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When a city burns, people often zoom in on houses, the individual cells that make up the fabric of a community. After the tragic fires in Los Angeles earlier this month, many publications, this one included, published essays, case studies, and guides shedding light on how to fire-proof a house. These guides are crucial tools for people whove lost their homes and for those who will be responsible for rebuilding them. But many experts are arguing that fire-proofing individual houses is not enough. They say we need to fire-proof entire communities.You can almost think of it as a domino effect, says Michael Gollner, an associate professor at UC Berkeleys Fire Research Lab. All it takes is for one house to burst into flames for those flamesor the embers they will produceto set the neighbors house on fire, and the neighbors neighbors houseuntil one by one, the houses end up falling like dominoes.This is what happened in L.A., where the fires recently burned more than40,000 acres, destroyed15,700 structures (including homes, schools, churches, synagogues, and various architectural gems), anddisplaced nearly 200,000 people who found themselves under evacuation orders.L.A. is not the first city to be ravaged by a wildfire, and tragic as it is, it will not be the last. Over the course of 2024, average global temperatures rose above 1.5 Celsius. This means that extreme weather events that are exacerbated by climate changelike wildfires, flash floods, and hurricanesare likely to occur more frequently, and with more intensity. If officials seize the opportunity, however, Los Angeles could become a model of resilience and provide a blueprint for a wildfire-adapted city of the future.An aerial image taken on January 25, 2025 shows homes damaged and destroyed by the Palisades Fire in Los Angeles. [Photo: Patrick T. Fallon/AFP/Getty Images]The anatomy of a fire-adapted communityThere is no silver bullet for a fire-adapted city. Every city faces unique challenges that stem from its geographical location, topographical features, or economic constraints, and building a fire-adapted community requires a multifaceted, ever-evolving approach. As the U.S. Department of Agriculture notes on its website: A community doesnt achieve fire adapted community status or certification because the work to reduce wildfire risk never ends.But a few facts remain universal. First: There is no fire without fuel, and cities are practically mines of combustible materials. There are the obvious contendersgasoline-powered cars, wooden bungalows, dry vegetation. There are also the less obvious: palm trees (their dead fronds near the top are highly flammable) and juniper trees (they contain volatile oils). And perhaps the least obvious: highly flammable couchesmade of polyester fabric and polyurethane foam, aka plastic.The second point is a logical extension of the first: When fire is starved of fuel, it is easier to extinguish. In practical terms, a fire-adapted community is one that understands the value of buffers. These include hardscapes, nonflammable barriers like tall stucco walls, and landscapes that can be heavily irrigated in anticipation of a wildfire.The solution isnt to rip out all the trees, or to stop planting new ones. Trees play a crucial role in reducing the urban heat island effect that often chokes urban environments. They also provide shade and oxygen.A better option, according to Gollner, would be for city planners and landscape designers to follow a hopscotch pattern when rebuilding. You can have islands of trees and vegetation, but they need to be isolated, Gollner explains. When vegetation is isolated, fires can still start, but firefighters will have a better chance at containing isolated fires.Architect Michael Kovac points to his house, which survived the Palisades Fire due to fire-resilient features used in its construction. [Photo: Frederic J. Brown/AFP/Getty Images]The sprawl problemThe problem is that L.A. wasnt built with buffers in mind. While the city has a vast footprint, its buildable land is ultimately finite. Urban infilldeveloping vacant or underutilized land within the citycould be a solution to accommodate growth without expanding outward. But almost 80% of Los Angeles today iszoned exclusively for single-family homes, preventing the construction of multiunit housing in these areas.As a result, when demand for housing rises, new development ends up being pushed farther out to the edges of the cityand closer to what is known as the wildland urban interface zone. This zone (which encompasses both Altadena and the Pacific Palisades) is more vulnerable to wildfires.Over the years, many experts have argued that L.A. should rezone and built up, not out. But Gollnera self-described realistis reticent of such a radical approach. Were not going to cancel the sprawl. I dont see any shift in public sentiment thats going to change it, he says, adding, Instead, I want to focus on rebuilding it in a more resilient way so that this isnt going to happen again.One answer might be to create what Justin Hollander, a professor of urban and environmental policy and planning at Tufts University, has called new townsa kind of zoning overlay that stipulates a number of requirements for the developer of a new neighborhood. Unlike single-family zoning, which dictates how individual lots are to be used on a large parcel of land, an overlay would establish comprehensive requirements for the development of an entire community, including reliable public transit, safe pedestrian and bike paths, well-planned roadways, essential utilities, and community-wide fire-resistant features like buffers, appropriate landscapes, and so on. Hollander explains this zoning overlay would exist simultaneously with the underlying zoning while introducing new opportunities or restrictions.An approach like Hollanders might also encourage broader, interconnected thinking, discouraging planners and developers from addressing one disaster while inadvertently exacerbating another (like building wider evacuation roads, which improve fire access but can increase erosion and runoff, making mudslides more likely). When you work too hard to solve a single problem, that myopic viewpoint ends up detracting from holistic problem-solving, Hollander says.Today, Altadena operates under its own set of zoning and development rules, outlined in Title 22Planning and Zoning of the Los Angeles County Code.Hollander explains that Altadena would have to amend the rules to allow for new towns to be built by right, meaning developers wouldnt have to go through lengthy approval processes or seek special permits. Then the county would have to approve the modifications.As Hollander envisions it, overlay zoning would provide the community with a tool to guide the reconstruction of Altadena that isnt based on a lot-by-lot model of zoning, but on a larger area that would consider fire risks at a neighborhood level. Each individual property owner can not realistically account for all of these considerations, but a master planner could, he says.The process may seem administratively arduous, but it would pave the way for an intentionally designed community that is more connected, more walkable, and more resilient than it was before.The Malibu home of Nancy and Jim Evans (photographed on January 14, 2025) survived the Palisades Fire even though many neighboring homes didnt. After the previous house on the same lot burned down in a 1993 wildfire, Evans built a fire-resilient structure with a metal roof, steel-reinforced walls with cinderblock at the bottom, double-paned windows, and 6 feet of stone encircling the house, clear of vegetation. The rest of the yard is landscaped with fire-resilient succulents and oak trees. [Photo: Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images]The seeds of a resilient communityAlready, Los Angeles has set up special parking restrictions banning street parking on narrow roads, sharp curves, and key intersections when high winds signal fire danger.Local governments in the L.A. region have also adopteddefensible space rulesthat require property owners to clear away flammable vegetation and materials from their property to reduce fire risk. However, the ordinance applies only to houses in a so-called Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone.In 2020, state lawmakers passed a more aggressive, more restrictive fireproofing measure that specifically targets the first 5 feet around a home and bars things like brush and mulch, but also wooden fencing, furniture, and sheds. The bills aim is to create an ember-resistant zone within 5 feet of a house, which is known as Zone 0, but it has faced pushback and still hasnt been implemented. No one wants to cut down their petunias or juniper gasoline can next to their window, says Gollner, though such changes can make a real difference.What you do affects your neighbor, and your neighbors neighbor.California also has one of the countrys most stringent building codes. Chapter 7A of the building code passed in 2008 mandates fire-resistant siding, tempered glass, vegetation management, and vents for attics and crawl spaces that are specially designed to prevent embers from flying in.According to a 2021 study, the new building code has proven to reduce average structure loss risk during a wildfire by 40%. But the building code applies only to new homes. And in both Altadena and the Pacific Palisades, where the biggest fires occurred, the majority of the housing stock was built before Chapter 7A went into effect.Now vast swaths of these neighborhoods have been reduced to ashes, and anything that gets rebuilt will have to adhere to Chapter 7A. It is a painfully, unthinkably overwhelming situation. But as Gollner points out, it is also an opportunity to make a change for the future.

You know what I miss? Listening to the radio.Ive always loved background music, which helps me focus. But modern music-streaming services can be distracting.Yes, I enjoy having instant access to millions of songs with services like Spotify. But I find myself constantly fiddlingsearching for the next song, hitting the forward button, and choosing new playlists.Radio stations are a great alternative. You just hit the play button, and someone else makes the decisions.Now, of course, Spotify and other such services offer radio-station-like options of their own. But theres always that next track button tempting you to skip around. Plus, these options still dont have that human touch.Thats why I was so excited to find this classic-seeming radio gemwith a decidedly modern twist.Unearth all sorts of incredible tech treasures with my free Cool Tools newsletter from The Intelligence. An eye-opening new discovery in your inbox every Wednesday!So long, Spotifyhello, Radio Garden Meet Radio Garden, a free website with apps available for Android and iPhone. It marries a Google-Earth-style globe interface with streaming-radio audio.With that one-two punch, Radio Garden helps you find and listen to radio stations from all over the world. A few quick clicks is all it takes to zoom into any city and start listening to its local stations. You can also browse and search for individual stations if theres something specific youre looking to find.Its a powerful Spotify alternative, and the exact experience you have will depend in large part on the specific station or stations you pick. For instance, many stations are terrestrial radio stations, which means theyll have ads. But you can find quite a few curated radio stations that are ad-free, too.Popping down to Miami, I found Chilltraxa popular online-only channel thats ad-free, independently owned and operated, and staffed by actual humans who are passionate about the music theyre playing.Moving from there to San Francisco, I discovered SomaFMs classic Groove Salad stationalso free from any and all commercials. I was listening to that ambient station 20 years ago, so it was a nice surprise to see that its still up and running and available now here.Those are great for focused work, but theres so much you can explore within Radio Gardens virtual walls. You could:Find a random city far away from you and listen to its regular radio stations for a bit of local flavor.Browse stations by genre and find something that fits your taste or current mood to play in the background.Create a list of your favorite stations to come back to.Or just listen to your own citys local radio stations right on the Radio Garden website or app.Listen on the goRadio Garden is available on any device youre usingon the web, for a computer, or via its official Android or iPhone apps on mobile.The service itself is completely free. It does insert a few visual ads, but it doesnt add in any audio advertising or other stream interruptions. (You can remove those visual ads with a $25-a-year premium subscription, if you want.)Radio Garden doesnt collect much personal data, either. It doesnt even require an account or any sort of sign-in.Speaking of free, keep the tech treasures flowing with my Cool Tools newsletter. Youll get a single new off-the-beaten-path gem like this in your inbox every Wednesday!

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Kingman Brewsters Eel Brook House is one of several contemporary contributions to the small town of Fogo Island, Newfoundland, that have appeared subsequent to the successful establishment of the Fogo Island Inn, seen in the distance to the right. Photo by Julian ParkinsonPROJECT Eel Brook House, Fogo Island, NewfoundlandDESIGNER Kingman Brewster StudioTEXT Michael CarrollPHOTOS Alex Fradkin, unless otherwise notedDesigned by Todd Saunders with Sheppard Case Architects, the Fogo Island Inn recently marked a significant milestoneits tenth anniversary. Over the past decade, both the Inn and Fogo Island Arts have become integral to the cultural, economic, and environmental fabric of this remote island (population 2,700) off the northeast coast of Newfoundland. Given that my familys saltbox summer home is in Notre Dame Bay, about 15 nautical miles from Fogo, Ive had the privilege of visiting the island on numerous occasions and observing how contemporary architecture has come to shape this place.The Eel Brook House opens towards the shoreline, where its central structure is supported directly on the exposed bedrock. In contrast, glazing is limited on the street side to maintain privacy. Photo by Alex FradkinThe Fogo Island project, spearheaded by Newfoundland native Zita Cobbs Shorefast Foundation, has been transformative, injecting new life into the islands economy and spurring real estate development. Its model is not dissimilar to other global examples where remote locations have embraced the arts and tourism to fuel redevelopment. Marfa, Texas, and Naoshima Island in Japan come to mind as places that I have visited and have also redefined themselves through the intersection of art, culture, and isolation.Marfa, once a sleepy military base near the U.S.-Mexico border, is now an internationally recognized art destination, largely thanks to the 1996 establishment of the Donald Judd Foundation. The townwith its minimalist galleries, art installations, and hotelshas attracted a creative community that has turned Marfa into a vibrant art colony. Similarly, Naoshima Island, located in the Seto Inland Sea of Japan, has evolved into a cultural hub, transformed from an industrial centre known for copper smelting, shipbuilding, and salt production. Home to just over 3,000 residents, Naoshima has drawn global attention with 10 projects by Tadao Andoincluding the Benesse House art museum, Chichu Art Museum, and the upcoming Naoshima New Museum of Art. Together, these have made the island an architectural and cultural mecca.Fogo Island, like Marfa and Naoshima, exists at the crossroads of the local and the global, the remote and the proximate, the vernacular and the contemporary. Tensions inevitably arise as locals and outsiders interact with the islands distinct geography and culture, while the architecturerooted in tradition, but designed with an eye to the futureacts as a mediator in this evolving dynamic.Over the past several decades, rural Newfoundland has experienced profound changes. Many small outport villages, once thriving with local stores, post offices, small restaurants, gas stations and the like, have dwindled or disappeared altogether. In their place, larger urban centres with suburban box stores have grown. While Fogo Island has experienced some of this broader rural decline, the opening of the Inn and its associated cultural and commercial developments initially spurred hope for renewal. However, in recent years, some businesses that flourished in the Inns wake have closed. For J.K. Contemporary, the designer transformed a historic schoolhouse into a distinctly sculptural presence. Photo courtesy Kingman BrewsterFor J.K. Contemporary, the designer transformed a historic schoolhouse into a distinctly sculptural presence. Photo courtesy Kingman BrewsterOn a trip to Fogo last summer, it was thus a delight to see several new developments on the island. All three projects that caught my eyethe J.K. Contemporary Gallery, the Bangbelly Bistro, and the Eel Brook Housewere authored by a new local designer, Kingman Brewster.Brewster, who studied at Yale and Dalhousie University, moved from New York City to Fogo over a decade ago. As an architectural consultant to Shorefast, he led the design and construction of several key projects on the island. After Shorefasts completion of the Orange Lodge, Fishingmans Hall, and Punt Premises, he decided to continue to live on Fogo with his growing family, and establish a practice here.The J.K. Contemporary is a discrete 24-foot cubic structure with a gable roof, perched on a rocky mount of land. The structure was originally built in 1840 as the St. George Anglican School; its renovation has transformed it into a distinctly contemporary building. From the road, the gallery appears as a looming sculptural structure, with its spruce clapboard walls painted black. The structure opens towards the west with a generous entry area and exterior deck. The east and west end gable walls are each punctuated with a porthole windowa feature that echoes historic local buildingsallowing shafts of sunlight to enter the tall gallery space.Bangbelly Bistro repurposes an existing building. Photo courtesy Kingman BrewsterThe Bangbelly Bistro is named after a Newfoundland boiled pudding consisting of flour, molasses, soda, and seal-fat. It was founded by Ian Sheridan and Caitlyn Terry, who met working at the Fogo Island Inn. The restaurant, which occupies a renovated existing building, first opened in 2018, and has since expanded to include a take-out venue. The renovation features a large open room clad in white-painted wood boards, and adorned with a curated array of objects that create a contemporary yet historic atmosphere.Eel Brook Houses composition is inspired by traditional Newfoundland homesteads composed of a main house with several outbuildings. Photo by Julian ParkinsonThe most architectural of Kingmans body of work to-date is the Eel Brook House. Situated along the main road of Joe Batts Arm, it adjoins a small stream that empties into the nearby harbour. The projects owners, a professional couple from Boston, had visited the Fogo Island Inn on several occasions and had subsequently developed a deep connection to the people, the culture, and the rugged geography of the island. Inspired by the design of the Fogo Island Inn and studios, the couple commissioned Brewster to design them a home that would be both contemporary and contextual. The result is a structure composed of three pavilions, connected by two enclosed walkways and a wraparound deck.The home is inspired by traditional Newfoundland homesteads that were sometimes comprised of a main house and a series of outbuildings that included a store house, a wood house, an outhouse, and even a milk house where perishable items would be stored. In Kingmans scheme, the east-most element is the biscuit boxa two-storey, rectangular 17x 24 structure that contains a ground floor guest room, bathroom and utility room with a second-floor primary bedroom and ensuite bath. The centre stage structure, measuring 16 x 40, contains a large open room with expansive windows and sliding glass doors, allowing access to an expansive cedar deck, and views to the harbour and the North Atlantic beyond, where icebergs from Greenland are often sighted in the spring. This public room includes a kitchen, dining and living area. Built-in cabinetry along the entire south wall of the room includes a fireplace with sheet metal surround.A salvaged barn door seals off a square-plan meditation room from the rest of the home. Photo by Alex FradkinThe third component of the house is the shedan 11 x 11 meditation and exercise room, one step down from a connecting bridge. It features a locally salvaged barn door mounted on a rolling track. When the door is closed, the room becomes cozily insular and removed from the rest of the house. Formally, it is the most experimental of the pavilions: with its flat roof, two small square windows facing the street, and a large, fixed glass unit facing the harbour. One can imagine the magical quality of this room during a storm, with the sea on the horizonor the drama of an aurora borealis, seen from both its windows and large overhead skylight.Interior connections link between the pavilion-like volumes, while giving access to outdoor decks. Photo by Alex FradkinGiven the projects proximity to the street, it feels very private upon entry. Openings along the street side have been limited to 30 square windows, and the two glass-lined bridges that connect the pavilions have been angled obliquely to limit any direct views inside. The houses thermal and acoustic insulation is ensured by its triple-glazed Schco windows and its R-60 super-insulated walls. The exteriors rainscreen, sourced from UAB Degmeda in Lithuania, is composed of shou-sugi-ban-style vertical spruce cladding mounted on battens. The fire-tempered boards meet the roof eaves cleanly, while zero-detailed window surrounds and minimalist exterior railings also contribute to an abstracted form that subtly contrasts with the local vernacular.The living area offers views to the harbour and the North Atlantic beyond. Photo by Alex FradkinIt is refreshing to think that, even in this remote part of the world, contemporary architecture is part of what makes a place feel grounded and real. Remote places like Fogo, Marfa and Naoshima and their effects remind us that architecture can play a significant role in how we perceive and shape a place. If anything, the various architectural projects on Fogo Island are not merely about buildingsbut represent a dialogue about culture, community, and balancing local authenticity with global influences in an increasingly homogenized world. In this desire to seek out places that inspire, it is not surprising that two of Brewsters most recent potential clients come fromwhere else but Marfa, Texas. Just when you think you are in the middle of nowhere, the outside world comes knocking at your door.Michael Carroll, NLAA is a registered Canadian architect based in Atlanta, where he is an Associate Professor of Architecture at Kennesaw State University.CLIENT Janetta Stringfellow and Eric Schwartz | DESIGNER Kingman Brewster | INTERIORS Kingman Brewster Studio | CONTRACTORTriple T Construction | AREA174 m2 | BUDGET Withheld | COMPLETION Spring 2023ENERGY USE INTENSITY (PROJECTED, SEASONAL USE) 35 kWh/m2/year | WATER USE INTENSITY (PROJECTED, SEASONAL USE) 0.3 m3/m2/yearAs appeared in theFebruary 2025issue of Canadian Architect magazine The post The Fogo Island Effect appeared first on Canadian Architect.

Douglas Cardinals design, intended to provide a studio for a composer, is a spiral palisade made of vertical logs.The geometry shuts out external sound, and the space is often used by writers who appreciate its areas for concentration. Photo by Rita TaylorThe Leighton Artist Studios (originally the Leighton Artists Colony) at Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity stands as a rare example of architecturally designed artist studios within a public institution. Opened in 1985, the original commission consisted of eight standalone studios, each designed by a different architect, and included retreats for writers, composers and visual artists. (Two additional studios were later added, one in 1988 and the other in 2009.) Forty years later, they remain actively used, and offer a vital exploration of how architecture can nurture the creative work of artists.In 1983, at the height of a global recession, Banff Centre circulated a call for proposals among a prominent long-list of architects across Canada, soliciting sensitive architectural solutions to the problem of designing a workspace which facilitates the creative processes of other artists. Banff Centre leadership encouraged design concepts that were innovative and expressive, in addition to being functional and meeting the challenges of this unique site.The architects selected for the commission were a veritable whos who: Douglas Cardinal (Edmonton), Ian Davidson (Vancouver), Michael Evamy (Calgary), Guy Grin-Lajoie (Montreal), Peter Hemingway (Vancouver), Richard Henriquez (Vancouver), Ron Thom (Toronto), and Fred Valentine (Calgary). The group of studios they crafted would be named to honour David and Peggy Leighton. David Leighton was President of Banff Centre from 1970 to 1982. Together, they were a remarkable couple credited with turning Banff Centre into a year-round, world-class institution. As architectural critic Stephanie White commented at the time, the assigning of eight small buildings on one site to eight separate architects was highly untraditional but it demonstrated Banff Centres commitment to respecting individual creativity and human need. She noted further, usually the need for buildings is perceived, but not the need for architecture, remarking upon the design consideration given to the commissioning of these studios.The circular Hemingway Studio offers a place of focus for writers. Photo by Donald LeeWriters retreatsThe Leighton Artist Studios are set away from the more bustling areas of the Banff Centre campus in a secluded, forested area, entered by way of a simple timber-and-concrete footbridge designed by artist Les Manning (c.1985, rebuilt in 2023). As a group of buildings, each studio is distinctive, but they appear cohesive as a group of small-scale, mostly wood constructions.The design of the studios provides a snapshot of Canadian architecture at the time, and especially the influence of postmodernism. The studios reference an eclectic array of places and objects that communicate a concept of retreat, nodding to the cabin, lakehouse, cathedral, boat, and mountain, as well as to seashells and crystals. Even within their modest footprintsvarying from 300 square feet for a writers studio to 600 square feet for a visual arts studioeach studio delineates spaces of pause, spaces of movement, spaces for the imagination. The designs are not simply concerned with housing technical and material processes, but prioritize ideas of artistic labour that involve the mind, imagination and spirit. As a group, the studios explore and validate the solitary, behind-the-scenes processes that underlie much creative work.For example, the circular floorplan of the Hemingway Studio, designed for writers, provides an elegant sense of containment and focus. Writers working in this studio comment on how the loftiness of the conical ceiling above the primary workspace invites a heightened sense of thought, supporting concentration. A private outdoor deck offers a serene space for reading and contemplation. The kitchen and washroom amenities buffer noise from the entry side of the studio, creating a sense of threshold and providing privacy.The Evamy Studios dynamic prismatic geometry reflects the varied stages of the creative process. Photo by Rita TaylorMichael Evamys drawing for the east elevation of his studio, designed for a writer. Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity archivesThe Evamy Studio, also designed for a writer, is one of the more ambitiousand eccentricdesigns. From the front elevation, the studio appears as a modest cabin. But the interior experience is one of being inside a glass crystal, with a complex prismatic roof arrayed with skylights. Angled windows positioned above and around the artists workspace create an immersive experience of the forestthe space is anchored to the ground, yet open to the sky and sheltered by the trees. In a subtle way, the glazing organizes the studio interior, providing space for the many possible moods of the artistfrom stillness and respite, to restlessness, curiosity and wonderechoing different aspects of the creative process.The Henriquez Studio occupies a converted boat. Photo by Rita TaylorBy contrast, the Henriquez Studio, also a writers studio, is a restored and re-purposed fishing boat mounted on a wooden cradle, with a pitched acrylic roof overhead. It is an idiosyncratic found object, re-framed as architecture and presented in such a way as to offer novelty and inspiration. While the physical dimensions of the boat are constrained, this studio offers space for imagination: windows above the custom writing bench offer a sense of openness and possibility, a pull-out bunk opposite a small galley invites the writer to recline and read or dream. Deck chairs offer space in the sun.Each of these writers studios deploys very different strategies to slow time, deter distraction, and support focus. Their interior furnishings regulate postures of the artists body at work, typically prioritizing various modes of sitting: on an office chair, couch or deckchair; working with eyes down or eyes straight ahead. Windows and skylights mediate the artists relationship to the outside world; natural light contributes towards creating atmospheres that suggest a frame of mind.Douglas Cardinals design, intended to provide a studio for a composer, is a spiral palisade made of vertical logs.The geometry shuts out external sound, and the space is often used by writers who appreciate its areas for concentration. Photo by Rita TaylorCardinal Studio, plan. Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity archivesThe Cardinal Studio was intended for a composer, but is often used by writers. It takes the form of a spiral palisade constructed of heavy vertical logs. It is almost entirely enclosed, save for southwest-facing, full-height windows providing views and light. Conceptually, the spiral form of the studio refers to a seashell, an introverted design that shuts out external noise and disperses internal sounds. However, this studio also has the feeling of a sweatlodge with its single-wide entry and sense of weighty enclosure. While Douglas Cardinal, the only Indigenous architect included in the commission, did not name the sweatlodge in his design, his unique vision and approach produces an almost cave-like interior experience, oriented towards the setting sun and protected from the harsh cold of the winters. Cardinals studio offers a counterpoint to the cabin-like, post-and-beam designs that are more prevalent among the Leighton Studios.The Thom Studio includes north-facing skylights. Photo by Rita TaylorPainters lightA common theme throughout the architecture is the prioritization of introversion and privacy as necessary for an artist to be immersed in their work. Each studio is self-contained, with kitchenette and washroom. (Artists do not sleep in these studios; accommodations are provided elsewhere on campus). The main doors, windows and patios to each of the studios are oriented to face away from one anotherand away from the main path through the sitefurther signaling withdrawal and retreat. The luxury of solitude combined with the quietness of nature creates spaces conducive to focused workspaces that allow the mind and imagination to flow freely without intrusion, distraction, judgement, or the pressure to present.Two visual arts studios elaborate on these ideas. The Gerin-Lajoie Studio, with its high roofline that echoes the angles of nearby Rundle Mountain, is a relatively spacious studio whose design and layout anticipates use by a painter. A long wall with east-facing skylights provides an obvious vertical surface for canvas painting at large scale. A seating area opposite, beneath a picture window, provides light and viewing distance to step back, sit down and contemplate the days work. Although few visual artists today maintain a painting practice in the way that the architecture of this studio implies, the generous spatial volume and controlled light accommodates a range of visual arts and inter-disciplinary practices.The Thom Studio, which draws on the typology of a lakehouse, also proves itself as an enduring studio design for visual artists, providing long walls and skylights for indirect north light. Its square floorplan allows flexibility for visual artists to organize the space in accordance with the needs of their practice, whether they are working across vertical and horizontal surfaces or three-dimensionally, with sufficient viewing distance to assess works in progress. It also offers a feeling of centredness and stability, conducive to long periods of concentrated work. The understated interior arrangement of this studio maximizes studio space, with a narrow kitchenette and washroom at the front, and glass doors leading onto a small private porch at back, facing a narrow ravine where deer and elk often find shelter.An overall view of the Leighton Studios, with the Valentine Studio in the foreground. Photo by Rita TaylorComposers studiosTwo studios designed for composers complete the architectural commission. The Davidson Studio, with a small enclosed vestibule on the north side of the building, is organized on a diagonal, directing users of this studio towards framed views. It organizes amenities at the points of a star-shaped plan, maximizing floor space and providing flexibility of use. An offset entry vestibule adds to a sense of privacy, separating the main space of the studio from the front door.The Valentine Studio, also for a composer or musician, nods to a larger Fred Valentine-designed building on campus that was designed almost concurrentlythe Jeanne and Peter Lougheed building, opened in 1988, housing Banff Centres new media studios and production facilities. Both of these buildings draw on the typology of a cathedral, with a gabled roofline supported by trusses and featuring clerestory windows. While the larger building includes studios and production facilities arranged over three floors around a central enclosed walkway, the Valentine Studio is organized along a nave and transept arrangement. The apse area of the cathedral-like plan is enclosed by floor-to-ceiling windows and comprises the primary workspace for the artist. This studio would seem to make a spiritual analogy between the idea of a church and the nature of an artists work, indicative of the reverence with which these studios were designed as special places for creative work.Building for creativity, building for the futureWhat is common to each of these designs is a sensitivity and attunement to the introverted, mind-focused, idea-based nature of creative work, and thereby the need for spaces that support both concentration and inspiration. Each architect has brought their personality and creative expression to the interpretation of the brief, offering distinct ideas about what an artist is and the specific conditions that would nurture their work.Sometimes these interpretations are limiting, but they reflect prevailing ideas and biases of the time. For example, it is necessary to point out the predominantly white, male view of art and architecture embodied by these buildingswhereas the majority of todays participants in Leighton Studio programs are women, and increasingly, Indigenous and racialized women who juggle simultaneously a range of artistic, professional and care-giving responsibilities. Also notable is the lack of discourse at the time about ideas of place and place-based typologiesmany of the architectural concepts presented in these designs refer to places other than Banff. The fields of art and architecture have changed in the past 40 years, and continue to need to change.All the sameand given that artists are increasingly working at their kitchen tables or sharing studio spaces in contexts of increasing rental precaritythe Leighton Artist Studios refer to an understanding and valuing of what artists do, and the conditions needed to support creative work. A residency in one of these studios continues to be a deeply validating experience for artists, providing them with the space, time and solitude necessary to be fully immersed in their work, and to realize their creative potential.Haema Sivanesan is Director, Leighton Artist Studios and Program Partnerships at Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity.As appeared in theFebruary 2025issue of Canadian Architect magazine The post Forty Years On: The Leighton Artist Studios appeared first on Canadian Architect.

In 2008, Mortis Ghost made a game with his friend, composer Alias Conrad Coldwood. It was a surreal roleplaying game about a baseball player fighting ghosts called Off. He shared it for free on a French-speaking forum, where it garnered a small audience. One player was a French artist who was inspired to make a piece of fan art, which she shared with her then-girlfriend. I was very intrigued, says Quinn K, now a writer and game developer. At the time, she was a 15-year-old living in Austria who had no idea how influential Off would be for her, nor she for Off.After beating the game, K lay awake at night thinking about the ending. Something had gotten its hooks in me, she says. Wanting to show it to more friends, she resolved to translate the game from French to English neither of which were her first language. I wasnt the right person for the job, she says. I was just the person that did it.Fan translation for games is often a tricky process, not just because of linguistics but also technical limitations and potential copyright claims by the original developers. But K knew it was possible to make her version work because there was already a partial translation, and when she contacted Ghost, he gave his approval. With the help of some friends in proofreading and asset creation, she put together a translation of the 10-ish-hour RPG by 2011. She posted it on the forums for a website called Starmen.net, which was popular among fans of the Mother / EarthBound series. K was partially inspired by a Mother 3 translation, and other Mother fans quickly connected with the similar vibes in Off. After the initial release, K put out an improved version in 2012. By 2013, Off was an astonishing success, says Ghost, with users who discovered it on the Starmen forums spreading it via fan creations like art and cosplay to DeviantArt and Tumblr. On the latter, it was the sixth-most-talked-about game of the year, behind major franchises like Pokmon, Animal Crossing, Kingdom Hearts, The Legend of Zelda, and Mass Effect. Unlike those established hits, Off was free, spread only through word of mouth, and was still clearly finding a devoted audience.Despite its popularity, K was aware that the translation wasnt perfect. A lot of people rip [it], and I get why, she says. It was full of very severe flaws, just born from the fact that Im neither an English native speaker nor a French native speaker. So it was possible to make mistakes in both languages. There were also other fans making their own translations or patches that added to Ks work. One of these, released in 2017 by artist Lady Saytenn, added an option for the batter to be referred to with they / them pronouns.It was full of very severe flawsThat inspired me so much, says K. Having had a few years of space from Off, and having improved in both English and French as well as grown a bit wiser as a person, she embarked on making a third version of her translation. This time, she collaborated directly with Lady Saytenn, as well as another artist who created image assets, Rosie Brewster.K categorizes the second translation as the one that most millennials have played, while the third reached a younger wave of fans. K says that she was actually surprised to find that many people who encountered Off through the third translation hold it in high regard because back when it first came out, that translation was not particularly popular.Some changes were straightforward, like correcting pop culture references that K had been unaware of, as well as an error where she had interpreted the French word femme as wife, rather than woman. It can mean either, but Ks choice changed the implication of a key line, and Ghost let her know it wasnt what he originally intended.Image: FangamerHowever, some fans felt that the newest translation was overly sanitized; K says she deliberately made some characters a little less crass since a big sign of an inexperienced translator is swearing a lot. She also removed an instance of the R-slur, which upset some edgy people. More nuanced was the shift to clearer language and a tendency to stick more closely to the original lines. The 2.0 translation had been vague and sometimes confusing in a way that players appreciated; it seemed to reflect the atmosphere of the game. The little weirdnesses [in the 2.0 translation] really twist the knife on how strange and off putting the world of the game is, says K.Im excited to rediscover the game.But some of that was down to Ks imperfect French and English, so in the third version, she chose to clarify some lines, leading some players to feel that she had removed an aspect of whimsy and poetry that they had actually enjoyed. These are tensions inherent to the act of translation, which is always adaptive. Now that Off is getting an official remaster, there will be a fourth version later this year, and its not clear how theyll balance clarity and atmosphere, as well as its own adaptation, with Ks. The announcement was careful to acknowledge Ks work and says that the remaster will be based on Ks translation. Shes also been paid for what was once years of fan labor. But it does seem that the script is in the process of being readapted by professional localizers. (Publisher Fangamer did not respond to requests for confirmation.)For K, the readaptation is a good thing. The one thing I can say from everything Ive seen of their updated version of the translation is theyve improved it in every conceivable way, she says. Im excited to rediscover the game.Image: FangamerOn the other hand, its a strange feeling to be most well known for the work that you did on somebody elses work, says K, who has made several of her own games and is now working on Blanksword, a roguelike RPG very strongly inspired by Off. Ghost, too, says hes changed a lot in the 17 years since Offs original release. I am of course very proud to have produced a game that has touched so many people, but I think that the game now belongs much more to the community, he says. He is currently working on a new game called Help.The remake wont just feature an improved script but will also have updated combat mechanics, new animations, and some additional content written by Ghost. The goal was to completely preserve the original atmosphere, while polishing everything that could be [polished], he says. As with all remakes, this will be a difficult balancing act; adding in the complex adaptive work of translation, there will always be divided opinions over which of the now four major versions is the best.But Ks efforts undeniably made Off what it is today, and the remake acknowledging and building on that history is a rare step in an industry where fan translations are usually unacknowledged at best and taken down at worst.See More: