Dec 6, 2018. Taken from Ferris wheel. Photo courtesy of Patricia Chang Imagine your mandate was to design an outdoor place in Montreal that would embody the Canadian identity, and one where you could enjoy sun, fresh air from the St. Lawrence River, and soak in the spectacular views and history of the city, all while enjoying music of all eras, genres and languages, and even get some exercise in? Where people young and old, locals and tourists, couples on first dates, singles getting energized before tackling their work days or relaxing after a tough week, children with their parents and grandparents, groups from elementary and high schools and colleges, hockey teams, breakdancing and ice skating groups, and those of all ages and nationalities could co-exist and mingle in a magical setting? Where the vibe is one of excitement, positivity and joy, and even tranquility, depending on the time of day? What if I told you, such a place already exists—and has been in existence for 33 years? The skating rink at Bonsecours Basin at the Old Port of Montreal has evolved into the embodiment of a modern Canadian square; a genius loci. Those who gather there, non-skaters and skaters alike, connect to the rich history, culture and identity of Montreal, Quebec and Canada, to nature, and to each other. They are not just sitting there scrolling on their phones, they are actively participating in physical exercise, having fun and laughing while learning a new skill, even if they fall. Isn’t this what we want for our youth and young adults? To become physically and mentally strong, especially with depression and anxiety levels being at all-time highs? To become resilient, to be able to handle all the stress of growing up so that they can contribute to society? The natural skating rink of Bonsecours Basin last seen in February 2020. Photo courtesy of Patricia Chang So then why would the Federal Government—which owns the land where the skating rink is located—quietly announce that they would be closing the skating rink, due to costs associated with the requirement of a new refrigeration system meant to deal with extreme fluctuating temperatures? It seems ironic that the government, which had spent years developing the Old Port—starting from the national competition in 1981 and completion in 1992—would make this decision so hastily as a “fait accompli,” especially since the skating rink had always been the shining star. It has become more and more popular each year, despite the fact that one must pay to skate and a parking fixed fee of $25 has been implemented. The skating surface has also decreased: the natural ice rink of the entire Basin used to be maintained and accessible for skating, but in the last five years, only the refrigerated portion of the rink has been in operation. The unpredictable weather has also shortened the seasons of many neighborhoods’ natural ice rinks across Montreal Island, so that is all the more reason for the Old Port refrigerated rink to stay open. As for the costs? The complex at Bonsecours Basin is currently grossly under used. When the refrigerated rink is closed for nine months out of the year, the open space of the rink, or the space in front of the pavilion, could be used for events. Imagine dancing under the stars, or doing yoga, tai chi, martial arts, or break dancing, or even attending weddings there during the day. The possibilities are endless. Same goes for the two-winged pavilion. In fact, the upper storey, rooftops, and side terrace could be used for events during the season, and off season, could be rented to groups and events. Ferris Wheel. Photo courtesy of Patricia Chang Perhaps we can also look to other cities for inspiration such as Reston, Virginia, which has their outdoor skating rink, that features a gorgeous glass and steel structure, as their main attraction to the town square. Their off-season events even include concerts. Other examples include Delaware River Rink in Philadelphia, and Wollman Rink in Central Park. The latter is an activity hub with a skating season that lasts seven weeks longer than ours. While their climates don’t experience the same extremes as ours, the warmer temperatures also present their own challenges. The Old Montreal rink is in one of the most gorgeous unique settings in the world. It is not as large as the Rideau Skateway, but it is of no less importance. So, what is the silver lining? The opportunity to maximize the potential of the site—in a way which retains the open-air skating rink. A start is signing a petition on Change.org. How can architects or developers rally to approach the government with further ideas and plans? I would be pleased to offer my suggestions. Patricia Chang is a lifelong Montrealer, former architect, realtor, content creator on Tik Tok as elfie@BigPictureCoach and is writing a book on Hope and Humour for Humanity. The post Op-Ed: A Silver Lining to the Closure of Montreal’s Old Port Skating Rink? appeared first on Canadian Architect.

Page-designed Indeed Tower in Austin, Texas (photo credit: Albert Vecerka/Esto). Canadian firm Stantec has signed a purchase agreement to acquire Page, a 1,400-person architecture and engineering firm headquartered in Washington, DC. The acquisition aims to deepen Stantec’s growth in areas such as advanced manufacturing, data centers, and healthcare, while strengthening Stantec’s U.S. offering in mission critical, academic, civic, cultural, aviation, science and technology, and commercial. “Page is a respected architecture and engineering firm with shared values and a commitment to design excellence and innovation,” said Gord Johnston, president and chief executive officer of Stantec. “This acquisition will greatly support our strategic market growth in our Buildings business while enabling us to leverage our expanded platform to better serve our North American clients and grow our worldwide market presence.” With the addition of Page, Stantec’s U.S. Buildings practice will grow by approximately 35 per cent and the company’s overall U.S. employee headcount will expand to approximately 13,500 people. The purchase will make Stantec the second-largest architecture firm in the U.S. Stantec intends to fund the acquisition through existing funds and credit facilities. Founded in 1898 in Austin, Texas, Page has offices in 20 cities across the U.S. and Mexico. “Together, we will support our clients with expanded reach, greater expertise, and deeper resources. Our strategic plans were to achieve domestic primacy and global influence for our team, joining Stantec positions us to accelerate these plans,” said Thomas McCarthy, Washington, DC-based chief executive officer of Page. “We are delighted to be joining Stantec and elevating the capabilities of our talented team.” The post Stantec to acquire design, architecture, and engineering firm Page appeared first on Canadian Architect.

Episodes in Public Architecture by Andrew Frontini (ORO Editions, 2025) Episodes in Public Architecture By Andrew Frontini (ORO Editions, 2025) Architect Andrew Frontini’s recent book is a hybrid between monograph and memoir. The book presents 11 projects completed over the course of Frontini’s career at the Toronto branch of Perkins&Will. Interspersed among glossy colour photos of each project are pamphlet-like inserts with Frontini’s candid musings about the process of the project’s making and lessons learned. The case studies trace Frontini’s career back to being an upstart at Shore Tilbe Irwin & Partners, the firm that would later become Perkins&Will’s Toronto office. In an “act of total insubordination,” he and colleague Marc Downing “hijacked the design concept” for the Whitby Library and Civic Square competition, developing a modernist composition framing a town square instead of the centrally placed basilica-and-rotunda scheme they had been instructed to execute—and winning the job. As his career evolved, Frontini reflects on how evolved from being the singular “hand” behind a design to a team leader, the “watcher of hands.” This is especially evident in Dawes Road Library, a project now entering construction, designed in collaboration with Eladia Smoke of Smoke Architecture. Deeply informed by dozens of conversations and hundreds of individuals, the building will be draped in a curved cladding evocative of an Indigenous star blanket—which, as Frontini explains, is a traditional “gift made and bestowed by the community for valuable work that benefits the community.” Episodes in Public Architecture by Andrew Frontini (ORO Editions, 2025) Nuggets of wisdom and insight pepper the other stories in this book. The high-pressure, high-stakes work that went into the design-build for the University of Toronto Mississauga Instructional Centre—a mere 22 months from project award to completion—is a thrilling tale. I recalled observing from the sidelines, in 2013, a dust-up between Phyllis Lambert and Perkins&Will over the firm’s redesign of Arthur Erickson’s Bank of Canada headquarters; here, the full story is recounted from Frontini’s perspective. Episodes in Public Architecture by Andrew Frontini (ORO Editions, 2025) In several of the projects presented, Frontini’s propensity for storytelling wins the day. A bit of narrative stagecraft—curating Perkins&Will’s Dupont Street studio as a gallery showcasing key elements of its approach—helped gain the firm the initial commission for Toronto Metropolitan University’s Daphne Cockwell Health Sciences Complex. A wooden model based on a Japanese puzzle-box gives the head librarian at the University of Toronto Mississauga a proposal that she can sell to other stakeholders. Frontini’s narrative skills shine in this book, too: his texts bring his projects to life, taking readers along on the sometimes-fraught adventures that resulted in the successful creation of these dozen buildings. The post Book Review: Episodes in Public Architecture appeared first on Canadian Architect.

Lutheran Seminary. Photo by daryl_mitchell from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada via Wikimedia Commons A decision on the future of the former Lutheran Theological Seminary, a landmark heritage building at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, is expected at next week’s meeting of the University’s Board of Governors. The historic building on the University of Saskatchewan campus is currently slated for demolition, but several historians are hoping that government officials think twice before tearing it down. The building, which is located at 113 Seminary Crescent, has been vacant since 2020. Ahead of the meeting, a letter has been issued by the Canadian national committee of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) to the Board of Governors regarding the potential demolition. As the leading international organization in cultural heritage conservation, ICOMOS aims to promote the conservation, protection, use and enhancement of monuments, buildings and sites. The letter, written by Michael McClelland, secretary, Board of Directors for ICOMOS Canada, begins by expressing concerns over the potential demolition of the Lutheran Theological Seminary on the University of Saskatchewan campus, calling it an “extraordinary landmark in Saskatchewan and Canada as a whole.” “The University of Saskatchewan campus is widely known to include an exceptional collection of buildings and landscapes, lending it significance both to the province and to the country’s cultural heritage. Its natural setting on the South Saskatchewan River, its layers of architecture and landscape from many different eras, and the use of local stone that unifies its buildings are among its most important cultural heritage attributes. Home to one of Canada’s National Historic Sites, the campus is a national treasure,” reads the letter. The letter goes on to note that the former Lutheran Seminary, a formally recognized heritage building, reflects these qualities. “Its exceptional design integrates modernist architecture with a careful response to its remarkable setting on the riverbank and the architectural traditions of the University campus. The building’s heritage value also extends to its association with John Holliday-Scott, an architect who is significant to the community and the province, and to its association with Lutheran education in Canada and North America as a whole,” reads the letter. The letter concludes with ICOMOS strongly recommending that submitted proposals from the comminity be considered for the site, which keeps with established heritage standards and best practices which call for alternatives to be studied before cultural heritage places are demolished. “As you deliberate on the Seminary’s future at your upcoming meeting, we urge you to consider the future potential of this site, the wider impacts of demolition on Canada’s cultural heritage, and the legacy of stewardship with which the University has been entrusted,” concludes the letter. A decision on the future of this building is set to be made between April 14 and 15, 2025. The post ICOMOS urges U of S to retain heritage Lutheran Theological Seminary appeared first on Canadian Architect.

Urbanarium has launched Decoding Timber Towers, a global ideas competition which aims to have real-world impact. This marks the Vancouver organization’s fourth installment in its affordable housing competition series, which addresses the impact of climate change on housing and offers winners international portfolio recognition and cash prizes totalling $50,000. This year’s competition is asking participants to consider residential and mixed use design solutions that use mass timber and to design creative solutions to some of the challenges facing mass timber construction today. These include unfamiliarity with the resource, steep upfront costs, the requirement for specialized consultants, insurance coverage, and the design issue of creating all-wood balconies. “Urbanarium has always been a platform that fosters discourse around the urgent issues we face in housing, community building, and urban planning,” says Amy Nugent, executive director of Urbanarium. “As Canada faces US tariffs on steel, Decoding Timber Towers looks for innovative solutions with BC timber that will shape the future of low carbon construction, and stimulate the domestic construction market with design ideas that also maintain a high standard of comfort, livability and connection to land.” Registrants will be assigned hypothetical sites based on a fictionalized Transit-Oriented Area (TOA), or an area within close proximity to rapid-transit such as SkyTrain stations and bus exchanges. Four individual sites have been distributed across the fictional TOA based on typical BC conditions, and have been formed with the input of First Nations and Indigenous housing developers. There is one mass timber high rise in Vancouver, Brock Commons, which is known as the “Tallwood House” at the University of British Columbia. Other projects in development or under construction include the 25-storey residential structure at Main and 5th Street to be completed in 2027 and the Main and Cordova rental building to be completed in 2026. Image credit: Urbanarium The winners of the competition will have their proposals showcased in a publication, on various websites, in the “About Here” series by Uytae Lee and in the upcoming international conference, Woodrise 2025 in Vancouver from September 22 to 25, 2025. The biannual congress is hosted by three nations: Japan, France, and Canada, and focuses on mid- and high-rise timber construction. Urbanarium will host an exhibition and stage presentation on the competition results, and share the winning designs with more than 2,000 industry professionals in attendance from more than 25 countries. This is in addition to the cash prizes which will be $15,000 for first place, $10,000 for second place, $5,000 for third place, and $2,000 each for five honourable mentions. New this year is the $10,000 Digital Award, presented for innovative use of digital technologies and processes in the team’s approach to repeatability, funded by DIGITAL’s Housing Growth Innovation Program. Registration is open until May 2, 2025, and submissions will be due August 25. Winners will be announced at an awards event on September 15. To learn more about Decoding Timber Towers and to register, click here. The post Urbanarium launches Decoding Timber Towers competition appeared first on Canadian Architect.

The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) has announced the recipients of the 2025 RAIC Annual Awards. From lasting contributions to architecture to visionary studios, groundbreaking projects and bold initiatives, this year’s recipients showcase the evolving landscape of Canadian architecture, and reveal both its creative and thoughtful response to contemporary challenges. This year’s recipients include the following. RAIC Gold Medal Shirley Blumberg and Marianne McKenna RAIC 2025 Gold Medal Winners, Marianne McKenna and Shirley Blumberg   Architectural Practice Award 5468796 Architecture Inc. 5468786 team on the shared exit stair connecting recently reimagined historic 90 and newly constructed 100 Alexander. Photo – © Stationpoint Photographic. RAIC Advocate for Architecture Award Yosef Wosk The RAIC Advocate for Architecture Award winner, Yosef Wosk. Photo credit: Courtesy RAIC RAIC Research and Innovation in Architecture Award Single Stair Exit Building Code Reform by LGA-AP   2025 RAIC Research & Innovation in Architecture Award winner, LGA Architectural Partners Western North York Community Centre | Advancing Net Zero Emissions Standards in Public Architecture by MJMA Architecture & Design 2025 RAIC Research & Innovation in Architecture Award winner, MJMA Architecture & Design RAIC Architectural Journalism and Media Award SET PIECES: Architecture for the Performing Arts in Fifteen Fragments by Diamond Schmitt Architects 2025 RAIC Architectural Journalism and Media Award winner, SET PIECES: Architecture for the Performing Arts in Fifteen Fragments Prix du XXe siècle:  Imrie House / 6 Acres, Edmonton AB, 1957; Wallbridge & Imrie Architects   2025 Prix du XXe siècle winner, 6 Acres by Wallbridge and Imrie Grand Falls Historic District, Grand Falls, NL, 1909   2025 Prix du XXe siècle winner, Grand Falls Historic District by Anglo-Newfoundland Development Co. Yorkton Psychiatric Centre, Yorkton SK, 1964, Izumi Arnott and Sugiyama 2025 Prix du XXe siècle winner, Yorkton Psychiatric Centre by Izumi Arnott and Sugiyama For more information, click here. The post RAIC announces recipients of Annual Awards appeared first on Canadian Architect.

Arthur J.E. Child Comprehensive Cancer Centre. Photo credit: Adrian Ozimek The Arthur J.E. Child Comprehensive Cancer Centre, designed by DIALOG, is a landmark facility that aims to be more than a cancer treatment center, but also a project that redefines the future of healthcare by integrating architecture and wellness into one space. Arthur J.E. Child Comprehensive Cancer Centre. Photo credit: Adrian Ozimek DIALOG, in collaboration with Stantec, is responsible for every aspect of the facility’s development, from architecture and engineering to landscape architecture and urban design. Arthur J.E. Child Comprehensive Cancer Centre. Photo credit: Adrian Ozimek At the core of the building lies “the heart,” which is an all-season garden. Two curving L-shaped forms come together in an “embrace,” which symbolizes the care patients will receive. Arthur J.E. Child Comprehensive Cancer Centre. Photo credit: Adrian Ozimek The building is organized into five interdisciplinary “villages,” each designed to foster collaboration between caregivers, patients, and researchers. These villages include the Radiation Therapy, Welcoming, Outpatient, Research, and Inpatient Villages, which enable a modular layout that integrates research and clinical spaces. Arthur J.E. Child Comprehensive Cancer Centre. Photo credit: Adrian Ozimek DIALOG, who was also responsible for the mechanical and electrical engineering, incorporated dynamic glass to reduce energy loads and an Automated Guided Vehicle system to optimize logistics and operational efficiency. Arthur J.E. Child Comprehensive Cancer Centre. Photo credit: Adrian Ozimek Wide, clear pathways and intuitive wayfinding systems also ensure ease of movement for people of all abilities. All public and patient-facing areas have also been designed to cater to people with visual and hearing impairments through the use of tactile signage and enhanced audio systems to ensure that patients, families, and staff can all navigate the space. Arthur J.E. Child Comprehensive Cancer Centre. Photo credit: Adrian Ozimek The post Arthur J.E. Child Comprehensive Cancer Centre opens in Calgary appeared first on Canadian Architect.

Photo credit: David Boyer The new Espace citoyen des Confluents, a new architectural and social landmark in eastern Laval, Quebec, by Cardin Julien, aims to address a demand for public infrastructure in the neighbourhood. The project, built on a 13-acre site that once housed a petrochemical plant, features a library, meeting spaces, a multifunctional theatre, and a police station. It transforms a former industrial site into a space that aims to be a model of sustainable urban renewal. Photo credit: David Boyer Inspired by the ecological principle of eco-morphosis, the designers have created a project unique to the site. The building’s layout on an undeveloped lot made it possible to optimize its alignment along an east-west axis, maximizing its bioclimatic efficiency. In opting for south-facing surfaces, the building’s elongated and angled volume fosters the intake of passive solar energy, while reducing direct thermal gains on the east and west facades. This arrangement helps to improve the project’s thermal comfort and energy performance, while accentuating its presence as a landmark that can be spotted from avenue Huguette-Gaulin. Photo credit: David Boyer The openings are carefully positioned and punctuated with brise-soleils. Site integration is at the heart of the architectural approach with its linear, slightly angular volume, making the building stand out as a defining landscape feature. Sustainability is a key premise of the project, and all design decisions were made to achieve performance standards, which go beyond the goal of LEED v4 Gold certification. The integration of passive and active energy strategies into the architecture is a central component of the project’s identity. Photo credit: David Boyer Inclusion and community values guided the interior design objectives. The building program is structured around a central axis: a large entrance hall, designed as a convergence point for interaction and discovery. Opening onto the northern and southern outdoor spaces, it creates a link between the site’s southern and northern areas. Photo credit: David Boyer The building proposes several modular spaces that can be adapted for various uses and group events. The roof’s wooden decking and natural light also aim to create a warm atmosphere that enhances the experience of visitors. Conceived by Projet Paysage, the landscaping is based on the highest environmental criteria, with the aim of transforming a site marked by industrialization into a living, resilient space. A dense plant canopy helps reduce heat islands, while an educational arboretum enriches visitors’ experiences by raising awareness of local ecosystems. Photo credit: David Boyer Espace citoyen des Confluents also took an approach to rebalancing mobility and promoting universal accessibility. The site encourages a harmonious coexistence between pedestrians, cyclists and motorists, while also facilitating access to public transit. The exterior features have been designed to reduce car dependency and encourage active travel. The overall project incorporates the principles of universal accessibility. With its bioclimatic approach, social roots, and exemplary landscape integration, Espace citoyen des Confluents is a model for Laval’s future municipal infrastructures. Technical sheet: Project name: Espace citoyen des Confluents Location: Laval, Québec, Canada Client’s name: Ville de Laval Year of construction: 2024 Area: 5750 m2 Construction budget: CAD$34 million Environmental certification: LEED Or Architecture : Cardin Julien Engineering : WSP Landscape architecture : Projet Paysage Scenography : GO Multimedia Engineering – Telecommunications : Dupras-Ledoux Construction : Groupe GEYSER Art work : Ludovic Boney Photography : David Boyer The post New Espace Citoyen des Confluents transforms former industrial site into sustainable urban renewal model appeared first on Canadian Architect.

Photo credit: Design VictoriaVancouver Islands premier design festival,DesignVictoria, will be returning next month to celebrate the City of Victoria and the islands growing design community.The four-day festival, organized by Design Victorias partners, will take place from May 1 to 4, 2025, and feature events across the city and beyond including special installations, exhibitions, events, open houses, tours and workshops, and the official launch party.Launched in May 2023, Design Victoria is the first festival to celebrate Greater Victorias growing design community, and one of the first of its kind in BC.At the time, the festival worked collaboratively with designers and design businesses to generate ideas for special installations, exhibitions, events, open houses, tours and workshops, which resulted in a variety of programming that reflected the expertise, innovation and unique style of individual designers. The inaugural festival exceeded expectations with 3,000 attendees to 35 individual events.Design Victoria was conceived by Carla Sorrell, director of Design Victoria, and Will Sorrell, director of the the Interior Design Show. Both were involved in the UKs creative sector before moving to Victoria in 2020.The following is a lineup of events revolving around architecture that will be taking place at Design Victoria this year.Open House: hcma architectureOn May 2, hcma is hosting an open studio for Design Victoria. This year, theyre celebrating 20 years in Victoria, 20 years dedicated to maximizing positive impact in communities across Vancouver Island and beyond. Stop by their Victoria studio to learn more about the work they do, meet people, and explore their new space on Courtney Street.Architectural Walk & Drawing TourOn May 3 and 4, attendees are invited to join the Architecture Foundation of British Columbia (AFBC) for a walking tour where attendees will sketch some of the citys architectural highlights. This event welcomes anyone interested in sketching or architecture. Over a 1km walk, a guide will lead attendees to four locations, sharing key concepts to inspire sketches at each stop.Biophilic Design CharretteJoin Christine Lintott Architects for Park It + Plant It: a biophilic design charrette, where creativity meets nature. This interactive, hands-on event invites participants to reimagine how our public infrastructure can foster connections within community and to the natural world. Focusing on the Johnson Street Parkade, this charrette asks community members what future they envision for this site.Workshop: Missing MiddleProvincial and City policy is now encouraging infill housing in urban neighbourhoods. Termed Gentle Density, the new policy enables homeowners to build small multi-family buildings with four to 12 homes in place of one house. Join Fold Architects for a collaborative design workshop where theyll guide you through the exercise of creating, siting and programming a project, on a typical city lot.Exhibition & Talk: Architectural PhotographyJoin Wentworth Villa for a talk about Knights Fort Street, their soon-to-be-released self-guided historic walking tour of Victorias much loved street. The talk and tour will coincide with their new feature exhibit, Knights Victoria: The Architectural Photography of Harry Upperton Knight. They will also have a small exhibition of local architectural photographer John Taylors photos of the restoration of the Union Club Building, overseen by Victoria architect Shiv Garyali.Movie and Talk: Arthur Erickson: Beauty Between the LinesDirected and written by Danny Berish and Ryan Mah, Beauty Between the Lines delves into the life and work of Arthur Erickson, a visionary architect first in Canada and ultimately throughout the world. With intimate interviews, unseen archival footage, and an exploration of his architectural masterpieces, the film weaves together the complexities of Ericksons personal and professional life.The post Design Victoria returns to celebrate islands growing design community appeared first on Canadian Architect.

The Joyce Centre for Partnership & Innovation at Mohawk College by mcCallumSather and B+H Architects received the Chief Planner Award at the 2023 Urban Design and Architecture Awards.The City of Hamilton is now accepting submissions for the 2025 Urban Design and Architecture Awards.The biennial City of Hamiltons Urban Design and Architecture Awards (UDAA) aim to recognize and celebrate design excellence throughout the city.Owners, urban designers, architects, landscape architects, planners, contractors, engineers, consultants and students are invited to submit projects. The jurors seek to select high-quality, innovative, sustainable and human-scaled projects.This year the eligibility period has been extended from two years to four years, in order to provide projects with streetscaping and landscaping more time to mature.There are a total of seven categories of submissions for this years awards, including: urban elements, private buildings in context, public buildings in context, open spaces, public spaces and green infrastructure, visions and master plans, civic achievements, and student projects, with one of the projects having the opportunity to be selected for a sustainability award.The deadline for submission is Friday, June 27, 2025, at 4:00 p.m.The awards will be announced to the public, including project design teams and owners, at an awards ceremony on November 6, 2025.More information is available here.The post City of Hamilton accepting submissions for 2025 Urban Design and Architecture Awards appeared first on Canadian Architect.

Image credit: Dfi Sport ArchitectureDfi Sport Architecture (DSA) recently hosted the latest edition of its annual fundraiser at the Bell Centre in Montreal in partnership with Owens Corning and Luxtec.On March 16, 2025, the architectural community was invited to participate in the fundraising event for the three schools of architecture in Quebec: lUniversit de Montral, Laval and McGill.The event also took place with the support of ACDF Architecture, CGC, ELEMA experts-conseils, MAGIL Construction and Solflex Canada. The core collaborators for the event were ACDF architecture, Enercorp, Kollectif, the Quebec Architects Hockey League (LHAPPPOQ) and Lemay Qubec.The DSA 2025 event aimed to be an opportunity to experience the thrill of NHL-style hockey at the Bell Centre and included 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.A total of 66 players, including six women, competed in two friendly matches between teams consisting mainly of architects, and were joined by people from the construction industry and representatives of architecture student associations, in front of a crowd of 700 people.FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Anne-Marie Bourque (Dfi Sport Architecture), Michael Jemtrud (McGill Peter Guo-hua Fu School of Architecture), Izabel Amaral (Universit de Montral School of Architecture), Richard Pleau (Universit Laval School of Architecture), Robert Martin (Dfi Sport Architecture), Salvatore Ciarlo (Owens Corning) and Martin Houle (Kollectif)This years edition also served as an opportunity to highlight the career of former Pittsburgh Penguins star, Michel Brire, about whom a documentary was made a few years ago. His son, architect Martin Brire, senior partner at BGLA architecture + urban design, had the opportunity to wear a Penguins jersey with his fathers number, 21, and play with his three sons during the second game.The event also provided 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.The events proceeds of $45,000 was distributed between lUniversit de Montrals School of Architecture, Lavals School of Architecture and McGill Universitys Peter Guo-hua Fu School of Architecture, as well as to their respective student associations, namely the Regroupement tudiant en architecture de lUniversit de Montral (RA), the Association des tudiants et tudiantes en architecture de lUniversit Laval (ASSTAR) and the McGill Architecture Students Association (ASA).The post Hockey fundraising event for Montreal-based architecture schools raises $45,000 appeared first on Canadian Architect.

TheOntario Association of Architects (OAA) has launched a call for proposals for speakers for its 2025 Continuing Education Webinar Series. This initiative aims to provide a platform for experts to share innovative ideas and critical topics to Ontarios architecture profession.The OAA is seeking proposals covering themes such as project delivery methods, accessibility, technological advancements, building codes, climate action, and Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI).The Continuing Education Program aims to reflect the Associations dedication to promoting and increasing the knowledge, skill, and proficiency of its members, and administering the Architects Actin order to serve and protect the public interest. The current two-year cycle ends on June 30, 2026.The call for submissions closes on April 24, 2025.To learn more about what is required, check out the Speaker Handbook.For all other information, click here.The post Speakers wanted for OAAs 2025 Continuing Education Webinar Series appeared first on Canadian Architect.

Sawtooth roofs welcome north light and future solar panels, while exterior cladding panels are overlaid with murals. Photo by Scott NorsworthyDJed gallery openings. A drag show. Cornhole league showdowns. A mastering-the-table-saw workshop. A holiday market. These are some of the recent events to occupy The Exchange, a modest-but-mighty community hub opened last year in Niagara Falls, Ontario.The need for a multi-purpose arts and community space in the area was first identified a decade ago. Momentum towards the project built as the regions creative communitypriced out of Toronto, and then out of Hamiltongrew. Some of these creatives work seasonally for productions at the Shaw Festival, or on shows at the nearby casino, and had no place for their own passion-driven art making.The citys head of culture, Clark Bernat, envisaged a new building that would replace an outdated farmers market, creating connections not only to the cultural community, but also to the agricultural community and to the neighbouring History Museum. As lead architect and DTAH principal Megan Torza puts it, The Exchange aimed to act as a hub for locals, while building out the other side of Niagaras tourism economyafter playing mini golf and ziplining alongside the falls, its a place visitors could come to meet locals, experience art, and buy peaches.These goals are supported by a contemporary design whose every move is carefully considered. The L-shaped building is splayed to create a series of outdoor gathering areas, and frames a shared courtyard with the Niagara Falls History Museum. Topped with catenary lights, that outdoor space hosts summer farm vendors, live music from local musicians, community celebrations, or extra parking.On the ground floor, a caf provides an open-every-day community meeting space, and a break spot for bus drivers pulling through in front of the adjacent transit hub. A market hall is designed to accommodate vendors in all seasons, theatrical performances, banquets, concerts, and large-scale art making. (Monthly roller-skating evenings are an unexpected use of the space that delights its designers.) Upstairs, two large, open art studiosparcelled out as a dozen 10x10 areas rented to individual artistsare connected by a shared wash-up area, and topped with north-facing sawtooth skylights. Outside, the backs of those skylights are optimally angled to accept future photovoltaic panels.In addition to a small formal gallery, when I visited, art was hung throughout the hallways, with a sculptural mobile suspended in the stairwell.We tried to deliver the space as simply as possible, with the intention that every surface can be a place where art is displayed, says Torza. Even the elevator is designed to house art on its interior walls. For the buildings exterior cladding, composite aluminum panels were selected that can be overclad with wheat-paste murals, or can also accept temporary vinyl-applied murals. This winter, the building garnered the Grand Prize at the citys Biennial Design Awardsas well as a separate Award of Excellence for its exterior public art, completed by artists Nicholas Crombach, Dillon Douglas, Jacob Headley, Emily Andrews, and Lyndsay-Ann Chilcott.Long-term, the hope is that momentum continues to build, says Torza, noting that it can take a bit of time for localsand touriststo discover a new place and all that it has to offer. For those lucky enough to have found it already, its a place thats sure to prove rewarding for visit after visit.As appeared in theApril 2025issue of Canadian Architect magazineThe post The Exchange, Niagara Falls, Ontario appeared first on Canadian Architect.

Northern JourneysBy Blouin Orzes architectes, 2024Review Mason WhiteNorthern Journeys is self-described as a travelogue by Blouin Orzes architectes, but it is much more than that. The Montreal-based practice of Marc Blouin and Catherine Orzes has been working in the northern regions of Quebec (known as Nunavik), as well as in Nunavut and northern Manitoba, for more than two decades. The large-format book is an immersive collection of photographs, drawings, and short diary-like texts.Unlike a typical monograph, the book foregrounds concepts such as self-determination or being together as well as particularly unique journeys and place-based experiences over project descriptions and slick architectural photography. Blouin Orzes positions the collection of material in the book within the tension of what they call the north/south duality, where the north offers a space in which time takes on a different dimension. This atypical approach to a monograph allows for powerful connections between the distinct culture, climate, geography, and context of architecture and urbanism in both Nunavik and the Arctic as a region. The reader feels as though they are travelling along with Blouin Orzes as they meet Elders for a consultation meeting, or traverse challenging terrain in blizzards, or debate which portions of a project can be prefabricated and delivered by train or sealift.The short texts accompanying the full-page photographs of moments along the northern journeys provide a useful introduction to the unexpected aspects of Arctic-specific matters such as energy, adaptation, community, and land use. For example, the section on energy describes the hydroelectric mega-dams in the James Bay region as an essential to northern power supply, and details how the 1975 agreement for the dams led to the creation of the Inuit self-governing region of the Kativik in Quebec. Another travelogue entry describes the Inuit practice of building traditional structures during celebrations and community events, particularly in Inukjuak, but also in other hamlets and communities. Building these traditional structures ensures the continuation of Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit, or the Indigenous knowledge of the Inuit.The book also captures Blouin Orzes architectes own site-responsive projects, including the Katittavik Cultural centre in Kuujjuaraapik, Quebec, the OMHK multifunctional warehouse in Salluit, Quebec, and the Wildlife Field Research Station in Pond Inlet, Nuvavut. The architects position buildings not as rarified objects, but as process, and as dialogue. The final projects are seen as artefacts of material culture, serving as modest back-drops to daily life.The format of the book is well-suited to this humble expression of architectureits folio of large-format candid photographs captures not only the buildings and the place, but also the way in which these buildings create opportunities for the intimacy of everyday northern life. Blouin Orzes architectes work, too, is honest yet experimental, and adventurous yet thoughtful.Blouin Orzes architectes work will be featured in Palazzo Mora, Venice, from May 10 to November 23, 2025, as part of a series of exhibitions organized by the European Cultural Centre during the 19th International Venice Architecture Biennale.As appeared in theApril 2025issue of Canadian Architect magazineThe post Book Review: Northern Journeys appeared first on Canadian Architect.

Modern Architecture: The BasicsBy Graham Livesey (Routledge, 2024)Review Ian ChodikoffReading an architectural textbook many years after architecture school may seem like rereading the road safety manual we used when preparing for our drivers license examination. In both cases, its to our benefit to re-evaluate what we learned years ago in a contemporary voice.From my vantage point, reading through Graham Liveseys tightly constructedModern Architecturewas a worthwhile exercise, if only to recalibrate, cross-check, and validate the beliefs Ive evolved about my chosen profession during the intervening decades from first learning about the Farnsworth House, critical regionalism and the Crystal Palace.Modern Architecture is part of Routledges The Basics series of slim introductory textbooks that includes titles ranging from Jewish Ethics to Shakespeare. Within the book, Livesey tackles subjects such as the Bauhaus, Russian Constructivism and Postmodernism, in texts that are laudable in offering a rapid fire of architects, buildings and centres of influence. Collectively, this forms a holistic understanding of how our profession has evolved from Monticello to Canadas Truth and Reconciliation Commission.The book is minimally but helpfully illustrated with delightful hand drawings by Mohammed Moezzi. The intended audience (i.e., a university student) will likely study this guide with a smartphone close at hand and assemble a valuable digital compendium for quick Google searches, containing an infinite amount of imagery. For this reason, this book could not have been written 25 years ago. The many short references and sources supplied by Livesey offer thousands of little breadcrumbs as he revisitsand indeed correctsthe many subjects and periods discussed, such as dedicating overdue attention to the many women whose history was forgotten or subjugated by white men. This book recognizes the contributions of Black architects and the innovation and brilliance that emerged from countries like India, Malaysia, China, and Africa over the past 250 years. It also provides insightful connections to politics, technology, landscape architecture, and design that help contextualize the evolution of modern architecture.The work of practicing architects is supported by this volume, too. Including discussions of notable academics focussing on socialism, phenomenology, poststructuralism, and the effects ofcolonialism helps us understand the trajectory of thought that defined several generations of architects.Modern Architecturemakes a logical attempt at working chronologically. But the pendulum shifts both ways when advancing diversity, or practicing within a global climate crisis and social inequality: progress is not always linear or assured. This humbling circumstance reminds us that, to do our best work, we need to understand the past and as many facets of our history as possible.As appeared in theApril 2025issue of Canadian Architect magazineThe post Book Review: Modern ArchitectureThe Basics appeared first on Canadian Architect.

In design firms, success hinges on more than just the Practice of Design. Being good practitioners and refining the craft is, of course, a prerequisite. However, firm leaders in particular need to focus more effort on the Design of Practice. To build a strong practice, a firms context and its position in the marketplace must align with its operating system. For many firms, this requires a renewed focus on the practice itself, to ensure these three elements are in sync. Without alignment, firms are likely to experience suboptimal performance and stagnation. How to achieve this alignment? Heres my advice to firm leaders.Understand Your Firms ContextFirst, look in the proverbial mirror and develop a clear understanding of your firms broad context. What is its purpose, goals, and current reality? Why does your practice exist? Have you prioritized your personal, professional, and practice goals? Do you understand how your firm is performing, how its perceived in the marketplace, as well as its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats? These are not easy tasks, but you must uncover what makes the practice tick. Only then can you take the next step to establish the right position in the marketplace.Define Your Firms Market PositionArchitecture has a tradition of being a generalists profession. While that mindset may have worked in the past, attempting to be everything to everyone has little chance of success in todays competitive marketplace. The growing complexity and risk involved in design and construction projects demands that firms reject the tradition of broad general practice, and instead stake out a unique market position.Clients are seeking firms with specific expertise that can address their unique challenges. This means you must make choices about who your firm serves (its target market), and what unique value your firm provides (its strategic focus).These two factors define a firms practice model. Setting aside general practice as an approach, there are three broad categories to consider:Delivery Firms: These firms prioritize efficiency and cost-effectiveness, catering to high-volume, bottom-line-driven clients. They focus on straightforward projects in which speed and execution are paramount.Service Firms: These firms specialize in complex, mission-critical projects. Service firms serve corporate, institutional, and public-sector clients who demand high expertise and reliability. These firms are known for deep client relationships and a consultative approach.Idea Firms: Positioned as innovators, these firms excel in solving unique design challenges. They focus on cutting-edge, creative design solutions.None of these three practice models is more noble or better than any other. They are simply different, serving different clients with different needs. When goals, market position, and operating systems are aligned, any of the three models can be as successful and profitable as any other.Once your practice model is clear, further differentiation is necessary to focus on the unique value being provided to your target market. Key differentiators usually include practice values, specific services and disciplines offered, geographic focus, project and client type/size/complexity, and pricing approaches, just to name a few. Focusing is difficult for creatives, but its the only way to develop and deliver unique value. So, try narrowing your firms focus to a point where it seems virtually impossible to find the right types and number of clients. Then its likely that youll be on the right track.Align Your Firms Operating SystemThe operating system of any firm consists of nine key elements. In weaker practices, the operating system elements often work at cross-purposes. This results in management decisions that are largely reactive and shortsighted, leading to an overall firm that is sub-optimal and expensive to manage. In a strong practice, these elements are tailored to align with the firms context and market position.Profiles of the operating systems for each generic practice model are outlined below. Do you recognize your firm in these descriptions?Delivery Operating SystemMarket Position: Efficient project execution for volume developers, entrepreneurs, and national chain clients with standardized building requirements requiring straightforward solutions that have a proven track record.Practice: The firms managing principal is typically a strong technical architect; the relationship between client and firm is often transactional.Principals: Principals tend to be deeply involved in project execution, leading a cadre of technical personnel. Major practice decisions are often made unilaterally by the firms majority owner.People: Lean teams, with fewer professionals than technical staff. Minimal benefits, professional development, and career planning. The firm may rely on offshore contractors or temporary staff. The culture is all about efficiency.Pipeline: Relies heavily on referrals without a formal marketing program. Lead generation is opportunistic and responsive to market conditions.Pricing: Generally fixed fees or value-based pricing, with minimal service levels and an emphasis on efficiency resulting in premium margins.Pitching: Leverages the firms reputation for responsiveness, reliability, staying on schedule, and adhering to budget.Projects: Led by technically oriented architects and technical staff. Designs are standardized and solutions are often directed by the client. The firm employs leading-edge production tools.Payment: Tolerant of above-average accounts receivable and accounts payable, with distributions to owners as cash reserves are replenished.Postscript: Primary exit options include external purchase, merger, and dissolution. Internal transition can be difficult due to a small pool of entrepreneurial 2nd tier leaders. Transition to a Service firm or an Idea firm is very difficult without major changes to the firms leadership and strategy.Service Operating SystemMarket Position: Specializes in providing balanced results for institutional, government, and corporate clients seeking low-risk solutions for mission-critical projects.Practice: Led by a rainmaker principal, practice decisions are consultative, with strong client relationships.Principals: These firms tend to be larger, often with multiple leaders. Principals are project management-focused, overseeing teams of associates and senior staff.People: Senior registered personnel typically outnumber junior staff. The firm places a strong emphasis on job security, professional development, career planning, competitive benefits, and growth to ownership. Staff are valued for their thought leadership and experience. The culture is team-based and collegial.Pipeline: Marketing is proactive, employing a broad referral network to provide early information on upcoming projects. Project leads are subject to a rigorous Go/No-Go process. RFP response capability is finely tuned.Pricing: Value-based pricing with tailored options, reflecting the firms experience and capabilities resulting in premium profit margins.Pitching: Principals excel in solutions-based selling and are active in courting and closing sales.Projects: Managed by experienced principals and/or project managers who act as client advocates, with high attention to risk mitigation and quality control. The final say on design decisions is vested with the principal who obtains the work.Payment: Reliable cash flow with low accounts receivable and regular distributions to owners.Postscript: Internal, external and merger exit tracks are all viable options. Dissolution is not a good option due to long-term project and client commitments, and the excessive cost of severance packages. These firms may transition to a strong Delivery practice over time; deliberate transition to a strong Idea practice type can be very difficult.Idea Operating SystemMarket Position: Specializes in unique solutions to unique problems for unique clients.Practice: Led by a design-driven principal. The relationship between client and firm is typically based on the confidence the client has in the firms ability to innovate.Principals: In multi-principal firms, there is often one principal who is first among equals.People: A balanced mix of senior and junior personnel, with a strong emphasis on emerging talent. The firm places high demands on staff with an up or out expectation. The culture is innovation-oriented.Pipeline: Strong emphasis on networking and high visibility in target markets. Publishing, pursuing design awards, and winning competitions are important for establishing and maintaining credibility.Pricing: Uses value-based pricing, relying on the firms unique design process and solutions, resulting in premium margins.Pitching: Principals lead the sales process, challenging clients to think in unconventional ways.Projects: Led by a design principal, with senior professionals acting as second-in-command. Decisions are driven by creative vision and design innovation.Payment: Early in the firms lifecycle, profitability may be sacrificed to build a strong portfolio. Once the firm is established, it has significant leverage in fee negotiations.Postscript: These firms are challenged to maintain their innovator status when the founder leaves the firm. The practice may close its doors unless the firm has nurtured a second-generation design guru. These firms may also transition to a Service firm over time, opening the possibility of future internal, external, and merger exit options.As a leader working to sync up your firm, you need to shift focus from the Practice of Design to the Design of Practice. As you can see from the profiles above, Delivery, Service, and Idea practice models have vastly different operating profiles. Resetting your practice entails aligning your firms context and market position with the nine elements of its operating system.Rick Linley is the former COO of a 200-FTE, multidisciplinary, multi-office architecture and engineering practice. He is principal of Strong Practice Strategies, a niche consultancy helping leaders of emerging and evolving design firms to reset their practices. Rick is the author of Scoreboard Your Practice: 7 Numbers to Understand Your Design Firms Financials (Friesen Press Editions, 2022).As appeared in theApril 2025issue of Canadian Architect magazineThe post Reset Your Practice: Align Your Operating System appeared first on Canadian Architect.

UBCs Design for Deconstruction research initiative included the development of a mock-up wall section constructed using design-for-deconstruction principles. The mock-up was subsequently deconstructed to test the ease of disassembly and the quality of materials salvaged from the deconstruction. This phase of research also produced assembly details of that mock-up and a number of other potential configurations that would allow for a variety of insulative values. Image credit: Design for Deconstruction in Light WoodLandfilled wood is a big part of Canadas construction, renovation, and demolition (CRD) waste problem. The average lifespan of a building in Canada is around 70 years before it is demolished, and in rapidly densifying cities, the actual lifespan can be much shorter. Wood waste makes up 40 per cent of CRD waste; nationally, this means that about 10 per cent of all residual solid waste is wood waste. This equates to approximately 3.6 million tons of wood being landfilled each year.Much of this is clean woodincluding dimensional lumber, old growth timbers, and structural compositeswhich could have been reused or repurposed. Yet the existing construction industry works as a linear economy which does not support the reuse of wood materials, and so wood is relegated to disuse, where its bulk adds to overtaxed landfills and its decomposition releases CO2. A small percentage of Canadian wood waste is recycled through waste-to-energy conversion via incinerationbut this eliminates the possibility of any further reuse and also results in greenhouse gas emissions.The existing construction industry works as a linear economy which does not support the reuse of wood materials, and so wood is ultimately relegated to either landfill or incineration. A circular economy of wood for allow for the repeated reuse, remanufacture, or upcycling of wood products. Image credit: Design for Deconstruction in Light WoodFuture Vision & ResearchLooking holistically at a multi-generational life cycle for wood, architecture graduate Kaia Nielsen-Roines thesis research, entitled Seven Generations of Wood, envisions construction practices and recycling methods that would allow wood to be reused in light-frame construction for at least seven generations of buildings, or approximately 500 years of continuous use. This is achieved through design-for-deconstruction practices that adapt standard light wood frame construction details to allow for ease of disassembly and material recycling. The thesis also identifies material recycling technologies that would allow for common wood construction materials to be cycled back into the built environment. Proposals include making finger-jointed lumber from salvaged dimensional lumber, strand-based composite wood products (such as OSB and LSL) from solid wood, cross-laminated wood tiles from salvaged plywood and OSB, and wood fibre insulation from many different types of waste wood.How do we move towards such a vision? In order to build cyclically with wood waste, several roadblocks need to be addressed. For example, currently any piece of wood reused in a building for structural purposes must be signed off by a structural engineer. This is a good requirement for large beams and other non-structurally redundant members, however, there is a case for changing this requirement for light wood frame systems, which have high levels of structural redundancy. Canada should adopt the policy of Washington State and Oregon, in which any wood coming out of a light wood frame building is automatically accepted as Grade 2 lumber for reuse in buildings.Large-scale sorting and storage of wood materials is also a roadblock to effective wood reuse. The models for tackling this already exist. The city of Seattle has developed a reuse hub which collects, sorts and resells construction materials of all kinds. Similarly, Habitat for Humanity ReStores throughout Canada have a similarif smaller-scalesystem for reselling construction materials.Since using wood waste entails the labour-intensive removal of connectors, it is likely that it will not be economically competitive with the current commodity. However, carbon accounting regulations could give an advantage to reused wood. Currently, several Canadian municipalities, including the City of Vancouver, offer pathways for gaining compliance credits if design-for-deconstruction methods and recycled materials use are demonstrated in a building permit application. Such policies rewarding the use of recycled wood are key in encouraging wood reuse. Similarly, waste management policies, such as the elevated tipping fees for wood disposal currently in effect in Vancouver, can encourage wood recycling. However, effective recycling pathways need to exist to gain benefit in separating wood from regular CRD waste.More research is needed on using recycled lumber in CLT, engineered wood products, and insulationincluding research into adhesive interaction and other technical issuesto ensure that these are equivalent and reliable products.The re-finger jointing of wood is a promising possibility for the reuse of wood. This requires research into the processes and requirements of the finished wood, and testing of the reliability of wood that has been finger-jointed a second time. From a structural standpoint, the joints of a finger-jointed board are much stronger than the wood itself, and defects could be cut away from salvaged wood to make a clearer and straighter board than can typically be produced from fresh wood.Another mechanism that could potentially help with wood recycling is an internet of things-based system to track wood pieces across generations of use. A scannable QR code, for instance, could link to information on the physical characteristics and history of a piece of wood, and would be useful in determining the possible future applications of that material. For recombined products such as finger-jointed lumber, an IoT system would help ensure uniformity for further recycling. Such a system could also aid in preserving pieces of material history, in the case of recycling old growth timbers from very old buildings.The front view of the finished wall mock-up. The constructed mock-up was designed with an R-22 effective insulation factor to conform with the recommended requirements established by the city of Vancouver. Image credit: Design for Deconstruction in Light WoodCurrent ProgressFortunately, there is increasing engagement from within the architecture and construction industry and from government at various levels to move towards a circular model of wood use. Changes to wood disposal regulations in a number of Canadian municipalities has started to divert some clean wood from landfills. For example, in Vancouver, there are additional tipping fees for disposal of mixed construction waste, and savings when wood is separated out for recycling. Additionally, a minimum percent of building materials must be recycled from houses built prior to 1950 in order to obtain building permits for new construction on those sites.From the industry side, there are a number of businesses that are currently at the vanguard of a circular construction economy. Among these are building material recycling companies that turn waste wood into new construction products, like Vancouvers Urbanjacks; construction and architecture firms designing buildings that can be deconstructed and salvaged and which make use of recycled and low-carbon materials; and deconstruction companies such as Vema in Vancouver and Ouroboros in Toronto who dismantle buildings rather than demolishing them, so that the component parts can be reused and recycled. There are also related stakeholders working to track, audit, and divert waste materials from landfills: Vancouver Island consultant firm Light House recently developed the Building Material Exchange (BMEx) which connects contractors, individuals, and organizations to allow excess construction materials to be shared in the local construction industry, rather than going into landfill.The federal mandate to create a net zero construction sector by 2030 adds further impetus to reforming the way in which our industry uses wood. Some of the barriers to reusing wood at an industry scale include lack of infrastructure for salvaging and recycling wood, limited policy clarity on reusing wood in construction, and the perceived and actual cost barriers to reusing wood.The mock-up modifies light-wood frame construction by replacing nailed connections with screwed connections or double-headed nails to allow for disassembly, omitting any plastics or adhesives from the assembly, and using wood fiber insulation for exterior insulation and vapour-open batt insulation to allow for a breathable but air-tight building envelope. Optionally, it is also recommended to use cladding and interior finishes that can be removed and replaced to allow for simplified repairs and access to the service cavity. For additional air-sealing, the exterior joints of the sheathing panels and interior edges of windows and doors are sealed with flashing tape. Image credit: Design for Deconstruction in Light WoodDesigning for DeconstructionOne significant barrier is the labour required to deconstruct as opposed to demolishing a building. Wood frame buildings constructed after 1950 in Canada are generally difficult to deconstruct: the use of construction adhesives, spray foams, nail guns, and toxic materials (such as asbestos and lead) make successful deconstruction challenging, and the materials extracted from such projects are often damaged and unsuited to reuse. A solution to this issue is to plan for a buildings end-of-life by designing it for deconstruction, so that its material components can be disassembled and reused or recycled with minimal effort and limited damage to the materials. While design for deconstruction is not a new concept, there has been little concentrated research on developing standardized methods for design-for-deconstruction of light wood frame buildingsthe construction method for the majority of Canadian houses. A single 130 square metre (1,400 square foot) house that is designed for deconstruction could allow for the reclamation of about 30 tons of wood.In order to promote design for deconstruction wewith the support of Canada Wood Council and Forestry Innovation Investmentrecently produced a free Guidebook for Design for Deconstruction in Light Wood Frame (blogs.ubc.ca/design4deconstruction). Our suggested construction details and materials take the approach of minimally changing the process of building light wood frame to allow for deconstruction. For example, we suggest changing nails to screws and using minimal tapes, with no foams or adhesive membranes.We are currently researching how to create wood insulation from waste wood, using a bio-based binder of waste wool from the wool industry. There are already examples of recycled wood construction products being produced in Canada: BP Canada produces wood fibre insulation in part from solid construction waste wood, Trillium CLT makes several versions of cross-laminated wood tiles from plywood and other composites, and salvaged finger-jointed lumber is being produced by Urbanjacks in Vancouver. A small but growing contingent of the construction industry is moving towards a circular economy of construction.Kaia Nielsen-Roines thesis research, entitled Seven Generations of Wood, envisions construction practices and recycling methods that would allow wood to be reused in light-frame construction for at least seven generations of buildings.ConclusionThe potential for wood reuse in the construction industry is massive, and while this largely untapped resource is gradually getting more attention, there is much room for growth. The solutions to infrastructure and policy issues surrounding wood reuse have already been trialed in other cities: for Canada, it is largely a matter of implementation. Beyond these practicalities, there is a need to develop the design standards, material technologies, and cross-industry relationships that would make a circular construction economy of wood profitable and sustainable.Looking at the whole lifecycle of woodand the possibility of multiple generations for the same wood productis required to make the most of the wood we generate in Canada. Envisioning what needs to be done through multiple uses of the same piece of wood will allow us to respect this key material resource, while providing the most benefit to people and to our environment.The post Reuse of Wood Construction and Demolition Waste: Potentials for Canada appeared first on Canadian Architect.

75 Years of Modern ArchitectureBy Martin Simmons Sweers, with texts by Eric Haldenby, 2024REVIEWChristian Maidankine75 Years of Modern Architecture follows a Canadian firm which was an active part of the international modernist movement in the 1950s, and has remained relevant in the profession in the following decades.Architects Carl Rieder and Ed Barnett partnered in 1946, during a time when the Waterloo Region was rebuilding after World War II. Their work played a significant role in shaping the regions development.After the war, communities were energized by change, and the demand for new civic buildings, schools, apartments, and office towers ushered in a period of design exploration. The Modern style took hold in the region, and Barnett & Rieder found themselves in high demandrapidly expanding their new practice from residential and industrial buildings, to becoming the regions principal designer for high schools accommodating a new generation of boomers. The firms portfolio also boasts civic buildings including the Kitchener Public Library and Centre in the Square, a performance arts centre and art gallery. Careful, exploratory designs by Carl Rieder used materials in new ways and seamlessly incorporated historical references, gaining international admirationand even inspiring imitations.Seven decades later, now operating as Martin Simmons Sweers, the firm continues its legacy in the region, having completed thousands of projects across a wide range of building types. This book situates the firm within its historical context, traces its leadership transitions, and highlights key projects from its extensive portfolio. While many architectural monographs focus on individual architects or firms, it is rare to see the evolution of projects presented so clearly. It is especially refreshing to see a Canadian practice, rooted in a smaller urban centre, take the time to reflect on its history and impact.As appeared in theApril 2025issue of Canadian Architect magazineThe post Book Review: 75 Years of Modern ArchitectureFrom Barnett & Rieder to Martin Simmons Sweers appeared first on Canadian Architect.

The new age arrives on no specific day; it creeps up slowly, and then pounces suddenly. -The New Yorker, The A.I. Issue, November 20, 2023The digital realm and the extended realities of architecture are changing at breakneck speed. There is a sense of something radically different nowan accelerating cyber-avalanche, generating previously unimagined spatial complexity. With the convergence of artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and robotics, a new era of both real danger and great opportunity has arrived.A graphic by Richards and Julie Fish, entitled Some Acronyms, points to the disorientation of rapid technological change.Invisible Environments: Reflecting on Six DecadesIn 1966, Canadian Architect published a two-part essay by Toronto philosopher Marshall McLuhan (1911-1980), titled The Invisible Environment. His musings extended from Plato and education, to John Cage and silence, to computers and electronic circuitry as an extension of the human nervous system. McLuhan reworked the essay for Yale Universitys prestigious Perspecta journal in 1967, with an adjusted title: The Invisible Environment: The Future of an Erosion.These essays are labyrinthian. McLuhan speaks of the new and potent electronic environment we now live in and the intricate and complex integral world of electric information, with assertions like The future of city (sic) may be very much like a worlds faira place to show off new technologynot a place of work or residence whatever. All of this gets bracketed with digressions into pop cultures invisible systems and brainwashing, with comments on The Beatles and even an illustration of Sean Connery as James Bond, pointing a gun skyward. Expanding on the invisible systems and environments that he believed to be increasingly controlling our minds and society, McLuhan writes about consciousness: Let me suggest that it may be possible to write programs for changes not only in consciousness but in the unconscious in the future. One could write a kind of science fiction story of the future of consciousness, the future of an erosion. The future of consciousness is already assuming a very different pattern, a very different character. Its as though McLuhan was talking about today.A 1983 pre-internet-era illustration, colour-enhanced by the author, reflected on the possibilities of an electronic cottage connected to global information systems. Image: Canadian Centre for Architecture. Gift of Larry Richards in honour of Phyllis Lamberts 80th birthday. Larry Wayne RichardsTwo decades later, in 1983, the birth year of the internet, I presented a project entitled The Positive and Negative Influences of Electronic Systems on Architecture at an international research meeting in Poland. The project focused on how computing was transforming architectural design and production, and speculated on new kinds of digitized, simultaneous experience. I included a colour-enhanced illustration of an electronic cottage, offering a glimpse into a world that has now fully arrivedgiven todays techno-laden skies, with more than 10,000 satellites plus two occupied space stations orbiting Earth, and the preponderance of work-and-shop-from-home. Through that 1983 project, I was starting to realize that, as David Wortley, British consultant on immersive technologies, said to me, We can be several places all at once.Since the 1980s, research and publications on digital architecture have exploded, as documented in the 1,660-page book Digital Architecture (Mark Burry, ed., Routledge, 2020). Canadas architectural practices became more efficient with electronically assisted computation. Imaginative proposals for virtual places have proliferated, like Toronto-based theoretician Brian Boigons 1993-95 Spillville, a conceptual design for the first avatar town, in which one could interact with cartoon characters on the internet. Boigon explained, Youll have your own personal cartoon, and youll be able to manipulate it in cyberspace.During 2010-11, the Canadian Centre for Architecture presented 404 ERROR: THE OBJECT IS NOT ON LINE. The exhibition, which included aspects of my 1983 project, questioned online habits and new ways of thinking about the web. Two years later, the CCA generated an exhibition and accompanying book, Archaeology of the Digital (Greg Lynn, ed., CCA and Sternberg Press, 2013) that explored the genesis and establishment of digital tools at the end of the 1980s.Fast forward to 2019 when, in a coda to my chapter on postmodernism in Canadian Modern Architecture (E. Lam and G. Livesey, eds., Princeton Architectural Press), I referred to cyber-postmodernity and techno-postmodernity. These references were spotted by David Minke, associate at GEC Architecture, who invited me to give a talk in an office lecture series and to elaborate on my cyber-techno preoccupations. Minke asked: What era are we in? Thus, the prickly matter of Zeitgeist arose: What is our time, space, and spirit?I gave the lecture for GEC at their Toronto studio and via Zoom for their Alberta offices. Titled Extended Realities, I spoke about the extraordinary time that we are inthe rapid technological change characterized by acceleration, convergence, and disorientation, and symbolized by a mind-boggling profusion of defining acronyms. I asked that audienceand now I ask readers hereto ponder what these extended realities might mean for the changing practice and creative art of architecture.A rendering by Khloe Bouchard of Montreal-based Moment Factory points to the normalization of socializing in virtual spacesContinuum or Erosion? Although some see our current socio-technological condition as simply another inevitable step in the so-called March of Progressthe evolution of humankind over millions of yearsIm not convinced. Granting that the momentous technological inventions of the past two centuries such as the telegraph, electricity, radio, automobiles, airplanes, television, computers, robots, and smart phones were disruptive at the time, but soon smoothed into daily life, todays changes seem to be of a different magnitude. According to the Oomph Group (January 14, 2025), there has recently been a huge influx of venture capital into the AEC industry in Canada, fuelling tech start-ups and generating highly competitive, disruptive circumstances. Indeed, the rapidly unfolding, immersive, resource intensive, micro-chip world of artificial intelligence, robotics, and virtual reality is unprecedented.These new, fluid technologies propel us far beyond the array of familiar altered states such as dreams and anaesthesia, or the tech-place-otherness of smart phones and Zoom, and into augmented, extended, and simultaneous realities. There are new, architectural-digital-spatial implicationsparticularly in the arena of the material versus the immaterial. There is no longer an inevitable, innocuous technological continuum. Something new is happening, erasing boundaries between the real and the unreal, truth and fiction.Artificial intelligence is getting smarter faster, but harbours its own demise. In When A.I.s Output Is a Threat to A.I. itself, Aatish Bhatia (New York Times, August 25, 2024) forewarns of degenerative A.I. which hallucinates on its own data and, through unintended feedback loops, The model becomes poisoned with its own projection of reality. This is true of images as well as text.A recent rendering generated by student Zee Virk in Midjourney points to the discontinuities of A.I.-generated imagery.Both the magic and madness of accelerating digital technologies were brought home to me in a rendering generated by Zee Virk, a student of Dr. Douglas MacLeod at Athabasca University. Using Midjourney A.I., she entered the elaborate prompt:a community wellness centre, with a rotunda in middle bringing in natural light, views of the surrounding pine trees beyond, glass door opening to a seating area, people of all ages, timber and brick structure, caf with plants at front, concrete floor, ar 16:9The almost instantly produced image seems lovely until one looks closely and sees bizarre, structural anomalies. Where are those timber fragments heading? MacLeod notes that such discontinuities raise the question: Will being articulate with input become the most important characteristic of an architect?Mega-dollars are being poured into artificial intelligence R&D and new markets. Where will this lead? In a conversation with Prof. Phillip Bernstein, Deputy Dean of Yales School of Architecture and author of Machine Learning: Architecture in the Age of Artificial Intelligence (RIBA, 2022), he noted that the trillions invested in A.I. by the large platform providers like Meta and Google are not generating the returns expected and added, Perhaps the bubble is about to burst. Meanwhile, there is a shocking lack of regulation. Daniel Kehlmann shouted in The Guardian (July 22, 2024): Not yet panicking about AI? You should betheres little time left to rein it in.Architecture and ImaginationThere are rays of hope. With the development of A.I. and other digital technologies, human-enhancing possibilities are unfolding in agriculture, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, prison reform, weather forecasting, and financial management. For example, virtual reality is helping to-be-released prisoners imagine and adjust to their forthcoming real world, and A.I.-powered robotics are enabling sophisticated prostheses that adapt to their users motions. What are the possibilities in architecture? What will our individual and collective imaginations bring to the accelerating, dense, highly interactive digital environment? How will nature and the phenomenological intersect with the simulated and virtualspatially, socially, psychologically? Toronto writer Stephen Marche has published discerning pieces on powerful new technologies, particularly A.I. He recently told me, In the end, I think A.I. will be another tool. A useful tool, but a limited one. The philosophical questions that it brings up, though, are simply vast. Might we say vaster than vast?I spoke with several architects, asking: what now? Key portions of three interviews follow, underscoring the power of the human imagination to propel us into an exhilarating, yet precarious future.Meaghan Lloyd is the chief of staff and partner at Gehry Partners in Los Angeles.A graduate of Yales School of Architecture, she joined the Gehry office in 2000 andwas CEO of Gehry Technologies during 2013-14.Larry Wayne RichardsGehry Partners designed the FORMA towers (73 and 84 storeys), which are under construction in Toronto. Whatdigital technologies wereusedto develop and guide the project through various stagesdesign, fabrication, onsite construction, etc.?Meaghan Lloyd The design of FORMA is unique for Toronto in that we are using a unitized curtain wall system.The majority of projects in Toronto use a window wall system.We worked closely withPermisteelisa, a company known for advanced technical solutions, and with whom we have collaborated on many projects. Our vision entailed a highly active faade. We worked withPermasteelisato develop a system that supported that vision and the clients budget.It required a lot of iterating with the engineers and fabricators to find tolerances for the panels that would work with their manufacturing tools and techniques.This could only have been done using Digital Project.The early design work was done in Rhino, and all of the consultant work was produced in Revit.Trimble (Gehry Technologies) translated our Rhino/Digital Project models into Revit for consultants drawing production. The project was delivered on the Trimble Connect platform.LWROver the past 30 yearssay, from the Bilbao Museum to the FORMA projecthow would you characterize the trajectory of digitally supported design and technological construction in the work of Gehry Partners? Digitally, what have been the most important changes and advances?Gehry Partners FORMA towers, designed with the support of digital tools and technologies developed by Gehrys office, are currently under construction in Toronto.ML Architecture,engineering, andconstruction tools have changed a lot.When we began the design for the GuggenheimBilbaoin 1993, very few firms were using3Dcomputer modelling.We were partners withDassaultSystemes,who had a product called CATIA, which was widely used by aeronautical/aerospace engineers.Itsapowerful modelling and simulation tool, which is geared toward designing and building large, complex assemblies.CATIAwas a natural fit for our work, and it was essential to help demystify our more complex designs for the engineers, fabricators, and contractors who worked on our buildings.We ended up creating a product withDassault Systemescalled Digital Project, which we continue to use on all of our projects.It was obvious that clarifying data for everyone would create a clearer, more concise, more collaborative process.Time and again we saw the benefitsbetter upfront cost estimating, fewer clashes between trades in the field, fewer changeorders from the contractors, cost savings for the clients,and higher margins for the fabricators and contractors.By the way, global material waste is estimated at 1.3 billion tonsannuallyand rising.Our work with Digital Project consistently removes waste and saves money and time.Digital Project is not the only tool in the marketplace,and,over the years,many other tools have been developed to address specific trades or issues.Added to this, each owner, consultant, and contractor comeswith their own preferred tools, which means that the digital delivery strategy for nearly every project is different.This requires a whole other type of integration and coordination.In response, we created an agnostic cloud-based collaboration platform where all applications could connect into one central model.We sold that product to Trimble. It became thecore of their productcalledTrimble Connect.LWR Are VR, AR, and A.I. becoming integrated into the conceptualization, design, and realization of Gehry Partners architecture? How important is the convergence of technologies such as BIM, A.I., VR, and robotics? Do youdoes Frankforesee realizing buildings and places simultaneously in physical reality and virtual reality? Is there speculation in your office on this? Technologically-digitally, beyond improved efficiency and higher precision, do you think were entering a radically new era?ML A.I. will certainly change things.Im not sure that anyone quite knows the magnitude of it just yet.Our office is discussing places where it will have the highest and best impact on our work, and on architecture in general.Frank [Gehry] has never used digital tools to assist in the design of our projects.Design is and should remain an inherently humanistic pursuit.As a practice, we have always used technology to assist us in bringing efficiency to the detailing, engineering, manufacturing, and construction of projects.We see A.I. as potentially speeding up drawing production, and helping us iterate through technical options to find the most economical and highest-value solutions for each particular project. There are less technical areaslike specification packages, zoning, and code checkswhere A.I. could be quite impactful.On the manufacturing/fabrication side, robotics and Machine Learning have been employed for years.There are so many possibilities, but it is still quite nascent.Im not sure that any of the existing Large Language Models are smart enough to tackle gravity and the complexities of living on planet Earth yet, but that is all on its way.Hopefully, it will help unlock a lot of potential, and create opportunities for more diverse talent to emerge.Douglas MacLeod, FRAIC, is a registered architect, Chair of the RAIC Centre for Architecture at Athabasca University, and a contributing editor to Canadian Architect. Dr. MacLeod led pioneering work in virtual reality at the Banff Centre and is an expert in e-learning, regenerative design, and virtual design.Larry Wayne Richards There is a lot of discussion about blurring the line between the physical-material and the cyber-virtual. You go further and assert that the digital model is the real thing, rather than the physical entity. What are the implications for architecture?Douglas MacLeod The underlying premise of Building Information Modelling (BIM) is that a building can be represented as a database. Drawings and specifications are manifestations of that database, and so is the building itself. As science fiction writer Bruce Sterling noted in Shaping Things (MIT Press, 2005), the object is mere hard copy and the model is the entity. In architectural terms, the BIM model is the entity, and the building is mere hard copy. Digital Twins take BIM models to the next level of sophistication by creating dynamic models that can be fed data (such as temperature and humidity) from the Internet of Things, and which can be used to simulate and optimize the performance of a building. In the future, the Digital Twin, combined with A.I., may autonomously control the operation of that buildinga very dangerous proposition. In such a scenario, virtual worlds will be able to dominate the physical world.LWR You mention 20th-century architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and his pronouncements on the transcendent nature of technology. Might you elaborate on this in relation to the digital era?DM In a 1950 speech at the Illinois Institute of Technology, Mies said Wherever technology reaches its real fulfillment, it transcends into architecture. When he made this statement, construction sites were cutting-edge laboratories for technologies such as concrete, steel, and mechanical systems; but since then, the word technology has become increasingly focused on digital technologies. The word architecture has been appropriated by other disciplines, particularly in computer science, where people speak of hardware and software architectures and the Architecture of the Internet. What Mies said is still true. The internet has transcended into a unique architecture, and so will artificial intelligence.LWR Finally, lets talk about regulation of A.I. Its broadly acknowledged that regulatory frameworks are urgently needed at international, national, and corporate levels. But initiatives are falling dangerously behind aggressive marketing. Youve said you believe that there should be policies so that people can own and control their data. You suggest that a person could enter the workforce with their own Digital Twin, but acknowledge that this is a Utopian idea, and that equity, diversity, inclusion, and decolonization must be maintained. Your thoughts on regulation?DM We need legislation to ensure equal access to emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence. A.I. is particularly important because, if unregulated, it will result in job losses across all disciplines, including architecture. In the future, it will be possible for A.I. to produce a fully detailed and code-compliant building design without the need for an architect. We need to think carefully about how A.I. is deployed. It should be thought of as a critical resource like healthcare or education. Corporations dont own our healthcare or educational systems, nor should they own our A.I.s. Every student entering a school system should be assigned an A.I. that learns with them. When that student graduates, they and their A.I. enter the workforce together. This is the only way to keep meaningful jobs for humans.Sandra Manninger is an architect, researcher, and educator. She holds a PhD from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and is Associate Professor in the School of Architecture and Design at the New York Institute of Technology.Larry Wayne Richards SPAN, your studio, participated in the 2023 exhibition /imagine: A Journey into the New Virtual at the MAK Museum in Vienna. You explain that your installation, The Doghouse, was a large-scale physical model created from 2D images using Midjourney, and that the structure becomes a visual representation of the mathematical processes underlying its creation. This causes me to reflect on architect-theoretician Peter Eisenman in the 1970s and his notions of a conceptual architecture that privileges ideas and that, in Brechtian manner, traces and re-represents its own origins. Is your work similar in this regard?Sandra Manninger Eisenmans contributions to conceptual architecture, particularly his focus on the interplay between form and idea, have deeply influenced the field. While our work at SPAN aligns with Eisenman in privileging ideas and tracing architectural forms origins, we emphasize technology as a tool to reveal complex spaces.With The Doghouse, we created a large-scale physical model that functions as more than a static object. Through 3D modelling, robotics, and advanced fabrication techniques, it becomes a dynamic visual representation of various forcessocial, cultural, political, mathematical, and physicalthat shape our environment. We use these technologies not only as design tools, but as instruments to uncover and reveal the underlying structures that define spaces. We see architecture as a medium to display and understand these processes. By integrating cutting-edge technologies, we create works that engage both the physical aspects of space and the intangible dimensions that influence how space is perceived and experienced. Our work is rooted in the belief that architecture can reveal the complex interplay of forces shaping our world.While Eisenmans work focused on the autonomy of architecture, SPANs work extends this inquiry into digital and virtual realms.We are particularly interested in how new technologies offer insights into our place within these multidimensional spaces, providing ways to explore and understand the environments we create and inhabit. SPANs interactive installation, The Doghouse, explores the possibility of folding 2D images from Midjourney into a 3D physical object, and incorporates robotics and advanced fabrication techniques. Photo courtesy SPAN LWR In presenting New Virtual, MAK organizers acknowledged that much of the visioning for building in virtual space might not be feasible yet. Are we still in the realm of science fiction, or do you think we are on the threshold of new, digital-spatial paradigms in architecture that are realizable?SM This can be examined by considering how understanding of the virtual and the real has evolved. Today, as philosopher of technology Benjamin Bratton and professor of cultural theory Luciana Parisi point out, the virtual is no longer a distant or speculative concept, but an essential layer of reality. The virtual layer, driven by complex computational systems, is already influencing the way we design and inhabit spaces. The virtual is not separate from the real; it operates within and alongside it, actively shaping the physical environment in ways both subtle and profound.The development of these virtual spaces is not just about envisioning possible futures. It is a process unfolding in real time, driven by algorithms and computational processes that extend beyond human perception. These processes are generativethey create new forms of spatial experience and architectural practice that challenge traditional notions of what is feasible or realistic. The virtual is redefining our reality, producing new spatial paradigms that may not yet be fully recognized, but are nevertheless very real.Larry Wayne Richards, FRAIC, is Professor Emeritus and Former Dean of the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design at the University of Toronto.As appeared in theApril 2025issue of Canadian Architect magazineThe post What Now? Acceleration and Imagination in Digital Space appeared first on Canadian Architect.

The full modernization of Montreals city hall includes energy upgrades to 169 heritage double-height sash windows.PROJECT Montreal City Hall modernization, Montreal, QuebecARCHITECTS Beaupr Michaud et Associs, Architectes in collaboration with MU ArchitectureTEXT Peter SealyPHOTOS Raphal ThibodeauThe successful restoration of Montreals City Hall by Beaupr Michaud et Associs, Architectes in collaboration with MU Architecture and a team of ten other specialist firms presents not only an ecologically and aesthetically superb work of civic architecture, but also a welcome opportunity for reflection upon the meaning of public buildings and why they should be valued.When we speak of architecture as public, we are sometimes referring to buildings in government ownershipa category which would include spaces with little or no access, such as fire stations, prisons, schools, and wastewater treatment plants. In other cases, a buildings publicness is adjudged precisely because it can be entered by anyone, with limited restrictions, no matter who its owner may be. Fast food restaurants, shopping malls, and subway stations belong to this latter category. While libraries, museums, and recreation centres comfortably straddle these two definitions, major government buildings such as embassies and legislatures test architectures capacity to meaningfully welcome citizens in the face of onerous and ever-increasing security requirements. With Montreals City Hall (known as the Htel de ville in French), this dual challenge of creating a building that is open to citizens, and yet also functional for municipal governance, has been ably handled by the architects charged with revitalizing this century-old edifice.On the second level, the reopened Hall of Honour includes ornate marble walls, pilasters and floors.HistorySituated at the edge of the Old City between the Champ-de-Mars and Place-Jacques-Cartier, Montreals Htel de ville offers impressive vistas southwards towards the St. Lawrence River and northwards to Mount Royal. Constructed in 187278 to designs by Alexander Cowper Hutchison and Henri-Maurice Perrault, the Second-Empire-style Htel de ville was rebuilt following a devastating fire in 1922 and later expanded in the 1930s; major restoration works took place from 1990 to 92. Its best-known feature is forever ingrained in our history: the south-facing balcony from which the French President Charles de Gaulle delivered his famous Vive le Qubec Libre! speech to a rapturous crowd in July 1967.The early 2010s were a difficult period for Quebec politics, as fraught debates over religious symbols and reasonable accommodations were layered atop student strikes and municipal corruption scandalsespecially around the awarding of construction contractsresulting in a profound sense of public unease and distrust. Macleans magazine would later apologize for a controversial 2010 cover showing Bonhomme Carnival carrying a briefcase stuffed with cash, accompanied by the incendiary headline The Most Corrupt Province in Canada. It was against this background that restoration work on the Htel de villes copper roofs revealed the need for far larger interventions. In launching a wide-ranging revitalization of the Htel de ville in 2017, the City of Montreal set transparency as its order of the day, both spatially and financially.Spatially, this meant opening the building to make it more accessible and welcoming to visitors. While open doors and glass walls are no guarantee that malfeasance has been banished, such gestures were supported by first Mayor Denis Coderres and later Mayor Valrie Plantes administrations, under whose aegis the project was executed. As a result, the areas accessible to all members of the public have been more than doubled, including a vastly enlarged reception lobby, public caf, and planned exhibition space.Public areas on the ground floor include a significantly enlarged reception lobby.While far from idealthe presence of a metal detector, x-ray machine, and several security guards hardly screams bienvenue!this necessary compromise marks the point of departure for a laudable and stunning sequence of public spaces spanning two floors. From the large ground-floor vestibule, upstairs to the massive and ornate Hall of Honour and council chamber, visitors may wander and appreciate a restoration which appears imperceptible. Thanks to painstaking work, marble, brass, wood, and ironwork appear as they might have a century ago, when the building was freshly made: thousands of hours of intellectual and physical labour have been expended to make it appear as if nothing had changed, and nothing had been touched.This promenade patrimoniale concludes with the newly built Salle du pin blanc, a rooftop pavilion offering stunning views of the city and the Hotel de villes own faades. Clad in brass, the pavilion is a solid yet unobtrusive presence upon the historic building. Visitors who turn away from the vista are afforded a special treat: the chance to gaze upon the five historic stained-glass windows which adorn the council chambers exterior faade.A new rooftop pavilion, the Salle du pin blanc, includes indoor and outdoor public seating areas adjacent the council chamber.Financially, the imperative for transparency meant that throughout the project, agreements with over fifty sub-contractorsfrom heritage masons to plumbershad to be approved by separate votes of the city council. The resulting series of arrangements for this Integrated Design Process (IDP) was complex for the architects to supervise, but also led to closer-than-usual collaboration between the designers and sub-trades. Throughout, modern amenitiesbe they the cabling needed to broadcast council sessions, or updated ventilation to introduce fresh airare largely imperceptible and completely unobtrusive. The level of care and coordination from architects and tradespeople needed to bring about such a result deserves high praise.Conceived as an unobtrusive complement to the existing building, the brass-clad pavilion offers visitors panoramic views of the city.As the project unfolded, two principal veins of work emerged. At one scale, the overall restoration involved the removal of a centurys worth of accreted partitions and wall coveringseach of which detracted from the grandeur and vision of the original Htel de ville. This is clearly apparent in the transformation of the salon de la Francophonie, which leads to the Balcon du discours from which De Gaulle made his provocatively emancipatory proclamation. The meanness of what was previously a dim series of small rooms has given way to a generous and well-lit salon leading to the balcony: here, restoration is a matter of subtraction.This was far from the only moment in which restoration uncovered elements of the original Htel de ville, which had been hidden behind decades of previous interventions. For example, on the ground floor, the original north faade, obscured during the construction of an addition to the rear of the building in the 1930s, has now been revealed. Heavy greystone blocks together with patches of brick and mortar are now visible from the Salle des armories on one side and the city clerks office on the other. Five openings in this long-hidden faade are adorned with a series of tableaux by the artist Chih-Chien Wang, which echo historic stained-glass windows in the city council chamber immediately above.At a finer-grained scale, the team laboured to reuse, recycle, and refurbish existing finishes and furnishings. The most impressive act of reuse is found in the restoration of the Htel de villes 169 double-height sash windows, which date from 1925. Framed in white oak, these windows had previously been blighted by poor energy performance and pierced by an unsightly array of air conditioners. The process of retrofitting began with the meticulous testing of two mock-ups. Even after careful analysis proved that the proposed window retrofit would be effective, it took a leap of faith from the municipal client to accept that this would be possible for such a huge number of windows. The result has been an immense success, with the buildings energy use reduced by 79 percent. By undertaking this process, the city leads by example, retaining heritage elements in the same way it often requires of homeowners undertaking renovations. The resulting effect is magnificent.The buildings office areas have been revitalized with a priority on creating open meeting and working areas, and the introduction of abundant daylight throughout the floorplate.Out of sight of most visitors, the Htel de ville includes significant office space for Montreals elected officials, including the mayor, along with their staff and municipal employees. This is executed brilliantly, replacing dark and cramped office areas with well-lit and apportioned spaces. The careful use of fritted glass partitions allows daylight to penetrate into interior spaces, which are arranged between the external faades and a core of white-oak-clad meeting rooms and service spaces.Two features jump out in the office areas: first of all, the emphasis on biophilic design, realized through an impressive quantity of plants arranged throughout. Secondly is the care with which mechanical services have been integrated into the buildings various spaces. One glance at the ceiling reveals the thoughtful arrangement of radiant heating panels, luminaires, and mechanical services. Once again, architecture is revealed to beat least in parta matter of coordinating labour to produce a seamless effect.The city council chambers stained glass windows and woodwork have been meticulously restored.Many of Canadas most significant representational buildings are either currently under restoration (the Parliament buildings in Ottawa) or in dire need of it (the Prime Ministers official residence at 24 Sussex Drive). At a moment of financial stress, which overlaps with paralleland somewhat relatedanxieties about political polarization and our ability to complete large-scale public works, such projects necessarily attract scrutiny, and often scare governments away from investing the needed funds to maintain our national heritage. The success of Beaupr Michaud and MUs transformation of Montreals Htel de ville suggests a way out: project by project, contract by contract, window by window, if needs be.The question remains to what extent the citizens of Montreal will adopt their Htel de ville as a properly civic space. What is clear is that this civic symbol has been revitalized in an exemplary manner. Whatever Montrealers think of their elected officials, they can be justifiably proud of their city hall.Architectural historian Peter Sealy is an Assistant Professor at the Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design at the University of Toronto.CLIENT Ville de Montral | ARCHITECT TEAM Beaupr Michaud et Associs: Menaud Lapointe (MRAIC), Nelly Charpentier, Patrick Ma, Nicolas Gautier, Sabrina Richardson, Camille Charest, Maxime Bonesso, Catherine Lamarre, Martin Turenne, Parisa Roosta, Baptiste Aitken, tienne Miloux. MU Architecture: Charles Ct, Michelle Blair, Vronick Lalonde, Sakiko Watatani, Maud Benech | STRUCTURAL NCK inc. | MECHANICAL/ELECTRICAL Martin Roy et Associs | INTERIORS Beaupr Michaud et Associs, Architectes in collaboration with MU Architecture | CONSTRUCTION MANAGER Pomerleau | DECONTAMINATION Le Groupe Gesfor | ACOUSTICS Soft dB | A/V Go Multimdia | LIGHTING CS Design | FURNISHINGS David Gour | VERTICAL TRANSPORTATION JMCI | AREA 27,700 m2 | BUDGET $221 M | COMPLETION June 2024ENERGY USE INTENSITY (PROJECTED) 98 kWh/m2/year | WATER USE INTENSITY (PROJECTED) 0.11 m3/m2/year As appeared in theApril 2025issue of Canadian Architect magazineThe post Public Good: Montreal City Hall modernization, Montreal, Quebec appeared first on Canadian Architect.

The canoe museums weathering steel faade is punctuated by a diagonal slice of glazing, offering glimpses of an atrium festooned with suspended canoes.PROJECT Canadian Canoe Museum, Peterborough, OntarioARCHITECT Unity Design Studio Inc.TEXT Javier ZellerPHOTOS Salina KassamThere are perhaps no material objects from this country more elegant than the canoe and the kayak, the jiimaan (Anishinaabemowin) and qajaq (Inuktitut) as they are known to Indigenous peoples. Their forms were already perfected before being adopted by Europeans as the self-evidently superior means of travelling across lakes and down rivers in this water-rich land. The Canadian Canoe Museum, in Peterborough, Ontario, is home to the worlds pre-eminent collection of these human-powered watercraft.Begun by private collector Kirk Wipper, the collection became formalized as a not-for-profit public museum in 1997. For several decades, the Canadian Canoe Museum languished in a nondescript former outboard motor factory in Peterborough. By 2010, efforts were underway to move to a waterside siteand a new building that reflected the cultural importance and global significance of this collection. In 2015, the Museum launched a two-stage competition, chaired by architectural writer Lisa Rochon, that selected Irelands heneghan peng architects in joint venture with Kearns Mancini Architects as designers for the new building (CA, May 2016). It was to be sited immediately adjacent to the Lift Lock National Historic Site on the Trent-Severn waterway, a necklace of interconnected rivers and lakes that permits boat travel between Lake Ontario and Georgian Bay on Lake Huron.However, shortly before construction was slated to begin a few years later, the selected site was discovered to be contaminated with industrial solvents. Thisin combination with financial challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, led to the selection of a new site further south on the Trent-Severn and a new architect team, Unity Architects, one of the original competitions shortlisted finalists. Unity Architects, formerly Lett Architects, is a storied Peterborough firm, well-known for their thoughtful design work on cultural projects including The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery on Torontos waterfront, Victoria Colleges Isabel Bader Theatre and the (unfortunately repurposed and much missed) Ydessa Hendeles Art Foundation. Their work is characterized by clear, unfussy, carefully detailed elegance.On the Canadian Canoe Museum project, Unity faced a challenging set of conditions: a constrained budget, a site different than the one they had initially designed for, and a compressed timeframe for construction. Unity nonetheless delivered a much better building than would have been expected in the circumstances they faced. With a restrained palette of materials and controlled spatial sequence, Unity Architects has created a place that connects the visitor to the artifacts through material and movement.The new building, fronting a broad bend in the Otonabee River called Little Lake, is set towards Ashburnham Drive, away from the rivers floodplain. The building presents a long, mostly mute, weathering steel faade to the road. These vertically oriented siding panels are well on their way to becoming fully patinated, and their warm orange colour provides a textured backdrop to the Museums trilingual signage, which incorporates a pictograph (mazinaawbikinigin) from the indigenous Fort William First Nation.The main stair spirals around a wood-slat-clad service core, offering visitors views of the collection archive, as well as varying vantage points to the canoes suspended in the main atrium.A full-height glazed volume marks the main entrance, held in a frame of prefinished metal and wood cladding. The curtainwall glazing of the two-storey entrance vestibule is fritted with a large-scale hydrological map showing the waterways of central Canada, from Hudsons Bay to the Great Lakes. This is the first of many references to wood, waterways and cultural historyunderstood especially through an Indigenous perspectivethat repeat through the experience of the Museum and the display of its collection. South of the entry, the buildings volume erodes away, and a faceted curve of weathering steel siding lifts, tilting above a broad triangle of curtainwall.The museums archive holds some 500 historic watercraft in a class-A, climate-controlled space.Inside, the building is a long bar composed of two double-storey levels. On the ground floor, two-thirds of the building houses the Museums archive: 500 watercraft cradled and stacked high on custom racks. Directly above this volume, the 1,850-square-metre exhibition space contains the approximately 100 vessels on display.South of the exhibition and archive hall, the public spaces of the museum are anchored by a 7.6-metre-tall entry hall, which includes a caf, gift shop, workshop and staff spaces. This open atrium is a glulam-framed mass timber structure, clad in cross-laminated timber panels.The atrium is capped by a three-storey hearth, flanked by glazing that overlooks the Otonabee River.Given the complex technical requirements involved in providing a class A archival climate-controlled space for the collection, Unity focused their design towards a strategic use of the remaining resources; the large-scale public entry hall and spiralling promenade to the exhibit hall on the second floor are especially successful. The entry halls timber frame and claddingparticularly at the southeast corner, where the curtainwall glazing displaces the spruce CLT panels, exposing the Douglas fir glulam structure as a frameis an elegant echo of the frame-and-birch construction of many of the canoes and kayaks in the collection. An acoustic ceiling with white oak wood slats helps control sound and keep the space intimate, and the wood material palette evokes a gathering lodge. Along the west faade of the entry hall, a three-storey hearth is flanked with glazing that overlooks the Otonabee River and Little Lake. A two-sided dry-laid stone chimney anchors the buildings south-west corner. The warmly appointed space was being well enjoyed on the wintery day I visited.The wood-clad service core is shaped like a boulder in a river.To access the exhibition space, visitors ascend a stair that spirals around a three-storey stack of wood-slat-clad service spaces and washrooms, shaped like a lozenge or a boulder in a river. This journey provides an overlook into the collection archive at different heights, as well as views of the entry hall, with its ceiling-suspended canoes and kayaks. You pass alongside them, see them from below and then from above, always moving alongside a wood surface and grasping a wood handrail that provides a direct physical connection to the material world of this collection.The second-floor exhibition area includes a display of some 100 canoes and kayaks.In addition to the main exhibit hall, the second floor contains a multipurpose space and library. The exhibit hall is a black-box space under the buildings asymmetrical gable roof, entered through the threshold of a simple millwork frame. Its worth mentioning that while exhibitions can sometimes come across as diffuse or sparse in these types of large-scale black painted volumes, the Canadian Canoe Museums exhibition design, by Montreals GSM, is extremely well arranged. Another hydrological mapthis time of North America, where Canada appears like a vast sponge with spidery rivers and myriad lakesanchors the hall under a spiral of suspended canoes and kayaks. Watercraft are displayed along with a mix of video, audio, and interactive componentsall with a welcome emphasis on Indigenous voices and perspectives. The elegance of the objects themselves is undeniable, and the skill of their makers is evident and remarkable.At the rear of the museum, a secondary building holds 50 canoes, near to two fully accessible docks. Part of the museums programming allows visitors firsthand experience of paddling a canoe or kayak.While my winter visit meant arrival by car, a network of interconnected parks and a riverside section of the Trans Canada Trail give an unusual prominence to the buildings river face, which Bill Lett and Michael Gallant from Unity describe as the buildings true front door in the summer months. A smaller volume on the river holds 50 canoes at the waterside, along with two fully accessible docks. For the first time in its history, the museum has an onsite facility where visitors can get firsthand experience of paddling a canoe or kayak.Perhaps the most successful attribute of Unity Architects design for the Canadian Canoe Museum is their distillation of the artefacts, the canoes and kayaks, into the experience of the museum itself. Their subtle evocation of form, craft, and movement is carefully considered and achieved without superfluous gestures. The building embodies the elegant logic of its collection and provides a fitting new home for these foundational objects of Canadian culture.Javier Zeller, MRAIC, is an architect working in Toronto with Diamond Schmitt Architects.CLIENT CANADIAN CANOE MUSEUM | ARCHITECT TEAM BILL LETT, MICHAEL GALLANT, MATTHEW PHILIP, IAN MCGEE, MITCH COSSITT, NATHAN PASZT, AMANDA MOTYER, LOGAN BRAZEAU, SCOTT DONOVAN, SCOTT PATTERSON | STRUCTURAL DESIGN ENGINEER PARTNER LEA CONSULTING | MECHANICAL DESIGN AND TRADE PARTNER KELSON | ELECTRICAL DESIGN ENGINEER PARTNER D.G. BIDDLE AND ASSOCIATES | ELECTRICAL DESIGN TRADE PARTNER LANCER ELECTRIC | LANDSCAPE BASTERFIELD AND ASSOCIATES | CIVIL ENGAGE ENGENERING | CONTRACTOR CHANDOS CONSTRUCTION | CONSERVATION JHG CONSULTING | AREA 6,039 M2 | BUDGET $34.1 M | COMPLETION MAY 2024As appeared in theApril 2025issue of Canadian Architect magazineThe post Canadian Classic: Canadian Canoe Museum, Peterborough, Ontario appeared first on Canadian Architect.

A spring panel hosted by the Toronto Society of Architects and DesignTO focused on progressive approaches to labour in architecture.How can architects actively design their own practicesand why should they do so? An article by Rick Linley in this issue (see page 46) tackles the nuts-and-bolts of this question, and two recent sessions in Toronto addressed the topic head-on.At the Interior Design Show, a panel entitled Designing the Plane while Flying It: Leading in Turbulent Times included KPMBs Phyllis Crawford, Nina Boccia, and Rachel Cyr, along with consultants Rob Luke and Elaine Pantel. The presentation traced KPMBs strategic planning over the past several years, sharing how the firm sought to sharpen its value proposition in relation to changing markets. With the help of trusted advisors, KPMB identified the specific skill sets and character strengths that would be needed to help the firm continue to grow and thrive, and systematically assessed their staffs abilities against this framework.As the process unfolded, the firm began to identify where they needed to invest in targeted growth, both for individuals and teams. For instance, they saw good overall performance in core technical and design skills, but more work needed to develop partnership qualities. Theyve since embarked on a process of systematically training up future firm leaders, including building business acumen and financial literacy, to fill in the gaps for the firms future success.A separate event, co-curated by the Toronto Society of Architects and DesignTO, looked more broadly at the question of labour in architecture. How teams work together, and under what conditions work is getting done, has been an area of increased focus over the past years, writes the TSA. Particularly in the field of architecturewhere many of the common pitfalls of creative disciplines also intersect with regulatory requirements and exceptions to Ontarios Employment Standards Actthere is an understanding that we must do better.Reza Nik, founding director of Toronto-based SHEEEP, spoke about how he is using his studio as a platform for building community and sharing best practices. Through initiatives such as SHEEEP.radio and SHEEEP.school, he is aiming to exchange knowledge and empower architects to carve their own paths.Architect Je Siqueira, from Bernheimer Architecture in New York City, detailed the process and advantages of becoming a unionized workforce, highlighting the leverage it affords in negotiating for contracts with fairer terms for employees. Yvonne Ip, a founding member of Guelph, Ontarios Arise Architects Co-Operative, gave an overview of the collective decision-making involved in a co-op business structure.Hazel York, a managing partner at UK firm Hawkins/Brown, was instrumental in shaping the firms recent transition to employee ownershipa model echoed by succession strategies in Canada, in which company shares are distributed from one generation to the next. Here in Canada, 5468796 Architecture co-founder Johanna Hurme detailed her firms progressive approaches to profit-sharing, financial transparency, and formal and informal benefits for staff.Regardless of a firms business structure, common themes reverberated throughout these presentations. As firm owners age, planning for succession is criticalbut this process requires strategic thinking and a long runway. Such a process is often best rooted in transparency: staff are motivated by understanding where they fit into the continuum of a firm, and what they need to accomplish to move up the ladder. People are also more productive when they share in the benefits from that productivity. Arise Architects Yvonne Ip suggests that all firms could benefit from considering the philosophy of cooperatives. Cooperatives ultimately dismantle this idea of employee versus employer, [instead] you are one and the same, says Ip. Ultimately, its really about the workwhether the work is the project or the business.As appeared in theApril 2025issue of Canadian Architect magazineThe post Editorial: Designing Practice appeared first on Canadian Architect.

The new concert hall tucks into a courtyard framed by Tach Hall, home to the universitys Faculty of Music.PROJECT University of Manitoba Desautels Concert Hall, Winnipeg, ManitobaARCHITECTS Teeple Architects in association with Cibinel ArchitectureTEXT Lawrence BirdPHOTOS Lindsay ReidWhen the University of Manitoba set out to realize benefactor Marcel Desautels dream of a world-class concert hall, Dean Edward Jurkowski knew he was creating a tough design brief for Teeple Architects and Cibinel Architecture. The site allocated to the concert hall was an almost land-locked parcel, walled in to the north and west by the perpendicular wings of Tach Hall, home to the universitys Faculty of Music, and to the east by Tachs Center Block building.Adding to this tight urban condition was a set of extreme constraints below ground. Lead architect Tomer Diamant of Teeple Architects quickly determined that the halls orchestra pit needed to slip down into a knot of existing tunnels, while the auditorium expanded overtop of thema very tricky condition.Moreover, the space needed to deliver perfect acoustics. Diamant and his team modelled and fine-tuned the hall in close collaboration with acousticians SLR Consulting. The white oak millwork flowing along walls and ceiling has acoustic properties, and its curves lend the space a quality that Diamant identifies as both generous and intimate. The billows of white oak contrast with the much darker tone of the halls upper level. Walls surrounding the loges, for example, are clad in dark, convex vertical pine profiles. Their scalloped surface scatters sound, and is also likened by the designer to log-cabin sidingperhaps a wry regional detail.The wood-lined concert hall can be configured to accommodate a full orchestra, and up to 475 spectators.For this audience member, the sensuality of the hall evoked the impression of being within a musical instrumentand recalled those early exercises in architectural drawing when one is asked to cut a section through a violin. A section through this hall would reveal a large plenum beneath the rear seats, and a largely passive ventilation system that satisfies both acoustical and sustainability objectives. (The hall targets LEED Silver.)The same section would also unveil an intricate dance of interior and exterior spaces, setting the stage not just for musical performances, but also for social performance. The angular lobby invites concert-goers to strut against the backdrop of a Sol LeWitt drawing, which was removed from another location and meticulously reproduced according to LeWitts original directions. (LeWitts work can be seen as an early instance of media artbuyers of his wall drawings receive instructions for constructing the piece, not anything physical.) This lobby interlocks with an armature of exterior spaces slipping obliquely alongside the existing buildings. Letting in the sun, while politely declining to loom over the landscape, the halls roof dips downa modest but extremely effective gesture that serves well to draw in visitors.A Sol LeWitt drawing is prominent in the L-shaped lobby, which spans between the main entrance to the west and a landscaped court to the north.Liz Wreford and Taylor Laroque of Public City Architecture stickhandled the landscape, which deftly creates approaches to not just the concert hall, but to nearby student residences and classrooms as well. The landscape accommodates a number of pieces of public art, including an Ai Weiwei bicycle sculpture. Like the LeWitt, this is on loan from Michael Nesbittwho, like Marcel Desautels, is a great patron of the arts in Winnipeg, and a significant donor to this building. While these outdoor spaces are slim, they recall the richness of far denser urban environments. Visitors might be reminded of the winding European passageways documented by Camillo Sitte, opening up to create space for architectural gems.The concert hall connects to the Tach Center Block building, making use of an existing lobby, visible at rear, along with existing mechanical spaces.The hall accommodates three distinct performance conditions, holding up to an 85-person orchestra and offering as many as 475 spectator seats. Recently, I attended a performance in which the stage held just the four performers of the Attacca String Quartet, who presented a program of short experimental pieces during the 2025 Winnipeg New Music Festival. Dynamic, with rapidly changing tonality, these pieces demanded that the hall produce an extremely precise, robust and responsive sound. To my ear, it met the test from every corner of the space. After the performance, I spoke to Julliard-trained Amy Schroedera founding member of the quartetwho praised the hall for its clarity of sound. It was a really great place to play, she noted, not too reverberant, but also not too dry. Tomer Diamant, comparing the theatre to a Swiss watch, explains how many intricate parts must come together seamlessly for the hall to work. While the design is driven heavily by physics, you never truly know if it will succeed until opening night.Succeed it did. Indeed, Desautels Concert Hall can be seen as an artefact whose many components slip cleverly into each other: interiors, architecture, mechanical and acoustical systems, landscape and urbanism. The ensemble is tightly wound, but feels absolutely relaxed. It is no wonder that its balance of poise and flow satisfies musicians and concert goers alike.Lawrence Bird, MRAIC, is an architect, city planner and visual artist based in Winnipeg.CLIENT University of Manitoba | ARCHITECT TEAM Teeple Architects: Stephen Teeple (FRAIC), Tomer Diamant (MRAIC), Jason Nelson, Helena Dini, Amanda Kemeny. Cibinel Architecture: Michael Robertson (MRAIC), Trevor Thimm, Desmond Burke, Lauren Hauser (MRAIC), Mallory Briggs, Kyle Janzen | STRUCTURAL/MECHANICAL/ELECTRICAL KGS Group | LANDSCAPE Public City Architecture | CONTRACTOR Parkwest Projects | ACOUSTICS SLR Consulting | THEATRE Theatre Consulting Group | A/V Patcon PA Technology Consultants | SUSTAINABILITY Integreated Designs Inc. | CIVIL KGS Group | AREA 2,440 m2 | BUDGET $20.2 M | COMPLETION August 2023ENERGY USE INTENSITY (PROJECTED) 245 kWh/m2/year | WATER USE INTENSITY (PROJECTED) 0.14 m3/m2/yearAs appeared in theApril 2025issue of Canadian Architect magazineThe post Poise and Flow: University of Manitoba Desautels Concert Hall, Winnipeg, Manitoba appeared first on Canadian Architect.

In our April issueOur April issue looks at projectsand processesthat foreground public purpose.Our cover story is the new home of the Canadian Canoe Museum, in Peterborough, Ontario, designed by Unity Design Studio. The building embodies the elegant logic of its collection and provides a fitting new home for these foundational objects of Canadian culture, writes Javier Zeller.The Canadian Canoe Museum was built using an IDP process that centres collaboration. So was a second project in our pages this monththe modernization of Montreals City Hall, by Beaupr Michaud et Associs, Architectes in collaboration with MU Architecture. This civic symbol has been revitalized in an exemplary manner, writes Peter Sealy, commenting on both the integrity of the processand the quality of the results.In Winnipeg, Lawrence Bird visits the University of Manitobas Desautels Concert Hall, designed by Temple Architects with Cibinel Architecture. Its an elegant new concert hall that maximizes a constrained site, adding a top-tier performance venuealong with artful indoor and outdoor public areasto the universitys Faculty of Music.We also travel to Niagara Falls to visit The Exchange, a small-but-mighty community hub designed by DTAH that includes a farmers market, artists studios, and a multipurpose hall thats been used for everything from roller skating parties to drag shows.This months editorial looks at architects who are designing their practices in line with progressive social values. And an article by Rick Linley offers a how-to on aligning the operating system of your practice with your firms market position.Taking a long view, Larry Wayne Richards reflects on architectures digital futures. There is a sense of something radically different nowan accelerating cyber-avalanche, generating previously unimagined spatial complexity, he writes. With the convergence of artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and robotics, a new era of both real danger and great opportunity has arrived.Rounding out our pages are book reviews of new monographs by Martin Simmons Sweers and Blouin Orzes, and a look at Graham Liveseys compact new history of modern architecture.-Elsa Lam, editorThe post April 2025 appeared first on Canadian Architect.

Image credit: The SHIFT Architecture ChallengeThe Ontario Association of Architects (OAA), provincial regulator of the practice of architecture, has announced the six selections for its SHIFT2025 Challenge, a biennial aspirational ideas competition that recognizes the potential of architectural thinking to address societal issues.This years theme, Reshaping Communities, asked the profession to explore how they could develop sustainable solutions. From urban revitalization and reconceptualization to adaptations responding to climate change and other emergencies, the competition sought out conceptual, yet possible, architectural ideas for communities that enabled all people to find stability, a sense of belonging, and hope.At the heart of the SHIFT2025 Challenge is a call to action to approach critical issues with innovation, adaptability, and a commitment to community well-being, said Ted Wilson, OAA president. We are excited to unveil this years exceptional selections, which demonstrate how architectural thinking can inspire and shape a future where communities not only adapt, but also thrive in the face of uncertainty.The six projects were chosen by a jury of experts for their creativity, feasibility, and emphasis on sustainability. They also reflected diverse strategies required to create adaptable, inclusive, and climate-conscious communities.The winners include the following.Subdivillage: Isometric drawing of a subdivilage development. Team led by Architects Naama Blonder and Misha BereznyakSubdivillageTeam led by Architects Naama Blonder and Misha BereznyakSubdivillage addresses low-density growth by redesigning suburban street networks in order to improve walkability, cycling, and local trips within the realities of low density, car reliance, and limited transit. Without raising costs or density, the concept creates livable communities ready for future transit and growth.The City Limits: Vignette of a streetscape re-design of a Toronto suburb. Team led by Architect Tim ScottThe City Limits: Rethinking a 100-year-old Toronto SuburbTeam led by Architect Tim ScottThe City Limits: Rethinking a 100-year-old Toronto Suburb envisions a sustainable future by integrating climate-focused design, quadrupling residential density, reclaiming streets as public spaces, and creating human-scaled, connected neighbourhoods with carbon net zero strategies and cohesive urban living.Swansea Park: Illustrative drawing of an eco-habitat in a suburban development. Team led by Architect David PetersonSwansea Park: A Development Concept for the Former Swansea MewsTeam led by Architect David PetersonSwansea Park: A Development Concept for the Former Swansea Mews imagines blending nature and urban living through a central naturalized park, doubling housing density with modular mid-rise buildings, and fostering biodiversity alongside vibrant public spaces for community engagement.Parkdale Commons: Sectional drawing of a silo and supported programmatic space. Team led by Architects Luc Johnston and Nancy ChaoParkdale Commons: A Living Food BankTeam led by Architects Luc Johnston and Nancy ChaoThis project transforms Torontos Parkdale Community Food Bank into an adaptive space, fostering resilience, food security, and sustainable connections through thoughtful architecture evolving with diverse neighbourhood needs and strengthening community empowerment.The Living Core: Diagram of the Living Core project concept showing destruction and rebuilding. Team led by Architect David DiGiuseppeThe Living Core: Designing for Resiliency at HomeTeam led by Architect David DiGiuseppeThis project reimagines housing with a tornado-resilient design, integrating cost-effective rebuilding and essential functions to protect small-town Ontarios economic and cultural fabric while fostering adaptable, secure, and sustainable living spaces.Speculative Assemblies: Detailed drawing of a speculative assembly using straw. Team led by Architect Jerry HackerSpeculative Assemblies: From Pine Needles to Pressed CoffeeTeam led by Architect Jerry HackerThis project conceives a sustainable future by reimagining building practiceseliminating plastics, toxins, and exploitative supply chainsthrough regenerative, biodegradable materials that promote biodiversity, human health, and environmental renewal while addressing urgent climate and ecological emergencies.Each of these winning projects underscores the importance of designing for adaptability in the face of climate change, technological advancements, and societal shifts, said Wilson. The OAA congratulates these selections for their exceptional contributions to reimagine the future of communities in Canada and beyond.These six projects will be celebrated at the Westin Ottawa during a special event on May 15 as part of the OAA Conference. The selections will also be featured in a special publicationand online for the broader public to explore.For more information, click here.The post Six selections chosen for OAAs SHIFT2025 Challenge appeared first on Canadian Architect.

Photo credit: Ema PeterThe new Rosemary Brown Recreation Centre located in Burnaby, British Columbia, designed by interdisciplinary firm hcma architecture + design, aims to priotitize the public experience and offers a high-performance ice arena alongside a vibrant, accessible, and inclusive community hub.The project, which aims to blend best practices for superior ice quality with the use of warm wood, natural light, and a transparent, open layout, creates a rich, dynamic experience for visitors both on and off the ice.The $49.5 million facility is 8,547 square meters/91,999 square feet and its state-of-the-art design rejects the outdated model of cold, windowless, steel-trussed ice arenas, dedicated solely to sport.Photo credit: Ema PeterThe facility, was named in honour of Rosemary Brown, a trailblazing Canadian advocate for social justice and equality. As a result, the recreation centre embodies her legacy, standing as a place for all Burnaby residents to gather, play, and compete.Without impacting ice quality, a distinctive structural approach floods the rinks with north-facing light while the exposed mass timber roof creates an inviting space for both players and spectators. This approach, which is considered unconventional, required a hybrid steel-timber roof system, using wood as an essential component due to its geometric flexibility, ease of construction, and inviting aesthetic.Wood plays an integral role in the character of the centre and aims to symbolize warmth and durability, while also ensuring quick, efficient assembly on the compact site. With a, the structure is both striking and technically proficient.Photo credit: Ema PeterThe flexibility of the hybrid steel-timber roof system allowed a complex geometry that made north-facing clerestories that provide an abundance of natural light possible.Glulams, which serve as both beams and vertical columns, support the structure in the lobby and contribute to its inviting ambience visible from both the inside and outside. The use of nail-laminated timber (NLT) for the lobbys decking system allows for superior acoustic integration, and enhances the overall experience and finish of the space.The facility is nestled in Burnabys emerging Southgate community. The sites tight footprint led to a non-traditional arrangement of its two NHL-sized ice sheets: an L-shape with a central lobby located at their meeting point.This arrangement allows for an improved interface and openness between the lobby and the ice sheets, as well as a friendly elevation to the street, community, and beyond.The recreation centre provides multipurpose rooms and spaces within the lobby for a range of activities beyond ice sports. These include pickleball, Pilates and playoff watch parties.Second-floor warm-side viewing galleries offer guests comfortable, accessible viewing, while informal areas directly behind allow children to play. Inclusive design extends to every aspect of the facility, with braille and tactile signage created by hcmas communication design team.Photo credit: Ema PeterNow open to the public, the centre is set to be an essential fixture in Burnabys Southgate community.Rosemary Brown Recreation Centre is more than an arena; its a space designed to foster community through recreation and high-performance sport. The Centres ambition is to become an essential fixture in Burnabys Southgate community, supporting the next generation of athletes, weekend warriors, and recreation enthusiasts alike, said Paul Fast, principal, hcma architecture + design.The post hcmas Rosemary Brown Recreation Centre opens in Burnaby, BC appeared first on Canadian Architect.

Still from Your Tomorrow documentaryAn Ontario Place documentary called YourTomorrowis now available to stream for free online.The film, which had its theatrical premiere in December 2024 at Hot Docs Cinema in Toronto, was filmed over almost 100 days in the public space on Torontos waterfront and captures the final year of Ontario Place before its planned transformation into a private spa and waterpark.Earlier in 2024, it also played at the Toronto International Film Festival where it won a runner up Audience Choice award.Your Tomorrow is a powerful reminder of how public spaces not only bring us together but allow us to witness and appreciate the rich diversity of our province, said Alexandra Roberts, commissioning editor of TVO Docs. From casual beachgoers to dancers, gardeners, birdwatchers, and protestors, this documentary highlights how Ontario Place has served as a canvas for a wide range of individuals, each adding their own unique touch to the landscape.Still from YourTomorrow documentaryThe documentary follows a group of characters who use and care for this park over the course of a year. The audience sees the space evolve through the eyes of a security guard who has worked there for forty years, a pair of Taiwanese retirees who visit the park daily, and a swimmer and self-described cyborg who leads year-round lake dips. The film documents a transitional moment in the landscape of the city, and asks viewers to consider what modern cities should look like and what a diverse urban society requires to thrive.Ontario Place originally opened in 1971 with a vision of idealism and futurism, and was designed as a family-friendly oasis for those who couldnt afford cottages. Throughout the years, it became a public park spanning 155 acres of car-free land, that was cherished for its architecture, environment, and vibrancy.Director Ali Weinsteins Your Tomorrow not only reflects on its history and uncertain future, but also emphasizes the importance of such urban spaces, while exploring the impact on the lives of its visitors and staff. The film also prompts a discussion on urban development, community values, and the preservation of public spaces.Your Tomorrow not only is a film that captures the beauty of Ontario Place, said Weinstein, but also raises vital questions about the future of all public spaces.Still from Your Tomorrow documentaryThe film is written, produced, and directed byAli Weinsteinand produced byGeoff Morrison, with editing byCaitlin Duriak, cinematography byAndrew Moir, and an evocative score byJoseph Shabason. Executive produced byRobin Smith, with TVOsNatasha Negreaas Head of Programming andAlexandra Robertsas Commissioning Editor,Your Tomorrowis a Naiad Productions and Big Cedar Films production, presented by TVO in association with the Canada Media Fund, Telefilm Canada, and the Canada Council for the Arts.Your Tomorrow is now available to stream on TVO Docs on the TVO DocsYouTube channel,TVO.org and the Smart TV app.The post Acclaimed Ontario Place doc now available to stream via TVO online appeared first on Canadian Architect.

Winning proposal of the 2025 Interuniversity Charrette: Moralisation de la place publique,by Vincente Levesque and Sara Deslauriers (Universit de Montral)The winners of the 2025 Interuniversity Charrette were recently announced during an awards ceremony held at the CCA.The annual competition, which was initiated in 1995 by the CCA, is open to students and recent graduates in architecture, landscape architecture, urbanism, environmental design, urban design, industrial design, and graphic design.This years edition, called Cartography of the Invisible, was organized by the CCA in partnership with the Universit du Qubec Montral, the Universit de Montral, and McGill University. This edition challenged participants to uncover the hidden narratives within urban spaces through the lens of cartography and design.At a time when social inequalities, homelessness, and the erasure of marginalized histories continue to shape cities, this years competition invited participants to make the unseen visible. Using mapping as a design tool, interdisciplinary teams selected a public space such as a square, park, street, or station, and revealed its underrepresented stories. By tracing networks, flows, and overlooked activities, teams exposed the complexities embedded in the urban environment. Digital tools, GPS data, and innovative cartographic techniques played a crucial role in this process.The competition encouraged all students currently registered in Canadian universities and recent graduates, to rethink public space through spatial storytelling. Their proposals offered new ways to understand, interpret, and design the city, engaging with history, social justice, and the built environment.Members of the jury for this edition included architect, landscape architect and urban planner Peter Soland; curator and independent researcher Ji-Yoon Han; and Lola Sheppard, Professor at the University of Waterloo School of Architecture and a founding partner of Lateral Office.The jury evaluated a total of 68 submitted proposals. A total of 94 teams consisting of 258 students from 17 different universities registered for this edition.The winners will receive a selection of recent CCA publications as well as Friends of the CCA memberships with numerous benefits.The winners of the 2025 CCA Interuniversity Charrette include the following.First place:Moralisation de la place publiqueVincente Levesque and Sara Deslauriers (Universit de Montral)Moralisation de la place publique. Credit: Vincente Levesque and Sara Deslauriers (Universit de Montral)Moralisation de lespace public impressed the jury with the clarity and evocative power of its proposal on the history of Montreals Red Light District and the successive layers of erasure the neighborhood has undergone. Both subtle and playful, the sculptural installation engages with the shifting temporalities of urban experience, transforming a mirrored glass cube by day into a red-lit display window by nightrevealing the dynamics of visibility and invisibility, past and present, in the public space, said the jury.Second Place:Watching the watchersBadr Echchihab (McGill University) and Tho Hovsepian (McGill University)Watching the watchers. Credit: Badr Echchihab (McGill University) and Tho Hovsepian (McGill University)The project deals elegantly with the question of urban surveillance. Using the McGill campus as a site, the map documents the areas of digital visibility and invisibility, in relation to a network of surveillance cameras. The proposal of a gold-coloured protective cloth canopy, which weaves through the campus, makes legible where bodies can travel in order to avoid cones of surveillance. The jury appreciated the play of a very visible canopy which offers invisibility, said the jury.Third place:Almanac of Moving AppearancesJia Chen Mi (University of Toronto), Mam Lam Cheng (University of Michigan), and Patricia Ku (Harvard Graduate School of Design)Almanac of Moving Appearances. Credit: Jia Chen Mi (University of Toronto), Mam Lam Cheng (University of Michigan), and Patricia Ku (Harvard Graduate School of Design)This project reimagines the interior of the tramway as a public spacea civic space in motion, tracing a path through the city of Toronto. Its mapping seeks to reveal the intangible layers of the transit experience: conversations, digital screens, and scents. Through the tramway windows, citizens are invited to recognize programmed actions within the urban space, creating a scenography of everyday life. The plan and section of the tramway present it as an architectural element of the city. The jury was captivated by this perspective on urban life, said the jury.Two Special Mentions were also named:A fractured cartographyJana Gineina, Myvel Ibrahim, Sarah King, Marcus Yuen, and Michael Conway (Carleton University)The project documents the registration of pavement cracks in Ottawa as evidence of the socio-economic divide between wealthy areas of government institutions and areas of neglect and marginalization. An innovative map of urban pixels reveals this registration of pavement cracks, while an evocative model documents two seminal urban thoroughfares in the Capital, as sites, in which to legible these divides, said the jury.Cartographie de linaccessibleLauriane Rioux (Universit de Montral), Vincent Morrier (Universit Laval)This project explores the mental mapping of urban space by citizens with physical and visual impairments. Addressing a timely issue, it proposes minimalist interventions in Montreals Baldwin Park to improve navigation for individuals with visual impairments. Speculative before-and-after illustrations translate the research into making the invisible experiences of this population more tangible, said the jury.The post 2025 CCA Interuniversity Charrette winners announced appeared first on Canadian Architect.

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.