minutes,
drawings, specifications or change orders. Each of
the HOK offices involved on KAUST has a dedicat-
ed server with identical folder set-ups and con-
trolled access by other offices. A shared server is
currently being set up for the management of site
plans. External consultants use Newforma like an
FTP site and in the Toronto office, the coordina-
tion and maintenance of files as they are being
updated by numerous team members is nearly a
ABOVE A FINAL RENDERING FOR A NEW LIBRARY AT THE KAUST CAMPUS IN SAUDI ARABIA, A PROJECT
THAT COULD NOT HAVE BEEN ACHIEVED WITHOUT THE COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS OF HOK TEAM
MEMBERS WORKING IN VARIOUS OFFICES AROUND THE WORLD.
full-time position.
The advantages of Newforma on a complex,
large-scale project with numerous potential risk
issues are considerable. For example, if a steel lin-
tel appears at the construction site without galva-
nization, HOK can retrieve e-mails, change orders,
details, specifications, RFIs, even the engineering
drawings to identify the decision-making process.
Also, within the Newforma mark-up function, the
“track changes” option can be used on both draw-
ings and documents, saving greatly on printing
costs.
In 2006, the HOK management board pledged
itself to an idea called HOK buildingSmart, a
building information modelling (BIM) process to
be used during the entire building process—from
concept design to facilities management—which
would include the use of Newforma as well as the
increasingly popular Revit.
Typically, architectural firms spend more time
during the contract documentation phase than
during the design phases. Revit offers the ability to
spend comparatively less time in the construction
management phase, thereby rebalancing the
design process. For HOK, that means more time
can be spent on design, when strategies such as
integrated sustainability and creative problem-
solving can be most successfully implemented.
HOK’s Advanced Technology Group, located in San
Francisco, worked closely with Autodesk during
the development of Revit. Revit has now been
adopted by HOK as one of its major service deliv-
ery tools. Information from all project team mem-
bers, from design and construction details to
energy calculations, can be brought together into
fully integrated modelled documents, which can
then be provided to facility managers. For their
investiture in this method of design management,
PRACTICE
COURTESY OF HOK
HOK won an AIA Technology in Practice BIM
Award Honorable Mention for a design model that
can track 300 pieces of equipment in a hospital
with more than 10,000 rooms.
With enterprise agreements to ensure that all
HOK offices are working on the same platform,
several of the KAUST teams have had a head start
with Revit. However, more training is needed.
Typically HOK finds that staff require four days of
training to work on a relatively straightforward
building program and design. Additionally, Revit
should ideally be used at the beginning of concep-
tual design, but a number of team members are
having some challenges transitioning from earlier
and simpler 3D modelling software applications
like SketchUp.
While Revit enables HOK to produce its deliver-
ables more effectively and Newforma facilitates the
administrative tasks, HOK’s inclusion of Deltek
Vision increases the efficiency of managing busi-
ness data. Project work plans are entered into
Deltek Vision in order to keep projects on track.
Staff timesheets, also entered into Deltek, provide
instant information for real-time progress re-
ports. This works very well for a fast-paced project
like KAUST where changes have to be made quite
often to accommodate the changing program.
All HOK project managers have a desktop icon
which provides easy access to their top 12 online
management tools. Project managers participate in
a full day of Project Management Bootcamp, which
brings them up to speed on practice goals and gen-
eral management from project start-up to com-
missioning and post-occupancy evaluations. Con-
siderable emphasis is place on HOK’s Work Break-
down Structure, which is linked to the Deltek
Vision work plans and timesheets. In addition to
these management tools, HOK has developed three
01/08 CANADIAN ARCHITECT 35
p35-36 Practice 1/11/08 11:17 AM Page 36
COURTESY OF HOK
COURTESY OF HOK
COURTESY OF HOK
TOP AND MIDDLE STARTING AS A SKETCHUP MODEL, THE YACHT CLUB AT
KAUST IN SAUDI ARABIA DEVELOPS INTO A FINAL, RENDERED VERSION OF
ITSELF. ABOVE INVOLVING DOZENS OF BUILDINGS AND REPRESENTING BIL-
LIONS OF DOLLARS IN CONSTRUCTION, THE DIVERSE HOK TEAM MUST
STILL CONDUCT MEETINGS IN PERSON TO DISCUSS THE DEVELOPMENT
OF THE KAUST PROJECT.
other areas of improving data management on complex projects: HOK
KnowledgeNet, a Best Practice Detail Library, and the Contract Adminis-
tration (CA) Database.
HOK KnowledgeNet
KnowledgeNet was initiated by HOK in 1998 as a Best Practices resource for
all HOK employees. It has since evolved into an intranet website providing a
range of systems, procedures and resources in all aspects of HOK’s projects—
from pre-design right through to construction. Collecting, organizing, and
providing access to information on HOK KnowledgeNet is an ongoing activity,
as is training (with the capability to stream video) to maximize use of HOK’s
KnowledgeNet information. KnowledgeNet has three arms—Find, Learn and
Create. The following tools can be found under the custom-designed
“Standard Favorites” located on the HOK intranet website.
Best Practice Detail Library
Details for every kind of construction detail can be found here, including
accompanying notes and other information to guide staff in their use. And
each HOK office takes responsibility for adding details suitable for particular
regions and climates. For KAUST, the challenge in using the Best Practice
Detail Library lies in the translation between the metric and imperial systems
36 CANADIAN ARCHITECT 01/08
of measurement. HOK’s Toronto office spent several weeks converting the
details into metric, and the other offices on the project have worked hard to
adopt a metric strategy.
Since 1999, the full-time librarian in HOK’s Toronto office has been res-
ponsible for maintaining a database of products and suppliers located around
the world. In October 2007, the Microsoft Office Access database became
available on the recently established Canadian version of KnowledgeNet. A
specification writer in the Ottawa office will now be able to search the data-
base for a drywall with a specific fire rating and with a contact name in the
Ottawa region. If a suitable product is not found, the search can then be ex-
tended to the Toronto area, or even around the world. With the Canadian team
having already acquired significant project experience in the Middle East, the
database can search that part of the world as well. Similarly, a search can be
made for a particular building code, book, or magazine. Not only does the
search reveal what is in the library, but it provides a map of its exact location
for easy retrieval.
Contract Administration (CA) Database
Although it is not being used on KAUST, it is worthwhile mentioning HOK’s
computer database application for site observations and construction contract
administration. The system allows speedy retrieval of site observation issued
by various criteria: building, area, level, room, dates of review, subcontractor,
etc. A PDA interface allows data entry in the range of fields and the web-based
program can be accessed by the design team members, clients, contractors,
and sub-contractors. The database can also be used in parallel with contrac-
tors’ own systems, thereby encouraging a collaborative approach and reducing
disputes that may arise during the construction phase.
Conclusion
As one of the world’s largest design firms, HOK has the resources to develop
and customize the tools needed to manage projects like KAUST. But will these
tools help on smaller projects? And are they applicable to small and medium-
sized architectural firms? An intuitive program, Newforma is relatively easy to
learn. HOK has experimented with it on smaller interior design projects, but
the system’s efforts required to implement it thus far have outweighed the
advantages. However, small complex projects—especially ones with numerous
technical challenges and engineering consultants—could benefit from
Newforma.
Many architectural firms across the country have established library data-
bases using Microsoft’s Office Access. Once the system has been established,
it can be maintained and updated on a part-time basis. While Revit promises
to revolutionize the architectural profession, its initial cost and steep learning
curve may place it out of reach for smaller firms. Similarly, establishing an
online intranet for sharing information requires considerable time and effort
to implement.
Yet these are significant tools which can only enhance the profession. In
making the decision to adopt or switch to a new tool like Newforma, Revit, or
even an online product database, firms need to undertake a risk assessment to
implement such an infrastructure for a given project. The greater the com-
plexity, the greater the level of risk. Other factors include the quality of the
client and contractor, or the complexity of the project delivery—from signing
the contract to commissioning. Project profitability must be balanced with the
level of tools that will mitigate risk for the architectural practice.
How can these tools be made available to small and mid-sized firms? In
recent years, the provincial architectural associations have taken initiatives
such as issuing practice manuals and conducting continuing education semi-
nars. But they could be more proactive in helping firms access design man-
agement tools, like negotiating the purchase of tools such as Newforma or
Revit for multiple firms. This would certainly raise the level of service delivery
for clients. And, with a full toolbox at hand, including BIM and other manage-
ment software, architects could be back in the driver’s seat. CA
J. Denis Seguin, OAA, OAQ, is HOK’s Canadian Director of Service Delivery and
Principal of HOK’s Ottawa office.
p37-38 Books 1/14/08 11:49 AM Page 37
FOUR RECENT PUBLICATIONS COVER ASPECTS OF CANADA’S MODERNIST
HERITAGE, CONTEMPORARY LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE, AND PAST AND
FUTURE APPROACHES TO THE SUSTAINABILITY OF OUR CITIES.
REVIEWED BY LESLIE JEN AND IAN CHODIKOFF
Concrete Toronto: A Guidebook to Concrete Architecture From the
Fifties to the Seventies
Edited by Michael McClelland and Graeme Stewart and designed by Steven Ho
Yin Chong. Toronto: Coach House Books and E.R.A. Architects, 2007.
In this well researched and complete guide to concrete architecture of the
1950s to the 1970s, readers will gain insight into a defining period in
Toronto’s architectural history. Interviews and essay contributions by archi-
tects, historians, academics, city planners, and journalists are complement-
ed by a plentiful assortment of maps, drawings and rare photographs. From
this, a rich discussion emerges on several defining landmarks in Toronto,
and on the identity of the city itself.
Organizationally, the book is divided into sections, variously entitled
Downtown, Infrastructure, The Modern Suburbs, Beyond Toronto, and
Building with Concrete. In canvassing this broad array, the editors succeed
in their task of making the invisible visible, these concrete structures that
are seen every single day in the city and which are taken completely for
granted. We crawl, lurch or blast along the massive concrete Gardiner
Expressway, pass by the CN Tower and the Sheraton and Hilton Hotels as we
head north towards Bloor Street, where we find luxury apartment buildings
like the Colonnade and the Manulife Centre. Heading a bit further north, we
might even be treated to the fanciful and embellished expression of Uno
Prii’s controversial high-rise residential structures.
Communities outside of Toronto are not ignored, nor are the suburbs in
this comprehensive overview—as many of the city’s most important build-
ings are located in historic Don Mills, just northeast of the downtown core.
John C. Parkin’s Ortho Pharmaceutical (1955) and Moriyama & Teshima’s
Ontario Science Centre (1969) are discussed, as is the iconic Bata Head-
quarters (1965) by John B. Parkin Associates, currently under demolition.
As architectural fashion has shifted from the heaviness of Brutalist con-
crete structures of the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s to the sleek evanescence of glass-
and-steel towers erupting around us everywhere, it is easy to dismiss the
architecture of past decades that has very much informed the image and
identity of Canada’s largest city. Concrete Toronto provides a useful counter-
ing force to this idea of progress, and engenders a discussion of the intent,
knowledge and ambition of previous generations of architects, offering
guidance and perspective to architects practicing today. LJ
BOOKS
GreenTOpia: Towards a Sustainable Toronto
Edited by Alana Wilcox, Christina Palassio and Johnny Dovercourt. Toronto: Coach
House Books, 2007.
GreenTOpia: Towards a Sustainable Toronto is the third volume in this locally
popular uTOpia series. The books are comprised of short essays in which
local architects, artists, planners and activists identify problems, describe
solutions and present ideas—both real and utopian—about the ways in which
the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) can improve the quality of its built environ-
ment. GreenTOpia regales us with many possibilities for Toronto’s bicycle
lanes, green corridors and park activists, but could easily be criticized by
those who do not live in the GTA as a navel-gazing indulgence written by
local urban thinkers. After reading through the book, detractors might
come away with the belief that there is nothing Toronto can’t possibly
achieve. However, it is more likely that anyone who reads this book—
whether they hail from the GTA or not—will derive great insight into the
myriad challenges, successes and possibilities leading to the improvement
of the ecological standards of any city.
The variety of ways in which a city can reduce its ecological footprint is vast
and this book eschews any kind of doctrinaire methodology. The 42 essays
increase our awareness of Toronto’s watersheds, ravine systems, tree
canopies, recycling propensities, food production, improvement of transit
systems and environmental factors such as heat islands, noise and light pol-
lution, intensification of land use and the protection of our built heritage.
Of notable importance is the 56-page directory of resources promoting
sustainability throughout the GTA. Links to web pages, telephone numbers
and a list of various organizations provide a useful guide as to what the GTA
currently offers in terms of sustainable programs. An FAQ section provides
the reader with answers that he or she may not even have considered, such as
“How can I get paid for going green?” and “Where is my closest community
garden?” Asking the right questions should be at the beginning of every
responsible citizen’s list when considering how to improve the quality of life
in his or her community. This book provides the necessary guidelines to help
focus our resolve in increasing the sustainability quotient of our cities. IC
Hybrids: Reshaping the Contemporary Garden in Métis
Edited by Lesley Johnstone. Vancouver: Blueimprint, 2007.
In recent years, there has been nothing short of a renaissance in land-
scape architecture—at all scales of intervention. For example, with so
01/08 CANADIAN ARCHITECT 37
p37-38 Books 1/14/08 11:49 AM Page 38
many different ways of experiencing and defining a garden, Hybrids:
Reshaping the Contemporary Garden in Métis provides an invaluable guide
in which to explore a range of contrasts and even contradictions resulting
from the creation of highly evocative and inspirational contemporary
gardens.
Divided into several themes—Looking Inward, Looking Outward,
Recounting/Referring, Seeing, Activating, Affirming and Discovering—this
catalogue illustrates roughly 40 projects that have been built since the
annual International Garden Festival began in 2000 at the Reford Gardens
in Métis, Quebec. The only garden festival of its kind in North America, this
publication is a testament to the conviction of its co-founder and director,
Alexander Reford, who opened up his family estate to foster a dialogue
about contemporary landscape architecture. (Other co-founders include
Denis Lemieux and Phillippe Poullaouec-Gonidec). Since its inception, the
festival continues to garner significant international attention and critical
acclaim.
Hybrids also contains a motley collection of projects and texts written by
22 designers who have participated in the festival. The various essays seek
to challenge our expectations relating to the variety of possible sensory
experiences gained while visiting a contemporary garden, as well as debat-
ing topics such as memory, consumerism, and nature versus artifice. This
lavishly illustrated book also contains an important essay by its editor,
Lesley Johnstone. Possibly a parallel argument to James Corner’s well-
known edited compilation entitled Recovering Landscape: Essays in Contem-
porary Landscape Architecture, Johnstone’s essay entitled “Recovering the
Garden” suggests that a contemporary garden can be examined in the same
way as music, art or dance, and can also comment on issues of sociology,
politics and culture. This book is an important document representing the
great accomplishments of an ambitious and successful annual festival cele-
brating the contemporary garden. IC
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Sorry, Out of Gas: Architecture’s Response to the 1973 Oil Crisis
Edited by Giovanni Borasi and Mirko Zardini. Montreal: Canadian Centre for
Architecture and Corraini Edizioni, 2007.
Commemorating the measures taken by architects and designers during the
energy crisis of the 1970s, Sorry, Out of Gas is the third in a series of thematic
exhibitions organized by the Canadian Centre for Architecture (CCA) to ex-
plore contemporary issues in architecture and follows the previously published
Environment: Approaches for Tomorrow (2006) and Sense of the City (2005). Sorry,
Out of Gas is a remarkable catalogue of essays and illustrations pertaining to the
exhibition currently on view in the CCA’s main galleries until April 20, 2008.
The energy crisis began in October 1973 when oil-producing Arab coun-
tries imposed an embargo on oil exports, causing the price of oil to practi-
cally quadruple in four months. It is therefore not surprising that an over-
riding theme of the catalogue is the political context in which the energy
crisis occurred. Using everything from architectural drawings, photography,
archival television footage, and historical artifacts such as board games and
ephemera from popular culture of the day, the catalogue is divided into four
central themes—Sun, Earth, Wind, and Integrated Systems. Sorry, Out of Gas
examines everything from passive and active solar heating, underground
architecture, recycled materials and experiments in wind technology to
reduce our dependence on non-renewable energy. Illustrated by British
author and illustrator Harriet Russell, a magnificently and specially com-
missioned children’s story entitled “An Endangered Species” opens the
book’s various discussions, exploring non-renewable energy and the ways
in which children can conserve our planet’s valuable resources.
The ideas of sustainability have certainly evolved over the past 30 years.
A useful resource that revisits the ambitious, radical and scientific ap-
proaches to conserving energy in our built environment, this book provides
a wonderful sense of nostalgia for anyone who grew up in the 1970s while
drawing pictures of solar houses on his or her dining room table. IC
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p41 Calendar 1/17/08 1:51 PM Page 41
Marcel Breuer: Design and
Architecture
November 3, 2007-February 17, 2008
Taking place at the National Build-
ing Museum in Washington, DC,
this exhibition begins with a nearly
comprehensive survey of Breuer’s
furniture designs, categorized ac-
cording to the materials used, with
successive explorations in solid
wood, tubular steel, aluminum,
and laminated plywood. The exhi-
bition continues with an examina-
tion of Breuer’s extensive body of
architectural work, represented by
12 major projects. Classified under
the themes of “Spaces,” “Volumes,”
and “Houses,” these buildings
demonstrate innovations in spatial
organization, construction tech-
niques, and architectural forms
that characterized much of Breuer’s
work.
www.nbm.org
A Work in Progress: Preserving
Toronto’s Architectural Record
November 15, 2007-May 15, 2008 This
exhibition at the City of Toronto
Archives focuses on architectural
drawings, photographs and records
from the collection of the City of
Toronto Archives from 1900 to the
present, with an emphasis on
recent acquisitions. This exhibi-
tion has been made possible
through the Toronto Society of
Architects and the Ontario Asso-
ciation of Landscape Architects.
Figuration in Contemporary
Design
December 13, 2007-June 8, 2008 This
exhibition at the Art Institute of
Chicago focuses on contemporary
design arts and the return of rep-
resentation that engages with long
dormant ideas such as romanti-
cism, subjectivity, nature, and
anti-intellectualism. The show fea-
tures the work of 28 designers,
architects, and studios at the fore-
front of this emerging design aes-
thetic, including Herzog & de
Meuron, Zaha Hadid, Foreign
Office Architects, Klein Dytham,
Aranda/Lasch, Marcel Wanders,
Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec,
Hella Jongerius, Patricia Urquiola,
Tord Boontje, Petra Blaisse and An
Te Liu. Though different in tone
and emphasis, the members of this
group all take advantage of digital
literacy and enhanced fabrication
techniques to reintroduce meth-
ods, forms, and ideologies that
were once considered too “orna-
mental” or hand-crafted for the
20th-century minimalist design
aesthetic.
www.artic.edu
quasar
January 25-March 9, 2008 The SCI-
Arc Gallery presents this new site-
specific installation by the Los
Angeles/New York-based design/
media firm slap!, founded by
architect Jean-Michel Crettaz.
quasar is an immersive light and
sound space made from prototype
membranes and realized as an
interactive light/sound object and
comprised of a dense array of
interlinked elements describing an
intricate three-dimensional struc-
ture. A panel discussion takes place
on Friday, February 15, 2008 at
7:00pm, in which Eric Owen Moss
reviews the exhibition and argues
the success of the exhibition’s
investigation into the relationship
between the interconnectedness of
space and material.
Heather Howat + David
Battersby lecture
February 4, 2008 As part of the
Carleton School of Architecture’s
Forum series, Heather Howat and
David Battersby of BattersbyHowat
in Vancouver deliver this lecture at
the National Gallery of Canada in
Ottawa at 6:00pm. Admission is
free.
www.arch.carleton.ca/html/Main/
forum.html
Peter Weibel lecture
February 5, 2008 As part of the
Urban Field Speakers Series held
at the Prefix Institute of Contem-
porary Art in Toronto, Peter
Weibel, Chairman and CEO of ZKM
Centre for Art and Media in
Karlsruhe, Germany speaks on
the democratization of art by media
at 7:30pm.
www.prefix.ca
Interior Design Show
February 21-24, 2008 Taking place at
the Direct Energy Centre, Exhibi-
tion Place in Toronto, this is the
10th anniversary of the Interior
Design Show (IDS), Canada’s pre-
miere platform for contemporary
residential design. In 10 years,
millions of the newest and most
exciting Canadian and internation-
al furnishings, fixtures and acces-
sories for the design of a home
have been launched and exhibited
by hundreds of designers, manu-
facturers, importers, retailers, and
distributors.
www.interiordesignshow.com
Come Up To My Room
February 22-24, 2008 The 5th annual
Come Up To My Room at Toronto’s
Gladstone Hotel is intended to co-
incide with the Interior Design
Show as an alternative that focuses
on the diverse practices that work
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p42 BackPage 1/11/08 11:20 AM Page 42
BACKPAGE
PEEPSHOW 2007
THE AMSTERDAM-BASED WINNERS OF THE ANNUAL PEEPSHOW COMPETI-
TION CONDUCT A LIVE ARCHITECTURAL WORKSHOP IN DOWNTOWN
CALGARY, FORCING RESIDENTS TO RECONSIDER THEIR URBAN LANDSCAPE.
TEXT MATT ZESS
PHOTOS MICHL SOMMER, VIKTOR LEURS AND CECILIA HENDRIKX
Artcity’s “live” architectural competition, also known as Peepshow, has for
the past seven years been a platform for local and international architects
and students to flex their conceptual muscle. This past summer, the compe-
tition asked entrants to submit a design for a Centre of Metaphysical Tech-
niques on a site in downtown Calgary while considering Artcity’s 2007
theme of “rupture.” A jury comprising Lebbeus Woods, Alberto Pérez-
Gómez, Andrew Zago, Aarón Gutiérrez, Marc Boutin, David Down, Richard
Lindseth and Lance Carlson selected the winning submission from an
Amsterdam-based team of three who provided the city of Calgary with a live
architectural workshop during the festival.
In September, Michl Sommer, Viktor Leurs and Cecilia Hendrikx of the
Dutch design studios Featuring and SuopuLab, flew to Calgary to “rupture”
the everyday perception of our urban environment. Setting out to test their
working methods in a new context, the team members actualized their win-
ning entry for this international competition by conducting their live archi-
tectural workshop in downtown Calgary, examining and re-evaluating its
distinct urban development.
Reflection was chosen to conceptually articulate their explorations, and
as such, approximately 30 large mirrors were used by the participants as
human-scale modules to temporarily manipulate and change the urban
context at different locations. The first day of the workshop was dedicated to
42 CANADIAN ARCHITECT 01/08
ABOVE ARMED WITH SEVERAL LARGE MIRRORS, THE WINNING TEAM DIS-
PERSED THROUGHOUT THE DOWNTOWN CORE, REFLECTING BACK
ONTO THE PUBLIC ASPECTS OF THE URBAN ENVIRONMENT.
experiments in “play” as smaller units, where participants explored a vari-
ety of possibilities using the modules in different formations to interact
with passersby, moving traffic and the existing architecture.
During the second day, the results of these experiments were put into
practice by constructing bigger constellations. This time, all modules were
incorporated together to alter specific locations through one big collage-like
reflection: the façade of a building was transformed by the extension of the
park, and the bright blue sky above was projected onto the surface of the
public square. The modules were configured as graphic instruments capable
of connecting parks, squares and people through continuously changing
reflections. This live 1:1 collage altered Calgary’s perceived everyday urban
context into an ephemeral display of interconnectivity and juxtaposition. CA
For more information on the winning team members, please visit www.featuring-
amsterdam.nl, www.suopulab.nl, and www.ilovelivearchitecture.com. Artcity’s
next competition call will begin in February 2008 for the September event. Please
visit www.art-city.ca for more information.
Matt Zess, a graduate of Carleton University, is currently working in Calgary as an
intern architect for Richard Lindseth Architecture Inc. He is participating in the
organization of the upcoming Banff Session in April as well as serving as the
Architecture Chair for Artcity in 2008.
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