Canadian Architect March 2008 Edition

MATERIAL CONSEQUENCE

0 456698 20101

03

PM#40069240

MA

R/0

8 C

AN

AD

IAN

AR

CH

ITECT

$6.95 MAR/08V.53 N.03

p01 Cover(1-8) 3/4/08 10:16 AM

Revit® software, purpose built for BIM, along with industry leading analysis partners, give users the ability to see how a building will behave in reality, and mini-mize its structural reaction to an earthquake, before ever breaking ground.

The world is rocked by over 100 damage-causing earthquakes each year, at enormous social and economic cost.

Analysis and animation of a design’s response to destructive forces gives users the knowledge that even their most adventurous designs can stand tall in the face of extreme forces of nature.

HOW BIM CAN HELP THIS BUILDING SURVIVE A 6.8 BEFORE IT’S BUILT.

autodesk.com/PowerofBIM

Autodesk and Revit are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., in the USA and/or other countries. All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective holders. Autodesk reserves the right to alter product offerings and specifications at any time without notice, and is not responsible for typographical or graphical errors that may appear in this document. ©2007 Autodesk, Inc. All rights reserved.

10

9

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

CIRCLE REPLY CARD 11

p02 Autodesk ad 3/4/08 10:20 AM


p03 Johnsonite ad 3/4/08 10:22 AM


p04 Artemide ad 3/4/08 10:24 AM

CONTENTS

03/08 CANADIAN ARCHITECT 5

BLU

E FI

SH S

TUD

IO

FRA

NK

OU

DEM

AN

SHA

I GIL

8 NEWSHariri Pontarini selected to design the new

Faculty of Law Building at the University of

Toronto; Drew Sinclair wins the Prix de

Rome in Architecture for Emerging

Practitioners.

31 REPORTThe Aga Khan Development Network

begins construction of a Muslim cultural

precinct in suburban Toronto, by Ian

Chodikoff.

33 INSITESAs a juror for the 2007 Aga Khan Award for

Architecture, Brigitte Shim develops a

greater understanding about the transfor-

mative role of buildings in many parts of

the Muslim world.

37 CALENDARUtopia’s Ghost at the Canadian Centre for

Architecture; Public Space at Toronto’s

Harbourfront Centre.

38 BACKPAGEThe depiction of Canadian cities in the

paintings of John Hartman is discussed by

John Bentley Mays.

11 SCARBOROUGH BAPTIST CHURCHTHE CONSIDERED DESIGN AND SITING OF A RELIGIOUS FACILITY BY TEEPLE ARCHITECTS INC.ENSURES A WELCOME AND GRACEFUL ADDITION TO THE BLEAKNESS OF AN AUTOMOBILE-DOMINATED TORONTO SUBURB. TEXT DAVID STEINER

17 SWITCH BUILDINGDESIGNED BY MANHATTAN-BASED nARCHITECTS, THIS RESIDENTIAL/GALLERY PROJECT REPRE-SENTS AN INNOVATIVE AND ENLIGHTENED APPROACH TO BUILDING ON SPEC. TEXT ELSA LAM

23 HAGEN HEAD OFFICEA NEW HEADQUARTERS FOR A MULTINATIONAL PET SUPPLY MANUFACTURER AGGRESSIVELYPURSUES A MULTIFACETED GREEN AGENDA IN THE CREATION OF A EMPLOYEE-FOCUSEDWORKPLACE. TEXT RHYS PHILLIPS

26 PCL CENTENNIAL LEARNING CENTREONE OF CANADA’S BIGGEST CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES COMMISSIONS COHOS EVAMYINTEGRATEDESIGN™ FOR ITS OWN TRAINING FACILITY IN EDMONTON, WITH AN EMPHASISON SUSTAINABLE CONCERNS AND LANDSCAPE ELEMENTS. TEXT SHAFRAAZ KABA

COVER THE SWITCH BUILDING BY nARCHITECTSIN NEW YORK’S EAST VILLAGE. PHOTOGRAPHBY FRANK OUDEMAN.

PATR

ICK

BIN

GH

AM

-HA

LL

THE NATIONAL REVIEW OF DESIGN AND PRACTICE/THE JOURNAL OF RECORD OF THE RAIC

MARCH 2008, V.53 N.03

p05 Contents 3/4/08 10:27 AM

EDITORIAN CHODIKOFF, OAA, MRAIC

ASSOCIATE EDITORLESLIE JEN, MRAIC

EDITORIAL ADVISORSJOHN MCMINN, AADIPL.MARCO POLO, OAA, MRAICCHARLES WALDHEIM, OALA(HON.), FAAR

CONTRIBUTING EDITORSGAVIN AFFLECK, OAQ, MRAICTREVOR BODDYHERBERT ENNS, MAA, MRAICDOUGLAS MACLEOD, NCARB

REGIONAL CORRESPONDENTSHALIFAX CHRISTINE MACY, OAAMONTREAL DAVID THEODOREWINNIPEG HERBERT ENNS, MAAREGINA BERNARD FLAMAN, SAACALGARY DAVID A. DOWN, AAAEDMONTON BRIAN ALLSOPP, AAA

PUBLISHERTOM ARKELL 416-510-6806

SALES MANAGERGREG PALIOURAS 416-510-6808

CIRCULATION MANAGERBEATA OLECHNOWICZ 416-442-5600 EXT. 3543

CUSTOMER SERVICEMALKIT CHANA 416-442-5600 EXT. 3539

PRODUCTIONJESSICA JUBB

GRAPHIC DESIGNSUE WILLIAMSON

VICE PRESIDENT OF CANADIAN PUBLISHINGALEX PAPANOU

PRESIDENT OF BUSINESS INFORMATION GROUPBRUCE CREIGHTON

HEAD OFFICE12 CONCORDE PLACE, SUITE 800, TORONTO, ON M3C 4J2TELEPHONE 416-510-6845FACSIMILE 416-510-5140E-MAIL [email protected] SITE WWW.CANADIANARCHITECT.COM

Canadian Architect is published monthly by Business Information Group, a division of BIG Magazines LP, a leading Canadian information companywith interests in daily and community newspapers and business-to-businessinformation services.

The editors have made every reasonable effort to provide accurate andauthoritative information, but they assume no liability for the accuracy orcompleteness of the text, or its fitness for any particular purpose.

Subscription Rates Canada: $51.95 plus applicable taxes for one year;$81.95 plus applicable taxes for two years (GST – #809751274RT0001).Price per single copy: $6.95. Students (prepaid with student I.D., includestaxes): $32.50 for one year. USA: $101.95 U.S. for one year. All other foreign: $101.95 U.S. per year.

US office of publication: 2424 Niagara Falls Blvd, Niagara Falls, NY 14304-5709. Periodicals Postage Paid at Niagara Falls, NY. USPS #009-192. US postmaster: Send address changes to Canadian Architect, PO Box 1118,Niagara Falls, NY 14304.

Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Circulation Dept., CanadianArchitect, 12 Concorde Place, Suite 800, Toronto, ON Canada M3C 4J2.

Postmaster: please forward forms 29B and 67B to 12 Concorde Place,Suite 800, Toronto, ON Canada M3C 4J2. Printed in Canada. All rightsreserved. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced either inpart or in full without the consent of the copyright owner.

From time to time we make our subscription list available to select companiesand organizations whose product or service may interest you. If you do notwish your contact information to be made available, please contact us viaone of the following methods:

Telephone 1-800-668-2374Facsimile 416-442-2191E-mail [email protected] Privacy Officer, Business Information Group, 12 Concorde Place, Suite 800,Toronto, ON Canada M3C 4J2

MEMBER OF THE CANADIAN BUSINESS PRESSMEMBER OF THE AUDIT BUREAU OF CIRCULATIONSPUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT #40069240ISSN 0008-2872

6 CANADIAN ARCHITECT 03/08

VIEWPOINTLY

ND

ON

DO

UG

LAS

training and mentoring in engineering, architec-

ture and building facilities for people aged 14 to

25. It is also linked to several leading firms and

universities, acting as a hub where industry,

community organizations and educational insti-

tutions can exchange information on the latest

skills and requirements for successful urban

design and regeneration. Incorporating mentor-

ing rooms, flexible education studios, computer

learning resources and meeting spaces, the

Centre also contains business development

suites for young entrepreneurs and a creative arts

laboratory with multimedia, design and digital

studio facilities. The Centre hosts exhibitions,

seminars and artists-in-residence programs

exploring best practice in urban design. It has

also become somewhat of a policy advocate,

encouraging urban designers and planners to

develop greater sensitivity to issues of prejudice

and social exclusion.

The Stephen Lawrence Trust believes that

“people can build their own self-confidence by

helping to build their own communities, so that

social responsibility becomes and remains a per-

sonal commitment.” Helping students find

careers in the realm of design and building con-

struction industries enables them to rediscover

their own personal visions. Focusing on what stu-

dents can achieve in the future, rather than what

they did in the past is a subtle but important shift

in tapping into their creative potential. This is an

especially sensitive issue in lower-income neigh-

bourhoods, whether they are located in the UK or

in Canada, where access to fulfilling and creative

endeavours—such as architecture and design—are

near impossible. It is a tragic irony in this instance

that the greatest obstacle for local youth to achieve

personal success is not due to resistance within

“the Establishment,” but that it remains within

their own neighbourhood where racism and dis-

affected attitudes continue to predominate.IAN CHODIKOFF [email protected]

Last month, the extraordinary Stephen Lawrence

Centre opened in southeast London to great

acclaim. Designed by David Adjaye, the £10-

million facility is dedicated to the memory of

Stephen Lawrence, the black teenager who was

stabbed to death in an unprovoked attack by a

gang of racists at a bus stop in 1993. Lawrence

dreamed of becoming an architect from the age of

seven. Although his murder was the subject of

three separate police investigations, the killers

remain at large. What is particularly extraordi-

nary about the Centre is that the facility offers

disadvantaged youth an opportunity to enter into

the fields of architecture, urban design and con-

struction. The Centre’s mission is to promote

diversity in architecture and the allied profes-

sions, improving the educational achievements of

black and other ethnic-minority students while

helping them out of poverty and into sustainable,

rewarding careers that support the strengthening

of community.

Unfortunately, the inauguration of the Centre

also brought with it a reminder of the existence

of those who loathe the idea of the marginalized

and disadvantaged overcoming adversity. One

week after its opening, eight windows, each

worth £15,000 and designed by the Turner Prize-

winning artist Chris Ofili were destroyed when

vandals lobbed bricks from behind a 2.5-metre-

high metal fence surrounding the complex.

Undeterred by CCTV and 24-hour on-site securi-

ty, this was the fourth time the Centre had been

attacked. As if overcoming poverty and career

limitations is not difficult enough for these kids

living in distressed neighbourhoods, it is devas-

tating to see a well-intentioned community

building vandalized by racist and vindictive youth

seething with blind hatred towards visible

minorities and ethnic communities.

Intended as a laboratory for new ways of work-

ing with young people to improve their job skills,

the Stephen Lawrence Centre offers courses,

ABOVE DESIGNED BY DAVID ADJAYE, THE STEPHEN LAWRENCE CENTRE INTRODUCES DISADVANTAGEDYOUTH TO CAREERS IN ARCHITECTURE, URBAN DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION.

p06 Viewpoint 3/4/08 10:28 AM

mailto:[email protected]



Why do we spend nightsand weekends keeping up

with the latestin Building Science?

www.owenscorning.ca

Products that helpthe environment

Because we have a final exam pretty much

everyday. Have a question about the best way to

achieve an exceptional thermal

envelope? Want to know the

most recent developments

in noise control? Ask an

Owens Corning Technical

Representative.They really

know their stuff, because they’ve really done their

homework. Whether your question concerns energy

efficiency, noise or moisture control, indoor air quality or anything relating to insulation, your Owens Corning

Technical Representative can help you find the answer.

And you can look to Owens Corning for more than just technical advice.

Whatever the application, it’s a safe bet that there’s an Owens Corning

product or system that will meet the need.

Owens Corning also shares your and your

clients’ concern about the environment. That’s why

Owens Corning PINK FIBERGLAS® thermal and QuietZone®

acoustic insulation contain over 60% recycled content.

And it’s why Owens Corning products meet stringent GREENGUARD indoor

air quality standards. Owens Corning products can help you achieve many valuable

LEED® credits. If you have a technical question or want to order an OC Specifications

Catalogue, contact your local Owens Corning Technical Representative (ASM).

Discover for yourself why architects give them such high marks.

Products that meetindoor air quality standards

A complete range ofinsulation systems

THE PINK PANTHER™ & © 1964-2008 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc.All Rights Reserved.The colour PINK is a registered trademark of Owens Corning. 60% recycled content applies to Canadian PINK FIBERGLAS®

and QuietZone® Insulation product. GREENGUARD Indoor Air Quality Certified is Reg. U.S. Pat & TM Office. LEED® is a trademark of U.S. Green Building Council. © 2007-2008 Owens Corning.All Rights Reserved.

030_OCB8-0023.indd 1 2/11/08 3:41:13 PM


p07 OwensCorning ad 3/4/08 10:38 AM

http://www.owenscorning.ca


PROJECTS

Hariri Pontarini selected to design Facultyof Law building at the University ofToronto.Toronto-based Hariri Pontarini Architects has

been selected from a shortlist of three firms for

the renovation and expansion of the Faculty of

Law, beating out Kuwabara Payne McKenna

Blumberg Architects of Toronto and Saucier +

Perrotte architectes of Montreal. The redevelop-

ment of the Faculty of Law comes in response to

external reviews carried out in 2001 and 2006

which called for significant upgrading of the

buildings which house the U of T Faculty of Law.

Over the past decade, the law school’s academic,

extra-curricular, and co-curricular programs

have grown dramatically and the number of fac-

ulty members has more than doubled, leaving the

law school in desperate need of space. Firms sub-

mitting design ideas for the Faculty’s new build-

ing project were instructed to take advantage of

the law school’s prominent location by introduc-

ing new physical and visual connections with

both Queen’s Park and Philosopher’s Walk, keep-

ing in mind that the precinct should not be con-

sidered in isolation, but rather as part of an inte-

grated campus system. According to Siamak

Hariri, the proposed design is about building

community. The central gathering space, dubbed

the Forum, will be a welcoming place for major

events and one that encourages intellectual dia-

logue between classes.

Diamond + Schmitt Architects to designnew Faculty of Law building at UBC.Toronto-based design firm Diamond + Schmitt

Architects has been selected by the University of

British Columbia to design the new Faculty of Law

building on the Vancouver campus. This new

facility is designed to meet the needs of a new

generation of law students and legal researchers,

replacing the existing Law School, currently

housed in two aging structures. The 13,500-

square-metre-building provides space for more

than 50 faculty members, 600 undergraduate and

100 graduate students. The Law School is the fifth

project the University of British Columbia has

commissioned Diamond + Schmitt Architects to

design. Previous projects include the Sing Tao

School of Journalism, the Creative Arts Building,

the Chemical and Biological Engineering Build-

ing, and the recently completed Life Sciences

Centre—the largest LEED Gold Laboratory build-

ing in Canada. Diamond + Schmitt Architects, in

joint venture with CEI Architecture and Planning,

was chosen from among four competing design

teams including Patkau Architects, Henriquez

Partners Architects and Olsen Sundberg Kundig

Allen Architects of Seattle with Larry McFarland

Architects of Vancouver. Construction of the new

UBC Law School is anticipated to begin in 2009.

tect and Carleton graduate, David J. Azrieli, is

donating $5.5 million to the Carleton University

School of Architecture. Azrieli graduated from

the Carleton University School of Architecture in

1997 when he was 75 years old. The gift will be

used to establish a permanent endowment for the

newly named Azrieli School of Architecture. The

endowment will provide the School with annual

funding to introduce leading-edge academic pro-

grams such as a new PhD (only the third such

program in Canada) and a new undergraduate

program in environmentally sustainable archi-

tecture. The endowment will also allow for an

expansion of the School’s Directed Studies

Abroad program, which supports overseas work

experience and exchanges. Proceeds from the

endowment will also fund new prestige scholar-

ships to be awarded to promising Azrieli

Scholars, as well as continuing education oppor-

tunities and technological upgrades within the

School. When combined with previous gifts to

the School of Architecture from Azrieli, plus a

one-time matching contribution by Carleton

University of $1 million, this gift will raise the

Azrieli School of Architecture’s endowment fund

to close to $8 million within three years. More-

over, Azrieli will serve as the honorary Campaign

Chair of a fundraising program aimed at increas-

ing the endowment to $10 million over the course

of the next few years. The gift is being made by

the Azrieli Foundation, a Canadian non-profit

organization that was established to realize

Azrieli’s philanthropic vision.

A new architectural exhibition space islaunched at Toronto’s Harbourfront Centre.Toronto’s public space is set to be redefined by a

new exhibition location for architecture launch-

ing March 2008. With the support of the Toronto

NEWS

AWARDS

Drew Sinclair wins the Prix de Rome inArchitecture for Emerging Practitioners.University of Toronto architecture graduate Drew

Sinclair is the winner of the Canada Council for

the Arts’ Prix de Rome in Architecture for Emerg-

ing Practitioners. He will have the opportunity to

study regional spatial planning initiatives in six

cities in northern Europe. The $34,000 Prix de

Rome in Architecture for Emerging Practitioners

is awarded to a recent graduate of one of Canada’s

ten accredited schools of architecture, who dem-

onstrates outstanding potential. Over the next

year, Sinclair will investigate alternative planning

models and examples of public agencies that have

had a positive effect on evolving urban forms. He

will travel to cities in the Netherlands, Sweden

and Germany to study their architecture and

urban landscapes. He hopes to attain an under-

standing of the relationship between spatial plan-

ning regulations and the architectural projects

that are created within their constraints. Drew

Sinclair received his Master of Architecture

degree from the University of Toronto in 2007,

and also holds a degree in geography and inter-

national development studies from McGill Uni-

versity where he was the 2001 recipient of the

Canadian Association for Geographers Award for

exceptional achievement in the study of geogra-

phy. Since early 2006, Sinclair has been a project

architect with superkül inc. | architect in Toronto.

WHAT’S NEW

David Azrieli donates $5.5 million toCarleton University’s School of Architecture.Carleton University announced that internation-

ally renowned philanthropist, developer, archi-

HA

RIRI

PO

NTA

RIN

I ARC

HIT

ECTS

ABOVE A VIEW OF HARIRI PONTARINI ARCHITECTS’ WINNING SCHEME FOR THE EXPANSION TO THEUNIVERSITY OF TORONTO LAW SCHOOL, SEEN FROM QUEEN’S PARK.

p08-9 News & Ad 3/4/08 10:44 AM

April designated as National LandscapeArchitecture Month in the US.The American Society of Landscape Architects

(ASLA) has proclaimed April 2008 as National

Landscape Architecture Month. ASLA chapters

across the country will celebrate with public out-

reach activities to help school-aged children and

educators “Discover Careers in Landscape Archi-

tecture,” the theme for 2008. Landscape archi-

tecture is the fastest growing of the design pro-

fessions, according to the Federal Bureau of

Labor Statistics. Over the next six years, demand

for the profession is projected to expand by 18 to

26 percent and landscape architecture programs

need to increase by an average of six percent a

year in order to match the growth. The starting

salary for graduates with undergraduate degrees

in the US is $40,080 and with graduate degrees it

is $44,600. The annual salary and bonus for all

landscape architects averages nearly $90,000,

with experienced landscape architects earning

much more.

www.asla.org/lamonth/

LETTERS

I was amazed when I learned of Carleton Univer-

sity’s plans to recognize developer David Azrieli’s

recent gift of $5 million by changing the name of

its architectural faculty to the Azrieli School of

Architecture. There is no doubt that the name

Azrieli occupies a significant place in recent

architectural history. It was after his destruction

of the notable Van Horne Mansion on Montreal’s

Sherbrooke Street in 1973 that opposition rallied

against the rash of insensate demolitions threat-

ening to erode the city’s urban landscape. Out of

this destruction grew a new sensitivity to the

value of Montreal’s built heritage, galvanizing the

formation of the citizen coalition Save Montreal.

Azrieli should be accorded his due for the role he

played. The dreary office tower he erected on

the ruins of the historic mansion—whose

foundation stone proudly displays concepteurnext to his name—represents a period of indis-

criminate destruction in Montreal. More re-

cently, Azrieli has funded an annual lecture series

at the McGill University School of Architecture.

Known as the Azrieli Lectures, the series features

practitioners of international repute whose

impressionable young audiences are too dazzled

to applaud the name of the series’ benefactor.

But now, $5 million snares the ultimate prize of

renaming a notable School of Architecture,

a relatively young school founded by the distin-

guished educator Douglas Shadbolt and designed

by architects Carmen Corneil and Jeff Stinson.

I can only hope that present members of faculty

and students new to the Azrieli School of Archi-

tecture will blush, if ever so slightly, as they enter

its portals.

Joseph Baker, OAQ, FRAICFormer Director of the School of Architecture, Laval University

Society of Architects, Harbourfront Centre will

establish the first public venue in Toronto de-

voted to presenting exhibitions which challenge,

educate and question the prevailing thoughts,

ideas and practices informing contemporary

architecture. North Design Studio, gh3 and the

Office for Urbanism investigate the complexities

of urban design in Toronto through their ideas

and practices in an exhibition entitled PublicSpace, running from March 8 through April 20,

2008. The exhibition is composed of three dis-

tinct installations all combining to create a visual

dialogue on the differences and commonalities

inherent in architecture’s turning of common

grounds into artistic fields.

www.harbourfrontcentre.com

41° to 66° exhibition selected to representCanada at the Venice Biennale inArchitecture.The exhibition 41° to 66°: Architecture in Canada—Region, Culture, Tectonics, co-curated by architec-

tural professors John McMinn and Marco Polo

and organized by Cambridge Galleries, will rep-

resent Canada at the 2008 Venice Biennale in

Architecture. The 2008 Biennale, entitled OutThere: Architecture Beyond Building, takes place in

Venice, Italy from September 14 to November 23.

41° to 66° presents a selection of contemporary

buildings organized within six distinct cultural

and geographic regions of Canada. The exhibition

features a variety of leading contemporary Cana-

dian architects whose work draws on iconic

Canadian building types like the igloo, tepee and

sod house as a means to address regional and

cultural identity, landscape, climate and sustain-

ability issues. The Canada Council for the Arts is

a primary funder for Canada’s architectural rep-

resentation in Venice. Cambridge Galleries also

provides financial support and will engage in

fundraising activities to realize this project. 41° to66° was officially launched at the Design at River-

side Gallery in Cambridge, Ontario in November,

2005. After an extensive tour schedule in 2006

and 2007, the exhibition will travel to the

Museum London and Surrey Art Gallery in 2008

and the Yukon Arts Centre in 2009.

www.cambridgegalleries.ca

GMA Radio: the first online radio dedicatedto architects and architecture.Launched on an initiative by the Italian National

Council of Architects, Planners, Landscape Archi-

tects, and Conservationists (CNAPPC) as part of

preparations for the World Congress of Architects

in Turin from June 29 to July 3, 2008, GMA Radio

is now operational on the web. Good Morning

Architecture radio offers a range of daily programs

including news, interviews, dialogue with schools

of architecture, and debates with personalities

from throughout the world of culture. While await-

ing the congress in Turin, get ready with Good

Morning Architecture by podcast or online.

www.gma-radio.com


HA

RIRI

PO

NTA

RIN

I ARC

HIT

ECTS

877.837.3275 landscapeforms.com

Light in spirit.

Holds its ground.

™


p08-9 News & Ad 3/4/08 10:44 AM

http://www.asla.org/lamonth/

http://www.harbourfrontcentre.com

http://www.cambridgegalleries.ca

http://www.gma-radio.com


p10 Permacon ad 3/4/08 3:00 PM

THE LIGHT OF DAY

BUILT ON A MODEST BUDGET, THIS SUBURBANCHURCH DERIVES INSPIRATION FROM LIGHT—CAPTURED BY ITS METAL-CLAD EXTERIOR AND INITS PLANE-SHIFTING INTERIOR SPACES.

PROJECT SCARBOROUGH BAPTIST CHURCH, SCARBOROUGH, ONTARIOARCHITECT TEEPLE ARCHITECTS INC.TEXT DAVID STEINERPHOTOS SHAI GIL

A Baptist community at the northeastern edge of Toronto required a new

church: its membership, predominantly Chinese-Canadian, was growing,

and it wanted more space to accommodate large services and education pro-

grams. It is largely an immigrant community living in an area of Toronto

that has changed over the years from agricultural and industrial to subur-

ban. It bustles despite the quiet neighbourhood façade—tract housing, light

industrial warehouses, strip malls, a mega-mall catering to Chinese tastes,

and the remnants of farming. Commercial parking lots are packed with

cars, housing is expanding, and the main roads are often congested with

traffic: all this while the sidewalks are empty of people.

With a piece of land purchased some years before, the church board set

out to find an architect with no preconceived ideas for a new building.

Members wanted a structure that would provide a large spiritual space with

excellent acoustics, accommodate an ambitious educational program, and


ABOVE THE SWOOPING CURVED WALL OF THE SANCTUARY’S EXTERIOR ISWRAPPED IN A METAL SKIN.

that would be delivered on a very tight budget. A committee of volunteers,

many of whom are professionals in the construction industry, chose Teeple

Architects from a crop of local firms.

Teeple Architects took these requirements and designed a building that

sits in sharp contrast to its surroundings. A metal skin wraps the curved

exterior walls and, unlike the majority of buildings in the area which are on

full display behind strips of lawn, the church is set back from the busy main

street, tucked behind an existing woodlot. Initial sketch models showed

what the building would become—a large horizontal plane that swoops up

into the vertical axis, addressing the client’s request to differentiate the

space for worship from everything else.

The journey from street to sanctuary is conventional: a circular driveway

allows for dropoff at the front with a 532-car parking lot at the rear. This lot,

hidden from a street pockmarked with parked cars, is one of the building’s

finest features. A crash berm, required by the railway that runs along the

east edge of the site, is made of excavated soil and provides a visual bound-

ary at the end of the lot. A row of mature cedar trees from the original farm

has been preserved and long, wide swales will be planted with reeds and

grasses to filter runoff from the asphalt. The parking lot is a comfortable,

thoughtfully designed ancillary space that reverses the banality usually

associated with this purpose.

p11-15 Baptist 3/4/08 10:48 AM


1

2

3 33333333

33

333

3

333

78

BASEMENT

1 SANCTUARY2 FELLOWSHIP COURT3 CLASSROOM4 CHAPEL5 LIBRARY6 COMMUNITY ROOM7 GYMNASIUM8 PARENTS’ ROOM9 OFFICES/ADMINISTRATION

0 25M

1

2

3

3

3

333333333

4

5

6

8

FIRST FLOOR

p11-15 Baptist 3/4/08 10:48 AM

The layout of the building is simple and straightforward. A large curved

sanctuary, devoid of windows, rises at the front, displaying the single cross

on the exterior. Two wide, double-height corridors cross each other, divid-

ing the program pieces. Bridges, providing access to the upper sanctuary

and offices, shoot over one corridor. At the front and back are large

canopies that hang down at a precarious angle, signalling the main entries.

Off to the west side is the education wing, which looks out at the woodlot

through long, strip windows. Deep eaves emphasize the wing’s low, hori-

zontal lines and act as a horse blinder to focus the view on the trees beyond.

Most unexpected is the gym. Seen from a window in a corridor above, it is

sunken crater-like in the middle of the floor plate to mask its height from

the exterior.

For a building this size, the budget was meagre. With a construction cost

of $168 per square foot, it was critical to prioritize certain building ele-

ments. For example, the architects felt it was more important to use steel to

provide a column-free, almond-shaped sanctuary with excellent acoustics,

and a compound curved exterior rather than fine finishes. As such, gypsum

wallboard has been used almost exclusively—giving many of the spaces a

hollow, brittle feeling—while the floors are an unrelenting bare concrete

finished with a grey epoxy finish. Still, Teeple Architects managed to insert


OPPOSITE AND ABOVE TWO VIEWS OF THE LARGE ALMOND-SHAPED SANC-TUARY, WHICH IS ENHANCED BY THE ABSENCE OF COLUMNS AND THEPROVISION OF EXCELLENT ACOUSTICS.

1

2

9

99

9 9 99

9

9

99 9 99

999999

SECOND FLOOR

p11-15 Baptist 3/4/08 10:48 AM


a sense of dynamism in the circulation spaces and in the views from one

level to another. From one spot on the second floor, a half-dozen interior

windows line up to give the dramatic effect of visually piercing the entire

building. Back-painted drywall valances, used periodically, infuse the light

bouncing off them and provide a colourful glow. In spite of the cost con-

straints, the architects managed to significantly bring the project in under

budget by almost a million dollars (although the contractor had serious

problems finishing the job, causing an equivalent-sized headache with an

almost year-long delay in completion).

Squat warehouses once comprised much of the local building stock.

Nicholas Choy, a Toronto architect and member of the church’s building

committee who provided guidance during the building process, maintains

that the industrial vernacular is being redeemed through the use of a com-

mon local material for a spiritual purpose. The building is a big and shiny

object, largely hidden from view. Unlike many local churches of this size

that squeeze the streetscape, the architects have used the existing site, in

this case a woodlot, to meld the church into the neighbourhood. It sets a

precedent in this area for public buildings of its kind: they can be both

pragmatic and exuberant while not being so brash as to flaunt their appear-

ance to passersby. In this pocket of the city, where density is quickly

increasing, there is ample pressure to build in a hurry. Interestingly, this

Baptist church provides an example for Toronto suburbs of how to make a

dramatic building that is specific and sensitive to its site. By being so care-

ful about siting, its relationship to the street and its visual appearance, the

project gives credibility to the arbitrary quality of its neighbours and con-

text. The church, as architecture, announces its intention of finding mean-

ing on the site, while exploiting itself to create a building that is as exuber-

ant as it is humane. CA

David Steiner is a freelance writer living in Ontario.

CLIENT SCARBOROUGH BAPTIST CHURCHARCHITECT TEAM STEPHEN TEEPLE, BERNARD JIN, CHERYL ATKINSON,DAVID JENSEN, GRAHAM BAXTER, WILLIAM ELSWORTHY, ROBERTCHEUNG STRUCTURAL CPEMECHANICAL/ELECTRICAL LKMCIVIL MASONGSONG ASSOCIATES ENGINEERINGLANDSCAPE DUTOIT ALLSOPP HILLIERINTERIORS TEEPLE ARCHITECTS INC.CONTRACTOR DERBTILE CONSTRUCTION INC.AREA 80,000 FT2BUDGET $12 MCOMPLETION 2007

p11-15 Baptist 3/4/08 10:48 AM


OPPOSITE A FRAMED VIEW OF THE OUTDOORS AND A GLIMPSE OF THE LIBRARY ARE PROVIDED TO THOSE DESCENDING THE WESTERN SET OF STAIRS, IN-VITING PAUSE AND CONTEMPLATION. CLOCKWISE FROM TOP A VIEW OF THE CHURCH’S EAST ELEVATION, ADJACENT TO THE VAST PARKING LOT ACCOMMO-DATING OVER 500 CARS; DESPITE THE USE OF INEXPENSIVE MATERIALS TO KEEP THE PROJECT WELL UNDER BUDGET, THE CHURCH DERIVES ITS EXPRESSIONTHROUGH BOLD DYNAMIC FORMS; A SENSE OF OPENNESS IS MAINTAINED IN THE INTERIOR THROUGH A STARKLY PALE COLOUR PALETTE AND A TWO-STOREY CENTRAL ATRIUM.

1 CHURCH2 FOOTPATH3 STORM WATER SWALE

0 100MGROUND FLOOR

12

3

3

3

34

4

4 4

45

4 DRAINAGE TRENCH5 RAVINE

p11-15 Baptist 3/4/08 10:48 AM


p16 Firestone ad 3/5/08 11:50 AM

ABOVE THE ANGULAR OUTCROPPINGS ON THE BUILDING’S FRONTFAÇADE THAT APPEAR TO “SWITCH” BACK AND FORTH REPRESENT AMODERN TAKE ON BAY WINDOWS.

SWITCH PLATES

A DREAM COMMISSION FROM A FIRST-TIMEDEVELOPER ALLOWS AN EMERGING ARCHI-TECTURE FIRM IN MANHATTAN TO DESIGN AREFRESHINGLY INNOVATIVE SPEC BUILDING ONTHE LOWER EAST SIDE.

PROJECT SWITCH BUILDING, NEW YORK, NEW YORKARCHITECT nARCHITECTSTEXT ELSA LAMPHOTOS FRANK OUDEMAN, UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED

While real estate is on the decline throughout the United States, housing

values are booming in New York. However, it’s a tough market to break into,

given the density of existing buildings and prohibitive development costs.

Luxury condos are being designed by the likes of Bernard Tschumi and Jean

Nouvel, while the majority of constructions built “on spec”—that is, to be

sold post-completion—take a generic approach to ensure quick turnaround

time and to secure access to financing. In most projects, the role of the

architect is limited to providing an inexpensive surface gloss over a struc-

ture predefined within narrow parameters.

The recent opening of the aesthetically innovative, spec-built Switch

building is thus a refreshing reminder that architecturally enlightened


p17-21 Switch 3/4/08 10:54 AM


nARC

HIT

ECTS

p17-21 Switch 3/4/08 10:54 AM

development is still possible within the confines

of Manhattan. The seven-storey apartment and

art gallery is also a showpiece in the career of

nARCHITECTS—the firm founded in 1999 by

Montreal-born Eric Bunge and Saigon-born

Mimi Hoang—as their first complete building.

nARCHITECTS came to the project through an

almost chance encounter, the stuff of local leg-

end. A first-time developer had just closed on the

purchase of the Lower East Side site and walked

off the street into the firm’s office, located

around the corner at the time. He was impressed

by their work, as the duo was by his vision. “He

wanted to do a metal façade building, and create

an art gallery,” recounts Bunge. “It was a dream

commission.” Bunge and Hoang rose to the chal-

lenge of the fast-paced demands of the project,

preparing a schematic design in just three weeks,

with excavation scheduled to begin immediately

after.

As the project progressed, a combination of

“firsts”—a first building for nARCHITECTS, a

first project for the developer, and a first-time

job for the contractor—facilitated an open dia-

logue about the limits of what could be produced

within the rigid zoning laws and financing

requirements of a spec building.

Take, for instance, Switch’s primary gesture: a

modulation of floors to open views up and down

Norfolk Street, resulting in a façade that the con-

tractor likened to a light switch. The angular out-

croppings were creative reinterpretations of bay

windows, which in zoning legislation allows for

modest projections of the façade. On the inside,

these projections provide deep window seats with

bamboo surrounds.

On the back façade, the limits of the building

code were similarly pushed. Balconies are built to

the maximum size allowable, and shift from side

to side to provide extra height, increase access to

light, and encourage conversations between

neighbours.

Also going beyond spec-building norms is the

total aesthetic integration of air conditioning

units—a move prompted by a client suggestion.

“We were talking about the air conditioning

grilles, and Dorit [one of the clients] said, ‘Why

can’t you incorporate them into the design?’”

recalls Bunge. “It was an idea similar to many

that [Mimi and I have] had, so we jumped on it

right away.” As a result, the building’s standard

through-wall mechanical units are disguised with

custom grilles, designed to be continuous with

the cladding that spans between floors. The finely

tuned grilles narrow and pivot outward as they

pass over the ventilation units, allowing for prop-

er air flow to be maintained and giving subtle

modulation to the façade. This feature required

approvals from the air conditioning manufactur-

er as well as custom metal work—efforts normally

outside the scope of this project type.

Relating the building to its burgeoning artistic

neighbourhood, the non-profit Switch Gallery on

the ground and cellar floors is spurred by devel-

opment criteria and articulated by site con-

straints. The inclusion of a community-oriented

space allowed the team to occupy the entire lot on

the ground floor. Inside, the plan works around

the substantial obstacles of the residential core

and lobby, using oblique angles to maximize spa-

tial continuity and wall space for display. At the

rear of the gallery, a generous double-height vol-

ume is lit from above. The large skylight had to be

situated at a minimum of three feet from the

building line—a requirement that prompted

Bunge and Hoang to design a curved wall to catch

the light in a smooth gradient.

Attention to the articulation of light, an ongo-

ing concern in the firm’s previous interiors and

installations, manifests throughout the building.

Apartment windows are pushed to the edges of

rooms in order to welcome a wash of light along

adjacent walls. The back-and-forth switch action

of the façade generates subtly different light con-

ditions and views from floor to floor, giving indi-

viduality to each apartment. This results in a

range of spaces with different qualities, even

while the basic floor plan remains identical for

ease of construction.

Taking advantage of their Chinese-Malaysian

crew’s strong craft abilities, nARCHITECTS

called for careful detailing using an economical


OPPOSITE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP THE PROJECTING BALCONIES ON THE REAR ELEVATION OF THE BUILDINGSHIFT FROM SIDE TO SIDE TO INCREASE LIGHT AND TO ENCOURAGE COMMUNICATION BETWEENNEIGHBOURS; LARGE PIVOT DOORS SWING OUT FROM THE NEW GROUND-FLOOR GALLERY SPACE;THE AUSTERITY OF THE STAIR IS IN KEEPING WITH THE ECONOMICAL PALETTE OF MATERIALS, INCLUD-ING GALVALUME STEEL, CONCRETE AND STAINLESS STEEL. ABOVE THE SWITCH BUILDING NESTLES ELE-GANTLY INTO ITS EAST VILLAGE CONTEXT.

nARC

HIT

ECTS

p17-21 Switch 3/4/08 10:54 AM


palette of materials. Galvalume steel, a relatively

inexpensive metal, is used for the custom-fabri-

cated façade panels, a composition accented with

modest amounts of stainless steel at the front

canopy and on the rear balconies. Cold-rolled

steel stairs and railings draw silvery metals into

the ground floor interior. The gallery’s industrial

aesthetic is continued with a polished concrete

floor, and a ceiling made of Versaroc—a cement-

bonded particleboard usually hidden behind dry-

wall. These ordinary materials are elevated by

subtle detailing, like the underplayed cantilever

of the stair, or the lapping of the ceiling panels

over top beams, which opens the space in height

and creates a visually inviting perspectival effect.

In the residential component of the building,

the palette warms up. Ply strip flooring wraps

through the common lobby, while bamboo is

used to clad floors and window surrounds in

A/C GRILLES

BAY WINDOW

SOUTH VIEW

NORTH VIEW

GALLERY PLAN

p17-21 Switch 3/4/08 10:54 AM


APARTMENT PLANS

SECTION

1 RESIDENTIAL2 COMMUNITY FACILITY3 ELECTRICAL ROOM4 BOILER ROOM5 GARBAGE ROOM6 WC

0 10’

1

1

1

1

1

2

2

3 4 5 6

individual apartments. Tequila lime green

accents (“the only colour we could agree on,”

comments Hoang) appear in back-painted glass

mounted above the kitchen counters, and lami-

nated as almost transparent vertical striping

within balcony guard panels.

Through its careful design, Switch provides the

services required to finance and market a condo

building—balconies, air conditioners, bay win-

dows—but provides much more than a checklist

of features. “There isn’t enough architecture that

does more than add amenities together onto a

CLIENT 109 NORFOLK, LLCARCHITECT TEAM ERIC BUNGE, MIMI HOANG (PARTNERS); DANIELAZIMMER (PROJECT ARCHITECT), JORGE PEREIRA, TAKUYA SHINODASTRUCTURAL SHARON ENGINEERINGMECHANICAL/ELECTRICAL SHARON ENGINEERING CONTRACTOR BUILDERS + HVACMETALWORK GEORGE DIMIZASAREA 14,500 FT2 (ART GALLERY 2,700 FT2; APARTMENTS 8,225 FT2)COMPLETION 2007

normative core and shell,” comments Bunge. In a

market as tight as Manhattan, perhaps few

chances exist to take on the standards of develop-

ment. nARCHITECTS has succeeded in taking

advantage of a rare opportunity—and in doing so,

they challenge other architects and developers to

switch their preconceptions, and dare to follow

suit. CA

Elsa Lam is a freelance journalist and PhD candidatein architectural history at Columbia University inNew York.

p17-21 Switch 3/4/08 10:54 AM

Guelph, Ontario800-796-6636

LangleyBritish Columbia888-889-3899

ENTRANCES

STOREFRONT

IMPACT RESISTANT

RIBBON WALL

CURTAIN WALL

OPERABLE WINDOWS

www.usalum.com

No matter if it’s a Winnipeg winter, the blazing desert sun of Arizona or the drivingrain of Vancouver B.C., US Aluminum builds world class commercial glazing systemsto withstand whatever harsh conditions Mother Nature dishes out.

Our products are engineered to the highest standards, pass the toughest Canadianindustry tests and have one of the most comprehensive warranties in the business.

We apply more than 50 years of experience to the design and manufacturing of our products, and that translates into exceptionalquality and energy saving performance in everything we do.

Give us a call or visit our web site to get the complete picture.

Locally built. Globally applied

Our products know no boundaries

Photos-top to bottom: River Rock Casino, Richmond, BC, Randy Knill Architect, Sardo Foods, Bolton, Ontario, Noor Architects, Techtown University of Waterloo, Research & TechPark, Waterloo, Ontario, SRM Architects, Waterloo, Heffner Toyota, Cambridge, Ontario, Jamesway Design Build, Elmira Stove Works, Elmira, Ontario, Architecture Incorporated


p22 USAluminum ad 3/4/08 10:59 AM

http://www.usalum.com

ABOVE THE NEW HAGEN HEADQUARTERS BUILDING IS PERCEIVED AS TWO VOLUMES, DUE TO ITS SLIGHT V-SHAPED PLAN AND CONTRASTING MATERIALITIES OF THE TWO BLOCKS.

PET PROJECT

THE HEADQUARTERS FOR A MULTINATIONAL PET SUPPLY MANUFACTURER IN QUEBECACHIEVES LOFTY SUSTAINABLE OBJECTIVESWHILE PROVIDING A HEALTHY WORK ENVIRON-MENT FOR ITS EMPLOYEES.

PROJECT HAGEN HEAD OFFICE, BAIE D’URFÉ, QUEBECARCHITECT RUBIN & ROTMAN ASSOCIATESTEXT RHYS PHILLIPSPHOTOS STÉPHANE BRÜGGER


ments on a significant parcel of forest that once stretched from Baie d’Urfé

to Kirkland. Only a few stands of mature deciduous trees remain, due to the

large building footprints and acres of surface parking encroaching into this

area.

A remarkable addition to this landscape is the new international head-

quarters for Ralph C. Hagen Inc., a family-owned Canadian multinational

pet supply manufacturer and distributor. A finalist in both the commercial

and sustainable development categories of the 2007 Quebec Order of Archi-

tects’ Architecture Awards of Excellence, the 102-person headquarters has

raised the design bar for a building of its type while aggressively pursuing a

multi-faceted green agenda. The project was also a finalist for two other

environmental design awards as well as the recipient of a 2007 Real Estate

Award of Excellence from the Urban Development Institute of Quebec.

Designed by the Montreal firm of Rubin & Rotman Associates for Broccolini

Construction, the project was completed within the constraints of a design-

build relationship.

According to partner in charge Rick Rubin, the project began as a high

“quality-of-life” facility for the client’s employees. As a graduate zoologist

and vice-president of Hagen responsible for the company’s relationship

with animal rights groups, Mark Hagen bluntly notes that “how you treat

animals has a profound effect on their well-being and performance, and the

same thing goes for humans.” Once convinced that an environmentally

responsible building made sense economically and in terms of workplace

quality, Hagen emerged as a key ally in the drive for a green building.

As for the architects, Rubin & Rotman’s 26-person firm came to the table

within the parameters of a typical turnkey project. But the emergence of a

green agenda precipitated a more comprehensive sustainable development

strategy with such considerations as the densely wooded site, the presence

The drive along Autoroute 40 as it leads from the west end of Montreal

Island to the Decarie cutoff into the city’s core is not representative of what

most people associate with Canada’s second-largest metropolis. Instead of

the compact scale of Old Montreal or the fashionable shops and restaurants

of the Plateau, this 15-kilometre stretch of highway is populated by light

industrial buildings, office complexes, traditional malls, and increasingly,

big-box retail stores.

This area of the city’s suburban landscape is not one that is normally

associated with architectural excellence, but driving along this route does

provide us with an interesting window on how architectural style—filtered

through the generic office park aesthetic—has continued to evolve. Auto-

route 40 was initially lined with industrial sheds and warehouses fronted by

office pavilions rendered in the cool anonymity of the International Style,

devolving into lively plastic experiments in precast concrete panels and

punched aluminum screens. By the 1980s, late-modernist reflective glass

office boxes appeared that were sculpted, composed of rotated blocks, and

clad in bizarre colours with postmodernist columns, curved forms and

bright colours soon following.

Over the last decade, the ubiquitous steel frame and stucco revolution has

produced a myriad of low-rise grey or beige office buildings and big-box

malls. Of particular note is the intrusion of corporate office park develop-

p23-25 Hagen 3/4/08 11:01 AM

4

2

3

56

14

11 11

11

11

1111

11

11

1

9

7

8

8

88

8

8

12

12

12

13

10


SECOND FLOOR

GROUND FLOOR

SECTION

SITE PLAN

1 WORKSHOP2 CAFETERIA3 KITCHEN4 OPEN AREA5 ATRIUM

6 RECEPTION7 OFFICES8 LOADING AREA9 RECYCLING

10 CAFÉ

12

13

11

11

10

10

7

7

7

7

7

75

4

4

4

4

4

1

1

1

23

4

5 6

7

7

7

89

10

10

11

14

1 BUILDING2 MAIN ENTRANCE3 EMPLOYEE ENTRANCE4 BICYCLE SHELTER5 DELIVERY DOCK6 GARAGE ENTRANCE7 VISITOR PARKING

8 EMPLOYEE PARKING9 AUTOROUTE SERVICE ROAD

10 MORGAN ROAD11 EXISTING WOODED AREA12 SWALE13 SEDIMENT INTERCEPTOR14 FUTURE POND

CLIENT ROLF C. HAGENARCHITECT TEAM RICK RUBIN, BRUNO MORIN, MALLORY MAE CONWAY, PASCALE TÉTRAULTSTRUCTURAL BCA (ROGER BARTOSH)MECHANICAL/ELECTRICAL PMA (FRÉDÉRIC GENEST)LANDSCAPE BEAUPRÉ ASSOCIÉS EXPERTS CONSEILSINTERIORS RUBIN & ROTMAN ASSOCIATESCONTRACTOR BROCCOLINI CONSTRUCTION (CHRISTIE STEWART)COMMISSIONING MARTIN ROYAREA 5686 M2BUDGET $8.6 MCOMPLETION JUNE 2006

of a stream and the proximity to public transit. The architects wanted to

mitigate tree loss while maintaining water table integrity. A forestry expert

was hired to undertake a diagnostic inventory and set a hierarchy of zones

for the protection of the trees, such as the preservation of large deciduous

species along the building’s south-facing façade to reduce solar gain during

the summer.

The compact three-storey building is sited in an area with few trees but

close proximity to the main road. The slightly V-shaped plan with two wings

bisected by a full-height, wedge-shaped atrium bends east-west to provide

a generally southern exposure while facilitating lower solar gain during the

shoulder seasons. Parking was mitigated, with some spots located under the

building.

A detailed land protection strategy for the eight-month construction

period and for the site’s post-construction ecological assessment was estab-

lished. This assessment included short- and long-term rainwater manage-

ment as well as eco-friendly landscaping. At the start of construction, the

perimeter of the construction zone was protected by shallow ditches de-

signed to collect contaminated water runoff which would then be partially

filtered by rock beds before entering a sedimentation pit. The clean surface

water was finally returned to the water table via the stream. Rainwater from

the paved parking area of the completed project continued to be drained by

perimeter ditches integrated with woodland landscaping. “Overall,” reports

Rubin, “this practice ensures the water table continues to be fed almost to

the pre-development level, limits needless overload of the storm sewer

infrastructure, and protects against soil erosion.”

Management of construction waste formed the final green component of

the site and construction strategy. Diverting 50 percent of construction

waste from disposal sites was achieved with the help of a firm specializing

in the recycling of construction waste. For example, water used to clean the

concrete mixers was poured into plywood moulds, treated and hardened

into blocks before being shipped off for recycling.

Prior to completing the specifications, a material list was compiled,

based on ensuring low toxicity levels, local availability, and levels of recy-

cled or recyclable material. Wherever possible, the most ecological alterna-

tives were selected. In addition to the partial replacement of cement with fly

ash, highly recyclable content was achieved in materials such as ceiling tiles

and carpets. River rock, Quebec limestone, gypsum panels as well as poured

and prefabricated concrete were all sourced locally. Perhaps most innova-

tive was the milling of maple, oak, linden, and ash recovered from the site

to reappear as rich interior soffits, wall panels and furniture, including the

11 PHOTOCOPY12 CONFERENCE ROOM13 LOUNGE AREA14 BICYCLE RACK

0 50’

p23-25 Hagen 3/4/08 11:01 AM

firm’s splendid, multi-wood boardroom table. As is increasingly the case,

all paints, varnishes, sealants and glues emit little or no volatile organic

compounds (VOCs).

For the building’s energy system, a goal of 50 percent efficiency over the

national code was established. The team assessed the additional capital

costs against return on investment, system complexity, life span mainte-

nance and the potential for passive energy sources. One result of this

process was a convincing argument for utilizing a geothermal system with

liquid-to-liquid heat pumps. “Combined with a high-R building envelope,

this works out to an approximate annual saving of 1,000,000 KWh, or

$90,000 at current prices, equivalent to 300 tonnes of greenhouse gas,”

reports Rubin.

The Hagen building’s energy system centres on 14 parallel heat pumps

operating with a geothermal loop. This is combined with radiant-slab heat

distribution along a 12-foot perimeter of the building’s concrete-on-steel-

frame floor. Open-grid ceilings along the perimeter allows the slabs to

radiate both up and down. According to Frédéric Genest, project manager

for Hagen’s mechanical and electrical engineers, Pageau Morel et associés,

the slab system requires the water to be 31.7°C to generate a room tempera-

ture of 21°C which compares to conventional heating systems that require

82°C. This is what permits the efficient use of the geothermal system.

Perhaps the system’s most unconventional components are the basement

“heat banks,” two concrete bunkers packed with wet sand into which three

rows of conduits have been inserted. During off-peak energy demand, the

hot water produced by the heat pumps is circulated in the banks to warm

them up, while in the daytime, water returning from the building’s heating

equipment is circulated through these warm banks. The result is peak

demand savings of two heat pumps.

A fresh-air-handling unit was also added to the roof serving the atrium.

In addition to transfer return fans providing a steady injection of fresh out-

side air, the building’s ventilation unit forces it through a heat recovery

wheel. In the winter, heat and humidity are recovered from the evacuated

air and transferred to the fresh air entering the building. Conversely, in the

summer, the wheel transfers heat and humidity from fresh air entering the

building to the evacuated air, notes Rubin.

On the more public north façade, the building’s two slightly splayed wings

set between a transparent atrium have been given lively but different treat-

ments. In particular, the west block is clad in a dark, rich purple brick. A

large circular window on the third level is punched into the brick, signalling

the firm’s corporate boardroom. To the west, a two-storey glass screen that

appears to hover above the building’s first level has been extruded and

wrapped around the building’s corner and is intended to allow natural day-

light to penetrate deep into the building. Inside, reflecting light shelves

along the southern exposure bounce light off the partially canted ceilings

while automatic sensors control light levels of the complex’s remarkably few

light fixtures.

Dominated by the central atrium, the building’s plan includes open and

glass-enclosed bridges spanning between the two wings. The materiality of

the space is both slick and rich with steel, glass and polished concrete floors

playing off the oxide brick walls, Quebec limestone baseboards and a ceiling

of site-salvaged wood. Directly off the atrium, a generous bistro-style

restaurant takes advantage of floor-to-ceiling north-facing glazing while

offering clear views out to the woods beyond. Attention to communal spaces

continues on the second level where the northwest corner has been de-

signed as a luminous glass box for informal meetings. On the third floor,

the elegant corporate boardroom opens fully to a generous anteroom space

thanks to three large pivoting wood doors.

In the office areas, ceilings are textured landscapes achieved by the mix-

ing of open-to-slab and semi-open grill sections with traditional hung pan-

els. Through the generous use of crafted local hardwoods, the animation of

the light shelves and the teasing in of natural light, this is an example—like

the atrium and its role as the building’s lungs—of where the architectural

quality of space neatly dovetails with the objective of environmental res-

ponsibility. The Hagen headquarters is not intended as iconic architecture

but it does add a welcome moment of quality, nestled within its forest site,

among the largely banal landscape of modern commercial activity. CA

Rhys Phillips lives in Ottawa and has been writing on architecture and urbandesign for 23 years.


ABOVE, TOP TO BOTTOM LIGHT PENETRATES DEEP INTO THE BUILDINGTHROUGH A TWO-STOREY GLASS SCREEN THAT WRAPS AROUND THEBUILDING’S CORNER; A SOUTHEAST VIEW OF THE BUILDING AT DUSK; ACANOPIED BICYCLE SHELTER OFFERS PROTECTION FROM THE ELEMENTSBY THE EMPLOYEE ENTRANCE AT THE BACK OF THE BUILDING.

p23-25 Hagen 3/4/08 11:01 AM


PCL Construction has grown from a small con-

tracting company in Stoughton, Saskatchewan to

the eighth-largest contractor in North America.

Their LEED Gold-certified Edmonton head-

quarters—named the PCL Centennial Learning

Centre—is a renovated and expanded facility

marking their 100 years in business.

E.E. Poole General Contractor was founded in

1906 by Ernest Poole, who later moved the com-

CONCRETE SOLUTIONS

A CONSTRUCTION COMPANY ENJOYS THEBENEFITS OF COMMISSIONING ITS OWNTRAINING FACILITY WITH A FOCUS ON HONEST DETAILING, SUSTAINABILITY ANDLANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS.

PROJECT PCL CENTENNIAL LEARNING CENTRE,EDMONTON, ALBERTAARCHITECT COHOS EVAMY INTEGRATEDESIGN™TEXT SHAFRAAZ KABAPHOTOS TOM ARBAN

pany from Stoughton to Regina, and then to

Edmonton in 1932 where he would eventually sell

the firm to his sons George and John in 1948.

Known as Poole’s Rules, a list of guidelines creat-

ed by Poole from which to run his company in-

cluded pronouncements such as, “Avoid jobs

where design is not good or financing doubtful.

Let your competitors have these.” In 1977, Poole

Construction Limited became an employee-

owned company called PCL Construction Hold-

ings. Every year since 1977, PCL has shown re-

markable growth and is now owned by its 1,700

salaried workers, who are in 27 locations across

North America.

The building of the PCL Centennial Learning

Centre (CLC) was led by Vice President Alan

Bodie, who stressed that, “it was about the people

rather than the select few at the top.” The CLC is a

building that links several existing structures in

the PCL Business Park. One of the early buildings

on the campus is a bermed, low-profile design by

Peter Hemingway, one of Edmonton’s most cele-

brated architects. PCL engaged Cohos Evamy to

create a new master plan for the site and to

design the first phase, which resulted in the CLC.

Architect Stephen Boyd was the project designer

and partner in charge.

Utilizing concrete and a curtain-wall system,

the CLC provided PCL with a new front door and

reception area befitting the largest contractor in

Canada. It expressed the materials that PCL has

mastered—namely concrete, steel and glass. As a

“college of construction,” it provides training

rooms as well as distance education facilities for

remote sites and offices. But the most striking

aspect of the facility is the Grand Hall, a three-

storey-high space that provides the company

with a gathering place for staff events and train-

ing, opening up to a new courtyard designed by

landscape architect Doug Carlyle of Carlyle +

Associates. The scale of the Grand Hall is not

overwhelming but welcoming, and is flooded

with natural light, which continues along the

curtain-wall spine that acts as a solar chimney,

one of the many integrated strategies that allowed

p26-29 PCL & Ad 3/4/08 11:04 AM

the building to achieve a high level in Leadership

in Environmental and Energy Design (LEED)

certification.

“I had never heard of LEED, but our buildings

group began to hear about it about the time we

started design. We considered it for a while when

Cohos Evamy brought the program to us, but we

decided not to do it. But it wasn’t six months

down the road when all the noise about sustain-

able building began to build, and we reversed our

decision,” states Bodie, remarking on the move

towards applying for certification. The archi-

tects’ inherent integrated design process is what

helped the CLC building navigate through a one-

year design and documents phase with minimal

fuss over the change to a LEED project. Bodie

believes the construction requirements to

achieve particular LEED credits were not out of

line with PCL’s regular construction procedure,

and added, “The construction standards are

really no different than what we would have nor-

mally done with a very particular owner.” The

CLC was the first LEED project for PCL, but like

all new skills, after rising above the learning

curve, subsequent projects became straight-

forward. “The administration load was high

because it was the first, but once you’ve gone


OPPOSITE TOP AN ENTHUSIASTIC EMPLOYEE RISES TO THE OCCASION. OPPOSITE BOTTOM A SPARE MATERIAL PALETTE ALLOWS SIMPLE VOLUMETRIC FORMS TO PRES-ENT A CONFIDENT STATEMENT FOR ONE OF CANADA’S LARGEST CONTRACTORS. ABOVE FRAMED BY STEEL COLUMNS, THE MAIN ASSEMBLY HALL PROVIDESA JUNCTURE POINT BETWEEN THE FACILITY’S OFFICES AND TRAINING AREAS. BELOW, LEFT TO RIGHT WELL EXECUTED CONCRETE DETAILING IS A MUST FOR ACLIENT WHOSE REPUTATION RESTS ON QUALITY CONSTRUCTION; THE INTERIOR COURTYARD DESIGNED BY LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT DOUG CARLYLE.

p26-29 PCL & Ad 3/4/08 11:04 AM


through the process, it gets easier. For us, it was

part of the cost of doing business,” explains

Bodie.

Along with the solar chimney, the CLC incor-

porated many sustainable and healthy building

practices. The curtain wall was a triple glazed,

low-E thermally broken product with operable

windows. An astounding 96 percent of construc-

tion waste was diverted from the landfill during

the two-year building process. “The segregation

of materials doesn’t really cost you anything and

the subcontractors were right on board, too,” says

Bodie. Daylighting is actively employed through-

out the building, but where necessary, electric

fixtures are carefully chosen to provide just

enough light. “I like what LEED encourages you

to do with lighting, rather than blinding you with

overlit spaces.” Throughout the project, the LEED

rating system was not driving the details. Rather,

good design simply balanced the building aspects

of sustainability, usability and aesthetics.

The fact that Canada’s largest contractor creat-

ed a LEED Gold legacy project for the training

and development of their staff is an inspiration

to the building and construction industry. Many

requests have been made to PCL Construction

from outside the company for the use of the

Grand Hall since the building opened. This

building does exactly what the LEED program

hoped to achieve—that is, to create a market

OPPOSITE, LEFT TO RIGHT PRAIRIE SUN FILLS THE ATRI-UM LEADING PAST THE MAIN RECEPTION AREA;THE CAMPUS COURTYARD ADJACENT TO THEGRAND HALL PROVIDES A WONDERFUL OUT-DOOR SPACE FOR STAFF AND VISITORS ALIKE.

CLIENT PCL CONSTRUCTION RESOURCES INC.ARCHITECT TEAM TOM SUTHERLAND, STEPHEN BOYD, DAN HUNKA,KEITH ROBINSON, NORA HARTFELDER, JAROMIR KOZAK, CAROLEHOVELANDSTRUCTURAL COHOS EVAMY INTEGRATEDESIGN™ (JIM MONTGOMERY,JEFF DIBATTISTA, CAMERON FRANCHUK, KRIS LIMA)MECHANICAL COHOS EVAMY INTEGRATEDESIGN™ (DALE KNUTSON,DON FOX, JOHN SCHULTZ)ELECTRICAL COHOS EVAMY INTEGRATEDESIGN™ (ED PON, HARSHADPATEL)INTERIORS COHOS EVAMY INTEGRATEDESIGN™ (MICHELLE SIGURDSON,CINDY LEE)LANDSCAPE CARLYLE + ASSOCIATESBUILDER PCL CONSTRUCTORS INC.AREA 2,430 M2BUDGET $12 MCOMPLETION JUNE 2006

MAIN FLOOR

LOWER FLOOR SITE PLAN

1 MAIN ENTRANCE2 BOARDROOM3 WAITING4 MAIN RECEPTION5 GRAND HALL6 OFFICE

1 2

3

4

5

6 6

6

6

6

6

6

6

6

6

6

66

66

6

77

8

9

10

11

1 REMOTE TRAINING2 TRAINING ROOM3 TRAINING RECEPTION4 INNOVATION HALL5 ASSEMBLY HALL6 OFFICE7 STAFF LUNCHROOM8 CAFÉ

0 10M

1

1

1

2

3

4

5

6

6

6

7

8 9

10

11

12

12

13

13

14

15

16

1 ORIGINAL BUILDING2 SUBSEQUENT ADDITIONS3 CAMPUS COURTYARD4 CENTENNIAL LEARNING CENTRE

1

2

2

3

4

12

7 HOTELLING STATION8 OPEN MEETING AREA9 SERVERY

10 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OFFICERECEPTION

11 DISTRICT RECEPTION

9 SERVERY10 MEETING ROOM11 EXTERIOR COURTYARD12 STORAGE13 WASHROOM14 MECHANICAL15 ELECTRICAL16 EQUIPMENT

transformation tool that shows how sustainable

buildings are possible, how they are healthier

and more efficient, and above all, how they can

function as places of delight for their occupants

and the public. The Centennial Learning Centre

is a courageous and confident building that would

make PCL founder Ernest Poole proud. CA

Shafraaz Kaba is a partner with Manasc IsaacArchitects in Edmonton and a founding member ofthe Media, Art and Design Exposed (M.A.D.E.) inEdmonton Society.

0 20M

p26-29 PCL & Ad 3/4/08 11:05 AM

03/08 CANADIAN ARCHITECT 29CIRCLE REPLY CARD 19

p26-29 PCL & Ad 3/4/08 11:05 AM

Marvel at the beauty of true craftsmanship in these exquisitely detailed natural limestone fireplace mantels. From free-standing electric plug in units to re-facing your existing fireplace mantel, instantly transform any room into your dream room.

An extruded polystyrene base coated in a revolutionary, smooth acrylic plaster gives this lightweight trim the classic, durable and refined look you desire inside your home.

Interior Plaster MouldingsInterior Plaster Mouldings

I was struck by her beauty.

An extruded polystyrene base wrapped in reinforcing mesh and armoured in cement allows this product to brave any outdoor elements, protecting while beautifying your castle.

101A Roytec Road Woodridge ON | 905.264.4436 | www.canamould.com


p30 Canamould ad 3/4/08 11:08 AM

http://www.canamould.com

REPORT

Fifty years ago, very few Muslims lived in nearby

communities like Flemingdon and Thorncliffe

Park. Today, these communities represent one of

most significant Muslim populations in Canada.

Forsaking the chance to build exemplary contem-

porary architecture celebrating the ethnic and

cultural diversity of Toronto for the sake of pre-

serving the Bata building would have truly been a

wasted opportunity in the architectural history of

the city, and indeed the country.

The 17-acre site bounded by Wynford Drive,

Eglinton Avenue, the DVP and Don Mills Road

will be transformed by the addition of two signif-

icant projects: the Ismaili Centre and Jamatkhana

designed by Mumbai-based Charles Correa

Architects, and the Aga Khan Museum, designed

by architect Fumihiko Maki of Maki & Associates

in Tokyo. Inserted between each of these 10,000-

square-metre projects will be a series of land-

scaped gardens designed by the Beirut-based

landscape architect Vladimir Djurovic, who re-

ceived a 2007 Aga Khan Award for Architecture

for his Samir Kassir Square project in Beirut.

And overseeing construction of the site are

Moriyama & Teshima Architects of Toronto, the

architects of record. Collectively, the construc-

tion costs for the two buildings will exceed $200

million. The Ismaili Centre will be completed by

late 2010, with the Aga Khan Museum completed

approximately one year later.

Including Eastern-influenced formal gardens

and over two kilometres of walking trails open

to the public, Wynford Park will contain five

reflecting pools, enclosed gardens and waterfalls.

Visitors will be shielded from the noisy DVP

and Eglinton Avenue traffic with numerous

places for contemplation. Along the southern

edge of the site, the development group is in the

process of discussing with the City of Toronto

as to how best manage the City-owned property

abutting the site. In return for relocating some

of the existing fencing along the property line,

the AKDN will maintain the adjacent City

property, as well as upgrade its plantings and

grading. Both the selection of plant material and

safety concerns regarding public access to the

Atop a hill overlooking the Don Valley Parkway

(DVP) in Toronto’s Don Mills suburb, construc-

tion is about to begin on an important cultural

precinct. Funded by His Highness the Aga Khan,

two significant cultural institutions will stand on

the former site of a late-Modernist office build-

ing. One will help support Toronto’s 40,000

Ismaili Muslims, while the other will comprise a

museum whose mission it is to improve cultural

understanding of the Muslim world.

The Aga Khan had already owned the eastern

portion of the site and was planning on building

the Ismaili Centre and Jamatkhana (community

prayer hall) when the late-Modern Parkin-

designed Bata International Headquarters build-

ing came up for sale in 2002. This offered the

Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) an

opportunity to expand their site for the purposes

of building a museum housing an extensive col-

lection of Islamic art, as well as a pluralistic edu-

cational centre to study Muslim culture. While it

is unfortunate that the Bata building was unable

to be saved from demolition, its replacement will

undoubtedly be of far greater significance to both

the cultural and architectural history of Toronto.


ABOVE AN AXONOMETRIC RENDERING OFWYNFORD PARK ILLUSTRATING THE PROPOSEDISMAILI CENTRE AND JAMATKHANA.

UMMAH CUM LAUDE

THROUGH THE LEADERSHIP OF THE AGA KHAN,AN AMBITIOUS 17-ACRE REDEVELOPMENT IN SUBURBAN TORONTO WILL BRING TWO GLOBALCULTURAL INSTITUTIONS TO CANADA SUPPORT-ING ART AND CULTURE IN THE UMMAH, OR MUSLIM DIASPORA.

TEXT IAN CHODIKOFF

p31-32 Report 3/4/08 11:11 AM


Wynford Park crystallized the development

process in 2004 through the creation of the

Imara Development Group, a project manage-

ment arm engaged to oversee the construction of

both institutions in addition to the landscape

architecture. Although the construction costs will

be underwritten by the AKDN, Wynford Park will

require distinct, ongoing financial commitments.

Since the Ismaili Centre is a community facility,

the Toronto Ismaili community will be responsi-

ble for fundraising its many ongoing activities.

As the museum is a cultural enterprise, it will be

seeking ongoing patronage to support its func-

tions through the establishment of endowment

funds, exhibition donations and membership

revenue from the community at large—similar

strategies to what most other public museums

pursue in order to remain viable.

While the AKDN had developed their function-

al and programmatic requirements for the site,

they hired Shamez Mohammed as their represen-

tative to coordinate the project, essentially a

turnkey operation to be delivered over to the

AKDN after its completion. Before working for

the AKDN, Mohammed, a civil engineer with an

MBA, had worked for Mercer Management

Consulting in Toronto for several years. After the

Gujarat earthquake in 2001, he took a paid sab-

batical from his firm and moved to India for 14

months to establish the Mumbai operations of

Focus Humanitarian Assistance, an international

disaster management agency. After returning to

Canada, Mohammed became a volunteer for the

Aga Khan, eventually resigning from Mercer in

2004 to become the Project Coordinator for the

Ismaili Centre and Aga Khan Museum in Toronto,

in addition to coordinating two ongoing Ottawa

projects supported by the AKDN—the Delegation

of the Ismaili Imamat and the Global Centre for

Pluralism.

The significance of building a pluralist pre-

cinct devoted to education, culture, religion and

community devoted to Ismailis and the Muslim

world with the intent of engaging a dialogue with

the general population cannot be overstated. His

Highness the Aga Khan is not only a religious

leader for the 15 million Ismailis around the

world, but a leader concerned with strengthening

the contemporary identity of Muslim culture in

the Ummah, or the Muslim diaspora. Building

such an ambitious project as Wynford Park, the

Aga Khan has taken a clear position regarding the

study and dissemination of contemporary

Muslim culture in the global sphere, and not just

for the benefit of the Toronto Ismaili community.

In a speech delivered at a roundtable held at the

Louvre in Paris last October, the Aga Khan noted

the challenges associated with manoeuvring the

identity of his Toronto Aga Khan Museum within

a cultural framework that is difficult to generalize

in a diverse, complex and pluralistic world. When

it comes to generalizing the Islamic world, these

sensitive challenges become overlaid with mis-

understandings associated with issues such as

religious wars, terrorism and regional strife—ele-

ments that are not representative of the vast

majority of Muslims. Therefore, the Aga Khan’s

creation of a contemporary cultural and religious

precinct in the suburbs of Toronto is incredibly

challenging but also extremely vital, if both the

Muslim and general Canadian populations are to

learn about themselves and each other. CA

site during non-daylight hours and the winter

season are currently being discussed with the

City to ensure that issues of maintenance and

safety are properly addressed. Even a nearly

inaccessible traffic island will be upgraded and

maintained so that the impact of Wynford Park’s

landscape can extend as far into the community

as possible.

TOP A VIEW OF THE TERRACED VLADIMIR DJUROVIC-DESIGNED LANDSCAPE. MIDDLE A VIEW TOWARDTHE NEW ISMAILI CENTRE, DESIGNED BY CHARLES CORREA. ABOVE HOLDING EXTENSIVE COLLEC-TIONS OF MUSLIM ART AND CULTURE, THE FUMIHIKO MAKI-DESIGNED AGA KHAN MUSEUM WILL BETHE FIRST FACILITY OF ITS KIND IN NORTH AMERICA.

p31-32 Report 3/4/08 11:11 AM

INSITES

exemplary and meaningful contemporary works of architecture.

In the Western world, there is a great deal of attention paid to the lookand image of buildings. Our architecture magazines reflect our speed-

obsessed societies mirrored through mega-projects and agitated sky-

scrapers. In our busy world, it is rare to take the time to reflect and better

understand the powerful role building plays in shaping people’s lives and

fostering community.

Rather than considering the winning entries of the 2007 AKAA as a

homogeneous group, readers need to dig deeper and understand the pivotal

role each project plays—in the words of the Aga Khan—“in changing the

physical environment of the Islamic world enabling people of all back-

grounds and faiths to live a better life.” Hopefully, the rest of the world will

Before beginning the deliberation process for the 2007 Aga Khan Award for

Architecture (AKAA), our jury was asked to provide words reflecting any

aspirations for this award program. In no particular order, I thought that it

would be helpful to list these words: collaboration, education, excellence,

sustainability, sensitivity to context, negotiations, changing the status quo,

interventions, coherences, transformations, broader context, process,

architectural ethnography, affective contribution, new models of urbanism,

accretive urbanization, humane urban density, dialogic ummah, contempo-

raneity, translation and transition.

Prior to serving on the 2007 AKAA jury, I associated this award program

with its admirable recognition of significant restoration projects through-

out the Muslim world. I certainly did not link this award with contemporary

buildings. I quickly learned that this, the tenth award cycle for the program,

represents a 30-year commitment by His Highness the Aga Khan to archi-

tectural excellence and a desire to stimulate debate and reflection about the

built environment. Once every three years, this award program provides a

lens to view, understand and celebrate built work emerging from communi-

ties throughout the Islamic world. The projects reviewed for the 2007 award

cycle leaves us with valuable lessons that can guide us toward new models of


PATRICK BINGHAM-HALL ANNE DE HENNING

CHRISTIAN RICHTERS AMIR-MASSOUD ANOUSHFAR GERALDINE BRUNEEL

ABOVE, LEFT TO RIGHT ONE OF THE AWARD-WINNING PROJECTS FOR THE2007 AGA KHAN AWARD FOR ARCHITECTURE IS FOSTER+PARTNERS ANDGDP ARCHITECTS’ UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY PETRONAS IN MALAYSIA;PRESERVATION EFFORTS FOR THE ANCIENT CITY OF SHIBAM, YEMENWERE RECOGNIZED. BELOW, LEFT TO RIGHT DICK VAN GAMEREN AND BJARNEMASTENBROEK’S NEW DUTCH EMBASSY IN ETHIOPIA LIES ON THESOUTHERN OUTSKIRTS OF ADDIS ABABA IN A EUCALYPTUS GROVE SETAMIDST URBAN SPRAWL; THE CENTRAL MARKET IN KOUDOUGOU,BURKINA FASO WITH ITS STRUCTURAL SYSTEM OF DOME-SHAPED ROOFSWAS DICTATED BY THE NEED FOR LONGER SPANS TO ACCOMMODATETABLES AND STOOLS IN THE STALLS; VLADIMIR DJUROVIC’S SAMIR KASSIRSQUARE IN BEIRUT IS A SMALL PUBLIC SPACE DEFINED BY TWO LARGEFICUS TREES LARGE ENOUGH TO SHADE MOST OF THE SPACE.

REMAPPING THE WORLD

AS A JURY MEMBER FOR THE 2007 AGA KHAN AWARD FOR ARCHITECTURE,ARCHITECT AND PROFESSOR BRIGITTE SHIM DISCUSSES THE IMPORTANCE OFTHIS UNIQUE AWARDS PROGRAM.

TEXT BRIGITTE SHIM

p33-34 Insites 3/4/08 11:24 AM


world sends independent reviewers to all parts of

the globe to visit the jury’s shortlisted projects.

No other architectural award program in the

world brings these same reviewers to the jury to

share with them their first-hand observations

and insights about the physical and social context

of the built work. The reviewers’ personal field

experiences enable the jury to build a knowledge

base for each and every project. The jury was

made aware of the physical data, design and con-

struction process, cultural contribution, con-

struction schedule, cost, technical developments

and social relevance for every shortlisted project

considered. We discussed the design intent, the

design process as well as the design results. We

understood the varying role of the contractor,

builders and craftsmen in each project, recog-

nizing the many types of strong individuals and

multi-headed client groups involved in commis-

sioning work. We also understood the changing

role of the architect and the complex nature of

design teams required to realize any built project.

This is fundamental to what I’ll call the vertical

gathering of knowledge afforded by the AKAA

program.

Building CommunityHow can architecture continue to play a vital role

in building community throughout the Muslim

world? The jury noted that many projects suf-

fered by adopting a foreign or “borrowed” lan-

guage of architecture that has matured over the

last 50 years in the Muslim world, and also did

not consider the communities that they served.

As a counterpoint to this kind of placelessness,

we need to support and celebrate ways of building

community that emerge from a deep understand-

ing of the local culture and building traditions

while simultaneously addressing the layered

complexities of our modern world. The discipline

of architecture needs to nurture alternative mod-

els of practice that link and support committed

designers to work directly with local communi-

ties to engage in projects that have the capacity to

build and transform community.

Transforming the WorldAt no time in human history has the potential for

architecture to shape our world been greater than

today. The exemplary winning projects of the

2007 Aga Khan Award for Architecture demon-

strate to us that the human spirit is capable of

transforming the world around us. While there is

much to be learned from the built form of every

winning project, the most valuable lesson lies in

the understanding that architects can truly

engage the Muslim world even before they start to

design. CA

Brigitte Shim was a member of the 2007 Aga KhanAward for Architecture jury. She is a principal ofShim-Sutcliffe Architects and an Associate Professorin the School of Architecture, Landscape & Design atthe University of Toronto.

take notice of and learn to develop a greater

understanding about the remarkable transforma-

tive work taking place many parts of the Muslim

world. The following are some of the themes that

I derived from my experiences as a member of

the jury.

RemappingArchitecture fuses together poetic ideas, inert

materials, physical site and social conditions.

Architecture trades on its ability to touch and

shape people’s lives in profound and meaningful

ways. Around the world, no matter where it is

being practiced, architecture is a complex disci-

pline. Projects in the Islamic world have a rich

architectural history and are burdened with an

additional mandate to link and intertwine the

past, present and future in meaningful and inno-

vative ways. In January and June of 2007, I was

honoured to be one of nine jury members invited

to spend several days in Geneva, Switzerland

deliberating over the ways in which built archi-

tecture impacts the Muslim world. Each jury

member was required to do plenty of homework

prior to arriving in Geneva, as several thick

binders full of background information were sent

to us beforehand. With 343 projects submitted, I

became intimately aware of the enormous chal-

lenges and the hopeful opportunities of building

in cities and towns like Koudougou, Beirut, Addis

Ababa, Rada’, Bandar Seri Iskader, Singapore,

Shibam, Nicosia and Radrapur. The Muslim

world covers many continents, numerous climat-

ic zones and specific regions of the globe. My

experience on this jury has recalibrated my

sense, inspiring me to remap my world.

Lateral ConversationsMost architecture award juries bring together

architects to review photographic images of built

work. Winning projects are selected based on the

jury’s collective vision of architectural excellence.

The 2007 AKAA program brought together five

architects from around the world with an histori-

an, an artist, a curator and a literary theorist to

discuss, interpret and better understand the

changing landscape throughout the Muslim

world. During our numerous jury sessions, I was

aware that architects were also painters and that

curators were also poets and that everyone in the

room was a teacher. We all listened and learned

from the distinct voices around the table. The

jury’s definition of architectural excellence was

constantly being challenged, defined and rede-

fined. The winning projects were not easily

decided. They emerged from the breadth of our

lateral conversations.

Deep Vertical Knowledge No other architectural award program in the

ABOVE BENEATH THE PETRONAS TWIN TOWERS (A WINNER OF THE 2004 AGA KHAN ARCHITECTUREAWARD) IN KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA IS SURIA KLCC, A POPULAR SIX-STOREY SHOPPING MALL.GUESTS INVITED TO THE 2007 AGA KHAN AWARD FOR ARCHITECTURE PASSED THROUGH THE MALLEN ROUTE TO THE CEREMONY. BEING PHOTOGRAPHED BY HIS MOTHER, A YOUNG BOY STANDSNEXT TO AN AWARD CEREMONY HOST WEARING MALAYSIAN NATIONAL DRESS. AS PREVIOUS AGA KHAN AWARD CEREMONIES HAVE TAKEN PLACE IN SIGNIFICANT HISTORIC LANDMARKS IN THEMUSLIM WORLD, THE SITE FOR THE 2007 AWARD CEREMONY RAISES MANY ISSUES ABOUT THE DELICATE BALANCE BETWEEN MODERNITY AND TRADITION, A SUBJECT DEBATED AND DISCUSSED BYTHE JURY.

BRIG

ITTE

SH

IM

p33-34 Insites 3/4/08 11:24 AM

For further information please enter the competition website: www.icc-architectural-competition.com

Deadline for submission of candidature 1 April 2008

Pre-selection of participants 16 May 2008

Design competition May until August 2008

Election of prize-winners 30 / 31 October 2008

Call for Candidature

for the worldwide architectural design competition

for the construction of Permanent Premisesfor the

International Criminal CourtThe Hague, The Netherlands

The International Criminal Court (ICC) was founded in 2002 when the Rome Statute, which was adopted

in 1998, came into force. Currently 105 countries have become parties to this International Treaty. The ICC

is an independent and permanent court that prosecutes those accused of the most serious crimes of inter-

national concern: genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. The establishment of this Court is a

milestone in the development of international justice.

The aim of this project is to construct permanent accommodation for the ICC on a prime site bordering the

North Sea dunes and the city of The Hague and covering over 72,000 m�. The ICC and the host State of

The Netherlands share the conviction that the new ICC premises should provide suitable working conditi-

ons, functionality, security and ecological fit.

Within the premises, up to 1,200 workstations, courtrooms, and various ancillary facilities will have to be

provided with a total gross floor space of up to 46,000 m�. Furthermore, parking facilities as well as plans for

two expansions of 150 workstations each are foreseen. The spatial and functional design should take into

account the need for fl exibility and scalability on the long term.

A worldwide architectural design competition will take place in order to select the best architect for this

unique project for which this is a call for candidature. The competition is organised by the Chief Government

Architect of The Netherlands. It is a restricted anonymous project competition that begins with an open ap-

plication for candidature, followed by a pre-selection of up to 20 participants and a design competition.

The time schedule is:

The Competition brief with the detailed requirements for the premises of the ICC will be sent to the selected

participants in May 2008. Each participant having submitted a design concept in line with the requirements

laid down in the Competition brief shall receive a fee of Ä 35.000. In addition the Jury will award prizes for

the best three designs: 1st prize Ä 60.000, 2nd prize Ä 50.000, 3rd prize Ä 40.000.

To ensure anonymity and for technical purposes, the working language for the architectural design

competition will exclusively be English.


p35 ANP ad 3/4/08 11:26 AM

http://www.icc-architectural-competition.com

Your product or service couldbe promoted here!Ad Sizes1/4 Page, 100 Words1/8 Page, 50 Words

For information about placing anad in our Showcase & LiteratureReviews, contact:

Tom Arkell 416-510-6806Greg Paliouras 416-510-6808

Canadian Architect12 Concorde Place, Suite 800Toronto, ON M3C 4J2www.canadianarchitect.com

1/8 PAGE

1/4 PAGE


PRODUCT & LITERATURE SHOWCASE

Color Foundations ProgramYou will never have to worryagain about coordinating neutralsacross product lines, patterns ortextures. We guarantee you willalways have neutrals that coordi-nate over our whole system of rub-ber, vinyl and linoleum flooring;stairwell systems; finishing bordersand accessories. We offer WarmBeige, Cool Beige, Warm Grey,Cool Grey, White and Black.(Shown here in Cool Beige.)

Contact 800-899-8916 orwww.johnsonite.com


Mouette: Designed byWilmotte & AssociesDesigned for unusual creative light-ing of work or communal spaces.Creating poetic lighting panoramasfor both public and private environ-ments. The diffuser, with a speciallyshaped wing, is made in a singlepiece using rotational mouldingtechnology which allows even lightemission. Available in symmetricaland asymmetrical versions. Uses linear fluorescent T5 light sources,with low energy consumption, withdifferent wattages. Materials: poly-propylene. Emission: flood.CIRCLE REPLY CARD 102

PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY

www.hgcengineering.com

Noise, Vibrationand AcousticsConsulting Engineers• Architectural Acoustics• Building Noise and

Vibration Control

HOWE GASTMEIER CHAPNIK LIMITED

Mississauga, Ontario

P: 905-826-4044F: 905-826-4940

Parc Centre movable out-door furnitureLandscape Forms is pleased toannounce the introduction of ParcCentre, movable outdoor furnituredesigned for urban parks, plazasand other public places. The ParcCentre chair, inspired by portablepark chairs in Paris's LuxembourgGardens, answers a growingdemand for informal individualseating that can be repositionedby users in active public spaces.The companion Parc Centre tableexpands the options for versatilesocial settings.CIRCLE REPLY CARD 103

3-step roofing applicationwith Soprema’s XPRESS ISONew XPRESS ISO simplifies roofinstallation to a three-step process:vapour barrier, XPRESS ISO (a SBSmodified bitumen base sheet mem-brane factory-laminated to mineralwool and polyiso insulation layers)and cap sheet. This reduces materi-al handling and labour costs. The3 x 16 foot XPRESS ISO is avail-able in R-values of R-10, R-15 andR-20. Available with sanded orthermofusible plastic film surface.Call (877) MAMMOUTH or visitwww.soprema.caCIRCLE REPLY CARD 104

Turn roof tops intolandscaped decks.

Envirospec IncorporatedPhone (905) 271-3441 Fax (905) 271-7552

www.envirospecinc.com

Call or send for freedescriptive literature

Paver Pedestal System

p36 Showcase-PD 3/4/08 11:28 AM

http://www.canadianarchitect.com

http://www.johnsonite.com

http://www.hgcengineering.com

http://www.soprema.ca

http://www.envirospecinc.com

Munira Mirza lectureMarch 27, 2008 As part of the Urban

Field Speakers Series held at the

Prefix Institute of Contemporary Art

in Toronto, Munira Mirza, London-

based writer, broadcaster and

founding member of the Manifesto

Club speaks on the use of arts for

urban regeneration at 7:30pm. The

event is moderated by visual artist,

curator and educator Shelly Bahl.

www.prefix.ca

Researching the Recent Past:Modern Architecture and theArchival RecordApril 5, 2008 Andrew Waldron is an

architectural historian at Parks

Canada specializing in the history of

Canadian modernism and its archi-

tectural manifestations, and is the

current president of the Society for

the Study of Architecture in Canada.

Waldron’s lecture will be take place

from 1:30pm-3:30pm at the City of

Toronto Archives located at 255

Spadina Road. Admission is free,

but pre-registration is required for

each lecture.

[email protected]

Michael Van Valkenburgh lectureApril 8, 2008 Part of the Bulthaup

lecture series, Michael Van Valken-

burgh presents “Don River Park, the

Portlands Estuary, and Other Recent

MVVA Projects” at 6:30pm in Room

103 of the University of Toronto’s

Faculty of Architecture, Landscape

and Design. Van Valkenburgh teach-

es at Harvard University’s Graduate

School of Design, and runs his

practice Michael Van Valkenburgh

Associates Inc. in New York and

Cambridge.

www.ald.utoronto.ca

Gregg Pasquarelli lectureApril 8, 2008 Gregg Pasquarelli of

SHOP in New York delivers this

lecture entitled “Out of Practice”

at 5:00pm in Amphitheatre 3110,

Université de Montréal School of

Architecture.

Utopia’s Ghost at the CCAFebruary 28-May 25, 2008 Presented

in collaboration with Columbia

University, this exhibition at the

CCA’s Octagonal Gallery presents

new interpretations of and connec-

tions among architectural projects

of the postmodern period.

www.cca.qc.ca

Public SpaceMarch 8-April 20, 2008 This exhibi-

tion at Toronto’s Harbourfront Cen-

tre features Canada’s North Design

Studio, gh3 and the Office for Urban-

ism, firms that investigate the com-

plexities of urban design in Toronto

through their ideas and practices.

www.harbourfrontcentre.com

Gramazio & Kohler lectureMarch 25, 2008 Gramazio & Kohler of

Gramazio & Kohler Architektur und

Städtbau in Zurich deliver a lecture

at 6:00pm in Room G10 of the

Macdonald-Harrington Building at

the McGill University School of

Architecture in Montreal.

www.gramaziokohler.com

Julia Czerniak lectureMarch 25, 2008 Part of the Bulthaup

lecture series, Julia Czerniak of the

School of Architecture, Syracuse

University, lectures on “Legibility +

Resilience” at 6:30pm in Room 103

of the University of Toronto’s Faculty

of Architecture, Landscape and

Design.

www.ald.utoronto.ca

Construction Law Primer:Contracts & LiensMarch 25, 2008 This workshop at the

Westin Prince Hotel in Toronto

offers you the opportunity to master

the complexities of contracts and

liens and provide you with the stra-

tegies to avoid pitfalls and accom-

plish your objectives for private and

public projects.

www.lawtalk.ca

Building Envelope SolutionsConferenceMarch 26, 2008 This very focused

one-day conference at the Westin

Prince Hotel in Toronto will examine

major issues and solutions related to

building envelope materials, design,

construction and installation.

www.buildingenvelopeforum.com

CALENDAR


FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUTTHESE, AND ADDITIONAL LIST-INGS OF CANADIAN AND INTER-NATIONAL EVENTS, PLEASE VISITwww.canadianarchitect.com

�� 24/7 Access to federal and provincial EHS legislation and news articles

�� BOOKMARKING FEATURE makes it easy to track and monitorlegislation that affects you

�� E-MAIL ALERTS notify you of legislation changes as they occur �� Powerful Search Tool allows you to browse by jurisdiction

and by Act or Regulation�� BONUS! Free online access to original and

informative EHS content�� NEW! Includes EcoLog News - your daily EHS news source!

Receive daily or weekly news alerts and stay up-to-date on all thelatest EHS developments as they occur

�� PLUS, Multi-Uuser Access available so your whole team canbenefit! Give your employees the benefit of premiumenvironmental news, compliance updates and legislationdocuments, always at their fingertips.

Contact: Terry Barkhouse, Legislative Products Specialist Telephone: (416) 510-6844 • Toll Free: 1-888-510-6844or Email: [email protected]

Win the compliance game with your subscription to EcoLog.com

Visit EcoLog.com

Stayingcompliant with

is no trivial matter.EHS laws

Activate your 30-Day FREE trial

to EcoLog.com. Visit EcoLog.comor

call 1-877-517-6864 and quote

code “ECCE18” to register

p37 Calendar 3/4/08 11:30 AM

http://www.prefix.ca


http://www.ald.utoronto.ca

http://www.cca.qc.ca

http://www.harbourfrontcentre.com

http://www.gramaziokohler.com

http://www.ald.utoronto.ca

http://www.lawtalk.ca

http://www.buildingenvelopeforum.com

http://www.canadianarchitect.com



BACKPAGE

great height, can only register the dusty greys and browns of the urban fab-

ric, but Hartman’s urgent, supple brushwork brings near the city in its radi-

ant diversity and complexity, rendering it electric, incandescent and—to

borrow curator Stuart Reid’s word—ecstatic.

Organized and sent on a national and international tour by Scotiabank

Group to celebrate its 175th anniversary, this group of 21 highly expressive

works in oil on linen is about the ecstasy of urbanism as the artist discov-

ered it in large and small cities across Canada, in Manhattan and in London.

In the panoramic Halifax (2006), for example, expressways and streets

surge across the cityscape like pulsing veins, bringing blood into the urban

tissue. The city itself, painted in vivid blues and reds, is densely packed on

its peninsula, like a huge magnet radiating ripples of force beyond itself,

toward the far horizon.

Here, then, is the city as it would appear to us, if we could see it as it is. CA

John Bentley Mays is an architecture critic and writes regularly for The Globe

and Mail.

In his recent paintings of cities, now on view at the University of Toronto

Art Centre, Ontario painter John Hartman assumes a viewpoint a few hun-

dred feet above the urban grid, just below the thin layer of smog and damp

that hangs over the metropolis. It is a privileged position, one from which it

is possible to scrutinize the city as both luxuriating sprawl and the awkward

sum of intimate details that never fit together just so. We know Hartman’s

position and moment: it happens when you are dropping down from the sky

toward a large urban airport, and suddenly, you can see everything, all at

once. The flat edge of earth slipping beyond the horizon, the unrelenting

stasis of suburbia, cars moving, fans revolving in mechanical penthouses, a

bed glimpsed through a hotel window—things near and things far, arrayed

across an immense tableau that contains infinity and yet also the most

minute detail—all things that we never see as long as we are earthbound.

Hartman’s oils in this series, like that moment of aerial descent, open up

views of everything and more than everything. Our eyes, gazing down from a

ABOVE VANCOUVER FROM ABOVE BURRARD INLET (2006) REPRESENTS ONEOF HARTMAN’S EVOCATIVE DEPICTIONS OF THE CONTEMPORARYMETROPOLIS.

CITIES, FROM ABOVE

A TRAVELLING EXHIBITION OF RECENT WORK BY JOHN HARTMAN REVEALSPOIGNANT CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CITY, APPARENT IN THE ABSTRACTEDQUALITIES OF HIS OIL PAINTINGS.

TEXT JOHN BENTLEY MAYSIMAGE JOHN HARTMAN

p38 BackPage 3/4/08 11:33 AM

Reduced Energy Dem

and

Redu

ce

d Environmental Impact

Reduced Operating Costs

The Road To A Greener Planet

Starts With Dryvit

129 Ringwood Drive Stouffville, ON L4A 8A2 (905) 642-0444 [email protected] www.dryvit.ca

At Dryvit being “green” is nothing new. Since being introduced to North America in 1969, Dryvit Outsulation has been helping the environment by increasing the effective R-value of the building envelope and reducing energy demand.

Contact Dryvit Systems Canada to learn what is new in the effort to reduce your project’s environmental footprint and all the benefits of Dryvit Outsulation Systems. Energy savings is not even the beginning.

Tiny Footprint HUGE


p39 Dryvit ad 3/4/08 11:34 AM


http://www.dryvit.ca


p40 Arcat ad 3/4/08 11:37 AM

Canadian Architect March 2008 Edition

Documents

Transcript of Canadian Architect March 2008 Edition