Left to right: Rosanne Dub, vice president, workplace environmentandRaphalle Parenteau, director, workplace environment. Photo credit: dificadifica, a firm active across all sectors of the built environment, has announced the appointment of Rosanne Dub as vice president, workplace environment, and Raphalle Parenteau as director, workplace environment.difica is a collective of more than 140 architects, urban planners, interior designers, engineers, and other built environment professionals, with work throughout North America and internationally.With almost 30 years of experience, including 13 years at Gensler, Dub brings a strategic vision to workplace and corporate environment consulting, aligning client objectives with workplace planning strategies.As vice president, Dub will embody the strategic vision of workplace and corporate environment consulting services. Her experience and understanding of various business sectors, both public and private, will allow her to grasp project-specific challenges quickly and deliver valuable workplace strategies.Since joining difica, I have had the privilege of working alongside incredibly creative and knowledgeable teams. Together, we are pushing boundaries to design innovative and sustainable spaces that reflect dificas commitment to excellence, organizational success, and the human experience, said Dub.Parenteau, an interior designer, strategist, and seasoned practitioner with almost 20 years of experience, combines private practice expertise with academic contributions. She also plays a key role in defining project directions and maintains a commitment to budgets, timelines, and quality standards.As director of workplace environments, Parenteau will oversee all project phases, leading a team of designers, project managers, technicians, and other specialists. She will also ensure the integration of additional cross-disciplinary expertise whenever needed.At the heart of architecture are people. At difica, our success comes from the quality of relationships we build with our clients and collaborators. Driven by the desire to make a positive impact on our community, we believe that together, we can achieve great things, said Parenteau.The post difica promotes female leadership in design and innovation appeared first on Canadian Architect.

Bentway Islands Site (Photo credit: Brandon Ferguson)The Bentway, with partners Gehl and researchers from the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, released a report that revealed the essential role public spaces play in fostering mental health and social connections.The report, called Rx For Social Connection, is centred around learnings from The Bentways 2024 Softer City program of art and social events, and draws on perspectives and onsite observations from public space operators, urban strategists, public health practitioners, artists, and designers.In a previous report, Toronto was named the loneliest city in Canada, with 43 per cent of Toronto residents reporting that they never see their neighbours and 37 per cent feeling lonely at least three times a week.The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared loneliness to be a global health threat. A lack of social connection is as detrimental for ones health as smoking, and is worse than factors such as alcohol, and air pollution. Lonely people are also at higher risk for dementia, heart attacks, and strokes.Our new research reveals that thoughtfully designed public spaces, like The Bentway, are unsung heroes in the work of building healthier communities. These vibrant hubs arent just places to gathertheyre powerful public health tools that can help reverse troubling health trends, said Dr. Kate Mulligan of the University of Torontos Dalla Lana School of Public Health. The work shows cities and health professionals worldwide that great urban design can be a prescription for better well-being.In 2024, the majority of Bentway visitors reported that spending time onsite made them feel healthier. A total of 71 per cent said this related to their physical health, 62 per cent for their mental health, and 64 per cent said they felt more socially connected. Most visitors, or 67 per cent, engaged with one another during their visit, 48 per cent of visitors were children, youth, or seniors, compared to just 20 per cent in nearby neighbourhood populations.The study also found that areas of the Bentway with public art were stickier spaces and supported longer stays and enhanced social interactions.Seating and natural features create the necessary conditions for connections while landscaping and well-planned and accessible programming serve as intentional invitations to community members.We are happy that our work at The Bentway can serve as a case study for this research proving how important public spaces are for our collective wellbeing, said Ilana Altman, co-executive director of The Bentway. Its time to recognize that our parks, squares, sidewalks, and trails are not just places for leisure and recreation, but indeed vital parts of our health ecosystem. Strong communities, and the social connections we all need, are built in public space.While cities have become more challenging places to live, revaluing public spaces as important health resources can begin to reverse trends of isolation while creating more compassionate and connected cities.The post Report reveals public spaces such as The Bentway important for mental health appeared first on Canadian Architect.

Several opportunities are currently available for architecture students or emerging practitioners to help advance their careers and provide recognition for their work.Upcoming opportunities include the following.RAIC:The RAIC Foundation, which was established in 1964, is governed by a Board of Trustees and is committed to advancing excellence and knowledge in Canadian architecture. As a result, the foundations 2025 Scholarships and Bursaries aim to provide recognition and monetary support.The Foundations objectives include supporting students and interns in their architectural programs, promoting public discussion of architectural ideas affecting society, and supporting scholars in advanced research relating to community and the built environment.For students:Bing Thom Award two awards of $3500 each | Apply by March 7Canada Green Building Council Scholarship for Sustainable Design and Research $5,000 | Apply by March 7Vince Catalli Scholarship in Sustainable Design Innovation $5,000 | Apply by May 2The Arts and Letters Club of Toronto Foundations Award for Architectural Conservation $1,000 | Apply by May 2Kiyoshi Matsuzaki Scholarship(for RAIC Syllabus students only) $3,000 | Apply by May 2For Interns / Intern Architects / Architects:RAIC Foundation Bursary $2,500 | Apply by March 7David Thom Leadership Award $5,000 | Apply by March 7College of Fellows Centennial Fund $5,000 | Apply by May 2DIALOGArchitecture firm DIALOG is also currently accepting applications for this years Architectural Scholarship in Honour of Michael Evamy.The scholarship, which was established to honour architect Michael Evamy, AAA, FRAIC, RCA, is valued at $5,000, and aims to support Canadian architecture students pursuing a research project within their field. An additional $3,000 is also available to cover project-related expenses, including travel.The scholarship is open to all Canadian students enrolled in a Canadian professional architecture degree program, in the year prior to their final year of study. Applicants must submit a project proposal which outlines objectives, methodology, schedule, and budget.Submissions can be made by April 1, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. MT.For submission requirements and instructions, click here.The Architectural League of New YorkThe Deborah J. Norden Fund, a program of the Architectural League of New York, was established in 1995 in memory of architect and arts administrator, Deborah Norden. The competition awards travel grants to students and recent graduates committed to the study of architecture, architectural history, and urban studies.This year, the Norden Fund will award a grant of up to $7,500 to one individual or team. Applicants must submit a proposal of up to three pages which succinctly describes the objectives of the grant request and how it will contribute to the applicants intellectual and creative development. Applicants should also include the following elements in their submission:The total grant amount requested (up to $7,500)A projected schedule and budget for travel and other costs (one page maximum)A rsum (two pages maximum per applicant)The proposal submission deadline for this is February 24, 2025, and the recommendation letter deadline is March 7, 2025.The post Opportunities available for architecture students or emerging practitioners appeared first on Canadian Architect.

Concept by ABA Architects, renderings by Office In Search Of in collaboration with mcCallum Sather and ABA ArchitectsHabitat for Humanity Waterloo Region, in collaboration with local developers and a wide-range of community partners, has launched BUILD NOW: Waterloo Region, a community-led partnership with the aim to deliver affordable housing to the Region of Waterloo.According to arelease, the initiative committed to building 10,000 units of missing middle housing back in 2023.On December 2, 2024, City of Waterloo Council voted unanimously to identify Habitat for Humanity Waterloo Region through their BUILD NOW: Waterloo Region initiative as the preferred proponent to develop 25-acres of vacant land at 2025 University Avenue East, at the corner of University Ave East and Millennium Boulevard, to build 1,000 homes.Selecting a potential partner for this landmark City project is an exciting and momentous step forward, said Waterloo Mayor Dorothy McCabe. A year ago, we received our federal Housing Accelerator Fund grant, and six months ago, we identified this property as a suitable location. Were thrilled to be at the point of negotiating with a potential development group to bring the site to life. ABA prepared the concept plan envisioning a complete community located within a public realm and natural setting.Concept by ABA Architects, renderings by Office In Search Of in collaboration with mcCallum Sather and ABA ArchitectsThe proposal offers various community-amenity spaces to support the evolving needs of future residents and surrounding neighbours. The site aims to embrace its natural setting to encourage connection with the environment. These interior and exterior spaces are being positioned to promote neighbourhood participation, social cohesion, and community well-being.The proposed site organization is defined by a central main street, which is bound by two new site accesses with connections to surrounding cycling lanes and multi-use trails. Undulating tertiary streets define micro-communities within the larger neighbourhood. The free-flowing nature of the streets provides traffic calming and changing views for pedestrians and cyclists. Active transportation and pedestrian movement is encouraged through a network of interconnected streets, plazas, and green spaces, along with the addition of a central transit stop.Concept by ABA Architects, renderings by Office In Search Of in collaboration with mcCallum Sather and ABA ArchitectsThe proposal also acknowledges the hydro easement and setbacks from the hydro tower without letting its linear boundary define the sites organization.Recognizing the ecological importance of the wetland on the property, the design also considers the areas environmental context and setback guidelines to ensure that future development will respect the surrounding ecosystem.Proposed streets and buildings are oriented to create streetscapes and comfortable pedestrian microclimates and mitigate shadows, as well as to ensure street elevations around the sites perimeter. Parking is also provided behind active frontages in shared surface lots and transit hubs.Buildings will be designed with a diverse mix of typologies, from three storey stacked towns to nine storey midrise buildings providing studio, one, two, three, and four-bedroom family-friendly units.The concept plan aims to celebrate the contribution of affordable and attainable housing within a diverse, thriving, and inclusive community.The first phase of the development aims to secure permits for 50 affordable housing units by the end of 2025.The post Waterloo Region to develop vacant land to build 1,000 affordable homes appeared first on Canadian Architect.

The Commonwealth Association of Architects (CAA) has announced the launch of a survey aimed at capturing the perspectives, aspirations, and challenges of young architects and architecture students across the Commonwealth countries, including Canada.This initiative aims to highlight the crucial role of youth in shaping the future of architecture through policy, education, and training.With the architectural profession facing global challenges from climate change to rapid urbanization, the insights of young practitioners and students are very important. As a result, the survey will serve as a platform for young voices to be heard, and ensure that their contributions inform policies and programs designed to strengthen the profession across Commonwealth nations.The future belongs to the next generation of professionals. By engaging young architects and students in meaningful dialogue, we can foster an inclusive, forwardthinking profession that responds effectively to the evolving needs of our communities and those we design for. This survey represents a key step in amplifying youth perspectives and integrating their insights into decision-making processes, said Hugo Chan, youth representative of the CAA.The survey is open globally to all young architects, architecture students, and emerging professionals from the ages of 18 to 35, but will have a particular focus on Commonwealth countries.Findings from the survey will be compiled into a report, which will be shared with industry leaders, policymakers, and academic institutions to drive positive change in late 2025.The CAA invites all eligible participants to take part in this initiative. The survey can be accessed here and will remain open until June 30, 2025.The post The Commonwealth Association of Architects launches survey for students and emerging architects appeared first on Canadian Architect.

The winners of the un/SHELTERED: Toronto Design Challenge have been announced.Last year, Maytree, a foundation committed to advancing systemic solutions to poverty, and West End Phoenix, a local periodical community newspaper for Torontos west end, launched un/SHELTERED: Toronto Design Challenge, a competition which sought out innovative designs for people who were homeless and unsheltered.Through the challenge, Maytree and West End Phoenix hoped to find solutions that were practical, feasible, and respected every persons human dignity and their fundamental human right to adequate housing.At the time of the competitions launch, Maytree noted that the challenge wasnt necessarily intended to address the citys overall affordable housing needs, but instead, meant to ask entrants to think practically, and to develop an immediate, humanitarian response for people who are unhoused.We need new ideas and new solutions as our housing systems are clearly not working and our emergency shelter system is failing the people who have the most urgent needs, reads Maytrees website.Left to right: Elizabeth McIsaac (Maytree), Hunter Kauremszky, Peter Fennell, Robbie Suehiro, Karolina Grujic, Dave Bidini (West End Phoenix), and Henry Schilthuis.The response to the challenge was inspiring, says Maytree, with entries ranging in physical form, proposed location, and features to meet peoples varying needs. Among all the entries, four stood out for their practicality, creativity, and commitment to upholding human dignity.The winner of the competition was the Shell, designed by Karolina Grujic and Robbie Suehiro.The ShellThe Shell, designed by Karolina Grujic and Robbie Suehiro.These modular, modified shipping containers are designed for single or double occupancy and can be clustered around a communal kitchen, washroom, and laundry facility, and staffed around the clock. This solution offers flexibility and scalability.The Shell was designed by Robbie Suehiro, an architectural designer with more than 10 years of experience in the construction industry and Karolina Grujic,a LEED- and WELL- accredited Toronto-based architect and mentor.As ARKs design team, they have successfully worked together on design challenges for more than eight years.The three finalists include the following.Pallet Communities in Parking GaragesPallet Communities in Parking Garages by Peter Fennell.This concept uses recycled wooden pallets to create shelters in underused indoor parking garages. The strong structures provide weather protection, and existing utilities can be used to set up washroom facilities. A modular, pre-fabricated design keeps the cost of these shelters low.The designer, Peter Fennell,is an engineer based in New York who studied mechanical engineering and manufacturing at the University of Mississippi. He currently works for the construction company Turner, exploring opportunities for modularity in commercial buildings.Portable Steel CabinsPortable Steel Cabins by Henry Schilthuis, Emma Cubitt, and Dan Postma.This proposal calls for rapidly deployable steel sleep cabins, designed for year-round comfort, that can be delivered and installed in just six weeks. Sleep cabins would be clustered around a central community house with washrooms, kitchen, laundry and meeting space.The designers include Henry Schilthuis of Schilthuis Construction, who brings more than 75 years of experience to diverse projects across Ontario, Emma Cubitt of Invizij Architects, an award-winning firm that embraces the responsibility of designers to create sustainable communities, and Dan Postma of Future Storage, who works in the moving and storage space with a focus on community support.Village in a BoxVillage in a Box by Hunter Kauremszky, Jake Kroft, and Jake Levy.In this design, off-the-grid shelters feature built-in greenhouse walls that enable residents to grow their own food, fostering self-sustaining communities.The designers include Hunter Kauremszky, a graduate student studying architecture in Toronto, whose research focuses on the intersection between agriculture and living in urban settings; Jake Kroft, who is currently pursuing dual master of Architecture and Landscape Architecture degrees at UBC and holds a bachelor of Architectural Science from TMU and an advanced diploma in Architectural Technology from Fanshawe College; and Jake Levy, who is pursuing a bachelors degree in Architectural Science at TMU.The post Winners announced for un/SHELTERED design challenge appeared first on Canadian Architect.

Image credit: Cool GardensCool Gardens, presented by Storefront Manitoba, has issued a call for proposals for the 2025 edition of the design competition, which is a curated public exhibition of contemporary garden installations that takes place across Manitoba. The 2025 exhibition will include sites across the City of Winnipeg, on Treaty 1 Territory and on the homeland of the Red River Mtis.For more than 10 years, Cool Gardens has commissioned temporary installations by architects, landscape architects, designers, and artists that invite curiosity and play, while promoting public engagement with designed landscapes. These temporary installations aim to demonstrate how critical and poetic interventions in public space can meaningfully affect peoples experiences of urban environments.Cool Gardens set out to mirror The Forks Warming Huts: Arts + Architecture Competition on Ice, which features winter warming huts installed along the frozen Red and Assiniboine Rivers. As its summertime counterpart, it explores the concept of COOL-ing as a recurring theme.Cool Gardens 2025 will officially run from July 5, 2025, to September 28. Up to five new competition winning garden installations will be chosen and mounted, along with several invited and returning installations. New partnerships with the Assiniboine Park Conservancy, the City of Winnipeg, and the Osborne Village Biz will allow Cool Gardens to expand its reach with a range of new competition sites for 2025, in addition to some old favourites.The deadline to submit a proposal is March 9, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. CST.For more information, click here.The post Cool Gardens design competition issues call for proposals appeared first on Canadian Architect.

Photo credit: Vancouver Art GalleryA total of 14 Canadian-based architects have been invited to respond to the Vancouver Art Gallerys Request for Proposal (RFP) for the new buildings design. Over the last few months, the Vancouver Art Gallerys (VAG) Board and staff have been carefully considering the path forward for realizing a future home for the Gallery . Back in December 2024, the VAG announced that it would not be going forward with the design of its proposed new building developed with Swiss firm Herzon & de Meuron, and would, instead, be bringing in a new architecture partner.On January 22, 2025, the Vancouver Art Gallery Associations Board of Trustees passed a motion to issue a Request for Proposal (RFP) to invite a select group of Canadian-based architecture firms to submit proposals to design a new building.The decision to accept proposals marks a significant milestone in the journey with the gallerys goal to create a new building that celebrates art while prioritizing achievability, practicality and fiscal responsibility.A total of 14 Canadian-based architects have been invited to respond to the Gallerys RFP.The 14 firms include the following:Diamond Schmitt (Vancouver)Formline Architecture & Urbanism (West Vancouver)Hariri Pontarini Architects (Toronto)HCMA (Vancouver)Henriquez Partners Architects (Vancouver)Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg KPMB (Toronto)Michael Green Architecture MGA (Vancouver)Office of Macfarlane Biggar OMB (Vancouver)Patkau Architects Inc. (Vancouver)Perkins+Will (Vancouver)Revery (Vancouver)Saucier+Perrotte Architectes (Montreal)Teeple Architects (Toronto)5468796 Architecture Inc. (Winnipeg)A spokesperson from the Vancouver Art Gallery has also confirmed that the new site remains 181 West Georgia at Larwill Park in downtown Vancouver, which is approximately a 10-minute walk from the current building.More information is expected to come as the project progresses.The post Here are the 14 Canadian firms invited to respond to Vancouver Art Gallerys RFP appeared first on Canadian Architect.

Image credit: OAASudbury-based architect and master lecturer at Laurentian Universitys McEwen School of Architecture (MSoA), Ted Wilson, has been named the new president for the governing Council of the Ontario Association of Architects (OAA).Wilson was acclaimed to the one-year position at the OAA Council meeting in Toronto on January 23, 2025.He has worked with various Canadian architecture practices, including AECOM Canada Architects Ltd., where he co-ordinated engineering with LGA Architectural Partners for the design of MSoA, where he now teaches. For the OAA, Wilson previously served as senior vice president and treasurer, and has chaired association committees related to governance, finance, and sustainable design.I first ran for Council to engage in larger thinking about architects, the public interest, and where the profession can continue to be effectively guided by a regulator, said Wilson. Now as president, Im eager to keep listening, to use data as a resource, and to be mindful and respectful in engagement. I know this is a long run and want to take the time to do it well. The public and the profession deserve it.Wilson has always been passionate about architecture and is a graduate of the University of Waterloo. His dream of becoming an architect dates back to childhood, as he was inspired by seeing the design work of his friends father.I went to Expo 67 and was amazed at how architecture from all over the world could be brought together in one beautiful place, said Wilson. As an Architect, the joy is in seeing the light in someones eyes as they watch you draw their concept with them. The challenges are found in those walls along the run of a project that you need to find a way to push through.The OAA regulates the practice of architecture in Ontario, and protects the public interest. This includes licensing architects and licensed technologists, establishing and enforcing standards for professional practice, and ensuring ongoing education for the profession.Among Wilsons primary goals are fulfilling the OAAs current Strategic Plan, continuing work to modernize the Architects Act, supporting interns on the path to licensure, and strengthening relations with the 14 Local Architectural Societies across Ontario.The post Sudbury architect named new OAA president appeared first on Canadian Architect.

The International Garden Festival at Reford Gardens in Grand-Mtis, Quebec, has announced the winning projects selected for its 26th edition, called Borders, which will run from June 21 to October 5, 2025.ve De Garie-Lamanque, artistic director, has invited designers to rethink the notion of border in todays postcolonial context and to transpose these reflections into a garden environment that blurs disciplines, renegotiates preconceived ideas about garden/landscape, and actively dialogues with visitors.A total of 180 projects by designers from 27 countries were submitted. The four gardens selected for the 2025 edition include the following:BACK / GROUNDPhoto credit: Patrick BrubBACK / GROUNDPatrick Brub | Qubec, CanadaBACK / GROUND aims to trigger reconsideration of human activities and their environmental and social impacts. The result is a vision of the world in which nature is a living environment of which human beings are an integral part and from which they can dissociate themselves through artifice or delusion.Peek-a-BooPhoto credit: Hermine Demal, Stephen ZimmererPeek-a-BooHermine Demal, Stephen Zimmerer | Qubec, Canada + United StatesPeek-a-Boo aims to interrogate the edge between earth and sky, and is articulated as a colourful field of powder-coated steel grates. Four windows become trap doors which invite play, movement, and interaction.Scars of ConflictPhoto credit: Michael Hyttel ThorScars of ConflictMichael Hyttel Thor | DenmarkScars of Conflict was inspired by the physical devastation and psychological scars left by warfare. In the First World War, battles between warring nations left behind remarkable and nearly unrecognizable landscapes due to the intense artillery barrages. These landscapes reflect how borderspolitical, geographical, and culturalcan be violently reshaped by conflict, erasing our shared memories. Today, post-war sites serve a memorial purpose. They stand as symbols of resilience in the face of hardship.You Shall (Not) PassPhoto credit: Simon BarretteYou Shall (Not) PassSimon Barrette | Qubec, CanadaIn You Shall (Not) Pass, Simon Barrette challenges the limits, both visible and invisible, that map our environments, relationships, possessions, and thoughts. Composed of thousands of surveying markers strung onto steel wire of the type used by surveyors to physically mark the edges of a property the oversized bead curtain hangs in the middle of the forest. The monolithic installation cleaves the landscape, conjuring up the very archetype of a border.Three projects received a special mention from the jury: EN CAS DINTRUSION COMPOSEZ 511, by Boris Pintado (Quebecc, Canada), Le Langage de lrosion, by Rmi Bonin and Vincent Morrier (Quebec, Canada), and Lookout to a Scented Garden, by Gonzlez Serrano Studio+ (Spain).This years jury was made up of Vincent Guin (landscape architect DE urbanist, Conseil dArchitecture, dUrbanisme et de lEnvironnement de Paris; vice president, Fdration Franaise du Paysage dle-de-France; guest lecturer, Dpartement Projet, cole Nationale Suprieure de Paysage de Versailles), Gabriel Lacombe (architect OAQ; landscape architect; visual artist; co-founder, Atelier MAP), Lucie St-Pierre (landscape architect AAPQ, FCSLA; senior partner, Lemay), Alexander Reford (director, Reford Gardens / International Garden Festival); ve De Garie-Lamanque (artistic director, International Garden Festival); and Franois Leblanc (technical coordinator, International Garden Festival).The 26th edition of the event will take place from June 21 to Otober 5, 2025. For more information, visit www.internationalgardenfestival.comThe post International Garden Festival announces winning projects for 26th edition appeared first on Canadian Architect.

Image credit: MCHAPMies Crown Hall Americas Prize (MCHAP) director Dirk Denison and 2025 MCHAP jury chair Maurice Cox have announced the five finalists for the 2025 Americas Prize, which include Canadian project Pumphouse in Winnipeg, Manitoba, by 5468796 Architecture.The 2025 Americas Prize honours the best work of architecture completed in North, Central, or South America between June 2022 and December 2023. The following are the five finalists.Pumphouse. Photo credit: 5468796 ArchitecturePumphouse, 5468796 ArchitectureWinnipeg, CanadaSlated for demolition after 14 failed attempts to revive Winnipegs historic James Avenue Pumping Station, 5468796 developed a conceptual design that was paired with a financial pro-forma and presented the business case to an existing client, connecting them with the City as an owner and eventually leading to the buildings successful preservation through private investment. The new approach considers the pumphouse a found object and uses the existing buildings structural properties while proposing an expansive and diverse public realm weaving into the fabric of the Exchange District National Historic Site. The project is made up of two residential blocks flanking the historic pumphouse building repurposed as an office and restaurant.A plot that had no future, pushing zoning and regulatory envelope the project builds a contemporary new way of living within the memory of an industrial archaeology. A series of smart strategies allow to maximize the identity of the Pumphouse, the new residential use, views and private and shared spaces in this complex urban plot, said the jury about the project. The abandoned pump house seems to extend its precise and rigorous material language beyond its original enclosure.Read our full review of the project here.Centro de Investigacin Mar de Corts. Photo credit: Tatiana Bilbao ESTUDIOCentro de Investigacin Mar de Corts, Tatiana Bilbao ESTUDIOMazatln, MexicoA non-prescriptive circulation pattern in this project allows visitors to wander and discover, and move easily between moody indoor spaces, glowing tanks of water holding the aquatic species, and outdoor gardens open to the sky. The building is driven by the spectacle of a captured nature and paves the way for an elevated public architecture for the city as a whole.Clnica Veterinaria Guayaquil. Photo credit: adamo-faidenClnica Veterinaria Guayaquil, adamo-faidenBuenos Aires, ArgentinaThis building was built from the recycling of an urban house from the beginning of the 20th century. The demolition of its central bay, where the circulatory system was originally located, gave way to the creation of a new semi-covered passage that connects the street with a garden open to the community.A concrete floor with exposed stone designed for pets crosses this space where the vegetation and the outside climate are elements. The side bays organized on two levels open onto the central passage. On the lower floor is the store and veterinary clinics while the upper floor features a laboratory, x-ray room and operating room.Ecoparque Bacalar. Photo credit: Colectivo C733Ecoparque Bacalar, Colectivo C733Bacalar, MexicoThe projects main objective was to reduce the requested program and minimize the impact of human activity on the sites flora and fauna. To achieve this, the design was based on precision and lightness, with a focus on maintaining the integrity of the surrounding ecosystem.The centerpiece of the project, which is an squared 800-meter long pier, was designed with various heights to avoid disturbing the mangroves while still providing visitors with a view of the lagoon. The solid parts of the pier house facilities such as a research laboratory and services area, while the shade of tall trees covers an open plain. One of the projects innovative aspects is the use of certified local wood for the structural system.Thaden School, Eskew Dumez Ripple. Photo credit: Marlon Blackwell Architects, and Andropogon AssociatesThaden School, Eskew Dumez Ripple, Marlon Blackwell Architects, and Andropogon AssociatesBentonville, Arkansas, United StatesThe Thaden School project emerged from an understanding of its needs and aspirations, encapsulating a spatial program that integrates interior and exterior spaces. The spatial layout was crafted to adhere to the vision that the school might provide a learning environment beyond benchmarks and standards, and be a place where landscape and buildings might work together in a closed loop of production and consumption.The MCHAP jury trip is above all an opportunity for learning, for careful attention and conversation. This experience of exchange remains at the heart of the prize, said Dirk Denison, MCHAP Director. We cannot wait to share what we have found.This cycle, we have been inspired by the striking presence of each of the finalists, and their inventive responses to distinctive social and environmental contexts. But these projects show us that its not only design leading the way, Denison added. We also recognize the individuals and organizations who have made a commitment to architectures contribution through the civic and cultural initiatives behind these works.The MCHAP 2025 jury includes Maurice Cox (Jury Chair), past planning director, City of Chicago; Giovanna Borasi, director and chief curator, Canadian Centre for Architecture, Montreal; Gregg Pasquarelli, founding principal, SHoP Architects, New York; Mauricio Rocha, founder, Taller | Mauricio Rocha, Mexico City, and author of the 2023 Americas Prize winner, the renovation of the Museo Anahuacalli; and Sofia von Ellrichshausen, founding partner, Pezo von Ellrichshausen, Concepcin, Chile, and author of Poli House, the 2014 winner of the Prize for Emerging Practice.The authors of the winning project, which is set to be announced at a symposium on May 5, 2025, at IIT, will be recognized with the MCHAP Award, the MCHAP Chair in IITs College of Architecture, and $50,000 to fund research and a publication.The post Canadian project among MCHAP 2025 finalists appeared first on Canadian Architect.

His Highness the Aga Khan, recipient of the 2013 Royal Architectural Institute of Canada Gold Medal, with 2010 Gold Medal recipient George Baird (left) and RAIC President Paul Frank (right). AKDN/Farhez RayaniTheAgaKhan, spiritual leader of Ismaili Muslims and philanthropist, has passed away on February 4, 2025, at the age of 88.His Highness became the 49th Imam (spiritual leader) of the Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims on July 11, 1957 at the age of 20, succeeding his grandfather, Sir Sultan Mohamed Shah Aga Khan. He was also the founder and chairman of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), whose agencies work to improve the welfare and prospects of people in the developing world.HisAgaKhanDevelopment Network and the Ismaili religious community announced that His Highness Prince Karim Al-Hussaini, theAgaKhan IV and 49th hereditary imam of the Shiite Ismaili Muslims, passed away surrounded by his family in Lisbon, Portugal.On February 5, 2025, his son Rahim was named theAgaKhan V, the 50th hereditary imam of the Shiite Ismaili Muslims, which was in accordance with his fathers will.In 2013, the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) awarded His Highness the Aga Khan its highest honourthe RAIC Gold Medal. The selection of His Highness marked the first time in more than 30 years that a non-architect had been chosen to receive the Gold Medal, and recognized the Aga Khans extraordinary achievements in using architecture as an instrument to further peaceful and sustainable community development around the world.In recognizing His Highness, the RAIC took note of his remarkable accomplishments in various aspects of the field of architecture as part of his broader social and economic development work through the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN). This included the specialized cultural programming undertaken through the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, the restoration of many heritage sites throughout the Muslim world by the Aga Khan Historic Cities Programme, and the Aga Khan Award for Architecture.There has been a strong link between the Shia Ismaili Muslims led by His Highness the Aga Khan and this country, a true convergence of pluralist values and respect for the diversity of culture, wrote Canadian architecture critic Trevor Boddy, citing a series of projects completed under His Highnesss patronage, including the Ismaili Centre in Vancouver (Bruno Freschi, 1983), the Delegation of the Ismaili Imamat in Ottawa (Maki & Associates with Moriyama Teshima Architects), the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto (Maki & Associates with Moriyama Teshima Architects), and the Ismaili Centre in Toronto (Charles Correa with Moriyama Teshima Architects). The Aga Khan Garden (Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects) and The Diwan (AXIA Design Associates, Arriz + Co., and Kasian Architecture, Interior Design, and Planning) have since opened in Devon, Alberta.I think it is right to begin by clarifying that my definition of architecture goes beyond a concern for buildings designed by architects, said the Aga Khan. I see architecture as embracing practically all aspects of our entire built environment. People everywhereindependent of their particular background or educational levelalmost instinctively understand the importance of place, and how the spaces of our lives are shaped and reshapedfor better or for worse. This universal sensitivity to changes in the built environment also helps explain the profound impact of architecture on the way we think about our lives. Few other forces, in my view, have such transformational potential.He was granted honorary Canadian citizenship in 2009.The late Aga Khans burial is set to be held in the upcoming days, which will be followed by an homage ceremony.With Files from The Canadian PressThe post In Memoriam: HH The Aga Khan appeared first on Canadian Architect.

Sheba-Negev Hospital. Image credit: Farrow PartnersFarrow Partners and Rubinstein Ofer have been selected to design the new Negev Health City in Israel, following an invited design competition. The medical centre will be one of the largest new greenfield hospitals in the world outside of the United States.The architects were selected by a jury including the leaders of Beer Sheva municipality, Ministry of Health, the Meuhedet and Leumit health funds, and Sheba Medical Centre, based in Tel Aviv.Sheba-Negev Hospital. Image credit: Farrow PartnersThe Negev Health City will be located in the Negev desert area in a new biotech and residential neighbourhood in the City of Beer Sheva, Israel. It will span across three million square feet and provide 1,900 new hospital beds.Sheba-Negev Hospital. Image credit: Farrow PartnersThe guiding principle of the architects masterplan was to create a sustainable community health asset by combining health creation, civic well-being and circular urban greening strategies. The design aims to create a hospital in a garden and a garden in a hospital, through the creation of a new sloped horticultural public park.Sheba-Negev Hospital. Image credit: Farrow PartnersSince hospitals usually have high water demand due to consumption from patient care, hygiene and treatment, the design harvests select portions of the hospitals wastewater, and recycles and treats it for use in the new park to minimize waste.The park is a continuation of a new proposed central park of the adjacent biotech and residential district, which features new tree-lined pedestrian gardens and courtyards. The north section of the park, which drapes over the roof of the main central ambulatory entrance building of the Negev Health City, creates a backyard to the medical centre.Sheba-Negev Hospital. Image credit: Farrow PartnersThe main entrance building will feature a series of vertical garden courtyards. Other amenities, such as patient and staff lounges, rehab and fitness areas, verandas, and focused retail, will line the sides of the parks length. At the southern end of the park, a large shade canopy will provide a common terrace, alongside the main hospital restaurant.Sheba-Negev Hospital. Image credit: Farrow PartnersThe west side of the park will be bordered by the main medical building, housing operating rooms, diagnostic imaging and intensive care units. This building will also contain inpatient units on the upper floors, with access to the new park. A new public tram will provide transport links within the medical centre and to the surrounding city.Sheba-Negev Hospital. Image credit: Farrow PartnersA series of additional buildings will become home to speciality institutes on the opposite side of the main boulevard. These will include a childrens and womens health centre, a cancer centre and a rehabilitation centre. These buildings will connect to the main ambulatory care building via bridges above the boulevard and logistics tunnels below-ground.The first phase of the development, which will consist of the central ambulatory care and main entrance building, is expected to be completed in 2031.The post Farrow Partners selected to design new medical centre in Israel appeared first on Canadian Architect.

Montral Bungee (CNW Group/Montral Bungee)A new attraction that is coming soon to Montreal promises to provide a unique experience on a historic structure in Montreals Old Port.Montreal Bungee, which is expected to launch this spring, will be located at the restored Convoyeur Tower, which stands at 210 feet high. The tower was originally built in the 1950s to unload grain from board into grain elevators. It is one of two such towers that once existed on the Quai de Conveyeurs.The attraction will offer guests the highest bungee jump in Canada, along with views of Old Montreal and its surroundings.The project is supported by Tourisme Montral, the Ministry of Tourism, the Montreal Port Authority, and the Old Port of Montreal Corporation, and will operate from March to December each year.For more information, click here.The post Urban bungee jump to open in Montreal appeared first on Canadian Architect.

Cedric Price, Diagram mapping programme and community for Inter-Action Centre, London, England, 1977. Cedric Price fonds, DR1995:0252:621 CCAThe Canadian Centre for Architecture (CCA) is currently accepting applications for the 2025 edition of the Interuniversity Charrette. Teams have until March 11, 2025, at 11:00 p.m. EDT, to submit their registration.This annual competition for architecture and design students is organized by the CCA in partnership with the Universit du Qubec Montral, the Universit de Montral, and McGill University.Participating teams will have four days to develop a proposal in response to this editions theme, which will be revealed on March 13, 2025.The competition is open to all students currently registered in Canadian universities as well as recent graduates. At least one student in each team must be pursuing or must have graduated from an architecture or design program.A prize ceremony will take place on March 20, 2025, at the CCA in Montreal.To register for the Charrette, click here.To see last years projects, visit the 2024 Interuniversity Charrette microsite.The post Registration open for CCA 2025 Interuniversity Charrette appeared first on Canadian Architect.

Image credit: Buone Nuove exhibitionThe UQAM Design Center is presenting BUONE NUOVE / Femmes Architectes du Changement, an exhibition that highlights the practices of women architects.The exhibition includes several components, including the traveling version of the architecture exhibition BUONE NUOVE, produced by MAXXI in Rome in 2021, and Canadian components added to the exhibition by curators at Toronto Metropolitan University in 2024.The exhibition documents how the contribution of women in recent decades has breathed new life into contemporary architecture. After being presented in Stockholm, Doha, New Delhi, Berlin and Toronto, the traveling version of MAXXIs exhibition will be presented in Montreal from February 13 to April 6, 2025.For the occasion, two new sections will complete the exhibition, including a selection of practices led by women in Quebec, as well as pieces of furniture by Italian architects from the golden age of design.By showing how women and women-led collectives have elevated the quality of modern and contemporary design, the exhibition aims to present inspiring role models for a new generation of city builders, reads the UQAM Design Centres website.The exhibition presented at the Design Center brings into dialogue the works and words of dozens of Italian, Canadian and international women architects who have changed the field of architecture.For more information, click here.The post Exhibition highlighting female architects travels to Montreal appeared first on Canadian Architect.

Visitor enjoys works by Emily Carr from the Gallerys collection, Photo: Pardeep Singh via the Vancouver Art Gallerys websiteOver the last few months, the Vancouver Art Gallerys (VAG) Board and staff have been carefully considering the path forward for realizing a future home for the Gallery.On January 22, 2025, the Vancouver Art Gallery Associations Board of Trustees passed a motion to issue a Request for Proposal (RFP) to invite a select group of Canadian-based architecture firms to submit proposals to design a new building.Back in December 2024, the VAG announced that it would not be going forward with the design of its proposed new building and would, instead, be bringing in a new architecture partner.Anthony Kiendl, VAGs CEO and executive director announced on December 3, 2024, that Herzog & Meuron had been removed from the project, which would be taking a new direction.Following the temporary pause of on-site construction activity announced at the end of the summer, we have been reassessing the projects direction. Throughout this process, we have been listening to feedback from our supporters,artists, Members and stakeholders, who are helping to shape the next phase of this transformative project, said Kiendl in a statement.The decision to accept proposals marks a significant milestone in the journey with the gallerys goal to create a new building that celebrates art while prioritizing achievability, practicality and fiscal responsibility.More information is expected to come as the project progresses.The post Vancouver Art Gallery issues invitation-based RFP to Canadian firms for new building design appeared first on Canadian Architect.

One of Arthur Ericksons slides from travels to the Kinkaku-ji Temple, Kyoto, ca. 1961. Arthur Erickson fonds, CCA. Gift of the Erickson Family Emily Erickson McCullum and Christopher EricksonUpon arriving in Tokyo in 1961, Arthur Erickson purchased a Mamiya Flex C2 twin lens reflex camera and a Sekonic light meter, instruments which became central to his study of Japanese buildings and landscapes. For Erickson, photography offered a crucial tool for developing and later communicating many of his key ideas about architectures interplay with landscape.Currently on view at the Canadian Centre for Architecture in Montreal, Being There presents photographs taken by Erickson during his travels in Japan and Southeast Asia, as well as an earlier journey around the Mediterranean in 195052. Curated by McGill professor David Covo with the CCAs Laura Aparicio Llorente, Being There helps us to understand how Erickson travelled: both what he sought and what he found in his formative journeys. Erickson understood Japanese architecture supremely well before his travels, but he also knew he could not truly grasp what made it unique without a prolonged study of the site itself.For Covo, the camera neither distanced nor objectified Ericksons experiences. Instead, it brought the young architect into closer contact with the places he visited. Moving the Mamiya to and fro as he framed his two-and-a-half-inch square images, together with the need to bring the light meter close to those surfaces he wished to capture, produced a ritual which structured Ericksons site visits and allowed him to better assimilate learnings from them. Buildings are always shown as fully integrated with their natural settings; in other cases, the traces of human endeavour (such as the footpaths in a photograph taken at the Katsura Imperial Villa) register as unobtrusive presences within their landscapes. These imagesmany of which were rediscovered by Covo in collections across Canadaare presented in a series of mesmeric slideshows, in which the architects vision flickers before the visitors eyes.Given Ericksons youthful talent as a painter, it is surprising that the exhibition features few drawings. In fact, it is uncertain if Erickson sketched much during his travels. However, two sketches showing villages in the south of France encapsulate the same compositional ideas as Ericksons photographs. In both, buildings recede into the distance, while landscape fills the foreground. Just as Erickson did not avail himself of a zoom lens for his photographs, his sketching eye gazed forward without any urge to unduly crop surroundings.While ostensibly a photography exhibition, the shows focus is equally textual. Covo has poured over Ericksons voluminous correspondence (nearly 25,000 words) sent from Japan to his parents and to McGill professor Gordon Webber, and selected key letters for display. These missives formed the basis of Ericksons future lectures and articles on Japanese architecture. Describing Katsura to Webber, Erickson claimed it to be misread, misrepresented in practically every coverage of itso I shall do it again and contribute to the damage that publicity has brought to Japanese architecture. Whether or not Ericksons photographs truly captured the buildings they depict, Being There offers us a privileged window into the architects own creative imagination.Architectural historian Peter Sealy is an Assistant Professor at the Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design at the University of Toronto. Being There: Photography in Arthur Ericksons Travel Diaries is on display at the CCA until March 16, 2025.As appeared in theFebruary 2025issue of Canadian Architect magazineThe post Exhibition Review: Being There appeared first on Canadian Architect.

An Alliterative Lexicon of Architectural MemoriesAlberto Prez-Gmez (Rightangle International, 2024)In his latest work, architectural historian and theoretician Alberto Prez-Gmez has employed dictionary definitions, autobiographical musings, and poetic fantasies to create a compendium on meaning in architecture. The two volumes are also an excursion through many architectural sites that Prez-Gmez has visited over his career.In a brief introduction, Prez-Gmez notes that the books were a transitional project, following his retirement from McGill. Using James Stevens Curls Oxford Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture (2000) as a starting point, he selected a personal set of architectural terms to explore. The resulting tomes are expansive and hopeful, full of carefully remembered experiences and references to the roles of sensuality, imagination, and history in architectural making.When it comes to architectural language, the vocabulary abounds. Prez-Gmezs lexicon includes exotic terms from the classical and medieval eras like apadana, encarpus, fleuron, hypogeum, loculus, modillion, perron, serliana, and telamon. The volumes also include a much smaller number of terms from the modernist era, such as bton, bunker, Deconstructivism, Functionalism, grid, hyperbolic paraboloid, piloti, shopping centre, skyscraper, and whiplash.Small photographs accompany the entries, which are framed by Prez-Gmezs abiding commitment to phenomenology, surrealism, and hermeneutics. Ultimately, they are a summation of Prez-Gmezs thoughts about architecture, from the present to the past, from the near to the far, from the little to the big. Describing the word architecture itself, he writes: Architecture is an atmosphere that advances knowledge of the good and beautiful through cognitive feeling, the ancient cross-sensory aesthsis, while at the same time providing an appropriate and alluring ambience for the events of life as lived, bringing real understanding to embodied consciousnessThe texts invite the reader to meander through time, space, and meaning. As Prez-Gmez demonstrates, architecture has a rich history of terms specific to the discipline, and architecture, among many other functions, always participates in language. The question is: is the language employed rich or poor? The books remind us that the continuing education of an architect demands that the precise languages of architecture be learned, in order to create coherence, legibility, and vitality.This late career gift to architecture underscores how lucky Canada has been to have Prez-Gmezthe highest calibre of educator, speaker, thinker, and writerinhabiting its spaces for so many years. The significance of Prez-Gmezs achievements was appropriately acknowledged when he received the Order of Canada in 2022. The two books are a trove of erudition and memories from a life passionately devoted to architecture and all that it encompasses: the culmination of a lifelong quest for eloquent architecture.As appeared in theFebruary 2025issue of Canadian Architect magazine The post Book Review: An Alliterative Lexicon of Architectural Memories appeared first on Canadian Architect.

Casa Loma: Millionaires, Medievalism, and Modernity in Torontos Gilded AgeEdited by Matthew M. Reeve and Michael Windover (MQUP, 2023)Casa Lomas complex relationship with the past has long made documenting its history a difficult task. Extended periods in a derelict state, numerous changes of management, and poor record-keeping have all conspired towards the buildings story remaining piecemeal. Matthew Reeves, Michael Windover, and several contributing authors have finally given Torontos famous castle the comprehensive, scholarly attention it has long deserved.Opening chapters highlight the context informing the castles conception in the early 1900s, and emphasize the design approach of its patron, Sir Henry Pellattfounder of the Toronto Electric Light Company and an early investor in the Canadian Pacific Railroad and the North West Land Company, and builder of Canadas first hydro-generating plant at Niagara Fallsand Canadian architect E.J. Lennox. Adorned with battlements and equipped with secret passageways, their creation paid homage to Europes castles.In its early years, Sir Henry Pellatt and Lady Pellatt used their home to host extravagant military and arts events for the wealthy, who strived for associations with British imperialism, at a time when the city was becoming increasingly independent and modern.The book then turns to the history of the castle from 1920 to the present day. A particularly noteworthy discussion examines the many failed plans for the castle throughout its life, including proposals to develop it as a war museum and art gallery, and to expand it as a high-end hotel.As a whole, the book documents the gradual transition of Casa Loma from being the citys preeminent private address playing host to the elite few, to a now popular quasi-public event venue and tourist attraction. Special attention to the changing social, cultural and political factors informing the city and its relationship with the castle underpin the story. In this way, the book also documents the development of a nation originally anxious with its British roots at the turn of the 19th centuryto one that has comfortably grown into its own, as reflected by its architecture, over a hundred years later.Wonderfully illustrated with rare drawings and perspectives, Casa Loma is a thorough look at an eclectic architectural icon of Torontoa relic from the last moments of Old World aristocracy in Toronto, and a place that remains a curiosity as the city around it continues to outgrow its past.As appeared in theFebruary 2025issue of Canadian Architect magazine The post Book Review: Casa LomaMillionaires, Medievalism, and Modernity in Torontos Gilded Age 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.

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.

The houses slightly canted form, clay shingle cladding, and abundant landscaping with native plants nod to the neighbourhood context of century-old brick homes.PROJECT Ulster House, Toronto, OntarioARCHITECT LGA Architectural PartnersPHOTOS Doublespace PhotographyWalking past the corner of Ulster and Lippincott, you might mistake the building tucked behind a mature, blue spruce for a thoughtfully designed three-storey single-family house in the neighbourhood. A relaxed garden spills over the edges of the property, alive with pollinators, giving the impression that its been there for yearsrooted and full of character. The house itself is contemporary yet quiet in its presence, woven into the Harbord Village fabric like a good neighbour: calm, gentle, and human.Despite its appearance, Ulster House is not a single-family homeits a five-plex, with two units sharing the upper floors, a ground floor unit, a laneway dwelling, and a basement apartment. It is the result of years of advocacy and experimentation, rethinking Torontos most ubiquitous housing typologythe single-family infill homeas a multi-unit urban dwelling. This small condominium is architects Janna Levitt and Dean Goodmans prototype for dense housing, done differently.Each unit in the development has its own front door. The two upper units, entered from Ulster Street, include private, open-air patios that are framed into the top level of the building.The imperative of good designUrban densification is no longer a choice, but a necessity. With rising populations, housing shortages, and our intensifying climate crisis, how we design our homes and communities is increasingly critical. Buildings account for over 40% of global carbon emissions, positioning architecture as both a major contributor to the problemand potential part of the solution.Designed by Levitt and Goodman, founding principals of LGA Architectural Partners, Ulster House is an example of this pursuit by individual architects to make a tangible impact. The project pioneers sustainable ways of living and sets a precedent for buildings to contribute positively at scales larger than their own footprint.PlansBuilding the missing middleAs a five-unit condominium, Ulster House addresses Torontos missing middlethe critical range of housing types between single-family homes and high-rises. This category, defined in the citys 2030 Housing Action Plan, is crucial for alleviating both the current housing crisis and the climate crisis. Its the middle ground where affordability and sustainability intersect, where families are not priced out. Ulster House revives the kind of multi-family housing that once defined this neighbourhood, where immigrant families would share homes and multi-generational living was the norm, creating a sense of belonging in the urban sprawl. Today, however, restrictive zoning laws and smaller family sizes dominate. Low-density single-family zoning covers 70% of Torontos buildable land. Ulster House disrupts that norm while continuing to offer an adaptable structure through simple stick-frame construction that allows renovation, change, and growth. It shows how families may stay rooted in their neighbourhood, even as their needs evolve.Architects Janna Levitt and Dean Goodman occupy the main floor unit and laneway suite as their residence.Serving as both their own home and a demonstration project, Ulster House builds on lessons from Levitt and Goodmans former residence. Their Euclid House (2006) tested compact footprints and flexible living options, and introduced Torontos first residential green roof. All architecture must contribute to good city-building, says Levitt. What youre doing has to add up to be bigger than the project itself. Goodman and Levitt are not only the designers, owners, and residents of Ulster Housethey are also the developers, shifting the paradigm of a ruthless profit-maximizing profession to one where the design decisions are driven by the ambitions of the owners as citizens.Ulster House harmonizes with the neighbourhoods existing scale while introducing density that feels human and livable. The handmade, electric-fired clay shingle cladding, warm to the eye, recalls the textures and tones of the surrounding brick. Sloped roofsdesigned to house photo-voltaics for an all-electric HVAC systemecho the homes around it, subtly reinforcing the communitys character. A layered landscaping of native plants and deadwood logs, designed by Lorraine Johnson and selected in accordance with permaculture principles, creates a biodiverse retreat amidst the urban fabric. A sumach screen offers a verdant alternative to the ubiquitous wood fence, softly defining private outdoor space.Each unit features a dedicated ground-floor entrance, connecting directly to the street. Large glass entry doors with transom windows, framed by vertical stained cedar planks, are sheltered by overhangs. This transparency fosters a sense of trust with the surrounding context, striking a delicate balance between privacy and connection.A trellis-covered courtyard with a sauna made from a reclaimed shipping container serves as a three-season outdoor extension of their living space.A courtyard at the heartThe architects currently occupy two of the unitsthe ground floor of the main home, which houses their kitchen and living spaces, and the laneway unit, almost bunkie-like, across a courtyard. Clad in Yakisugi (charred) cedar, the laneway house contains a bedroom, a bathroom, and a home studio that also functions as the library and guest room. Goodman and Levitts daily routine involves traversing the courtyard that connects their sleeping spaces with their living spacesa continual communion with the seasons. This experimental design tests the limits and possibilities of outdoor living in Torontos climate, where such a routine is otherwise uncommon. The stone walkway, nominally heat traced for winter, is sheltered by a wood trellis and clear acrylic covering, providing partial protection from the elements.An outdoor dining area connects the ground floor and laneway suite.In a recent interview, Egyptian architect Abdelwahed El-Wakil describes the courtyard as the open living room, and the soul of the house. He speaks of the courtyard as a kind of aperture, a soft-edged threshold that draws us back toward the natural world we have so distanced ourselves from. Reflecting on his own home in Agami, Egypt, centered around a courtyard with a small fountain and windcatcher, El-Wakil highlights the timeless principles of daylight, passive ventilation, and harmony with the sun we all share.The laneway suites bedroom adjoins the ground-floor courtyard.Despite the cold Canadian winters, Goodman and Levitt have always embraced these same principles. Walking through the courtyard, or looking out from the living and dining rooms in the main house immediately connects us to the seasons, the weather, and a landscape, shares Goodman, attributing their enhanced quality of life to a deepened relationship with nature. Its centering, and is the reciprocal element to the constructed world.The path between the two also serves as a three-season exterior workshop area and is lined on one side with a cedar storage wall containing, in part, Goodmans woodworking tools. A 10-foot shipping container, converted by Goodman into a sauna, provides warmth and purpose during colder months. The natural ventilation is luxurious, notes Levitt, when describing the sensation of air and light flowing through the home from the courtyard. Yet the integration of the courtyard offers more than such comforts. It embodies a philosophical shift: that our response to climate change must include a rethinking of human comfort, and of our relationship to nature.Meticulous detailing characterizes the project, including in the wood cladding throughout the laneway suite.The craft of compact livingFor the two upper units, open-to-sky outdoor terraces extend the buildings living areas, offloading interior functions while maintaining a sense of openness. These areas ease the compact footprints of the leasable units, inviting natural light and ventilation and reducing reliance on conditioned spaces. The buildings cohesive massing, unbroken by projecting balconies or expansive glass, maintains a robust enclosure, and retains its intimate residential character.The project as a whole is anchored by passive design principles and detailed studies of embodied and operational carbon emissions. The architects evaluated the Global Warming Potential (GWP) of the development against the Architecture2030 challenge, which calls for a 40% reduction in carbon emissions compared to industry standards. This analysis prompted key adjustments, including replacing steel framing with wood and decreasing the quantity of cement in concrete components. Such decisions reduced the buildings GWP by almost half, surpassing their targeted benchmark. For the architects, these results reinforced the value of integrating carbon accounting early in the design process.Perhaps most impactful is the overall concept of designing livable, efficient spaces within a compact footprint, reducing overall building materials and ongoing operational energy needs. Compact spaces require thoughtful design. The architects describe their material choices as elevated but pleasant to the touch, as is evident in the kitchen, where stainless steel countertops provide a tactile contrast to warm wood finishes that replace drywall to further reduce embodied emissions. The bunkie follows the same philosophy: wood throughout, with the exception of an elegantly crafted bathroom wrapped seamlessly with sea-green mosaic tiles.The tile-clad bathroom opens on to a pocket garden.Walking the walk: a precedent for urban livingMany of the outcomes of the Ulster House were hard-won, requiring the creation of a typology, advocacy for zoning variances, and adaptation to permitting requirements. The bunkies narrow pocket gardenthe result of laneway setback requirementsis just one example of how Levitt and Goodmans thoughtful design maximized even the most constrained possibilities.Aligning authorities and consultants with the vision took time, and delays were frequent. But each challenge only reinforced the architects belief that a different kind of housing was not only possible, but long overdue. Since the project was first proposed, changes to as of right conditions for small multi-unit buildings, development charges, and financing options (such as loans and lines of credit) have made buildings like Ulster House more feasible. However, legislation such as Bill 212, the removal of bike lanes, and the extended delays of the Eglinton Crosstown LRT, puts into question the provincial governments position on good city-building.Ulster House offers an exciting glimpse of what gentle densification might look like in our cities: an urban future that embraces creativity, sustainability, and a redefined connection to the natural world. For architects who continually push the boundaries of whats possible, a project like this becomes a living testament, showing skeptical clients an alternative, improved way of living. Ulster House sets a high bar, asking architects, city planners, and community members alike to think beyond their projects immediate footprints, and challenging us all to become better city builders.Jaliya Fonseka is the principal of Fonseka Studio and an Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream, at the University of Waterloo, where he teaches in the architecture and architectural engineering programs. He leads with community-oriented scholarship, investigating topics of home, belonging, and climate.CLIENTJanna Levitt and Dean Goodman | ARCHITECT TEAM Dean Goodman (MRAIC), Kara Burman, Andria Fong, Megan Cassidy, Joshua Giovinazzo | STRUCTURAL Blackwell Engineering | MECHANICAL/ELECTRICAL RDZ Engineers | LANDSCAPE Lorraine Johnson, Native Plant Consultant | INTERIORS LGA Architectural Partners | CIVIL Blue Grove Engineering Group Inc. | BUILDING ENVELOPE RDH | ACOUSTICS Thornton Tomasetti | CONTRACTOR Desar Construction Studio inc. | AREA 322 m2 (Condos) + 56 m2 (Laneway suite) | BUDGET $4 M | COMPLETION 2023As appeared in theFebruary 2025issue of Canadian Architect magazine The post Building in the Missing Middle: Ulster House, Toronto, Ontario appeared first on Canadian Architect.

The second storey of the open office space provides views into a canopy of trees at the rear of the site. Exposed mass timber columns, beams and ceilings contribute to the warmth of the space.PROJECT Cunard Street Live/Work/Grow, Halifax, Nova ScotiaARCHITECT FBM Architecture Interior Design PlanningPHOTOS Doublespace Photography, unless otherwise notedModern mass timber has made inroads throughout Canada, including, most recently, the Atlantic provinces. At the vanguard of this movement is a recently completed project led by Susan Fitzgerald, principal at Halifax firm Fowler Bauld & Mitchell (FBM).FBM had long wanted to do a project using mass timber, but clients were hesitant to be among the first in the region to construct a multi-storey building from the material. So, FBM bravely decided to become its own client. In 2019, the firm was operating from a typical 1970s office tower downtown. A new mass timber workplace would accommodate their growing staff, at the same time demystifying and de-risking this construction method in the region. FBM committed, with Woodworks Atlantic, to documenting the process and costs as a test case.The lot is sandwiched between an older multi-unit building and a daily meals and shelter charity.Dream big, but researchAs local modern mass timber examples were, at the time, few and far between, all involved knew there would be a steep learning curve. Fitzgerald sums it up: We didnt know any of this before, so, we really had to go through it ourselves. The design teamwhich also included structural engineer Gilles Comeau, and Fitzgeralds husband, Brainard, in the lead for contractor Aitcheson Fitzgerald Buildersfirst refined the program and concept in animated, sometimes intense, discussions. With the support of Ontario supplier Timber Systems, they toured a certified sustainable forest, the production mill, and several completed projects to absorb first-hand both the challenges and rewards of mass timber. As Comeau learned, any engineering calculations are impacted by the dimensions of product available, the species used, and how the members are glued, nailed or bolted together.The mass timber infill building includes a multi-level office space, topped by a half-dozen residential units.Office, residence and gardenThe new building began with a three-storey office program. Given the tight housing situation in Halifax, seven residential units were integrated into the program on the fourth and fifth floors. Tenants and staff share the elevator and stairwells, fostering a diverse and congenial micro-community. This extends outside to the roof, too, conceived as an outdoor oasis for both the staff and residents. Vegetables and flowers are thoughtfully arranged in raised beds and nurtured by a professional gardener. Fitzgerald points out that some people, who never brought lunches to work downtown, do nowoutside, on the roof. In addition to the outdoor space being a visual respite from computer screens for the staff, it is also a valuable amenity for the residential tenants. A panoramic view of the blue Halifax Harbour to the east and comfortable outdoor furniture facilitate conversation.The offices lower-level kitchen and staff dining area opens onto a sunken patio.Site logisticsThe site itself is a 15-by-30-metre lot sandwiched between Souls Harbour Rescue Mission, a daily meals and shelter charity, and a older multi-unit apartment building. The FBM office takes up the entire width, but pulls back from the rear boundary to permit a sunken patio which, besides being accessed from the staff kitchen, allows ample light into the lower level. An overhang at the street articulates the glass faade, and sometimes even provides shelter for patrons of Souls Harbour as they line up for lunch. As contractor Brainard Fitzgerald notes, the construction was slowed by the Covid pandemics arrival shortly after construction began, disrupting suppliers and personnel, and making costs unpredictable. The construction process was also complicated by building with zero-side yard setbacks, and little room at the front or back of the site. There was not a conventional lay-down area for materials: concrete formwork for the core circulation areas had to be disassembled and stored off-site, only to be brought back for each of the five levels. But he was pleasantly surprised by how robust and resilient the mass timber components were when assembled on siteprotection from mold, moisture and damage were manageable, and did not add significantly to the budget.Because of very limited exposure at the sides, most natural light is harvested from the front north-facing and rear south-facing elevations. Full-height glazing provides abundant light to the three office floors, while bright interior walls and blond wood ceilings enhance the effect. Southern glare and heat gain are mitigated by blinds. The service and circulation functions are located along the two sides, keeping the plumbing, power and IT runs short and practical. Each conduit, light fixture and sprinkler location was detailed precisely to eliminate visual clutter on the walls and exposed glulam ceilings. With this keen attention to placement, the electrical and mechanical trades were alerted at the outset that the project was not business-as-usual. They responded with a hearty can do! attitude which elicited a heightened sense of pride in the work. The outcome is a work environment which is welcoming, light-filled, tidy and, indeed, inspirational to the firms designers. A rooftop garden is an amenity for residential tenants, as well as providing a verdant refuge for staff at FBMs offices. Photo by Matt ReynoldsScreenshotVersatile workspaceDuring Schematic and Design Development stages, FBM employees had the opportunity for input, as they would be the eventual users. As a result, the workplace offers a diversity of options, with closed and open breakout rooms on each floor, and sit-stand desks throughout. The kitchens long table, sunken patio, and rooftop all provide informal spaces for dialogue and collegial brainstorming.A decision was made early on to forego any parking places for staff and tenants, leaving only one spot for garbage pick-up, and one for visitors. Many of the residents walk or cycle to work, and there are multiple city transit stops nearby. FBM architect Greg Fry says: The office has bike storage, a staff shower, and a plethora of great coffee shops in the neighbourhood. The new generation of talent demands an exceptional workplace experience, and the new FBM office helps us exceed those expectations. Post-pandemic, several employees work from home, but the office is so inviting that it remains the preferred hub of activity for the firm.The new office is a mass timber showcase visible from the street and also a showroom demonstrating its capability. Since occupancy, both new and former clients have been truly impressed by the value-add of capital-A architecture on display in this bright, well-appointed atelier. The high-quality construction provides proof-of-concept for the viability of mass timber in Atlantic Canada, and points to possibilities for mixed-use, residential, and infill applications.Lessons learnedSpeed of construction is one of the clear advantages of mass timber, but this was negatively affected by the concrete elevator shaft and fire exit stairwells. As each floor went up, the concrete formwork, rebar placement and careful maneuvering so close to the neighbouring buildings delayed the other trades. The thick glulam floors were topped with concrete to meet fire-separation requirements, but Fitzgerald has since researched thinner solutions.The final cost analysis showed that, for this project, mass timber compares well with concrete construction, and is more economical than a similar steel structure. With a new mass timber factory coming to the region in 2026, the team is hopeful that this construction method will gain momentum in Atlantic Canada. Presently, Fitzgerald is researching the use of mass timber in building affordable housing with the Dalhousie School of Architecture. Betting on mass timber, it appears, will be a winning proposition (knock on wood!).T. E. Smith-Lamothe is an architect-artist whose firm, Architech, Ltd., is located in Halifax.CLIENT Craig Davidson | ARCHITECT TEAM Susan Fitzgerald, Alicia McDowell, Danny Goodz, Ben Griffiths, Peter Kolodziej, Amber Kilborn, Stavros Kondeas, Rita Wang | STRUCTURAL Campbell Comeau Engineering | MECHANICAL/ELECTRICAL CBCL Limited | CONTRACTOR Aitchison Fitzgerald Builders | GEOTECHNICAL/ENVIRONMENTAL Stantec | CIVIL Servant Dunbrack McKenzie & MacDonald Ltd.| AREA 1,770 M2 | BUDGET Withheld | COMPLETION February 2024As appeared in theFebruary 2025issue of Canadian Architect magazine The post Knocking on Wood: Cunard Street Live/Work/Grow, Halifax, Nova Scotia appeared first on Canadian Architect.

An installation view from the current CCA exhibition To Build Law. Photo by Matthieu Brouillard CCAOn February 1, an architect-led group called HouseEurope! launched its No to demolition, Yes to renovation campaign. Using a mechanism called a European Citizens Initiative, they are filing a proposal for all European countries to introduce tax incentives for renovation, harmonize assessment standards for renovations, and require lifecycle analysis before demolition. They have a year to collect a million signatures from across the EU in support of their proposal. If they succeed in doing so, the EU parliament is obliged to discuss the implementation of the proposal.The story of this effort is told in a documentary film commissioned by Montreals Canadian Centre for Architecture (CCA). The film, directed by Joshua Frank, is the centrepiece of a new exhibition at the CCA called To Build Law, on display until May 25, 2025. It is the second part of an ongoing exhibition and film series by the CCA that explores alternative forms of architectural practice.How did architects end up making a major policy proposaland embarking on an ambitious PR campaign to convince a million others to support it? The effort was spearheaded by two groups: Berlin-based collaborative architecture practice bplus.xyz and the ETH Zurich-based chair for architecture and storytelling s+. As is becoming increasingly clear, the construction and operation of buildings is a significant contributor to the climate crisis, accounting for at least 38 percent of carbon emissions globally. The construction sector is also the biggest producer of waste in the European Union. Architects have a clear view of the environmental impact of buildingsas well as the upfront carbon that can be saved by reusing and transforming buildings, rather than demolishing them.The architects involved in the HouseEurope! campaign contend that the needed change cannot happen through the scope of traditional architectural practice, which is limited to addressing a single building at a time. A shift in cultural norms is needed, supported by larger policy and legal structures.How do such laws get made? Franks documentary follows the architects going through many of the processes that will be familiar to architects: establishing partners, drafting positions, testing ideas and slogans, convening meetings, strategizing campaigns, presenting at conferences.The organizers note that every minute, a building in Europe is demolished. Demolishing buildings wastes homes, jobs, energy, and history, they write. The demolition drama, as they term it, is supported by the way that buildings are held as assets, to be torn down and redeveloped for the sake of profit, with limited consideration of community and environmental impactseven in the face of housing crises throughout Europe.Over 50 percent of global assests are currently invested in real estate. The built environment is one of the most valuable assets in todays globalized speculative economy, says Aris Komporozos-Athanasiou, Director of the Center for Capitalism Studies at University College London. We happily forget about and exclude [thinking about] those speculators and real estate developers who are planning at this moment to destroy the very fabric of our society so that they can make more money, says economist and political advisor Ann Pettifor. If your land is finite, the only way you can keep reinvesting it and keep generating returns is destroying everything and starting again.HouseEurope! argues that a fundamental change of values is needed that prioritizes social and environmental good, and that this change becomes possible when citizens demand it. Renovation and transformation are real alternatives, they write. We can change our value system through activism and direct democracy.As appeared in theFebruary 2025issue of Canadian Architect magazine The post Viewpoint: To Build Law appeared first on Canadian Architect.

New Frameworks S-SIPs (Straw Structural Insulated Panels), architect Love|Schack Architects. Photo by Paul LavoldEarlier last year, Ha/f began working on the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC)s Low-Rise Housing Design Catalogue. As part of a cross-country team assembled by LGA Architectural Partners, weve been supporting design teams with energy modelling, climate risk assessments, life cycle assessments, and the development of a material catalogue to guide future builders to lower-carbon, lower-cost choices. Working coast to coast with some of Canadas leading practices has revealed that were all building the same way. Though thousands of kilometres apart, the housing of British Columbia, Nova Scotia, and Nunavut currently employs the same means and methods in its making.In developing the catalogue, weve looked back at previous versions of the CMHCs Wood-frame House Construction guides. In comparing the current version published in 2013 with the initial version of the document published in 1967, we immediately recognized how our detailing and material options have narrowed over that timeframe. The 1967 version has a whole section dedicated to the basementless house and defines rigid insulation as made from wood or vegetable fibres, expanded polystyrene, polyurethane, mineral wool or cork. 46 years later, the basementless section has disappeared, foamed-in-place insulation has emerged, and rigid insulation is defined as being manufactured in sheets or boards using materials such as polyisocyanurate and expanded or extruded foamed plasticwith no mention of wood, vegetable fibres, or cork as options.Weve plasticized our housing, and our thinking. From the OPEC crisis onward, our narrowed focus on energy-use reductions has, ironically, blinded us to our ever greater reliance on fossil fuel-derived products throughout the built environment. Siding, roofing, insulation, window and door frames, flooring, countertops, and even the paint on our walls have become heavily reliant on petroleum. The net result: our housing is far more carbon-intensive to build, and is far more toxic and harmful to our health and the broader environment. It has also diverted the enormous economic benefits of constructions supply chain towards refineries.Our agency as architects sits almost entirely in what we build with, who we source from, and who we build with. While we have some influence over how buildings are operated and maintained, our ability to control and mitigate ultimately stops the moment a building is occupied. It is through drawings and specificationsand the millions of dollars they directthat we can most effectively address the climate-related challenges we face. This reality overlaps with the lifecycle emissions of a building: across much of Canada, the embodied emissions of constructing and maintaining a building will eclipse the emissions associated with a lifetime of its operations. It is therefore imperative that we question what were building with, interrogate the methods were currently using, and work together to find lower-carbon alternatives.Are we sourcing our materials from parts of the world with questionable labour practices? Can we work with regional producers and suppliers with whom we can see first-hand the impacts of decision-making?To help us make more informed and more efficacious choices, Ha/f is working with the RAIC and the National Research Council of Canada to deliver Life Cycle Assessment workshops to architects across the country.Undertaking LCAs during design serves to both ask and answer the questions: Where does this material or product come from? Through whose hands has it passed?Working together to ask these questions and share our findings, we can move Canadian architecture back to a family of materials sourced from our fields, forests and quarries, and start to shift towards regenerative and lower-carbon design.In the coming months, the new CMHC Housing Catalogue will be live. It includes 56 regionally responsive, permit-ready house designs, including for ADUs, row houses, 4-plexes, and 6-plexes, supporting housing affordability and greater density across Canada. Vegetable fibres and other bio-based materials will also be back on the menuhemp-batt from farms in Quebec and Alberta will be listed in the catalogue alongside mineral wools. Linoleum sourced from fields in Manitoba and Saskatchewan will be listed as alternatives to plastic-derived flooring products. The next generation of housing will be more representative of our regional material cultures, will be lower-carbon in its making, and will route the billions of dollars in material procurement back into the pockets of farmers, foresters, and suppliers across Canada.Kelly Alvarez Doran (OAA, MRAIC) is co-founder of Ha/f Climate Design. For more information on the RAIC Life Cycle Assessment workshops, visit raic.org/LCAworkshopAs appeared in theFebruary 2025issue of Canadian Architect magazine The post RAIC Journal: Accounting for Architecture appeared first on Canadian Architect.

Fukagawa Enmichi community centre. Photo by Henry TsangCanadas population is aging rapidly, yet our built environment is not adapting quickly enough. By 2050, the number of seniors will be double that of todays, reaching one-fourth of the population. Japanthe most advanced ageing country in the worldhas already reached this milestone, and entered what is known as the super-ageing era. A stroll around Tokyo gives a glimpse of what the future holds, and provides clues to what Canadas cities and built environment will need to do to adapt to this forthcoming reality. I will introduce a few instructive projects here.To begin, Tokyo is the largest city in the world, and its complexity is mind-numbing. Yet it is safe, walkable and accessible. Nearly all of Tokyos 822 train stations have elevators, and major sidewalks are all connected by an expansive network of yellow tactile indicators. Intersections have generous curb ramps with visual and audible signals at crossings. But perhaps most impressive for Canadians is the quality of the sidewalk pavement: flat, smooth, rigid and spotless.As a first case study, I visited Fukagawa Enmichi, an award-winning multi-generational community centre designed by JAMZA. Architect Shun Hasegawa gave me a tour and described his concept for a community hub fit for 0 to 100-year-olds. The building spaces are shared among several operators, including an infant daycare, an after-school club, and a day service for seniors. What makes it work is the intentional programming and layout, which encourage the three groups to intersect and interact. The functional spaces are connected by an interior street that doubles as a library and an alleyway shortcut. From the outside, it looks like a caf, so many people are curious and wander in, but when they find out its not, they walk through our street and exit from the back door, says Hasegawa. Its funny how people get embarrassed to leave from the door they entered. Some people use our corridor as a shortcut. But thats what we wanted it to be, a street-like connector and public space that contributes to the neighbourhood.Visit to the Nishi-Kasai Inouye Eye Hospital. Photo by Henry TsangA second case study is the Nishi-Kasai Inouye Eye Hospital, a healthcare facility specializing in age-related diseases such as glaucoma and macular degeneration. I visited with Kevin Ng, the Rick Hansen Foundations accessibility expert. The building was designed by architecture firm Kajima, and implemented a series of innovative accessibility solutions specific to senior patients with low vision. According to Mari Chiba, the hospitals corporate manager, One thing you would notice is that there is very little use of braille, despite being an ophthalmology hospital. In reality, our patients have very low braille literacy because they have low vision, they are not blind. Therefore, we focused the design on enhancing visibility, such as color contrast and lighting, as well as audible signals. Soft and hard materials were used for flooring to vary the sound and feel of directional wayfinding. Ceiling lights and handrail lighting are aligned to be used as track lighting, and in emergencies, this lighting flashes to provide directional indication.In the super-ageing era, there will be need for super-accessible solutions for the built environment. But we may not have to reinvent the wheel. This month, the RAIC Long Term Care Working Group will be hosting its first online panel discussion on the future of architecture for ageing in Canada. Stay tuned.Dr. Henry Tsang, Architect, AAA, FRAIC, is an RAIC Advisor to Professional Practice appointed to the RAIC Long Term Care Working Group. He is also an associate professor at the RAIC Centre for Architecture at Athabasca University, and is currently on sabbatical leave as a visiting professor at the University of Tokyo.As appeared in theFebruary 2025issue of Canadian Architect magazine The post RAIC Journal: Accessible Architecture in the Super Ageing EraA Field Report from Japan appeared first on Canadian Architect.

HORTUS, by Herzog & de Meuron, is a rammed earth timber building under construction in Basel, Switzerland. Image courtesy Herzog & de MeuronIn the spring of last year, I travelled to research the emerging field of bio-regional design, experiencing first-hand how exceptional architectural and material practices are forging a path forward to a healthier, lower-carbon future for our built environment. I am the latest recipient of DIALOGs Iris Prize, an internal research and travel grant for practitioners, awarded annually to explore innovative ideas that meaningfully improve the wellbeing of communities and the environment we share. What follows is a dispatch from my research trip.The bio-regional design framework is straightforward: it focuses on locality, biomaterials and new construction processes to achieve exceptional results. The challenge lies in implementationbreaking free from the status quo of a global network reliant on high-carbon, unsustainable construction materials. In a bio-regional approach, the process of construction becomes as important as the design itself, with novel techniques and, often, new materials being created.In Basel, Switzerland, Atelier Tsuyoshi Tane has designed the Vitra campuss most sustainable building to date: a small garden house made from thatch and timber, using materials that are grown instead of those extracted from below ground. Meanwhile, in Basel, Herzog & de Meuron are constructing HORTUS, a five-storey building designed to be net energy-positive within 31 years. It features a rammed earth structural floor system, developed together with the client Senn AG and ZPF Ingenieure, and a reduced material palette of clay, wood, and cellulose. It is, without question, the most ambitious example of building at scale using natural materials that Ive seen: the approach is imaginative and technically rigorous, resulting in a stunning building.BC Architects, Materials, and Studies: building with earth and inspiring others in Brussels, Belgium. Photo by BC ArchitectsBC Architects, Materials, and Studies in Brussels operate as a tripartite practice, specializing in earth construction, using surplus excavated soil from building sites. They began as an architecture studio but discovered that Brussels urban geology is ideal for creating rammed earth and other earth-based building products. This led the architects to establish a materials company, BC Materials, which manufactures products like earth blocks (replacements for traditional concrete masonry blocks), fired bricks, mixes for unstabilized rammed earth (made without cement binders and fully reusable), and earth plasters and paints for interior finishes. They also founded BC Studies, a branch dedicated to education and teaching others.On a hot summer day, I joined one of BC Architects Earth Discovery Day workshops at their shared workspace with BC Materials. Alongside a small group of architects, builders, and students, I participated in hands-on exercises to experiment with different earth product mixes. I left with clay under my fingernails, sand in my shoes, and excitement for the potential of earth-based construction. Reused materials sorted and stockpiled by Rotor, a practice based on reuse and the circular economy in Brussels, Belgium. Photo by Victoria Van KanRotor, another Brussels-based practice, focuses on salvaging construction materials from the built environment. They operate both as a supply outlet for dismantled and reclaimed building components, and as consultants helping other design practices integrate circular construction strategies.Their large warehouse in northern Brussels showcases salvaged materials, which are often sold at lower costs than new products, to those who appreciate the patina and texture of second-hand materials. Rotor has also conducted several EU studies on circular construction, and is involved in ambitious projects like the adaptive reuse and retrofit of an 18-storey office tower in collaboration with Snhetta. Their goal: to allocate 3% of the buildings overall weight and cost to repurposed materials. When I visited their studio, the team was busy preparing an exhibition to highlight the work they and others across Europe are doing to advance circular construction practices.What stood out most during the trip wasnt the novelty or innovation of these construction techniquesit was the openness with which everyone shared their learnings, taught others, and inspired action. There was an urgent sense of responsibility to move toward a more sustainable future. Now that Im back in Canada, the challenge is figuring out how to create our own regional approaches to low-carbon building.As appeared in theFebruary 2025issue of Canadian Architect magazine The post RAIC Journal: We are going to do this togetherReflections on a bio-regional design research trip appeared first on Canadian Architect.

In our February issueOur February issue focuses on living and working spaces for creatives.Ulster House, our cover story, is the home of LGA Architectural Partners co-founders Janna Levitt and Dean Goodmanand also a prototype for missing middle housing in Toronto. Jaliya Fonseka reports on the project, which replaces a single-family home with five units, each with their own front door and thoughtfully designed outdoor spaces.Halifax firm FBM has similarly used their own building as a prototype, in this case constructing a mixed-use infill that proves the viability of mass timber in the Atlantic Provinces. T.E. Smith-Lamothe visits the mid-rise, which combines three storeys of office space with a half-dozen apartments, topped with a shared roof garden.Contributor Michael Carroll takes us even further east, reporting from Fogo Island, Newfoundland. He explores how local designer Kingman Brewsters projects are continuing the legacy of contemporary architecture launched by the Fogo Island Inn and Studios a decade ago.We also look back at Banff Centres Leighton Artist Studios, a set of eight retreats, built 40 years ago, each by a different architectwhich continue to host visual artists, writers, and composers to this day.This months editorial viewpoint considers the HouseEurope! campaign championing anti-demolition, pro-renovation policies for the EUan effort documented in a current exhibition at Montreals CCA. Peter Sealy also visits the CCA to review an exhibition showcasing Arthur Ericksons travel photography and letters.Within our pages, the RAIC Journal includes two articles on sourcing bio-based materials to address upfront carbon, and a field report from Japan on design for an aging population.Our issue is rounded out by a set of book reviews, includinga new book on Torontos Casa LomaandAlberto Prez-Gmezs two-volume Alliterative Lexicon of Architectural Memories.-Elsa Lam, editorThe post February 2025 appeared first on Canadian Architect.

Infrastructure Ontario has invited three teams to respond to a request for proposals (RFP) to design, build, finance and maintain a new Ontario Science Centre at Ontario Place.On April 18, 2023, the provincial government announced its plans to close the existing Ontario Science Centre, designed by Raymond Moriyama, and to move the institution to a new facility as part of the redeveloped Ontario Place. Construction was expected to begin in 2025, with an opening slated for 2028. The government has since told the provinces Auditor General that the new facility will not open until 2029. Other documents suggest the new facility will not be ready until 2030 to 2034.In June 2024, the government announced the immediate closure of the sciencecentre citing public safety concerns and a high cost of repair, a decision that has come under scrutiny by Canadian Architect and other groups, with over 90,000 people signing a petition initiated by grassroots organization Save Ontarios Science Centre demanding the reopening of the legacy Ontario Science Centre.Some advocates suggest that a newly built science-themed museum could exist at Ontario Place in tandem with the retention and renovation of the existing Ontario Science Centre.The teams selected to respond to an RFP to design, build, finance and maintain the new Ontario Science Centre project at Ontario Place were chosen from the Request for Qualifications stage that was posted publicly in May 2024 and closed in August 2024.The chosen teams include:DiscoverON Partners:Applicant Leads:Fengate Capital Management Ltd and Pomerleau Capital Inc.Design Team:Cumulus Architects Inc and Daoust Lestage Lizotte SteckerConstruction Team:Pomerleau Inc.Facilities Management: Honeywell LimitedFinancial Advisor:National Bank Financial, Inc.EllisDon Infrastructure:Applicant Lead:EllisDon Capital Inc.Design Team:Belvedere Architecture and BDP Quadrangle Architects LimitedConstruction Team:EllisDon CorporationFacilities Management: EllisDon Facilities Services IncFinancial Advisor:EllisDon Capital Inc.Ontario Science Partners:Applicant Leads:John Laing Limited, Sacyr Infrastructure Canada Inc, and Amico Major Projects Inc.Design Team:Hariri Inc & D. Pontarini Inc, Snohetta Architecture, Landscape Architecture P.C.Construction Team:Sacyr Canada Inc, and Amico Design Build Inc.Facilities Management: Johnson Controls Canada L.P.The post Three teams shortlisted for relocated Ontario Science Centre appeared first on Canadian Architect.