With one foot out the door, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called on two cabinet ministers to help develop a plan for a new official residence to replace the vacant 24 Sussex. The residence at 24 Sussex Drive is seen on the banks of the Ottawa River in Ottawa on Monday, Oct. 26, 2015.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean KilpatrickWith one foot out the door,PrimeMinister JustinTrudeau asked one of his ministers to help develop aplanforanewofficialresidencetoreplace the vacant 24 Sussex.Inaletter addressedtoMinister of Public Services and Procurement Jean-Yves Duclos and obtained by The Canadian Press,Trudeau asked that aproposal exploringnewoptionsfortheprimeministersofficialresidencebe drafted by January 2026.Theofficialresidenceat 24 Sussex Drive in Ottawa was closed by the National Capital Commission in 2022forhealth and safety reasons and has been uninhabited since 2015.In his letter, dated March 7, 2025,Trudeau asked Duclos toput togetheraconsultation group that would share recommendations on the location, functionality, cost and security requirements of thenewofficialresidence.He also said the composition of the group would be determined by the Clerk of the Privy Council.Trudeau said in the letter that he has asked Minister of Public Safety David McGuinty tohelp Duclos oversee the consultation group, if needed.Trudeau said the proposal should include aplantotransfer all responsibilityfortheofficialresidencebeyond general maintenance from the National Capital CommissiontoPublic Services and Procurement Canada.Liberal Leader Mark Carney was sworn in as Canadas 24th primeminister ina ceremony at Rideau Hall on March 14 after Trudeaus formal resignation.The post Trudeau called for plan to build a new official prime ministers residence appeared first on Canadian Architect.

AI-driven sustainability company Cove has launched an AI for Architects Pitch Off competition, designed to put a spotlight on groundbreaking AI-driven solutions in architecture.According to Cove, some 66 per cent of architect leaders believe AI will be essential to their business within three years. Many teams are also looking for opportunities to identify, pilot, and test these technologies. The pitch off aims to spur innovation and showcase AI-powered solutions that can further revolutionize architectural design and workflows. As a result, architects, designers, technologists, engineers, students, and AI innovators are invited to submit their pitches for how AI can transform architecture and design.Submissions could be a conceptual AI solution, a prototype or proof-of-concept, or an AI-powered workflow enhancement.All submissions must be 100 per cent original and created by the entrant/team. Submissions must not contain proprietary or sensitive information unless publicly shareable. All intellectual property rights remain with the participants. The winning team will receive a $5,000 USD grand prize and the opportunity to pitch their idea toa real investor.The submission portal opens on March 3, 2025, and the deadline to submit is April 8, 2025.A total of five finalists will be selected to record their pitch, which will be used for the final judging deliberation and live winner announcement on April 17, 2025.For more information, clickhere.The post Cove launches AI for Architects Pitch Off competition appeared first on Canadian Architect.

Two Canadian projects are among the winners of the2024 Brick in Architecture Awards, an international design competition featuring fired-clay brick.Now in its 35thyear, the2024 winning projects span Canada, the United States, China, England, Mexico and Russia. Judged by a jury of peers, winners include Best in Class, Gold, Silver and Bronze. The overall Craftsmanship Award honours a mason or team of masons that skillfully installs brick in an artful or unique way.The award winners highlight bricks limitless versatility to create inspired, sustainable designs that achieve any aesthetic, said BIA president and CEO Tricia Mauer, who also emphasized how material choice matters in designing for resilience, including bricks enhanced durability, fire resistance and energy efficiency. With the unpredictability of natural disasters, brick provides peace of mindbrick stands for good, she said.The two Canadian winners include the following.Maple House at Canary Landing House. Credit: McNeill PhotographyPaving & LandscapingMaple House at Canary Landing HouseToronto, OntarioDesigner: CCxABrick Manufacturer: The Belden Brick CompanyBrick Distributor: Masons Masonry Supply LTDMasonry Contractor: ORIN Landscaping at RONI GroupHouse 52. Photo credit: Stacey BrandfordResidential Single-FamilyHouse 52Toronto, OntarioArchitect: Izen Architecture Inc.Masonry Contractor: Red Robin MasonryThis years judges include Evan Burch, AIA, associate, ASD | SKY; Stefanie Greenfield, AIA, principal, CambridgeSeven; Chris Sano, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, principal | Design Director, BRW Architects, Inc. and Jay White, AIA, LEED AP, principal, Liollio Architecture.To see the full list of winners, click here.The post Two Canadian projects among winners of 2024 Brick in Architecture Awards appeared first on Canadian Architect.

As Canadas demand for housing and infrastructure continues to grow, contemporary approaches to construction and demolition pose major social, cultural, and environmental challenges. The prevailing approach to redeveloping a site is one of re-establishing a tabula rasaindiscriminately tearing down old structures to make way for new ones. This practice has led to a general disregard for the cultural and material value of existing buildings and colossal wastefulness in terms of resource consumption and associated carbon emissions and ecological impacts. Proposed redevelopments at key sites like the Ontario Science Centre and Ontario Place have sparked debate over public space, heritage, and privatisation, where political expediency and real estate economics seem to outweigh all other notions of value.The demolition of landmarks and culturally significant buildings represents only the most visible and widely spoken examples of a demolition practice that seems endemic in a city like Toronto. A study of the Citys demolition permit data reveals that over 60% of permits issued are for single-family homes in unassuming post-war neighbourhoods, like York, North York, Don Mills, and Etobicoke. The Yellowbelt is quietly undergoing a rapid transformationwhere modest post-war homes are typically replaced by ever-larger single family residences, with only a few multi-unit developments adding density.Active demolition sites in April 2022 in Lansing, North York. Source: Woodloop, Rashmi Sirkar M.Arch Thesis, 2022.This pattern of redevelopment not only turns once-affordable neighbourhoods into more expensive enclaves, but also fuels Canadas mounting construction, renovation, and demolition (CRD) waste problem. Each year, CRD projects across Canada produce around 3.4 million tonnes of construction materials that are sent to landfill. According to Statistics Canada, CRD waste typically represents 20-30% and sometimes more than 50% of total municipal solid waste, equivalent to an estimated 1.8 million tonnes of embodied carbon from landfill off-gassing. This volume of dumped material also represents an estimated $4-6 billion dollars of valuable material resources that have potential for recovery and reuse. Sending potentially reusable material to landfill drives an increased demand for virgin materials, and propels further associated upfront carbon emissions.What if we were to imagine an alternative scenarioone that embraces circular methods of development, replacing destructive demolition with deconstruction and material recovery?Wood elements from the deconstruction of a typical wartime house.Source: Woodloop, Rashmi Sirkar M.Arch Thesis, 2022.Take the typical 1,000-square-foot post-war house of North York: a single home would yield approximately 70-80 cubic metres of salvageable material, including around 8,000 linear board feet of clean sawn lumber, that could be reused, recycled, or repurposed instead of being trucked to a Michigan landfill. The salvage of the wood elements alone would be equal to $5,000 of material, and almost 25 tonnes of CO2 equivalent of sequestered carbon, analogous to offsetting 25 years of driving a Canadian car. By scaling these circular practices across the city, province, and nation, we could reintegrate valuable materials into the building supply chain, addressing the housing crisis and the pressing need for more sustainable construction methods. In doing so, we would also preserve material heritage, reduce carbon emissions, and unlock significant monetary resource value that is currently being squandered.The Shift of ValueTo understand how we might incorporate circular development practices today, its essential to recognize that the redevelopment of sites did not always involve the demolition and landfilling of older structures as the norm. Up until the 1910s, deconstruction was the primary method for dismantling buildings at the end of their life. Across North America, house wreckers meticulously took apart structures, salvaging valuable materials like wood, bricks, and stone, which were resoldoften directly on-siteor stored in warehouses for future use. This process supported a robust, local secondary market for building components, exemplified by companies like the Chicago Wrecking Company, which maintained extensive stocks of salvaged materials in a series of large warehouses.Demolition of the Astor House in 1913, showing piles of lumber and rubble, possible brick sorting, derricks and a sign for the Hudson Wrecking & Lumber Co. Source: The New York Public Library, Manhattan: Broadway Vesey Street New York Public Library.This began to shift in the 1910s and 1920s, when the concept of building obsolescence began to take holdthe idea that a building had declining functional worth. This concept was closely tied to increasing investment in a growing real estate industry. Publications like Reginald Boltons Building for Profit (1911) and experts from organisations like the Chicago-based National Association of Building Owners and Managers (NABOM) promoted rapid cycles of demolition and redevelopment as a modernist virtue. As this idea rooted itself deeper into North American practices, it led to the prevailing mindset that constant urban renewal signalled progress, and contributed to more and more buildings ending up in landfill.In Canada, the revision to the Income Tax Act of 1942 reflects how pervasive and powerful this shift was. The Act instituted tax deductions based on the assumption that commercial, industrial, and rental buildings would lose two-thirds of their value within ten years. If the cumulative deductions exceeded the buildings actual loss in market valuation, the owner was not required to repay the government if the building was demolishedthereby rendering the existing building entirely valueless.New York Times headline: To Study Decline in Building Value, July 8, 1928. Source: The New York Times Digital Archives.The contemporary resistance to deconstruction and reuse remains entrenched in the financial systems that govern development. Current tax codes make demolition and rebuilding more profitable than preserving or repurposing existing structures and materials. To truly enable a circular economy in the building industry, it is crucial not only to mandate deconstruction over demolition, but also to revise the financial tools that govern and incentivize our industry. To catalyse a renaissance of salvage and reuse, we need to explore raising taxes on demolition and landfilling, along with issuing credits and tax breaks for deconstruction and reuse.Closing the Deconstruction GapIn the last decade, cities across North America have adopted deconstruction ordinances and bylaws aimed at diverting CRD waste from landfills, and reintegrating it into the building materials market to catalyse regional circular economies. In the United States, cities like Portland, Boulder, Pittsburgh, and San Antonio have led the way in legislating deconstruction. In Canada, Vancouver introduced the Green Demolition Bylaw in 2014 as part of its broader climate goals, mandating that 75% of materials from pre-1950 homes be salvaged, reused, or recycled instead of sent to landfills. Following Vancouvers lead, Port Moody and Victoria have recently enacted deconstruction bylaws. Toronto, Guelph, and Edmonton are also developing their own circular economy roadmaps, and actively consulting to introduce viable deconstruction and reuse practices.A result of these policies is the re-emergence of independent deconstruction operators like Vema Deconstruction in Vancouver and Ouroboros Deconstruction in Toronto, which have begun offering alternatives to mainstream demolition. However, these businesses face several barriers to reaching the scale of the home wreckers of a century agonotably, a disorganized secondary marketplace, and the absence of spatial infrastructure for storing, processing, and sorting salvaged materials. For wrecking and reuse to once again be part of the mainstream of construction supply, cities will need to pair new regulation with spatial provisions. As an extension of existing waste-handling logistics, cities are uniquely poised to provide the space for the re-establishment of warehouses to gather, sort, grade and store materials.While existing policies have primarily focused on harvesting materials from buildings, future regulations and programs need to create a framework that facilitates the reintegration of these materials into the mainstream construction market.Reclaiming Value Through DeconstructionDeconstruction Timeline. Source: Ha/f Climate Design.To better understand the barriers and opportunities in deconstruction, Ha/f undertook a pilot project with Ouroboros Deconstruction and Haley Anderson Consulting in Southern Ontario. Working with Guelphs Circular Opportunity Innovation Launchpad (COIL), the team dismantled a 9,850-square-foot wood-frame house, salvaging 40,000 linear board feet of lumber and 44 large Douglas fir beams in the process. The materials were quantified, sorted, and processed for reuse or resale, helping to understand their potential reusability and to inform a lifecycle assessment.De-nailing workshop at the project site hosted by project partner Ouroboros Deconstruction for University of Waterloo students, November 2023. Source: Juliette Cook.The project highlighted both the value and logistical challenges of storing, processing, and marketing reclaimed materials. Wood held the highest reuse value in this project, and lumber sales were primarily managed through platforms like Kijiji and Facebook Marketplace. Other materials required additional outreach efforts. For months, materials were stored on-site in rural Ontario, where space was abundant and local sales were feasible. However, as the site needed to be vacated, finding affordable warehousing for salvaged materials in Toronto became an obstacle. Sustainability-oriented real estate developer TAS eventually provided temporary storage at a nominal rent, as part of their own circular economy initiatives. The reclaimed lumber is now being sold as graded lumber packages for new construction, but although sales are steady, demand has been slower than anticipated.For deconstruction efforts to succeed, sites and applications for reusing salvaged materials are essential: materials must flow out of warehouses and into active projects for the industry to remain viable. The project team connected with local makers who turned salvaged wood into furniture. The houses deconstruction process was showcased alongside the resulting products at the 2024 DesignTO Festival, generating immense public interest in building material reuse and its potential environmental benefits.These experiences also highlighted the importance of quantifying the environmental benefits of deconstruction and material reuse through tools like Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). By capturing the substantial carbon savings these practices offer, LCA can help make a compelling case for policies and incentives, such as carbon taxes or credits, that reward low-carbon building strategies. Once frameworks are in place to account for and reward the emissions reductions achieved through material reuse, deconstruction could become a more competitive and appealing alternative to traditional demolition.The project saved roughly 31 metric tonnes of CO2 emissions and stored an additional 54 metric tonnes of biogenic carbontogether, equivalent to 20 homes energy use for one year. Scaled to Toronto, which has approximately 2,700 active demolition permits for single-family homes, deconstruction and reuse could avoid nearly 64,000 tonnes of CO2 emissionsanalogous to the energy used by 14,988 homes for one year.Mapping the carbon reduction potential of deconstruction and material reuse across Toronto. Source: Ha/f Climate Design.A Way ForwardRealizing the environmental and economic potential of building material reuse requires strengthening deconstruction legislation and fostering synergies among policymakers, market drivers, and reuse businesses. Traditional demolition, with its speed and cost-efficiency, remains the preferred option for most developers. To counter this trend, financial incentivessuch as tax breaks, grants, or subsidiesare critical in making deconstruction a competitive and attractive alternative. By highlighting the significant carbon savings achievable through deconstruction and material reuse, these incentives can further motivate developers to embrace these more responsible practices. Moreover, it is vital to account for the true costs of construction and demolition (CRD) waste by considering both the financial expenses associated with disposal, and the environmental and ecological impacts resulting from landfill use and resource depletion.Investment in reuse infrastructure is another critical area requiring attention. Facilities for storing, processing, and certifying salvaged materials are essential to support a circular economy in the construction industry. Without these facilities, even the most well-intentioned deconstruction efforts may fail to prevent materials from ending in landfills.Finally, public perception remains a significant hurdle to advancing deconstruction and material reuse. Many builders and consumers still view new materials as superior to reused ones, creating a barrier that must be addressed. Shifting this mindset will require targeted education and awareness campaigns that emphasize the environmental, economic, and social benefits of material reuse. To move forward, we must engage in a process of unlearning entrenched notions like building obsolescenceand instead recognize and appreciate the inherent value of our built fabric and building materials.Juliette Cook is a partner at Ha/f Climate Design and an enthusiast of reuse at the scale of the building and of the material. She believes that a return to a deeper understanding of materials, the way they are made, and the ways in which they go together, will enable a more regenerative design.Rashmi Sirkar is a partner at Ha/f Climate Design where her work encompasses life cycle analysis of buildings and landscape, material strategies for decarbonization, and advocacy for reuse in the built environment. Her research explores the potential for circular design practice through building reuse, material reuse and bio-based construction practices.The post Full Circle appeared first on Canadian Architect.

Arthur Erickson: Beauty Between the Lines (Image credit: ADFF Vancouver)Arthur Erickson: Beauty Between the Lines, a documentary about Vancouver architect, Arthur Erickson, is now available to stream online.The film, which premiered at the Architecture+Design Film festival in Toronto,showcases Ericksons structures, and includes revelations of the man behind the story, as well as the personal relationships that shaped his life and work.The film was made with access to the Erickson Family Archives as well as with the full cooperation of the family, and features never-seen-before archival footage and imagery. It was made by producers/directors Ryan Mah and Danny Berrish of Black Rhino Creative, with producer Leah Mallen and executive producer Ray Mah.Through intimate interviews, archival footage, and a look at his most famous creations, the film reveals the delicate balance Erickson maintained between his creative genius and the challenges of his personal life, offering a deeper understanding of the man and the legacy he left behind. This documentary is not just a celebration of his architectural contributions but a reflection on the human experience of creativity, ambition, and the price of greatness, reads the films website.The film is now available to stream for free via the British Columbia Knowledge Network.To view the trailer, click here.The post New Arthur Erickson documentary available for streaming appeared first on Canadian Architect.

Silicon Box Singapore Semiconductor Integration Facility (Image courtesy of Stantec)Stantec, a leader in sustainable design and engineering, and its partner Drees & Sommer, have been selected for Silicon Boxs new 3.2 billion state-of-the-art semiconductor assembly and test facility in Northern Italy. Stantecwill provide architecture for the administration areas and infrastructure design including overall permitting services.The new facility will be located close to Novara, Piedmont, and is expected to create approximately 1,600 jobs in the region. As Silicon Boxs second asset, it will also emulate the companys state-of-the-art automated flagship facility in Singapore, which offers advanced large-format panel-level semiconductor packaging solutions.The global market islooking for a more secure and robust electronics supply chain. Silicon Boxs expansion into Italy is a significant catalystto this growing ecosystem in Europe, saidLeonard Castro,Stantecs executive vice president for Buildings. By uniting our local presence with global expertise in this space, were uniquely positioned to support Silicon Box with this expansion.With a goal to develop advanced technologies that are critical to scale next generation applications with lower-cost, enhanced performance and flexibility,the new facility is expected to serve as a catalyst for broader advanced manufacturing investments and innovation in Italy.It will also aim to enhance the countrys strengths on key initiatives such as artificial intelligence (AI), data centers, mobile technologies, electric vehicles, radio frequency power amplifiers, wearables, and edge computing.These initiatives reflect Silicon Boxs commitment to its broader investment strategy in the semiconductor industry and align with the Italian government and European Commissions goals of driving innovation and building a more resilient semiconductor supply chain.Silicon Box selectedStantecfor its global expertise in building cutting-edge manufacturing facilities. Their partnership with Drees & Sommer highlights a dedication to excellence, and both companies bring a wealth of experience drawn from their extensive global portfolios, providing us with confidence to align with the expectations of Europe and the Italian central and local governments, said Mike Han, head of business at Silicon Box. We were impressed withStantecs dedication to sustainable development, which will enable Silicon Boxs Novara foundry to align with Europes high environmental and community standards. Our recent kick-off workshop has set a strong foundation for the design phase, and we look forward to execution.The new facility is scheduled to begin operations in 2028.The post Stantec to provide design services for semiconductor assembly and test facility in Italy appeared first on Canadian Architect.

Cecily Eckhardt. Photo credit: Perkins&WillArchitect Cecily Eckhardt has joined Perkins&Will as managing director of the firms Toronto and Ottawa studios.Eckhardt succeeds DArcy Arthurs, who led the Ontario practice for nearly two decades. Born and raised in Ontario, Eckhardt has practiced architecture in Canada and Europe for more than two decades. She has contributed to various high-profile projects including Centennial Colleges Centennial Place and Culinary Arts Centre in Toronto; McMaster Universitys 10 Bay Graduate Residence in Hamilton; Toronto Metropolitan Universitys School of Medicine in Brampton; and The New Vic at McGill University in Montreal.Its rare to find a firm where design feels both deeply personal and globally impactful, said Eckhardt. Perkins&Will has the reach to shape cities around the world, but the heart of a studio that understands the nuances of each community it works in. What excites me most is knowing that the work we do improves the quality of life for peopleand I want to be part of that.She comes to Perkins&Will following 17 years with another prominent Toronto-based architecture firm, where she focused on complex institutional projects.In her new role as managing director at Perkins&Will, Eckhardt will work to ensure the continued growth and success of the Toronto and Ottawa studios in partnership with design director Andrew Frontini and operations director Robert van Lin. Additionally, she will champion Living Design, Perkins&Wills holistic design approach, and create opportunities for mentorship and professional development.Im excited to help cultivate a supportive team environment where sharing ideas is safe, honest feedback drives innovation, and collaboration pushes us to deliver the best design possible, Eckhardt says.She will also work closely with Arthurs, who has held a leadership role at the firm for 40 years, throughout her first few weeks on the job to ensure a smooth transition.Its been a privilege to lead our Ontario practice for all these years, and now feels like the right moment for fresh energy and new ideas, says Arthurs, under whose leadership the Toronto and Ottawa studios earned national and international acclaim for projects like Rseau Express Mtropolitain, the School of Continuing Studies at York University, the Albion District Library, and the Daphne Cockwell Health Sciences Complex at Toronto Metropolitan University. Im delighted to pass the baton to Cecily to usher us into the future. Shes a consummate professional and highly respected architect with much to offer our teams and clients. Were looking forward to seeing where she takes us.Eckhardt is a LEED Green Associate, a Passive House Certified Designer, and a frequent speaker at academic and professional design workshops and seminars. Shes also an active member of the Ontario Association of Architects and the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada. Eckhardt holds a Master of Architecture from the University of Toronto, a Master of Social Science from the London School of Economics and Political Science, and a bachelors degree from McGill University.The post Perkins&Wills Toronto and Ottawa Studios Welcome New Managing Director appeared first on Canadian Architect.

Wychwood Neighbourhood Branch Library Restoration and Addition at 1431 Bathurst Street received an Award of Excellence for Public Buildings in Context in 2023. Photo Credit: Doublespace PhotographyThe City of Toronto is now accepting submissions for the 2025 Toronto Urban Design Awards, which are held every second year to recognize achievements in urban design, architecture, and landscape architecture. This year marks a milestone; the 35th anniversary of the program, which will celebrate design excellence across the city.Designers, developers, project owners, community groups, design students and others are invited to enter eligible projects in categories including elements, private buildings in context, public buildings in context, small open spaces, large places and/or neighbourhood designs, visions and master plans, student projects, and public art.As a new category in 2025, public art aims to recognize the growing significance that artwork contributes to the animation of the public realm across the city.Design students are also encouraged to enter theoretical or studio projects relating to Toronto.Submissions should outline how the project strives to meet the broad goals of the Citys Official Plan and supports equity, affordability, resilience, accessibility, integration and preservation of heritage resources, environmental sustainability and contributes to the Citys goals of re-urbanization.There are two main areas of focus for the 2025 awards program: sustainability, and equity, reconciliation, and diversity. The Toronto Urban Design Awards program seeks broad representation from the design community including representation from Indigenous, Black and equity-deserving groups or communities. Additionally, it seeks entries that represent design excellence in diverse neighbourhoods, particularly those underrepresented in the sphere of design recognition.The Toronto Urban Design Awards are an opportunity to celebrate outstanding architecture and design, a beautiful public realm and thoughtful and joyful public art, all of which are essential elements of a vibrant, dynamic, and successful city. As Toronto continues to grow and evolve, championing good city-building is important to ensure our neighbourhoods are great places to live, work and play. Toronto has much to celebrate and were looking forward to receiving submissions during this milestone year for the awards ceremony, said Jason Thorne, chief planner and executive director, city planning, City of Toronto.The deadline for submissions is noon on Monday, April 14.The City will hold an awards ceremony in September to celebrate all entries and announce the winners.More information, including detailed program requirements and submission criteria, is available on the Citys website: www.toronto.ca/tuda.The post City of Toronto opens submissions for 2025 Toronto Urban Design Awards appeared first on Canadian Architect.

Photo credit: Promise RoboticsAI company PromiseRobotics has announced its plans to expand deployment of its production lines at a new 60,000-square-foot existing warehouse in Calgary, Alberta.The facility will be able to produce up to 1,000,000 square feet of housing annually and the expansion represents the latest advancements in automation and robotics in the homebuilding industry.PromiseRobotics aims to transform how homes are built in a traditional industry. Built by builders for builders, the company is enabling the homebuilding industry with its Homebuilding Factory-as-a-Service (FaaS) platform to boost production capacity and deliver homes faster with fewer resources.The new state-of-the-art robotic system in Calgary builds on the success of PromiseRobotics Factory-as-a-Service facility in Edmonton. Through automation and robotics, home builders can integrate fragmented processes and transform their blueprints into production-ready designs with AI-powered robots that produce homes from single-family to multi-story apartments.Photo credit: Promise RoboticsHomes are also being built locally and using local materials, localized supply chains, and local labour to ensure communities are supported at the point of construction.This new factory marks a major technological and business milestone, strengthening our ability to support our expanding network of homebuilding partners across Canada and the U.S., said Ramtin Attar, CEO and co-founder of PromiseRobotics.The high cost and complexity of automation have long kept homebuilders from investing in factories, but PromiseRobotics changes that. Our solution removes capital and expertise barriers, enabling builders to adopt automation and scale production confidently.PromiseRobotics production systems can be deployed at an existing warehouse or temporary structure offsite or onsite to provide builders with a one-stop production solution from blueprint to assembly. They also manage the entire automation lifecycle within factories as a service.PromiseRobotics expansion in Calgary strengthens Albertas economy and housing sector by bringing advanced AI androbotics to home construction, says Hon. Matt Jones, Minister of Jobs, Economy, and Trade. This will create high-quality jobs, support local supply chains and increase housing production at a time when Alberta needs it most.The new Calgary facility will officially start production this summer.The post Promise Robotics expands with new warehouse in Calgary appeared first on Canadian Architect.

Image credit: RAICThe Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) has announced the five Honorary Fellows being inducted into the RAIC College.An Honorary Fellow of the RAIC College is an Honorary Member of the RAIC who has achieved international professional eminence or has rendered service to the profession or to the community, whether nationally or internationally.Nomination and advancement to Honorary Fellowship is administered by the RAIC College. Honorary Fellowship is bestowed for life and is one of the highest honours the RAIC can confer upon a non-Member.This years Honorary Fellows are Kimberly N. Dowdell, from Chicago, IL, Emily Grandstaff-Rice, from Boston, MA, Michelangelo Sabatino, from Chicago, IL, Martin Segger, from Victoria, BC, and His Late Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan IV.Kimberly N. Dowdell is HOKs director of strategic relationships, as well as the 2024 president-elect of the AIA and past president of NOMA.Emily Grandstaff-Rice, FAIA, is an architect with experience on a broad range of academic, hospitality, institutional, and commercial projects and the 2023 President of the American Institute of Architects (AIA).Michelangelo Sabatino, PhD, is a professor of architectural history and heritage in the College of Architecture, Illinois Institute of Technology where he currently directs the PhD program in architecture and is the inaugural John Vinci Distinguished Research Fellow.Martin Seggers administrative and academic career has included the positions of Director of Art Galleries and Collections at the University of Victoria. He has served as president of the Society of Architectural Historian, Pacific North West Chapter and president of the Commonwealth Association of Museums.His Late Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan IV was the winner of the RAIC Gold Medal in 2013 and an important patron of architecture globally, including in Canada. His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan IV passed away on February 4, 2025, at the age of 88.Fellows and Honorary Fellows will be officially inducted to the RAIC College on Tuesday, June 3, 2025 at a convocation ceremony during theRAIC Conference in Montral.For more information, click here.The post RAIC College Welcomes Five New Honorary Fellows appeared first on Canadian Architect.

Image credit: ArcadisArcadis, as part of the Plenary PCL Health consortium, is advancing its role as lead designer for the QEII Halifax Infirmary Expansion Project, the largest healthcare infrastructure project ever undertaken in Atlantic Canada.The project represents an important component of Nova Scotia, Canadas QEII Health Sciences Centres redevelopment, with the upcoming work set to guide the project through its complete design, construction, and occupancy over the course of six years.Delivering a modern and sustainable healthcare facility inside an active hospital campus is a complex endeavor requiring collaboration, attention to detail, and creativity. Arcadis is proud of the progress made to date and excited about designing a facility that addresses the needs of current patients and staff while building the hospital of the future, said David Wood, healthcare principal, and project director at Arcadis.The 1.2m sq. ft. acute care facility aims to usher in a new era of healthcare delivery in the province and will feature 216 inpatient beds, 16 operating theatres, a new intensive care unit, and a larger emergency department.Designed and built on the existing site, the new facility will integrate with the current hospitals facilities. The project will also minimize disruptions to ongoing hospital operations while addressing the provinces healthcare needs by replacing aging infrastructure and enhancing access to care.Designed to achieve LEED Silver certification, this project reflects a commitment to the values of the QEII Health Sciences Centre.Optimizing site utilization, creating a rational growth pattern, and increasing urban connectivity with the surrounding community are all features focused on strengthening the health and wellness attributes of the project. The emphasis on these ideals, sustainability features, and high-performance design will aim to create a welcoming and contemporary workplace for healthcare professionals while simultaneously enhancing the experience for patients.Arcadis serves as the lead architect and consultant, overseeing all design deliverables, including architecture, clinical planning, interior design, BIM services, and landscape architecture.The QEII Halifax Infirmary Expansion Project symbolizes Nova Scotias dedication to the improvement and expansion of local healthcare access and infrastructure through high sustainability and design standards.The post Arcadis awarded lead design role for QEII Halifax Infirmary Expansion Project appeared first on Canadian Architect.

The winners of the 2024 Niagara Biennial, hosted by Ontarios Niagara Region, have officially been announced.The bi-annual awards program celebrates design excellence in Niagara and showcases a range of exemplary design solutions within the diverse built environments of Niagara.Established in 2020, the program aims to promote the contribution to Niagaras economy by creatives such as designers, artists, fabricators, builders, and owners. The work of these individuals must balance complex issues of sustainability, livability, inclusivity, vibrancy, and climate change.Here is a list of the 2024 winners.The Exchange. Photo credit: Khaldoon, courtesy of Niagara RegionGrand Prize WinnerThe Exchange | Niagara FallsProject Address: 5910 Sylvia Place, Niagara FallsProject Owner: City of Niagara FallsProject Team: DTAH, Garritano Brothers Ltd, Ft Lab, WalterFedy, ENTRO, Introba/Integral Group, ASIJordan Village Public Realm Revitalization. Photo courtesy of Niagara RegionGrand Prize WinnerJordan Village Public Realm RevitalizationProject Address: Jordan VillageProject Owner: Town of LincolnProject Team: Arcadis, Trenchline & Roads, Stevensville Lawn Service Inc., EarthscapeCoronation Park Improvement. Photo courtesy of Niagara RegionOutstanding Achievement (Landscape Architecture)Coronation Park ImprovementProject Address: 77 Main Street West, GrimsbyProject Owner: Town of GrimsbyProject Team: Shoreplan Engineering, CRL Campbell ConstructionReNew the View. Photo courtesy of Niagara RegionOutstanding Achievement (Outdoor Art)ReNew the ViewProject Address: 282 Ontario Street, St. CatharinesProject Owner: Willow Arts CommunityProject Team: Willow Arts Community Visual Artists: Marvin Dale, Tammy Fenner, Tricia Franklin, Kim Height, and Doug Paget.Glendale Diverging Diamond Interchange. Photo courtesy of Niagara RegionAward of Excellence (Enduring Design)Glendale Diverging Diamond InterchangeProject Address: Queen Elizabeth Way/Glendale Avenue/York Road/ Airport Road, Niagara-on-the-LakeProject Owner: Ontario Ministry of Transportation with Niagara RegionProject Team: Niagara Region, The Miller Group, Morrison Hershfield/ Stantec Engineering, HDR Inc., AECOMCasablanca Waterfront Park. Photo courtesy of Niagara RegionAward of Excellence (Landscape Architecture)Casablanca Waterfront ParkProject Address: 420 North Service Road, GrimsbyProject Owner: Town of GrimsbyProject Team: SDG Landscape Architects, Matrix Solutions Inc., MNE Engineering, Kuntz ForestryConsulting Inc., Oakridge Landscape ContractorsFirst Nations Peace Monument. Photo credit: Khaldoon,courtesy of Niagara RegionAward of Excellence (Landscape Architecture)First Nations Peace MonumentProject Address: 2370 DeCew Road, ThoroldProject Owner: City of ThoroldProject Team: Friends of Laura Secord, Douglas J. Cardinal Architect Inc., Quartek Group, Plenty Canada and Landscape of Nations 360, Niagara Parks Commission, Niagara Region, Rankin Construction Inc.Public Art at the Exchange. Photo courtesy of Niagara RegionAward of Excellence (Outdoor Art)Public Art at the ExchangeProject Address: 5910 Sylvia Place, Niagara FallsProject Owner: City of Niagara FallsProject Team: Nicholas Crombach, Dillon Douglas, Jacob Headley, Emily Andrews, Lyndsay-Ann ChilcottProjects the Jury wished to also recognize the following projects with a Certificate of Acknowledgment:Fonthill AbbeyTown of PelhamProject Owner: Rinaldi HomesProject Team: Raimondo Architects + AssociatesUrban Studios RedefinedCity of St. CatharinesProject Owner: Elevate LivingProject Team: Better Neigbourhoods Inc., Invizij ArchitectsVineyard SquareTown of Niagara-on-the-LakeProject Owner: DJR HoldingsProject Team: ACK Architects Studio Inc., Upper Canada Consultants, Hallex Engineering, Sirignano Contracting, McWilliam and Assoc.Copacabana RestaurantCity of Niagara FallsProject Owner: SMJR HospitalityProject Team: Raimondo Architects + Associates, Francois Frossard Design Ltd., VBSA, ARC Engineering, Seguin Engineering Inc.Sanctuary Suites on ElmCity of Port ColborneProject Owner: Hometown Properties Inc.Project Team: Engineering, Seguin South Coast Consulting, G. Curnock and Associates, Upper Canada ConsultantsNiagara-on-the-Lake Heritage District FeatureTown of Niagara-on-the-LakeProject Owner: Town of Niagara-on-the-LakeProject Team: SDG Landscape Architects, MNE Engineering, Whistling Dwarf Stonework, Three SeasonsLandscapes, Smart Watering SystemsThe post 2024 Niagara Biennial Design winners announced appeared first on Canadian Architect.

Photo credit: Dan WiltonThe American Institute of Architects (AIA), recently announced the elevation of 93 architects to its College of Fellows.The AIA is elevating 83 member-architects and 10 non-member-architects to its College of Fellows, an honour awarded to architects who have made significant contributions to the profession.The fellowship program was developed to elevate architects who have achieved a standard of excellence in the profession and made a significant contribution to architecture and society on a national level.Canadian expat Alison Brooks, whose eponymous firm is now based in the UK, is among the Honorary Fellows.The recognition is awarded to those who have made contributions to the architecture profession and society. This years class includes a total of 83 AIA member-architects and 10 international architects who have become Fellows, and 10 International Architects who have been granted Honorary Fellowship.Fellows are selected by a 10-member Jury of Fellows. This years jury included chair Carl DSilva, FAIA, Perkins&Will; Roderick Ashley, FAIA, Roderick Ashley Architect; Margaret Carney, FAIA, Cornell University; Sanford Garner, FAIA, RGCollaborative; Julie Hiromoto, FAIA, HKS; John Horky, FAIA, Ripples, by design; Mary Ann Lazarus, FAIA, Cameron MacAllister; Marilys Nepomechie, FAIA, Florida International University; Anne Schopf, FAIA, Mahlum and Jose Javier Toro, FAIA, Toro Arquitectos.Other Honorary Fellows include Tatiana Bilbao and Michel Rojkind from Mexico, Junya Ishigami and Masaharu Rokushika from Japan, Kain Bon Albert Chan, Hu Li and Lyndon Uykim Neri from China, Brinda Somaya from India, and Kerstin Thompson from Australia, who have all been recognized for their contributions to the global architectural landscape.The new Fellows are set to be recognized at the AIA Conference on Architecture & Design 2025 (AIA25) in Boston in June.The post Alison Brooks receives AIA Honorary Fellowship appeared first on Canadian Architect.

Image credit: mcCallumSatherThis exclusive interview with Dr. David Suzuki discusses mcCallumSathers upcoming event ahead of Earth Day called Building for a Living Planet: Exploring the Role of Architecture in a Sustainable World, which will be dedicated to sustainable architecture and honouring the legacy of mcCallumSathers co-founder, Joanne McCallum. The event will take place on April 17, 2025, at Sanford Hall in Westinghouse HQ, Hamilton, Ontario, and will feature a lineup of speakers and panelists, as well as a gathering in celebration of McCallum, who recently announced her plans to retire.The free in-person event is a learning session that aims to bring together industry leaders to explore the role of architecture in a sustainable world. As a firm dedicated to exploring sustainable design solutions, mcCallumSather is eager to share insights from their work and discuss how innovative architectural strategies can help mitigate climate challenges.The evenings keynote speaker will be Dr. DavidSuzuki, award-winning scientist and environmentalist. Hiskeynote presentation, Humanity at a Crossroads: Transformation or Extinction, will dive into the challenges and opportunities we face as a society.According to McCallum, attendees can expect the presentation by Dr. Suzuki to be insightful and passionate, adding that he never hesitates to share his deeply held beliefs on humanitys impact on the environment. McCallum anticipates a dynamic discussion on the intelligence architects bring to design, research, and construction, and the urgent need to transform procurement processes to prioritize sustainability, resilience, and regenerative design. McCallum, who notes that architects are uniquely positioned to lead sustainable design, said, Our profession is constantly engaged with working with a broad variety of participants, coordinating people, processes, and systems; giving us the expertise to drive change. Conversations will focus on designing for net-zero carbon, maximizing systems integration and energy efficiency, and embedding regenerative and circular design principles into our work. It is critical that we use our voicesnot just within our practices, but in communities and with policymakers, to influence urban planning and government policies. She adds, For decades, architects have championed designing with nature, yet outdated procurement processes that prioritize capital costs have marginalized our impact. This approach has negatively affected public health and well-being. We will discuss how sustainable designthrough responsible material choices, energy efficiency, life-cycle costing, and low-carbon constructionmust be foundational to creating livable communities.At the event on April 17, Dr. Suzukis keynote presentation will explore the urgent need for a shift in societal priorities. It will also highlight the intersection of environmental responsibility and the built environment. If its all about ways to be more efficientuse less materials, use more wood, less concrete, all things that should have been priorities long agoits too late. We are in overshoot. Over the past 50 years, the average size of a Canadian family has decreased by more than 50 per cent while the average size of houses has more than doubled, meaning each occupant of the house has four times as much space, said Dr. Suzuki about his upcoming presentation in an exclusive interview with Canadian Architect. Thats a problem right there. I think we need to see the world through biological lenses. We are animals with an absolute need for clean air, pure water, rich soil and food, energy from the sun and a wide web of plants, animals and microorganisms that create those sacred elements. Yet, we are driving species to extinction and using air, water and soil as garbage cans rather than treating them as sacred in all we do.Dr. Suzuki noted that human beings have become so numerous and demanding that we are driving our fellow creatures to extinction and degrading the life support systems of all life. My message is the one I give to any group and is driven by science, especially the work of Johan Rockstroms group who have defined nine planetary boundaries such as the pH of oceans, available freshwater, carbon in atmosphere, nitrogen cycle, etc. within which all life must obey to survive, said Dr. Suzuki. If any one boundary is exceeded, we would be in trouble, but Rockstrom shows we have passed six of the boundaries and are about to exceed another. We exceeded the boundary of ozone, and it is the only one that we have pulled back from the danger zone.According to Dr. Suzuki, Rockstrom claims we can turn back out of the danger zone we are in, but in order to do so, it must be done within five years. Looking at our record in responding to carbon in the atmosphere, we will not be able to make it in five years, so nature is going to set the bottom line, he said, adding that Ron Milos work shows all of human-made entities, from paper to cars to buildings, now weigh more than all the living organisms on the planet. Incremental changemore wood and less concrete for example is too little too late. We need transformational change in all human activity, and architecture is one. My message to architects is first to educate yourselves on Rockstroms work.Dr. Suzuki noted that we have surpassed the boundaries within which we can live sustainably. As a result, we face a very uncertain future. It is clear our institutions of governance are created on the illusion of human supremacy over the planet and the error of thinking the economy is the source of all we need. But, all of these systems leave out nature. It is suicidal, he said.Some additional topics that will be explored in Dr. Suzukis presentation include our impact on the environment, the necessity of rethinking societal priorities, and the importance of building a society that restores Earths sustainable productivity. I hope people will throw out our indicators of success, such as money and power, and think more deeply about our children because that was Gretas messagescience shows if we carry on as we are now, children will not have a future to look forward to. Already we know average life expectancy is dropping in the U.S. and will get way worse in the coming years, said Dr. Suzuki.The panel discussion on April 17 will also feature senior architect and sustainability expert John Peterson and global sustainability leader and net-zero carbon strategist Lisa Bate. The discussion will be moderated by Alex Lukachko, building science consultant and educator at the University of Toronto and the Climate Design Initiative. The evening will also include a 15-minute audience Q&A session, providing attendees with the opportunity to engage directly with the thought leaders.A highlight of the evening will be the presentation of the Joanne McCallum Sustainable Catalyst Award, a biennial award to recognize a mcCallumSather team member whose actions serve as a catalyst for sustainable change and carries forward McCallums dedication to sustainable leadership in all aspects of her work and life.For more information and to register for the event, click here.The post Exclusive interview with David Suzuki highlights mcCallumSathers upcoming sustainable architecture event appeared first on Canadian Architect.

Ontario Fourplex Rendering. Credit LGA Architectural PartnersThe federal government has released the final renderings, floor plan layouts, and key building details as part of the Housing Design Catalogue, an initiative under Canadas Housing Plan.The catalogue features about 50 standardized housing designs for rowhouses, fourplexes, sixplexes, and accessory dwelling units across the country.Saskatchewan/Manitoba Fourplex Rendering. Credit: 5468796 ArchitectureIn January 2024, the Government of Canada began targeted engagements with key stakeholders, partners, and experts to inform the types of designs, features, and amenities in the Housing Design Catalogue.In July 2024, the federal government launched a Request for Proposals (RFP) process for the development of low-rise designs as part of the Housing Design Catalogue. The successful proponents of the RFP process were MGA | Michael Green Architecture for the British Columbia region and LGA Architectural Partners Ltd., who worked with five other teams of regional experts including Dub Architects, 5468796 Architecture, KANVA, Abbott Brown Architects, and Taylor Architecture Group.Quebec Fourplex Rendering. Credit: KANVAThe release of the final renderings, floor plan layouts, and key building details aims to provide a head start for homeowners, builders, and communities in their planning processes. The designs were developed by regional architecture and engineering teams, and focus on creating gentle density and infill development in existing neighbourhoods in all regions of Canada. The final architectural design packages will be released this spring.NOR Fourplex Municipal Rendering. Credit: Taylor Architecture GroupIn order to help ensure the Housing Design Catalogue supports the goals of Canadas housing system, various principles were considered during the development phase including adaptability and accessibility, energy efficiency, financial feasibility, use of regional construction methods and materials, and compliance with local regulations and building codes.BC Fourplex Rendering. Credit: Michael Green ArchitectureThe Housing Design Catalogue will help builders streamline the process from concept to construction, cutting costs and speeding up housing delivery once the final architectural design packages are ready. The catalogue also aims to simplify design, ensures compliance with building codes, and helps estimate costs so that homes can be built faster.ATL Fourplex Rendering. Credit: Abbott Brown ArchitectsThese standardized designs will help smaller homebuilders cut through the complexity, speeding up the time between concept and construction and lowering costs of building, said Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities.Alberta Fourplex Rendering. Credit: Dub ArchitectsThe federal government continues to work with provinces, territories, and municipalities to streamline and fast-track approvals for the standardized designs included in the Housing Design Catalogue. The designs cover all regions of the country: British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan, Ontario, Quebec, the Atlantic provinces, and the territories.Summary packages for each of the designs are currently available, which provide a high-level plan overview. Homeowners, builders, and communities interested in receiving updates on when the final architectural design packages are available can sign up on the Housing Design Catalogue webpage.The post Federal government unveils designs as part of the Housing Design Catalogue appeared first on Canadian Architect.

Photo credit: The Pritzker Architecture PrizeThe Pritzker Architecture Prize has announced Liu Jiakun, of Chengdu, Peoples Republic of China, as the 2025 Laureate of the Pritzker Architecture Prize, an award that is regarded internationally as architectures highest honour. Liu is the 54th Laureate of the Pritzker Architecture Prize and the founder of Jiakun Architecture, established in 1999.Liu offers architecture that celebrates the lives of ordinary citizens and uses architecture to foster community and inspire compassion. Throughout his works, he demonstrates a deep respect for culture, history and nature, and familiarity through modern interpretations of classic Chinese architecture.Born in 1956 in Chengdu, Peoples Republic of China, Liu spent a majority of his childhood in the corridors of Chengdu Second Peoples Hospital, founded as Gospel Hospital in 1892, where his mother was an internist. According to the Pritzker Architecture Prize, while almost all of his immediate family members were physicians, he displayed an interest for creative arts, and a teacher later introduced architecture as a profession.Hu Huishan Memorial by Liu Jiakun. Image Jiakun ArchitectsIn 1978, Liu was accepted to attend the Institute of Architecture and Engineering in Chongqing (renamed Chongqing University). He graduated with a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Architecture in 1982 and was amongst the first generation of alumni tasked with rebuilding China during what was a transformative time for the nation.Liu has been featured in international exhibitions including Experimental Architecture by Young Chinese Architects The 20th UIA World Congress of Architects (1999, Beijing, China); TU MU Young Architecture From China (2001, Berlin, Germany); Urban Creation, Shanghai Biennale (2002, Shanghai, China); the 1st, 3rd and 7th Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism/Architecture (2005, 2009 and 2017, Shenzhen, China); the 11th and 15th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia (2008 and 2016, Venice, Italy); the 56th International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia (2015, Venice, Italy); Now and Here Chengdu | Liu Jiakun: Selected Works (2017, Berlin, Germany); and Super Fusion Chengdu Biennale (2021, Chengdu, China).Shuijingfang Museum by Liu Jiakun. Photo credit: Arch-ExistHe is currently a visiting professor at the School of Architecture Central Academy of Fine Arts (Beijing, China), and has previously lectured at Cit de larchitecture et du patrimoine (Paris, France), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America), Royal Academy of Arts (London, United Kingdom), and leading institutions in China.His awards include the Far Eastern Architectural Design, Outstanding Award (2007 and 2017); ASC Grand Architectural Creation Award (2009); Architectural Record China Awards (2010); WA Awards for Chinese Architecture (2016); Building with Nature, Architecture China Award (2020); Sanlian LifeweekCity for Humanity Awards for Public Contribution (2020); and UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation, New Design in the Heritage Contexts (2021).ImageArchitecture should reveal somethingit should abstract, distill and make visible the inherent qualities of local people. It has the power to shape human behavior and create atmospheres, offering a sense of serenity and poetry, evoking compassion and mercy, and cultivating a sense of shared community, said Liu.Suzhou Museum of Imperial Kiln Brick by Liu Jiakun. Photo credit: The Hyatt Foundation/The Pritzker Architecture Prize/Jiakun ArchitectsHis career spans over forty years, with more than thirty projects ranging from academic and cultural institutions to civic spaces, commercial buildings and urban planning throughout China. Significant works include Museum of Clocks, Jianchuan Museum Cluster (Chengdu, China, 2007); Design Department on new campus, Sichuan Fine Arts Institute (Chongqing, China 2006), Lodging Center of China International Practice Exhibition of Architecture (Nanjing, China, 2012), Chengdu High-Tech Zone Tianfu Software Park Communication Center (Chengdu, China, 2010), and Songyang Culture Neighborhood (Lishui, China, 2020).Through an outstanding body of work of deep coherence and constant quality, Liu Jiakun imagines and constructs new worlds, free from any aesthetic or stylistic constraint. Instead of a style, he has developed a strategy that never relies on a recurring method but rather on evaluating the specific characteristics and requirements of each project differently. That is to say, Liu Jiakun takes present realities and handles them to the point of offering sometimes a whole new scenario of daily life. Beyond knowledge and techniques, common sense and wisdom are the most powerful tools he adds to the designers toolbox, said the 2025 Jury Citation, in part.Calligraphy: H.Masud TajLiu will be honoured at a celebration in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates this spring, and globally with a virtual ceremony video this fall.The 2025 Laureate Lecture and Panel Discussion will be held in May and open to the public in-person and online.The post Liu Jiakun Announced Recipient of 2025 Pritzker Architecture Prize appeared first on Canadian Architect.

Image credit: RAICThe Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) is honoured to announce the 43 new Fellows inducted into the RAIC College.A Fellowof the RAIC Collegeis a member of theRAIC who has achieved professional eminence or has rendered distinctive service to the profession or to the community at large. Nomination and advancement to Fellowship is administered by the RAIC College.Fellowship is bestowed upon individuals through a nomination process administered by the RAIC College and recognizes members for their contribution to research, scholarship, public service, or professional standing to the good of architecture in Canada, or elsewhere.Fellows will be officially inducted to the RAIC College on Tuesday, June 3, 2025 at a convocation ceremony during the2025 RAIC Conference.The complete list of new Fellows include the following.2025 New FellowsAlberta & Northwest TerritoriesBen BarringtonChristopher FilipowiczCameron GilliesGrant MooreAtlanticCarole CaronStephen KoppBritish Columbia / YukonKatherine (Kate) GersonMarion LaRueMona LemoineRodney MaasJohn WallManitobaMichael BanmanOntario (Northeast & Nunavut)Louis BlangerDarryl HoodGlen D. MilneChristopher MoiseThe late Gerry PilonOntario (Southwest)Safdar AbidiVaidila BanelisAndrew Batay-CsorbaStasia BogdanDeanna BrownNicola CasciatoSteven CaseyDonald ChongRaymond ChowSue Jean ChungDavid DowCecily B. EckhardtDavid FortinAlar KongatsMartin LiefhebberDaniel LingMark MichasiwAnya MoryoussefPaul RaffMichael J. TreacyBarbora Vokac TaylorBrenda WebsterQuebecJean-Pierre ChupinMartin HouleNicolas RangerAndrew Paul ToddThe post RAIC College Welcomes 43 New Fellows appeared first on Canadian Architect.

Image credit: KollectifDfi Sport Architecture (DSA) is hosting the latest edition of an annual fundraiser that will take place on March 16, 2025, at the Bell Centre, in Montreal, in partnership with Owens Corning and Luxtec.The architectural community is invited to participate in the fundraising event for the three schools of architecture in Quebec: lUniversit de Montral, Laval and McGill.The DSA 2025 event will be an opportunity to experience the thrill of NHL-style hockey at the Bell Centre. The event will include the national anthem, music from the Bell Centre and its Jumbotron, the presence of Youppi, the official mascot for the Montreal Canadiens, ceremonial face-offs, and the presentation of the cheque to the three schools of architecture.There will be two matches with four teams consisting mainly of architects as well as representatives from engineering firms, consultants, manufacturers and builders. Three student representatives, one from each school of architecture, will also be part of the teams.The event will also provide attendees the opportunity to lace up their skates and hit the ice at the Bell Centre during one of the two scheduled free skating sessions. Registration is required for everyone, and helmets are mandatory for children 12 years of age and under.For more information, click here.The post Hockey fundraising event for Montreal-based architecture schools to return this month appeared first on Canadian Architect.

Photo courtesy of Teeple ArchitectsTeeple Architects has announced the addition of five new partners.Each new partner is integral to Teeples success and will strengthen the firms commitment to its projects. The five new partners include Richard Lai, Myles Craig, Wes Wilson, Avery Guthrie, and Tomer Diamant.This is an exciting new chapter for the firm, one that builds on the foundation of collaboration and creativity that has always defined us, said Stephen Teeple. These leaders are not new to Teeple Architects; they have been instrumental in shaping our practice for years, and their perspectives will help guide us forward while maintaining the values weve always held.This marks an important milestone in Teeple Architects 35-year history. The expanded partnership will strengthen the firms ability to continue delivering projects, and tackling several challenges faced by clients and communities such as climate change, housing affordability, and community resilience.Steves incredible vision and mentorship have been transformative for all of us, said Tomer Diamant, partner. As we step into this new phase, we are excited to continue to work closely with Steve to carry the Teeple legacy forward.The post Teeple Architects Announces Five New Partners appeared first on Canadian Architect.

Photo credit: BMExLight House, an organization focused on advancing circular practices in the built environment, has announced the launch of the Building Material Exchange program (BMEx).TheBMEx Marketplace, which aims to make it easier for businesses to exchange and acquire more sustainable construction, building and design materials, is also now officially live.BMEx was created with the intention to help reduce waste management costs as well as the amount of construction materials that end up in landfills. Through theBMExprogram, businesses in and around Nanaimo, Victoria, Cowichan Valley, Duncan and the surrounding islands with excess, unused, or salvaged building and/or design-related materials, are matched with others in need of resources to begin or complete projects.Materials accepted through theBMEx program include concrete, aggregates, asphalt, metal, wood, glass, carpet, doors, flooring, drywall, and fixtures. The program is free tosign up and participate in, and is funded by the Regional District of Nanaimos Zero Waste Recycling Fund, the Capital Regional District, and the Cowichan Valley Regional District.BMEx participants have access to BMExMarketplace, an online platform designed to exchange, donate, or acquire excess, unused, or salvaged building and/or design-related materials.TheBMEx Marketplace includes a custom interface for those involved with building materials so they can list materials they have and find what they need fast, said Gil Yaron, managing director, Circular Innovation, Light House. The online community is vetted to ensure confidence in the exchange materials and partners, with detailed product profiles so users have access to more information about materials they are sourcing. A resource hub includes educational content like articles, guides, and best practices on sustainable construction, material reuse, and waste reduction tips.To learn moreaboutBMEx, clickhere.The post BMEx Marketplace Launches on Vancouver Island appeared first on Canadian Architect.

Several events are being hosted this month in celebration of International Womens Day, which falls on March 8, 2025.Here are a few unique events and opportunities meant to honour the contributions of women in the architecture and design fields.Women in Architecture (WIA) VancouverThroughout the month, WIAs Architects of Change: A Womens Day Design Series, willhost one event each week, bringing together a community of architects, designers, engineers and other professionals to explore the achievements, challenges, and future of women in design. By showcasing designrelated work from women+ in the Lower Mainland, WIA Vancouver hopes to bring inspiration to the next generation of women+ in the field.The Power of Her: Women In Leadership Panel DiscussionMarch 6, 2025.This empowering panel discussion will feature women in leadership across the fields of architecture and related design professions.Building Bridges: Conversations with Women in EngineeringMarch 13, 2025.For the second event of the Architects of Change Design Series, they will bring together a diverse group of engineers for an insightful and empowering online panel discussion to share their experiences, challenges, and successes in the field of engineering. This event will feature a panel of engineers from various disciplines, each sharing their personal journey, insights, and advice on navigating a male-majority industry as women.Serving the Underserved LectureMarch 20, 2025.For the third event , WIA Vancouver is offering a lunch-time discussion with Natalia Kwasnicki. Kwasnicki is the Interior Designer for QMunitys new home and a partner at Portico Design Group. The new home for QMunity is one of the few purpose-built spaces in BC for the queer, trans and Two-Spirit community. QMunity is one of the leading organizations in the Lower Mainland to provide resources, housing, and most importantly safe LGBTQIA+ community space in Vancouver.Women in Design ExhibitionMarch 29, 2025.This exhibition will showcase a diverse range of women-led and owned local businesses. From architecture firms to design studios and beyond, this event highlights the impactful contributions women are making in the built environment.BEAT TorontoFinding Your VoiceMarch 7, 2025.BEAT is hosting a virtual roundtable for International Womens Day that will feature panelists Kelly Buffey (Akb), Brenda Izen (Izen Architecture), Ashely Rumsey (Mason Studio), and Sue Jean Chung (Studio JCI). The discussion will be moderated by chair of the executive board of BEAT, Jennifer Esposito (Place of Work/TMU).Okanagan CollegeWomen In Architecture, Construction and Engineering (ACE) SummitMarch 7, 2025.This in-person event aims to explore and celebrate opportunities for growth, skills enhancement, and career advancement for women working in the ACE Industries.UQAM Design CenterBUONE NUOVE / Femmes Architectes du ChangementNow until April 6, 2025.The UQAM Design Center is presenting BUONE NUOVE / Femmes Architectes du Changement, an exhibition that highlights the practices of women architects. 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 until April 6, 2025.The post International Womens Day events for architecture professionals appeared first on Canadian Architect.

Fanshawe Innovation Village south exterior. Photo credit: Tom Arban Photography Inc.The Innovation Village at Fanshawe College is a new collaborative space that aims to cater to the different ways people learn.Designed by Diamond Schmitt with associate architect Philip Agar Architect and opened last year, the 126,828-square-foot facility aims to transform and expand the colleges core, and creates a new campus hub that brings students, professors and professionals together.Fanshawe Innovation Village north exterior. Photo credit: Tom Arban Photography Inc.Student and Indigenous engagement has informed the buildings design, establishing a learning environment that supports diverse programming. Innovation Village also puts a focus on sustainability, and is enveloped in a custom BIPV cladding that provides on-site renewable energy that powers the building.Fanshawe Innovation Village west exterior. Photo credit: Tom Arban Photography Inc.The new Innovation Village responds to the changing pedagogies of the 21st century, said Sydney Browne, principal at Diamond Schmitt. Designed to support a culture of active and experiential learning, the facility prioritizes a diversity of spaces that can be adapted for multiple users across faculties and encourage impromptu cross-disciplinary collaborations and interactions. Environmental sustainability has also been an area of emphasis, with the Innovation Village wrapped in an envelope of custom BIPV that further expresses the facilitys focus on innovation.Fanshawe Innovation Village west exterior. Photo credit: Tom Arban Photography Inc.The Innovation Village is located at the centre of Fanshawes London campus, and brings together spaces that were previously disconnected to create a new heart for the college.The design, which draws on the incubator space model, reflects the colleges academic approach, which is focused on experiential learning. It also caters to the various ways people learn, and offers a variety of adaptable spaces that range from silent study zones to open work/study areas, homework labs to multi-use event and presentation spaces.Fanshawe Innovation Village Canada Life Village Square. Photo credit: Tom Arban Photography Inc.It is a place where all students have access to technology, including maker spaces, an augmented reality and virtual reality lab, multimedia labs, and Leap Junction, a centre for all things entrepreneurship.At the core of Innovation Village is the Canada Life Village Square, which is a full-height multipurpose agora that is positioned at the crossroads of the campuss major corridors. This central forum can be used for guest lectures or pitch presentations, as an exhibition space, classroom, study space, or student lounge.Fanshawe Innovation Village Forwell Hall. Photo credit: Tom Arban Photography Inc.The Square has multiple access points that open towards the buildings interior. Clerestory openings above the main atrium space allow light to penetrate the interior. Circulation spaces are also animated by open lounge areas that create additional opportunities for connections.The two-storey Forwell Hall, a major event space run by the Fanshawe Student Union, can be used for tradeshows, fashion shows, or as a student lounge. The Hall, which opens to courtyards to the north and south, offers throughviews and is characterized by a two-storey curtain wall system supported by wood glulam columns.Indigenous engagement has been a key component in the overall design development of the Innovation Village, and was led by the colleges advisor in Indigenous education and development, Guy Williams, from the Nlakapamux Nation.Fanshawe Innovation Village corridor. Photo credit: Tom Arban Photography Inc.A new Library Learning Commons aims to demonstrate the colleges commitment to inclusivity, and support for its more than 400 Indigenous students. It is home to the Kalihwyo Circle (Kalihwyo is from the Oneida (Onyotaa:ka) language meaning good message) the Indigenous Spirit Assembly that introduces Indigenous presence into the built fabric of the campus. Its circular formation also creates a feeling of safety and trust, as well as encourages the sharing of culture. Respecting the four cardinal directions, the Kalihwyo Circle has direct access to a large adjacent courtyard.Anchored by a terrazzo floor petal motif that represents the 28 days and ceiling motif that represents the 13 moons of the Lunar calendar, it is protected by a turtle-shell ceiling which references the creation of Turtle Island, and can host Indigenous workshops, exhibitions, and smudging ceremonies.Fanshawe Innovation Village Kalihwyo Circle. Photo credit: Tom Arban Photography Inc.Kalihwyo Circle has been an important foundation for the design of Innovation Village and the establishment of an atmosphere of connectivity, and the extension of the Indigenous spirit, throughout the project. Illustrations by Indigenous artist Hawlii Pichette who is Mushkego Cree (Treaty 9) and of urban mixed ancestry, are the basis of the graphic language of patterning that is used throughout.Raw natural materials, such as wood, and the exposure of the buildings steel and concrete structures, aim to capture a new energy for the college. A large timber glulam canopy at the main entrance, and south courtyard, aims to create a welcoming approach. Its seven pillars reference the seven Indigenous teachings and the seven job skills of the future outlined by the college.On the exterior, the Innovation Villages addition is wrapped in a custom Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) cladding system which uses a nanotechnology surface treatment that allows for a coloured surface. It has minimal reflectance that optimizes solar transmittance and energy capture by the PV panels behind this glass. This technology allows for a blue hue that changes tones with the weather and angle of view, and contributes an on-site renewable energy source.The post Fanshawe Colleges Innovation Village aims to create new kind of campus hub appeared first on Canadian Architect.

Various opportunities are currently available for young architecture professionals who are looking to pursue research and curatorial work.Some current opportunities include the following:The Canadian Centre for Architecture:Curatorial Internships ProgramThe Curatorial Internships Program is designed to share the CCAs expertise with students and young professionals in architecture, design, the arts, the humanities, and cultural studies who are interested in exploring editorial and curatorial work in architecture. Selected candidates will have the opportunity to become acquainted with the CCAs curatorial approach through a nine-month internship in Montral beginning in October 2025.Deadline to apply: March 10, 2025.Curatorial Photography Internship ProgramThe Curatorial Photography Internship Program is a new initiative designed to share the CCAs expertise with students and young professionals who are interested in exploring editorial and curatorial work in photography as a lens-based spatial practice. Selected candidates will have the opportunity to become acquainted with the CCAs curatorial approach through a nine-month internship in Montral beginning in October 2025.Deadline to apply: March 10, 2025.Masters Students ProgramThe CCA Masters Students Program encourages students at Canadian universities to take up urgent questions with relevance to the built environment in Canada and beyond. Through a three-month collaborative project, participants actively engage with the CCAs Collection, participate in seminars and other pedagogical activities, and articulate their own understanding of architecture as a public concern.Deadline to apply: March 17, 2025.Gottfried Bhm Scholarship:Following its successful start, the Gottfried Bhm Scholarship is currently entering its second round. Architects and city planners in the post-graduate phase from around the world are invited to apply for the one-year residency scholarship in Cologne, Germany. With a monthly funding of 2,500 euros, free accommodation and individual professional support, the program offers ideal conditions for the development of innovative projects that combine architecture and urban planning.The deadline to apply is May 31, 2025.For more information, click here.The post Research and curatorial opportunities available for young architecture professionals appeared first on Canadian Architect.

Photo credit: hcma architecture+ designHcma architecture + design has announced that three of its architects have joined the partnership group.As principals, Aiden Callison, Ali Kenyon, and Darin Harding will help the firm generate new possibilities and will work with hcmas seven other principals to shape the firms future direction, particularly its role as a leader in sustainable and inclusive design.Callisonleads a team within hcma focused on working with First Peoples. As a Coast Salish architect and member of the Hwlitsum First Nation, Callison applies his experience, expertise in civic and recreation buildings, and knowledge of inclusive design to support Indigenous communities.Ali Kenyonswork is at the intersection of community and the built environment. She leads the design and delivery of public spaces, development plans and complex community buildings with a unique interdisciplinary background.Darin Hardingmost recently established hcmasnew Calgary office, and is already busy with multiple projects. He is passionate about designing community buildings that foster connection through a human centred approach and leads diverse teams on public space design, civic and institutional projects, community centres, and recreation and aquatic facilities.The addition of Aiden, Ali, and Darin to our partnership reflects hcmas dedication to fostering leadership from within. Each ones unique contribution to our practice has helped to shape how we work, how we build community, and how we push the boundaries of whats possible. With their shared passion and vision, we are in excellent hands for the years ahead, said Darryl Condon, managing principal, hcma architecture + design.This announcement follows the appointment of five new Associate principalsin November 2024.The post hcma architecture + design expands partnership with three new principals appeared first on Canadian Architect.

On February 20, 2025, winners of the Canadian Architect Awards of Excellence gathered at Massey College at the University of Toronto to celebrate. In the congenial setting of Ron Thoms 1963 masterwork, we raised a glass to the winners of our awards program from 2024.Special thanks to event sponsorsBlackwellandBulthaup Toronto.Photos byHarry Choi PhotographyCanadian Architect Awards, Massey College. Photo credit: Harry Choi PhotographyCanadian Architect Awards, Massey College. Photo credit: Harry Choi PhotographyCanadian Architect Awards, Massey College. Photo credit: Harry Choi PhotographyCanadian Architect Awards, Massey College. Photo credit: Harry Choi PhotographyCanadian Architect Awards, Massey College. Photo credit: Harry Choi PhotographyCanadian Architect Awards, Massey College. Photo credit: Harry Choi PhotographyCanadian Architect Awards, Massey College. Photo credit: Harry Choi PhotographyCanadian Architect Awards, Massey College. Photo credit: Harry Choi PhotographyCanadian Architect Awards, Massey College. Photo credit: Harry Choi PhotographyCanadian Architect Awards, Massey College. Photo credit: Harry Choi PhotographyCanadian Architect Awards, Massey College. Photo credit: Harry Choi PhotographyCanadian Architect Awards, Massey College. Photo credit: Harry Choi PhotographyCanadian Architect Awards, Massey College. Photo credit: Harry Choi PhotographyCanadian Architect Awards, Massey College. Photo credit: Harry Choi PhotographyCanadian Architect Awards, Massey College. Photo credit: Harry Choi PhotographyCanadian Architect Awards, Massey College. Photo credit: Harry Choi PhotographyCanadian Architect Awards, Massey College. Photo credit: Harry Choi PhotographyCanadian Architect Awards, Massey College. Photo credit: Harry Choi PhotographyCanadian Architect Awards, Massey College. Photo credit: Harry Choi PhotographyCanadian Architect Awards, Massey College. Photo credit: Harry Choi PhotographyCanadian Architect Awards, Massey College. Photo credit: Harry Choi PhotographyCanadian Architect Awards, Massey College. Photo credit: Harry Choi PhotographyCanadian Architect Awards, Massey College. Photo credit: Harry Choi PhotographyCanadian Architect Awards, Massey College. Photo credit: Harry Choi PhotographyCanadian Architect Awards, Massey College. Photo credit: Harry Choi PhotographyCanadian Architect Awards, Massey College. Photo credit: Harry Choi PhotographyCanadian Architect Awards, Massey College. Photo credit: Harry Choi PhotographyCanadian Architect Awards, Massey College. Photo credit: Harry Choi PhotographyCanadian Architect Awards, Massey College. Photo credit: Harry Choi PhotographyCanadian Architect Awards, Massey College. Photo credit: Harry Choi PhotographyCanadian Architect Awards, Massey College. Photo credit: Harry Choi PhotographyCanadian Architect Awards, Massey College. Photo credit: Harry Choi PhotographyThe post Scene: Canadian Architect Awards Celebration, February 20, 2025 appeared first on Canadian Architect.

Photo credit: CAAJThe Canadian Academy of Architecture for Justice (CAAJ) has launched its 2025 Student Design Competition, entitled Filling the Gap: Designing for New Approaches to Diversion, Healing, and Rehabilitation.For the competition, CAAJ is inviting architecture students to propose innovative designs for community-oriented buildings aimed at addressing contemporary societal crises, such as addiction, homelessness, mental health, and poverty. Traditional justice institutions, like police stations and courthouses, are often at the forefront of these crises but often fail to effectively address these complex issues, and as a result, many marginalised and struggling members of society are falling through the gaps, says the CAAJ. As a result, the competition challenges students to create architectural or urban design solutions that provide support, rehabilitation, and healing, without relying on traditional institutional models.The competition encourages participants to consider how their design can bridge the gap between marginalized individuals and the broader community, promote healing, reduce recidivism, and offer alternatives to incarceration. Designs should focus on a facility that integrates health and social services, educational spaces, or other community-centered programs to help address specific crises.Submissions will be judged based on their potential to improve the community, integrate sustainable principles, and create environments that promote calm and wellness.The competition offers prize money of $3,000 CAD for first place, and $1,000 CAD each for second and third place. Submissions are due by June 30, 2025, and will be evaluated by a panel of justice sector experts, architects, and community-engaged professionals.For more information, click here.The post Canadian Academy of Architecture for Justice launches student design competition appeared first on Canadian Architect.

Photo courtesy of GWLRAIn 2030, College Park will celebrate a century since it became a beacon of Art Moderne architecture and Art Deco interior design at Yonge and College in Toronto.Ahead of this milestone, the buildings owner GWL Real Estate Advisors (GWLRA) is launching College Park 100, an event series and website which will explore the icons past and future as a team of top local architects, heritage experts and urban designers work with the City of Toronto to formalize a design.College Park was originally conceived as a retail landmark akin to the Rockefeller Center in New York City. The Great Depression, however, forced a scaling back of the architects Ross and Macdonalds 30-storey, wedding cake design. In 1977, when the Eaton Centre opened at Yonge and Dundas, the building was abandoned. In 2000, GWLRA took over College Park and worked with ERA Architects to restore and reopen the seventh-floor event space in 2003 as The Carlu.Today, College Park is surrounded by one of the busiest and most populated neighbourhoods in the city. GWLRAs redevelopment plans will include improvements to publicly accessible space behind College Park, and the streetscape along Yonge and College. The company aims to maximize community benefit, enhance sustainability and transit access, provide additional housing, and upgrade the buildings commercial spaces while minimizing disruptions during construction.Toronto-based urban design and landscape architecture firm PUBLIC WORK will revitalize the public space around College Park, with Toronto-based Hariri Pontarini Architects (HPA) as the projects design architect. GWLRA has asked the design team to reference the original vision of architects Ross & Macdonald and create a mixed-use complex at a key node in the city.There is currently no confirmed development plan or timeline, and any future development is contingent on City approval.Our goal is to complete that original College Park vision in a way that makes sense for the Toronto of today, while respecting and preserving the heritage architecture, said Daniel Fama, vice president of development, GWLRA. We want to make College Park a true destination in Toronto. Weve assembled the best minds in the country, and we want to invite the public into their design process to facilitate meaningful dialogue as we prepare to file a formal development application with the City.College Park was originally conceived as a spectacular new centre for Toronto, said ERA Architects principal Scott Weir. Its never quite lived up to that potential. We now have an exciting opportunity to renew the vision of the original architects and create a cultural hub that truly serves the community thats grown up around College Park, as well as Toronto at large.On March 17, 2025, Weir will present the first in a series of free College Park 100 events, Restoring the Lost Vision of College Park: An Architectural Icon That Changed Toronto, in The Carlus Round Room. His talk will focus on the original unrealized plans for College Park, and the role heritage architecture will play in bringing life to Yonge and College. This talk will also allow for the public to visit the venue, which is designated a National Historic Site of Canada.The post Visioning exercise launches for Torontos College Park appeared first on Canadian Architect.

Trumpet Flowers by Amigo and Amigo. Photo credit: JF SavariaLUMINO, a Montreal event created and produced by the Quartier des Spectacles Partnership, has made a comeback.The event, which has taken place for 15 winters, is a free urban experience that aims to transform the citys core into a celebration of light while highlighting Montreals Nordic character.The event, which is running until March 9, 2025, is featuring 30 installations in public spaces, including several indoor installations for the first time. It takes place daily from sunset to 11:00 p.m., and invites visitors to enjoy winter by exploring luminous creations.This year, the event is featuring works including 14 outdoors, 11 indoors, and seven video projections. The works, created by 15 studios and 20 local and international artists, will offer visitors a playful experience throughout the winter.On Sainte-Catherine and St-Urbain Streets, Talking Heads by Limelight Art (Hungary) features two heads made up of 4,000 light-emitting diodes that interact with each other to produce facial expressions in different colours and conduct real conversations through light.Cercle Polaire by Jason Carter and M.A.D. Collectif. Photo credit: JF SavariaOn Esplanade PVM at Place Ville Marie, loge de lair by Chevalvert invites attendees to make a large five-metre banner float in the air, and Cercle Polaire by Jason Carter, and M.A.D. Collectif, invites visitors to immerse themselves in the world of Far North fauna.Lustres by Tilt. Photo credit: Ulysse Lemerise OSALustresby TILT, on the parvis of St. James United Church, is an open-air ballroom experience; Biolumen by Rahda Chaddah and RAW Design, at the Palais des congrs, is a contemplative experience inspired by bioluminescent oceanic organisms, and Orb by Spy transforms the Place des Arts Esplanade with 90 convex discs made of polished steel.Biolumen by Radha Chaddah et Raw Design. Photo credit: Ulysse Lemerise OSAChaleur Humaine is a piece by Anne Lagac that resembles a suspended sun and brings colour and warmth to Place Pasteur. Les Fabuloscopesby La Camaraderie with Eruoma Awashish, set up in front of the Grande Bibliothque, invites passers-by to create stroboscopic animations.Chaleur Humaine by Anne Lagac. Photo credit: Nathalie St-Pierre UQAM1000 Visages by Alejandro Figuerroa of +Amor, facing the Esplanade Tranquille skating rink, is a 12-metre archway with 1,779 moving mirrors. Lorchestre endormi by Ottomata, is an interactive light-and-sound installation.quilibre: Tensio by Francis Thberge and Guillaume Bourassa. Photo credit: Ulysse Lemerise OSAIndoor works include quilibre: Tensio by Guillaume Bourassa and Francis Thberge. Located at the entrance to Le Central gastronomic food court, this immersive installation plays with perception and becomes a harmonious structure when viewed from a certain position.With VORTEX, artist Nicolas Paolozzi stages an encounter between light, water and geometry. Meanwhile, an interactive work called Cintique, by Ottomata, is located inside The Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth. It features dozens of luminous stems arranged in a circle.Kaleidoscope: A Social Media Trinity by Figueroa de +Amor. Photo credit: Ulysse Lemerise OSAInside Place des Arts, the public is invited to discover Kalidoscope: A Social Media Trinityby Alejandro Figueroa of AMOR+. The installation explores the impact of social media through a reflection on the creation, dissemination and consumption of content.Matire premire by Yan Breuleux. Photo credit: Thibault CarronLUMINO also occupies the Balmoral block with six experimental works curated by three local galleries: perte de signal, Elektra Galerie and Eastern Bloc. The public will have an opportunity to discover Microstarsby Charline Dally and Gabrielle HB,Porteur de Lumireby students from NAD-UQAC, Afflux by Jade Delobre, Mechanicolor by Stban SanFaon,Chasing Waterfallsby Hidden Edges andMatire Premire by Yan Breuleux.Every night, viewers can also enjoy video projections. trangement satisfaisant by COLEGRAM illuminates the faades of difice WILDER | Espace Danse, UQAMs Pavillon Prsident-Kennedy and the wall adjacent to Saint-Laurent metro station, with a series of three video projections riffing on online culture and videos.On the faade of the Grande Bibliothque, guests can experience Hyperobjects, by artist Aude Guivarch, and the Esplanade Tranquille skating rink presents the interactive video projection Au bord du lac Tranquille by Mirari and Normal studio, taking Montreal residents and visitors on a journey through Quebecs Far North.For more information, click here.The post LUMINOs 30 interactive installations in public spaces on view in Montreal appeared first on Canadian Architect.

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.