PROJECT Wellesley Institute, Toronto, Ontario

ARCHITECT AGATHOM Co. Limited

TEXT Jason Brijraj

PHOTOS Scott Norsworthy

Toronto’s Moss Park neighbourhood is a rough part of the city—but a perfect fit for a recent project by AGATHOM for the Wellesley Institute. Led by husband-and-wife team Adam Thom and Katja Aga Sachse Thom, AGATHOM prides itself on working closely with clients, their in-house team, builders and craftspeople to make buildings that contribute to the well-being of their occupants. It was no surprise the public health-focused Institute approached the firm in 2018 to manage the repurposing of two recently purchased townhouses, backing onto a dodgy neighbourhood laneway, on a tight budget.

The Wellesley Institute has a longstanding history of providing healthcare to the neighbourhood. Founded by members of the long-demolished Wellesley Hospital’s Central Health Corporation, the Institute was the developer responsible for the mix of park space, residential and healthcare buildings now occupying former hospital lands. After their successful stint as developers, staff relocated to leased office spaces in Yorkville and shifted their direction, becoming a think-tank. However, their location in the upscale Toronto neighbourhood was at odds with their goals of finding tangible ways to overcome the social determinants of health to make healthcare more equitable. This prompted the move to be closer to their target clientele, and a short walk away from the original Wellesley Hospital site.

The resulting project combines the two townhouses, balancing between preserving existing elements and intervening where necessary. This starts at the entrance, where the original front stairs were removed and the entrance foyer rebuilt at grade, providing an accessible front door. Inside, the design celebrates quirky features resulting from the lowered ground floor datum, such as an oversized opening for the entrance door and raised existing fireplaces. 

Within, strategic openings in partitions and in the original party wall make for spacious, well-lit spaces. The design deftly threads spaces together with deeper light penetration, while preserving privacy in rooms. On AGATHOM’s recommendation, the offices are furnished with comfortable wooden furniture, replacing the corporate furnishings of the Institute’s Yorkville office.

A selective material palette creates a home-like atmosphere for staff. White-oak-trimmed countertops and thin steel edges contrast with heavier terracotta tile and aged brick walls. Scrupulousness with detailing and execution are evident throughout. Contractors Duffy & Associates “took immense care to make sure that bricks were re-toothed, instead of left messily sawed off,” notes Adam Thom. 

The neighbourhood’s character comes into focus when peering out of the south-facing windows, to the rear of the building. Along with the noisy hilarity and range of questionable commercial activities that is typical of Moss Park, the views of Oskenonton Lane are constant reminders of the disenfranchised people the Institute aims to help with their research. 

Much of the exterior intervention by the firm took place at the back of the building, so the south elevation became an opportunity for expression. By developing an in-house rainscreen wall assembly—in lieu of an expensive off-the-shelf system—the firm was able to use weathered steel panels that will age over time, while still meeting the project budget. The mosaic of solid metals and transparent glass reconciles the various interior program spaces. In the backyard, a newly planted London plane tree grows within a large concrete planter created in part from the previous building’s retained foundation wall. This opportunity to reuse the existing foundation is one of what Adam and Katja describe as “little wins” for the project. 

The back elevation, with its weathered materials and carefully considered composition, is designed to fit with the neighbourhood—with all its grittiness as well as its profound humanity. Like Diamond and Myers’ Sherbourne Lanes and Hariri Pontarini’s Robertson House Women’s Shelter, which also back onto Oskenonton Lane with sensitivity to their site, it demonstrates how the architects and clients have not turned their backs on the people their work will impact the most. It signals a project that, overall, is a quiet triumph for AGATHOM, The Wellesley Institute, and for equitable healthcare in the city.

Jason Brijraj is an intern architect working in Toronto with Diamond Schmitt Architects.

CLIENT Wellesley Institute | ARCHITECT TEAM Katja Aga Sachse Thom, Adam Thom, Joshua Henk, Stanley Sun | STRUCTURAL Moses Structural Engineers Inc. | MECHANICAL/ELECTRICAL Lam & Associates Ltd. | ELECTRICAL | LANDSCAPE AGATHOM Co. Limited | INTERIORS AGATHOM Co. Limited | CONTRACTOR Duffy & Associates Design Build Limited | CODE David Hine Engineering Inc. | AREA 492 M2 | BUDGET $2.5 M | COMPLETION Spring 2022

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PROJECT Clearview Library—Stayner Branch, Stayner, Ontario

ARCHITECT Lebel & Bouliane Inc.

PHOTOS Tom Arban. unless otherwise noted

Context is typically a catalyst for architecture. But when the context is a standard-issue hockey arena and its adjoining box of a community centre, surrounded by acres of parking lots and playing fields, where’s the generating concept? That was the big question for Lebel & Bouliane at the outset of designing Clearview Public Library’s new branch in Stayner, Ontario, a small but rapidly growing town 100 km northwest of Toronto.

The answer, in a word, was: light. “We thought about how to create a space that generated the best light for the library’s needs,” says architect Luc Bouliane. With that thought, and some riffing on how the same type of standing-seam metal that clads the arena could be bent and twisted into something livelier than a straight-ahead shed, a modest but captivating library began to take shape.

Positioning the library east of the community centre and angled away from it, on the north/south axis, enabled the design team to work with the site’s full potential for natural light. At the south end, a deep, zigzagging canopy shields the entrance to a new atrium shared by the library and community centre. From this compact lobby, a view opens through the library to its glazed north wall, which spikes up to the west and faces onto farmland. To the east, large windows punctuate bookshelf-lined walls, offering long-range views of park space and playing fields. The northern exposure provides optimal ambient light for reading and study, while the windows along the east side bring morning sun into the children’s section, a lounge area with a fireplace, and the staff area.

Rotating the library away from the community centre created space for a line of west-facing clerestories, allowing late-day sunlight to stream in without causing glare. A dynamic roofline makes the library visually arresting from the outside and comfortably bright inside: three south-facing light monitors echo the arena roof’s peaked form and draw indirect light deep into the building.

Stayner’s snow-belt location also factored into the roof’s design—multiple slopes encourage the white stuff to slide off rather than accumulate. Pale, prefinished cedar cladding on the exterior walls contrasts cleanly with the dark roof; the cedar’s tactile surface, reminiscent of barn board, humanizes the toughness of the standing-seam metal.

All of this helps explain why the building—the first new-construction library designed by Bouliane after leaving Teeple Architects and establishing a practice with Natasha Lebel—received a 2021 Architectural and Design Transformation Award from the Ontario Library Association. But the Stayner Branch’s success also comes from how it handles larger shifts in this building typology.

Today’s libraries are so much more than book lenders and places for quiet study. They’re where people gather for everything from crafting sessions to ESL classes. They’re where an ex-convict might check in with her parole officer, or where teenagers might play video games with their friends after school. These needs require flexible spaces, with room for more people rather than more books.

The new Stayner branch replaces a tiny downtown library with ineradicable, budget-hoovering condition issues. “The original concept the board looked at was putting up a two-storey building on the existing site, but the cost was going to be astronomical,” says Clearview Public Library CEO Jennifer La Chapelle. Relocating to the ex-urban site next to the community centre and arena was a fiscally responsible choice that enabled shared-use efficiencies. The library can hold its largest events, such as lectures, in community-centre spaces. And the new boardroom in the atrium is for library and community-centre use.

Due to factors including the digitization of media, accessibility requirements for greater between-shelves space, and a shift to lower-height stacks for improved sightlines, the Stayner branch’s physical collection is 25 percent smaller now than in its previous location, even though the new library is three times larger. La Chapelle says Lebel & Bouliane did an exemplary job of “listening to our concerns and ideas and turning them into a functional, visually appealing library.” The space allocation will continue to change over time. Bouliane believes that pressure on libraries to provide many different types of space for community use will increase. He designs libraries with an eye to facilitating the conversion of some collection space to community programming space five or ten years from now.

Stayner’s new library was nearing completion just as Ontario’s first Covid-19 lockdown commenced. Nearly two years later, operations revert to curb-side pickup when pandemic-related school closures occur, and at other times there’s a one-hour limit on library visits. Meeting rooms cannot be booked. The branch’s official opening has been postponed to May 2022. Bouliane is particularly eager to see how this library gets used when the pandemic retreats. Previously, whenever someone in the family had ice time, lots of Stayner kids and parents ended up, by default, in the arena. For many, this bright and accommodating new library will provide welcome alternative options to watching the home team chase the puck.

Pamela Young is a Toronto-based writer and communications manager.

CLIENT Clearview Public Library | ARCHITECT TEAM Luc Bouliane (MRAIC), Natasha Lebel, Thilani Rajarathna, Tiffany Tse | STRUCTURAL/MECHANICAL/ELECTRICAL R. J. Burnside & Associates Ltd. | LANDSCAPE Envision – Tatham | INTERIORS Lebel & Bouliane Ltd. | CONTRACTOR Corebuild Construction Ltd. | AREA 1,110 m2 | BUDGET $4.3 M | COMPLETION March 2020

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For Anne-Marie Armstrong and Andrew Ashey, collaboration, advocacy, and diversity are the way forward for architecture.

Since starting AAmp Studio in 2014, they’ve challenged the traditional top-down approach to architecture, striving to listen deeply to their clients and stakeholders. In Ashey’s view, their work often has a larger social dimension. “We are trained to advocate for the best space for the public good,” he says. Similarly, for Armstrong, the practice is about “finding solutions that are inclusive and welcoming of people from diverse backgrounds.” The pair aims to create spaces that are not only beautiful and intelligent, but that are also “welcoming and contribute to the community.”

This drive for inclusion is evidenced by the types of work they take on. Hospitality and residential projects allow them to develop a close connection with clients, stakeholders, and other professionals. For Ell House, they worked alongside Ravi Handa Architect and the clients “to create a warm and inviting environment with a simple, but refined approach,” Armstrong says.

They also want to foster collaboration within the architecture community. Armstrong is a founding member and director of mentorship with BAIDA (Black Architects and Interior Designers Association), a non-profit organization that advocates for improving access to professional resources and advancing inclusion. “It’s still rare to see diversity in architecture schools and the profession at large,” Armstrong notes; her work with BAIDA is helping to change that. She brings her experiences as an architect, firm co-founder, and educator to her mentorship of students and young professionals.

Prior to launching their own practice in Los Angeles (and later in Toronto and Maine), Armstrong and Ashey worked for firms across North America, including Gehry Partners and Rapt Studio in Los Angeles. “Between the two of us, we have a bit of diversity in our work experience,” Ashey says, noting that “the L.A. landscape influenced our work [in] making sure the spaces we create connect to their environments.” 

Their keen entrepreneurial instincts allowed Armstrong and Ashey to draw lessons from those workplaces and develop their own firm’s style and voice. Such varied experiences, they think, are essential for emerging architects as they set out on their own.

Armstrong and Ashey see AAmp Studio as a work in progress—always searching for the next project and the challenges it may bring. They enjoy working on different typologies and, Armstrong says, “discovering a new design approach every time that is responsive to our clients’ needs.” Current projects include an accessory dwelling in L.A., a vacation residence in Prince Edward County on Lake Ontario, a townhouse in Toronto, and a cocktail bar in Rhode Island. They hope to eventually tackle larger public buildings. “Adding more community-centric projects to our scope of work would be wonderful,” Armstrong says.

This profile is part of our August 2021 feature story: Twenty + Change: Emerging Talent . 

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Two prominent non-profit organizations have joined forces to convert a vacant downtown office tower into homes for Calgarians in need. Inn from the Cold and HomeSpace Society are partnering on a first-of-its kind project that addresses the desperate need for affordable housing in Calgary.

Construction crews will soon begin work at Sierra Place, located on the C-Train line at the corner of 7th Avenue and 6th Street S.W. Once renovations are complete, the 10-storey building will feature six floors and 82 units of affordable housing for vulnerable populations including low-income women, women with children, Indigenous people, and newcomers to Calgary. The remaining four floors will house shelter, transitional and support services. Gibbs Gage Architects designed the conversion for the project.

“Sierra Place marks the first time a vacant office tower in Calgary has been converted into affordable housing,” says Bernadette Majdell, CEO, HomeSpace. “Nearly one out of every three office towers in our city’s core are sitting empty, at the same time that Calgary is in desperate need of 15,000 affordable homes. This project makes sense and in just over a year, nearly 200 Calgarians will have a place to call home, in a prime location with easy access to transit and essential amenities.”

“As our city emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s more important than ever that non-profits come together and use creativity to solve problems,” says Heather Morley, Executive Director, Inn from the Cold. “Inn from the Cold and HomeSpace are working together on this first-of-its-kind project that will not only build community in an innovative way but also fully support families on their journey to independence.”

The 95,000-square-foot Sierra Place office building, the former Dome Petroleum headquarters, has sat vacant for several years. The conversion project will create 160 jobs for the private sector and vibrancy and economic stimulation in Calgary’s struggling downtown core. When the building is re-opened in the fall of 2022, it will feature a variety of one, two, and three-bedroom units for approximately 180 Calgarians.

The $28.5 million overhaul is being supported by different levels of government, including $5.5 million from the City of Calgary. More information will be unveiled over the summer about fundraising plans to complete the project.

Inn from the Cold (IFTC) is dedicated exclusively to families that are or may become homeless in the Calgary region. IFTC three main programs include homeless prevention and diversion, emergency shelter, and supportive housing.

HomeSpace is a charitable developer, rental housing owner and property manager. HomeSpace provides safe, appropriate and affordable housing for the most vulnerable Calgarians and owns a portfolio of more than 700 units in 24 communities across the city.

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PROJECT Biodome Migration, Space for Life natural science complex, Montreal, Quebec

ARCHITECTS KANVA in collaboration with NEUF Architect(e)s

PHOTOS Marc Cramer, unless otherwise noted

Montreal’s grandest—and possibly, its most beautiful—architectural gesture of the past century was the work of French architect Roger Taillibert, responsible for the design of the 1976 Olympic Games’ main sporting structures. Unfortunately, partly because of its novelty, the complex was shrouded in controversy. The unfinished stadium, in particular, attracted a lot of attention before, during, and after the Games.

The real star of the complex, however, is arguably the stadium’s immediate neighbour, the velodrome. City engineers involved in its construction described its structure as being 10 times more complex than the stadium’s. Apart from its technical performance, the 172-metre-long velodrome had—and retains—an exquisite quality about it. The building’s roof is particularly expressive, with splayed arrays of cat-eye skylights. To quote reviewer John Hix, who wrote about the building in these pages 45 years ago, these gave it the appearance of a “giant Paleozoic trilobite coming to rest at the bottom of the sea.”

Post-Olympic pause

As is too often the case with Olympic facilities around the world, the velodrome ended up being used only sporadically in the years that followed the Games. In 1977, it somewhat awkwardly hosted the Salon de la femme. A couple of years later, Botanical Garden director (and future Montreal mayor) Pierre Bourque saw the velodrome as “an immense greenhouse with a fabulous potential.” He proceeded to organize the 1980 Floralies, an international horticultural exhibition, within its walls. Needless to say, Taillibert was horrified.

But in retrospect, this event was prescient of the building’s future rebirth as the Biodome, a decade later. In the 1980s, scientists working at Montreal’s two zoo locations and at the aquarium became increasingly concerned with the poor conditions of their facilities. The Botanical Garden—across the street from the velodrome—started hosting a series of brainstorming sessions to come up a solution. According to biologist Rachel Léger, the Biodome’s first director, “it is within this context that the Biodome was born.” The new concept—an immersive reproduction of natural ecosystems, set in the spacious velodrome—was intended to become, as Pierre Bourque described it, “a rallying call of hope and faith in the future.”

The transformation

Architectural firm Tétreault Parent Languedoc et associés (now merged with Aedifica)—was called in to do a feasibility study and, eventually, to design the new facility. Architect Pierre Corriveau, who was responsible for the concept, recalls: “We had no way of telling whether the Biodome would be a success. We were therefore careful to come up with a project that would be respectful of the existing structure and make it possible to revert the building back to its original function.” The overnight destruction of the rosewood cycling track somehow put an end to that dream. But otherwise, the architectural team consciously avoided altering the building’s main elements. They also meant to keep the skylit ceiling exposed everywhere they could, including in the building’s central node. The idea was not retained at the time due to the use of this space for displaying information related to the exhibits—a decision that led to the introduction of a low ceiling, blocking the view to the skylights above.

The unusual program involved creating replicas of five ecosystems from the Americas. The hope was to raise public awareness and respect for nature through direct contact with animals and plants living in different regions. The challenge was tremendous. Flora and fauna usually found in tropical rainforests had to thrive under the same roof as Quebec beavers, used to a temperate climate, as well as penguins from the much colder Antarctic. Roughly 500 plant species and 4,500 animals from 250 different species were brought in, thanks to a remarkable international network developed over the years by Montreal’s institutions. Filmmaker Bernard Gosselin documented the final stages of construction in a feature-length NFB film, The Glass Ark.

The Biodome opened on June 24, 1992 to a long lineup of eager visitors. The new amenity attracted 750,000 visitors during its first three months. Attendance fluctuated over the years, eventually settling around 850,000 visitors annually—making it the city’s top permanent paid attraction.

Renewal

In 2014, Espace pour la vie (Space for Life)—a new entity created to oversee all of Montreal’s nature museums—launched an international design competition. It aimed to gather ideas for revamping the Biodome, rehousing the Insectarium, and creating a new glass pavilion for the Botanical Garden. Eight architectural teams were selected to take part in the competition’s second stage: four worked on the future Insectarium, and four others on the Biodome. (The Botanical Garden pavilion was put on hold.)

Montreal-based KANVA and Neuf architect(e)s, working with Spanish studio AZPML, won the competition for revamping the Biodome. The project moved forward with the team of KANVA and Neuf. The client’s message had been quite clear. They asked the designers to “redynamize” the Biodome: “to enhance the immersive experience between visitors and the museum’s distinct ecosystems, as well as to transform the building’s public spaces.” The two subpolar areas needed refreshing, along with the Gulf of St. Lawrence ecosystem. Otherwise, the Tropical Rainforest and the Laurentian Maple Forest ecosystems were thriving. The largest concern was the building’s public spaces, which had become outdated and needed a major overhaul.

KANVA’s impactful first move was to remove the bleachers ringing the concrete structure above the main entrance, thus freeing the view to the skylit vault above. The effect is dramatic, exposing not only the elegant skylights but also the building’s impressive Y-shaped concrete legs. The second strategy centered on a new system of partitions that weave throughout the floorplate, made with a translucent textile membrane. The membrane was developed in coordination with Montreal firm Sollertia, founded by one of the Cirque du Soleil’s earliest collaborators.

For visitors arriving at the reinvented Biodome, the renewed spaces have an almost magical effect. The lobby, adorned with a minimalist reception desk and sparse bespoke furniture, sets the stage. Tall, sinuous architectural membranes frame a passageway leading visitors to the central atrium. Everything is set in dreamscape white. KANVA’s project, more about sensorial experience than scientific information, opens up the public areas to the skylit vault and creates an almost meditative space.

Wayfinding is mostly intuitive, with formal graphics reduced to an absolute minimum. The signage indicating the way into the various ecosystems is barely noticeable. Information on the exhibits was moved out of the space, to be accessed through a cell phone application. The digital portal is extremely well designed and informative, albeit somewhat distracting from the animals on view, and not suited to all visitors.

From the central agora, people can choose which ecosystem they want to visit—a change from the earlier layout, where visitors were encouraged to go through the four zones in sequence. The Tropical Rainforest and the Laurentian Maple Forest are the two most spectacular ecosystems in terms of vegetation. However, the subantarctic penguin community remains one of the Biodome’s strongest attractions.

A novelty introduced by KANVA was the transformation of the Subpolar Regions access into an ice-lined tunnel, preparing visitors for the colder temperatures ahead. The exhibit itself, where the subantarctic and subarctic basins sit barely a metre from each other, is less convincing. Fortunately, the charming antics of southern penguins and northern puffins make up for the slight feeling of unease at seeing the two poles brought so close together.

A new mezzanine

One of the new elements introduced by the architectural team is an upper mezzanine, which serves as a rest area for periodic breaks and as the culminating point of a visit. It can be reached directly through stairs from two ecosystems, or by way of a glass-enclosed elevator from the central node. This pristinely designed area is capped by the humbling presence of Taillibert’s skylights. From up above, one gets a bird’s-eye view of the Laurentian Maple Forest, the Gulf of St. Lawrence area, and the enclosed Tropical Rainforest, which resonates with the sounds of chattering parrots.

Also on the mezzanine is a bright yellow interactive exhibit for children, which sits alongside the complex electrical and mechanical systems essential to the workings of the Biodome. As stressed by KANVA principal Rami Bebawi: “We wanted to reveal the mechanics of the Biodome, so that people would understand how complex the balance of life is.”

In an institution dedicated to raising awareness on environmental issues, the building’s energy sourcing has been an ongoing concern, and a geothermal system was installed in 2010. KANVA was also able to tap into a pre-existing heat pump system, which transfers waste energy from cooling the polar regions to keep the rainforest at tropical temperatures.

Back on the entry level, a corridor circling the building leads to the museum shop and cafeteria, adjacent to a second entry point—which is even more stunning than the main entrance, since it is visible from a distance. The membrane walls lining the peripheral corridor display an amazing formal versatility, made possible through the material’s unusual qualities. The only rooms that are perhaps less than optimal in the new configuration are the relocated administrative offices, which may not be sufficiently sound-proofed by the membrane walls.

A new era

The renewed Biodome opened in January 2021, in the midst of a global pandemic and an accelerating climate crisis. As visitors return to Montreal and to the Biodome, one wonders whether Pierre Bourque’s “rallying call of hope” will take a more urgent meaning, and be successful in truly raising awareness of the planet’s increasingly vulnerable ecosystems. For this visitor and Montreal resident, the new Biodome is truly inspiring and speaks of architectural beauty in a way few architects dare to—or are able to—achieve.

That success, however, goes beyond the considerable accomplishments of KANVA and Neuf’s present work. It owes much to the poetic audacity of an ill-understood Roger Taillibert, architect of the 1976 Velodrome. Equally audacious was the idea of transforming an underutilized Olympic building into a pioneering “living museum” with a mission in 1992. The creation of the Biodome was made possible by teams of young, enthusiastic, scientists working side by side with equally enthusiastic architects and engineers.

Building on this groundwork, KANVA was able to go one step further, infusing the Biodome with a dream-like quality. Beyond the need to address the degradation of the natural world, the architects’ intervention speaks to another urgent need: that of surrounding oneself with calm and beauty.

Odile Hénault, former publisher of the architectural magazine section a, has been documenting architecture in Quebec and Canada for decades. She is particularly interested in projects resulting from architectural competitions, a system now widely accepted in Quebec.

CLIENT Space for Life | ARCHITECT TEAM KANVA—Rami Bebawi (MRAIC), Tudor Radulescu (MRAIC), Laurence Boutin-Laperrière, Laurianne Brodeur, Dale Byrns, Gabriel Caya, Eloise Ciesla, Haley Command, Julien Daly, Léon Dussault-Gagné, Andrea Hurtarte, Olga Karpova, Brigitte Messier-Legendre, France Moreau, Andrei Nemes, Killian O’Connor, Claudia Pavilanis, Katrine Rivard, Dina Safonova, Minh-Giao Truong, Joyce Yam. NEUF—Azad Chichmanian, Marina Socolova, David Gilbert, Simon Bastien | STRUCTURAL NCK | MECHANICAL/ELECTRICAL Bouthillette Parizeau | INTERIORS KANVA | CONTRACTOR Groupe Unigesco | CODE/COST Groupe GLT+ | SPECS Atelier 6 | LIGHTING LightFactor | COLLABORATING EXHIBITION DESIGNER La bande à Paul | COLLABORATING SET DESIGNER Anick La Bissonnière | WAYFINDING Bélanger Design | LAND SURVEYOR Topo 3D | ACOUSTICS Soft dB | AREA 15,000 m2 | BUDGET $37.2 M | COMPLETION June 2020

View the article as it appeared in our June 2021 issue:

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PROJECTS Ociciwan Contemporary Art Centre and CO*LAB, Edmonton, Alberta

ARCHITECT Rockliff Pierzchajlo Kroman Architects

PHOTOS Adam Borman Photography, unless otherwise noted

In 2006, the City of Edmonton began the revitalization of a 40-hectare area just east of Churchill Square that is now known as The Quarters Downtown. Historically, this part of the city was called the Boyle Street neighbourhood, after John Robert Boyle (1870-1936), a prominent local lawyer and politician. The district is one of the city’s oldest and has been home to Indigenous and immigrant groups, including Edmonton’s early Chinese community. Today, the area suffers significantly from urban blight, and is occupied by many surface parking lots waiting for reinvestment. The area began its long, steady decline in the 1950s, and urban renewal in the 1970s added to its sliding fortunes.

In order to spark new development, the City of Edmonton has invest­ed substantially in infrastructure for The Quarters. A pedestrian-focused street upgrade called the Armature (96th Street NW, formerly Kinistino Avenue) and the recently completed Kinistinâw Park, with its striking red canopy, are intended to become vibrant public focal points for the district. The new extension of Edmonton’s LRT also runs through the area. Unfortunately, redevelopment has been slow to come, as The Quarters has had to combat its reputation as a down-and-out part of the city. It’s also had to compete for development dollars with other districts in Edmonton, including the Blatchford neighbourhood on the former municipal airport site, and even suburban communities such as Sherwood Park.

Despite the challenges of reinvigorating a failing urban district, there are indications of new energy in The Quarters with various projects completed in recent years. A fresh vitality is especially evident in two recently completed centres for young arts organizations. Both are renovations of existing structures, completed through partnerships with the City of Edmonton and various granting agencies. The Ociciwan Contemporary Art Centre is one of the few art spaces in the country dedicated to Indigenous art, and Co*Lab is an organization devoted to supporting the community of artists who live and work in The Quarters.

Both projects were designed by Rockliff Pierzchajlo Kroman Architects (RPK) under the direction of its youngest partner, Jan Kroman. RPK was established in 1969 and has undergone many changes during the past half century. While the firm has long-established expertise in health care, affordable housing, and seniors’ residential design, Kroman’s appointment as principal five years ago has coincided with new forays into arts and cultural projects.

The Ociciwan Contemporary Art Centre is located in a simple brick commercial building that appears to be from the 1960s. The building sits on a highly visible site off Jasper Avenue, fronting the Armature, and near the valley edge overlooking the North Saskatchewan River. The name Ociciwan comes from a Plains Cree word relating to riverways, that means “the current comes from there.” This fluvial inspiration is seen in the most striking aspect of the design—a dynamic façade made of locally fabricated aluminum composite material. The architects designed four different standard panels, skewed at varying angles, and specified two types of applied film to give the façade various reflective qualities. The resulting surface reflects the sky and surroundings and has subtly changing qualities reminiscent of flowing water. It is also very affective at night, when LEDs incorporated into the vertical channels create beacon-like strips of light. A planned mural by Winnipeg artist Kenneth Lavallee will give further vibrancy to the building’s south façade at street level.

Inside, most of the main floor is a multi-purpose gallery space that one enters directly from the street. It’s a simple space with some deft detailing and will help the organization realize its mandate to showcase the work of Indigenous artists—an important initiative for Edmonton as well as for surrounding communities. The Ociciwan collective also intends to use the adjacent public spaces for its programming initiatives. An elevator was inserted into the building as part of the upgrade, and is effectively the primary form of vertical movement, with existing stairs serving a secondary role. The lower level contains a workshop, along with a flexible space intended for performances and multi-media installations; upstairs are offices and a community space. All of the major interior spaces allow for smudging ceremonies—an important design consideration.

Nearby, the Co*Lab project on 102A Avenue NW is a somewhat more eclectic facility. This perhaps aptly reflects both the structure of the two existing commercial buildings it occupies and the community-led nature of the organization that administers it, the Quarters Arts Society. The renovation of the facility has resulted in three major spaces: a tall gallery space painted white; a large multimedia community space painted black; and an outdoor space dubbed the “backyard.” The two major interior spaces are connected through a compressed corridor, which is given its own vibrant identity with traffic-light-yellow walls, floor and ceiling. This same bright colour is used on stairs, handrails, and other feature elements throughout the building. The neatly arrayed floorplate includes support spaces, a workshop, a media room, and small studios for artists-in-residence on a second level.

The way the original facility had been adapted over time is reflected in the bric-a-brac assemblage of the principal façade, which has been carefully articulated by RPK through the strategic use of colour, new materials, and entry points. In a unifying gesture, the exterior is painted white, and several existing openings filled with glass block have been preserved. Three large garage doors—two on the front façade, and one facing the backyard—will facilitate the performances which are part of many of Co*Lab’s projects. Audiences will be able to flow in and out of the building, from street to event space. At the gallery end of the building, polycarbonate cladding conceals an older stucco façade, and reinforces the playful aspect of the design, especially at night, when this part of the building is set aglow with vertical stripes. Co*Lab has installed a jaunty, 1950s-style sign over the main entrance, adding to the feeling of welcome.

While these two arts centres were developed at the same time, and under the same city-backed initiative, the resulting buildings are quite different in both design and spirit. Each was developed to suit the character and aspirations of the organization it accommodates—and that’s already palpable, even though with pandemic restrictions, neither has yet been able to fully realize their cultural ambitions, nor the opportunities afforded to them by their newly renovated buildings. By rehabilitating and transforming two existing buildings into dramatically different places, Kroman and the RPK team demonstrate that architecture can be distinctive and successful on modest budgets.

As The Quarters develops, concerns about gentrification inevitably arise: however, a neighbourhood cannot thrive without investment. It is vital that the right kinds of buildings are developed to ensure that the existing inhabitants aren’t pushed out as newcomers move in. Supporting arts organizations and the city’s artists is a natural fit for this area, with its proximity to Edmonton’s major cultural organizations. It’s also key to preserving Edmonton’s reputation as a cultural centre, and to maintaining the vitality of its core. A thriving inner-city district can only benefit the entire city, and these two new art centres must be understood as a hopeful sign of things to come.

Graham Livesey, FRAIC, is a professor in the School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape at the University of Calgary.

PROJECT Ociciwan Contemporary Art Centre | CLIENT City of Edmonton (Claire St. Aubin) and Ociciwan (Tiffany Shaw-Collinge, Halie Finney, Erin Sutherland, Alberta Rose W./ Ingniq, Becca Taylor) | ARCHITECT TEAM Jan Kroman (MRAIC) (Principal-in-charge, design architect), Dan Letourneau (job captain and contract administrator), Dania Atassi, Robert Maggay, Teagan MacNeil | STRUCTURAL Entuitive (Mohammad Moayyed, Monique Miller) | MECHANICAL/ELECTRICAL MCW Hemisphere (Russell Truesdell, Manan Kapoor) | CIVIL ISL Engineering (Darin Hicks) | 3D SURVEYING Urban Systems (Jing Jing Dou) | LANDSCAPE Rockliff Pierzchajlo Kroman Architects | INTERIORS Rockliff Pierzchajlo Kroman Architects | CONTRACTOR Delnor Construction (James Sousa) | OWNER’S REPRESENTATIVES Stantec (Peter Gegolick, Jim Slavin) | AREA 600 m2 | BUDGET $2.1 M | COMPLETION March 2020

PROJECT CO*LAB | CLIENT City of Edmonton (Claire St. Aubin) and Quarters Arts (Lorin Klask) | ARCHITECT TEAM Jan Kroman (MRAIC) (Principal-in-charge, design architect), Dan Letourneau (job captain and contract administrator), Dania Atassi, Robert Maggay, Teagan MacNeil | STRUCTURAL Entuitive (Mohammad Moayyed, Monique Miller) | MECHANICAL/ELECTRICAL MCW Hemisphere (Russell Truesdell, Manan Kapoor) | CIVIL ISL Engineering (Darin Hicks) | 3D SURVEYING Urban Systems (Jing Jing Dou) | LANDSCAPE Rockliff Pierzchajlo Kroman Architects | INTERIORS Rockliff Pierzchajlo Kroman Architects | CONTRACTOR Delnor Construction (James Sousa) | OWNER’S REPRESENTATIVES Stantec (Peter Gegolick, Jim Slavin) | AREA 550 m2 | BUDGET $1.8 M | COMPLETION September 2020

View the article as it appeared in our June 2021 issue:

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PROJECT South House, Mississauga, Ontario

ARCHITECT Giaimo

PHOTOS doublespace photography

As you travel down Third Street in Lakeview, Mississauga—a neighbourhood just west of Toronto—a monolithic volume on a corner lot stands out for being unlike anything else in the suburban residential area. Neighbours have nicknamed it “the blue house,” and from certain angles, the blue-faced block looks like an entirely new construction, rather than an addition to an existing home. It has no windows and minimal details. An inset cedar door and an exaggerated scupper are the only hints of the spaces on the other side of the punchy metal siding.

Architect and homeowner Joey Giaimo admits the design doesn’t fit within a familiar mold: “It confuses people a bit.” The rectangular form is nonetheless proportioned to mediate between the bungalows next door and two three-storey residential buildings across the street; the latter help fill a noticeable gap in multi-family housing. Beyond the blue, you can catch glimpses of a volume tucked behind, suggesting there is more than immediately meets the eye.

Giaimo’s architectural practice favours working with existing conditions. In his work for clients, as well as on his own home, he resists a recurring process: “the default to buy a property, tear it down, and build from scratch.” Glancing down the street, numerous Lakeview bungalows have been razed and replaced with two- and three-storey counterparts, with footprints pushing at lot limit-lines. Clad with stucco and stone veneer, they reflect a commodification of shelter—a phenomenon that has intensified in recent years in the Toronto region. Properties are purchased for land value. More square footage is added, in new houses that shelter fewer and fewer people.

Turning the corner on East Avenue reveals another face to Giaimo’s suburban house. This façade—the original entry to a 1920s bungalow, which has been kept in place—has the age that the other lacks, and is partially obscured by maturing trees and shrubs. The materials here are largely untouched and unconcerned with keeping up appearances.

The rectangular footprints of the old house and the new addition intersect inside the home. The frame to the Third Street door was preserved, and serves as the threshold between the two. Inside the addition, layers were peeled away to reveal the original exterior pine sheathing. Meanwhile, new gussets transfer loads between wood joists and studs that frame a skylit stepped entry hall that extends out towards the street.

The work demonstrates there are options beyond teardowns—even for a small bungalow. Thinking creatively about reuse and renovation is even more important when it comes to larger buildings and ensembles, like those recently targeted for demolition at the Dominion Wheel and Foundries site in Toronto. Giaimo previously worked with heritage specialists ERA, and says he aims to take guidance from existing built conditions—regardless of whether they are considered generic or have formal heritage recognition.

For his own house, the design was influenced by studying the varied additions made to nearby detached houses over decades. These single-family homes and the lots they occupy are an outcome of a centuries-long process of land dealings and annexations. The 1806 Head of the Lake Purchase between the Mississaugas of the Credit and the Crown exposed the land that is now called Lakeview, along with its surrounding waterfront, to accelerating systems of colonization. Territory was surveyed, and concession roads were laid out to give new settlers access to lots. World War I pushed land use around Mississauga’s waterfront towards industrial manufacturing, with heavy infrastructural investments in the nearby Lakeshore Road, the railway, and later, the Queen Elizabeth Way expressway. New houses were built for returning war veterans, while farms were sold for detached suburban development.

Giaimo believes that the original house at Third and East was likely a model used for a residential Ponzi scheme, which advertised a new Lakeview Park development and collected deposits on lots that were subsequently abandoned. Over the decades before Giaimo and his wife and business partner, Joanne Casiero, purchased the property, few changes were made. They chose to keep the 1920s house, making incremental adjustments as their family grew. A 2010 renovation retained the overall massing while opening up its interior spaces. They removed all interior doors, placing a Murphy bed in the bedroom and using sliding partitions to encourage a flexibility of uses between living, sleeping and eating areas.

The blue addition was spurred by the arrival of the couple’s second child. The new hall reorients the main entrance; inside, stepped platforms rise from grade to meet the existing floor. The hall is sheltered from the street and topped by a set of wood joists laid out in a skewed formation, breaking from the rigidity of the exterior form. In addition to serving as a mudroom, the hall is used variously as a play area, workout zone, and home movie theatre. Giaimo’s sons pick books from the one-tier wood shelf that lines the exterior wall and sit on the retained window ledge (which joins to their bedroom) to read. As they grow, Giaimo plans to revisit the connection to the loft space located next to the entry door—currently used for storage—to provide a more private space to read and work.

While the hall marches up to meet the height of the original house, the rest of the renovation opts to go down. Within the footprint of the addition, a stairway leads to a double-height main bedroom. The loft, accessed from the hall above, extends above the bed, while an original window frame offers a view back to the kids’ bedroom in the old house.

Carrara marble panels, reclaimed from the reskinning of Toronto’s First Canadian Place, are used as flooring to blend between the addition and the existing basement. The marble extends outside into a new sunken courtyard, with sliding glass doors that bring in natural light below grade. The renovation transforms the basement into an extension of the living space, while still providing necessary storage and mechanical areas.

The spaces in the resulting home do not fit simple categorization. A large living space flexes as a work-from-home office; pre-pandemic, the family would host guests around an extended dining table by popping up the kids’ Murphy bed and throwing open a sliding partition. As the family ages, they’re also viewing the spaces differently. A desire for more privacy has entered the conversation. “It’s too open,” says Giaimo. This has advanced plans for an at-grade addition where the existing sunroom sits along East Avenue, wrapping the west side of the original house.

For the long-term future, Giaimo and Casiero are proposing the addition of a second residence on the other side of the permeable driveway. This would allow them to share the corner lot of land with another household, and would assist in incrementally increasing suburban density. So far, the alterations to their home have worked within the one-family detached dwelling zoning for the lot—part of the Mississauga by-laws that have been instrumental in shaping the area’s relatively limited housing options. Constructing a second detached living space would require challenging these limitations. Giaimo’s ongoing plans for South House show how our attachments to existing conditions—to physical places, as well as to the policies that shape them—can both ground us, and spur us towards well-considered change.

Monica Hutton is a sessional lecturer at the University of Toronto John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design and practices in the fields of architecture and urbanism.

CLIENT Joanne Casiero and Joey Giaimo | ARCHITECT TEAM Joey Giaimo (MRAIC), Mitchell May | STRUCTURAL SWS Engineering (Sam Wong) | MECHANICAL GTA Designs | LANDSCAPE Brendan Stewart | CONTRACTOR Mike Pimentel and Built to Work | AREA 121 m2 | BUDGET $260K (2010 and 2017 phases) | COMPLETION December 2017

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“Show me a wealthy architect,” architect Lloyd Hunt once quipped to his class at the University of Waterloo School of Architecture, “and I’ll show you a developer.”

The profits of developers can seemingly outstrip an architect’s fees on a project. But for architects, there’s a way to reap the financial rewards of development—by becoming the developer.

The rewards go beyond potential financial gains, though. Architects who enter the development arena are often aiming to make modest, but important improvements to a neighbourhood or city that they know well. They’re gaining valuable knowledge about building from a client-and-owner perspective that feeds back into their architectural practice.

When architects own, finance, and sometimes even act as the builder for development projects of their own design, caution is needed to navigate potential conflicts of interest. As with some other professions, architects are ethically bound to maintain a high level of independence and impartiality in supporting the interests of clients and of the public.

A conflict of interest can arise when an architect has other roles in a project. For instance, when an architect has a financial interest or acts as the builder on a project, it can be difficult to be impartial in tasks such as certifying the value of work, explains the Ontario Association of Architects in its Practice Tip 26.

The Tip states that business activities outside of providing architectural services should not be connected to the architect’s Certificate of Practice. “The OAA does not discourage members from pursuing other avenues of business, such as the provision of construction services, under a separate entity,” it reads.

The Alberta Association of Architects expects that members choosing to be involved in activities such as development conduct their business through a separately registered legal entity. It also expects members to communicate and market their architecture design services independently from other industry-related activities. For the AAA, the onus lies with members to clearly identify and distinguish in which capacity they are operating if they provide a combination of regulated and unregulated services.

Some of the architects I spoke with for this story set up a separate corporation that owns the property under development, and that hires the architect to work on it. All of them emphasized the importance of fully disclosing their role to all parties involved, and ensuring that their professional responsibilities supersede their financial interests.

The Architectural Institute of British Columbia’s Bylaw 31.5 states that an architect may be a project’s owner, and may also be a project’s contractor. The bylaw adds that in these cases, written disclosures of the architect’s additional roles should be provided to contracting parties, as well as to authorities having jurisdiction over the project’s review and approval process. Written acknowledgments that those disclosures have been received and accepted are also required.

In Ontario and Quebec, if architects own greater than a 10 percent share of a project, they forfeit their professional liability insurance for that project.

Pro-Demnity, the provider of mandatory professional liability insurance for Ontario’s architects, notes that conflicts of interest can provide an enduring risk with regards to future claims, which may come from other parties involved in the project, the users of the building, and people who may be affected by the project, such as adjacent landowners and passers-by.

“Pro-Demnity’s experience arising from claims where an architect attempts to wear two hats at the same time through two separate incorporated entities, is that the architect potentially undermines the strength of their own legal defense as professionals,” comments the insurer. “The prudent way forward is for the architect to make informed decisions about the type of risks they choose to accept, keeping the professional liability insurance limitations in mind, and appreciating that playing only one role or the other is the best way to eliminate the conflict of interest risk altogether.”

In California, where architects can obtain insurance as an owner, architect and builder, architect Jonathan Segal has built a thriving practice around development work. Segal has developed and designed 30 projects over as many years, holding most of the properties as rental apartments which his small firm also manages.

The rentals create the income needed to fund new projects and pay for employees. Since the apartments depreciate over time, they also present a tax advantage that can be used to offset gains from annual rental income.

Segal, who offers an online course in his method, says that being the developer helps him to expedite work by eliminating the disputes and finger-pointing that typically arise between architects, owners and builders in conventional practice. “I’m making the drawings and writing the cheques,” he says. “I want to get financing, get the building done, collect rental income, and then move on to the next project.”

Since he continues to own the properties, this allows him to push the envelope of what he would do for clients. For instance, in one project he put in a glass floor that later leaked—it wasn’t a problem, in his view, as he simply repaired it. “These buildings are all one-offs, so they’re all going to have problems—we can fix that stuff,” says Segal.

He advises architects interested in development to start by building their own house and flipping it, gaining experience in dealing directly with trades, financing, and real estate transactions. This can be repeated to gain capital and momentum, with the goal of moving up to progressively larger projects.

Segal notes that the appreciation of projects over time is where he’s seen the greatest profit in his work. “Always do rentals, never condos,” he says, noting that he has only rarely sold buildings from his portfolio, when he was offered twice what he considered to be their worth.

It’s recommended for architects pursuing development work—along with any work outside the scope of architectural practice—to obtain appropriate legal and insurance advice in their province or territory to suit the contractual relationships involved.

Is it worthwhile to navigate the regulatory issues and financial risks to pursue this kind of practice? We spoke to a half dozen architects who’ve taken the leap, and haven’t looked back.

Shora Parvaresh, Noble Architecture

Vancouver, British Columbia

With their high real estate prices, cities like Vancouver and Toronto are tough places to get started with development projects. But while the financial risks are high, architect Shora Parvaresh felt a strong pull to pursue her own developments as a way of nudging up the city’s standards for housing quality.

“My theory is that quality really matters—and if you’re not in a position to get an architect to design your dream home, there’s not many options that have a lot of sparkle and joy in them,” says Parvaresh. “Is it possible to push the boundaries a little, and make something affordable, high-quality, well-designed, and with an element of delight?”

Three years ago, Parvaresh founded Noble Architecture amid pursuing a Masters degree in management, all while continuing her full-time job. (She says that her current employer, MA+HG, has been supportive of this work, and she sees principals Marianne Amodio and Harley Grusko as her mentors.) Parvaresh recently completed and resold her first project under Noble—a duplex replacing a single-family home.

While most Vancouver duplexes divide houses into square-shaped front and back units, Parvaresh instead wanted to explore a side-by-side typology that would give both homes a front entrance and allow equal use of the backyard. To offset the narrower plans, more akin to Vancouver townhouses, her units include a double-height void that creates a sense of openness throughout the floorplates.

In construction, she prioritized high quality materials, including raw natural wood shingles that will develop a silvery sheen over time, and a metal roof chosen for its longevity and ease of maintenance.

In Vancouver, most spec homes maximize the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, and add so-called luxury finishes like faux-marble tiles. “Those things are not on the top of my list, but high-quality spaces are,” says Parvaresh. “There’s things that sell in the city that become the norm, but they’re not necessarily making our lives better.”

An unexpected challenge that Parvaresh encountered in the development process was securing a commercial mortgage for the project, even though on paper, she met all the requirements. From her Masters’ research, she learned that women typically had more difficulty accessing financing than men—and this resonated with her experience. “It could be that it was my first project, or that I was trying a newish idea,” she says, reflecting that it’s impossible to know why her applications were rejected by several banks. Eventually, she was able to get approved for financing, but it wasn’t easy.

Parvaresh is hoping to ramp up to larger-scale development projects, although she is being careful to find the right investment partner to work with. Her ideal: a partner that shares her philosophy of contributing positively to the city, and producing a bottom line that doesn’t stop at profit alone.

“The reason to do this is not because I am dying to take financial risks or that I am that entrepreneurial by nature,” says Parvaresh. “But because it is the right and necessary thing to encourage market change and better housing outcomes across the city and the country. My dream is to lift up the public expectation of developments.”

“We all know that a duplex in East Vancouver is not going to solve affordability and density issues in this city,” she says. “But it is a very small step towards the right direction. Two families on one lot is a tiny bit closer to a healthier, more appropriate density.”

Gene Dub, Dub Architects

Edmonton, Alberta

When Gene Dub was establishing himself as an architect in the 1970s, he got in the habit of renovating the houses he lived in and reselling them. “My father was handy and my mother was industrious,” he recalls. “The first six houses, they did all the legwork with me.”

He also started fixing up spaces occupied by his office, Dub Architects—it moved four times in its first few years, each time leaving behind a newly renovated building, and accruing a bit more money to fund the next project. The firm continued to take on development projects, owned by sister company Five Oaks. Dub had a development project going at all times, to act as a levelling device for the firm’s workflow.

That’s still the case—Five Oaks projects make up between 10 to 30 percent of Dub Architects’ work in any given year. But over time, those projects have gotten progressively larger in scale. Five Oaks has completed 20 major projects, and its current work is its most ambitious, including a $70-million residential project with 400 terraced units in the historic Rossdale brewery and on an adjacent four-acre parcel, and the redevelopment of the 1968 Charles Camsell Hospital into a mixed-use project with 600 residential units.

Dub’s passion for self-initiated development work stems from both an entrepreneurial drive and a love of history. Fourteen of the projects he’s completed under Five Oaks, representing some $120-million of work, are historic renovations—the kind of project that conventional developers wouldn’t take on because they were too risky. This includes restoring Edmonton’s historic registry A-listed McLeod Building—a Chicago-style neoclassical office building replete with terracotta ornament.

In 1984, the turn-of-the-century Alberta Hotel was demolished to make room for a new federal office building. Thirty years later, Dub recovered its carved sandstone-and-brick façades, cupola, cornice and bar mirrors—and rebuilt the front part of the building, with a contemporary rear, 50 feet away from its original site. “The façade and hotel bar now exist as they did when Prime Minister Laurier came to declare Alberta a province, and apparently stayed at the hotel,” says Dub.

In holding with an ethos that repurposing older structures is much more sustainable than demolishing then, Dub has also renovated several modern-era buildings, including converting Saskatoon’s 1960 Hudson’s Bay department store into condos.

The success of Five Oaks has come from seeing long-term value in heritage buildings—and, more generally, in Edmonton’s real estate. This has put Dub in a position where he can give back to his community in significant ways. In 2018, he donated a $3-million, newly renovated apartment building to a group providing housing to homeless, pregnant women in Edmonton. The City Market Lofts reuses a market building from the 1960s, creating affordable housing for artists, and providing high-quality spaces that elevate the transitional neighbourhood, rather than contributing to its stigma. A new 10-storey office building, where Dub Architects currently resides atop a fashion-and-beauty college, sports one of the country’s largest vertical solar arrays.

Dub is philosophical about rolling with the gains and losses that come with this type of work. Early on, he converted a fire station from the 1950s as a new office for Dub Architects. Just as they finished it, someone offered him much more money to use the site for a new-build. “So we sold it, and they tore it down.” He expects his current conversion of the 23,225-square-metre Charles Camsell Hospital to lose money—it has been a complicated project, with a significant amount of asbestos abatement. But many interesting stories have emerged in the decade since the project began: it’s come to light that an earlier hospital on the same site was where Indigenous people were treated for tuberculosis in the 1950s, and often separated from their families in the process. “It’s been a financial disaster,” says Dub, “but it’s a significant Canadian history story, for good or bad. Movies have been made about this place—it’s a really interesting building.”

Tom Knezic, Solares Architecture

Toronto, Ontario

Sustainability is at the top of the agenda for Solares Architecture, a Toronto firm co-founded by architects Tom Knezic and Christine Lolley. It’s also the driving force behind a series of development projects they’ve undertaken in the west end of Toronto.

A soft start to this aspect of their practice was setting up their office on the ground floor of a Dufferin Street fixer-upper, with their own apartment above it and a rental unit below. Later, they gut-renovated a house in Roncesvalles for their growing family, making it a showpiece for the space-efficient, environmentally conscious design that they bring to their clients, and including a rental unit in the basement.

Eco Flats #1—their first project developed fully as an investment property—was an effort to bring the same principles of considerate design and energy efficiency to the Toronto rental housing market. After leveraging their existing properties to purchase a local single-family row house, they gut-renovated the dwelling, converting it into three passive-house inspired apartments. The work included underpinning the basement, giving it a separate entrance and full-sized windows to make it more airy and light than typical basement units.

A three-unit renovation dubbed Eco Flats #2, completed last year, built on the lessons learned from the first. “The impulse of architects is to always take things to the next level of difficulty, but here, we had the discipline to do almost exactly the same project as before—but to do it better,” says Knezic.

A big part of both projects was cutting the gas line—since natural gas is a potent contributor to carbon emissions—and going all-electric. Because the dwellings achieve a passive-house level of airtightness, they use very little energy. In Eco Flats #1, the first electricity bills came in at $30 per person. Eco Flats #2 takes 88% less energy to heat and cool than pre-renovation, and achieves a 96% reduction in carbon emissions.

The projects also allowed Solares to test-drive advanced building technologies, such as grey-water reuse systems, air source heat pumps, and electric heat pump hot water tanks. In the second project, Knezic specified Quebec-made Minotair compact air treatment units for each apartment—ERVs that also heat and cool the air, and are small enough to fit inside tenant closets overtop the laundry machines. In all, “these mechanical units weren’t much more expensive than conventional systems,” says Knezic. Moreover, he adds, they freed up the space normally occupied by a basement mechanical room. “That gave us an extra bedroom—so the decision paid for itself almost immediately.”

To reduce the use of high-carbon plastics and foams, Knezic experimented with using parging and plaster on the interior walls of Eco Flats #2 as a partial substitute for standard air barriers. To achieve a tight envelope without an extra layer of spray foam, he specified Aerobarrier—a substance similar to Elmer’s glue, that’s pumped as an aerosol into a pressurized home to fill cracks in the envelope.

For Eco Flats #2, Knezic optimized the sequencing of the trades to complete the project in under a year—a feat for a gut-renovation—minimizing the amount of time that the building was unoccupied by renters. “It shows that it’s not a choice between environment, speed, and cost,” says Knezic. “This was done in 10 months, and it makes money month over month.”

“There’s a mission to all of this,” he adds. “It’s a way to show people that we’re not kidding about this work. When we design houses for clients, we’re always saying that we should go a little further—we should go all-electric, we should insulate more. I can really advocate for these things because I’ve done it for myself.”

Bill Curran, Thier + Curran Architects

Hamilton, Ontario

Purchasing and designing one’s own office space is one starting point for architects to act as developers. That was the case for Bill Curran, whose firm occupies the top floor of a converted 19th-century furniture store in downtown Hamilton. Curran purchased the brick-and-timber loft building with two non-architect friends a decade ago. In addition to Thier + Curran’s offices, it now includes a half-dozen commercial and office spaces, with tenants such as the CBC, a café, and a beauty salon and supply store.

Curran has since developed two additional Hamilton properties: a Prohibition-era liquor warehouse that he adaptively reused as three loft-style townhouses, and a pair of joined main-street buildings in Hamilton’s Barton Village, with commercial units at street level and residences above.

Curran developed the townhouses on his own, while the Barton Village project, like his office building, was completed with others. The decision to find investment partners depends on the project, says Curran. “A bigger project demands more money, especially if it’s an older building in a sketchy neighbourhood,” he says, noting that banks will not finance vacant land, and don’t like empty or derelict buildings as investment properties. A loan is only available for the value of what’s already built on the site. “I’m looking for a gem in the rough—where you can see that the bones are fantastic, but to the untrained eye, it looks very, very unappealing. And the untrained eye includes the appraiser from the bank. So you have to work with them, to convince and educate them.”

By working with buildings on the fringes, Curran’s work contributes to Hamilton’s revitalization. “Our office was one of the first buildings to be redeveloped as part of the renaissance on James Street North. Now our Barton Village building is also becoming a beacon in its community,” he says.

Curran has a vested interest in seeing his projects thrive, but as a proud Hamiltonian, he also carries a personal passion for each of them. The Barton building, for instance, once housed Gallery 435, known for its 35 years of Friday night art and music jam sessions—an event Curran loved. “We bought the Barton building selfishly,” he says, “to keep the Friday boozecan Openings going.”

“It’s gratifying to buy and improve real estate and for it to be catalytic,” says Curran. “As an architect, you have the ability to make that happen.”

Financially, several of Curran’s developments depend on the gap between commercial and residential real estate prices in Hamilton. “Derelict commercial buildings are cheaper than houses, and I like their inherent character and how they’re put together,” says Curran. With housing prices on the rise, his properties have gained substantially in worth when upgraded into residences.

Curran estimates that the buildings he’s been part of have more than doubled in value from what he and his partners put into them. “This is my retirement fund,” says Curran. “I’m far more comfortable investing in real estate than in stocks or derivatives.”

Jack Kobayashi, Kobayashi + Zedda

Whitehorse, Yukon

When Jack Kobayashi and Antonio Zedda set up their architecture firm in Whitehorse, most of their work was outside of the city. “Downtown Whitehorse was the domain of small-time developers doing mediocre buildings,” says Kobayashi. Many of these didn’t even involve an architect—a possibility since Yukon doesn’t have an Architects’ Act. “Anyone can do their own building—and they were.”

Like a musician who isn’t landing a record deal and decides to start an indie label, Kobayashi and Zedda decided to do downtown buildings on their own. Their first project, completed in 2001, was a multi-use condominium, with four residential units and a ground-floor dental office. They funded the project with help from family and resold it when completed. “It didn’t make us rich, but we liked doing it,” says Kobayashi.

Since then, they’ve completed a half-dozen more multi-use residential projects on their own, keeping a unit as their earnings each time. The most recent is an affordable rental apartment building that they will hold rather than sell off. “It’s a bit more challenging, as there’s no capital injection to pay down the whole building—we’ve got to carry the asset and live off the rental income,” says Kobayashi. “We’re at a certain level where we can do that—we could never have afforded to at the beginning.”

The projects are built by a sister company led by Kobayashi and Zedda, called 360 Design Build. “We run it off the side of our desk,” says Kobayashi, who says he spends 95 percent of his time on the main architecture practice, and the remainder running the design-build company. 360 has three full-time staff and also takes on some private projects—usually single-family houses designed by Kobayashi and Zedda. (To avoid stepping on the toes of local contractors, 360 doesn’t bid on any projects, either public or private.) “Building ourselves keeps us current,” says Kobayashi. “You’re seeing more of the spectrum of construction, and that informs your professional life.”

In addition to their new-build development projects, Kobayashi and Zedda also own Horwood’s Mall, where they’ve had their offices since 1995. The 4,100-square-metre building has sections that go back to the early 1900s, which is ancient by Yukon standards—“like Roman times,” says Kobayashi. Since purchasing the property eight years ago, they’ve been gradually restoring its heritage features and bringing up the design standard of its spaces, which house 40 tenants. Their vision is for Horwood’s Mall to become the town’s social and community hub, and they’re gratified to see it starting to attract local artists, start-ups, and other creative endeavours.

Kobayashi’s advice to architects thinking of taking on their own development projects? “Start with something small and keep building on that.” He adds, “As architects, we’re the perfect people to do this. We have the skill set, and then we hire ourselves out to other people who then have full control of the project.” Fundamentally, the only thing that separates developers from architects, he says, is their ability to take on risk. “The only thing holding us back is the risk factor. Find the confidence somewhere to do it; the door’s wide open after that.”

Aurèle Cardinal, Stéphanie Cardinal, and Ludovic Cardinal, Humà Design +Architecture

Montreal, Quebec

“When I was much younger,” says architect and planner Aurèle Cardinal, co-founder of Cardinal Hardy, “the developers didn’t want to build what we were drawing, because they thought we were dreaming too much.” So, he reasoned, “we’ll build the dreams, and then we’ll have more clients who believe in us.”

That impulse led Aurèle to lead a string of development projects in the Montreal region, first on his own, and more recently with his children—architect Stéphanie Cardinal and former banker Ludovic Cardinal. In all, they’ve built and sold some 1,350 units of housing, working on all aspects of the projects from purchasing the land, to finding outside investors, to managing construction and sales.

Aurèle’s first development projects in the 1980s were small-scale condominium buildings—a type uncommon at the time in Montreal, when most developers were focused on building three-storey walk-up rental apartments. The family has continued to innovate in bringing new typologies to the city. They’re currently completing the fourth phase of Espace MV, a multi-block development in Dorval that includes single-family homes, townhouses, and condo-and-loft buildings up to seven stories in height—all of which share co-owned amenity spaces.

Stéphanie and Ludovic hadn’t originally set out to join their father in development. Stéphanie trained as an architect and specialized in interiors, starting her own firm, Humà, in 2006. For university, Ludovic was accepted into architecture and commerce programs, and was encouraged by Aurèle to choose finance. He worked as a commercial banker for 20 years.

In 2010, Cardinal Hardy was sold to IBI Group, which in turn sold its Quebec offices to Lemay in 2015. Aurèle then joined Humà to expand its architectural offerings and ability to support real estate development work. (A sister company owned by the Cardinal family, Gestion PCA, is also involved with the family’s development portfolio.) Five years ago, Ludovic also joined Humà, bringing financial expertise that allowed for more substantial involvement with larger development projects.

The trio estimates that their own development projects constitute about a fifth of Humà’s work. The majority of Humà’s work is for outside clients, primarily real estate developers, for whom it acts as a one-stop shop. Its diversified in-house expertise allows Humà to take on the marketing, branding, interior design, architecture, and construction supervision of developments, as well as financial reporting to investors. “All of these people are under the same roof,” says Ludovic, “it’s a super nice unity when everyone is rolling in the same direction—it’s very satisfying.”

Being involved in all aspects of a project—both in their own development work and for outside clients—allows the team to bring a greater depth of reflection to their designs, says Stéphanie. This was especially evident in Espace MV, where early on, the team decided to retain and adaptively reuse an existing brick-and-beam factory structure—a choice that informed later design choices throughout the site. “The fact that we could work for 13 years within the same spirit is added value for the project,” she says. Moreover, “it’s also added value for the profession to see a project within this holistic view.”

One measure of success, for Aurèle, is that many of the first residents of Espace MV are still living there. “You have to bring good solutions for people to stay on the land for that long; you have to have satisfied clients,” he says.

Ludovic says that architects’ interest in development is often a case of the grass being greener on the other side. In his analysis, when all is said and done, development is not necessarily more lucrative than architecture—each party contributes its own expertise, and collects a concomitant level of return.

But the opportunity to work together as a family? That’s priceless. “Cross-generational work is not done enough,” says Stéphanie. “To be able to integrate 35 years of our father’s experience into our work—it’s amazing.”

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PROJECT Habitations Saint-Michel Nord, Montreal, Quebec

ARCHITECT Saia Barbarese Topouzanov Architectes

PHOTOS James Brittain

One’s first impression of Habitations Saint-Michel Nord is one of surprise. Surprise at a symphony of super-sized cylinders—in reality, glorified fire exits—projecting from the front façades. The festive mood, as exemplified in the transformation of this major 50-year-old housing project, is indicative of a radical change of attitude towards social housing.The original buildings have been stripped of their dull-brown masonry and concrete façades, and are now clad in vibrantly coloured brick, with staircases to match. This unabashed celebration of life sends a clear message: social housing is nothing to be ashamed of. 

The firm responsible for this achievement, Saia Barbarese Topouzanov Architects (SBTA), is well known for its substantial contributions to Montreal over the past decades. It is particularly associated with the city’s rainbow-hued Convention Centre expansion, the subject of considerable commotion when it opened in 2002. The firm’s lesser-known work—including numerous social housing projects—shows their unabated (and increasingly sophisticated) exploration of colour. It also shows their ability to get the most out of meagre budgets.

Habitations Saint-Michel Nord, located northeast of downtown Montreal, was built shortly after the city’s social housing agency, the Office municipal d’habitation de Montréal (OMHM) came into existence. From 1969 to 1979, with architect Guy Legault at its helm, the OMHM built more than 8,000 housing units for underprivileged families. [1] At the time, the euphoria surrounding Expo 67 was dwindling, and municipal authorities became more and more aware of the squalid living conditions prevailing in Montreal’s poorer neighbourhoods.

As a reminder, these were the years when activist Jane Jacobs and left-wing city planner Hans Blumenfeld [2] were actively engaged in public debates that would change Toronto (to quote the title of a book published by another major figure of that period, community organizer and former mayor John Sewell). [3] Poised to learn from Toronto’s experience in social housing, the fledging OMHM hired Hans Blumenfeld as a consultant.

It was in this climate of effervescence—but also of trial and error—that architects Bobrow Fieldman designed Habitations Saint-Michel Nord. Some of the mistakes made in Toronto—such as creating inward-looking courtyards, which Blumenfeld had warned against—were reproduced in the Habitations. However, the 27-building complex had many interesting features. It provided tenants with a large variety of layouts, including maisonette-like two-storey apartments, corner units, and even some through-units—a type still considered a luxury by developers today.

According to SBTA partner Dino Barbarese, “Saint-Michel’s units were well-designed from the start and required only minimal improvements.” The 1972 project also included an underground garage, which extended below the buildings and made it possible to create landscaped grounds, rather than paving over the site for parking.

By 2015, however, the project was approaching the end of its useful life. Some of its 180 units were in such poor repair that they could no longer be occupied. The inner courtyards, which may have looked charming on architectural renderings, had gradually become enclaves for illicit activities, and a no-go zone for many residents. The OMHM was forced to take action. Several options were considered, including total demolition. Thankfully, the chosen solution—to rehabilitate rather than rebuild—would give the complex a new lease on life.

Key to the site’s rehabilitation was the introduction of a central shared street, designed along the principles of the Dutch woonerf. The long city block was essentially split down the middle, creating connections between the residents and the surrounding community and increasing the safety of the area. Six of the original 27 buildings were demolished to make room for this new corridor, which allows for vehicular traffic, but is primarily a community-oriented space. To comply with a mandatory requirement, SBTA had to make up for the units lost in the demolition process, which they did through adding an extra floor to eight existing two-storey buildings.

The most spectacular change, however, comes from the treatment of the façades. Inspired by the work of French-Venezuelan artist Carlos Cruz-Diez, SBTA partner Vladimir Topouzanov chose four earth-toned brick colours, ranging from buff to burgundy; in some sections, the colours are interlaid, producing the illusion of seven distinct hues in all. The metal balconies and spiral stairs were painted accordingly. In a further effort to create a vibrant, dynamic environment, the progression of colours, from light to dark, is inverted on either side of the central street. Inside the buildings, the floorplans were not much altered, but the individual units were completely renovated and given more generous openings.

Previous services—including a youth centre, a multipurpose hall, a community restaurant and a daycare—were relocated to more closely connect with Robert Boulevard and René-Goupil Park, north of the site. These amenities are now open to the entire neighbourhood, encouraging a greater co-mingling between residents of the Habitations and others who live in the area.

The OMHM, which masterminded the logistics for the entire operation, was exemplary in many regards. In addition to coordinating with several municipal services, the agency ensured a smooth transition for the residents. It took care of temporary relocation arrangements: finding appropriate apartments and monitoring school transfers, among other needs. The staff stood by during the entire design, construction and move-in process, keeping the tenants informed and intervening whenever necessary. In the end, 50 percent of the displaced families moved back to the renovated Habitations Saint-Michel Nord last summer. Dino Barbarese speaks highly of his client, saying, “We have rarely done a project of this size with so few hurdles. Everyone seemed to believe in it.”

In Montreal and beyond, numerous social housing projects from the 1970s are in dire need of renovation. The transformation of the Habitations demonstrates how in-depth rehabilitation can be—ecologically and economically—a more sustainable alternative to outright demolition. In the hands of SBTA, the challenge also presented an opportunity for novel aesthetic expression. Habitations Saint-Michel Nord is instructive not only for public housing providers, but also for private developers with aging assets—and considerably higher budgets at their disposal.

Kudos go to the architects who, over recent years and often for modest fees, have gradually changed the image of social housing in Montreal, while bringing dignity and hope to families. For far too long, the words “social housing” have implied drabness and sadness. No longer. Goodbye, tristesse!

1 Guy R. Legault, La ville qu’on a bâtie: Trente ans au service de l’urbanisme et de l’habitation à Montréal, 1959-1986. Éditions Liber, 2002.

2 Frédéric Mercure-Jolette, “Hans Blumenfeld: A Moderate Defence of Expertise in the Controversial 1960s.” Planning Perspectives, 2019, Vol. 34, No. 4.

3 John Sewell, How We Changed Toronto: The Inside Story of Twelve Creative, Tumultuous Years in Civic Life, 1969-1980. Lorimer, 2015.

Architectural writer Odile Hénault is a regular contributor to Canadian Architect. As a young co-op student, she worked for Montreal firm Bobrow Fieldman Architects, a few years after they had completed the construction of Habitations Saint-Michel Nord. She first became interested in social housing when she was the editor of Section a (1983-1986) and has written a number of articles on the topic since.

CLIENT Office municipal d’habitation de Montréal (OMHM) | ARCHITECT TEAM Dino Barbarese (RAIC), Vladimir Topouzanov (RAIC), Geneviève Deguire, Christopher Dubé, Hugo Duguay, Joël Hébert, Maxime Hurtubise, Yvan Marion, Louis-Guillaume Paquet, Karl Robert, Flavia Socol, Yvon Théorêt, Sophie Trépanier-Laplante | STRUCTURAL/CIVIL
Cima + | MECHANICAL/ELECTRICAL AEdifica | LANDSCAPE Vlan Paysages | INTERIORS Saia Barbarese Topouzanov Architectes | ENVIRONMENTAL Wood | SECURITY Bouthillette Parizeau | CONTRACTOR Construction Cybco | AREA 22,800m2 | BUDGET $47.5 M | COMPLETION September 2020

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PROJECT The Osler Bluff Ski Club Clubhouse, Town of the Blue Mountains, Ontario

ARCHITECT Williamson Williamson

TEXT Elsa Lam

PHOTOS doublespace photography

In 1949, two friends who had tired of the long lines at Quebec’s ski hills set out to found a new ski club north of Toronto. When looking for a site, the pair heard from local farmers that the Niagara Escarpment’s best snow conditions were found on the slopes above Poplar Sideroad, near Collingwood.

The recent renovation of Osler’s clubhouse, completed by Toronto-based firm Williamson Williamson, is similarly attuned to the local context, with materials and a design tailored to its cottage-country setting.

Based on a masterplan completed by predecessor firm Williamson Chong in 2014, the design renovates the existing 1970s lodge and adds a new bay to the pleated-roof structure. The addition extends the main-level dining room, housing childcare and auxiliary spaces below. It foregrounds a dramatic pair of Y-shaped wood-and-steel columns—a contemporary version of the heavy timber columns of the original structure.

The decision to renovate rather than rebuild was a matter of budget and wanting to keep the spirit of the existing clubhouse, but it was not a simple task. “Renovations are incredibly complicated,” says architect Betsy Williamson, who describes how the original building was covered in asbestos, and constructed on a base of core slab, atop foundations that had no capacity to support additional weight.

“Old timber is like a house of cards—you can’t take any piece out or the whole thing will collapse,” says Williamson. The team conducted extensive remediation work to the envelope and structure, then braced each individual timber in the building to ensure the stability of the system during construction. The entire structure was conserved, with most of the timber columns left in place, and others relocated to a new lounge that looks out to the ski hill on one side, and over the dining room to the other.

In the 1970s lodge, conduit sprawled across wood ceilings with no fire sprinklers, and the winter wind whistled through inch-wide cracks that had opened in the structural columns. To address these issues, the renovation bumped the slope-side wall of the lodge out by two feet, encapsulating the existing structure behind a new façade equipped with German-designed windows. A new wood-slat ceiling maintains the cabin-like feel of the original building, while creating room for concealed sprinklers and additional acoustic and thermal insulation. Together, these moves brought the building’s Energy Use Intensity (EUI) down to 130 kWh/m2/year. “Had we been able to also replace the north façade, we would be at 90 or less,” says Williamson.

Such moves add noticeably to the comfort of the lodge, particularly at the crunch times of lunch hour and après-ski, when, in non-pandemic times, more than 800 club members fill the space to eat, drink and socialize. But what sets the project apart is its careful attention to details—a thoughtfulness typical of the high-end residences at the core of Williamson Williamson’s practice.

The smoothly curved Y-shaped columns, for instance, were inspired by the shape of early hand-carved skis, and executed with as much fastidiousness. “In our office, when we’re building with veneer, we show that it’s veneer by making it thin and flat, and when we’re building with solid wood, we show that it’s solid by carving into it,” says Williamson. “We were really specific about the direction of the veneer coming into the curve,” she adds.

A similar logic applies to a rounded wood bar and reception desk, and to a swooping stair balustrade. For the fireplace surround, stone was specified in its various cuts—with its weathered faces, seam faces, and ashlar faces exposed—and placed to reflect its natural orientation.

To execute their vision, the firm brought on millworkers BL Woodworking, and the club hired Upstream Construction. (Construction had started with another company in 2018, and was continued by Upstream in 2019.) Upstream—run by club member Andrew Noxon—was primarily experienced in custom homebuilding, but rose to the occasion. “It’s the kind of contractor we all know and love: works hard, super-organized, going to get the job done,” recalls Williamson. The project opened in December 2019, in time for members to hit the slopes from the renovated lodge that year.

The camaraderie between architect and contractor is evident in a subtle detail on the slope-side of the building. As the opening date deadline approached, the contractor left a panel that sits directly behind a segment of glazing in its natural oak colour to match nearby panels, rather than staining it dark brown as specified. “Dark brown is this magical colour—if you put it far enough behind a spandrel-like window, it reflects during the day, so you can’t tell it’s a spandrel window,” says Williamson. She insisted that it needed to be changed out, even though that involved removing the glass. “I knew it was a big ask.”

Despite the time crunch and their own skepticism, Noxon’s team went ahead and fixed the panel—and in fact, removed the glass twice to do so. When the window was out the first time, Noxon placed a small Lego figure with a hardhat and skirt on the ledge. He had carried the Lego figure in his pocket for the entire project, and nicknamed it Little Betsy. “When we had a question and Betsy wasn’t here, we’d ask Little Betsy,” says Noxon. “She’d normally tell us just to call Betsy.”

They replaced the glass, and the figure fell over. So they took out the window again to glue Little Betsy in place.

The miniature figure now looks out onto the ski slope—the focal point of the project from the start. “The big idea is that you come from the city and leave the world behind,” says Williamson. “You come up through the main entrance, and emerge onto the hillside.” That snowy slope, more than ever, is the centre of the action, whether for skiers enjoying a run or taking a break in the cozy comforts of the renovated lodge.

CLIENT The Osler Bluff Ski Club | ARCHITECT TEAM Betsy Williamson (FRAIC), Shane Williamson (FRAIC), Eric Tse, Irina Solop, Sonia Ramundi, Dimitra Papantonis, Peter Lazovskis, Mat Winter, Nassim Sani, Donald Chong, Chris Routley, Paul Harrison | STRUCTURAL Blackwell | MECHANICAL R.J. Burnside & Associates | ELECTRICAL Lapas Consulting Engineers | CONTRACTOR Upstream Construction | ACOUSTICS Aercoustics Engineering | LIGHTING Alula Lighting | CODE LRI Engineering | KITCHEN AND SERVERY Trimen | SECURITY Huronia | AREA 2,764 m2 | BUDGET Withheld | COMPLETION December 2019

ENERGY USE INTENSITY (PROJECTED) 130 kWh/m2/year | BENCHMARK (NRCAN 2014, non-healthcare institutional buildings after 2010) 278 kWh/m2/year

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The renovation and addition to the main branch of the Peterborough Public Library exemplifies an important trend in urban living, explains Peter Berton of +VG Architects, Partner-in-Charge of the project. “It’s a very big thing. More than just a library with books and internet, this is a community hub.”

The original facility, by Moriyama & Teshima Architects, opened in 1978 on Aylmer Street, west of the city centre, and had a protective, enclosed appearance with its masonry wall punctuated by narrow strip windows.

“We proposed to add on to the front and redo the entire facade of the building, which was predominantly solid brick and not very engaging with the street,” says Mr. Berton. “Now the front brings in more daylight and makes a connection with the downtown. Our design is all about opening up to the community and revealing the culture of the building so that people can see what’s there and feel like going in. That’s the big story here.”

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PROJECT Ontario Association of Architects Headquarters Retrofit, Toronto, Ontario

ARCHITECT David Fujiwara Architect (retrofit), Ruth Cawker Architect (1991 original building)

TEXT Kathleen Kurtin

This May, the Ontario Association of Architects (OAA) officially reopens its doors to the public and its members after completing the renovation of its headquarters in Toronto. The net-zero targeted project embodies a commitment to demonstrate first-hand how existing buildings can be adapted rather than replaced, as the profession strives towards climate stability.

The OAA has a history of proactive environmental responsibility. When the headquarters was designed by Ruth Cawker, winner of the 1989 province-wide design competition, it was built to the R2000 standard—the environmental high bar of the day. The project anticipated the future, with its proposal for rooftop solar panels that would act as louvres. Thirty years later, that final piece has become a visible reality. As a whole, the building stands as an example of the profession’s environmental responsibility to members and guests as well as the neighbours and motorists passing by.

The Road to Renewal

After serving the Association and its members well for more than 25 years, the OAA Headquarters required extensive maintenance. Additionally, there was a space crunch, as staff had grown to support a steadily increasing membership.

In 2015, the OAA faced the decision of whether to renovate its headquarters or find a new home. The OAA Council ultimately decided that the financial impact of moving from a landmark building and the OAA’s largest economic asset—combined with the environmental impact of discarding the embedded carbon in the existing building—was not in the best interests of the membership or the public. Further, there was an opportunity to be realized by updating the current building: it could demonstrate how, through renovation and updating, architects could be leaders in reducing the environmental burden of unnecessary demolition and new construction.

Once cutting-edge, the building’s mechanical system was now outdated and approaching the end of its life cycle. This meant energy consumption was significantly higher than in new low-rise office buildings of the same type. After much research, the OAA found that net-zero carbon emissions could be achieved through a deep energy retrofit that reduced consumption, the installation of a geothermal system, and the addition of photovoltaic systems to offset remaining energy use.

Environmental concerns had escalated over the building’s life, and technologies had evolved. In 2009, the Association committed to the 2030 Challenge, which aims to take the building sector to zero carbon emissions by setting performance targets for all new buildings and major renovations. For this initiative, rather than meet the 70 percent rate projected for 2020, the OAA chose to take a leadership position and set a target of 100 percent. The plan was to meet the 2030 Challenge a decade early.

As both the owner and the occupant, the OAA understood that investing in the building would reduce future operating costs and provide a simple payback (somewhere between seven and 20 years, depending on energy costs). The result would also serve as a strong case-study for architects to use in their own work and outreach to clients. The carbon neutral renovation would have educational value for members, the general public, and students.

The New Building Systems

The OAA Building Committee, led by architect Sheena Sharp, worked with multiple consultants for more than three years to research various options, looking for a “sweet spot” that would balance operating and embedded carbon ambitions.

The final result was coordinated by David Fujiwara Architect and focuses on three areas of intervention:

• completely rethinking the mechanical systems;

• intensifying and transforming the office and meeting room environment, prioritizing transparency and openness; and

• reusing the existing carbon footprint of the building wherever possible.

Reaching the goal of net zero meant eliminating the use of fossil fuels and offsetting any electricity consumed. This was achieved through installing a geothermal system and three types of solar panels, as well as reducing energy consumption.

The geothermal heating and cooling uses a closed-loop ground-source exchange system, composed of a double circular field of 15 wells that are more than 180 metres deep. As Toronto’s climate requires more heating than cooling, the field is balanced using warm water from solar hot water panels on the roof.

In addition to the solar hot water panels, two types of photovoltaic (PV) solar panels were installed on the existing roof armature. This includes more than 400 square metres of PV panels by Heliene, as well as about 200 square meters of an innovative system by Morgan Solar, combining translucent and PV panels. The Morgan Solar system forms a semi-transparent canopy over the outdoor terrace on the south façade, and includes an integrated LED array for special events and detail lighting.

Electrical production from the rooftop PV panels—100,000 kWh annually—is returned to the grid, offsetting the power used to operate the building. The goal is to be electrically power-balanced over the course of the year, thereby achieving net zero energy.

At the same time, the building’s base level energy consumption is reduced through enhanced installation, triple-glazed View electrochromic glazing, right-sized fans and pumps, and high-efficiency LED occupancy-activated lighting.

Daylight is the primary source of light throughout, working in conjunction with dynamic glass that automatically adjusts to sunlight, providing ideal levels with minimal glare. A 3M daylight-redirecting film added to the transom windows deflects exterior light towards the ceiling, so that it bounces deeper into the building.

Windows can be responsible for up to 40 percent of a building’s total heating and cooling energy consumption. Compared to traditional low-emissivity (low-e) glazing, the OAA Headquarters’ combination of View dynamic glass, triple-glazing, low-e film (double low-e at transom windows) and the daylight redirecting film is expected to reduce the building’s peak energy load by approximately 20 percent.

Thermal bridging has been reduced by adding insulation to soffits, solid exterior walls, and walls under windows that were opened during the renovation. The R-values of the completed walls vary from the existing R-10 to a new R-30 level where possible.

Critical to the success of the project is maintaining the airtightness of the existing building. Unlike many other buildings constructed in the early 1990s, the OAA Headquarters was very airtight right from the beginning, as verified by a preconstruction blower door test. The renovation work required penetration of the existing envelope in some locations, and the contractor has been challenged in resealing the building to its previous levels. The team continues to make adjustments with the goal of meeting and exceeding the standard set by the original building. This will need to be confirmed by a subsequent blower door test.

The transition from office to open-plan collaborative space allowed for greater use of natural light, and for the reduction of mechanical infrastructure—including fans, which are heavy consumers of electricity.

Transforming Spaces

With its new interior layout, the OAA Headquarters doubles its capacity without increasing its footprint.

Having steadily grown over the last 25 years, the OAA staff of 33 now supports more than 35 member committees, dedicated to improving practice, protecting the public, promoting design excellence, and increasing awareness. The Association also supports students and intern architects, as well as regulating complaints and discipline. The layout of the building was updated to optimize the use of space, including adding moveable walls that increase flexibility in the meeting rooms.

A two-storey atrium and terrace were integral to the original design of the building. The previously underused atrium has been transformed into a café space for staff and members, and doubles as the building’s air displacement system.

The top level surrounding the atrium is devoted to staff work and collaboration areas. Glass walls in atrium-facing collaborative spaces maintain the open, transparent qualities of the original design. The lower level of meeting and conference rooms has been enhanced to today’s standards.

As an employer, the OAA strives to provide an inclusive, safe and healthy workplace that is accessible to all. The staff area has been updated and includes personal workspaces with convertible sitting/standing desks. A variety of open and enclosed collaborative workspaces—in the very high ratio of one collaborative space per four staff—allows for flexibility in types of work and levels of privacy. A robust wireless network and digital phone system allow staff to move freely throughout the building.

The intensification of use in the existing building was critical for controlling the embedded carbon footprint. Existing seating was reused and refurbished when necessary, while new furniture was produced locally by Toronto-based Global Furniture, helping to minimize its embedded carbon footprint.

All meeting rooms are outfitted with video conferencing capabilities, allowing members and volunteers from across Ontario to participate on Committees without having to travel, increasing accessibility for the membership and further reducing the organization’s environmental footprint.

Next Steps

All systems in the OAA Headquarters are continuing to be adjusted during commissioning and with seasonal changes. The National Research Council (NRC) is monitoring the building, and Siemens will also be tracking the systems to help ensure the building meets its 2030 Challenge targets. This information will be shared with the profession, the wider building industry, and the general public as “lessons learned,” demonstrating some ways to address the retrofit of Ontario’s existing building stock.

The month of May will mark the kickoff of a public awareness program around the building, including participation in the 2020 Toronto Doors Open program and an official opening celebration during the OAA Annual Conference. Elementary and secondary school students will be invited to tour the building.

The OAA Headquarters is more than offices and meetings spaces—it is also the public and physical embodiment of architects’ skills and aspirations for the community. The OAA continues to talk about the leadership role architects must play—but its Headquarters speaks even more powerfully, by demonstrating first-hand how existing buildings must be addressed to minimize environmental impacts, improve resiliency, and help ensure a sustainable future.

Kathleen Kurtin, OAA, FRAIC, is the president of the Ontario Association of Architects.

CLIENT Ontario Association of Architects | ARCHITECT David Fujiwara Architect | CONTRACTOR MJ Dixon Construction | MECHANICAL/ELECTRICAL WSP Canada | STRUCTURAL Peter Sheffield & Associates | LIGHTING Gottesman and Associates | INTERIOR LAYOUT CONCEPT Interior Architects | QUANTITY SURVEYOR Turner Townsend | CFO MODELLING WSP Canada, EH Price Industries, Prof. Bernier/Ecole Polytechnic, Transsolar KlimaEngineering | CIVIL Planmac Engineering | DESIGN CHALLENGE National Research Council and Greg Allen, P.Eng. | COMMISSIONING WSP Canada | OAA BUILDING COMMITTEE Kathleen Kurtin, Gord Erskine, Sheena Sharp, Andy Thomson | BUDGET $8.5 M | OCCUPANCY Summer 2019

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The post Going for Zero: OAA Headquarters Retrofit, Toronto, Ontario appeared first on Canadian Architect.

WINNER OF A 2015 CANADIAN ARCHITECT AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

ARCHITECT KANVA (concept architect and architect of record) and NEUF architect(e)s (collaborating architect)

LOCATION Olympic Park, Montreal, Quebec

Montreal’s Biodome was built as a velodrome for the 1976 Olympic Games and was converted into a natural science museum in 1992. The Biodome includes four ecosystems: the Tropical Rainforest, the Laurentian Maple Forest, the St. Lawrence Gulf, and the Sub-Polar Regions. Together, these host over 4,500 animals from 250 different species.

As part of a citywide plan to celebrate Montreal’s 375th anniversary in 2017, the museum last year launched an international competition to renovate the Biodome interior. KANVA and NEUF’s winning entry rethinks the relationship between humankind and nature, and bolsters the centre’s educational mission.

The revitalization strategy treats the existing facility as a living organism. A continuous curved wall fluidly wraps each ecosystem like a skin. Referencing the building’s history of hosting cycling races, the floor-to-ceiling walls sweep through the interior space, serving as a canvas that accompanies visitors through the building’s many pathways and leads them back to a new central hub.

Pure in both form and colour, the white skin isolates the ecosystems and contrasts with the robust concrete architecture of the velodrome. The skin becomes a neutral yet bold intermediary between two important elements—the building and the exhibition zones. The clean membrane invites introspection in the moments between visits to the sensory-stimulating, animal-filled environments.

Within the ecosystems, the new conceptual strategy creates immersive and intimate experiences, bringing more awareness to visitors during their journey. Outside of the ecosystems, the plan reorganizes many
of the public spaces on the main floor, freeing up the grand hall and extending a new central hub to the ceiling. Making use of the Biodome’s height, a mezzanine is added above the redesigned Sub-Polar Regions, framing the impressive ceiling structure and offering new vantage points for visitors and staff. New passages from two of the ecosystems service this mezzanine, allowing visitors a more diversified trajectory and additional points of rest to punctuate their visit.

The skin is made from a textile that can curve and take on many forms, preventing unnecessary demolition of the fragile ecosystems and existing infrastructure, including a newly optimized mechanical system. The textile’s flexibility allows it to occupy residual and awkward spaces, unifying the irregular perimeters of each exhibition. The skin disguises most of the Biodome’s unsightly mechanical equipment, redirecting the visual focus of visitors up to the heritage structure’s luminous skylights.

The system’s thin profile and lightweight structure allow for installation with little noise, keeping disruption to the animals and their environments to a minimum.

In addition to making better use of the velodrome’s skylights, the design celebrates the existing heritage building in several ways. The amphitheatre is relocated along the building’s edge to free up the central hub, and makes use of the velodrome’s original spectator stands for seating. In the newly opened atrium, two concrete staircases from the velodrome become important anchors in the space.

Overall, the scheme offers a comprehensive and multi-disciplinary approach that both enhances the existing heritage building and expands the programmatic functions of the Biodome.

Jury Comments

:: Maxime Frappier :: The challenge that the designers had to face in reorganizing the existing main components was very difficult. Their solution brings a sense of playfulness to circulating around this building. They have chosen a good strategy to create a strong promenade.

:: Pat Hanson :: This project inserts strategically sculpted walls that capture views of the sky like a James Turrell structure, editing what is already present. The intervention is a kind of syncopation as you move through the four exhibits—your sensory experience is completely different when you’re passing through the paired walls. Understood in relationship to the ceiling structure of the existing building, the plan with its extruded walls is quite profound.

:: Johanna Hurme :: There’s a consistency and clarity to the overall approach that adds legibility to the existing piece. It’s a good example of how to intervene with such a specific building. We have many big, iconic buildings across Canada that would benefit from new intervention and reuse strategies with this kind of sensibility.

CLIENT Space for Life (City of Montreal) | ARCHITECT TEAM KANVA—Rami Bebawi, Tudor Radulescu, Minh-Giao Truong, Katrine Rivard, Olga Karpova, Killian O’Connor, Léon Dussault-Gagné, Dina Safonova, Joyce Yam, Dale Byrns, France Moreau, Gabriel Caya, Eloïse Ciesla. Neuf architect(e)s—Azad Chichmanian, Marina Socolova. | STRUCTURAL NCK | MECHANICAL/ELECTRICAL Bouthillette Parizeau | INTERIORS KANVA + Neuf architect(e)s | MUSEOLOGIST Nathalie Matte | SIGNAGE/BRANDING Bruce Mau  | AREA 15,472 m² | BUDGET $13 M | COMPLETION 2017-2018

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Originally built in 1894 on Phillips Square for Henry Birks’s jewellery store, and designed by Montréal architect Edward Maxwell, Birks building underwent numerous modifications and alterations over the years, leading to poor conditions that threatened its preservation. After two years of construction, NEUF architect(e)s remodelled the jewellery store into a boutique hotel.

Hotelier Jean Salette purchased the building in 2016 and lead a team of professionals to transform and restore the building into a luxurious boutique hotel. The renovation includes an elegant French brasserie, all while preserving its original prestige.

Partner architect Anh Le Quang and Marion Thiébaux from NEUF architect(e)s worked with designer Nicole Vekemans to emphasize the character of this historic building.

“Giving new life to this unique landmark that has been part of Montréal’s urban landscape for almost 125 years is an accomplishment we are very proud of. These major restoration efforts not only renew the building’s function but also make it more accessible to the public,” said Marion Thiébaux

The architects sought to conserve existing historical elements while updating the building systems to correct deficiencies. To accommodate the building’s new use, a specialized sprinkler system was installed to preserve the original plaster mouldings adorning the ceiling.

Storefront windows that had been replaced or partially obstructed over time were refurbished, and obsolete mechanical rooms and vaults were converted into a spa.

A previous business office space that occupied the upper floors was converted into 132 hotel rooms, with a two-storey glass volume crowning the building.

Existing columns were carefully integrated into the plans of the room layout giving each space a distinctive quality.

The new restaurant, Henri Brasserie Française, developed by Jean Salette in collaboration with l’Atelier Zébulon Perron, occupies a portion of the ground floor facing the Square.

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Toronto’s largest circulating library re-opens today after a major renovation project. Diamond Schmitt Architects has revitalized the North York Central Library and reprogrammed space to support the delivery of new services to meet the changing needs and expectations of its users. The first phase of renewal comprises three floors of the seven-storey facility, which first opened in 1987.

A new grand staircase greets visitors and frames the existing atrium to improve wayfinding and pedestrian circulation. A major feature is the reconstruction of the children’s department on the ground floor to create a transportation-themed KidsStop, a learning and early literacy centre with interactive and electronic learning stations with features for children with special needs.

The Creation Loft on the second floor includes a Digital Innovation Hub with 3D printing, plus sound and video recording studios and a Fabrication Studio with sewing equipment. “This represents a complete rethinking of how libraries can serve and bring diverse communities together,” said Gary McCluskie, Principal, Diamond Schmitt Architects. “Embracing digital technologies opens a new frontier of learning through content creation, which is a natural next step in the evolution of libraries.”

Throughout the building, the renovation brings more study space, light-filled reading lounges and public meeting rooms. The atrium is activated by the addition of reading space and counters that now line the perimeter on each level, effectively doubling the number of seats in the 168,000-square-foot facility. Glass balustrades and amphitheatre seating on widened staircases serve to both improve orientation and invite exploration deeper into the building.

“The transformation of this well-used community hub is fabulous,” said Vickery Bowles, City Librarian. “We are thrilled to offer these open, airy and welcoming spaces, stunning views, and new services that will enable Toronto Public Library to deliver modern and progressive library service to the residents of Toronto.”

Features to come in the next phase of the North York Central Library renewal include a multi-function space at the concourse level and expanded collaborative spaces and a local history room on the upper floors.

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TEXT Blair Marsden

PHOTO Studio North

When you meet the two principals of Calgary-based design-build firm Studio North, it is immediately apparent that they love what they do. Matthew Kennedy and Mark Erickson are committed to studio practice in ways that many would find daunting. Like many younger practitioners, they’re not afraid to get their hands dirty: to practice, they believe, is to simultaneously create. Engagement in practice is a direct means through which to flush out or frame an idea. Practice is not the mere repetition of something already encoded; there is an element of discovery in the doing.

One of the duo’s favourite projects to date is a series of additions to a bungalow in the inner-city neighbourhood of Albert Park. The firm was graced with a remarkable client as a catalyst—a worldly, 21st century polymath who wanted to adapt his existing 1950s house so that friends, family and work colleagues could visit and sojourn for short periods of time. To this end, Studio North gradually reconfigured and renovated the main floor, basement and garage to create three discrete, compact dwellings that share a common solarium and courtyard.

On the surface, the project is deceptively modest. The centrepiece is the solarium, which includes a terraced deck and integrated planters, filled with low-maintenance plants that can withstand the erratic watering that results from the client’s shifting schedule. A translucent polycarbonate cladding stretches across the walls and ceiling, inviting in diffuse daylight. Adding to the warmth in the winter, a fireplace at the entrance is framed by charred cedar planks. Pebbled areas blur the distinction between indoors and out. It is easy to take in and makes one feel instantly good.

Named Homeaway, the project is one of Kennedy and Erickson’s first building-scale commissions. They see it as a formative gift for their young firm. It allowed them to incubate, recognize and craft fundamental ideas of their studio practice. Working with a sense of mindfulness, they uncovered something profoundly germane and pleasurable in the doing of good work. The project also allowed for them to understand and recognize patterns in how they work best—in particular, they realized the power of substantive client involvement through dialogue. A long series of conversations resulted in the playful column and ceiling beam pattern, based on plant veining—a design that has an inherent structural logic.

Having a client who was highly engaged in the design and who participated in the build made a huge difference. There was both tacit and explicit collaboration built into the project at every level.

While Homeaway was officially completed last summer, the work is still very much in progress. The client and the principals visit regularly, discussing how areas might be tweaked or improved. Kennedy and Erickson have struck a chord with their process and practice at Homeaway. Like the life that springs forth out of the solarium, they have germinated a way of doing things.

Blair Marsden is an architectural technology instructor currently involved in redeveloping the curriculum and pedagogy at SAIT Polytechnic.

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