Boulevard Magazine - June 2012 Issue

Page 63

From left to right: Seattle Public Library; Klahoose First Nation Multi Centre; Vancouver Convention Centre, outside and in the main hall; Victoria’s Atrium building.

Photo: Peter Stefanski, Ledcor Construction

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Klahoose First Nation Multi-Centre: Nestled amid cedar trees and rocky terrain on the remote eastern shore of Cortes Island, the building is eye-catching to those in the waters of Desolation Sound. I was privileged to be involved in the later design stages of the project, reinforcing for me that good architecture evolves out of culture and place. The building is “the face of the Klahoose Nation to the world,” says Darryl Jonas, project lead for Merrick Architecture. The 13,000 square-foot building, completed in 2010, is divided into two wings for administrative offices and health services. A multi-purpose room, commercial kitchen and fitness area make up the building’s central node. The heavy timber frame is expressive of traditional Coast Salish buildings. Large windows maximize natural light. Existing rock formations surround the building and a concrete terrace provides opportunities for people to gather comfortably outdoors. Western Red Cedar was harvested from the band’s own forestry resource and a saw mill was set up nearby for all the building’s needs, from siding to stairs to seating benches. The saw mill then and now employs band members, enabling steady jobs, participation in the building’s construction and the development of new skills. “The building has uplifted the community tremendously,” says band councillor Jessie Louie.

Photo: © silentSama / www.silentsama.com

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The Atrium: The design of the building bore a social intention from the outset. Architect Franc D’Ambrosio was conscious of repairing a transitional area of the city and making the public domain more livable. The pedestrian level was mandated to be interactive and animated. Inside, several of the shops and cafes like Habit and Zambri’s spill over into the open atrium space. The ground floor allows people to cross through the city block, while surrounded by interesting amenities and art (artist Bill Porteous was commissioned to paint the construction hoarding which was later disassembled and now displayed throughout the building). Outside, landscaped rain gardens provide storm water management while also adding some natural beauty to the sidewalk.

The late American architect Samuel Mockbee lamented that architecture in recent decades had “retreated from social and civic engagement to a preoccupation with matters of style.” I believe these four examples represent an architectural consciousness that is re-aligned on a more socially-minded course. Acquiring more buildings like these, however, relies in part on a public demand for socially inclusive and non-isolating buildings. Let’s make buildings like these the standard, not the exception. VB 63


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