cbq fall 2009
fall 2009
DBOBEJBO
the information source for construction executives
Urban IntensIfIcatIon
and the Future oF Canadian Cities
PLus
Building With Greater Purpose
Considering social, environmental, and aesthetical values in modern design
architecture & design
stunning designs from international, institutional, and multi-sector architects
volume 1 no. 7 CBQ_fall09_covers.indd 5
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Contents feature
Urban Intensification and the Future of Canadian Cities, p. 43 At the forefront of the energy-conservation movement, many urban planners have fought when urban sprawl for decades. CBQ’s James Askew examines the concept of urban intensification, which seeks to accomadate more people within our existing cities.
p.
49 BDKI Architects Committed to the betterment of the communities in which it works, this multipurpose developer encourages an extensive stakeholder engagement, always looking for the synergies in design that will serve both its clients and the community at large.
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Petrone Architects separates itself from competitors through sustainable design and by integrating art and landscaping into all of its projects.
54 Rafii Architects, Inc. Rafii Architects, Inc. of Edmonton has emerged as a world leader in sustainable design. 57 Habib Architects Inc. Intent on giving new life to existing structures, this engineer emphasizes the economic, social, and environmental benefits of architectural preservation.
Building With Greater Purpose 28 Oxford Construction, Ltd. Barrie Urquhart, the owner of this renovation and repair specialist, is a self-described smalltime contractor, measuring success not by his bottom line but by his lasting client relations and a love for the work that he does. 30 Scott Morris Architects Inc. In the face of a new and changing economy, founding principal Deborah Scott sees creativity and innovation as the future of architectural design.
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We have a global vision for the integration of architecture, art, science, and urban design landscaping. MarioV. Petrone, President of Petrone Architects 32 Sahuri + Partners Architecture Inc. Emphasizing LEED projects has enabled principal Tim Sahuri to garner recognition for his company both abroad and at home, becoming one of Canada’s leading architecture firms in the process.
37 Robertson Martin Architects Inc. In the midst of creating contemporary, sustainable structures, this award-winning firm preserves the great architecture of its country by focusing on heritage conservation.
35 Burka Architects Inc. This Toronto, Ontario-based firm meets market demand by maximizing the total sales value of the project—to the builder, to the purchasers and, in a wider context, to society at large.
40 Reich + Petch Architects Inc. This international architecture and design firm has assembled an integrated team of professionals, from architects to industrial designers, all in the interest of envisioning spaces from the inside out.
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Residential 10 Windemere Custom Homes Preferring elegance over opulence, the clients of this upscale homebuilder receive classy, customized dream homes, often thanks to the company’s niche of subdividing large former estates. 13 TES General Contracting, Inc. After finding his true calling as a carpenter, TES owner/operator Thomas Saulnier created one of the leading contracting and renovation firms in Medicine Hat. 16 Parkwood Master Builder For more than 20 years, personal, attentive service, exceptional home designs, and quality construction have earned Parkwood Master Builder an excellent reputation among its clientele and well-deserved admiration from industry experts. 20 RWH Construction Specializing in turnkey custom homes and cottages, this family company is explicitly dedicated to its customers, employees, and community.
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Nick Milkovich Architects Inc. Specializing in architecture and designs that set precedents, this accomplished firm credits history, curiosity, and an innate sense of construction for the ability to keep pace with change.
22 Luxury Renovations Luxury Renovations has been renovating homes in the greater Ottawa area for over 20 years.
Architecture & Design 60 Queen’s Quay Architects International Inc. In little more than a decade, this innovative architecture firm has built an impressive reputation for itself both home and abroad with striking design and functionality. 62 WGD Architects, Inc. An international design firm that specializes in hospitality and leisure buildings, WGD Architects prides itself on personal attention, soliciting complaints to improve designs and expand knowledge.
64 Stone McQuire Vogt Architects Specializing in collaborative approaches, this architecture firm relies on strategic alliances to put the best-possible team on each project and ensure that results meet the goals of the owners.
72 Kirkor Architects & Planners This Toronto design and planning firm specializes in large-scale, multiple-building, mixed-use complexes in Canada and beyond. It also operates on a debt-free business model.
66 Vermeulen Hind Architects Inc. A unique multidisciplinary firm, Vermeulen Hind specializes in cancer-care, healthcare, and research facilities.
77 Crain Architects Incorporated This award-winning design firm creates modern, environmentally friendly buildings through the synergy of design and a space’s natural surroundings.
69 Praxis Architects Inc. Inspirational where appropriate and practical where necessary, the designs of Praxis Architects seek to enrich communities with well-designed buildings.
6 Editor’s Note 8 News Brief 82 Last Word
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editor’s note
Rafii Architects and Read Jones Christoffersen have been designing projects together for over 25 years
Larrson house by Crain Architects Incorporated.
M
any architects and builders humbly go about their businesses, taking pride in beautiful finished products and in ably serving clients. They find great satisfaction in completing their tasks and in going the extra mile. We take an equal amount of pride in spotlighting these companies every quarter.
Read Jones Christoffersen Ltd. has been designing structures that shape city skylines, change the landscape and preserve history for over 60 years. As one of North America’s leading engineering firms, we specialize in Structural Engineering, Building Science, Structural Restoration and Parking Facility Design.
Some of the projects our two firms have designed together are shown below:
In this issue, we present these firms as well as a group of architects that ply their craft in different ways and with larger intent. Among this group is a firm, Reich + Petch Architects, that engages in storytelling, considering aesthetical experience and personal reaction in each decision. There is one, Sahuri + Partners Architects, that sees the pervasiveness of architecture in human life and the inspiration that creativity brings to the human spirit, and one, Petrone Architects, with a global vision for the integration of architecture, art, science, and urban-design landscaping. Habib Architects believes that the best green building is the one that we do not demolish but to which we give new life; Robertson Martin Architects seeks to preserve Canada’s storied architectural accomplishments; Burka Architects believes that “sales value” applies to the builder, the purchaser, and society at large. Lastly, Scott Morris Architects holds an arsenal of green alternatives, seeks to create “humanized environments,” and wants to accommodate more people within the confines of our existing cities. That last objective—a process dubbed urban intensification—is the focus of our special feature, Urban Intensification and the Future of Canadian Cities, on p. 43. CBQ’s James Askew examines the population trends of major Canadian hubs and speaks with urban-planning experts who explain the process to reverse suburban sprawl. And this objective is shared by two more spotlighted firms: Rafii Architects, which has helped reshape downtown Vancouver, and BKDI Architects, whose director of sustainable design considers the three-dimensional and social contexts of its designs. As usual, we profile other exceptional contractors, architects, specialists, and suppliers across numerous sectors. We feel that this is our best issue yet, and we hope that you enjoy it. Scott Morrow Managing Editor
Vancouver Calgary Edmonton Nanaimo Toronto Victoria phone: 604.738.0048 visit us at www.rjc.ca
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canadian builders quarterly fall 2009
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news brief sustainability
sustainable design
Toronto City Council Adopts Mandatory Green Roof Requirements
Vancouver Aquarium Obtains LEED Gold and ISO 14001 Certifications
This spring, the City of Toronto passed a new green-roof bylaw with overwhelming support, creating a green-roof construction standard and a mandatory requirement for green roofs on all classes of new buildings. The bylaw requires up to 50-percent green-roof coverage on multi-unit residential dwellings over six storeys as well as schools, nonprofit housing, and commercial and industrial buildings. Larger residential projects require greater green-roof coverage, ranging anywhere from 20 to 50 percent of the roof area.
In time for this year’s Earth Day, the Vancouver Aquarium and mayor Gregor Robertson unveiled the Aquarium’s LEED Gold and ISO 14001 certifications.
Toronto already requires green roofs on cityowned properties, has established a financial incentive of up to $5 per square foot for existing buildings, and is currently building a publicly accessible green roof on its city hall. The project will be unveiled at CitiesAlive!, the first international green-roof congress to be held October 19-22, 2009 with a focus on addressing climate change. The green roof atop Mountain See www.citiesalive.org Equipment Co-op in Toronto. for details. Source: Green Photo credit: Flickr user Padraic. Roofs for Healthy Cities.
Vancouver mayor Gregor Robertson and president of theVancouver Aquarium, Through its innovative Dr. John Nightingale building design and management practices, Aquaquest—the Marilyn Blusson Learning Centre—resulted in the Aquarium being the first worldwide to achieve both certifications. The LEEDing by Design event at Aquaquest treated guests to tours that highlighted environmental features such as a living wall, light well, wetlab, jellyfish lab, compost and recycling programs, furniture design, seawater exchange heating/cooling systems, rainwater capture and flushing system, and the Canaccord Exploration Gallery, allowing visitors to view and interact with animal habitats in a whole new way. “The Vancouver Aquarium is proud to be Canada’s greenest cultural institution,” Dr. John Nightingale, the Aquarium’s president and CEO, said at the unveiling. “Today we celebrated a key milestone in our ongoing journey to lead the way in environmental practices. Today is certainly an achievement, but it is one moment along the journey. We are committed to contributing to the City of Vancouver’s goal of becoming the greenest city in the world.” Source: Zoo and AquariumVisitor
infrastructure
Government of Canada Invests in Modernizing Federal Laboratories in Calgary Rob Anders, member of Parliament for Calgary West, has announced more than $10 million in funding, over the next two years, to modernize two federal laboratories in Calgary. In Budget 2009, Canada’s Economic Action Plan, the federal government committed to an accelerated investRob Anders. ment program to provide $250 million, over the next two years, to modernize federal laboratories. The funding, one of the many job-creating investments in the Economic Action Plan, will improve these facilities while providing economic stimulus in regions across the country.
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“This program is addressing important maintenance issues in our laboratories and will quickly bring economic stimulus to this region,” Anders said in his announcement. “This funding will provide jobs for workers as we install equipment that will make these laboratories safe for researchers and improve energy efficiency. With this funding, our scientists and researchers will have healthier and more-modern work environments that will enhance research and development, resulting in even better health and safety outcomes for Canadians.” The Calgary laboratories being upgraded in the region are: • $3,410,000 Calgary Laboratory (Canada Food Inspection Agency) • $7,204,000 Geological Survey of Canada Laboratories (Natural Resources Canada)
Source: Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
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infrastructure
Canada and Nunavut Fund Construction of Cultural Facility in Clyde River
Canada’s minister of health, Leona Aglukkaq, and the premier of Nunavut, Eva Aariak, announced this spring that their governments are investing in the construction of the Piqqusilirivvik Cultural Facility in Clyde River. “The Government of Canada recognizes that infrastructure investments are key to creating jobs for Northerners,” minister Aglukkaq said in the announcement. “This investment will go a long way to support the economy in Canada’s North, providing long-term benefits to communities.” Premier Aariak stated, “Preservation of Inuit culture and language is of utmost importance and is vital to the long-term success of our territory. Building Piqqusilirivvik will do that and encourage the documentation of our history, the participation of Elders in classrooms, and give merit to our traditional economy.”
this territory,” said Lorne Kusugak, minister of community and government services. The facility will be used by Elders to provide youth with the opportunity to maintain their cultural values. It will play a vital role in the preservation of Inuit culture, language, and heritage for future generations. The total eligible cost for this initiative is $32.2 million and will be jointly funded by the governments of Canada and Nunavut. The Government of Canada’s Economic Action Plan is accelerating and expanding the existing federal investment of $33 billion in infrastructure with almost $12 billion in new infrastructure stimulus funding over two years. The Government of Nunavut is working closely with the federal government to ensure that infrastructure funds are spent on priorities throughout the territory. Source: www.buildingcanada.gc.ca. Piqqusilirivvik Cultural Facility.
“The infrastructure partnership forged between the Government of Nunavut and the Government of Canada across a variety of sectors continues to assist in reducing the very large infrastructure deficit in
energy
TransCanada Awarded Contract to Build Guadalajara Pipeline in Mexico TransCanada Corporation has announced that it was the successful bidder on a contract to build, own, and operate a US$320 million pipeline in Mexico. The project is supported by a 25-year contract for its entire capacity with Comision Federal de Electricidad (CFE), Mexico’s state-owned electric company.
opportunity for TransCanada to expand its footprint in Mexico.”
LNG Terminal IPP/Power Plant Existing Pipeline
The proposed Guadalajara Pipeline will follow a 310-kilometre (193mile) route from a liquefied natural-gas terminal under construction near Manzanillo on Mexico’s Pacific Coast to Guadalajara, the second largest city in Mexico. The 30-inch-diametre pipeline will be capable of transporting 500 million cubic feet a day of natural gas. The majority of the capital expenditures is expected to be made in 2010 with a targeted in-service date of March 2011.
TransCanada owns and Altamira LNG operates the 130-kilometre Guadalajara (81-mile) Tamazunchale Pipeline in central Mexico. In Manzanillo LNG the 1990s, TransCanada built the 700-kilometre (435-mile) Mayakan Pipeline and the 214-kilometre (133mile) El Bajio pipelines. Those pipelines, later sold, were the first non-PEMEX pipelines in Mexico. PEMEX is Mexico’s state-owned petroleum company.
“The Guadalajara Pipeline project builds on TransCanada’s excellent working relationship with CFE,” says Hal Kvisle, TransCanada president and chief executive officer. “With Mexico’s growing reliance on natural gas and TransCanada’s proven success in building, owning and operating Mexican pipelines, the Guadalajara Pipeline offers an excellent
The Guadalajara Pipeline would serve power-generation load in Manzanillo and Guadalajara as well as connect to an existing PEMEX natural-gas line near Guadalajara. The source of natural gas will be a liquefied natural-gas terminal near Manzanillo, primarily supplied by Peruvian LNG. Source:TransCanada.
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Valladolid IPP
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residential
This country estate won Best Custom Home from the Canadian Home Builders’ Association in 2005.
WINDEMERE CUSTOM HOMES Upscale homebuilder subdivides large estates into classy, customized dream homes by jerri farris as the planner and project manager of Windemere Custom Homes in Toronto, Mark Kubista fields calls from home shoppers who cannot yet afford Windemere’s $1.5 million to $3.5 million average price tag. “I answer their questions, and when they’re ready, they tell us they want a Windemere home,” he says. Founded in 1978 by owner Carl Hermann, Windemere is family owned. In addition to its 15 employees, the Windemere team includes Hermann’s sisters, interior designer Gloria Tilson and accountant Mariann Coward. In recent years, Windemere has reduced the number of houses that it builds annually
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to 5–10, but it increased their square footage to an average of 3,000 to 7,000. Now its projects more often involve pre-development planning, subdividing, and environmental impact studies.
known as “cottage country.” In the town of Oakville, for example, Windemere built 11 houses on a five-acre estate that had been home to an outdated ranch. Several Windemere projects are family compounds, such as a Lake Simcoe project that includes three cottages, a caretaker’s residence, tennis courts, and a swimming pool. The typical Windemere client, Kubista says, has owned several houses before, but this is his or her dream house. He or she wants a classic exterior (natural stone, stucco, or reclaimed or tumbled brick) but a functional interior where rooms flow into outdoor spaces.
Windemere has collected a string of awards from its peers in Toronto, Ontario and the Canadian Home Builders’ “In Canada, we have two seasons— Association. And it has earned the adora- winter season and patio season,” Kubista tion of celebrity clients, including hock- jokes. “As soon as spring arrives, we’re ey players Wendell Clark, Curtis Joseph, outside, even if we have to wear a coat.” Windemere clients favor three-sided and Kirk Muller. courtyards that include outdoor cooking and sitting areas, plus fireplaces. The company’s niche is subdividing “They’re really second kitchens and famlarge estates in older sections of the ily rooms, but outside,” he says. Toronto area or to the north, which is
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windemere custom homes residential
They have seen and visited our homes. Then they come to us and say, ‘Okay, now we’re ready to build our Windemere home.’ Mark Kubista, Project Manager To make its houses as energy efficient as possible, Windemere employs insulated concrete-form (ICF) walls, low-emissivity windows, spray-foam insulation, and high-efficiency HVAC systems. Inside, Windemere houses feature commercial-grade kitchens plus butler’s kitchens, roomy great rooms, and dens on the first floor. The company’s clients still want formal dining rooms, but they eschew living rooms. “Today’s buyers don’t want lonely rooms that they’ll only use once a year,” Kubista says of the extinct, formal living room. Second floors include four or more children’s bedrooms and bathrooms. According to Kubista, most of Windemere’s clients want first-floor master
are people who may have more than three cars but want two- to three-car garages, with additional cars underground or on hydraulic lifts.”
bedrooms. These include his-and-her closets, fireplaces, and en suite bathrooms with tubs and walk-in showers. Finished lower levels include theaters, game rooms, nanny suites, gyms and/or steam showers. Garages are heated and drywalled. One Windemere signature is planning and shaping the lot to allow for exterior access from the lower level and the first floor and to retain mature trees. “Carl’s idea of relaxing is getting on a Bobcat and moving the earth,” Kubista says of Hermann. As for that client base, Kubista says, “Our clients want understated elegance, not opulence—classy, not showy. These
He adds that Windemere designers take their cues from the Old World architecture and use natural materials like stone and reclaimed materials such as beams from old barns. The bottom line, however, is that Windemere houses are customized, so they vary according to their clients’ wish lists. One buyer wanted a hockey rink in his basement; another wanted a cave-like cellar for his wine collection. Pleased with their one-of-a-kind homes, Windemere clients pass the word to their friends and colleagues. Windemere rarely advertises, Kubista says, because clients arrive via referrals. “They have seen and visited our homes,” he says. “Then they come to us and say, ‘Okay, now we’re ready to build our Windemere home.’” cbq
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canadian builders quarterly fall 2009
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residential
Thomas Saulnier, owner, outside a TES custom addition.
TES GENERAL CONTRACTING, INC.
enjoy it; it’s very high-pressure.You can’t really use your imagination.”
Renaissance man finds calling in contracting and renovation by russell roberts
to say that thomas saulnier has had a colourful career would be a bit of an understatement. Among other things, Saulnier has been a logger, a soldier, and a truck driver in a life that has seen him pack in more experiences than most other folks read about. But back in 1994, Saulnier found his true calling, becoming the owner/ operator of TES General Contracting Inc., one of the leading contracting and renovation firms in Medicine Hat, Alberta since 2000. “I’ve been doing this kind of work since I
was 12 years old,” he says. Although Saulnier, a carpenter by trade, will perform any type of renovation or contracting job such as adding another room to a structure or constructing a series of custom wooden columns as accent pieces for a home, he no longer opts to build houses. Although he certainly has the skills and experience for it—he’s built more than 50 houses during his career—it’s not a road that he wants to travel anymore. “I built enough homes when I worked for other people,” Saulnier says. “I don’t
Saulnier has a strict code of ethics and a deep commitment to producing only top-quality work. For that reason, he uses very few subcontractors. Saulnier knows that when TES performs a job, he can be certain that it is done to his own vigilant quality control. “I’m very fussy about my work,” he says. “It absolutely has to be done to my own standards, which are pretty tough. The customer needs to be satisfied as well, and nothing less than that will do.” For that same reason, Saulnier uses local suppliers whenever possible for items such as windows and doors, bypassing the products of the big corporations. Besides the fact that he simply “doesn’t like waiting for stuff,” Saulnier knows that if there’s something wrong with an item made by a local supplier, he can get that person on the phone and straighten the problem out then and there.
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at a glance location: medicine hat, ab area of specialty: general contracting and renovation employees: 4 average annual sales: $300,000
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residential
tes general contracting
I built enough homes when I worked for other people. I don’t enjoy it; it’s very high-pressure. You can’t really use your imagination. Thomas Saulnier, Owner & Operator Saulnier says that his biggest problem and challenge as a business owner is “finding qualified people who take pride in their work.” Workers often come to him claiming that they have vast experience, but it doesn’t take long on a job to figure out who has the goods and who doesn’t. He says that the general economic slowdown has affected him adversely, but he sees a silver lining in it as well. “This is the time that will weed out all of the bad contractors,” Saulnier says. He decries the fact that the industry is not regulated, and says that this allows a lot of fly-by-night outfits the opportunity to come in and do slipshod work, thereby tainting everyone else.
When a client calls and speaks with and Styrofoam ICF foundations. “With Saulnier or one of his employees, he or today’s rising cost of living and with she often hears the voices of Murphy global warming, it’s really time to look and Sam, Saulnier’s two birds (macaw at other resources and do something about it,” he says. “The resources are out and cockatoo), who screech in the background because the TES rep is speaking there; we just need to be more aware to someone else and not to them. of them. The cost is a little higher, but in the long run, the savings will pay off “I like to be my own boss and do things quite substantially.” my own way,” Saulnier says, “as well as ensure the satisfaction of my customers.” Working with TES also yields another unique experience: calling the office. cbq
“It makes people suspicious of all contractors,” he says. Saulnier has seen more than his share of poor jobs, from electrical hazards to bad foundations, and he often is the one to whom people turn for help when shoddy workmanship has left them high and dry. He says that one warning sign of a poor contractor is if he/she asks for money upfront. “You have to be bonded to ask for upfront money,” Saulnier explains. And even though he is bonded, he never asks for upfront cash, preferring to do the job and then get paid. Always looking out for the value of his clients’ projets, Saulnier also has a deep-rooted interest in energy efficiency. To help with energy costs, Saulnier advocates using geothermal solar power
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canadian builders quarterly fall 2009
6/5/09 11:28:31 AM
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residential
PARKWOOD MASTER BUILDER For award-winning residential builder, value means more than dollars and cents by alysia shivers
when one steps into a home designed by Parkwood Master Builder, there’s no mistaking the attention to detail, the superior finishes, and the expert use of space. Blending functionally elegant custom homes with unmatched customer service has elevated this Edmonton-based firm to a state of high regard, not only in the eyes of its customers but also throughout the homebuilding industry.
at a glance location: edmonton, ab area of specialty: single- and multifamily residential construction employees: 25 noteworthy distinction: master builder from the professional home builders institute of alberta
This reputation stems from its president and founder, Samir Hanna, a skilled structural engineer who, after designing all manner of structures in Quebec and Montreal and even abroad in England and Egypt, seized the opportunity to partner with a Canadian builder and fulfilled his longtime dream of working on the construction side of the business. Hanna’s establishment of Parkwood Master Builder in the 1980s came during a time when those in the market to buy residential real estate were only being offered a “standard box of a home,” he says. In an effort to complement a homebuyer’s lifestyle, Hanna set himself apart by offering an array of choices in architecture, floor plans, and finishes. “I design unique and different products that have exceptional curb appeal and use the space in a practical way,” he explains. This approach has earned Parkwood numerous awards over the years from both the Alberta and Edmonton Region Home Builder Associations, specifically for introducing to the market such innovative elements as the addition of a bonus room over the garage and the creation of nearly another story of usable space by opening up the attic. “We were doing these things before anybody knew what they were,” Hanna notes. “We try
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Oxford home located in the Trails of Millcreek estate, in Southeast Edmonton.
to stay ahead of the industry trends and do not follow what others are doing.” In 2007, the Edmonton Sales and Marketing (SAM) awards named Parkwood Master Builder the overall winner in both the single-family and multifamily home categories, a proud achievement for Hanna, whose model homes have garnered many awards individually. Another feather in the company’s hat has been continued praise and industry recognition for the new-home warranty that it offers, translating to an award that Parkwood has received for 19 consecutive years. Additionally, Parkwood has been the recipient of the consumer and corporate affairs award for its affordable housing efforts.
munities. Its newest project, Waterside Estates, which touted being 50-percent sold before even breaking ground, features character-filled lofts in the River Valley area of Edmonton, whereas its executive condominiums at the Trails of Mill Creek Estates bring a subtle sophistication to the natural beauty of the community. To date, Parkwood has lent its talents to six residential communities, an undertaking in which Hanna takes great pride because he believes that such projects provide his customers with a protected investment. “They are assured that their neighbor on both sides will have a comparable product,” he points out, noting a factor that boosts the home’s overall value.
In addition to its distinctive homes, Parkwood Master Builder stands out Today, after more than 20 years in busifrom its competition because Hanna ness, Hanna’s company continues to himself designs each home to specificalstrive for innovation, not only through ly suit the lifestyle of its owner. Whether its custom single- and multifamily designs but also its various residential com- the client chooses one of the company’s
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parkwood master builder residential
Left: Bedroom of Oxford project.
The goal is to make sure that every home is individual for the individual itself. There is no ‘one size fits all’. Samir Hanna, President many model homes, which sport such inviting names as Saffronette, Versailles, and Notre Dame Classique, or desires that a custom-built masterpiece be placed upon his or her prized lot, Hanna can tailor each project to meet a homeowner’s needs. “The goal is to make sure that every home is individual for the individual itself,” he says. “There is no ‘one size fits all.’” Uncompromising quality is another component that differentiates Parkwood from other area builders, evident in its executive features package, which includes 50-ounce carpet with a 10-year warranty, nine-foot ceilings on the main floor, metal-clad trim, and more. Recognizing that a home is a big, if not
distinction of Master Builder from the Professional Home Builder’s Institute of Alberta, a designation that allows Hanna to guide his clients through more than just the design and construction of their homes but also through the everchanging trends, codes, and laws that the biggest, investment of a person’s life, accompany such endeavors. “It gave me Hanna does his best to ensure that no all-around experience and knowledge detail is overlooked before personally and gave the company an additional handing over the keys. These principles strength,” Hanna says of the distinction. and approaches are something that he tries to instill in his children, both of Though the design and function of a whom, a son and a daughter, work for home is top priority for Parkwood him and have his hopes of taking the Master Builder, its relationship with its reigns someday. And in dealing with a clients is just as important. “They know family-based business, Parkwood’s custhat the owner of the company is behind tomers can rest easily knowing that the them from beginning to end,” Hanna Hanna family supports their dreams of says. Over the decades, many have been homeownership. repeat customers, including some who have remained loyal since the company’s Clients can also take comfort in the inception, calling upon Parkwood to fact that Parkwood boasts an excepbuild second, third, and sometimes tional level of expertise in the fields even fourth homes to fit their lifestyles of home design and construction. The as their families grow and their needs company was one of the first to hold the change. cbq
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parkwood master builder
Ultimately, Hanna’s focus is on providing his customers with the best value and quality for their dollar. He stresses that a home’s value is more than just dollars and cents. It is about a better life, a comfortable atmosphere, and a solid future investment. He also emphasizes the importance of resale value, guiding them through initial choices that, when it comes time to sell, will affect the market value. “At the end of the day, the homeowner has to feel comfortable living in the home,” Hanna explains. “But when it comes time to sell, we have to make sure that it is not just unique for them.” cbq a message from jostar interiors ltd. We are pleased to be selected as the designers working with Parkwood Master Builder, a prominent homebuilder. Parkwood takes pride in its work and knows the value of using experienced, award-winning designers to showcase its homes. Innovative interior-design elements bring exciting style to the spaces creating well-sought houses – ones that you would feel proud to call your home.
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RWH CONSTRUCTION Tireless turnkey homebuilder achieves customer satisfaction with customization by christopher cussat
most families work for all of their lives pursuing their dreams. But not many families can say that they have sustained a successful business for two generations as well as having built the dreams of their clients each day. This is exactly what RWH Construction accomplishes with every home that it completes. at a glance location: fenelon falls, on area of specialty: turnkey custom homes and cottages employees: 11
The humble beginnings of RWH date to 1975 when founder Bob Hayter moved to the Kawartha Lakes area of Ontario and started working on homes and cottages. Throughout his career, Hayter has established an excellent reputation for his company, working closely with his customers to build the homes that fulfill their dreams. RWH focuses all of its energy on one project at a time
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and averages about five custom homes per year. Currently, this family business is operated and co-owned by Hayter and his two sons, Ryan and Adam. According to Ryan, RWH has been busy building from the very beginning. “Once we started here, we haven’t had a day off since!” he says with only a hint of hyperbole. From a small, two-man operation, RWH has now grown into a full-scale company with eight men on the crew, a 4,000-square-foot wood shop, and a full line of excavation equipment. RWH builds full, turnkey custom homes, garages, boathouses, kitchens, and cabinetry. The company also provides renovation, demolition, and excavation
services. Ryan adds, “Our typical customers are people retiring to cottage country who want a fully functional home instead of a cottage.” In addition, RWH caters to people who have just bought cottages and want to make them their own—as well as those who just want to make what they already have work better for them. The company is very conscious of green construction and its importance to the industry and environment. In fact, RWH has incorporated sustainable practices into its procedures for a long time. Ryan explains, “We do energy-efficient insulated-concrete-form homes, and all of our windows and doors are Energy Star rated. Plus, the insulation that we install in our homes is above standard, and all of our furnaces are highefficiency.” Ryan believes that RWH’s competitive edge is a result of the company’s nearly all-inclusive development offerings, which result in a consistent and highquality product. He explains, “We have
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rwh construction residential
We have the ability to do everything in house, right from the ground up. Ryan Hayter, Co-owner
the ability to do everything in house, right from the ground up, and the only subcontractors that we hire are plumbing, electrical, and HVAC.” This keeps quality at a very high level and enables RWH to complete projects quickly and more efficiently. Ryan adds, “We have grown a reputation in this industry and area as being the best at what we do— and that is every aspect of building a home. We often describe ourselves as a one-stop shop.”
Future goals for RWH include adding a showroom and design center to the office as well as expanding its cabinetry and excavation divisions. Like everyone else, Ryan hopes that the recession does not affect RWH’s work volume, but the company has taken proactive actions to increase its development opportunities. He explains, “Currently, we are bidding all of our projects with tight budgets in order to ensure that we get them.”
Ryan and the rest of the family plan to keep doing the things that have helped make RWH successful: focusing on company motivation and emphasizing client and staff satisfaction. He concludes, “We want to make our customers happy at the end of the day, no matter what, and keep that energy flowing in the workplace. The most important thing is to keep your employees happy and your customers even happier.” cbq
In addition to doing everything on its own, RWH distinguishes itself through its choice of building supplies. “We only use the highest-quality materials, and we buy enough so that our prices are better than other competitors,” Ryan says. “As a result, we can provide a better-quality product at a cheaper price.” Ryan adds that RWH’s workers are all highly skilled and have been loyal to the company for a long time. “We have excellent employees who are devoted to our company and give 110 percent every day, all year long,” he says. This devotion comes from the Hayters’ ability to keep the energy level flowing at RWH. Ryan explains, “People follow by example and it all starts from Bob. He’s always going and always active, and we learned that through our whole lives. I guess we pass it along to our guys, and then our clients can see the results of it from the work that we do.”
Do it right. The first time Cell: 705.879.1715 Fax: 705.887.4775 www.rwhconstruction.ca info@rwhconstruction.ca canadian builders quarterly fall 2009
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residential
LUXURY RENOVATIONS Award-winning contractor strives to build customer loyalty by matt rogina
mike martin, president and owner of Luxury Renovations, says that for the past 20 years he and his trades have become their customers’ de facto family members. Long days working in clients’ homes inevitably build close relationships between the trades and family members. Cultivating those relationships, then, is an important part of renovating homes—a process that requires trust, skill and, most important of all, integrity. Martin says that two decades of dealing with clients and trades have taught him that the key to winning over a customer is to listen closely. “We leave a job only when we are satisfied that the client is happy,” he says
at a glance locations: ottawa, on area of specialty: residential renovation awards: finalist, best kitchen, canadian home builder awards,2 006
Renovating an old home—tearing part of it down to its foundation and rebuilding it from the ground up—is a formidable task. Major projects begin at the design stage, which is lead by Martin’s wife, Suzanne. Most projects require three to six months to ensure the functional and aesthetic elements are customized to the needs of clients. Then the formal estimating and bugs can be ironed out before the hammer is raised. The construction phase usually lasts an additional two to four months depending on the complexity of the work, with two or three projects in progress at any given time. “We prefer to accommodate families, so we try to set them up with temporary amenities in a basement or adjacent rooms,” Martin says. “If we are renovating a bathroom, we take apart the toilet in the morning and put it back together at the end of the day. I find this aspect relatively easy now, because it’s simply part of our job routine. Get the job finished, do it well. And remember: Quality takes time.”
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A Kanata home of elegance, featuring warm curvatures that make one’s eyes flow naturally.These custom-designed details are met with pride and consideration to exceed all our expectations.
after, he teamed up with Suzanne HeasMore than 20 years ago, Martin came ton, who had just finished her advanced to Ontario from Labrador to pursue a degree in computer science. Eventually, design program at Algonquin College. he chose to pursue a career in carpentry. In 1991 Suzanne Heaston became SuAfter completing his Algonquin College zanne Martin, and now she owns Reno carpentry course, he found employment by Design, a reputable residential deright away and settled into the construc- sign-consulting firm. tion trade for a couple of years with This ‘houses by spouses’ team has a local renovator. He started his own filled their lives with high-end projects, renovations company in 1987. Soon
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luxury renovation residential
Left: In Ottawa, these distinctive roundings utilize the German “Scala” style, setting the tone for a cozy and inviting environment.
Ninety-eight percent of this business is word-of-mouth. The key to good customer relations is open lines of communication. Michael J. Martin, President
fascinating people, and very long days. (They also make sure there is always time for family things like coaching their son Jamie’s minor hockey team and attending his sprint kayaking regattas.) Renovating 12 to 15 homes a year has made Martin a busy man around the Greater Ottawa area and has earned him a reputation as an advocate for renovators.
“I think that standing back and looking at acknowledged with several finalist and what we have accomplished, seeing the award-winning projects. One of their satisfied expressions on client faces, and projects was a finalist in the Canadian knowing that we are leaving a job well Home Builder Awards for 2006 for a done, is the only reason I am still renoBest Kitchen renovation. Martin was also honoured as “Renovator of the Year” vating,” Martin says. “We get to build people’s dreams.” cbq in 2006.
This past year, for example, as chair of the Ottawa Renovators’ Council, Martin was one of the key facilitators in bringing the national RenoMark program—which raises the bar of professionalism by ensuring its members follow a stringent code of ethics—to Eastern Ontario. Martin’s passion for fixing things also got him working with various municipal, provincial, and federal officials to help combat the underground economy. Expanding his interests provincially, he accepted to serve as chair of the Ontario Renovation Council. And he continues to sit on several homebuilder associations and committees in Ottawa. Of course, Martin also remains a handson renovator with Luxury Renovations. The Martins’ passion for quality work and solid customer relations has been
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building with gReateR puRpose Considering societal, artistic, scientific, and energy-efficient goals in design
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building with greater purpose
Petrone Architects Innovative firm finds perfect balance of art and science by christopher cussat some architects are known for their technical savvy, and others are renowned for being consummate artistes. Then there are designers like Mario V. Petrone, who have mastered both disciplines and whose work is a harmonious union of science and art.
Located in Bromont, Quebec, this ecological bioclimatic house features a green roof on its north side.
During the mid-1980s, PA designed eight pumping stations for two municipalities. In 1990, Petrone received the Governor General Medal in Architecture Award from the Royal Architecture Institute of Canada, for the RolandTherrien pumping station in Longueuil. That same year, he won the Quebec Excellence in Architecture Award’s first prize in the industrial building category from the Order of Architects, for the AVMSL pumping station. PA’s early reputation as a brilliant and innovative architectural firm has continued to grow, and its rapid rise to success has never slowed.
One project that nicely encapsulates all of PA’s design philosophies is a bioclimatic house that the company built in Petrone Architects (PA) was founded in Bromont, QC. PA architect Angeline 1978 by Petrone, who is now the company’s president. Throughout his career, Spino describes the residence, saying, he has been concerned with transitional “This house has a solar wall, green roof, energy-saving walls, hydronic radiant design and sustainable construction. floor heating, a heat- and energy-reRecognized as a good technical-details covery system, and a high-performance designer, Petrone uses his innovative HVAC system. The structure is also built designs to incorporate a new vision of completely of prefabricated concrete thermal-performance walls and roofs. and thermal mass.” Spino won the Sustainable Architectural Building magazine’s From the beginning, PA introduced 2008 SAB Award for a LEED Platinum sustainable characteristics into all of housing project in Montreal that has its projects. Early on, Petrone utilized sustainable characteristics similar to the state-of-the-art building materials such Bromont house. as elastomeric roof membranes and enamel concrete blocks, and he also PA is a member of the following was the first to introduce air barriers organizations: in construction. In addition, art and landscaping are always part of Petrone’s • Order of Architects of Quebec; • Royal Architecture Institute of Canada; architecture. • Canadian Landscaping Architects Association; Located in Longueuil, Quebec, PA currently offers the following services: • Quebec Landscaping Architects Association; architecture, design, and landscape • Canadian Green Building Council. architecture. The corporation is also expert in a knowledge-based system Petrone himself is recognized as a deapproach to building-envelope design. Petrone explains, “All of those [services] signer who is prized by clients that are sensitive to the beauty and functionality are always included in our architectural projects. We call it the integrated design of structures and objects. Spino elaborates, “He combines his creative and process—not only for our team but for innovative strengths with solid scientific all connected fields, including arts and expertise—this distinguishes him as sustainable architecture.”
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at a glance location: longueuil, qc areas of specialty: architecture, building envelopes, design, and landscape architecture sales growth in 2008: 30% employees: 12
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building with greater purpose
petrone architects
We have a global vision for the integration of architecture, art, science, and urban design landscaping. MarioV. Petrone, president
both a designer and a technical expert.” Thus Petrone’s approach leads to the creation of buildings with both literal and symbolic value.
Last year, Sustainable Architectural Building magazine awarded its very first SAB Award (2008) to Angeline Spino, architect of Petrone Architects, for her sustainable renovation of a centuryold townhouse in Montreal. The structure received a LEED For Homes Platinum rating under the USGBC. Major remodeling includes a modern third-storey extension that emerges from the original structure, a green rooftop, and gardens. The third-storey addition can be used as a self-contained apartment or combined with the other floors. Each storey is also plumbed and wired for future expansion flexibility. The heritage designation of the townhouse’s neighbourhood contributed to a perfect LEED score in the “Location and Linkages” category—providing all the amenities and transportation options necessary for a fully pedestrian and environmentally conscious lifestyle.
Sustainable highlights of the home: π A high-performance envelope with airtightness and insulation roughly 50 percent above code throughout. π A custom grey-water system recovers, filters, and treats water from bathing, showering, and clothes/dishwashing—reusing it for toilets and garden/green-roof irrigation. π Rainwater capturing and low-flow fixtures are also used to achieve water efficiency and conservation goals. π A geothermal system located in the basement utility room provides heating and cooling. Heating distribution is via hydronic radiant floors and walls.
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π Cooling and backup heating are achieved through a forced-air distribution system. π Fully glazed, south-facing windows provide passive solar heating. Plastered and exposed brick walls provide thermal storage and heat the third floor. π A geothermal heat pump sends water to a triple heat-exchange reservoir—providing two-thirds of domestic hot-water needs. π Lighting strategy includes tubular skylights, compact fluorescent (CFL) and LED bulbs, as well as task-oriented fixtures that minimize overall energy consumption.
According to Spino, Petrone is recognized by his peers as an artist and as a man of science. In fact, his work has earned him invitations to give lectures at scientific and technical conferences in Canada and abroad. Since 1992, he has also sat on the permanent committee for Section 5 of the National Building Code on the subject of building envelopes. Petrone’s architectural signature is characterized by: • creative spirit; • integration with the environment; • diversity and contrast of materials used; • colours related to the message and energy of forms and spaces; • organic forms to soften or strengthen spatial quality; • landscaping, which often is the driving force behind his architectural creativity. Petrone believes that PA’s competitive advantage lies in its specialization and expertise in building envelopes, conjoined with design. He also notes the company’s “capacity to resolve technical problems,” its focus on “innovation in construction,” and its “sustainability approach” as direct contributors to its success.
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building with petrone architects greater purpose
Left: A two-storey driving range. soprema_cbq.pdf
The firm’s future goals are to keep being avant garde while working closely with its loyal clients—offering them the most advanced and sustainable techniques. Petrone also wishes to raise public consciousness to a higher level of appreciation for design and art. “We have a global vision for the integration of architecture, art, science, and urban design landscaping,” he says. “This is completely balanced with our small team of professionals that gives personal service to our clients.”
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PA strives to continue being an innovative company and provide the same high quality of architecture no matter what the economic situation is. Concluding, Petrone says, “When the market is down, we invest in new construction techniques and energy-saving systems. Quality is always economically sound and sustainable for the long term—this is the key of our success.” cbq
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building with greater purpose
Oxford Construction Ltd. Renovation/repair specialist assesses achievement through lasting relationships and jobs well done by james askew
unlike many professions, where the measure of success is defined often by a single-minded objective such as money or recognition, one of the beauties of the building trades is that its rewards are abundant and varied. Amidst the daily grind and taxing work, beyond the concerns of cost overruns and profit margins, there remains in the craft of construction myriad daily satisfactions—satisfactions that for many builders supersede the measure of success through profits.
at a glance location: vancouver, bc areas of specialty: renovations and repairs
For some, it is the satisfaction of a perfectly mitered corner joint or a smoothly finished wall. For others, it is the work with the clients and the delivery of the finished product that will, one hopes, stand for a hundred years or more. And, of course, for others there is the drive toward expansion and growth and a push toward greater profits, but for many builders, like Barrie Urquhart, the owner of Oxford Construction in Vancouver, profits and growth are far from the only measure of success.
average annual revenues: $1.5–2.5 million
At 67, Urquhart has run Oxford Construction for 23 years, taking on work that ranges in size from $200 to $2 million, and he says that in the end, he just never saw the need to grow bigger.
employees: 6
“I am just not that aggressive,” Urquhart says, “and I am not trying to get a great-
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Barrie Urquhart, president and owner. “After spending 18 years in an office,” he big name for myself. I love my work. I love the relationships that we build with continues, “I like to get out of the office. I visit my clients and visit my jobs, people and the satisfaction of seeing a whereas some managers are happy to job completed.” remain in the office. I don’t want that and never did want it.” Having spent the early part of his adult life in a government office job, working as architectural technologist and project Though Urquhart admits that his handson approach may have hindered Oxmanager, Urquhart says that one of the pleasures of his work is the ability to get ford’s growth, it has in no way hindered its success. Working with a small crew out in the field. of four builders and committed sub“Sometimes I tend to be a little too hands- contractors, and with his wife, Vivian, acting as part-time secretary and treaon,” he admits. “I carry a bunch of tools in my truck; I jump in and help the guys, surer, Urquhart has been able to build sometimes when I shouldn’t. And other long-standing relationships with both his times I like to work in the shop, making clients and his subcontractors, some of which have lasted decades. pieces and parts for the jobs.
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building with oxford construction ltd. greater purpose
After spending 18 years in an office, I like to get out of the office. I visit my clients and visit my jobs, whereas some managers are happy to remain in the office. Barrie Urquhart, President & Owner “One of our major clients over the years has been the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation in Vancouver,” Urquhart says. “I have worked in that building for 18 years. We get called in on jobs there from $200 to $300, to the one we have now, which is over $2 million.” In addition to Oxford’s work with the CBC, the company also gets a considerable amount of repeat business through eight or nine downtown Vancouver office buildings as well as residential and institutional clients. In addition, Urquhart says, the company also takes on more unique and challenging projects.
One such project was the installation of the People Amongst People Welcome Gates at the entrance to the Totem Park in Vancouver’s Stanley Park. Conceived and crafted by a local Musqueam artist, Susan Point, the gates are the first representation of work from the local Coast Salish First Nation people of Vancouver and are part of one of the most-visited tourist attractions in the city. “They are absolutely beautiful,” Urquhart says. “They’ll be there for years, and we can say that we installed them. I am very proud of those.” cbq
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Scott Morris Architects Inc. Architectural firm moves beyond role of designer for greater comprehension of business, culture, and society by james askew
in 1981, when deborah scott founded Lambur Scott Architects Ltd., the predecessor to Scott Morris Architects Inc. in Toronto, she was young, enthusiastic, and full of bright ideas. The fact that Canada was in the midst of recession, she says, hadn’t really factored into the decision. “I didn’t know any better,” she admits. “We had our enthusiasm and our creative ideas, and we thought that would be infectious.” Now, nearly 30 years later, with the country in yet another recession, Scott says that her strategy remains the same as it was then. “You have to be very creative and passionate about what you do,” she says, “and that enthusiasm spreads. As opposed to saying that it can’t be done, or that the times are terrible, we say, ‘Wait a second. How can we make that happen?’” Far from being glib about the current economy, Scott recognizes the intense challenges that it creates, but, she says, within those challenges are some exciting opportunities for change. “The current recession is a little more troubling in that it is global,” Scott says, “but we are finding a lot of opportunities with clients who want to think outside the box and think creatively.” 365 Bay Street—exterior and lobby renovations transformed and upgraded the building, thereby increasing its profile and value.
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A life-long proponent of green building and design, Scott bristles at the notion that green building is either more expensive or high tech. “A lot of it is just common sense,” she says, which is why
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building with scott morris architects inc. greater purpose
The current recession is a little more troubling in that it is global, but we are finding a lot of opportunities with clients that want to think outside the box and think creatively. Deborah Scott, Founding Principal and the shift in social demographics. date the growing populations? What are she sees the current economy as havthe business and social trends? What ing some potentially lasting impacts. “I “Our clients don’t want us just to be these architects that take instruction,” are the societal needs for healthcare, think that we can be greener by being schools, etc.? frugal and innovative, looking at why we Scott says. “They want us to really understand what it is that they are trying are doing something in the first place “We innovate,” Scott says. “Our job as arand if we can find a better way to do it,” to do and give them the solutions that work.” chitects is to put things together, and if she says. “When the economy is good, you are creative, you put things together people throw money at things…and this In this brave new world of architectural in new ways to make them work better.” economy is forcing us to be more innodesign, Scott says that architects have to And in this new economy, she says, this vative, to figure out how to do things in ask questions—many questions. How creativity and innovation become that a more sustainable, green way.” and where are we going to accommomuch more essential. cbq Specializing in commercial, institutional, and residential architecture, the innovative expanse of Scott Morris Architects Inc. is reflected in the array of projects on which the firm has worked. In PeCOMMERCIAL terborough, Ontario, amidst a dramatic rural landscape, stands an off-the-grid MECHANICAL straw-bale and timber-frame home fashioned in what the owner describes SERVICES LTD. as a modern and progressive design. In founded in 1980 juxtaposition, Scott Morris also holds to its credit the reimagining of Toronto office buildings, affordable housing, elementary schools, and hospitals, all designed, in Scott’s words, as a way to “humanize the environments.” Some of the more exciting ideas on which the firm is presently working center on the concepts of urban intensification, Scott says. “We have to be able to accommodate more people within the confines of our existing cities,” she says, “and we want to retain the good qualities of a suburban existence, while adding the good qualities of an urban existence.” Another area, she says, involves the architect moving beyond the role of a designer into a wider comprehension of the business climate, cultural changes,
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Writing-On-StoneVisitors Centre, Writing-On-Stone Provincial Park, Alberta, LEED Gold candidate.
Sahuri + Partners Architecture Inc.
now that tim sahuri has run his own architecture firm for a few years, he is surprised by just one thing: “Why some people don’t want to work as hard as others,” he says with a laugh. “I love this work; I can’t wait to get here every day. But not everyone feels like that.”
Firm moves beyond role of designer for greater comprehension of business, culture, and society
It is this sort of dedication to his craft that has enabled Sahuri to lift the firm of Sahuri + Partners Architecture Inc. in just a few short years into one of the leading architectural design firms, not just in its home province of Alberta but in all of Canada.
by james askew
From the time that he was 12 or 13 years old, Sahuri knew that he wanted to be an architect. After graduating college in 1987, he worked as an architect in other firms. In 2001, when he relocated back to Alberta from Vancouver Island, he joined the Calgary-based firm of Hutchinson Architects Inc. as a partner. In 2007, he became the sole principal of the renamed firm, now Sahuri + Partners Architecture Inc. “Architecture is pervasive in human life,” he says. “I enjoy the balance between creativity and function. It’s uplifting to the human spirit to be creative.”
“I’ve been very fortunate,” Sahuri says. Sahuri has really allowed his creative “I’m surrounded by a good team of people, and I’m working at a job that I love.” wings to stretch since he became sole
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building with sahuri + partners architecture inc. greater purpose
I enjoy the balance between creativity and function. It’s uplifting to the human spirit to be creative. Tim Sahuri, Principal principal of the company. Sahuri + Partners has compiled a wide and varied portfolio, including projects in the areas of energy, healthcare, education, arts/ culture, recreation, and assisted living. Indeed, it’s this diversity that Sahuri credits for helping the firm avoid being affected too greatly by the current sour economic conditions. “The poor economy has slowed us down a bit, but we’re still quite busy because we don’t concentrate on any one particular area,� he says. The company is as comfortable designing Edmonton’s new Southwest Community Recreation Theatre as it is planning the West Lethbridge Centre, which is a combined high school and library complex. At any one moment, Sahuri estimates, the firm has as many as two dozen different projects in operation.
Congratulations Sahuri + Partners Architecture on all your accomplishments.
Best wishes for continued success.
Yet Sahuri does concentrate in one area: Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). (Both of the abovementioned projects are LEED Silver.) He estimates that more than 30% of the company’s 42 employees are LEED accredited professionals. LEED certification is something that the company promotes and emphasizes to its clients and employees, and Sahuri himself became LEED accredited in the late 1990s. “We have a strong interest in the environment,� Sahuri says, adding that all of the firm’s current projects are going for
833 - 34th Avenue SE, Calgary, Alberta T2G 4Y9 PH: t FAX: 403-287-1388 EMAIL: sbellingham@sdgl.biz canadian builders quarterly fall 2009
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Right: Shell Canada, JackPine Mine Administration Complex, Albian Sands Site, Fort McMurray, Alberta.
sahuri + partners architecture inc.
LEED certification. He says that interest in green building and environmentally sound design techniques has really taken off in the last few years among architects, clients, and the general public. “People respond to it because they realize that it’s the right thing to do,” he says. The company’s fine work has gained it recognition both at home and abroad. For instance, the recently completed St. Albert EMS/Fire Headquarters and Writing-On-Stone Provincial Park Visitor Centre are LEED Gold projects. On the international front, Sahuri has fielded business inquiries from both the United Arab Emirates and China. “They were interested in our sustainable design experience,” Sahuri says, explaining that these foreign companies value his firm’s expertise on environmentally responsible design work. Sahuri + Partners does some print advertising, but its main marketing efforts come via its support of sustainable design organizations, such as the Canadian
Green Building Council. The company’s “I find that my biggest challenge is findextensive website also helps define and ing like-minded people, both among explain the company and is an essential staff and clients,” he says. “The most imbusiness tool. Otherwise, Sahuri credits portant thing for a business owner is to simple word of mouth for spreading the manage people in a humane way, and to word about his firm. have fun.” cbq
Structural Engineering
#1100, 10117 Jasper Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta T5J 1W8
Phone: (780) 423-5855 Fax: (780) 425-7227 E-mail: protostatix@caisnet.com Protostatix Engineering Consultants Inc. is a corporate structure, registered in the Province of Alberta, and is a member in good standing with the Engineering Associations in Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, the Yukon Territories, and Nunavut and affiliated with other respectable structural consulting firms throughout Canada. Project: Bow Habitat Station, Calgary, Alberta Architect: Sahuri & Partners Architecture Inc.
Proudly building Alberta for over 25 years.
The management’s philosophy has always been to stay abreast of current technology, both as it applies to building design and the reproduction techniques. Protostatix Engineering Consultants Inc. has completed a wide variety of high-profile building projects, including office and commercial, institutional and educational, recreational, residential, industrial, medical and hotel facilities. Principals: Mr. C.A. (Dino) Loutas, P.Eng. and Dr. A. E. Elwi, Ph.D., P.Eng.
CONTACT US: Engineering Structural
#1100, 10117 Jasper Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta T5J 1W8 A Member of the Canada Green Building Council
7825 Flint Road SE Calgary, Alberta T2H 1G3 34 canadian builders quarterly fall 2009 Phone: 403-279-2295 Fax: 403-236-4039
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Phone: (780) 423-5855 Fax: (780) 425-7227 E-mail: protostatix@caisnet.com
6/5/09 5:42:43 PM
Absolute Towers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Condominiums, built by Fernbrook Houses;Tower 1,2,3 built in 2008,Tower 4 & 5 under construction.
Burka Architects Inc. Maximizing value by balancing public and private needs by julie schaeffer when attila burka opened burka Architects Inc. in 1971, he thought architecture was about designing goodlooking buildings. The fact that beautiful buildings are only part of the equation, says Burka, has been his greatest personal revelation—and has perhaps led to his firm’s success. “When I was a young architect, I thought I could just imagine great-looking facades and streetscapes,” says Burka. “It took me a while to learn that architecture doesn’t happen from the outside in. We don’t design a preconceived idea— for example, decide that a building will be circular, then stuff square rooms into it. Good architecture happens from the inside out, organically. First we determine what the function of a building is, then we develop outward, and the building takes its shape. So if the rooms have to be square, the building will be angular.” Today, almost 40 years later, Burka Architects has designed more than 7 million square metres of constructed building area. The firm conducts feasibility studies, prepares plans, and supervises construction for the residential market and also for some commercial spaces. Residential projects range from singlefamily homes to high-rise condominiums and rental apartments, as well as subdivisions. Commercial projects have included industrial, retail, and office buildings. Although Burka Architects has had as many as 100 employees at a time (in
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building with greater purpose
burka architects, inc.
We are successful because we deal with the total spectrum. We don’t design a hypothetical pretty building; we merge all of the requirements of the project to create a product that people ‘vote’ for with their Attila Burka, Principal money. However, to Burka, respect for the market is not just about the demand of an individual client buying one specific home; it spans private and public requirements. For Burka Architects, the site layout and building form are a direct result of a dialogue between the public community (which encompasses such considerations as local regulations, including zoning restrictions) and private community (which encompasses such considerations as construction costs and design features and efficiency). “We are successful because we deal with the total spectrum,” says Burka. “We don’t design a hypothetical pretty building; we merge all of the requirements of the project to create a product that people ‘vote’ for with their money.”
Above: Rendering of the Grand Triomphe Condominiums.
part due to a China office, which closed when that particular project finished), it currently has 35, which allows the firm to meet current and future demand. The firm’s innovative designs have left permanent and recognizable features on the condominium market in the Toronto area that have garnered the firm many awards. Burka says that his firm’s success is because it understands that any good project is rooted in its existing physical and cultural context as well as in the local marketplace. “If you deliver the right product, you will be successful, so we are very market oriented,” he says.
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building has been substantially reduced,” says Burka. In sum, then, just as car designers are being asked to make smaller cars with more room on the inside, architects are being asked to create better spaces with less land and less money but greater efficiency and ingenuity. “The equation is completely out of balance compared to previous ages, when the land component of a project was much more significant,” says Burka. “But this is the new economy now, and we have to find efficient ways to combat it.” Consequently, Burka Architects’ ultimate objective is to maximize the total sales value of the project. But, Burka says, “sales value” means more than just monetary value; it also means value to the builder, the purchasers, and, in a wider context, society at large.
Burka says that the firm’s greatest challenge thus far has been creating more with less. Due to population increases, there are now fewer square feet of land per person than there used to be, which “We have entered a new age of fiscally responsible design, where conspicuhas escalated land prices in desirable ous waste is no longer ‘cool’ and where cities and left less of a portion of the construction budget for the architect to private and public interests merge into a mutually desirable sustainable urban build with. “The land is still the same piece of land, still dirt, but the intrinsic lifestyle,” says Burka. “Despite economic fluctuations, architects are eternally value of it has risen because it has also optimistic as they observe their ‘chilbecome the passport to a community, giving a purchaser the right to be part of dren,’ the buildings, grow from idea to a constructed edifice to defy time and to society in that particular location,” says a great extent defy the challenges that Burka. stood in their way, all as testimony to their designers and builders. At the same time, construction costs have increased, so the architect has been asked to produce more with less. “As a “We are proud to be a part of the ‘Toronresult, the portion of value the architect to school’ of design and development for the last 40 years.” cbq can now deploy toward the form of the
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Historic renovation and additions to 1913 residence, Ottawa.
Robertson Martin Architects Inc. Love of heritage conservation guides sundry portfolio of architecture firm by alysia shivers
robert martin is passionate about architecture. As owner of Robertson Martin Architects, a responsibility that he shares with Danica Robertson, his partner both in and out of the office, Martin feels strongly about the impact and influence that his firm imparts on the Ottawa community.
company’s services and customer base. “We want to build on what Grant created, but our clients are telling us that bigger is not always better,” Martin says.
With its mission in place, the firm strives to meet the demands of its heritage conservation practice, a branch of the business for which Martin has quite an affinity. In fact, Robertson Martin ArWith a varied portfolio that spans the government, public works, and the mili- chitects’ work in this area has garnered tary as well as institutional, commercial, it more awards from the City of Ottawa and residential jobs, the company keeps over the past six years than any other a central mission of preserving Canada’s firm in the city. “My joining the firm has architecture. On top of this, Martin and really brought this focus to the company Robertson do their best to carry on and forefront,” Martin says. “I am very passionate about it.” build upon the excellent reputation of the company’s founder, Grant RobertHis love for heritage conservation is son, who ran the firm from 1973 until obvious when discussing such restorahe turned the business over to Martin tion projects as the Dominion-Chalmers and his daughter Danica in 1995. The two also maintain a personal connection United Church, a structure that dates back to 1912 and features beautiful with their clients while expanding the
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Restoration of Heritage Foyer and addition of wood screen in 1913 residence, Ottawa
Those of us in the design community are uniquely positioned and potentially have the biggest responsibility to make meaningful changes. Robert Martin, Co-Owner
a message from m.p. lundy construction Our successful collaboration with RMA on the Beechwood Nation Memorial Centre, Ottawa, ON resulted in an award-winning project and a very satisfied client. Congratulations to RMA for their well-deserved recognition!
plaster work, ornate finishes, and a signature Byzantine domed sanctuary. Likewise, Martin lights up when discussing the firm’s work on Rideau Hall, the official residence of the Governor General and a 19th Century national historical site for which Robertson Martin restored the front façade. The firm has also done work overseas, including restoration of Canada’s war memorials from World War I and a recent project, the Beechwood Cemetery’s national multifaith memorial center. The cemetery project also entailed an addition to an existing reception area at a site where members of the Canadian Armed Forces and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police are laid to rest. “It was a big challenge to design a space that would cater to many different religious beliefs,” Martin keep building this culture and raising the bar of conservation skills.” says. “There were big expectations for this memorial center.” Ultimately, the structure was named as the best institu- In the midst of this highly specialized work, Robertson Martin Architects contional project in Ontario from Ontario tinues to create new, sustainable, conWood WORKS!, an organization that temporary buildings and environments, recognizes excellence in many areas of integrating the design, technical, and wood design. management expertise of its 10-person staff. A commitment toward sustainable Martin feels strongly about passing his love of conservation to the next genera- design permeates the firm. “Those of us in the design community are uniquely tion. “The best conservation projects are not the brainchild of one person but positioned and potentially have the biggest responsibility to make meaningful come as a result of a multi-disciplinary changes,” Martin says. The challenge, team effort,” he explains. “We have to
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however, is convincing clients to look beyond the initial capital cost to the savings over the lifetime of the building. In the end, Robertson Martin stays true to its customers’ needs and aspirations, building structures and relationships that last a lifetime. The firm’s technical competence and use of building information modeling (BIM) has proven to be invaluable in maintaining partnerships with its construction colleagues. “When we have an open, free sharing of information,” Martin says, “it allows them to be part of the solution.” cbq
canadian builders quarterly fall 2009
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6/5/09 11:29:46 AM
The ‘Welcome to the Mammal Family Reunion’ theme initiates the exploration of mammal families and their response to habitat, and provides an introduction into the lost worlds of these ancient ancestors.
Reich+Petch Architects Inc. Integrating the many disciplines of design, international architecture/design firm envisions projects from the inside out by james askew
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building, asking what that story will at the core of all art is a story, mean to the people who experience whatever that story may be, and archiit. “Our brand is ‘experience design,’” tecture is the same. Consider the tale explains Tony Reich, one of the firm’s told by a sprawling farmhouse amidst founding principals, “and we want the an open, rural landscape, or that of an public or the user to experience the ornate courthouse portico in the heart space, the exhibit, or the design in a way of an urban centre. At its very best, arthat is engaging and comfortable.” chitecture, like all art, is a communication between the viewer and the viewed, Founded by Reich and Whit Petch in eliciting an emotional, physical, and 1987, Reich + Petch Architects is an often psychological response. international design firm that has envisioned a new path to creative design. Recognizing and understanding this In 1993, Reich and Petch formed a communication, Reich + Petch Arsecond company, Reich + Petch Design chitects Inc., out of Toronto, Ontario, International, and under these two comhas developed a philosophy of design panies, the firm brought together the that pivots on the story of a space or
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building with reich + petch architects inc. greater purpose
Left:The African watering hole uses multi-media lighting and sound to immerse the visitor in the storytelling. Right:Tony Reich, principal.
understand how to make a concert hall more comfortable. “When I worked for other firms,” he continues, “with other architects, we never designed the interior. We would never even think about it, the color and textures. It would be almost like leaving a white box, waiting for somebody else to come in and do their thing.”
When we are designing a gallery, the meaning comes out intuitively in the design, and we want the visitor to experience that and get the feeling and mood of the space through that design. Tony Reich, Founding Principal disciplines of architecture, exhibitition, interior, graphic, and industrial design, as well as the skills of wayfinding, theming, and facility planning. “There are a lot of people here with multiple design skills,” Reich says, “which is very interesting, because you get this cross-fertilization of ideas. It is a very stimulating environment.”
One particular project to which Reich refers is the Lake Superior Park Visitor Centre, at Agawa Bay, ON. Intended to create an experience for the visitor, Reich + Petch first considered how the public would move through the space, then designed the building to suit.
A rustic building, built into the dense woods of Northern Ontario, the centre’s exterior melds into the rural surroundings, blocking the lake from immediate view and inviting visitors inside. Working within this environment, Reich Then, Reich says, after visitors are led through the building along a historical says that the pursuit of Reich + Petch display about the area, a sudden and has been to visualize its projects as unexpected view of the lake opens up. organic and functioning wholes, rather than as a division of parts—the interior “The client wanted to hold the drama of versus the exterior, function versus the lakefront,” Reich explains, “which, form. “When you have this multiplicity in summer, is like a gorgeous Caribbean of skills,” he explains, “you can design everything from a chair to a concert hall, beach. They wanted the public to experience it at a particular moment, in all and because you can design a chair, you
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reich + petch architects inc.
Right: Art Gallery ofWindsor connects the waterfront to the city with a public atrium inviting views of the collections and displays.
seasons and to communicate its impact, rather than just saying, ‘Well, here it is.’”
REICH + PETCH
Over the years, Reich + Petch Architects has continually expanded its sphere of influence, developing from a local architecture company into an international and highly sought design firm. Though Reich says that the firm’s projects span the gamut of designs, the firm has developed an international specialization in exhibition design, having worked on projects in 22 countries.
Levey proudly congratulates Reich + Petch on their long term success. An industry leader, Reich + Petch have an impeccable reputation
Reich says that working on exhibition designs has involved a more-complex and fully developed understanding of the architectural story, with the space both enveloping and augmenting the contents that it contains. “When we are designing a gallery,” he says, “we want the visitor to experience the design and get the feeling and mood of the space through that design.”
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4/13/2009 5:21:40 PM
canadian builders quarterly fall 2009
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TemperaTure’s rising urban intensification and the Future of Canadian Cities by james askew
i
n Calgary, during the past year or so, developers, architects, city planners, and residents have engaged in a hotly divided debate over the city’s recent long-term development strategy, called Plan-It Calgary, intended, in part, to slow the city’s rapid suburban sprawl.
Since the 1950s, Calgary’s population has increased by over 700 percent, and it continues to climb at a rate more than double the national average. Equally, the city’s limits, hemmed in by little more than an expanse of undeveloped prairies, have also expanded by 700 percent. Between 1951 and 2008, Calgary grew from 104 km2 to over 848 km2, resulting in what Benjamin Barrington, the director of sustainable design with the firm BKDI Architects and a member of the city’s planning commission, describes as scattered, incomplete communities, heavily dependent on cars. According to a report from Calgary’s city planning, nearly 100 percent of the city’s population growth has occurred in the city’s newly developed suburbs. Between 2007 and 2008, Calgary’s population rose by a considerable 2.3 percent, yet the majority of the city’s existing neighbourhoods saw population
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urban intensification
cover story
declines. At the same time, the city’s “new suburbs” saw a population increase of nearly 15 percent. What happens then, Barrington says, as the population moves increasingly outward, is that the city begins to rot from the inside out, noting the steady decline in Calgary’s downtown between 1980 and 1995. “Until recently,” he says, “it was a pretty bleak environment.” A strong proponent of Plan-It Calgary, Barrington says that the most important goal of the plan is to slow this outward expansion by encouraging growth within the existing neighbourhoods, along the city’s LRT lines, and in the downtown area. The plan also aims for further development of the city’s public transit infrastructure. According to estimates, Calgary could accommodate more than double its existing population without having to increase its present municipal boundaries. The concept is known as “urban intensification,” and in metropolitan centres across Canada, this emphasis on urban infill and the urbanization of existing suburbs is on the books of nearly every city planner. According to the 2006 census, 80 percent of Canadians live in densely populated areas, defined as having more the 400 people per square kilometre, with nearly 50 percent of the population concentrated in and around the six metropolitan areas of Toronto, Montréal, Vancouver, Ottawa-Gatineau, Calgary, and Edmonton. Between 2001 and 2006, Canada had the fastest-growing population of any Group of 8 (G8) industrialized nation, with nearly 90 percent of that growth within these urban areas, the majority of which occurred in the suburbs. Criticized by some as a form of social engineering and an attempt by the city to dictate how and where people live, urban intensification, Barrington con-
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iF YOu geT THe urBan sTruCTure rigHT, THen YOu DOn’T neeD sOCiaL engineering. YOu are CreaTing CHOiCes THaT are TO THe BeneFiT OF eVerYBODY, nOT JusT THe BeneFiT OF THe inDiViDuaL. Ben Barrington, Calgary Planning Commission
tends, is the only feasible way to accommodate Calgary’s increasing populations without incurring continuous suburban sprawl, with all its evident social and environmental consequences. He says that beyond the developers’ concerns over the cost of development and the public’s worry over population increases, urban intensification is about conscientious urban design, preservation of existing land, and the efficient use of space within that design. “If you get the urban structure right,” he says, “then you don’t need social engineering.You are creating choices
that are to the benefit of everybody, not just the benefit of the individual.” Gary Wright is the chief planner and the executive director of Toronto City Planning, and he notes that although Toronto‘s downtown has seen an explosion of development over the past decade, with more than 17,000 new residential units added between 2001 and 2006, this recovery hadn’t happened entirely on its own. Wright says that there were two notable turns in history that helped spur Toronto’s downtown renewal.
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cover story urban intensification
Like many North American cities, Toronto experienced a sudden and dramatic decline in population during the midto late 20th century, as the proliferation of the automobile and improved highway systems made the suburbs increasingly more accessible. After the city’s population peaked at around 700,000 in the late 1960s and early ’70s, over the next decade it plummeted by nearly 15 percent, bottoming out in the early ’80s at less than 600,000, the lowest number since the 1920s. “The most notable [turn in history],” Wright says, “was in the late ’70s, when city planners decided that there should be mixed-use development in the core downtown.” Due to fierce opposition from city developers, who insisted the downtown should remain almost exclusively for commercial uses, a lasting legal battle ensued, concluding with a change in the zoning laws to allow for residential development in the downtown. The second turn, Wright says, was a vociferous opposition to continued development of Toronto expressways, most notably the Spadina Expressway, originally slated to pass through the affluent area of the Annex and into the core downtown. With the development of the expressways considered by many as furthering the city’s reliance on the car and a threat to the long-term success of older, inner-city neighbourhoods such as the Annex, city renewal advocates rallied against the expressways in favor of increased spending on public transit.
THe mOsT nOTaBLe [Turn in HisTOrY] Was in THe LaTe ’70s, WHen CiTY pLanners DeCiDeD THaT THere sHOuLD Be miXeD-use DeVeLOpmenT in THe COre DOWnTOWn. Gary Wright, Toronto City Planning, Executive Director
below the national average. Amalgamated in 1998 to include many of the older suburbs surrounding the original city, Toronto’s current population of around 2.5 million saw only a .096-percent increase, just over 24,000, between 2001 and 2006, while outlying municipalities, such as Barrie and Brampton, saw population increases of 33 and 19 percent, respectively. Explaining how Toronto can see both an expansive rate of development and a minor population growth, Larry Bourne, a professor of geography and planning at the University of Toronto, says that population decreases within a city are not necessarily a sign of urban blight. In the case of Toronto, he says, affluence, aging, smaller families, and the gentrification of existing neighbourhoods have also played significant roles.
“The fights over the expressways,” Wright says, “changed peoples’ attachment and visions of what a downtown should be, and it was a move that said, ‘People first, transit first’ and those kind of things.”
In fact, Bourne contends, the decline of Toronto’s population, even in the ’60s and ’70s, may have been more a result of increased housing consumption, with fewer people occupying more and more of the housing stock, rather than a suburban exodus. “Even in family neighbourhoods…I am just amazed, when I see the case studies, at the number of family houses that have one person in it,” he says.
However, unlike Calgary, which is bordered by developable prairies, the heavily populated municipalities surrounding Toronto are growing at expansive rates, keeping Toronto’s population growth far
The concern for Toronto, Bourne says, is that with the explosion of the suburbs, offering less-expensive areas of development and housing, businesses are also choosing the suburbs over the city,
creating an increased draw for the city’s current population and a threat to the city’s tax base. In an effort to stem this tide and to create more development within Toronto’s city limits, the city’s long-term plan is to intensify many older, amalgamated suburbs—effectively creating a multitude of smaller, compact urban cores within the city. “When you look at where the growth is targeted,” Wright explains, “it is the downtown and central waterfront, the Scarborough, North York, and Etobicoke city centres, and the avenues where we expect to see more mid-rise type of building.”
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GaryWright, Toronto City Planning executive director.
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naTiOnaL pOpuLaTiOn DensiTY, 2006 BY DisseminaTiOn area (Da)
Whitehorse Iqaluit Yellowknife
St. John’s
Edmonton Victoria Regina
Winnipeg
Prederiction Quebec Halifax Ottawa
Persons per km 2
Data Source: Martel, L. and É. Caron Malenfant, 2007, Portrait of the Canadian Population in 2006
Toronto sparsely <1 populated
1
5
10
15
20
30
40
>50
pOpuLaTiOn OF CanaDa in THe pasT 50 Years in thousands
35,000
31,613
30,000 25,000 20,000 15,000 16,081 10,000 5,000 0
1956
1961
1966
1971
1976
1981
1986
1991
1996
2001
2006
Data Source: Statistics Canada, censuses of population, 1956 to 2006.
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pOpuLaTiOn grOWTH OF Census meTrOpOLiTan areas, 1996 TO 2001, 2001 TO 2006 Barrie (Ont) Calgary (Alb) Oshawa (Ont) Edmonton (Alb) Kelowna (BC) Toronto (Ont) Kitchener (Ont) Guelph (Ont) Abbotsford (BC) Moncton (NB) Vancouver (BC) Sherbrooke (Que) Ottawa-Gatineau (Ont/Que) Victoria (BC) Brantford (Ont) Canada Montréal (Que) Peterborough (Ont) London (Ont) Windsor (Ont) St. John’s (NL) Hamilton (Ont) Quebec (Que) Halfax (NS) Kingston (Ont) Saskatoon (Sask) St. Catharines-Niagara (Ont) Trois Rivières (Que) Winnipeg (Man) Greater Sudbury/Grand Sudbury (Ont) Regina (Sask) Thunder Bay (Ont) Saint John (NB) Saguenay (Que) -10
-5
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
percentage
Data Source: Statistics Canada, censuses of population, 1996, 2001, and 2006
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Local demonstration to prevent the construction of the Spandina Expressway, a network of freeways running from NewYork to Toronto.The construction was eventually cancelled in 1971.
We HaVe CerTainLY gOTTen aWaY FrOm a puBLiC reaLm THaT is COnDuCiVe TO sOCiaLiZaTiOn anD peOpLe Learning TO LiVe TOgeTHer. Ben Barrington, Calgary Planning Commission
“In some cases,” he continues, “we’ll see strip plazas disappear over time, being replaced by mid-rise buildings, and in other cases, there is low-density housing that will probably disappear over time.” Most of which, he says, will contain the hallmarks of good urban design, including public transit, walkable sidewalks, and intra-dependent neighbourhoods—with retail, restaurants, and entertainment. With Toronto having adopted its most current development plan in 2002, Wright says that the effects of the plan are already evident. “Something like over 75 percent of the growth that has happened over the years has happened
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plan focuses primarily on encouraging growth in areas of higher-density use and public transit opportunities. In doing so, the plan looks to create a wider diversity of housing options within neighbourhoods, increased opportunities for walking and cycling, and population densities large enough to warrant the inclusion of public transit, as well as offer more localized opportunities for retail and employment opportunities.
in those areas,” he says. “So, by and large, Beyond these, says Barrington, there are the plan in working. the societal implications to keep in mind. “[Social engineering] may be a compo“In other words,” he adds, “we targeted nent of it,” he says, “but my concern those areas for growth and we see most would be more to do with urban strucof the growth happening there.” ture and complete communities. We have certainly gotten away from a public Over in Calgary, Plan-It is looking for realm that is conducive to socialization similar success. Laying out 11 sustainand people learning to live together.” ability principals, Plan-It Calgary is the first plan in the city’s history to incor“Even if you don’t believe that sprawl is porate both the Municipal Development a bad idea,” he concludes, “or that the Plan and the Calgary Transportation single-family home is a source of sprawl, Plan, in an attempt to coordinate the I think that as a society, we need to protwo. vide those spaces, so that people can have a public space to take pride in and Adhering to—and guided by—the exmeet, socialize, or just have a nice place pressed sustainability principles, the to hang out.” cbq
canadian builders quarterly fall 2009
6/9/09 11:35:32 AM
arriVa Condominiums, Urban Context, Calgary, AB
Bkdi Architects Urban infill and commercial development with the interests of the community in mind by james askew
canadian builders quarterly fall 2009
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urban intensification
bkdi architects
oftentimes, when we think of urban design, the images evoked are those of the buildings that define the spaces, be it high-rises, mid-rises, or multi- and single-family homes. When a building is built, there it stands—a permanent and defining fixture on the landscape. For Benjamin Barrington, however, there is often an overlooked element to urban design, and one that is as equally—if not more—important. Barrington is the director of sustainable design at BKDI Architects in Calgary, Alberta, and when he designs a building, he envisions the structure as well as the space around it: the streets, the parks, the neighborhoods, the communities, and ultimately, the people that live in the area. In artistic terms, this is known as the negative space—the space between the lines—and for Barrington, it is this negative space that truly defines a city. “A well-designed building,” Barrington says, “fits into its context in a threedimensional sense, as well as in a social sense. That is just what good design is.”
“The stakeholder engagement,” he continues, “turns this process around to ask all the stakeholders, ‘What do you think is appropriate?’ and we’ll put that into the stew. When we figure out what In the past, Barrington explains, if a everybody thinks is appropriate, then client wanted to build a building, the we can figure out what the synergies are, plans were drawn out and the scope and out of that comes a plan that meets of the project was established before the client’s needs and has the support of it was presented to the community. “It was more of, ‘This is what we are doing,” the community.” Barrington says, “as opposed to, ‘What One recent project on which BKDI do you think would be appropriate?’ process, appealing to all those involved to participate in and shape the resultant design.
A WeLL-DesigneD BuiLDing Fits intO its cOnteXt in A threeDiMensiOnAL sense, As WeLL As in A sOciAL sense. thAt is Just WhAt gOOD Design is. Malcolm Boyd, Partner
As a full-service architecture and design firm, including urban design, master planning, interior design, and landscape architecture, BKDI holds a commitment to this concept of urban development that is reflected in its approach to design. Within most—if not all—Canadian cities, the majority of development projects fall under the restraints of a discretionary land-use permit, meaning that before a project can begin, it must meet the approval of a host of stakeholders, including the municipality, community associations, neighbors, fire departments, etc. In short, Barrington says, it must meet the approval of anyone who might be affected by the project.
Right: Entry Detail, Safari Lodge, Destination Africa, Calgary Zoo, Calgary, AB.
Recognizing the validity of all these stakeholders, Barrington says, is at the core of BKDI’s approach to design. At the start of nearly every project, BKDI initiates and facilitates a comprehensive and inclusive stakeholder engagement
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canadian builders quarterly fall 2009
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Growing Is One Thing...
... maintaining and managing growth is another
ARCAD
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Phone: 416.864.0404 Fax: 416.864.7463 E-mail: mail@arcad.on.ca www.arcard.on.ca
Architectural Construction Document Development As part of the overall architectural design team, our company focuses on the production of detailed architectural construction documents. Working together with the client our knowledgeable staff provides a responsive and efficient CAD supported technical service during the development and finalization stages of the project. Our input to technical design solutions fully supports the client designer’s specific view of the project. Our experience of 29 years with CAD documents and 44 years in architectural design give you an extraordinary support team you can trust.
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403-252-9991 www.labbeleech.com CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT s GENERAL CONTRACTORS
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urban intensifiation
bkdi architects
Right: Concept for the Central Green development, a fivehectare site located in Kelowa’s South Central community.
worked was the Central Green development in Kelowna, British Columbia. Working in collaboration with Sustainable Solutions Group, a consulting group out of Victoria, BC, BKDI engaged in an extensive dialogue with the community of Kelowna, organizing community forums to discuss and develop the project.
a message from arcad ARCAD has been preparing construction documents for architectural firms and builders from around the world since 1980. ARCAD is pleased to have been able to provide support to BKDI Architects over the past few years and has enjoyed an excellent working relationship. Please call 416-864-0404 or visit our website at www.arcad.on.ca
it come to stakeholder engagement, it is important for everyone involved to remain as collaborators rather than as antagonists. “When you’ve gotten past the ability to reconcile,” he says, “then it is not about collaboration and synergies.
“This is one of those projects where others had tried to do it and there was venom in the community,” Barrington says, spurring BKDI to develop a process that the firm dubbed “The Public Pencil” as a means of incorporating community input in the design. By the end, Barrington says, the design was for a mix-used, sustainable community development with a community park, widened sidewalks, and commercial spaces that complemented the existing Kelowna downtown. Now, Barrington says, the Central Green project is being cited locally as a model for how to manage stakeholder engagements as well as how to infill neighborhoods. Above all else, Barrington says, when
It is about who has the best handle on the policy and can come up with the best argument. It is not a productive kind of process at all. Everybody is annoyed, and there is venom in the system that is really hard to get out.” cbq
GRANT STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING LTD.
Congratulations for 30 years of outstanding architectural achievements. We have enjoyed working with you in the past and look forward to working with you in the future.
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canadian builders quarterly fall 2009
6/5/09 11:31:05 AM
Creating places and spaces
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BKDI’s design portfolio spans all private and public sectors including mixeduse developments, master planning, shopping centres, and educational and institutional facilities. ARCHITECTURE | INTERIOR DESIGN | LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE | URBAN DESIGN | GRAPHIC DESIGN
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urban intensifiation
Rafii Architects, inc. “Vancouverizing” architect models success on threeparty satisfaction by jerri farris vancouver is an incredible city, but it is more than a city these days; it also is a verb and an ideology. To Vancouverize is to create an urban area with a deep connection to natural environment and a high concentration of residents. According to Vancouverism.ca, the term “Vancouverism” means “the maximum power setting for shaping the humane mixed-use city” and “important ideas for a new era of scarce energy and diminished natural resources.” Rafii Architects and its owner, Foad Rafii, are among the firms and people that have shaped downtown Vancouver into a city that inspired a new wave of urban design as well as a new language to describe that design. In fact, in 2001, when the Vancouver Sun named the ten architects who shaped the Vancouver of today, Foad Rafii was on that list. “There is a big, big residential component to downtown Vancouver, which has changed in the past 25 years,” Rafii says. “The number of residents in the downtown peninsula of Vancouver was about 30,000, and now it’s close to 100,000. Although no new roads or bridges have been built, the traffic is even better than it was before. It’s a very successful combination of mixed-use projects, mostly commercial and residential on top.”
The 900 Burrard building was built for Bosa Properties in 2006. It’s a mixed-use, 500,000-square-footbuilding in the downtown core of Vancouver and includes the Scotia Theatre Complex of 9 cinemas and 460 residential units.
Urban design is the most important factor behind the success of Vancouver’s transformation, according to Rafii. “You can live and work and play all within
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rafii architects, inc. urban intensifiation
it’s VerY DesirABLe tO LiVe in DOWntOWn VAncOuVer BecAuse OF the JOint eFFOrts OF the PLAnning DePArtMent, the citY hALL, urBAn Designers in the citY hALL, AnD ALL the Architects AnD Designers OF these PrOJects. Foad Rafii, Owner
one square mile,” he says. “Downtown Vancouver has lots of residential, highdensity high-rises and also mid-rise and low-rise. It’s very desirable to live in downtown Vancouver because of the joint efforts of the planning department, the city hall, urban designers in the city hall, and all the architects and designers of these projects.” Rafii Architects has played a major part in the success of many projects in downtown Vancouver. Rafii recalls one, a very high-density project on land owned by Famous Players (Paramount Studios) as particularly challenging and rewarding. The land was zoned for very high density but had height limits because of view corridors that had to be respected. “View corridors create height limits that are very sacred,” Rafii says. “You can’t go above that height, not even one inch.” Paramount previously went all the way to development with two different architects, but the project had not been worked due to the costs and the restrictions of the site. “When we got involved as the third architect on the project, there were two other developers involved with Paramount, so basically, we had three clients,” Rafii says. “We designed this very, very complex project that included 466 residential units in one building with nine theatres, seven restaurants, commercial space, and parking. We had to make it all work within the budget and use all of the density on it.”
Rafii considers the Famous Players proj- And Rafii’s model works quite well. Eighty percent of the firm’s projects ect to be a success. For Rafii, a project are repeat clients, and every client with only can be called successful when it which the firm has ever worked has resatisfies three parties: the architects, turned for at least one additional project. the clients, and the end users. Rafii sees many projects that are architectur- “We really get into a project, get into the requirements,” he says. “We sit. We ally successful but not livable or not argue. We negotiate. We talk. We laugh profitable for the owners. To his way of about it. We spend time and become thinking, such a project cannot truly be called a success. “Our philosophy is that part of the whole project.” a project is successful if all three parties Apparently, that’s how it’s done when are happy with it,” Rafii affirms. “That’s you’re Vancouverizing. cbq always been our model.”
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a message from read jones christoffersen Read Jones Christoffersen (RJC) is a leading North American structural-engineering firm. Gilbert Raynard, a principal at RJC, has collaborated with Rafii Architects on many projects in Canada, the United States and India. Raynard says that the two companies have developed a very effective methodology of creative working sessions and information exchange. Owners and contractors are invited to be active members of the design team. Optimum solutions are reached quickly, and the final result is always an economical structure that does not compromise architectural aesthetics and functionality.When Rafii Architects and RJC work together, the projects are produced in an orderly fashion with adequate time left for coordination and checking.
Above:The Mondrian I & II is a two-tower residential complex that includes the Vancouver Contemporary Art Gallery (owned by the City ofVancouver), built for Bosa Properties in 2002.
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urban intensification
Habib Architects inc. engineer/developer prefers conversion and preservation to demolition
Dryden Regional Cultural Training Centre, Dryden, ON—As a facility for both adult education and community celebration, opportunity was taken to celebrate one of Dryden’s natural resources by giving it renewed life outside the order of pulp and paper production. Wood is specified for all architectural and structural elements to reflect its beauty, strength and green aspects.
by ed m. koziarski
president and architect ahsanul Habib of Habib Architects Inc., located in Thunder Bay, Ontario, encourages his clients to restore existing buildings, and as a developer, he looks for opportunities to purchase affordable, architecturally strong properties that he can repurpose. “A lot of 50-to-100-year-old buildings in Thunder Bay have architectural quality and a cultural relationship and social ties to the community,” Habib says. “But we’ve been losing those buildings because the tendency has been to demolish and build a new one. Everybody thought that this was simpler and less risky, but this is not always true. When you lose those buildings, you lose their historic significance.” In one of his first developments, Habib purchased a school in Thunder Bay that had been shuttered for more than six years and converted it into high-end condominiums. Currently, he is developing the $12 million, 125,000-squarefoot McKellar Place Retirement Home on 3.5 acres of the former McKellar Hospital. McKellar Place will include 125 retirement residences and 35,000 square feet of offices. He’s converting the former Fort William Collegiate Institute into a 39-unit apartment building and 20-unit luxury retirement community managed by
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one
ive hy rgy d e e
urban intensifiation
Right: Geraldton Heritage Interpretive Centre, Geraldton, ON—Atop a rehabilitated derelict gold mine, the structure and materials reflect the surrounding landscape and a traditional vernacular common in both the mining and forestry sectors.
habib architects
nearby McKellar Place. Habib is also building eight townhouses on the institute’s former athletic field. All 67 units will be offered for sale under condominium ownership. Occupants are “paying a normal price for a new condominium and getting a superior product in terms of fire safety and quality design,” Habib says. “I don’t pay much for the shell, and I pass the saving to the occupant. For the same price as wood frame and vinyl siding, they get a building that’s all non-combustible brick and stone construction, poured concrete floor, and irreplaceable details of fine craftsmanship.” In addition to the economic and social benefits, Habib argues for the environmental advantage to architectural preservation. “The best green building is the one that we do not demolish but give a new life to,” he says. “Why lose all the energy that will be used to reproduce the material that we throw away?” Born in Bangladesh and educated in Turkey, Habib moved to Toronto in 1976, where he worked for several architecture firms, owning his own firm, Habib Associates, from 1982 to 1985. In 1987, he became a partner in Peterson + Habib Consultants Inc. in Thunder Bay. When Habib first arrived, developers questioned whether his ambitious deCentre includes a training and education to achieve a 50/50 mix within the next signs were achievable on Thunder Bay’s facility as well as a multipurpose public conservative budgets. “I took that as a two to three years. event space. challenge,” he says. “I wasn’t prepared to give up the architectural benefits that “In Thunder Bay, as elsewhere, the arIn recent years, Peterson + Habib we can bring.” chitectural engineering field fluctuates,” branched into development with sevHabib says. “If the economy booms, eral projects in Arizona and California. Habib prides himself on achieving sowe’re booming. When it goes down, Habib’s former partner, James Peterson, we’re the first ones affected. But you phisticated design for modest prices, left the firm in 2006 to pursue develpartly by incorporating skills and maneed to keep staff employed even when opment projects in the US, though he terials that are locally available in nearyou’re slow. If I do some development ly all his projects. For instance, in 2004, has returned to manage some projects. work, then when I slow down, I can Habib employed a simple design to em- Habib renamed the company Habib keep my staff working.” Plus, he says, he Architects Inc. and started his developphasize the skills of local tradespeople benefits as a developer from the added on the $7 million Dryden Regional Cul- ment company, Habib Enterprises. Pres- value that his design brings to a project. ently, Habib does 60% of his work for tural Training Centre for the Keewa“We create our own work and keep the hire and 40% as developer. He hopes tin-Patricia District School Board. The value.” cbq
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canadian builders quarterly fall 2009
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Architecture & Design
A selection of Canadaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best international, institutional, and multisector architects discuss their motivations and accomplishments.
canadian builders quarterly fall 2009
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Juravinski Cancer Center, Hamilton, ON byVermeulen Hind Architects. Through a careful articulation of 59 materials,Vermeulen Hind strives to bring a human scale to large projects.
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Ritz Carlton Hotel and Resort, Doha, Qatar.
at a glance location: toronto, on area of specialty: architecture average annual revenue: $10 million employees: 30–50
Queen’s Quay Architects International Inc. Innovative design on Barbados airport encapsulates striking work of international/ domestic architecture firm by russell roberts
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in the mid-1990s, architects peter Pascaris and Maris Luksis found themselves at a professional crossroads.
They could either choose to stay with their existing firm or head in a new direction. After exploring several ultimately unsuccessful scenarios to remain where they were, the two made the bold decision to strike out on their own. In late 1997, they became the founding principals of Queen’s Quay Architects International, Inc. Despite some initial trepidation—“It’s terrifying starting your own business,” Pascaris notes—the gamble paid off spectacularly. A scant three months later, Queen’s Quay had exceeded the
projections that Pascaris and Luksis had made for the company’s entire first year. Today, just a little more than a decade later, Queen’s Quay has become one of Canada’s most prominent architecture firms, working on numerous projects both at home and abroad. The two men were born to be architects. Pascaris recalls always having crayons in his hand and drawing as a child. Luksis’ father was a contractor, and he passed to his son a clear understanding of building construction. After graduation from college—Pascaris became a bachelor of architecture at the University of Toronto and Luksis a bachelor of architectural technology at
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queen’s quay architects international inc. architecture & design
Ryerson University—both men worked in the field for some time before joining forces in late 1997. Once they began their own business, they found that the numerous professional contacts they had previously made were of enormous value to them. “We had good connections that helped us when we started out,” Pascaris says. Many of the clients with whom they had dealt were only too glad to stay with the duo because they were so pleased with their work. And the company’s exceptional work has allowed it to deal internationally. Queen’s Quay has worked on projects in the Middle East (Qatar, Jordan, and the UAE), Central Africa (Kenya and Rwanda), the Caribbean (Barbados, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Anguilla), Eastern Europe (Lithuania and the Ukraine), the Far East (Korea and the People’s Republic of China), and elsewhere. “International work is a huge gamble because of the [monetary] exchange rate,” Luksis says. Pascaris adds that early in their careers, the exchange rate didn’t fluctuate as much as it does now. Now the company’s profit on a job can get severely reduced if the country’s exchange rate drops during the course of the project. “You seldom find an international client that wants to talk about adjustments in dollar value,” Pascaris says.
International work is a huge gamble because of the [monetary] exchange rate. You seldom find an international client that wants to talk about adjustments in Peter Pascaris, Founding Principal dollar value. Yet an international job is one of Queen’s Quay’s most impressive achievements. In 2006, the firm began a $60 million expansion project at the Grantley Adams International Airport in Barbados. Queen’s Quay was determined to not only improve the airport functionally but to make it memorable. “The economy there is dependent on tourism, and the airport is the first and last thing that a tourist sees,” Pascaris says. “It needs to be attractive. That idea drove a lot of the design aesthetic.” The firm made many significant improvements to the airport, including adding fountains, using recycled water to feed greenery, opening up the buildings to enable tropical breezes to move through them, and incorporating diffused natural light for temperature control. But perhaps the most memorable addition was using a Tefloncoated Fiberglas fabric manufactured by Birdair, Inc. called PTFE. Queen’s Quay used PTFE to design a series of large, tent-shaped structures for the roof that create a stunning vista for the
arriving or departing plane passengers. “It’s the way they say hello and the way they say goodbye,” Pascaris says. The fabric looks as clean and gleaming today as it did when first installed, and it is strong enough to withstand winds of 140 miles per hour. Queen’s Quay is so enthusiastic about PTFE that the company is using it again at Jomo Kenyatta International airport in Nairobi, Kenya to simulate a safari aesthetic. Queen’s Quay does little advertising and marketing—“Possibly a mistake,” Pascaris says—but it usually has between 15 and 20 concurrent projects, even in a sluggish economy. With approximately 50 employees, the firm is small enough to provide personal service but large enough to tackle any job. “Scratch an architect and you’ll find an ego,” Pascaris says with a laugh, adding that it “would be nice if somebody knew who we were” in the future. Based on their work so far, his wish is likely to come true. cbq
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Below: Grantley Adams International Airport, Barbados, viewed from the apron.
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architecture & design
InterContinental Hotel Toronto Centre.The Azure Lounge features an art glass screen designed by a Canadian artist and fabricated in Italy.
at a glance location: toronto, on area of specialty: hospitality building architecture service areas: canada, china, and the caribbean employees: 25
WGD Architects, Inc.
on common design errors in hotels. On the site, a survey asked visitors to list their top 10 complaints about hotels. According to Wong, most of the people who filled out the survey were hotel owners and operators, and they had a lot to say. “It’s the guy who operates the hotel who finds out if it’s not designed correctly,” Wong explains. “We got tons of data from around the world—so much that we finally had to shut down the website.”
The journey to this expert status began in the mid-1990s when WGD was working on hotel projects around Toronto. “In the late 1980s, we did a lot of Continuity and personal hotels in the Toronto area,” Wong says. service are key to firm’s “Then in the early ’90s, the market got worldwide success saturated in North America and people weren’t building new hotels anymore. by jerri farris Eventually, we began renovating older properties. Before we started work, I’d sit down with the operator, the hotel Through the survey and other efforts, henry wong, richard dabrus and manager, and ask about their complaints. Wong learned that 33 percent of all their associates at WGD Architects They complained without end.” complaints about hotels relate to guest know how to listen. More than that, rooms and 17 percent to guest baththey know how to transfer what they hear to real-world applications, particu- Those complaints sparked Wong’s imag- rooms. The top two complaints involve insufficient lighting in guest rooms and larly when it comes to the firm’s special- ination, and he started documenting ty, hotel design. As a result, the Toronto them, even setting up a website focused a shortage of electrical outlets in guest
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firm is known around the world for its expertise in this area.
canadian builders quarterly fall 2009
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queen’s quay architects international inc. architecture & design
We don’t hand projects down from one department to another. We have a principal or a project manager who runs the project from beginning to end, which provides continuity. That’s what I call personal service. HenryWong, Principal to every client. The firm’s structure contributes to that, according to Wong. “Our firm is not stratified vertically,” he As word got out about the firm’s exper- says. “We don’t hand projects down tise, Wong was invited to lecture around from one department to another. We have a principal or a project manager the world. Over the last 10–15 years, who runs the project from beginning to he’s spoken to architects and designers in New York, Las Vegas, Hong Kong, Mi- end, which provides continuity. That’s ami, and even Dubai, where enormous, what I call personal service.” elaborate hotels are being built. EveryEven with all the firm knows about its where they go, Wong and his associates study hotel design and how it works. At work, Wong, Dabrus, and their associates continue to ask questions, listen to one international hotel, Wong experienced an example of what doesn’t work. the answers, and act on what they learn. It’s a powerful combination—one that continually seeks greater client satisfac“I stayed at a hotel with 14 food outlets, tion. cbq but not a single one where I could have a power breakfast,” he says. “I needed to sit down with my client to meet and talk and eat at the same time, but the hotel offered only buffet or continental breakfast.You can’t have a meeting if you have to get up and down to get your own food.” Wong’s observations went straight into his notes for future projects. rooms. Inadequate storage in the back of the house runs a distant third.
WGD ARCHITECTS INC. 240 Richmond Street West, Suite 301 Toronto, Canada M5V 1V6 Tel 1-416-595-9955 Fax 1-416-595-0823
One of those future projects involves a very large hotel that will transform the property inside and out to meet the expectations of today’s traveler. “Hotel rooms are getting larger,” Wong says. “They used to be 350 square feet for many, many years. Now they’re 450 square feet and up. In the old days, the bathrooms were little boxes, 7 feet long by about 8 feet wide. Today, the standard is a four-piece bathroom with 120 square feet. In a new hotel, that’s easy to do, but in renovations, you’re confined by available space.” WGD prides itself on solving such challenges and providing personal service
InterContinental Toronto Centre Hotel Renovations, WGD Architects Inc.
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Loggia condominium entry and amenity club.
Stone Mcquire Vogt Architects at a glance location: toronto, on areas of specialty: architectual planning, interior design and specialty services service areas: canada, china, and the caribbean employees: 20
Strategic alliances and experimentation in design keep architecture firm ahead of mainstream by jerri farris whether the discussion is about its clients, its five principals, its 20 employees, or the environment, respect is a concept that comes up over and over with Stone McQuire Vogt Architects (SMV). According to Dan Cowling, a partner in the firm, respect for clients drives the firm’s approach to value engineering.
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“Every project has a budget,” Cowling says. “We work with our clients and within their financial limitations. It’s more a matter of respect than anything else.” That respect for clients also creates a connection between sustainable design and value engineering, which Cowling believes must be tied to one another. “The ultimate point isn’t to spend a lot of money if the money isn’t going to be well invested,” he says. “Moves that are sustainable can also provide economic benefit to our clients, and we look for those. We see sustainable design as exploratory. We’re always looking at what works and what doesn’t, what makes sense.” When it finds ideas that make sense, the firm is quick to share between its many disciplines. Noting that SMV is a
multidisciplinary practice that offers a full range of services, Cowling believes that lessons learned in any discipline have the potential to improve all the firm’s work. As an example, he points to a Mountain Equipment Co-op building that the firm did in Toronto about 11 years ago. Given the client’s agenda of sustainability, reducing the amount of material used was a main focus on the project. “Having worked on industrial buildings made us think that we could expose the structural system,” Cowling says. “So we could expose the concrete column and still make it beautiful as long as we designed it properly. Exposed structure and exposed mechanical is not what you might usually find in a retail environment, but it can be beautiful.” Cowling sees long-term potential for another of the firm’s recent initiatives.
canadian builders quarterly fall 2009
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stone mcquire vogt architects architecture & design
We don’t go into a project assuming that our firm alone knows the answer. Every project is a process. We rely on our clients and our consultants to help formulate the direction. Dan Cowling, Partner
Office and industrial building for Traugott Construction Ltd.
For a Mountain Equipment Co-op store that opened just before Christmas 2008, the firm designed a structure that’s almost fully demountable. “Basically, the wall panels, the structure, and everything is bolted together and mechanically fastened,” he says. “The metal panels and the wood structure could be reused, so it becomes a resource. The materials could be recut and reshaped into other sizes. If we design for demountability, the possibilities are huge for the construction industry in the future. It takes the right client and the right setting and attitude, but this is the kind of experimentation that eventually filters into the mainstream.”
municipality as well, because we have to get them on board to get our permitting and our approvals.” To put the best possible team on every project, SMV often turns to strategic alliances. “Because of our diversity, we are generalists rather than specialists,” Cowling says. “Through strategic alliances, we may team with a firm that has a
particular specialty. Combined with our general knowledge, it makes a stronger team—not just for us but for them. They may specialize in say, hospital interiors, but may not have experience with building design or structural renovations. That’s where we team architecture firm to architecture firm. We look for that kind of opportunity.” cbq
Such innovation is the result of SMV’s collaborative approach. “We don’t go into a project assuming that our firm alone knows the answer,” Cowling says. “Every project is a process. We rely on our clients and our consultants to help formulate the direction. We don’t just accept the program from clients; we make suggestions. We don’t pretend to be mechanical engineers or structural engineers. We say, ‘What is the mostefficient structural system, and what is the most cost effective?’ We see how those issues impact the architecture and, working with the clients, we make decisions. The team approach includes the
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architecture & design
Radiation-treatment corridor at Grand River Regional Cancer Centre.Vermeulen Hind’s healthcare design puts priority on the patient by organizing treatment areas around daylight and views of the outdoors.
Vermeulen Hind Architects Inc. Multidisciplinary design firm embodies knowledge, skill, and care by christopher cussat
the best teams throughout history have won trophies and medals, have explored uncharted lands, and have made discoveries that have helped and changed humanity. It is the combined talents of many individuals that have given the world some of the best offerings of many disciplines. The equally impressive team at Vermeulen Hind Architects Inc. (VHA) represents a collective understanding and appreciation of architecture that is currently redefining modern design. VHA was founded in 1992 by the husband-and-wife architect team of Fred Vermeulen and Mary Jo Hind, who added two other partners in Rebecca Beatty and Chris Harrison. The company’s first professional break came with two highly specialized projects for cancer centres, whose early building designs are best described as being highly patient oriented. Hind explains, “At that time, there had been a lot of discussion about patientfocused design, and I think that our projects embodied that quite well.” As a result of these jobs, VHA was awarded more and more cancer-centre work, thus cementing its unique niche. Hind believes that the company’s strong competitiveness is a result of this specialty. “We were certainly built upon the specialized niche of cancer-care facilities, and that’s what we’re most known for,” she says. But like any highly successful
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vermeulen hind architects inc. architecture & design
Left:Vermeulen Hind’s approach to design focuses on creating a regional identity for each project by finding a relationship between the building and its surroundings.
competitor, VHA is not content to rest upon its laurels, and it has begun to expand into other institutional designs, including different types of healthcare and research facilities. Hind says, “We would like to continue broadening our building types, and we’ve recently been working on university campuses.”
sional environment and work-life balance are good,” Hind says. “Our people enjoy it and stay with us.” Beatty adds, “The idea of health and wellness that we promote to our clients we also like to incorporate into our work environment.”
VHA’s overall strength is found in the Corporate structure and employee exdiversity and solidarity of its partners. perience have also contributed to VHA’s “We are a multidisciplinary firm,” Beleading position in the architectural atty says, “and we engage the talents arena. Hind explains, “Another part of of the whole team to achieve the best our competitive edge is our work envioutcomes.” Harrison also notes that a ronment. We’re a fairly large practice unified vision of architecture is shared in a small town, and our staff members among the partners. “We all have our have a lot of highly skilled knowledge own individual stories, but we have a that is specific to our building types.” lot in common in the way we view design and our approach to design. It’s a She also notes that VHA is a wonderful healthy mix.” place to work, which is evident in the firm’s extremely high employee morale In the near future, VHA would like to and retention. “I think that our profesdesign some smaller projects. Harrison
We’re always interested in somehow communicating a Canadian architecture through our work, and we try to embody some of what Canada is about in most of our projects in one form or another. Mary Jo Hind, Partner
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architecture & design
vermeulen hind architects inc.
VISIT US ON THE WEB AT
www.stone-tile.com
Above: Seven principals make up the ownership of Vermeulen Hind Architects. Left to right: Rebecca Beatty, FredVermeulen, Doug Oliver, Chris Harrison, Bob Currie, Matt Johnston, and Mary Jo Hind.
says, “We do relatively large projects and we’d like to have the opportunity to do smaller ones as well—in particular, culturally focused ones like community centres and recreation facilities. These types of buildings interest us because they parallel our healthcare facilities, they are important and integral to the community, and their designs resonate with the people who use them intensively.” In addition to refocusing on its locality, VHA plans to tangibly share its vision with the world. Beatty explains, “A recent goal that we have identified is to establish a work or cultural exchange with offices in Europe, where we can mutually benefit from an exchange of knowledge. We always try to be innovative by finding new ways of keeping ourselves relevant and the work interesting.” Hind is proud to be Canadian, and she attempts to weave part of this country’s rich culture throughout VHA’s designs. “We’re always interested in somehow communicating a Canadian architecture through our work,” she says, “and we try to embody some of what Canada is about in most of our projects in one form or another.” cbq
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Praxis Architects Inc.
A 105-unit, 13-storey, mixed-use, stratatitled condominium in downtownVictoria. Unit types include two-storey townhouses on the main/second floor and the ninth/ tenth floor. Five main-floor street-front commercial strata units are fully occupied. The building is typified by sweeping, horizontal curved balconies and a five-storey stylized wave in 4x4" tile.
Mix of inspiration and practicality fuels firm’s enriching designs by daniel casciato since qualifying as an architect at the University of Waterloo and earning his master’s degree at the University of Manitoba, Michael Levin has practiced architecture in a variety of capacities and firms across Canada. His skills as a communicator, planner, and team player have led him to build a flourishing practice in Victoria, serving a diversity of returning clients. Levin, president and director of Praxis Architects Inc., founded the firm in June 2001 with co-director Robert Rocheleau, who was previously in private practice as a sole proprietor. In addition to his many striking designs, Rocheleau designed the new Praxis strata office building in Victoria. According to Levin, budget always plays a part in the developer’s ethic, and he prides himself in targeting the project to be on budget and on time. “The environmental needs, the functional needs, and the client’s ideas, ideals, and needs, melded with my own commitment to thoughtful planning and innovative design, all shape my architectural responses,” he says. Though Praxis performs competent and aesthetically pleasant architecture, it’s the level of service that distinguishes the firm from the competition. That has led to a high volume of projects due to word-of-mouth marketing. “Providing good service to your clients
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architecture & design
praxis architects, inc.
A luxury ten-unit, two-bedroom-plus-den, water’s-edge condominum, with 1,300 to 1,650 square feet per unit and 22 underground parking stalls. The two top-floor units, $1 million each, have private elevator access, large roof decks, and are plumbed for rooftop hot tubs.
The environmental needs, the functional needs, and the client’s ideas, ideals, and needs, melded with my own commitment to thoughtful planning and innovative design, all shape my architectural responses. Michael Levin, President & Director
is one of the keys to running a successful business,” Levin says. “As a result, we have a lot of repeat clients who come back.You want people to come back to you with another job. Making them happy is a good way to get future jobs. We’re not a superstar in design, but we are very good with our client relationships.” Praxis always obliges its clients, which Levin says is especially critical in today’s ailing economy.
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“We always made ourselves available to people when they needed us,” he explains. “We try to accommodate our clients and return calls right away.” The company’s expertise with high-rise design and construction and Levin’s skills with negotiation has earned many residential multi-unit design projects. From the Sooke Seniors Home to the Red Lion Inn and the Royal and McPherson Theatres, to numerous hotel projects, Levin has practiced in
residential, commercial, and hospitality architecture with increasing success. From ideas through completion, Praxis services include: • architecture; • planning; • rezoning; • seismic upgrades; • site supervision; • colour and interiors; • secure envelope building practices; • computer and scale model building; • green building practices. Levin also credits his company’s thriving practice to creating a work culture that emphasizes and values collaboration. To leave every community enriched through the addition of a well-designed building, it requires a variety of technical and professional skills, a keen eye, and an ability to work creatively as part of a team. Praxis’ architects, designers, and technicians bring a wealth of experience,
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praxis architects inc. architecture & design
Left: Praxis Architects team.
extensive formal education, and a rich diversity of cultural heritage to all design projects. “We don’t have any turnover because we have happy workers,” Levin says. “We are not very hierarchical here. We always encourage our staff to pursue projects that interest them. For instance, one person on our staff was interested in 3D software, and after pursuing this interest, he now does this for our clients. That has allowed us to extend our services to our clientele.” One of the company’s goals is to survive during the slowdown. But Levin is confident that the economy will get back on track. “It will begin to pick up because it’s always been cyclical,” he says. “It’s rough now, but it always comes back. We started to feel the effects of the economy in October when the number of new jobs dropped off. But recently, work has slowly started to come in. It’s very competitive out there, especially now because of the economy, but the things that we have done well in the past will hold us well in the future.” cbq
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architecture & design
One Park Tower forms part of a master plan for a new district in the city centre.
Kirkor Architects & Planners Toronto firm caters to developers of large-scale, mixed-use complexes by ed m. koziarski
a few years ago, clifford korman and Steven Kirshenblatt started getting approached by larger architectural conglomerates with offers to acquire their mid-sized firm, Toronto-based Kirkor Architects & Planners. The offers were financially lucrative, but they also got the two partners thinking about why they got into architecture in the first place. “The idea of spending 30 years to build our firm up under our own names, twice, just to sell it to somebody we don’t know and have to work for them—that didn’t make a lot of sense to us,” Korman says. Instead, Korman and Kirshenblatt, both 58, are developing a succession plan. They’re offering equity in the company to junior partners Simon Ko, Carlos Antunes, and Brent Whitby, associate partner Richard Golab, and senior associate David Butterworth at an incentivised rate. They’re building a model that Korman calls Kirkor Studios, based on a more decentralized decision-making process and greater investment in advancing and training junior partners and staff. Korman and Kirshenblatt separately started their own architectural firms in 1979. They got together over lunch in 1980 and merged their two companies to form Kirkor, building it up to 80 employees by 1989. When the recession hit in 1990, the company was devastated; business plummeted and staff dropped to 11 or 12. But things started to pick
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kirkor architects & planners architecture & design
back up again in ’95, and Kirkor is now back up to 55 employees and $8 million in annual sales. The firm specializes in large-scale, mixed-use developments involving multiple buildings and urban design. Planning and zoning these projects typically takes two to three years, and phased build-out occurs over another seven to 12 years. Because of their long development cycle, “these scale projects don’t get overly affected by the market,” Korman says. “They tend to be able to live through the downturn.” For example, Kirkor is developing a project in Markham, ON on 88 acres. It’s a five-million-square-foot project with a 20-year development plan. After three years of planning, Kirkor is now in the zoning phase, and hopes to begin selling units in 2011.
We managed our growth well. The key to that is: don’t borrow money, don’t lease equipment, and don’t hire contract people that leave with the knowledge. Clifford Korman, Senior Partner
Kirkor’s niche is with the development community, Korman says. “We understand their need for pro forma and costeffective development, and knowing when to invest in the redevelopment of the land. Most of our major clients have learned that this is a great time to upgrade the value of their property, when interest rates, construction costs, and other expenses are low.” with a handful of jobs spreading from The firm is redeveloping a property at Nova Scotia to British Columbia. While the intersection of two subway lines in its Canadian practice is thriving, projToronto’s North York community, on ects in the US and South Africa have the site of an existing 80,000-squarestalled due to tightened credit markets. foot neighborhood retail complex with In 2007, 70 percent of Kirkor’s 22–25 surface parking. Kirkor is rezoning active projects were in Canada. Since the land to accommodate the area’s the recession began, the Canadian porrapid growth and allow for greater tion of its jobs has climbed up to 90 density, and it’s developing a twomillion-square-foot mixed-use complex, percent. Two developments in Las Vegas, Nevada—the 2.4-million-square-foot including commercial and retail as well as two residential towers. With environ- Sullivan Square developments and the 3.3-million-square-foot Henderson mentally friendly features like belowgrade parking (to reduce the heat-island complex—and another, 5.6-millioneffect), water recycling, and green-roof square-foot retail, residential, and comtechnology, the firm is aiming for LEED mercial complex in Reno, have been successfully zoned but have been held Silver certification. up by financing difficulties. Similarly, three projects on the Johannesburg Eighty percent of Kirkor’s Canadian subway line are awaiting sufficient credit business is in the Greater Toronto Area,
to break ground. Kirkor’s other major market, China, is a mixed bag; while a standard market development in Shanghai is on hold, a luxury development in Shenyang is on track. “The luxury market in China is doing better than the standard market now,” Korman says. The firm does business differently now, having learned lessons from the previous recession that have protected it from having to make serious cuts this time around. “We managed our growth well,” Korman says. “The key to that is: Don’t borrow money, don’t lease equipment, and don’t hire contract people that leave with the knowledge. We run debt-free and don’t risk the firm, which in this market means that we balance cash flow to overhead.” cbq
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a message from minikin scale models We are very proud of the relationship we have with Kirkor Architects and Planners. Over the years we have been privileged to share in their successes by being invited to build scale models of their projects. Evidence of their excellent work is scattered thoughout the Greater Toronto Area and extends to all parts of the world.We are most happy to have built a strong rapport and friendship with Steve, Cliff, Carlos, Simon, Brent, and all of the team. Minikin Scale Models Inc. extends its most heartfelt congratulations on your first 20 years, and may you enjoy continued good fortune and success.
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architecture & design
kirkor architects & planners
a message from weston consulting group inc. Weston Consulting Group Inc. (WCGI) is a land-use planning firm that provides a broad range of planning, urban design and project management services based on the collective experience of the firm.The firm was founded in 1981 and has provided planning and land-development services for a wide variety of private-and-public-sector clients.
ND
Northfield Development Corporation
Northfield Development Corporation
Over the years,WCGI has worked with a trusted team of experts, including Kirkor Architects, to deliver land development solutions which achieve and exceed our clients’ objectives. Combining a thorough knowledge of both the development industry and the complexities of the approval process,WCGI provides effective, innovative and practical solutions to each project. a message from north star homes North Star Homes was founded in 1990 with a clear vision of creating superbly designed and built homes that anybody would be proud to call “home.” North Star has been a leader in the land-development and home-building industry ever since, and its special attention to customer service has gained the company an unbeatable reputation. BILD has awarded North Star the much-coveted “Builder of TheYear” award in 2004 and 2008, merited solely by homeowner satisfaction. North Star Homes is proud to partner with Kikor Architects and Planners.
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8 Cortese Terrace • Thornhill, ON L4J 8S4 P: 905.326.1616 • F: 905.326.0200
canadian builders quarterly fall 2009
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Cong and P ratulations la to Kir We w nners on kor A yo is h you
rchite ur ma n cts ued su y accompli s ccess in the hments. future .
contin
Baker Real Estate Incorporated is proud of their long standing relationship with Kirkor Architects and Planners
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Baker Real Estate Incorporated Condominium Sales and Marketing www.baker-re.com 175 Bloor Street East, North Tower, Suite 300 Toronto, Ontario. M4W 3R8 T. 416-923-4621 F. 416-924-5321
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One of Ontarioâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s premier real estate development companies, S&A Developments is a leader in commercial, industrial and residential property development and management. The privately held firm has developed over 2 million square feet of commercial and industrial space, and has consistently remained at the forefront of both the commercial and residential real estate industries for nearly 40 years. S&Aâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s astute understanding of current real estate trends, sound discipline and financial strength has positioned the company for a future of long term growth and achievement. Having worked with the Kirkor team on many projects for many years we congratulate them for all their achievements. S&A Developments wishes them ongoing success for many years to come.
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The Kenaston building, featuring soft natural light, energy-efficient glazing, and panels of red cedar.
Crain Architects Incorporated at a glance location: ottawa, on areas of specialty: institutional, residential, commercial, and interior design employees: 4
and renewable resources of our world.” Crain’s approach is one of visual integration of design with such natural components and supplies. Examples of such visually integrated works include:
• Larsson House— This minimalist home boasts concrete floors, bamboo hardwood, and a radiant floor-heating As a fifth-generation builder, architecture and design are in Crain’s blood, but system. Extensive natural daylight also helps lessen the home’s carbon footprint. meeting the demands of sustainability and leaving a carbon-friendly footby deborah held • GT Warehouse— Solar walls on the print is what drives Crain and his staff Southern-facing building façade realize of four professionals. “Our mission is a 25-percent reduction in makeup air with more than 30 years in the busi- not to follow any preconceived archiheating costs. tectural styles or systems, but rather ness of designing institutional, residential, commercial, and interior buildings, to reflect the realities of our world in • Dog Lake House— Energy conservatranslating clients’ needs,” says Crain. general architecture firm Crain Archition through the use of water-source “The firm seeks in its work to conserve tects is entrenched in the landscape of heat pumps from an adjacent lake. and celebrate the natural elements Ottawan designers. With this history
Design firm utilizes natural surroundings to yield synergistic results
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comes a heightened drive to create buildings that are as resource-sensitive as possible in an ever-demanding and more complex world, says principal Derek Crain, who describes his firm as “modernistic, yet based on holistic architecture.”
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• Fuel Industries— A glass interior was adopted in the design to transmit available light throughout the majority of the 16,000-square-foot interior.
ROOFING AND WATERPROOFING SERVICES INC.
One resource that doesn’t drive Crain Architects is money, according to Crain. “Growth is not a driving force of the firm,” he says. “More important is an efficient and an economical approach to the built environment that appeals to builders and environmentally motivated, design-sensitive clients alike says Crain. The firm’s goals are to seek a synthesis for design minimalism and economy of resources in an effort to point to a more environmentally sensitive future.” Crain Architects’ list of awards include: • City of Ottawa Heritage Conservation Award: Award of Merit, 1999 – Island Park Esso Service Center “Commercial Art Deco Expansion” • City of Ottawa Heritage Conservation Award: Award of Excellence, 1999 – Ottawa Montessori School’s Educational Infill Project • Ottawa Carlton Homebuilders’ Association Award, 1991: First Award, Custom Homes – 2,500-4,000 square feet.; Edelson house, Rockcliffe, ON • Ottawa Carlton Homebuilders’ Association Award, 1984: First Award, Custom Homes – 2,000-4,000 square feet.; Blackadar House, Nepean, ON Crain sees himself and his firm’s associates as stewards of a better environment. It’s this stewardship that defines him as a designer. “As advocates of a better earth, we will always define the front lines of the battle to shape and design the future of our world,” says Crain. “We at Crain have chosen our side of the battle.” cbq
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INNOVATION & EXCELLENCE
architecture & design
crain architects incorporated
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Looking towards The Hot Shop from the rooftop terrace of the Museum of Glass in Tacoma. Photography: Nic Lehoux.
Nick Milkovich Architects Inc. Education and exploration remain key goals for acclaimed architect by jerri farris
for Erickson and sees his own practice in association with award-winning as a reflection of much of what he global architect Arthur Erickson, Nick learned there. “Arthur was my mentor,” Milkovich Architects Inc. recently Milkovich says. “Actually, he was one of designed a house on a steep waterfront my professors at university. His office lot in West Vancouver. In response to the client’s interest in sustainable design, was almost like school: it embodied an atmosphere of learning and explorathe design called for the building’s tion. That atmosphere was something I conditioning to be provided through a enjoyed and carry on now in my own loop placed in the water. In the winter, practice. Having the freedom to explore the system draws heat from the water and delivers it to the house. In the sum- makes an individual stronger. But it also includes the freedom to fail, because mertime, the system draws heat from some things work out better than others. the house and returns it to the water. It is a learning experience.” The ventilation system also works in a continuous fashion: any time that the house is exhausting air, fresh air is being Milkovich’s approach involves allowing projects to work out or, as he says, drawn in. “unfold without preconceptions.” He prefers to go into a project, see what it Continuity is a theme with Nick Milkinvolves, discover its inherent qualities ovich, who started his career working
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at a glance location: vancouver, bc areas of specialty: architecture, interior design, and urban design employees: 12
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architecture & design
nick milkovich architects inc.
Top:The interior of the Hot Shop, a fully-functioning, spectator-friendly glass -blowing studio, at the Museum of Glass in Tacoma. Photographer: Nic Lehoux Below:Twisting residential tower on the north side of False Creek inVancouver, designed in collaboration with Arthur Erickson.
Out of the givens, you propose solutions and then it becomes a dialogue between you and the client. Nick Milkovich, Principal or issues, and then react to them. He starts with the givens, the three main drives of any project: • the ambitions and needs of the client; • the site; • the locale. From there, Milkovich sees a project as a conversation with the client. “Out of the givens, you propose solutions,” he says, “and then it becomes a dialogue between you and the client.” Milkovich and his associates have had some impressive conversations of late. In association with integrated architecture/planning firm Busby Perkins + Will, Nick Milkovich Architects designed a 17-storey tower on one of the last prominent sites facing the Bow River in Calgary. For this project, long, narrow suites go right through the building. The design gives each suite views of the river to the north and the city to the south, with lateral views of the Rocky Mountains to the west. “We tried to bring the park-like aspect of the river into the complex,” Milkovich says. “It’s generously landscaped, including the rooftops of the townhouses. From the tower, the sense is of living in a park.” Understanding the possibilities of its site also helped shape a residential development in West Vancouver. The planning and rezoning was done by the city, and Milkovich’s firm was brought in to do the master plan. “We developed a proposal that is responsive to the hillside,” he says. “The grades are anywhere from 20- to 30-percent slopes.
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nick milkovich architects inc. architecture & design
Left: A renovation of a mid-century modern house inVancouver. Photographer: Nic Lehoux
We tried to get the buildings to hug the landscape as much as possible. We also wanted to save the mature trees on the site, and I believe that we saved close to 60 to 70 percent of them. The roofs of the stepped buildings are designed to be landscaped, so everyone is looking over landscaping rather than barren roofs.” Milkovich and Erickson also teamed to design two parcels of the Olympic Athletes Village for the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. One parcel, designed with Lawrence Doyle Young & Wright Architects, will provide housing for athletes and then revert to condominium space. The other, designed with Walter Francl Architecture, is a community center. The residential unit is designed to be certified LEED Gold and the community center is designed for LEED Platinum. Milkovich credits history, curiosity, and his innate sense of construction for his ability to keep pace with change. “History helps to place new ideas in perspective,” he says. “You stay a student as long as possible.” cbq
Proud of our association with Nick Milkovich Architects
www.haeblerconstruction.com Ph: 604-874-0777 Fax: 604-874-0841 email: info@haebler.ca
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last word
Plan of Action As part of Canadaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Economic Action Plan that was proposed in January, the government intends to provide up to $7.8 billion in tax relief and funding to help stimulate the housing sector and improve housing across Canada. Of that amount, more than $2 billion was allocated in Budget 2009 to invest in social housing via:
$75 million Construction of social-housing units for persons with disabilities
$200 million Support for social housing in the North
3.6%
$400 million
9.6%
New social-housing projects and remediation of existing socialhousing stock on First Nations reserves
19.3%
48.2%
$400 million Construction of social-housing units for low-income seniors
$1 billion
19.3%
Renovations and energy retrofits for up to 200,000 social-housing units on a 50â&#x20AC;&#x201C;50 cost-shared basis with provinces Source: www.actionplan.gc.ca
$2 billion
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