Canadian Architect April 2012

$6.95 apr/12 v.57 n.
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modernist influences
contents
ivan HunTer Tom arban Guillaume SaSSeville
14 gulf islands residence

a bracinGly modern and eleGanT new Home SpanS iTS rocky SiTe in THe Gulf iSlandS like a floaTinG GlaSS bridGe. teXt Tanya SouTHcoTT
news
Calgary celebrates the inauguration of signature Calatrava bridge; national winners of Migrating Landscapes competition for the Venice Biennale recently announced.
20 lawren harris house

drew mandel confidenTly meeTS THe cHallenGe of updaTinG THe former Home of Group of Seven luminary lawren HarriS To currenT conTemporary STandardS. teXt kaTHarine vanSiTTarT
31 report
David Theodore informs us of the potent messages contained in the Imperfect Health exhibition at the Canadian Centre for Architecture.
26 guillaume sasseville
afTer yearS workinG for Saucier + perroTTe arcHiTecTeS in monTreal, a younG deSiGner expandS HiS reperToire by enTerinG THe arena of induSTrial and producT deSiGn. teXt leSlie Jen
cca
37 calendar
Banff Session 2012; 15th Annual Sustainable Building Symposium in Calgary.
38 Backpage
Paige Magarrey discusses Sylvia Grace Bordas photographs of postwar Modernist church buildings in Northern Ireland.
april 2012, v.57 n.04
cca cover The NaTioNal Review of DesigN aND PRacTice/ The JouRNal of RecoRD of aRchiTecTuRe caNaDa | Raic
renovaTion and addiTion To THe lawren HarriS HouSe in midTown ToronTo, by drew mandel. pHoTo by Tom arban.
04/12 canadian architect
viEwpoint
oMa/ProvenCher roy et assoCIs
AbovE desIGned by oMa and ProvenCher roy et assoCIs, the new Muse natIonaL des beaux arts du QubeC In QuebeC CIty Is the resuLt of a weLL-ConCeIved desIGn CoMPetItIon. the MuseuM Is exPeCted to oPen In 2014.
The Universit de Montral recently held an international symposium on the subject of archi tectural competitionsthe first of its kind in Canada. The event illustrated the importance of many critical issues that contribute to a success ful competitionsuch as nurturing emerging tal ent, ensuring the transparent selection of design teams, and promoting architectural excellence. However, when formulating the perfect competi tion, selecting an actual winner represents only a small part of the process. Entitled International Competitions and Architectural Quality in the Planetary Age, the symposium was jointly directed by Professors JeanPierre Chupin and Georges Adamczyk, who chose architects, urban planners and academics from over 15 countries to participate. Since 2001, Chupin and Adamczyk have led the development of an online Canadian Competitions Catalogue through their work with the Laboratoire dtude de larchitecture potentielle (LEAP), an inter disciplinary research organization that under takesamong other thingscompetitionrelated research with the School of Architecture at the Universit de Montral, the Canadian Centre for Architecture, and the Institut de Recherche en Histoire de lArchitecture. Of the many presentations delivered at the symposium, the competition process in several European nations was of particular interest. Many countries in Europe mandate that publicly financed buildings require the implementation of a competition process; over 500 competitions are held every year in Germany alone. By com parison, Chupin estimates that roughly 300 de sign competitions have been held in Canada since 1945. However, Switzerland and the Nordic countries expressed the fact that as design com petitions become more prevalent they tend to become more bureaucratic, incorporating sub stantial prequalification requirements and other criteria which begin to transform the design
6 cAnAdiAnArchitEct 04/12
competition into a typical North American pro posal call. Within the Canadian context, organizing a suc cessful design competition is never easy, even in the province of Quebec, which boasts a signifi cantly higher competition rate than any other province. For certain public buildings in Quebec, such as municipal libraries, the province re quires a design competition to be held. However, the province has yet to support competitions for public schools, as some architects have sug gested. Most recently, Quebec municipalities unable to afford their own mandated design competitions for libraries have been delegating this process of selecting an architect to a general contractor, thereby abdicating their responsibil ities to the interests of a private corporation. The outcome is unlikely to be positive. Yet it cannot be overstated that a competitions ultimate success rests with a client groups ability to pursue a strategy for its organization that ef fectively balances programmatic and institutional requirements with design excellence. A clear strategy helps to define a successful architectural competition. The lack thereof may explain why a number of highprofile Canadian public build ings completed in recent years (i.e., the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto and the Art Gallery of Alberta in Edmonton) are generally thought to be architecturally underwhelming. Occasionally, a design competition yields a good pairing between architect and client. Appearing as the keynote speaker for the LEAP symposium was Shohei Shigematsu, a partner in the Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA) and director of its New York office. Shigematsus firm, along with Montrealbased Provencher Roy et Associs comprise the architect team for the new $90million Muse National des BeauxArts du Qubec (MNBAQ) in Quebec City. The team was announced in 2010 after winning what was widely believed to be a fair and successful inter national design competition. The museum expansion will effectively double the space allo cated to exhibitions. With most of the money secured, construction is set to begin this spring with a completion date sometime in 2014. Line Ouellet, the client representative and recently appointed director of the MNBAQ, presented the museums expansion plans with Shigematsu, implicitly sending out a strong message that measuring the success of a design competition requires the clear vision of both architect and client group. We hope that LEAPs next sympo sium will further the conversation by discussing client viewpoints as a contributing factor to suc cess within the complex structure of architecture competitions.
Ian ChodIkoff
ichodikoff@cAnAdiAnArchitEct.coM
E ditor Ian ChodIkoff, OAA, FRAIC AssociAtEEditor LesLIe Jen, MRAIC EditoriAlAdvisors John MCMInn, AADIpl. MarCo PoLo, OAA, FRAIC contributingEditors GavIn affLeCk, OAQ, MRAIC herbert enns, MAA, MRAIC douGLas MaCLeod, nCARb rEgionAlcorrEspondEnts halifax ChrIstIne MaCy, OAA regina bernard fLaMan, SAA montreal davId theodore calgary davId a. down, AAA Winnipeg herbert enns, MAA vancouver adeLe weder publishEr toM arkeLL 416-510-6806 AssociAtEpublishEr GreG PaLIouras 416-510-6808 circulAtionMAnAgEr beata oLeChnowICz 416-442-5600 ext. 3543 custoMErsErvicE MaLkIt Chana 416-442-5600 ext. 3539 production JessICa Jubb grAphicdEsign sue wILLIaMson vicEprEsidEntofcAnAdiAnpublishing aLex PaPanou prEsidEntofbusinEssinforMAtiongroup bruCe CreIGhton hEAdofficE 80 vaLLeybrook drIve, toronto, on M3b 2s9 telephone 416-510-6845 facsimile 416-510-5140 e-mail editors@canadianarchitect.com Web site www.canadianarchitect.com Canadian architect is published monthly by bIG Magazines LP, a div. of Glacier bIG holdings Company Ltd., a leading Canadian information company with interests in daily and community newspapers and business-tobusiness information services. the editors have made every reasonable effort to provide accurate and authoritative information, but they assume no liability for the accuracy or completeness of the text, or its fitness for any particular purpose. subscription rates Canada: $54.95 plus applicable taxes for one year; $87.95 plus applicable taxes for two years (hst #809751274rt0001). Price per single copy: $6.95. students (prepaid with student Id, includes taxes): $34.97 for one year. usa: $105.95 us for one year. all other foreign: $125.95 us per year. single copy us and foreign: $10.00 us. return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Circulation dept., Canadian architect, 80 valleybrook dr, toronto, on Canada M3b 2s9. Postmaster: please forward forms 29b and 67b to 80 valleybrook dr, toronto, on Canada M3b 2s9. Printed in Canada. all rights reserved. the contents of this publication may not be reproduced either in part or in full without the consent of the copyright owner. from time to time we make our subscription list available to select companies and organizations whose product or service may interest you. If you do not wish your contact information to be made available, please contact us via one of the following methods: telephone 1-800-668-2374 facsimile 416-442-2191 e-mail privacyofficer@businessinformationgroup.ca mail Privacy officer, business Information Group, 80 valleybrook dr, toronto, on Canada M3b 2s9 member of the canadian business press member of the audit bureau of circulations publications mail agreement #40069240 issn 1923-3353 (online) issn 0008-2872 (print)
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city of calgary celebrates inauguration of signature calatrava bridge.
On March 24, 2012, the City of Calgary celebrated the opening of the Santiago Calatrava-designed Peace Bridge. The red twisting helix-shaped pedestrian bridge is unlike any of the renowned architects other designs. Known for his soaring, vertical icons, Calatrava opted to design a low single-span bridge in order to meet geometrical constraints. With a no-fly zone enacted above the bridge due to a nearby heliport and the high water and ice levels of the Bow River beneath it, Calatrava had an envelope of only seven metres in which to create his signature bridge. Additionally, the Peace Bridge was designed without supporting piers in the riverbed in order to minimize impact on the surrounding environment. These parameters influenced the decision to proceed with a tubular steel-truss bridge. When Calatrava was first commissioned by the City of Calgary to design a pedestrian bridge over the Bow River, he wanted to provide the citizens of Calgary with an aesthetically pleasing structure that would also offer protection from the extreme natural elements. The result is an awe-inspiring permeable yet enclosed bridge that is as functional during the winter as it is during the summer.
Bing thom architects and Manasc isaac architects selected to design new facility at Macewan University.
proudly celebrating its 40th anniversary. As a comprehensive university, MacEwan offers more than 65 programs including undergraduate degrees, applied degrees, diplomas, certificates, continuing education and corporate training.
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TherecenTlyopenedpeaceBridge incalgary,aTuBularsTeel-TrusssTrucTuredesignedBysanTiagocalaTrava.
aWardS
national winners of Migrating Landscapes competition for the Venice Biennale announced.
Edmontons MacEwan University has chosen Bing Thom Architects (BTA) of Vancouver and Manasc Isaac Architects of Edmonton to design its new Cultural Arts and Communications Centre. The facility will house the programs currently in place at its Centre for the Arts and Communications campus. In November 2011, the university Board of Governors approved $5 million for the design and planning of the facility. Bing Thom is the principal of BTA, which he founded in 1982. Thom is a dedicated and artful city-builder with a global reputation. His commitment to using architecture to improve the urban context has been recognized by a range of honours, including the Order of Canada. Vivian Manasc is one of Canadas top integrated design facilitators. Over a 25-year period, she has delivered and refined a facilitation method that brings out the best in people. Manasc has been on the leading edge of inclusive participation and integrated design; her firms leadership role in the field was recognized with an Innovation Award from the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada. The university expects the architectural plans to be ready by March 2013. Founded in 1971, MacEwan University is
The national winners of the Migrating Landscapes competition were recently announced to a crowd of 250 people at the opening reception of the National Exhibition of Migrating Landscapes at the Winnipeg Art Gallery. Eighteen individual and team entries were selected: Amirali Javidan (BC), Mira Yung and Imu Chan (BC), Olena Chytra, Philipp Dittus, Alana Green and Katy Young (BC), DArcy Jones with Amanda Kemeny, Daan Murray and Melani Pigat (BC), Tiffany Shaw-Collinge (Alberta), April Hiebert, Brad Pickard, Robyn Robertson, Mark Sin and Victoria Yong-Hing (Saskatchewan), Jason Hare (Manitoba), Travis Cooke and Jason Kun (Manitoba), Andre Silva, Chris Gilmour and Kory Kaspersion (Manitoba), Andrew Batay-Csorba and Jodi Batay-Csorba (Ontario), Erica Pecoskie and George Simionopoulos (Ontario), Kfir Gluzberg and Liana Bresler (Ontario), Enrique Enriquez (Quebec), Felix Tue (Quebec), Jean-Nicolas Bouchard and Philippe Charest (Quebec), Anca Matiyku and Chad Connery (Quebec), Marianna de Cola (Atlantic Region), and Stephen Kopp, Monica Adair, John Leroux, Jessie Croll, Alicia Halas and Acre Architects (Atlantic Region). Special thanks to the national jury of Eleanor Bond, Ian Chodikoff, Anne Cormier, Bruce Kuwabara, and John Patkau. Together with organizers and curators 5468796 Architecture +
Jae-Sung Chon, these 18 winning entries will form Canadas official entry at the 2012 Venice Biennale in Architecture, which runs from August 29 to November 25, 2012. The winners have already been the focus of several news sources, in the Toronto Star and twice in the Winnipeg Free Press. The announcement wraps up the hugely successful seven-city Canadian tour of Migrating Landscapes. Now the young architectural Team Canada urgently needs your financial assistance. All donations will go directly to supporting Migrating Landscapes in Venice, including exhibition transportation and installation costs, promotion, reception and team travel costs. Donate now online or by contacting the RAICs Venice Biennale Project Manager, Sascha Hastings, at shastings@raic.org. All donors receive visibility on the exhibition sponsor wall in the Canada Pavilion in Venice, as well as a charitable tax receipt from the RAIC Foundation. http://migratinglandscapes.ca/competition
2012 World Monuments Fund/Knoll Modernism Prize.
The World Monuments Fund (WMF) recently announced that it is inviting nominations for the 2012 World Monuments Fund/Knoll Modernism Prize. The Prize will be awarded in fall 2012 to a design professional or firm in recognition of innovative design solutions that preserved or saved a modern landmark at risk. Nominated projects should have enhanced a sites architectural, functional, economic, and environmental sustainability while benefiting the community, and must have been completed in 2007 or after. Nominations must be submitted by July 31, 2012. For
04/12canadian architect
courTesyofianhardingphoTography
more information about the initiative and previous prizewinners, please visit the WMF website. www.wmf.org/modernism
Winners of the 2012 Governor Generals awards in Visual and Media arts announced.
2011 north american Wood design awards select MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple architects for three major awards.
The winners of the 2012 Governor Generals Awards in Visual and Media Arts were recently announced by Robert Sirman, Director and CEO of the Canada Council for the Arts. Each has, in their own way, made a mark on Canadas dynamic art scene through their groundbreaking work. They are: Margaret Dragu, performance artist; Geoffrey James, photographer; Charles Lewton-Brain, artist-goldsmith (Saidye Bronfman Award); Ron Martin, visual artist; Diana Nemiroff, art gallery director and curator (Outstanding Contribution); Jan Peacock, visual artistmedia and installation; Royden Rabinowitch, sculptor; and Jana Sterbak, visual artist. In addition to a $25,000 prize from the Canada Council, the winners will each receive a special-issue medallion sponsored by the Royal Canadian Mint. An exhibition at the National Gallery of Canada will be held in conjunction with these awards, running from March 30 to June 17, 2012. www.canadacouncil.ca/news/releases/2011/ tc129749133257998534
The North American Wood Design Program recognizes innovative wood design in North America, and has honoured MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects (MLSA) with three awards. The Ron Thom Award was given to the firm for the Ghost Campus, located in Upper Kingsburg, Nova Scotia. This prestigious award is rarely granted and is presented to an architect and a body of work that demonstrates outstanding creative talent and exemplary architectural design. The second award issued to the firm was a Wood Design Honour Award, which recognizes the Cliff House, located on Nova Scotias eastern shore. And lastly, a North American Wood Design Citation distinguished the Two Hulls House on Nova Scotias south shore. The awards ceremony will take place in May 2012 at the American Institute of Architects National Convention in Washington, DC.
dustry by presenting a seminar at IIDEX/NeoCon Canada 2012. With over 3,000 conference attendees and 75+ sessions, IIDEX is widely recognized as an industry leader by providing thought-provoking and insightful hands-on educational opportunities for the design, architectural and facility management communities. Sessions are offered in one-, two- and threehour time slots, with a preference for one- and two-hour sessions. Sessions are being sought that are at the basic, intermediate and advanced skill level in order to provide a wide range of learning opportunities. Please submit online by April 30, 2012. www.formstack.com/forms/iidex-iidexneocon_ canada_2012_call_for_presentations
architecture app developed by ryerson researchers puts downtown toronto at your fingertips.
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Downtown Toronto is filled with architectural icons designed by the likes of Calatrava, Gehry, Libeskind and Alsop. A new app developed at Ryerson University will allow tourists, Torontonians and architecture fans to delve into the design, function and history of many of downtown Torontos most notable buildings. The Ryerson Architecture Mobile App, a partnership between
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Ryersons Department of Architectural Science and the Ryerson University Library and Archives, is a free interactive mobile app that uses geo-location data to help users identify and learn more about the architecture that immediately surrounds them. Architectural science professor Vincent Hui first came up with the concept in late 2010, and took his idea to Innovative Technologies Librarian Graham McCarthy who, along with his team, developed the app. The Architecture Mobile App offers the user a detailed look into the history, function, design and creation of the more than 90 buildings in its database. It will also highlight the closest buildings to the user offering a wealth of relevant information, including documents such as floor plans and high-res images. More than 60 students and recent graduates have contributed to the database, researching downtown buildings and their history on their own time. The database also includes data provided by Canadian Architect magazine archives, and the entire database is vetted by Hui and his research assistants. Available now on Android, on the Apple App store and on the mobile web, the app has been accessed by almost 800 unique users since it became available. www.ryerson.ca/news/news/General_Public/20120125_app.html
Parks canada approves Sturgess architectures Glacier discovery Walk project.
Parks Canada recently announced that the Glacier Discovery Walk project has met all required environment assessment guidelines and is a project that is acceptable within Parks Canadas policy framework governing the management and protection of our national parks. Parks Canada has given Brewster Travel Canada approval to proceed with the next steps in the development of the project. The decision for the Glacier Discovery Walk project, a 400-metre-long guided interpretive walkway with a 30-metre glass-floored observation area overlooking the Sunwapta Valley at the Tangle Ridge Viewpoint in Jasper National Park, is a major step in an extensive regulatory process required by the federal government through Parks Canada for all projects occurring within a national park. The projects designdeveloped by Sturgess Architecture in Calgaryrecently won a prestigious international architectural award at the World Festival of Architecture for its stunning design that evokes the surrounding landscape and for the incorporation of environmentally friendly elements such as Corten, a type of steel that will both weather well and blend in with the natural surroundings without using any paint or chemicals. The design was also recognized in part for its ability to provide Canadians of all ages and abilities with barrier-free access to view a piece of our national park in a way that will both challenge and educate visitors. www.glacierdiscoverywalk.ca
call for innovative seismic design projects for 2012 design exchange exhibition.
An exhibition will be held at the Design Exchange in Toronto in November/ December 2012 relating to innovative approaches to seismic design. Featuring drawings, models and various multilmedia platforms, the exhibition aims to convey the cutting-edge character of some of the most creative projects around the world. Curators Effie Bouras of Mechanik Design Office and Professor Ghyslaine McClure of McGill University are seeking completed building projects and research that engage an innovative approach to seismic design requirementsbuildings that have been designed to resist earthquakes in the typically seismic zones of the West Coast, China, Japan, New Zealand, etc. The deadline for submissions is June 1, 2012. Please e-mail your proposals with DX exhibit in the subject line. info@mechanikllc.com
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Float PlaneS
a Short-lived deSign PartnerShiP yielded a careFully conceived WeSt coaSt reSidence that FloatS above itS rocky outcroP.
Gulf Islands ResIdence, salt spRInG Island, BRItIsh columBIa RuRal/uRBan/fantasy pRoject (Ruf) teXt tanya southcott PhotoS Ivan hunteR
ProJect deSignerS
When West Vancouvers City Council approved the demolition of Arthur Ericksons famed Graham House, the loss of this West Coast Modern gem resonated among the architectural community across the country and beyond. Arguably one of the few times and places in Canadian architectural history revered internationally for its sense of place and unique approach to climate, building materials and lifestyle, the legacy of architectural design in British Columbia from the 1950s and 60s is increasingly threatened by the expense of upkeep in a strong developer-driven market. Fortunately, a new generation of designers is attempting to address this cultural amnesia head-on through a reinterpretation of the fundamentals of this venerable style. The Gulf Islands Residence, the inaugural project of local design collaborative Rural/Urban/Fantasy Projector RUF for shortis an elegant example of this continuum.
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Just under 100 kilometres across the Strait of Georgia from mainland British Columbias lower west coast, Salt Spring Island is the largest of the South Gulf Islands. Accessible from both the mainland and Vancouver Island by float plane and ferry service, its population can easily triple during the summer. The road from Ganges, the largest island village, to this waterfront retreat winds through dense stretches of forest scattered with an eclectic mix of wooden cabins and modern homes until finally opening up onto a moss-covered rocky outcrop sloping gently down to an even rockier shore. Set back from the road, the house appears to float like a glass bridge spanning the rocky crest, framing panoramic views of the Strait and the islands beyond. The strong horizontals of the golden-coloured heavy timber roof hold the gaze low to the ground, identifying immediately the duality of this Modernist object in the landscapethe desire to blend into its natural setting while simultaneously standing out. Located on a former apple orchard, the Gulf Islands Residence is the second generation of waterfront homes to be built on this three-acre site. When architectural graduate Sean Pearson and landscape architect Alyssa Schwann first set foot on the plot, they found a rotting wood-frame house complete with tennis court, palm trees and a quaint 1911 timber guest cabin. Unsalvageable even with a major renovation, the house quickly came down, but not before Pearson and Schwann temporarily reclaimed the cabin in which to set up their live-work studio as the basis for their RUF partnership
for the duration of design and construction. Both graduates from the University of Manitoba, the two had been working in and around design across Europe for several years. After gaining experience with a number of prestigious architectural firms including London-based Hopkins Architects and Jump Studio, Pearson was working in the Netherlands as Design Director for Nike, developing projects ranging from branding and product work to retail design. Unlike more traditional timelines of architecture and landscape architecture graduates, the two moved quickly from office to office, constantly pushing forward the boundaries of design. Schwann was also busy building a portfolio of internationally acclaimed pieces while working with West 8 in Rotterdam. When the possibility to return to Canada presented itself with the Gulf Islands Residence, the duo seized the opportunity to launch their design collaborative and reconnect with North American industry. The design brief was loose, allowing RUF the freedom to develop a narrative for the site that drew from a number of contexts. Torn between the idea of a modern villa and a rustic cabin in the woods, the clients believed strongly in making the house belong to a particular place, favouring the approach of the West Coast Modernists. The final design was ultimately driven by the flow of spaces, the relationship between interior and exterior, and framing views out to the landscape. The clients wanted a home that would accommodate but not overwhelm two permanent residents, and also
oPPoSite
an ode to the leGacy of West coast modeRnIsm, the homes Golden-hued hoRIzontally domInant tImBeRs GloW at nIGht. above laRGe expanses of Glass Reveal the InteRIoR mateRIal palette of Wood and stone. at nIGht, the ResIdence Is a Beacon to passInG feRRyBoats tRanspoRtInG passenGeRs thRouGh the Gulf Islands.
comfortably house visiting family and guests throughout the year. At 5,600 square feet, the Gulf Islands Residence is far from a modest country cabin. Yet a large part of the buildings success is the intimate scale of individual spaces and their inherent flexibility. The house is clearly divided into two parts. The main floor, a transparent glass box framed by timber wings, contains the traditional elements of the home in one continuous space. Kitchen, living room and study soar over the landscape, inviting sweeping views as the backdrop to domestic activities. The master suite is less permeable, framed by oak-clad walls that create a sense of privacy directing views to the boathouse and shoreline and away from the adjacent property. Built-in furniture and sliding walls throughout the building bring spatial definition and a sense of enclosure to individual spaces. The dining room walls slide away to connect the room to the rest of the house, but can also close to create an intimate space for entertaining. Sliding glass walls in the kitchen and master bedroom open onto outdoor
15
terraces, creating a seamless transition between interior and exterior space. In contrast to the transparency of the upper level, the lower floor is submerged into the site and clad in custom-cut limestone pavers to look like a man-made version of the natural topography. Built on the foundations of the original house, this guest wing is the most private part of the home and features a series of modest, trapezoid-shaped rooms staggered in a sawtooth plan to frame views out towards the shore. The house showcases an honesty of materials and elegant simplicity in their detailing that marries both design and craft. Minimal interior finishes feature inexpensive, local materials detailed in very precise ways. Walls and ceiling are predominantly finished in wood that was handselected for its colour and cut, and detailed according to the direction of the grain and inherent patterning. At 10 feet and higher, the golden hemlock ceiling sets a continuous datum throughout the house, while subtle variations of the wall treatment are tailored to individual
16 6 1 15 11 6 12 13 6 5 14 3 4 2
10
15 Main Floor 1 foyeR 2 mudRoom 3 hall 4 dInInG 5 pantRy 6 Wc
7 kItchen 8 GReat Room 9 lIBRaRy 10 masteR suIte 11 masteR Bath 12 spa
13 14 15 16
closet laundRy teRRace caRpoRt
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the shelteRed caRpoRt pRovIdes a Gentle entRy to the house. sItuated at the junctuRe of the tWo WInGs, the fully tRanspaRent GReat Room on the uppeR level hoveRs oveR the Rocky landscape. Middle the Island RetReat, seen fRom the foRest at nIGht. above the sImply desIGned kItchen Is peRfect foR enteRtaInInG vIsItoRs Who can luxuRIate In the spectaculaR vIeWs.
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7 4 1 2 3 4 5 6 house GaRaGe Boathouse Wood platfoRm tennIs couRt foRest 6 loWer Floor 1 hall 2 stoRe 3 stoRe/mech 4 mech 5 medIa Room 6 Guest Room 0 7 patIo 8 utIlIty 9 caRpoRt (aBove) 20
Site Plan
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right In addItIon to Its utIlItaRIan functIon, the ancIllaRy Boathouse suGGests the pResence of a folly In a Rocky Island context. bottoM right escheWInG the use of dRyWall, the InteRIoR Walls aRe lIned WIth eItheR stone oR Wood veneeR.
spaces. Large panels of oak are used in public spaces, and thin verticals of fir bring texture and scale to the private bedrooms. Having the right crew was paramount to the success of the project. Pearson and Schwann quickly realized the advantage of working with a local contractor who was committed to their vision when they were first introduced to H. Hazenboom Construction by their client. A resident of Salt Spring Island for over 40 years, Hazenboom had built a reputation on the careful and meticulous craftsmanship necessary in realizing the simplicity and elegance of RUFs detailing. With few exceptions, crews were selected locally which proved an asset in choosing materials that would be accessible from the site. Sourced from mainland British Columbia, the yellow cedar glulam roof beams were designed to within a quarter-inch tolerance of 108 feetBC Ferries maximum allowable length under special permitand navigated by logging truck along the narrow meandering island roads. Like the beams, the bulk of the materials were designed as components, manufactured elsewhere and assembled on site where they had to be sized by hand to fit together seamlessly. After two years of construction, the Gulf Islands Residence was finally completed in the fall of 2011. While Schwann has moved on to found Atelier Anonymous, Pearson maintains a small core team that swells and shrinks as the workload demands, absorbing freelance designers and specialty consultants as projects necessitate specific skills and focus. Now located in a converted warehouse in East Vancouver, Rural/ Urban/Fantasy has turned the spirit of collaboration that fuelled the design and construction of the Gulf Islands Residence into the core of its business model. ca Tanya Southcott is a Vancouver-based architect.
client WIthheld deSign teaM sean peaRson, alyssa schWann Structural paRallel consultInG stRuctuRal enGIneeRs ltd. Mechanical jade West enGIneeRInG co. ltd. geotechnical BRaun GeotechnIcal ltd. contractor h. hazenBoom constRuctIon ltd. building enveloPe RIchaRd kadulskI, aRchItect area 5,600 ft2 budget WIthheld coMPletion auGust 2011
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deco reiterative
described as canadiana art deco, a toronto residence has been updated to reflect modern-day domestic life.
proJect Lawren Harris House restoration, renovation & addition, toronto, ontario architect drew MandeL arcHitects teXt KatHarine vansittart photos toM arban
Lawren S. Harris didnt live here long. In 1931, the iconic Canadian artist commissioned construction of his monumental house poised high in the heart of old-world Forest Hill. It was designed by Russian-born Alexandra Biriukova, one of few women practicing architecture at the time, and the first female member of the Ontario Association of Architects. The houses compos20 canadian architect 04/12
ition of a flat roof and strong, simple geometry with a plain faade and black steel windows was radical for Toronto at the time, and must have stunned its neighbours. Never mind the controversy. By 1934, Harris, then 49, had packed his bags and moved away after having thoroughly scandalized Toronto society by leaving his wife and marrying Bess Housser, herself recently divorced from Harriss friend and associate Fred Housser. Even today, if you step out onto the third-floor terrace of the towering Art Deco-era house and look out from its singular perspective over the tops of aspen and conifers that wood the front
yard, across the dormers and gables of the traditional enclave, beyond the high-rises of downtown, and then all the way to the shimmering expanse that is Lake Ontario, you can sense Harriss maverick spirit. At home in the wilds of northern Ontario and amongst Europes avant-garde, it is in this house that the painter synthesized much that hed gleaned in his life up to that point. The Ava Crescent residence was more than just a home for Harrisit was a light-filled studio, impromptu art gallery and salon where he could gather and inspire fellow artists that defined 20th-century Canadian art history. Without Harris, wrote A.Y. Jackson, there would have been no Group of Seven. It is an imposing house, with this large oval foyer, says architect Drew Mandel, standing in the elliptical front hall. With its soaring cove ceilings, curving walls and granite-trimmed trav-
by reorienting and broadening tHe entry doors at tHe rear of tHe House, tHe newLy reconfigured bacKyard Has been given greater proMinence in tHe daiLy Life of its residents. left wHite stucco, bLacK MuLLions and pLenty of gLazing coMpLeMent tHe wHite art deco-inspired arcHitecture of tHe originaL coMponents of tHe HoMe.
opposite
ertine, the front hall shares a similar footprint to many of todays condos. As the entrances grandeur alone attests, Harris was no starving artist. Part of the Massey-Harris Company Limited agricultural machinery clan, he studied in Berlin, served in the First World War and then travelled around Europe and America where he would have witnessed early Modernist architecture firsthand. Mandel was commissioned by the current owners in 2010 to restore the house and renovate portions of it to better suit their lifestyle. They said it was an impressive house with lots of character but that it didnt feel like a home, recalls Mandel. The house is listed as a heritage Art Decoinfluenced building and several Deco features remain, but only some are authentic. Subsequent owners attempted to engage with the buildings mythology by adding exterior lanterns and
sconces. Thankfully, Harriss design for the simple, stylized fern motif on the stair railings remained. Nonetheless, the home is more in keeping with the Moderne or International Style traits which came after Art Deco and thus helps explain the residences experimentation with steel, concrete, glass, and a clean aesthetic unencumbered by all historic reference. The Harris house is constructed of steel webbing and concrete block covered in stuccoan advanced technique for Canadian residential building at the time. As an artist, Harris explored formal abstraction, minimal colour and purity of composition in his paintings, so Biriukovas pared-down structure and streamlined dcor would have resonated with him. It was an exciting time, notes Mandel, who discovered the buildings robust structure during demolition of the back wall to make way for an addition that
carries forward the Modernist sensibility. A semi-public quality to the house may be key to what wasnt translating easily into 21st-century hominess for the current owners. Harris, one assumes, had in mind his family when he commissioned the project and it must have felt welcoming once completed. The dining room, in the front west wing, remains much as he would have enjoyed it: bright and convivial thanks to fullheight windows, chamfered corners and 12-foot ceilings. In the front east wing, the living room is larger though similarly shaped, sunlit and inviting, with a wood-burning fireplace. In both rooms, as on the spiral staircase treads, birch, fir and pine floorboards lend warmth to contrast against the stone floors elsewhere. The combined effect was perceived as being Canadiana Art Deco for its uniquely nationalistic and naturalistic evocation of the diversely interpreted style. But there is a formality to the house that is challenging, notes Mandel. From a contemporary familys perspective, longing for spaces in which to lounge in front of a big-screen television or curl up with a book, presents a challenge for an architect to rethink both its form and function. Said to be a social hub and home gallery in Harriss day, the foyer perplexed Mandel. Every time we had meetings wed hang around in here wandering what to do with it. The sensible solution was to then approach the project from the rear of the house. The original kitchen, pantry and washroom were located off the front foyer. Every time you came across the old kitchens and bathrooms, you couldnt believe how stifling and inappropriate they were, notes the architect. Attached to the east side of the kitchen had been Harriss garage. A previous owner had renovated it into a family room and built a three-car garage that once dominated the backyard. Fortunately, the things that needed our attention were also the things the clients wanted updated to suit their lifestyle, says Mandel. The architect responded by reorienting and broadening the entry points at the rear, thereby
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Diagrams: extent of new/ restoration work 16 15 13 14 12 new construction new construction within existing envelope refinishing, new furnishings, furnishings and fixtures 11 10 9
above witH tHe context of tHe street visibLe in tHis pHotograpH, tHe Long driveway Leading to tHe residence- situated on a corner Lotis reLativeLy discreet.
2 1 4 3 2 3 4 5 14 5 3
2 8 1
11
10 6 7 8
2 2 4 3 3 2 5
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13
basement
second floor
third floor
1 2 3 4 5
storage bedrooM wasHrooM cLoset waLK-in cLoset
6 Laundry 7 wine ceLLar 8 gaMe rooM 9 Media rooM 10 exercise rooM
11 12 13 14
MecHanicaL Master bedrooM Master ensuite Lounge
site plan and Ground floor 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 entry/foyer KitcHen breaKfast rooM MudrooM faMiLy rooM office Living rooM dining rooM 9 pooL 10 patio 11 coLonnade/garden waLL 12 Hot tub 13 cabana 14 wasHrooM 15 MecHanicaL/pooL storage 16 garage
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client witHHeLd architect team drew MandeL, Jowenne poon, caroLine Howes, aLLison gonsaLves, racHeL taMeirao structural bLacKweLL bowicK partnersHip LiMited landscape drew MandeL arcHitects interiors drew MandeL arcHitects contractor eisner Murray area 8,367 ft2 (pLus 3,478 ft2 baseMent and 2,578 ft2 garden rooM) budGet witHHeLd completion 2011
reversing the massing-to-glazing ratio to the extent that the once-stucco back wall is now almost entirely steel and glass with limestone piers echoing the houses existing limestone detailing. A reduced two-car garage now opens out to a sandblasted glass walkway sheltered by a floating steel canopy. It makes for a nice promenade, says Mandel of the seamless sequencing from car to kitchen. The promenade includes passing through a mudroom by name onlythe room has 12-foot ceilings, clerestory windows, sleek cabinetry and deep counters containing a large white sink used for washing the dog and rinsing flowers. Moving from the mudroom to the renovated kitchen, the moniker kitchen seems barely adequate. More than any other aspect of the 21stcentury home, changes to where we prepare food and how we enjoy family time have shifted profoundly since Harriss day, and this is what Mandel sought to express when reconfiguring the new kitchens program. The kitchens 12-foot ceilings draw much attention to the garden while playing off of the relatively lower-ceilinged adjoining family room. Redesigned to be more of an outdoor lounge than garden, the backyard features limestone and concrete decking, along with a built-in grill, cabana and pool that is flanked by a fringe of grasses on the west wall and ivy on the east. Continuing with the homes black-and-white scheme and material palette of steel, glass and stone, a Corian island floats atop a sea of black terrazzo used to visually unite the various openconcept rooms. In keeping with Frank Lloyd Wrights belief that architecture and furniture design are a holistic entity, Mandel designed ample built-in quarter-cut white-oak cabinetry, desk, entertainment centre and bar nook. A minimalist stone-and-steel gas fireplace articulates the corner connecting the breakfast nook, family room and garden. Rising from the driveway along the back of the west wall and across the kitchen ceilings seam, a long, thin skylight demarcates old and new. The gap, as Mandel calls the strip of glazing, also brings slanting sunlight into the kitchen and could represent an allusion to Harriss spiritual paintings: think of the sunbeams in his North Shore, Lake Superior and other mountain paintings that are pierced with a renewing sense of light.
top riGht Lawren Harris once enJoyed using tHe entry foyer for entertaining, but tHe current owners prefer to focus tHeir entertaining in tHe KitcHen and bacKyard. However, tHey reMain coMMitted to preserving tHe foyers originaL bar. middle riGht tHe expanded KitcHen area is one of tHe Main differences between tHe Luxurious LifestyLe of today versus tHat of tHe 1930s. riGht bacKyard activity is focused around tHe swiMMing pooL.
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Negotiating with the homes conspicuous architecture was a first for Mandel. The majority of his residential commissions demand that he must work with Victorian-era architecture found throughout Toronto, and his approach is typically to juxtapose old with new. With the Harris residence, Mandel remarks that Sometimes its the texture and grit of the old houses that makes the gleaming new thing work. Here, it was Modern but not the same kind of Modern. Other restoration work included repairing hardware and replacing putty work around steelframe windows for better energy efficiency, uncovering and refinishing floors and renewing the stucco exterior. The owners, who have lived here a year, continue to discover new ways of enjoying each space. With Harris in mind, theyve held parties that began in the foyer, but everyone always ends up in the kitchen, the owner laughs. Habits and innovations of one century can become eccentricities and inefficiencies in the
next. Elegant formality can become awkward formality. On the original 1930s drawings there is a room in the basement simply called Trunks that has now become an exercise/dance room. The remaining portion of the previously dank basement has been updated to include an entertainment centre and wine cellar. Harriss thirdfloor studio is now the master bedroom and his pantry has become a mudroom. The outdated kitchen is transformed into the super-efficient hearth of the home, while the bathrooms provide amenities more suitable to todays daily rituals. The 7,850-square-foot mansion was not lacking space, yet Mandels 535-square-foot addition effectively integrates the original spaces by creating a more comfortable and spontaneous living environment. No doubt Harris would have felt right at home. ca Katharine Vansittart is a Toronto-based freelance writer.
above, left to riGht
tHe originaL decoinspired residence; LiMestone and wHite stucco detaiLing provides a weLcoMe coMpLeMent to tHe originaL 1930s MateriaL paLette. bottom, left to riGht a new conteMporary wasHrooM; tHe expanded KitcHen area; tHe interiors Have been retrofitted witH Many buiLt-in furniture coMponents.
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Man in the Moon
a young Montreal designer transitions froM work at an esteeMed architectural practice to the reduced scale of industrial and product design.
designer teXt
Guillaume SaSSeville leSlie Jen
Guillaume SaSSeville
Today, the best design firms and practitioners are able to bridge complementary disciplines, arming themselves with a multifaceted approach to their design process. One example of such agility is Montreal-based Guillaume Sasseville, who has shown an impressive range of skillsfirst in his work for Saucier + Perrotte architectes, and now through his independent one-man venture of SSSVLL, a design studio that focuses on industrial and product design. Though Sasseville never trained specifically as an architect, he graduated from the Environmental Design program at the Universit du Qubec Montral in 2001, and began honing his craft under the tutelage of Gilles Saucier and Andr Perrotte the following year. While at the firm, Sasseville worked on projects of varying scales, from urban design to architecture to interior and exhibition design. He credits both of his mentors for inspiring his design sensibility and work process, leaving a marked influence on his approach to thinking, seeing and creating. With the multitude of opportunities available outside the realm of architecture, Sasseville began to pursue complementary design explorations in furniture and jewelry, along with collaborative excursions in the design and conception of exhibitions, installations and curatorial projects. In 2009, he even undertook independent jewelry studies through an instructor who could accommodate his busy schedule through private lessons. In 2010, the young designer left the firm, and embarked on a one-year
moniQue Savoie
program at the prestigious cole cantonale dart de Lausanne (CAL) in Switzerland, from which he graduated with a Masters degree in Industrial Design. His decision to attend this particular institution was based on its strong reputation as an applied program with a real-world focus. The schools established liaisons and collaborations with recognized European luxury brands and manufacturers such as Baccarat and Christofle meant that Sasseville could obtain direct experience designing real projects during his education, some of which were ultimately commissioned for production. The schools affiliation with such companies also provided the young designer with access to the finest and most experienced artisans to craft his visions. One such success was the Half Moon project for Christofle, a French manufacturer of silver flatware and home accessories. Half Moon is a light sconce that was inspired by Sassevilles childhood memories and imaginative conGuillaume SaSSeville chloe dulude
The Half Moon wall Sconce deSiGned for chriSTofle illuminaTeS The SurroundinG Space wiTh SofT, diffuSe liGhT. aBoVe, left to right for The Resized SerieS of rinGS, Guillaume SaSSe ville SubJecTS wax caSTS of ornaTe chunky rinGS To The riGid GeomeTry of a priSm To achieve The final effecT of oddly Trun caTed buT STill wearable obJecTS. BottoM, left to right alSo parT of The Resized SerieS, ThiS hoTel room key iS made preciouS and unuSual by iTS compoSiTion of GoldplaTed Silver and iTS defini Tively anGled cuT; The cenTurieSold TradiTional Quebec babiche chair GeTS SaSSevilleS priSm TreaTmenT for The BaBicHe nouvelle exhibiTion of 2008; Three exampleS of SaSSevilleS preciouS and uniQue Resized rinGS in Their final STaTe.
opposite
ceptions of the moon. The sconces cratered silver surface is mounted atop a convex frosted glass surface, through which a concealed LED disc glows, emitting a diffuse light reminiscent of the moons soft, calming luminosity.
27
chloe dulude
moniQue Savoie
damien ropero
JuMp waS commiSSioned by chriSTofle To fill The luxury baby GifT niche markeT. Middle caRton Jaune waS a 2010 compeTiTion and exhibiTion premiSed upon The common obJecT ThaT SaSSe ville deSiGned and curaTed in collaboraTion wiTh feed, a monT real Graphic deSiGn STudio. aBoVe for The testing gRound exhibi Tion in 2008, SaSSeville reSponded wiTh The SliGhTly SubverSive flat cHaiR, a puddle of melTed Grey plaSTic.
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Another of Sassevilles designs currently in production is Jump, a rarefied but functional jump ropealso for Christoflethat was commissioned for the baby gift niche market. Sasseville describes it as a non-design meaning he kept the object in its original and most basic form, made manifest in a rope knotted at each end, probably its simplest evocation. However, with its handles made of solid silver, the jump rope is very much a beautiful objet while still fulfilling its promise of a completely functionaland expensivetoy. Sassevilles independently produced work enables him to pursue a more conceptual and subversiveyet also artisanalapproach to design. For the Resized series of 2010, he applied an intriguing geometric exercise to a variety of everyday objects usually taken for granted, such as cheap dime-store rings and hotel room keys. By imposing the geometry of a prism onto such objects, Sasseville cuts away at the extraneous material of the object falling outside the constraints of the prism, thereby sculpting a new and unusual object in the process. With the rings, Sasseville created wax casts of the original objects. Once the geometry of the prism was applied to the wax casts, Sasseville read the object to determine the best place to make the cuts to communicate the imposed geometry while still retaining the feeling and meaning of the object. Simple slices were made to the wax casts, then the final rings were cast in gold or silver, creating valuable and enduring pieces of wearable jewelry but also highly conceptual works of art. Adopting the same theme, Sassevilles submission to the 2010 Carton Jaune competition and exhibition (which he also co-curated and co-designed) was a hotel room keymade precious and unusual by its composition of gold-plated silver and by a curious diagonal cut across the fob. In slicing the fob according to the dictates of the prism, the room number is partially cut off, thus reducing the keys functionality and usefulness. This approach ultimately derived two years earlier from his Prism Chair of 2008, which he submitted to the Babiche Nouvelle exhibition at the Commissaires Gallery in Montreal. By applying the geometry of a prism to Sasse villes version of the centuries-old traditional Quebec babiche chair, critical parts of its structure were lopped off, rendering it useless for the purpose it was intended. Another chair appeared in Sassevilles repertoire in 2008this time for the Testing Ground exhibition at Atelier Punkt. The designer was asked to submit a design for a chair, to which he responded with Flat Chair, a puddle of grey plastic bearing a vague resemblance to a melted chairthat blended perfectly with the grey concrete floor of the gallery. So invisible it was that visitors walked right over it. Sasseville maintains his design was a comment on how we read our environment and how the conventional notion of a chair dictates where we sit. Here, he invites people to sit where they want in this case, on the ground if they choose the Flat Chair. Though he has expanded the scope of his design work, Sasseville hasnt strayed completely away from architecture. His simple two-storey Island House in Rivire-du-Loup along the St. Lawrence River measures a modest 25 x 32. While this elemental structure seems very basic viewed from ground level, in typical Sasseville fashion, there is a twist. The steeply pitched roofline has an elegant deviation, with the roof ridge running diagonally from front to back. The skewed geometry is imperceptible from the front elevation, but is readily apparent from above in plan view. Construction of the house will begin later this month, and is scheduled for completion in the fall. The designers talents have recently been recognized: in November 2011, Sasseville was named the winner of the Phyllis Lambert Design Montral Grant, a $10,000 prize that will enable him to complete his current project entitled Verre Commun, a series of glasses and cups inspired by drinking vessels mass-produced in early 20th-century Montreal. Currently in the process of design and production in Graz, Austria, this latest creation will be introduced to Canada later this year. We eagerly await the unveiling. ca
chloe dulude
olivier blouin
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Deep Roots in a new eneRgy City Des assises soliDes pouR la ville Des neRgies nouvelles
Delta st. Johns Hotel and Conference Centre st. Johns, newfoundland and labrador | terre-neuve-et-labrador June 12-16, 2012 | 12 au 16 juin 2012
pResenteD by | pRsent paR
Newfoundland & Labrador Association of Architects
Come celebrate architecture with your colleagues while enjoying:

Continuing education courses that qualify for core credits (hours) inspiring talks from keynote speakers presentation of awards and Honours with the top professionals of the year social activities, tours and networking summer days in friendly st. Johns, and much more!
venez clbrer larchitecture avec vos collgues et profitez de lvnement pour :

suivre des activits de formation continue donnant droit des heures de formation dirige; entendre des confrenciers inspirants; assister des remises de prix et distinctions des professionnels qui se sont illustrs au cours de lanne; participer diverses activits sociales, visites architecturales et occasions de rseautage; profiter des belles journes dt st. Johns, ville accueillante; et plus encore!
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For more information and to register pour en savoir davantage et pour sinscrire
Festival.RaiC.oRg
report
benoTvollmer/CourTesyvankranendonkgallery
Unintended conseqUences
TheCanadianCenTreforarChiTeCTures reCenTexhibiTionandpubliCaTionprovokes usinToThinkingabouTdesigningfor healThierbuilTenvironmenTs. davidTheodore
teXt
Architecture, so they say, is in the middle of a digital revolution. So its not surprising that a key artifact in the current exhibition at the Canadian Centre for Architecture (CCA), placed on a pedestal behind Plexiglas, is a small, pristine white model of a digitally generated blob. But its not the digital that visitors are supposed to ponder: its the paunch. For the blob is a plastic replica of Captain B. McCrea. Youll remember him as the commander of the infamous luxury galactic cruise ship in the 2008 film WALL-E. Pudgy Captain McCrea, installed in a room dedicated to the theme of architecture and obesity, perfectly captures the shows ambitions. Like the Pixar film, the CCA is at pains to suggest that the world we design for ourselves may not turn out to be one we want to live in. Imperfect Health: The Medicalization of Architecture is the latest in a series of CCA exhibitions developed under the direction of Mirko Zardini which link architecture to contemporary social themes. From 2005s Sense of the City, through 1973: Sorry, Out of Gas, which examined the energy crisis, to exhibitions on migration, war and speed, the CCA has made a normative push towards explaining what architecture should be about. The curatorsZardini along with CCA Curator of Contemporary Architecture Giovanna Borasi organized Imperfect Health around six themes: obesity, allergies, asthma, epidemics, aging and cancer. The list is not meant to be exhaustive. Obvious sites for the intersection of buildings and illness, such as hospitals and sick-building syndrome, are not documented here. Instead, the curators use the themes as carryalls to hold together an eclectic bundle of modern design projects, from interiors to cities, through which architects have sought to improve our health. The idea is to use research to bring questions to light, not to answer them. In architectural schools, one regularly encounters discussions of these kinds of topicsthemes combining diverse ideas from a welter of different fields but they are rarely broached in professional practice. Its the kind of
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aTTenTionallergysufferers: benoTvollmersDpositionsisaphoTo graphofvariousspeCiesofTreesblow inginThewind. LeFtphilipperahms public AirplayfullyaTTempTsTovisualize ThephysiCalhealThofThosewhoenjoy ThispubliCspaCenearaforesTingen eva,swiTzerland. 31
kirillkuleTski
nereaCalvillo
research Rem Koolhaas/OMA popularized in books such as S,M,L,XL and The Harvard Guide to Shopping. If you enjoy that style of thinking, you will enjoy the approach to this exhibition and the recently released companion publication. The CCA archive is well represented here, especially with stunning sets of photographs showing the unparalleled richness of the CCAs vaults. Theres work from Alfred Stieglitz and Lynne Cohen, and a series of industrial landscapes by Hilla and Bernd Becher, just to name a few. For those who missed the exhibition, a book edited by Zardini and Borasi accompanying the exhibition launched in the middle of March by the CCA with Lars Mller. For me, the air-conditioned nightmare that is the spaceship from WALL-E is a key touchstone for the shows concerns, symptomatic of an architectural urge for total environmental control. Alison and Peter Smithsons 1956 House of the Future offers a Pop Art take on enclosed habitats. Crisp drawings detail a plastic, self-cleaning, sanitized, inward-focused and organically shaped domestic interior that today seems more forlorn than futuristic. Likewise, theres a melancholy aura to a 2010 project from Copenhagen-based David Garcia Studio. Its a proposal for reintegrating the quarantined with family life. The inflatable Domestic Isolation Unit allows a single susceptible inhabitant to live at home in a plastic bubble, designed as a hospital-standard isolation environment, separated from but surrounded by family members. In an emotional emergency, the bubble can be unzipped and the family reunited. So does the design merely substitute a physical problem with more potent mental distress? Overall, Zardini and Borasi want to highlight the unintended consequences of our attempts to improve our health through the design of our environment. Its not just that our best efforts sometimes fail, but that they can often harm us. The key case study deals with allergies. First, visitors
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are treated to a display of Cesare Leonardis careful, almost obsessive ink drawings of trees. The curators commentary notes that his influential 1982 book The Architecture of Trees, based on these drawings, helped populate western cities with tree species whose pollens cause allergic reactions: birch, poplar, even ginkgo. Likewise, Frederick Law Olmsteds great 19thcentury urban parks, shown in a radiant series of photographs taken by Robert Burley around 1990, provide lungs for cities, but also create allergies for park users. The road to imperfect health, it seems, is lined with trees. Thus health and architecture, the curators argue, are ambiguously enmeshed in complex relationships. Let me give an example of how the show brashly stages contradictions. The section of the exhibition devoted to allergies includes a 2011 proposal from Landscape Architecture Nature Development (LAND, a Milan-based network of landscape architects). As part of a strategy for greening Milan, LAND designed hypoallergenic gardens, filled with carefully chosen pollen-free plants. The implication is that these gardens proffer a solution to the problem of allergies, a better urban environment, and improved health for citizens. And yet, the show teaches us to be wary. Doesnt LANDs proposal merely repeat the hubris of earlier architects? What new unanticipated problems will a hypoallergenic garden bring? Is there anything architects can do to make cities healthier that might not lead to imperfect health?
douardfranois
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apapersCulpTureofaCowbyarTisTandybyersConsTi TuTesoneofmanyinsTallaTionsinTheimperfect HeAltHexhi i b TionaTTheCanadianCenTreforarChiTeCTure.
Nearby projects for vegetative buildings embody similar contradictions. The curators include Patrick Blancs celebrated green wall or vertical garden concept, and Tryptique Architectures housing block entitled Harmonia 57, built in So Paulo in 2008. These projects argue that growing plants on walls, inside and out, promotes biodiversity, better energy consumption, and cleaner air. And yet, arguably, green walls also cause more allergies. douard Franoiss Limmeuble qui pousse (Sprouting Building), a housing block in southern France, playfully captures this ambiguity. A gnarly and wrought scraggly model, bleakly adorned with barren trees, represents the scheme. The building uses gabions for cladding. Its rocky crevices contain an integrated irrigation system, creating a potential home for opportunistic plants. But unlike Blancs vertical gardens, Franoiss gabions offer no guarantee that vegetation will flourish. His project stages the problem, but backs away from any definitive solution. A separate thematic section features environments specifically aimed at accommodating the aging. Theres a concise 1975 video showing residents going about their daily routine in Herman Hertzbergers Brutalist, Structuralist, and inventive De Drie Hoven housing complex for the elderly in Amsterdam. In the next room, marketing brochures tout Sun City, Arizona. Still growing, it was started by the Del E. Webb Corporation in 1960 as the first active adult retirement community. This small but potent juxtaposition of state-based and market-based projects gives food for thought. Yet another of the shows bold contradictions stems from the curatorial teams keen awareness of contemporary western architecture. Although the
team wants to steer away from a traditional focus on architectural practice, the show nonetheless manages to celebrate recent work from the top echelons of celebrity architects: in addition to OMAs light-filled Maggies Cancer Caring Centre in Glasgow, theres work from BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group), SANAA, Morphosis, MVRDV, Franois Roche, Steven Holl and Philippe Rahm. Next to Captain McCrea, these unabashedly formal architectural moments give the show its brightest sparks. For good drawings make good exhibits. Take Nall McLaughlins 2009 Orchard Respite Centre in Dublin, a daycare facility for people with Alzheimers. The designs sensitivity to light, smells, vegetation and other markers that help patients stay connected and oriented is captured in a playful drawing of storks and rabbits (or is that a fox terrier?), orchards and flowers, reminiscent of Renaissance book illustration, but all surrounding a rigorously modern pinwheel plan. Imperfect Health continues CCAs policy of engaging an international coterie of designers. London-based graphic designer Jonathan Hares makes good use of neon to highlight words from the wall text, a strategy duplicated graphically in all printed typography. How best to convey the information overload that accompanies themes as controversial as cancer? Photocopies, brochures, printouts and newspaper articles, unceremoniously attached to poster boards with small magnets, effectively suggest the reams of material published online and in print. As usual, the CCAs taste and restraint mute any aggressive ideas. The show has an intriguing model of Franois Roches Dustyrelief F/B-mu, a museum proposed for Bangkok that would use the building envelope to clean dust from the air. But as displayed here, its the least dirty dust youll ever see. Brussels-based OFFICE, led by architects Kersten Geers and David Van Severen, are responsible for the exhibition scenography. Like many designers faced with choreographing movement through the main galleries, they sought to overcome the static, formal six-room enfilade. Their design works; it is simple but makes for subtle, ambiguous sensations. They installed two parallel glass walls equipped with a coating that makes weak but palpable reflections. The walls deftly overlay a new spatial organization on the existing rooms. The curators also commissioned artist Andy Byers. He responded with a burst of craftsmanship and imagination. His three life-size paper sculptures dramatize our encounter with swine flu (a pig), mad cow disease (a cow) and avian flu (a chicken). The sculptures are counterpoised by architectural projects dealing with animals in the food supply chain. Cedric Prices 1977 plan for a mixed cattle, sheep and pig-folding pen shares space with animal scientist Temple Grandins abattoir designs for livestockhandling facilities, as well as with MVRDVs notorious Pig City. This skyscraper pig farm is meant to both dramatize the scale of Dutch consumption of pork and, at the same time, suggest ways of farming pigs that consume less land and other resources. Finally, it should be said that with Imperfect Health, the CCA continues to innovate, showing an unrivalled understanding of what interests nonarchitects about architecture. The drawback may be that Canadas premier architecture museum now rarely celebrates the professions actual concerns or retells its history. The gain is a sustained attempt to make architecture part of popular culturenot the old-fashioned elite culture of opera and connoisseurs, but rather the more fluid play of university life, modern art museums, blogs, film and magazines. Eclectic, provocative and nondidactic, the show is ultimately optimistic about design. Captain McCrea eventually returns home to accept the imperfect world. So might we. ca David Theodore is a doctoral candidate in the History of Architecture, Medicine, and Science at Harvard University. The exhibitions compendium Imperfect Health: the Medicalization of Architecture was co-edited by Giovanna Borasi and Mirko Zardini. The book is available from the CCA Bookstore or online.
33
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The organic qualities of wood have inherent resonance with the human condition. Its tactile quality, its variety and adaptability, its rendering of light, and its sustainable nature all contribute to a myriad of architectural possibilities.
MCFARLAND MARCEAU ARCHITECTS Craig Duffield, MAIBC, MRAIC, LEED AP, Associate; Marie-Odile Marceau, MAIBC, FRAIC, LEED AP, Principal; Larry McFarland, MAIBC, FRAIC, Principal 2012 Wood Design Award winner
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event will explore how cultural con text impacts and enhances design decisions and working methods while connecting people to places. www.banffsession.ca
15th Annual Sustainable Building Symposium
March 15-May 5, 2012 This exhibition at MADE in Toronto features the work of Georgia Dickie, who accu mulates discarded objects and detri tus, later combining and rearranging them in her studio. The sculptures engage elements of utility while simultaneously negating their pri mary functions and allowing them to exist as descriptive art objects. www.madedesign.ca
Uriel Orlow performance
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April 24, 2012 As part of the Urban Field Speakers Series, Swiss artist Uriel Orlow lectures/performs at 7:30pm at the Prefix Institute of Contemporary Art in Toronto. Orlow presents Aide-Mmoire, in which he explores the territory between travelogue, slide show, ob scure history lesson and immersive soundscape. The event is moderated by b.h. Yael, filmmaker, artist and Professor of Integrated Media at OCAD University. www.prefix.ca
Hot Docs 2012
May 3, 2012 Taking place at the BMO Centre in Calgary, speakers will ex plore the value that the green build ing movement offers individuals, companies, building owners and communities. Topics covered will in clude how green buildings contribute to the business of designing, building and operating buildings more effi ciently, new product and service business opportunities at home and abroad, and how better design and planning builds more liveable and sustainable communities. www.asbs2012.ca
OCADU 97th Annual Graduate Exhibition
Mississauga, Ontario P: 905-826-4044 F: 905-826-4940

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April 26-May 6, 2012 Hot Docs, North Americas largest documentary fes tival, conference and market, pre sents its 19th annual edition featur ing an outstanding selection of 170+ documentaries from Canada and around the world. Hot Docs also mounts a full roster of professional development and market events and services for documentary practi tioners, including the renowned Hot Docs Forum and The Doc Shop. Hot Docs takes place at the Hot Docs Cinema, located at 110 Spadina Avenue in Toronto. www.hotdocs.ca
Banff Session 2012
May 3-6, 2012 The Ontario College of Art & Design Universitys (OCADU) Class of 2012 will exhibit work from a broad spectrum of disciplines, in cluding drawing, painting, print making, photography, criticism and curatorial practice, integrated media, sculpture/installation, ad vertising, illustration, material art and design, and environmental, in dustrial and graphic design. www.ocadu.ca/gradex
Introduction to Insulated Rammed Earth
2012 AIBC Annual Conference
April 27-28, 2012 Held every two years, the Banff Session provides an opportunity for those involved in the practice of architecture and in terior design to discuss their work, ideas, beliefs, and attitudes in an arena of open dialogue, in a unique context unencumbered by the everyday pressures and activities of the workplace. Taking place at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel, the
May 5-6, 2012 Taking place in Van couver, this course introduces participants to rammedearth con struction through examining opti mal soil blends, exploring aspects of design and engineering, and build ing rammedearth samples through handson experience. www.sirewall.com
Ryerson Architectural Alumni Association Mixer
May 9-11, 2012 With the theme of Elevation: Reaching Higher Ground, the annual conference of the Architectural Institute of British Columbia presents an array of con tinuing education courses and other professional development oppor tunities. This event takes place at the Vancouver Convention Centre West. www.aibc.ca
Lightfair International
the Westin Ottawa, the conference offers continuing education ses sions, tours, and keynote speakers as well as the OAA Awards of Excel lence celebration and dinner. www.oaa.on.ca
ULI Asia Pacific Real Estate Summit 2012
May 9-11, 2012 Taking place at the Las Vegas Convention Center, five pavilions will showcase cutting edge style and innovative design while launching new products and revealing new technological advan ces to the global architectural and commercial lighting industry. www.lightfair.com
2012 OAA Annual Conference
May 16-18, 2012 This is Asias only multidisciplinary forum for real estate leaders from Asia Pacific and around the world to meet and discuss critical issues facing our industry. Topics include landuse policy, sustainability, capital flows, transitoriented development, planning, development and archi tecture and design. www.uli.org/LearnAboutULI/ WhereWeAre/Asia.aspx
May 8, 2012 RAAAs architectural cocktail reception will be returning to the Thompson Hotel Rooftop Lounge, providing a great opportunity for architects to network with industry. www.theRAAA.ca
May 9-12, 2012 An annual event, this conference adopts the theme of Architect as Conductor: The Music of Architecture. Taking place at
FormoreinFormationabout these,andadditionallistingsoFCanadianandinternationalevents,pleasevisit www.canadianarchitect.com 37
04/12CANADIAN ARCHITECT
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photoGraphS of poStwar reliGiouS BuildinGS in northern ireland conStitute a thouGht-provokinG exhiBition at the BelfaSt expoSed Gallery.
teXt
phOtOS
paiGe maGarrey Sylvia Grace Borda
Its a funny thing. For all the criticism that religious organizations take for their rigid, sometimes outdated attitudes, theyve often led the pack when it comes to modern design. Across the globe, minimalist Mid-Century Modern religious buildings sit like otherworldly UFOs, nestled among both simple townships and bustling cities as monuments to the postwar building boom of the 50s and 60s: Frank Lloyd Wrights pyramidlike Beth Sholom Synagogue on the outskirts of Philadelphia, Wendell E. Rossmans curvaceous and wavy designs in Arizona, and British architects Robert Maguire and Keith Murrays iconic Bow Common in London. Its structures like these, albeit slightly more underplayed ones, that Sylvia Grace Borda sought to capture in her latest collection. The Vancouver photographer spent three years in Northern Ireland before she decided to start a two-year traipse across the country, travelling to the most far-flung locales to photograph religious buildings far off any tourist map. The resulting installation, exhibited at the Belfast Exposed Gallery this past winter, showcased 100 images of Modernist religious buildings constructed after World War II and before the ethno-political conflict that rattled Northern Ireland until just a decade or so ago. The images were projected as a slide show on the wall with nary a title card; no indication of each buildings religious affiliation, location, or even architect. The absence of information was a deliberate and simple decision, and certainly not the first time a piece of art has been
shown devoid of context. But in Bordas case its a fascinating commentary on the equalizing effect of the Modernist aesthetic. Previously, the architecture of sacred or religious buildings was not only informed by its faith, it was defined by it think of Christian medieval churches built with a cross-shaped footprint. Enter Modernismand the forward-looking, innovative architects behind itand buttresses were replaced by stark concrete shells, and bell towers by dramatic, ethereal rooflines. All of a sudden, a Greek Orthodox Church becomes relatively indiscernible from an Islamic mosquenot impossibly, mind you, but certainly compared to the ornate designs of even 50 years prior. Bordas photographs are indistinguishable as religious sites, tourist hotspots or otherwise; instead, they become simple testaments to one of the most significant architectural periods in the past century. Its a statement made all the more tongue-in-cheek by the installations second component, a table set for 18 with plates printed
aBOVe, LeFt tO right
three of Sylvia Grace BordaS photoS printed on plateS derive from her ChurChes SerieS of photoGraphS. BOttOM right the plateS, exhiBited in Situ at the BelfaSt expoSed Gallery thiS paSt winter.
with photos from the seriesan abstract take on the souvenir plates found at tourist sites across the globe. Photos and kitschy souvenirs to remember a place you havent been to and couldnt find if you wanted to. What could be more modern than that? And while such a review of the equalizing effect of Modernism would be poignant anywhere, in the context of Northern Ireland, a country whose identity has been defined by religious turmoil and a sense of otherness, the simple slide show and dining table set-up becomes a compelling conversation-starter long after closing night. ca Paige Magarrey is an architecture and design writer based in Toronto.
2012 Kohler Co.
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