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 Contents
James Brittain

Shai Gil

+ Pool
14 Avenue on Portage and 11 News
 anon Asselin architecte and Jodoin
M
Manitoba Start Lamarre Pratte architectes in consortium
Through the revitalization and conversion of a significant and historic win the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts
Portage Avenue building into residential and commercial uses, 5468796 Archi­ competition; winners of the 2013 OAA
tecture greatly enhances Winnipeg’s urban context. TEXT Lisa Landrum Awards announced.

30 Insites
22 Stephen Hawking Centre  rowdfunding offers a viable means to
C
Teeple Architects boldy meet the challenge of designing a dynamic new rally support for building projects in the
addition to the iconic Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics in Waterloo, public realm, as detailed by Brendan
Ontario. TEXT David Theodore Cormier.

33 Report
Krista Jahnke

Pierre-Marc Mongeau provides an update

on the modernization process of Ottawa’s
parliamentary buildings.

37 Calendar
 anada Green Building Council National
C
Conference and Expo at the Vancouver
Convention Centre; Canadian Urban
Forum at the University of Ottawa.

38 Backpage
L eslie Jen visits the site of Pop Rocks, a
whimsical public space initiative back
for its second season—this time on the
University of British Columbia campus.

JUNE 2013, v.58 n.06

COVER Stephen Hawking Centre in Water­

loo, Ontario by Teeple Architects. Photo­

The National Review of Design and Practice/ graph by Scott Norsworthy.
The Journal of Record of Architecture Canada | RAIC

06/13 canadian architect 5

 Viewpoint
NORR

serves that many transit users own private vehi-

cles. “What will make someone choose to use
transit?” he asks. In particular, he identifies the
design of the first 10 to 20 metres from transit
entry points—between, say, a sidewalk and a ­­Editor
streetcar platform—as crucial for the success of Elsa Lam, MRAIC
Associate Editor
transit. Leslie Jen, MRAIC
In downtown Toronto, the current redevelop- Editorial Advisor
Ian Chodikoff, OAA, FRAIC
ment of Union Station promises to result in a Contributing Editors
vital hub for an expanding regional transit sys- Annmarie Adams, MRAIC
Douglas MacLeod, ncarb, MRAIC
tem. A Zeidler Partnership-designed glass atri- Regional Correspondents
um, replacing a portion of the fume-darkened Halifax Christine Macy, OAA
Montreal David Theodore
Calgary David A. Down, AAA
Vancouver Adele Weder
steel-and-wood train shed from 1930, will cre- Regina Bernard Flaman, SAA

ate a welcome new entry point for GO Transit Publisher

Tom Arkell 416-510-6806
passengers—155,000 people each business day Associate Publisher
Greg Paliouras 416-510-6808
at present.
Circulation Manager
Of equal if not greater significance are reno- Beata Olechnowicz 416-442-5600 ext. 3543
Customer Service
vations to the terminal itself, headed by NORR Malkit Chana 416-442-5600 ext. 3539
Architects Engineers with Montreal-based Production
Jessica Jubb
FGMDA as heritage conservation architects. Graphic Design
The reconfigured interior includes two new GO Sue Williamson
Vice President of Canadian Publishing
lobbies with direct connections to the under- Alex Papanou

utilized Beaux-Arts Grand Hall, designed by President of Business Information Group

AboveIn NORR’s refurbished Union Station Bruce Creighton

in Toronto, an existing exterior open-

John M. Lyle and Ross & Macdonald, one of the Head Office

air moat will be covered with a fully city’s heritage jewels. Levelling and sheltering 80 Valleybrook Drive,
Toronto, ON M3B 2S9
glazed canopy providing en­­hanced the passage between Union Station and the sub- Telephone 416-510-6845
Facsimile 416-510-5140
pedestrian circulation. way will ease movement between regional and E-mail [email protected]
Web site www.canadianarchitect.com
city transit.
Canadian Architect is published monthly by BIG Magazines LP, a div. of
A spring conference organized by CityAge In order to finesse circulation between the Glacier BIG Holdings Company Ltd., a leading Cana­dian information
company with interests in daily and community news­papers and business-to-
marked one of several perennial efforts to spur existing subway entrance, new concourses and business information services.
big-picture thinking between government, tracks, an entire new level is being introduced The editors have made every reasonable effort to provide accurate and
authoritative information, but they assume no liability for the accuracy or com-
business and community leaders in Toronto. within Union Station’s building section. The pleteness of the text, or its fitness for any particular purpose.

Throughout the presentations and panels, two occupation of this space by retail, food and Subscription Rates Canada: $54.95 plus applicable taxes for one year;
$87.95 plus applicable taxes for two years (HST – #809751274RT0001).
observations echoed like a refrain. First, a beverage providers will offer services useful to 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
population roughly the size of Montreal is ex- commuters and to the rapidly developing resi- foreign: $125.95 US per year. Single copy US and foreign: $10.00 US.

pected to move to the Greater Toronto Area dential towers south of the station. It’s a strategy Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Circulation Dept., Canadian
Architect, 80 Valleybrook Dr, Toronto, ON Canada M3B 2S9.
(GTA) in the next 25 years. Second, the city is that generates the necessary revenue to fund the Postmaster: please forward forms 29B and 67B to 80 Valleybrook Dr,
about 30 years behind in transit development. restoration of historic portions of the building, 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
A closer look at Ontario government projec- while limiting the draw on cash-strapped city without the consent of the copyright owner.
From time to time we make our subscription list available to select companies
tions reveals a growth spurt ringing the city. coffers and avoiding the unsavoury alternative 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
Government economists anticipate an overall of selling air development rights over the sta- one of the following methods:
increase in the order of 2.8 million, or 44.6 per- tion. In taking this path, Toronto emulates the Telephone 1-800-668-2374
Facsimile 416-442-2191
cent of the current population, for a total of 9.2 model of restored historic transit hubs such as E-mail [email protected]
Mail Privacy Officer, Business Information Group, 80 Valleybrook Dr, Toronto, ON
million GTA residents by 2036. In Toronto it- Union Station in Washington, DC and Grand Canada M3B 2S9
self, the population is expected to rise 24.5 per- Central Terminal in New York City. Member of the Canadian Business Press
Member of the ALLIANCE FOR AuditED MEDIA
cent—a little below the provincial growth rate. In her history of suburbs in the United States, Publications Mail Agreement #40069240
ISSN 1923-3353 (Online)
The more dramatic growth will happen in the Dolores Hayden argues that from the first rail ISSN 0008-2872 (Print)
regional municipalities of Durham, Halton, and streetcar build-outs in the early 1820s on-
Peel and York. Peel alone is expected to see its wards, developers have marketed “ever-larger
population increase by 750,000, while growth private developments while neglecting to […]
for Halton is projected at 78.8 percent over the build infrastructure for public life.” As the GTA
period from 2011-36. enters an era of major expansion, transit facili-
How might architects strengthen transit to ties offer the means not only to enable growth,
support this regional population increase? An- but also to provide it with civic amenity. How
tonio Gómez-Palacio, founding partner of will we develop transit that not only functions to
DIALOG and formerly of Office for Urbanism, is transport greater numbers, but that improves
currently leading the urban design for the quality of life? What will make public transit We acknowledge the financial support of the
Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical
Hurontario light-rail transit corridor that links into more than a necessity, and an active choice? Fund (CPF) for our publishing activities.
Mississauga and Brampton. Gómez-Palacio ob- Elsa Lam [email protected]

6 canadian architect 06/13

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 News

Projects

Manon Asselin architecte and Jodoin

Lamarre Pratte architectes in consortium
win MMFA competition.
The design team for the Montreal Museum of
Fine Arts’ (MMFA) new fifth pavilion was re­
cently announced: the jury unanimously selected
Manon Asselin architecte and Jodoin Lamarre
Pratte architectes in consortium. This new pavil­
ion of international art will house not only its col­
lection of international art from the Old Masters
to modern works, but also and most notably the
collection donated by Michal and Renata Horn­
stein. Linking to the Jean-Noël Desmarais Pavil­
ion by a double bridge spanning the entrance to
the alley, the new building will also feature an
entrance for adult and school groups that will
help generate activity on Bishop Street. In
Decem­ber 2012, the MMFA launched the two-

Doug&Wolf
stage competition, and 20 Montreal-based archi­
tectural firms took part in the first stage. The
eight-member jury, in­cluding five independent
architects (Clément Demers, Thomas Fontaine,
ABOVE This seductive rendering forms part of the proposal by Manon Asselin architecte
Jean-Claude Marsan, Philippe Poulin and Mario and Jodoin Lamarre Pratte Architectes in consortium for the newest addition to the
Saïa) and three members of the MMFA (Brian M. Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.
Levitt, Chairman of the Board; Nathalie Bondil,
Director; and Bruce McNiven, Chairman of the dian Art in Montreal by Provencher Roy + Asso­ Search of Place by intern architect Melody Taghi-
Buildings, Maintenance and Security Advisory ciés Architectes; Clear Lake Cottage in Sequin Poor claimed an Honourable Mention, as did the
Committee) selected three finalists to move on to Township, Ontario by MacLennan Jaun­k alns Islamic Centre in Fort McMurray by Zak Ghanim
the second stage. The Government of Quebec has Miller Architects; Division 11 in Toronto by Architect Inc. The Best Emerging Practice Award
granted $18.5 million to the MMFA for the con­ Stantec Architecture and E.R.A. Architects was given to Workshop Architecture Inc. Massey
struction of this new pavilion. The MMFA’s plan (Heritage Consultant); House on the Bluffs in College by Ronald J. Thom, Thompson, Berwick
for financing this project is an unusual one: 85% Toronto by Taylor Smyth Architects; Los Angeles & Pratt received the Landmark Award, and A.J.
of the funding will be covered by the private sec­ Museum of the Holocaust in Los Angeles by Belz­ Diamond was recognized by a Lifetime Design
tor, including the value of the Hornsteins’ gift of berg Architects; Place des Festivals + Vitrines Achievement Award. Alexander Rankin won the
their collection. The contribution of the Quebec habitées—Quartier des Spectacles in Montreal by G. Randy Roberts Service Award and David Crad­
government will help defray the costs of con­ DAOUST LESTAGE inc. architecture design ur­ dock was awarded the Order of da Vinci. Addi­
struction, while the additional operating costs of bain; Regent Park Aquatic Centre in Toronto by tionally, three more honours were unveiled dur­
the new pavilion will be met entirely by the pri­ MacLennan Jaun­k alns Miller Architects; Rot­ ing a recent awards ceremony: Best of Show was
vate sector. The new wing is set to open in 2017. man School of Management in Toronto by KPMB awarded to the University of British Columbia
www.mbam.qc.ca Architects; Ryerson Image Centre/School of Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences/CDRD by
Image Arts in Toronto by Diamond Schmitt Saucier + Perrotte Archi­tectes & Hughes Condon
Awards Architects; Stone Residence in Toronto by Hagy Marler Architects; the Michael V. and Wanda
Belzberg Architect; the CIGI Campus in Waterloo, Plachta Award honouring architectural excel­
2013 OAA Award winners announced. Ontario by KPMB Architects; and the University lence for projects in Ontario that cost no more
Demonstrating the best in architectural design of British Columbia Faculty of Pharmaceutical than 8 million dollars was presented to Drew
and innovation, winners of the 2013 Ontario As­ Sciences/CDRD in Vancouver by Saucier + Per­ Mandel Architects for the Cedarvale Ravine
sociation of Architects (OAA) Awards feature rotte Architectes & Hughes Condon Marler House; and the People’s Choice Award, decided by
both Canadian and international projects de­ Architects. In the Concepts & Presentations cat­ public vote, went to Taylor Smyth Architects for
signed by Ontario architects. The winners in the egory, two Honourable Mentions in the Image the House on the Bluffs.
Design Excellence category are: Assuta Medical subcategory were given to The Map is Not the www.oaa.on.ca
Centre in Tel Aviv by Zeidler Partnership Archi­ Territory by student Brian A. Urbanik and to
tects with Moore Architects and M. Brestovisky Tokyo Reclamation—UENO by architect Michael Stantec wins one of two WAN Education
Architects & Urban Design; Cedarvale Ravine Conway. In the Artifact subcategory, two Hon­ Awards for the University of the Fraser
House in Toronto by Drew Mandel Architects; ourable Mentions distinguished Cindy Rendely Valley’s new campus.
Centre for Green Cities, Evergreen Brickworks in Archi­texture’s Steel Table, and Knob Portrait— The new Canada Education Park campus at the
Toronto by Diamond Schmitt Architects; Claire Mayor Ford by Paul Raff Studio Incorporated University of the Fraser Valley (UFV) in Chilli­
and Marc Bourgie Pavilion of Quebec and Cana­ Architect. In the Proposals/Concepts category, In wack, BC has risen above the international

06/13­ canadian architect 11

competition to be named “Best in Class: Uni­ tition judged by a panel of renowned architects executed project built with an incredibly low
versity Building” by the World Architecture and designers from around the globe. budget.” The architecture practice CVDB Ar­
News (WAN) Education Awards. Architects at http://www.worldarchitecturenews.com quitectos was founded by Cristina Veríssimo
Stantec amalgamated four existing and two new and Diogo Burnay in 1999, and the studio pro­
buildings in their design, completely gutting CVDB Arquitectos wins the other WAN jects have been developed since 2009 in associ­
the existing structures to create a renewed con­ Education Award for the Braancamp Freire ation with Tiago Filipe Santos. Diogo Burnay
nective space. Anchoring the project is a new Secondary School. has been the Director of Dalhousie School of
central atrium, which brings the buildings CVDB Arquitectos’ Braancamp Freire Second­ Architecture in Halifax since January 2012.
together as a single construct. The renovations ary School in Lisbon, Portugal was named the www.worldarchitecturenews.com
and additions have bred new life and purpose to completed project winner in the 2013 WAN
what was previously an abandoned site. The new Award in the education sector. The design pro­ 2013 BC Wood Design Awards announced.
building is a radical transformation from the poses the restructuring of a series of existing Coastal BC swept the 2013 Wood WORKS! BC
old military engineering building, converting pavilions around the school into one uniform Wood Design Awards, with projects of the win­
what once was an outdoor courtyard into a vi­ unit. At €798 per square metre, it is an aston­ ning architects and structural engineers located
brant public space. Its energy-efficient technol­ ishingly low-budget construction for such a in and around Vancouver and the Gulf Islands.
ogies including a geo-exchange system, solar high-quality project. Juror Richard Hyams was There were 98 nominations in 12 categories for
thermal hot water and light harvesting contrib­ particularly impressed with the skill of CVDB the 2013 awards from all over the province, as
ute to a forecasted 60% reduction in energy when it came to blending the existing structures well as some national and international submis­
consumption, undergirding the projet’s LEED harmoniously into the bold new design, point­ sions. The Wood Champion Award was presented
Gold certification. Most importantly, the new ing out that “creating an exquisite whole, with­ to Vancouver-based structural consulting en­
building was designed around a “town square” out any compromise is extremely tricky.” Javier gineering firm, Equilibrium Consulting and its
concept and has developed a stronger sense of Quintana complimented the aesthetic qualities principals, Eric Karsh and Robert Malczyk.
community for students by bringing together produced by CDVB as an “artisanal approach to Karsh was also the recipient of the Engineer
academic programs and services into one co­ design,” continuing that “they are combining Award. Kimberley Smith and Bo Helliwell of
hesive space with study pockets and social art and architecture in this design. They have Helliwell + Smith Blue Sky Architecture in West
nodes interspersed amongst the learning dealt very successfully with the rearrangement Vancouver received the Architect Award, while
spaces. Based in London, the annual WAN Edu­ of pre-existing buildings.” Stefan Jakobek sum­ Vancouver-based Peter Busby and Jim Huffman
cation Awards are a major international compe­ marized the design as a “simple, robust, well- of Perkins+Will Canada won the Wood Innova­

12 canadian architect 06/13

tion Award for the VanDusen Botanical Garden house in North Vancouver. And finally, honour­ stipend to develop their design proposals over a
Visitor Centre in Vancouver. The Green Building able mentions were presented to two noteworthy three-week period. Finalists will reveal their
Award winner recognized Peter Busby of projects and their designer/project teams: Kin­ designs on September 4, 2013, and the winner
Perkins+Will Canada for the Centre for Inter­ sol Trestle Rehabilitation Project in Cowichan will be announced on September 12, 2013, after
active Research on Sustainability (CIRS) at UBC Valley (Gord Macdonald, Macdonald & Lawrence which the team will have four months to com­
in Vancouver. The Residential Wood Design Timber Frame Ltd.) and the Pallas Residence in plete design work. Construction is expected to
Award was given to Kimberley Smith of Helliwell Revelstoke (Keith Starling, Take To Heart). begin in winter 2013. Submissions will be evalu­
+ Smith Blue Sky Architecture for Solar Crest in www.wood-works.ca ated by a jury composed of Stephen Cassell
Sidney Island, and the Multi-Unit Residential (Architecture Research Office and Board of
Wood Design Award recognized Oliver Lang of Competitions Trustees, Van Alen Institute); Winka Dubbeldam
LWPAC Lang Wilson Practice in Architecture (Archi-tectonics and University of Pennsylva­
Culture for Monad in Vancouver. The Commer­ Van Alen Institute launches Ground/Work nia); Mark Gardner (Jaklitsch/Gardner Archi­
cial Wood Design Award went to McFarland Competition. tects); David van der Leer (Van Alen Insti­
Marceau Architects Ltd. for the Bioenergy Re­ The Van Alen Institute in New York has an­ tute); Mark Robbins (International Center of
search and Demonstration Facility in Vancouver, nounced the launch of Ground/Work, an inter­ Photography and Board of Trustees, Van Alen
and the Queen of Peace Monastery in Squamish national architecture competition seeking in­ Institute); Ada Tolla (LOT-EK); and Marc Tsuru­
Valley by Andreas Kaminski of aka architecture novative designs for a new street-level venue to maki (LTL Architects).
+ design inc. took the Interior Beauty Design house the Institute’s work space and public pro­ www.vanalen.org/groundwork
Award. In the Institutional Wood Design (Small) grams. Ground/Work invites emerging design­
category, Graham D. Fligg of Merrick Architec­ ers, up to ten years out of school, to propose bold What’s New
ture—Borowski Sakumoto Fligg Ltd.—took the visions for a light and highly flexible ground-
award for the Klahoose First Nation New Rela­ floor space to accommodate public events, ex­ RAIC | Architecture Canada to welcome
tionship Centre on Cortes Island. In the Institu­ hibitions and installations, office space, and a 2013 Fellows.
tional Wood Design (Large) category, Jana Foit of bookselling platform. This two-stage competi­ The RAIC | Architecture Canada is pleased to
Perkins+Will Canada claimed the award for the tion seeks portfolio submissions from designers welcome two Honourary Fellows, who will par­
Earth Sciences Building at UBC in Vancouver. through June 13, 2013. Up to three individual de­ ticipate in this year’s Festival of Architecture
The Western Red Cedar Award went to Pam
SOPREMA_PubSoprabase-CanadianArchitect.pdf
signers
1
or firms10:05
12-10-11
will be selected as finalists for being held in partnership with the Nova Scotia
Chilton of Zimba Design for the Urban Long­ the second stage of the competition, receiving a (continued on page 35)

06/13­ canadian architect 13

Avenue Action
Mirrored balconies and tapering glass
walls contribute to a playful, engaging
revitalization of a historic building in
downtown Winnipeg.
Projects The Avenue on Portage and
Manitoba Start, Winnipeg, Manitoba
Architects 5468796 Architecture

Text Lisa Landrum

Photos James Brittain

Before Portage Avenue became famous for

forming, together with Main Street, the coldest,
windiest intersection in all of Canada, it was
celebrated for hosting Winnipeg’s warmest re-
ceptions and most heated public events. Nearly
every parade, procession and protest in the
city’s history—including royal visits, the 1919
General Strike, and the 2011 return of the Jets—
has trodden on or across Portage Avenue, ori-
ginally a muddy trading trail extending west to
Portage la Prairie and beyond.
The Avenue Building, recently redesigned by
Winnipeg’s award-winning 5468796 Archi­
tecture, participates in the animated history
and potential of the legendary street it fronts.
With its array of reflective balconies projecting
over Portage Avenue like box seats in an urban
theatre, this revitalized building performs as
both avid spectator and engaging actor upon the
Prairie’s primary promenade.
Originally built in 1904 for a mix of small
businesses eager to join the commercial boom
along Portage, the Avenue Building flourished
in the early 20th century. But by the 1990s it had
fallen into disuse and disrepair. By 2000 it was
completely vacant and at risk of demolition.
Then, in 2010, local developers Mark and Rick
Hofer courageously opted, with city and prov­
incial support, to rehabilitate the neglected
structure into much-needed downtown hous-
ing. If that was the Hofers’ first praiseworthy
decision, their second was equally laudable:
enlisting 5468796, the firm named for its in-
corporation number.
Following a successful collaboration in con-
verting a nearby warehouse into 43 loft apart-
ments (the Edge on Princess, which earned a
2010 Preservation Award), the Hofer brothers
commissioned project architect Colin Neufeld,
together with fellow principals Johanna Hurme
NOTRE
and Sasa Radulovic, to tackle the century-old . DA
AVE M
Avenue Building. Their task, as Hurme put it, ELLICE
EA
VE
.
was to invent “a new act for the old body.” This
Ga

new act entailed everything from bold pro-

rry

grammatic and structural interventions to

st.

ma

cunning material and spatial transformations.

in
Sm

The architects were initially asked to accom-

st.
ith

modate 75 residential units, 40 underground

st.

.
AVE
AGE
PORT
Fo r

Opposite Balconies jut out from the build-

ts

ing at different depths, creating a

t.

dynamic façade and encouraging

social interaction. Top right The project
merged the Avenue Building with the
adjacent Hample Building, the latter of
which gained a three-storey addition.
Site Plan 0 100’

06/13­ canadian architect 15

 Above left Daring, open metal grates lend a sense of adventure to the balcony floors. Above right The entrance canopy shifts from
stainless steel to matte black as it cuts back towards the building.

parking stalls, and grade-level commercial space in the existing historic For the agile designers, this spatial challenge became an opportunity.
shell. The envelope included both the Avenue Building and the neigh- In short order, they proposed a three-floor addition atop the Hample,
bouring Hample Building, named for Adolphe G. Hample, a prominent allowing Manitoba Start to fill the existing three-storey building while
butcher and hide dealer. Though built just two years apart, the adjacent accommodating the requisite units in the new construction above. Once
structures differed in construction: cast iron and heavy timber on stone again, an obstacle gave rise to a creative response when it was determined
foundations for the 88-foot-wide six-storey Avenue Building, and re- that the hundred-year-old reinforced concrete could not support the
inforced concrete (a new technology at the time) for the 44-foot-wide added load. Neufeld and his team ingeniously floated an independent
three-storey Hample. Reconciling these constructional differences, how- steel structure above the Hample with columns piercing through the
ever, was ultimately less of a feat than what was to follow. existing building to bear on new poured-in-place piles reaching deep
Well into construction, the not-for-profit tenant Manitoba Start signed beneath the original footings.
on with a program requiring more space than the grade level provided. Structural moves are only part of this building’s full performance. Acts
Adding area by reducing the number of residential units was out of the of public engagement and expression are performed by key mediating ele-
question, since city and provincial funding were contingent on 75 units. ments of the façade. Every new architectural element facing Portage—the

original building + acquisition = minimum parking ramp length original commercial + long-term tenant displaced residential too heavy final project
allocation = =
expanded commercial addition required
economic viability allocation addition requires
subtraction
exceeds structural capacity

16 canadian architect 06/13

 “pulling in” “pushing out”
= =
expanded public area expanded public presence

extending the suites

out in to the city

Above On the sides of each balcony, polished aluminum panels

reflect the ebb and flow of city life on Portage Avenue.

floating addition, the projecting balconies and the receding entries—

shares in a material vocabulary of glass and mirrored-finish aluminum.
They also share in interactive engagement, accomplished through a series
of pushing and pulling moves, which, as 5468796 explain, “soften the
boundary between the public streetscape and the private interiors.” For
instance, the addition atop the Hample is articulated with glass walls
folding back from the line of the façade, drawing residents out onto slen-
der triangular porches. Receding walls of glass also define the street-level
entries, inviting pedestrians into a tapered portico. The angular canopy
amplifies the depth of the portico both by extending beyond the colon-
nade and by transitioning from mirrored aluminum to matte black as
it slices back into the residential core. All these new glass and metal entrance recedes
back into building
elements—at once receding and projecting, inviting in and drawing out—
perform dynamically against the more static brick façade, itself largely
unaltered. brushing on breathable grey paint was no mere compromise. Rather,
Unaltered, that is, save for a heavy coat of grey paint. Strict preser­ Neufeld insists, this action was a choice intended to transform the two
vationists may cringe at the homogenizing effect this paint has on the historic façades into a more unified neutral backdrop: a visually recessive
historic masonry. The original cut-stone sills, brick arches, pilasters, surface against which the assertive balconies and colourful street life
quoining, foliate surrounds and decorative spandrels, with their diamond could claim centre stage.
motifs and herringbone patterns, are all effectively flattened by the in- Zealous Modernists may applaud this neutralizing paint job as a deci-
dustrial grey. This paint dematerializes the brickwork and dulls the crisp sive turn away from traditional ornament. But make no mistake: orna-
shadows of its ornamental features by diminishing the depth of detailed ment here is not abolished, but reinterpreted. Though the paint mutes the
relief. To be fair, by the 1970s the Hample’s earth-toned brick had already ornamental brickwork, it defers to other kinds of ornament revealed in
been painted a ghastly salmon; and, to their credit, 5468796 dissuaded material finishes.
the owners from their initial urge to clad over the brick completely. But In particular, the highly polished aluminum recalls the reflective

06/13­ canadian architect 17

 2

Levels 5 and 6

finish of the columns in Mies van der Rohe’s 1917 Paris Building, with its bodacious ensem-
Barcelona Pavilion and Tugend­h at House. The ble of Neoclassical and Art Nouveau motifs.
3 Avenue Building’s balconies are also effective The building’s most notable interiors are those
3 by their overall distribution. By cantilevering for Manitoba Start, a government-supported
them at distances from five to nine feet, and agency providing new Canadians with employ-
alternating their position from floor to floor, ment, language and settlement services. Serv-
the designers have transformed the perception ing up to 400 clients daily, Manitoba Start re-
of the façade’s regular pattern into a whimsical quired a mix of administrative, educational and
2 loose array. But seeing these balconies as funky social settings with varying degrees of privacy
sculptural elements, as a kind of Donald Judd and openness. The architects responded with a
display, would be an oversimplification. These playful distribution of rooms, echoing the plans
balconies perform not just formally and of Sou Fujimoto’s Children’s Centre (2006) and
Levels 2 and 3
aesthetically but socially and situationally, Aldo van Eyck’s Municipal Orphanage (1956).
contributing to the experience of living in a Like Fujimoto and van Eyck, 5468796 sought a
dynamic community. Residents benefit, for ex- city-like balance between private spaces and
6
ample, from direct experience with the urban socially integrative opportunities. Interconnec-
outdoors and with one another, via the surpris- tivity is also recognized in hex­a gonal motifs
ing social opportunities these gregarious plat- etched onto glass and cut into birch plywood
forms provide. Moreover, in spite of their min- and painted MDF partitions. Shifting back and
imal form and detailing, these balconies have forth, these porous panels finesse inter­
wonderfully excessive effects for passersby. relationships among the spaces. Alternatively
This is not simply because their sheen is eye- masking, veiling and framing, the partitions
catching but because, like the works of artist softly divide, blend and join the buzz of activity.
1
Anish Kapoor, they capture and reflect a surplus According to Neufeld, the hexagonal geom-
1 of movement and light from their milieu. These etry—explicit in the partition patterns and im-
balconies do not simply attract, but redirect and plicit in the plan—was part of a design strategy
5
disperse attention: gesturing to prosaic move- to reconcile the non-orthogonal footprints of
ments in the streetscape below, to ephemeral the two buildings and the non-aligning column
phenomena in the sky above and, laterally, to grids of their distinct structures. For Neufeld,
more distant horizons. Wrapped with mirrored the 30-, 60- and 120-degree angles also reflect
4
aluminum on their east and west sides, the bal- the oblique angle at which Portage meets Main,
conies shine with morning and late-day sun. two blocks east. But the hexagonal configu­
Level 1 0 20’ Open industrial grating serves as their street- rations evoke much more: the patterns of
facing side and floor, causing the balconies to mashrabiyas—the lattice-like wooden screens
1 commercial
2 residential begin to disappear when viewed frontally. This adorning windows and balconies in Islamic
3 light well
4 commercial entrance allows the building to play a more deferential architecture; the mosaic-like quality of a world
5 residential entrance
6 parking garage entrance role alongside the grand diva of Portage: the map; and the image of a beehive, a metaphor of

18 canadian architect 06/13

 OppositeOverlapping honeycomb panels
form a porous privacy screen in the
Manitoba Start tenant space. Above The
honeycomb motif weaves through the
partitions. Right, top to bottom A meeting
room with etched glass walls; the deep
ground-floor entrance pulls residents
and visitors into the building.

organic cooperation invoked by exemplary

Modern architects. In short, these layered hex-
agonal gestures mimic the social infrastructure
that Manitoba Start and 5468796 Architecture
aim to provide.
Are there missed opportunities in the Avenue
Building? Or, acts yet to be performed? Cer-
tainly. For instance, one hopes that the owners
will not only invest in long-term maintenance
of the parapets and rear masonry—work that ap-
pears to have been deferred—but also cultivate
an ecologically active habitat in the building’s
generous light wells. But the more significant
acts to come are those the Avenue has always
participated in: those parades, processions and
protests, together with a variety of prosaic af-
fairs, which have for so long brought life to the The Avenue on Portage
Clients MARK AND RICK HOFER
Manitoba Start
Client MANITOBA START
city’s core. As many Winnipeggers know, the Architect Team SHARON ACKERMAN, MARIA AMAGASU, MANDY ALD- Architect Team SHARON ACKERMAN, MANDY ALDCORN, KEN BOR-
CORN, KEN BORTON, JORDY CRADDOCK, MICHELLE HEATH, AYNSLEE HUR- TON, JORDY CRADDOCK, MICHELLE HEATH, AYNSLEE HURDAL, JOHANNA
downtown core has not lived up to its potential DAL, JOHANNA HURME, JAYNE MILES, COLIN NEUFELD, ZACH PAULS, SASA HURME, JAYNE MILES, COLIN NEUFELD, ZACH PAULS, SASA RADULOVIC,
RADULOVIC, SHANNON WIEBe SHANNON WIEBE
for much of the last century. Thus, having Structural LAVERGNE DRAWARD & ASSOCIATES INC. Structural LAVERGNE DRAWARD & ASSOCIATES INC.
Mechanical G.D. STASYNEC & ASSOCIATES LTD Mechanical G.D. STASYNEC & ASSOCIATES LTD
pleaded for proper attention for years, the Electrical NOVA 3 ENGINEERING LTD. Electrical NOVA 3 ENGINEERING LTD.
Interiors 5468796 Architecture Interiors 5468796 Architecture
Avenue Building, in its revitalized state, now Contractor HOFER CONSTRUCTION Contractor HOFER CONSTRUCTION
Area 95,500 ft2 Area 22,500 ft2
stands poised to act again with confidence as a Budget $10.8 M Budget $1.7 M
Completion 2012 Completion 2012
knowing witness and leading actor, agitating for
further vital change. CA

Lisa Landrum is an architect, writer and Assistant

Professor in the Department of Architecture at the
University of Manitoba.

06/13­ canadian architect 19

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Perimeter Twist
A dynamic addition gives a challenging
new spin to a landmark contemporary
research institute in southern Ontario.

Shai Gil

22 canadian architect 06/13

 Shai Gil
Project Stephen Hawking Centre at the Perimeter Institute for
Opposite The new entrance to Perimeter Institute through
Theoretical Physics, Waterloo, Ontario
Architect Teeple Architects Inc.
Teeple Architects’ daring addition. Above, left to right On the
Text David Theodore
ground floor, A view down the main corridor with the
Photos Scott Norsworthy unless otherwise noted
cafeteria to the left; Courtyards and a green roof flank the
corridor, generously daylighting two suspended stairs.

In order to celebrate the new Stephen Hawking Centre at the Perimeter to imply that it looks out of place, even alien. So while it’s a forthright, fun
Institute for Theoretical Physics, some staff members made a short video and welcoming design, it also highlights a paradox Canadian architects
Christmas card animating the addition as if it were a spaceship lifting off. face today—namely, the task of making buildings both stand out and fit in.
It’s a clever tease, because it draws attention to the Centre’s jaunty metal- Perimeter Institute began life in Waterloo, Ontario in 1999, and offi-
clad façades, and also plays up the architects’ decision to visually separate cially opened in a renovated post office in 2001. This non-profit, in-
the outside of the new addition from the old. dependent research organization might have the most ambitious mission
Toronto-based Teeple Architects designed this four-storey addition, of any organization anywhere: “to forge new, mind-bending ideas about
which adds 55,000 square feet of space to the existing 65,000-square-foot the ultimate nature of our universe, from space and time to matter and
facility, curving around the short end of the old building like a pair of forces.” Its operations were instigated by a $100-million personal gift
wraparound sunglasses. It features creased and folded walls, ribbons of from local entrepreneur and Research in Motion founder Mike Lazadaris.
horizontal glazing, a bold cantilever, and slender V-shaped concrete col- In 2004, Perimeter got its first purpose-built facility, moving into a
Shai Gil

umns. But there’s a rub: to say that the addition resembles a spaceship is building that garnered Montreal-based architects Saucier + Perrotte a

06/13­ canadian architect 23

Governor General’s Medal. The institute flanks Silver Lake in Waterloo ducted in collaboration with the nearby University of Waterloo. Astound-
Park, and shares a parking lot with another architectural icon, Patkau ingly, a mere five years after the first building opened, Perimeter was
Architects’ Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery. ready to double in size. The addition’s budget came through a public-
In 2008, theoretical physicist Neil Turok, plucked from the University private partnership involving the Canadian Foundation for Innovation,
of Cambridge, became director. He quickly undertook an ambitious plan Ontario’s Ministry of Research and Innovation, and private donations,
to triple the number of researchers and to enlarge the institute’s training including continuing support from Lazaridis.
and outreach programs. For instance, under Turok they’ve added a Masters- Perimeter chose Teeple Architects from among a small shortlist.
level program known as Perimeter Scholars International, which is con- “Stephen Teeple was the only one who seemed to have listened to the
director’s requests,” says longtime faculty member Robert Myers. The
crucial instruction, notes Teeple, was that the new and the old together
form “one institute, one culture,” and not a campus of pavilions that
silver lake might divide the institute into cliques. In terms of atmosphere, Turok
asked the architect “to design the optimal environment for the human
mind to conceive of the universe.” Underlying Turok’s requests was a
caroline

premise that Teeple clearly grasped: in today’s competitive academic mar-

1
ket, attracting and maintaining excellent scholars and students has upped
street n

2
the demand for signature exteriors and showcase interiors.
The design comes down to earth, programmatically, with a mix of re-
fat
he rd
avi
3 search and administration offices, breakout areas, places for casual
d b ow
er d
ri
interaction and a ground-floor cafeteria. Physicists love chalk—it’s handy
ve
for drawing and erasing mathematical notation—so blackboards abound.
et
re Turok had strong opinions on how the building should work: a layout
st
b
er
that encouraged informal interaction, he thought, would lead to more for-
mal collaborations between specialists. For instance, he wanted to move
the café from its old haunt on the fourth floor down near the ground-floor
Site Plan 0 50M entrance. The Black Hole Bistro now gives direct access to a deck beside
1 Stephen Hawking Centre
50 M
the reflecting pool, providing welcome respite out in the sun. The bistro
2 existing
3 Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery is split onto two levels: public events such as jazz concerts and movie

24 canadian architect 06/13

Shai Gil
Shai Gil

screenings take place downstairs, while upstairs provides a bar and food
service support for special occasions—fundraising dinners, conferences
and the like—and also serves as casual study space.
Teeple’s team cleverly doubled the building’s size but increased the
footprint only by a fifth. The building abuts the edge of the flood plain,
although an upper storey is allowed to cantilever over. “It’s about effect-
ively finding space in constrained areas,” says Teeple. The tight planning
left no room for a grand staircase, and in any event, security considera-
tions restrict public access above the ground floor. Instead, the designers
constructed two user-friendly fire stairs. The Cyclic Stair, which goes up
to the top-floor classrooms, is especially flamboyant, full of twists and
folds that seek to express the mathematics behind theoretical physics. Opposite A second-level dining area perches above the Black Hole
The new floor plan swirls horizontally and vertically around two trapez­ Bistro. Clockwise from top left A view of the addition from a south
oidal courtyards. One contains a second-floor herb garden connected to approach; Cafeteria and offices overlooking the reflecting
the upper level of the café, and the other pulls sunbeams down to the re- pool; The researcher office wing viewed from the northwest.
flecting pool on the building’s north side. The window arrangement
around the light wells provides sightlines across and through the build- two-person office with a postdoctoral researcher just down the hall.
ing, again meant to encourage interaction, but it is also good for the subtle More formally, the building’s characteristic creases are generated from
pressure of peer surveillance, which Turok felt would goad researchers funnel-shaped floor plans meant to increase collegiality. And Teeple
towards greater productivity. Facing the lake, the designers grouped found a prominent place for the Sky Room, a generous lounge to be used
together all of the floor-to-ceiling windows of the research offices, and by anyone, anytime. The building can’t force people to interact infor­
then outlined the ensemble in a ribbon of metal. This exterior is meant to mally, but its planning offers numerous places for serendipitous meetings
suggest a collective team of researchers, in contrast to the play of individ- to occur.
ual cantilevered boxes that characterizes the earlier building’s offices. The architecture much less gracefully supports accessibility for people
Keeping with the theme of collaboration, Teeple’s team clustered re- with disabilities. Halfway between the floors sit intimate “interaction
search offices of different sizes together. The idea is that a senior faculty areas” topped by green roofs. Unfortunately, they are reached by small
member leaving her office might bump into graduate students sharing flights of stairs; there are wheelchair lifts, but they look retrofitted, and are
a three- or four-person office next door, or a visiting scholar sharing a not integrated into the main promenade. These stairs create a rift between

06/13­ canadian architect 25

 2 2 walkers and wheelchair users, an unsettling predicament in a building
1
named in honour of wheelchair-bound physicist Stephen Hawking.
2
2 2 2
2 2 In terms of overall access, the addition also changes Perimeter’s urban
logic. Saucier + Perrotte had optimistically placed the front entrance fac­
3
4 ing the city, turning the building’s back on its parking lot, shared with
5
the Patkaus’ Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery. Teeple’s addition has now
6
become the main public entrance for the ensemble. Pragmatically, this
5 change improves the movement of staff and visitors from the parking lot.
At the same time, it makes for a more suburban arrival sequence, because
Fourth Floor the front door is set back in a sea of cars.
1 interaction area
2 researcher offices
4 cyclic stair
5 seminar room
The buildings that share the parking lot together make a mini-
3 meeting room 6 green roof exhi­bi­tion of three strong trends in contemporary architecture. The
2 2 1993 Clay and Glass Gallery concentrates on tectonic clarity, on the effects
10M

1
that come from a display of construction techniques and structure. The
2
2
2 2 2
first Perimeter building is more concerned with perception, with how flat
2
sheets of materials slip and slide vertically and horizontally to compose
4 walls, floors, rooms and views. Teeple’s addition emphasizes dynamic
fourth oor spatial
Existing
effects. The comparison between the three is rich and rewarding.
In the interests of architecture, it would have been exciting to build the
3 addition as a separate pavilion rather than an attached structure that
5
sometimes masks, sometimes overwhelms its predecessor. But institu-
tional growth—rather than architecture—is the real driver of the project.
B A
Third Floor
1 interaction area 4 cyclic stair
2 researcher offices 5 seminar room New
10M
3 Sky Room meeting room
existing

2 2
6
1
2 Key Plan
third oor 5 2 2 2 Existing

7
8

3 8
8 7

4
5
4

6
3

Second Floor
1
1 interaction area 4 classroom 7 cyclic stair 2
2 researcher offices 5 terrace 8 lecture hall
3 seminar room 6 upper-level dining room

Transverse Section A
(through courtyard, showing interaction area and green roofs)
5M

second oor 7 Existing

10M

7 6 4 7
5

7
3 1
10 2 4

11 13
9
14
3
12
15

1
2

Ground Floor 0 10M Transverse Section B

(through researcher office wing, showing passive ventilation) 0 5M
1 new public entrance 6 deck 11 garden 5M
2 reception 7 pool 12 administration existing 1 circulation spine 5 interaction area
3 circulation spine 8 existing atrium 13 bike parking 2 Black Hole Bistro 6 courtyard/bistro garden
3 Pool bistro 7
4 Black Hole Bistro 9 library 14 loading upper meeting room
5 kitchen 10 lounge 15 entrance from university 4 researcher offices 8 green roof
ground oor Existing
10M

26 canadian architect 06/13

Shai Gil

Clockwise from top LEFT The researcher office wing overlooks a reflecting pool; The reception area enjoys a view of the courtyard;

A classroom features terraced seating; The generous third-floor Sky Room serves as a meeting area and all-purpose lounge;
A casual interaction area is equipped with a chalk board; The second-floor interaction area in the researcher office wing.

06/13­ canadian architect 27

Shai Gil

Above, left TO RIGHT Complex folded geometries contrast boldly with the existing building; The mathematics of theoretical physics

inspired the corkscrew Cyclic Stair.

The new addition acknowledges the old by respectful deployment of re- organized, carefully built, and consistently detailed—even the classroom
cessed bands of glass in some places, and bold contrasts in others. Teeple lecterns and front reception desk follow the crease-and-fold motif. The
decided to treat the 2004 structure as a historic building, creating a skylit board-formed concrete and angled plasterboard joints invite visitors to
atrium between the old exterior walls and the new addition’s circulation appreciate craftsmanship, while navigating the warren of offices never
spine. The new is self-consciously “fun,” while the old is “Zen.” The new becomes confusing. The building is seeking LEED Silver accreditation,
is angular, the old rectilinear; the new is compressed, the old expansive. and would meet the requirements for Gold but for a lack of daylight in the
The balance is not even, however. Where the two meet, the old is used as a main lecture hall. All in all, it’s a compelling and boisterous design that
foil to activate the new, especially in the entrance hall. Overhead, the sets Perimeter Institute in a new orbit. CA
circulation spine weaves, jostles and juts into the gap between the new of-
fice floors and the black metal of the former exterior wall. Near the top, a David Theodore is a doctoral candidate in the History of Architecture, Medicine
cantilevered meeting room comes within a hand’s length of the old para- and Science at Harvard University.
pet. “There’s some pretty subtle engineering here that makes it all work,”
says Teeple.
Perhaps Teeple’s enthusiastic grasp of Turok’s vision compounded Client Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics
Architect Team Stephen Teeple, Chris Radigan, Bernard Jin, William Elsworthy, Martin Inglis Baron,
something similar to the “new chef” problem familiar in restaurant de- Myles Craig, Rob Cheung, Maryam Mohajer, Jan Kroman, Mike Sargent, Mark Baechler, Neeraj Bhatia
Structural CPE Structural Consultants
sign. When the new chef arrives, the old restaurant—however perfect for Mechanical Cobalt Engineering (now called Integral)
Electrical Mulvey & Banani International Inc.
the last chef—suddenly seems inadequate. We are used to rapid change in Landscape Scott Torrance Landscape Architect Inc.
Interiors Teeple Architects Inc.
restaurant interiors, but it makes one pause to see change overwhelm this Contractor Ball Construction Ltd.                         
major institution before the ink is dry on the awards lavished on the “old” Acoustics State of the Art Acoustik
Civil MTE
building. LEED Enermodal Engineering
Area 55,000 ft2
Yet if rapid institutional change complicates the architect’s role, Teeple Budget $25.6 M
Completion December 2011
found in it a source of inspiration. The Stephen Hawking Centre is tightly

28 canadian architect 06/13

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 INsites
Ossip Van Duivenbode

Building With the Crowd

Design At News

Crowdfunding offers a viable means to

build support for innovative projects in the
public realm.

Text Brendan Cormier

Last year in Rotterdam, amidst the fanfare of

live music, balloons and an animated crowd,
designers Elma van Boxel and Kristian Kore-
man of design collective Zones Urbaines Sens-
ibles (ZUS) proudly inaugurated a pedestrian
bridge called the Luchtsingel. The bridge spans
a six-lane road and, when completed, will con-
nect an up-and-coming area by the train station
to a new elevated park. However, it wasn’t the
design of the bridge turning heads—a fine but
unremarkable span in wood—nor the vital con-
nection it would soon make. It was the way the
bridge was funded. ZUS sold the bridge piece by
piece via a crowdfunding website. For 25 Euros,
anyone could purchase one of the bridge’s
wooden planks and have their name embla-
zoned on it with laser-cut letters. The people
that assembled it on opening night weren’t just
eager onlookers—they were owners.
Anyone following the development of crowd-
funding over the last few years is familiar with

30 canadian architect 06/13

 Opposite, top to bottom Opening party at the Luchtsingel, a pedestrian footbridge in Rotterdam built largely through a crowdfunding

initiative by design collective Zones Urbaines Sensibles (ZUS); Donor names adorn the bridge’s vertical wood planks. Above The filtra-
tion technology for +Pool in New York City’s Hudson River was developed through crowdfunding. A traditional fundraising
campaign is currently underway to construct the floating public pool.

its meteoric rise. The pre-eminent website, donations. A quick keyword search of “archi­ Then there is the cost factor: built projects are
Kickstarter, began in 2009 with the simple am- tecture” on Kickstarter reveals a handful of expensive. While recent movie projects have
bition of providing an online platform to raise such pitches: Architecture for Humanity Denver broken crowdfunding records—a proposed
funds for creative projects. People could pitch wants to repurpose a parking lot into a class- Veronica Mars movie pulled in over $5 million—
their ideas in the form of a short video and re- room ($20,000), a young architect in Austin built projects are unlikely to reach such heights.
ward donations with gifts—postcards, T-shirts, proposes building a new porch for a bakery Add to this the inherent complexity of building.
and so on. What distinguishes crowdfunding ($1,450), and students from the California Recording an album or prototyping a new light-
from traditional fundraising is the broad reach College of Art hope to prototype a prefabricated shade is a relatively contained affair, involving a
and relative anonymity of the process. Donors classroom for developing nations ($2,800). handful of stakeholders and a short timeline.
are free to choose at their leisure the projects The allure of crowdfunding for many archi- Built projects, especially ones in the public do-
they want to back, without the direct and per- tects is obvious. Architecture today is often main, involve politics, multiple stakeholders,
sonal solicitation of a fundraiser. As with many a market-driven service for the wealthy; many unforeseen liabilities, drawn-out timelines,
things on the Internet, successful projects can architects hoping to address social concerns and questions of ownership and maintenance.
go viral, far exceeding their original fund­ through building seldom have the opportunity. Enter Brickstarter, a research project
raising goals. This deceptively simple rejigging Also attractive is the idea of the self-initiated developed by the Helsinki Design Lab that ex-
of the fundraising model has created nothing unsolicited project. Instead of waiting for a plores the complex ecosystem of crowdfunding
less than a revolution in the way products are fi- dream client to call, or slugging away at and attempts to clarify its pros and cons. Dan
nanced. Kickstarter has grown accordingly. another competition, the architect is em­ Hill, a former Helsinki Design Lab researcher
Every year it has roughly tripled its number of powered to identify a worthy project and pitch and current CEO at Italian communication re-
pledges, and is projected to bring in $1 billion it to the people. search centre Fabrica, is particularly interested
this year alone. Alas, it’s easier said than done. Built projects in what he calls “dark matter”—the messy pol-
Although crowdfunding sites have thrived on remain marginal on crowdfunding websites for itics and institutional dynamics that usually
products that can be privately owned and con- a slew of reasons. For starters, they are location- take place above a designer’s head. For the re-
sumed—films and music albums are the most specific. While a watch can be shipped any- searchers at Brickstarter, the trickiest part of
commonly funded projects—there is a small where, a built project can only exist in one place crowdfunding a built project is not raking in the
contingent of architectural projects vying for and be enjoyed by the people living around it. donations, but translating that momentum into

06/13­ canadian architect 31

Daniel Hewitt

Daniel Hewitt
Above, left to right Designer Jimenez Lai with his crowdfunded installation Three Little Worlds at the Architecture Foundation in

London, UK; Lai’s sculptures are part of his super furniture series. BOTTOM Toronto’s About Face Collective launched an Indiegogo
campaign to fund the renovation of a roof deck atop a community workspace.

successful negotiations with City Hall, develop- City staff got on board. Now, they’ve embarked mobilized media and popular support through
ers and lawyers. on a more traditional fundraising campaign crowdfunding and thus easily won the competi-
Brickstarter points to some successes that to find sponsors for the multimillion-dollar tion, landing ZUS $4 million to complete the
provide valuable lessons. The New York design- built project. next span to the new park.
ers of +Pool, for instance, broke a large crowd- Indeed, crowdfunding may be most viable as On the home front, the number of architects
sourced project down into several stages with a stepping stone to funding architecture, rather in Canada venturing into crowdfunding is com-
manageable outcomes. To garner interest, they than a singular means. It has the power to gen- paratively sparse. Last summer, Toronto-raised
first published their concept online for a float- erate interest and to fund initial prototypes, architect Jimenez Lai used Kickstarter to fund a
ing swimming pool that could filter polluted which can all be leveraged into broader popular live-in installation at the Architecture Founda-
water. Engineering firm Arup offered to help and political support. The Luchtsingel follows a tion in London, UK. The Everything Roof, ini­
with a feasibility study. Once it was confirmed similar scenario. After ZUS successfully fund- tiated without an architect at the helm, will
that it could be done, the designers launched a raised for the bridge’s first leg by selling convert the roof of Toronto’s Centre for Social
Kickstarter campaign to build a prototype wooden planks, they entered the project into a Innovation Annex into an urban farm, com-
filtration device. The campaign exceeded its competition sponsored by the local government, munity hub and educational space. It garnered
$25,000 goal to bring in $41,647. With this which allowed groups to submit civic projects to $10,000 on Indiegogo. In fact, Canadian
success, the buzz grew and politicians and a citizen’s vote. The Luchtsingel had already communities have proven quite adept at self-
initiating improvements to their civic spaces.
Lauren Pirie

Over the past decade, Friends of Dufferin Grove

Park in Toronto raised funds to construct an
outdoor brick oven, improve the Zamboni shed
adjacent to their skating rink, build a new play-
ground, and bring a farmers’ market and other
regular events to the park.
While a serious discussion is needed about
the financing of improvements to our public
realm, crowdfunding undoubtedly opens up
opportunities, presenting an option to be con-
sidered by both designers and communities
alike. Architects seeking to work more pro-
actively on local civic improvements might be
wise to seek out local organizations, find pro-
jects worthy of crowdfunding, and start a
campaign. You have my pledge. CA

Brendan Cormier is an urban designer, writer and

currently the managing editor for Volume magazine.

32 canadian architect 06/13

 Report

Parliamentary Shuffle
The current modernization of Ottawa’s
Parliament Hill is giving rise to a cascade
of needed renovations throughout the
surrounding Parliamentary Precinct.

Text Pierre-Marc Mongeau

The metamorphosis of Ottawa’s Parliament Hill

occurs only about once every century. Not since
the original construction of the Parliament
Buildings in the mid-1800s has the Hill under-
gone a transformation as extensive as the one
underway, which began in 2007. The rehabilita-
tion—in scale, complexity, and time frame—is
one of the largest of its kind ever undertaken in
Canada.
Towering at the edge of a cliff that rises out of
the Ottawa River, the dramatic beauty of Can-
ada’s seat of government rivals any in the world.
The Centre, East and West Blocks rank with the
most accomplished surviving examples of mid-
19th-century Gothic Revival buildings and are
rare examples of parliamentary buildings in
this style. A complex sequence of moves is required to rehabilitate Parliament Hill while
ABOVE

But the seemingly robust sandstone buildings enabling Parliament’s continual functioning.
belie a fragile grandeur: crumbling mortar,
cracked stones, aging electrical and mechanical Medal recipients, provided professional advice of utilities, goods and people.
systems, outdated technology and modern on initial design strategy and direction. The required emptying of the West Block in-
building code requirements have necessitated itiated a cascading sequence of projects to pro-
the present course of action. The West Block Leads vide interim accommodations within short
To tackle a program of this magnitude, a com- The renovation of Parliament Hill is a series of walking distance from Parliament Hill. Facing
prehensive strategy for the entire Parliamentary interwoven projects orchestrated to ensure that the Hill is a row of historic buildings that runs
Precinct, which includes Parliament Hill and Parliament continues to function and the Hill along Wellington Street. These buildings, along
the facing street, was developed. Known as the remains accessible to visitors and tourists. with those that back onto them from Sparks
Long-Term Vision and Plan (LTVP), the strategy There is a logical sequencing of the projects, but Street, were acquired by the federal government
focuses on renovating the aging buildings in the execution, timing and synchronization is in 1973 to safeguard the grandness of Parlia-
order to meet Parliament’s long-term accommo- complex. The first priority of the multi-phased ment Hill and to provide room for the growth of
dation requirements and establish a balance plan is to rehabilitate the core Parliamentary Parliament and the federal government.
between accessibility and security. The LTVP Buildings—the Centre Block, West Block and To date, three buildings along this stretch are
identified a multitude of projects of varying East Block. As the Centre Block—home to the being rehabilitated to accommodate displaced
scale on the Hill and in the Precinct at large, to Senate and House of Commons Chambers—can- offices, meeting spaces and reception areas
be implemented over a 25-year period. not be rehabilitated while occupied, interim from the West Block. These include the Beaux-
space is required. Arts-style Wellington Building, the 1970s La
Engaging Stakeholders The innovative decision was made to con- Promenade Building and the recently renamed
The rehabilitation of the prominent buildings on struct an interim House of Commons Chamber Sir John A. Macdonald Building (formerly the
Parliament Hill naturally involves numerous within the courtyard of the West Block, which, Bank of Montreal). The Wellington and La
stakeholders, which include the Senate, the as the most deteriorated of the three core build- Promenade buildings will provide parliament-
House of Commons, the Library of Parliament, ings, was in critical need of rehabilitation. The ary office and committee-room space while the
the National Capital Commission and Parks Can- new construction, which involves enclosing the Sir John A. Macdonald Building will be resur-
ada’s Federal Heritage Buildings Review Office. courtyard, is a significant contemporary archi- rected as a reception space. The former recep-
These groups are represented at the table to en- tectural intervention to this 19th-century tion space, called the Confederation Room, was
sure their interrelated but unique requirements building. Concurrent with the rehabilitation of created in the 1960s by demolishing floors and
are incorporated into the planning, design and the West Block is the development of Phase One interior walls from the northwest wing of the
implementation. Additionally, design review of the underground Visitor Welcome Centre, West Block. The proverbial killing of two birds
committees were established for initial major which includes a shipping and receiving facility. with one stone is being invoked, as many of
projects, including the West Block. The commit- This will form the backbone of an intricate these buildings are beyond their life-cycle cap-
tees, whose members have included RAIC Gold underground arterial system for the movement acity and in need of renovation.

06/13­ canadian architect 33

 The projects are tracking on time and on
budget: the 2010-2016 rehabilitation of the
Wellington Building is budgeted at $425 mil-
lion; the 2011-2017 rehabilitation of the West
Block at $863 million; and the 2012-2015 re-
habilitation of the Sir John A. Macdonald
Building at $99 million. The more modern
La Promenade, which at the end of its life cycle
required a significant upgrade, was rehabili­
tated from 2007 to 2010 for $73 million.
To date, approximately 1,800 employees have
A rendering of NORR’s design for the renovated Wellington Building
Above, Left to right
been relocated and 78,695 square metres of
lobby; a rendering of the copper-clad library on the upper level of the Wellington
Building. BOTTOM A view of the work underway on Parliament Hill showing the West space is being, or has been, renovated.
Block, the Sir John A. Macdonald Building and the Wellington Building.
Construction Management Manages
Additional committee-room space has been By 2010, 15 projects had been completed to Complexity
leased at 1 Wellington Street, a modern glass and prepare for the emptying of the West Block and To move designs from concept to construction,
concrete building, adapted from an old railway the Wellington Building at a cost of $246 million. new thinking was employed. Rather than follow-
structure running alongside the storied Chateau The work involved renovating a series of build- ing the contracting route that has typically been
Laurier. The building recently housed the Cana­ ings at various locations to accommodate offices, employed by the Parliamentary Precinct Branch,
dian Museum of Contemporary Photography. committee rooms and support functions. a construction management process was adopted
The completion of these projects triggered the for the LTVP’s major projects. The hiring of a
Implementation Framework start of construction work on the West Block and construction management firm helps to provide
Important lessons were learned from earlier the Wellington Building, as well as on the Sir constructability advice and allows construction
approaches to implementing parliamentary John A. Macdonald Buildings. The exteriors of to commence in advance of completing contract
projects, which led to the development of an im- these heritage buildings are being rehabilitated, documents. This method allows designers and
plementation framework suited to realizing the which includes the repair and replacement of contractors to work together, permitting a more
long-term vision. Rather than regarding the damaged masonry, windows and sculptural ele- harmonious interpretation of the design during
25-year plan as a master blueprint and defining ments. The interiors will undergo complete res- construction, an essential component when re-
projects on a fixed schedule, the implementa- toration including replacement of the electrical/ habilitating heritage buildings. Construction
tion framework is composed of a broad strategic mechanical and life safety systems, which are management also enables multiple construction
direction and rolling five-year planning cycles. beyond their normal life expectancies. The firms to simultaneously work on the site while
These shorter-term cycles give more flexibility buildings will also be structurally upgraded and maintaining clear responsibility for health and
in responding to government and parliament- reinforced to meet current seismic code require- safety, ensuring work can proceed efficiently.
ary priorities, building conditions and markets. ments. The rehabilitation of the Sir John A. This is critical to completing these major projects
The cycles also improve predictability and pro- Macdonald Building will include a new structure: on time and on budget.
vide greater accuracy in determining functional the 3,100-square-metre contemporary-style
requirements and establishing project costs annex will add meeting rooms, a secure entrance The Road Ahead
and scheduling. and essential support functions for the facility. The completion of the current rehabilitation
projects, as well as others in and around Parlia-
Ron de Vries Photography

ment Hill, will in turn enable the Centre Block

to be rehabilitated. Lessons learned will be
incorporated into upcoming projects.
The first key step in the rehabilitation of the
Parliamentary Precinct—the development of the
comprehensive strategy—will continue to guide
projects to come and its realization will help to
ensure the future sustainability of Parliament
Hill as a national treasure, a centre of govern-
ment and a well-visited tourist destination—
a true legacy for all of Canada. CA

To follow the rehabilitation of Parliament Hill,

please visit www.parliamenthill.gc.ca.

Architect Pierre-Marc Mongeau was the Assistant

Deputy Minister of the Parliamentary Precinct
Branch at Public Works and Government Services
Canada from June 2010 to April 2013. He is currently
the Assistant Deputy Minister, Real Property Branch,
Public Works and Government Services Canada.

34 canadian architect 06/13

 Holocaust_Memorial_CdnArchitect_1-4.pdf 1 02/05/13 10:05 AM

Professional Directory
CALL TO DESIGN TEAMS

NATIONAL DESIGN COMPETITION

Location: Ottawa
Opens: May 16, 2013
Deadline: September 4, 2013

canadascapital.gc.ca/holocaust-monument

NEWS (continued from page 13)

Association of Architects this year in Halifax Liza Medek, FRAIC. From Ontario SW: Christo- high-rise wood demonstration projects. With
from June 5-8, 2013. American architect Ed pher Borgal, FRAIC; Roberto Chiotti, FRAIC; funding support from Natural Resources Can-
Feiner, Hon. FRAIC, is among the leading ex- Gerrie Doyle, FRAIC; Ralph Giannone, FRAIC; ada, the goal of this initiative is to link new sci-
perts in US public building design and planning Robert Glover, FRAIC; Mary Jo Hind, FRAIC; entific advances and data with technical exper-
and has held the most senior professional Allen E. Larden, FRAIC; Luigi LaRocca, FRAIC; tise to showcase the application, practicality and
architectural position in the United States Alice Liang, FRAIC; Ivan Martinovic, FRAIC; environmental benefits of innovative wood-
government. He has received the AIA Thomas Jon Neuert, FRAIC; Maureen O’Shaughnessy, based structural building solutions. The object-
Jefferson Award for public architecture and the FRAIC; Lisa Ann Rapoport, FRAIC; and Michael ive of the EOI is to identify building project(s)
United States Government Distinguished Ser- H.K. Wong, FRAIC. From Manitoba: Arthur in the concept, schematic or design develop-
vice Award, and currently serves as Director of Ernest Martin, FRAIC. From Alberta/North- ment stages, within Canada, which safely and
the Perkins+Will Design Leadership Forum. west Territories: James Alden Dykes, FRAIC; successfully demonstrate the use of wood as a
Prestigious Pritzker Prize recipient in 2011, Samuel Oghale Oboh, FRAIC; James Scott viable structural element/system in buildings
Portuguese architect Eduardo Souto de Moura, Pickles, FRAIC; and Katherine Ann Wagner, of 10 storeys and more. Above and beyond the
Hon. FRAIC, has completed over 60 spectacular FRAIC. And finally, from British Columbia/ safety, environmental and economic benefits of
and innovative buildings, leaving his mark in Yukon: Veronica Gillies, FRAIC; Karl W. Gus- wood, the demonstration project(s) will push
Portugal and throughout Europe. The 2013 RAIC tavson, FRAIC; Scott M. Kemp, FRAIC; Farouk designers, builders and manufacturers to fur-
Fellows are as follows. From the Atlantic region: Noor­mohamed, FRAIC; and Kim Smith, FRAIC. ther refine the specification and use of struc-
Malcolm R. Boyd, FRAIC; James Philip Dumar- http://festival.raic.org/index_e.htm tural wood products—ultimately expanding
esq, FRAIC; Sydney Philip Dumaresq, FRAIC; upon the opportunity for new market develop-
Ole Hammarlund, FRAIC; Marie Thérèse Le- Canadian Wood Council announces oppor- ment. This is the first step of an exciting new
Blanc, FRAIC; Steven Stuart Mannell, FRAIC; tunity for high-rise wood demonstration CWC initiative to identify the paramount selec-
Robert J. Ojolick, FRAIC; and Donald Sterritt, projects. tion of project(s) within Canada for considera-
FRAIC. From Quebec: André Cousineau, FIRAC The Canadian Wood Council (CWC) has issued a tion by an expert evaluation team of scientists,
and François Hogue, FIRAC. From Ontario request for Expressions of Interest (EOI) for researchers, building code officials, fire safety
North and East & Nunavut: Ritchard Brisbin, Canadian developers, institutions, organiza- professionals, designers, engineers and con-
FRAIC; David Caulfeild, FRAIC; James Wesley tions and design teams willing to undertake an struction industry experts.
Farrow, FRAIC; Rick MacEwen, FRAIC and innovative approach to designing and building www.cwcdemoproject.ca

06/13­ canadian architect 35

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36 canadian architect 06/13

 Calendar

Toronto Architecture Tours munities should be planned with sights on the trends, issues, strat- West Coast Points East:
May 13-October 6, 2013 The Toronto sustainable longevity in mind. egies and opportunities in what is Ron Thom and the Allied Arts
Society of Architects’ guided walk- www.cagbc.org becoming one of Canada’s strong- July 4-September 21, 2013 This exhi­
ing tours feature iconic buildings est regional economies. bi­tion at the West Vancouver Mu-
designed by world-renowned Modern Home Tour Toronto www.realestateforums.com seum unfurls the story of West
architects. The design context, de- June 8, 2013 A tour of modern homes Coast architect Ron Thom, show-
tails and unusual features that in Toronto features the Hugo Aven­ Canadian Urban Forum ing the provenance and influences
make these buildings notable will ue Residence by Weiss Architec- June 18-19, 2013 This forum at the of his creative process, with draw-
be explained. ture & Urbanism Limited, and the University of Ottawa features lead- ings, artifacts and other materials
www.torontoarchitecturetours.com Albany and Walmer Road Resi- ers from across Canada who will exhibited for the very first time.
dences by PLANT Architect Inc. identify new models for tomorrow’s www.westvancouvermuseum.ca
The Intersection of Art and http://toronto.modernhometours.com infrastructure. Speakers include
Architecture in City Building MPP Glen Murray, City of Calgary Sustainable Design: A Critical
June 4, 2013 This presentation and Transforming & Revitalizing the Mayor Naheed Nenshi, and Andrew Guide
panel discussion at EPCOR Centre’s Downtown Summit Haughwout, VP of the Federal Re- July 6, 2013 Part of the Philosophy
Jack Singer Concert Hall in Calgary June 12-13, 2013 This event at the serve Bank of New York. Café series at Shelf Life Books in
features world-renowned artist Westin Hotel in Edmonton enables www.canadianurbanforum.event- Calgary, this 10:00am discussion
Jaume Plensa and architect James attendees to make communities brite.com features David Bergman’s book,
Barnes of Foster + Partners. more liveable and sustainable by one of the Architectural Briefs ser-
[email protected] creating new public spaces, im­ The Stop’s Night Market ies published by Princeton Archi-
proving transit options and utiliz- June 18-19, 2013 This fundraising tectural Press.
Canada Green Building Council ing innovative design strategies. event in support of The Stop Com- www.shelflifebooks.ca
National Conference and Expo www.revitalizingdowntowns.net munity Food Centre in Toronto
June 4-6, 2013 This year’s confer- brings together chefs and one-of- For more information about
ence at the Vancouver Convention Atlantic Real Estate Forum a-kind food carts created by local these, and additional list-
Centre features the theme of June 18, 2013 This event at the Hali- designers such as the Brothers ings of Canadian and inter-
national events, please visit
Building Lasting Change, and fax World Trade and Convention Dressler and Tinsel & Sawdust.
www.canadianarchitect.com
focuses on how buildings and com- Centre will provide valuable in- http://nightmarket.thestop.org

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06/13­ canadian architect 37

BACKPAGE

Pop Rocks

The second iteration of a soft sculpture

installation successfully activates an ABOVE The lure of Pop Rocks proves irresistible, encouraging passersby to stop for a rest­
important public space on the University of ful break on the UBC campus—all while making good use of 100% post-industrial waste.
British Columbia campus.

TEXT Leslie Jen storative fragrance of lush spring blooms. ness, the Teflon coating repels all manner of
PHOTO Krista Jahnke The pale alien forms are installed promin- dirt and debris, and what does adhere can easily
Things are looking a bit rocky on the University ently in front of the clock tower and library on be blasted off with a pressure washer. Sewn by
of British Columbia campus these days, and Main Mall, the defining pedestrian-only thor- sailmaker Evolution Sails, the giant fibreglass
that’s because Pop Rocks has made a soft but wel- oughfare of a sprawling campus peppered with a bags were then filled with a loose aggregate of
come landing on Main Mall, the primary axis of spate of new buildings. Kind of like Chicken lightweight post-consumer expanded polysty-
the ever-expanding university grounds. The re- McNuggets, these giant yielding cushions com- rene beads from Mansonville Plastics, resulting
sult of a collaborative effort between AFJD Stu- prise three unique shapes: bean, kelp and seed. in a collection of appealingly squishy and mal-
dio (Amber Frid-Jimenez and Joe Dahmen) and The organicism of the forms seems fitting for leable blobs. Scattered here and there along the
Matthew Soules Architecture, the installation is this West Coast city, but was arrived at rather campus promenade, 12 of these soft “rocks”
the second iteration of an initiative begun last unexpectedly. In fact, the rigorous material ex- form a pillowy landscape—a defining focal point
year, when the City of Vancouver commissioned plorations that drove the project took the team and locus for new kinds of social interaction.
the team to design a temporary space downtown away from their initial intention of crafting Aside from the laudable achievement of util-
for residents and visitors to “sit and recline, more prismatic hard-edged boulder shapes, and izing 100% post-consumer waste in a highly in-
sunbathe and eat, and interact and play”—on a the architect’s predictable bias towards strong telligent manner to create something of value to
heavily trafficked stretch of Robson Street that geometries was sorely tested through this pro- the city, Dahmen maintains that the primary
divides the Vancouver Art Gallery from Arthur longed exercise. The distinct qualities of the satisfaction derives from the degree to which
Erickson’s Law Courts. chosen materials ended up dictating the result- people enthusiastically engage with the instal-
A curious assemblage of what looks to be a ant soft structures, and steered the trio in com- lation, and the consequent appropriation and
cluster of amorphous white beanbags to which pletely unanticipated directions—not unhappily, activation of public space by a variety of user
passersby are irresistibly drawn, the soft forms however. groups. It is anticipated that Pop Rocks will con-
recall the scale and whimsy of Pop artist Claes Fabricated entirely from post-consumer and tinue to delight well into the fall season, until
Oldenburg’s iconic giant hamburger sculptures post-industrial waste, the installation makes the relentless late autumn rain begins its on-
from the 1960s. Pulled out of storage and re- use of discarded Teflon-coated white fibreglass slaught. CA
freshed for its second unveiling only a few fabric that once formed the distinctive sails on
weeks ago, Pop Rocks invites all to flop their the roof of Canada Place, Vancouver`s iconic Other members of the Pop Rocks design team are Jen
weary selves down to soak up the idyllic sur- waterfront megastructure. As one might expect, Boyle, Byron Chiang, Baktash Ilbeiggi, Warren
roundings, look up at the sky or across to the the fabric is incredibly durable and virtually Scheske and Derreck Travis. Structural engineering
North Shore mountains—while inhaling the re- indestructible. And despite its blinding white- services were provided by Bevan Pritchard-Man.

38 canadian architect 06/13

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