Crystal Waddell CV & Portfolio 2024 by crystalwaddell

CrystalWaddell

ABOUT •Crystal is a member of good standing with the Ontario Association of Architects. She has over 15 years of professional architectural experience. She has lead the design and implementation of numerous architecture and urban design projects in many countries and on various scales taking projects from concept design through construction and contract administration to close out. • Her experience of urban design spans public and private sectors, creating various urban development frameworks, implementing public environment upgrades, high level master plan visions, and leading public community participation meetings. •She has experience leading teams of 10+ intermediate and junior architects and is confident managing and coordinating the consulting teams, as well as facilitating client meetings. She has experience with project administration, office administration, and business development. •Crystal is passionate about her garden, community, environmentalism, and cycling.

CONTACT

e t

cw.meanstudio@gmail.com +1 416.990.4166

PUBLICATIONS Architectural Record Magazine

Issue 03 March 2020 Limpopo Youth Hostel Role: Project Manager / Design Lead. Bela Bela, South Africa. Archdaily

Limpopo Youth Hostel Role: Project Manager / Design Lead. Limpopo, South Africa. River Town Times

March 15, 2023 Articl “Heritage Committee Approves of Work Being Done at 79 Murray St.” Role: Project Manager / Design Lead. Amherstburg, Canada

EDUCATION 2013

Master of Architecture @ University of Toronto

Recipient of numerous scholarships 2008

Bachelors of Communication & Culture w/ minor in Architecture

@ Universtiy of Calgary

1996 2001

Studies in Photography & Fine Arts @ Concordia University & University of Regina -

Award for best photography portfolio from Concordia University

EXPERIENCE 2020 NOW

2019 2022

Founder / Project Manager @ Mean Studio, Windsor, ON

Project Types: •Architecture and urban design, small to medium scale. •Mixed-use, commercial, residential, ADUs, playground design, urban design •New build, adaptive re-use, concept to contract admin. Responsibilities: •Design, project management, drawings and renders •Company and business management, business development, office administration Achievements: •Created and presented an extensive heritage package that was approved by local Amherstburg Heritage Committee for the restoration of The Millinery project •Design / Build of a unique play structure for the North York Women’s Shelter against a competitive market of off the shelf products.

2014

Associate / Project Manager @ Local Studio, Johannesburg, South Africa

2019

Project Types: •Architecture and urban design, medium to large scale. •Mixed-use, commercial, affordable housing, multi-residential (townhouse and midrise apartment), institutional (university, community centre), pedestrian bridges and non-motor transportation routes, public environment upgrades •New build, adaptive re-use, concept to contract admin. Responsibilities: •Design, project management, client team and consultant coordination, drawings and renders •Associate level responsibilities: mentorship to junior and intermediate staff, management level organization •business management and development Achievements: •Designed the first multi-level building in Africa AAC (autoclaved aerated concrete) block structure. Limpopo Youth Hostel •Designed multiple pedestrian bridges, including the Wesbury Bridge •Created multiple MOUs engaging both public and private sector in order to create public environment upgrades and have them properly maintained •Created and lead workshop with Adamjee Property Developers, criminologist, Monique Marks, and the City aiming to create a new precinct within Johannesburg without walls and gates. •Created 5 urban development frameworks as guidelines for and in conjunction with the City of Johannesburg

2009

Director / Project Manager @ Reach Architecture Studio, Nyalebbe, Democratic Republic of Congo

Associate / Project Manager @ SvN Architects, Toronto, ON

Project Types: •Architecture and urban design, large scale. •Mixed-use, multi-residential (townhouse and mid-rise apartment), single family residential, commercial, office, religious, institutional (community centre) •New build, high level visioning, concept to design development Responsibilities: •Design, project management, client team & consultant coordination •Associate level responsibilities: mentorship to junior and intermediate staff, management level organization Achievements: •Managed largest architectural project in the office with a design / coordination budget of $1m+ from concept design through to design development with a team of 10+. Oncairo project located in New Cairo, 30 acres, 74 buildings. •Created high level visioning and master plan for new health precinct in Collingwood, ON. Poplar Health & Wellness Village, 130 acres with a team of 10+ and an extremely tight time frame. •Formed a committee to create working office standards and guidelines •Created and helped lead Anti-Racism/Social Justice committee •Created a comprehensive visual guideline for CLT construction parameters •Worked alongside John van Nostrand to develop affordable housing prototypes.

2015

Project Types: •Architecture and urban design, medium scale. •Institutional (vocational training) •New build Responsibilities: •Design, project management, drawings and renders •Not for profit management and fundraising Achievements: •Urban design of satellite centres to reach more of the region, especially for women •New brick prototypes for weather responsiveness

EXPERIENCE CONT. Architectural Designer @ Various Firms & Organizations 2012

2012

2011 2008 2009

Peter Rich Architects, Johannesburg, South Africa: Design, drawings, and renders •Institution: Leap Maths & Sciences Secondary School •Institution: Amazwi Women’s Centre Aziza Chaouni w/ Royal Society for Conservation of Nature, Shobak, Jordan: Field research, drawings, & renders •Eco-Tourism Accommodations International Peace & Cooperation Centre, Jerusalem, Israel / Palestine: Field research, drawings, & renders •masterplan of the first Palestinian neighbourhood since 1967. B+H Architects, Toronto, ON, Canada: design, drawings, renders, physical models •Engineering Facility, University of Windsor

2003 2008

Film & Television

Art Department Coordinator: Corner Gas (TV) Regina, SK Set Decorator: The Velvet Devil (Feature), Regina, SK Costumes Coordinator: Just Friends (Feature), Regina, SK On Set Costumes: Renegade Press (TV), Regina, SK Construction Buyer: Tideland (Feature), Regina, SK Art Department Coordinator: Mary Higgins Clark Series (MOWs) Regina, SK.

Teaching Experience 2024

2023

2010 2011

2023

2023 2011 2018

Part Time Faculty Teacher - Interior Design Studio 4, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI •This course is focused on individually guided student projects. Where students are unsure of direction, they are encourage to work through affordable housing designs within my own research area. Part Time Faculty Teacher - Interior Design Studio 1, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI •Students created modular and flexible student housing in existing Detroit office floor plates. Their representation was done through learning a range of programs including: Sketchup, Shapr3D, Blender, Twin Motion, Adobe Photoshop, Affinity Photo, and Vizcom. Students worked on their presentation skills by presenting to the client team as well as Detroit real estate brokers. Teaching Assistant: Architecture Design 2, University of Toronto, ON •under coordination of Maria Denegris and Architectural Representation 2, under the coordination of Scott Sorli -- Weekly desk critiques, digital media tutorials, coordinating students, and grading Mean Studio Collaboration with SoCA, Windsor, ON •Worked with first year photography students to create and curate an art installation in the Dry Goods Gallery. Constructed Worlds. Mean Studio Collaboration with GEE Project, Windsor, ON •Public space installation at Mason Education Centre. Working with students who are completing their secondary education community service hours. Guest Critic / Review Process, Toronto, ON, and Johannesburg, South Africa •I had the pleasure of being asked to be part of the critique and review process of architecture students at the following institutions: University of Toronto, Toronto Metropolitan University, and University of Johannesburg.

SOFTWARE SKILLS Revit Sketchup Lumion TwinMotion PSD, AI, INDD Affinity (P, PH, D) Miro Excel, Word Squarespace AutoCAD Rhino VRay Powerpoint

WORK LIST 2008 2009 2012 2014

2011

2012

B+H Architects, Toronto, Canada

• Ed Lumley Centre for Engineering Innovation

Windsor, Canada

2008-2009

Architecture / Institutional

Architecture Technologist

Nyalebbe, Democratic Republic of Congo

2012-2014

Architecture / Institutional

Lead Designer / Project Manager

2011

Urban Design /Masterplan

Designer

Shoback, Jordan

2012

Architecture /Tourism

Designer

Johannesburg, South Africa Kwa Zulu Natal, South Africa

2012 2012

Architecture /Institution Architecture /Institution

Designer Designer

2014 2014 2014 2014-2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016-2017 2016-2017 2017-2018 2017-2018 2017-2018

Architecture /Residential Urban Design /Multi-Use Trail Urban Design /Infrastructure Architecture /Residential Architecture /Residential Architecture / Urban Design Urban Design Architecture / Residential Architecture / Residential Urban Design / Infrastructure Urban Design / Public Space Urban Design / UDF Urban Design / UDF Urban Design / Vision Architecture / Urban Design Architecture / Institutional Urban Design / Public Space Urban Design / Public Space Architecture / Institutional

Lead Designer / Project Manager Lead Designer / Project Manager Lead Designer / Project Manager Lead Designer / Project Manager Lead Designer / Project Manager Lead Designer / Project Manager Lead Designer / Project Manager Lead Designer / Project Manager Lead Designer / Project Manager Lead Designer / Project Manager Lead Designer / Project Manager Lead Designer / Project Manager Lead Designer / Project Manager Lead Designer / Project Manager Lead Designer / Project Manager Lead Designer / Project Manager Lead Designer / Project Manager Lead Designer / Project Manager Lead Designer / Project Manager

Reach Architecture Studio

• Deo Vocational Training College International Peace & Cooperation Centre

• Al Adesseh Masterplan

Royal Society for Conservation of Nature & Aziza Chaouni

• Rosemary Eco Spa 2012

Jerusalem, Israel Paelstine

Peter Rich Architects

• LEAP School of Maths & Science • Amazwi Abesifazane Women’s Centre Local Studio

2014 2019

• Brooklyn Student Centre (Affordable Housing) • Freedom Walk - Non-Motor Transit Route • Westbury Pedestrian Bridge / Public Park • Krynauw House - Renovation • Project 35 • York House - Affordable Housing - Roof Top Recreation • Electric City Feasibility Study • The Regal Feasibility Study • The Windstead Affordable Housing • Campus Square Pedestrian Bridge • Walkable Braamfontein • Cyrildene Urban Development Framework • Fordsburg & Mayfair Urban Development Framework • Frankenwald Tender • Linbro Park Qurtaba - Mixed Use Development • Gordon Institue of Business Science - Co-Central • Fordsburg Public Environment Upgrades • Mayfair Public Environment Upgrades • Gordon Institue of Business Science - Clasrrom 5

Johannesburg, South Africa Johannesburg, South Africa Johannesburg, South Africa Johannesburg, South Africa Johannesburg, South Africa Johannesburg, South Africa Johannesburg, South Africa Johannesburg, South Africa Johannesburg, South Africa Johannesburg, South Africa Johannesburg, South Africa Johannesburg, South Africa Johannesburg, South Africa Johannesburg, South Africa Johannesburg, South Africa Johannesburg, South Africa Johannesburg, South Africa Johannesburg, South Africa Johannesburg, South Africa

WORK LIST CONT. Local Studio

2014 2019

• Gordon Institue of Business Science - Info Centre • Gordon Institue of Business Science - Auditorium • Gordon Institue of Business Science - Master Plan • Linbro Park Masterplan & Urban Management Plan • Oriental Plaza Masterplan • Paul’s Homemade Ice Cream HQ • Paul’s Homemade Ice Cream Factory • PRASA Station Affordable Housing • The Yards / Nind St Student Housing • Limpopo Youth Hostel • Vuja De Affordable Housing • Limpop MP Workshops & Facilities • Marymount Affordable Housing

2017 2017 2017 2017-2018 2018 2018-2019 2018 2018 2018 2018-2019 2019 2019 2019

Architecture / Institutional Architecture / Institutional Architecture / Institutional Urban Design / Masterplan Urban Design / Masterplan Architecture / Office Architecture / Commercial Architecture / Residential Architecture / Residential Architecture / Residential Architecture / Residential Architecture / Institutional Architecture / Residential

2019 2019 2019-2022 2022

Urban Design / Masterplan Urban Design / Architecture Architecture /Urban Design Architecture /Urban Design

Lead Designer / Project Manager Lead Designer / Project Manager Lead Designer / Project Manager Lead Designer / Project Manager

2022 2022

Architecture / Residential Architecture / Residential

Lead Designer / Project Manager Lead Designer / Project Manager

2019 2020-2021 2021 2021 2021 2022-2024 2022-2024 2022-2024 2022-2023 2022 2023

Architecture / Commercial Urban Design / Playground Architecture / Commercial Architecture / Commercial Architecture/ Commercial Architecture/ Mixed Use Architecture/ Residential Architecture/ Residential Architecture/ Residential Architecture/ Commercial Architecture/ Residential

Lead Designer / Project Manager Lead Designer / Project Manager Lead Designer / Project Manager Designer / Project Manager Designer / Project Manager Lead Designer / Project Manager Lead Designer / Project Manager Lead Designer / Project Manager Lead Designer / Project Manager Lead Designer / Project Manager Lead Designer / Project Manager

SvN Archtiects & Planners

2019 2022

• Durham Region Go Stations - Phased Visions - 6x Stations • Hillcrest Feasibility Study & Vision, Mixed Use Development • ONCairo / Kinda (28 Acres New Build Mixed Use Development) • Poplar Regional Health Precinct Vision (130 Acre Mixed Use Development) • YWCA Residential (Long Term Stay Affordable Housing) • Parcel Prototypes (Affordable Housing)

Ontario, Canada Mississauga, Canada New Cairo, Egypt Collingwood, Canada Toronto, Canada Toronto, Canada

Mean Studio

2019 present

• Darkroom Detroit • North York Women’t Shelter Playground • Chance Coffee • 1009 Drouillard • Polaris Studios • The Millinery • Adelaide Garden Flat • L-House • Storms Studio • LCD 2715 - Yoga, Barre, Spin, TRX Studio • Pierre Garden Flat

Detroit, USA Toronto, Canada Windsor, Canada Windsor, Canada Windsor, Canada Amherstburg, Canada Windsor, Canada Amherstburg, Canada Windsor, Canada Detroit, USA Windsor, Canada

LIMPOPO YOUTH HOSTEL 2019

by Local Studio

Project Manager / Designer

Limpopo, South Africa Image Credit: Tristan Mclaren

Commissioned by a global Non-Profit Organization focused on advocacy training for youth, this is the first project by Local Studio which attempts to apply learnings in urban environments to rural communities. The 2 hostel buildings are made up of 14 pods / 56 beds, each with privacy screen walls, subtle lighting elements, and its own operable window for improved ventilation, creating the irregular array of windows on three of the building facades. Each building has a communal space at ground floor, one being a library and the other an art centre. This project also presents a departure in the way Local Studio normally approaches material, previously focused on industrial materials such as steel, polycarbonate and corrugated iron. Here, the material language developed has some of the ephemerality of previous work, but with more sensitivity to nature and the capacity to age more gracefully. The building’s primary structure is a lightweight Hebel concrete block. It is clad in Rhinowood, a local wax treated South African pine, spaced off the Hebel surface by 200mm to help shade the façade, facilitating a comfortable internal temperature for the building in the hot climate. The roofs of the building are a rolling series of mono-pitches, which are designed to mimic and blend into the hills surrounding the site. A portion of the buildings function on solar power and grey water is re-used in toilets before 100% of the black water is recycled for plant irrigation.

KINDA / ONCAIRO 2019

Project Manager / Designer

2022

New Cairo, Egypt Image Credit: SvN

by SvN

SvN’s design response is a counterpoint to the current logic of sub-urban sprawl of New Cairo. Our challenge is to reconnect this 28-acre site to its local environment by harnessing the local hot and dry climate. An overabundance of sun and heat, the extreme lack of water, and the northerly breeze’s inherent cooling potential comprise the primary “materials” shaping this masterplan. The impetus for this project centres around two Venturi parks, micro-climatic devices that utilize the cooling capacity of air currents to distribute them across the site. The mixed-use program consists of 800 residences, offices, a community/health centre, food market, retail, mosque, church and recreational centre. The architecture draws inspiration from intensive research of the local vernacular design and its centuries-old logic for passive cooling. Wind catchers will cool public and office buildings. The massing and façade of the residential buildings are perforated by large voids to disperse the wind through internal circulation spaces and units to minimize air conditioning use. Solar & greywater are also strong components of this project.

POPLAR HEALTH & WELLNESS VILLAGE 2022

by SvN

Project Manager / Designer

Collingwood, Canada Image Credit: SvN

Live Work Play and the Di Poce Management team reached out to us to design a high level visioning master plan for a regional health and wellness district that integrates Simcoe County, Collingwood, Clearview and Southern Georgian Bay. The 138 acres is intended as a “Base Camp” for Innovative Health & Wellness, focused on health care, sports medicine. The intent of the neighbourhood is designed to include medical facilities, medical innovation facilities, medical education, and sports wellness facilities. The core of the neighbourhood includes a range of housing including, multi-generational residential, long term care, and ageing in place. At the heart of the community is a main market plaza with shops and restaurants, recreational multimodal / multi-seasonal path networks, and attention towards enhancing the existing biodiversity.

WESTBURY BRIDGE 2014

by Local Studio

Project Manager / Designer

Johannesburg, South Africa Image Credit: Dave Southwood

Westbury Pedestrian Bridge comprises a pedestrian bridge with access to a BRT station, an amphitheater and a park. This project forms part of a broader precinct plan, an NMT network. Initial research established that the on-grade crossing between Coronationville and Westbury was extremely dangerous for pedestrians, particularly school children. This design tries to combine a bridge and a public recreational space to encourage usage and general safety. It was very important that the bridge didn’t appear to be an extravagance in the community and that it blended in, with humility, while still being a point of pride. The resultant design, made up of a pragmatic expression of structural members combined with expanded metal mesh, all painted in a “signal red” colour, resembles the temporary scaffolding bridges built during several highway construction projects in Johannesburg. Since its completion in 2016, the bridge and park have become a popular meeting place for the Westbury community, with the park amphitheatre functioning as an event space at weekends.

NORTH YORK WOMEN’S SHELTER PLAY by Mean Studio 2020

Project Manager / Designer

Toronto, Canada Image Credit: Mean Studio

This playground was custom designed and built for a client who wanted a unique, rather than conventional off-the-shelf product - something thoughtfully designed that could inspire the children who, often coming from difficult situations, sometimes end up living at the shelter for a year or more. The whimsical landscape is created with CNC-milled marine ply profiles and natural wood elements, punctuated by a standard slide, colourful rock climbers, and a custom steel monkey bar. The collection of forms emerge from the ground revealing a series of hiding places, climbers, and backdrops conducive to imaginative sensory play. An armature, echoing the form of the monkey bar, holds a tuned chime and various found objects, inviting children to play with sounds and transform everyday objects into a percussion orchestra

CHANCE COFFEE 2020

by Mean Studio

Project Manager / Designer

Windsor, Canada Image Credit: Mean Studio / Ryan Nantais

Chance Coffee is a roastery and coffee shop in Ford City of Windsor. Designed and constructed during the Covid 19 pandemic, amidst frequent lockdowns, Chance prioritized a takeout counter and storage. The custom-built concrete counter was designed with ergonomics for both the client and customer with a curved edge on both sides and as a gesture of coming together. The large panel, herringbone, plywood floor along with plywood shelving, adds functionality to the space that is both playful and relevant to our times. Still to come are custom built furniture elements including a small bleacher system.

GIBS CO-CENTRAL, CLASSROOM 5, & MASTERPLAN by Local Studio

2016

Project Manager / Designer

2019

Johannesburg, South Africa Image Credit: Nick Rawhani, Dave Southwood, Local Studio

Local Studio was appointed by The Gordon Institute of Business Science to create the Co-Central space as flexible conference venue. Through the years we worked with GIBS we updated classrooms and created guidelines and feasibility studies, including a Master Plan of the existing campus. The original campus buildings, designed by Henri Comrie in the 1990’s and 2000’s have required updating and renovation, to respond to changing needs in the business education landscape. The Co-Central project was an interior fitout of an existing 200m2 space at the heart of the GIBS East Block. It was designed to host one large event or two separate events when two large, acoustically-sealed walls slide into place. The space has since become the home of the GIBS media centre. Apart from a careful custom metal-ceiling design which handled acoustic and task lighting requirements, the vertical perimeter walls were all clad in illuminated polycarbonate panels, which light up in different colours. Small lecture halls were updated to incorporate light and flexibility where this didn’t previously exist.

GIBS AUDITORIUM & INFO CENTRE 2019

by Local Studio

Project Manager / Designer

Johannesburg, South Africa Image Credit: Nick Rawhani, Dave Southwood, Local Studio The Gordon Institute of Business Science approached Local Studio in 2019 to make substantial alterations to their library and main auditorium. Our design approach for the library was to open up a new reading area to the main central spine of the university, making the space more public than it was previously. We worked closely with South African designers to create custom desks, lighting and soft seating in accordance with the GIBS brand guidelines. Our alterations to the main auditorium dealt with a complete modernization of the space, equipping it for multiple language translations and distance learning. We also opened up the auditorium to the rear, creating two more seating tiers and connecting the space with a new garden outside.

L-HOUSE 2022

by Mean Studio

Project Manager / Designer

Amherstburg, Canada Image Credit: Mean Studio

The L-House was designed as a ranch-style house with Passive House objectives along with a strong integration into the surrounding landscape. L-House bifurcates the property creating 2 separate courtyards (the sunny pool / sauna courtyard and the shaded dining / entertainment courtyard), and is connected by a fully openable dining breezeway. The “L” of the house is divided between the public and private programming of the spaces - kitchen, living, and dining towards the front of the lot and bedrooms and bathrooms towards the back. The sunny pool courtyard opens to the south side of the house where most of the windows are located for passive design and looking onto a farmers field for a vast and serene view. Materials chosen are meant to be soft and responsive to the environmental surroundings including wood exteriors and interiors, muted brick tones, and soft green tone corrugated roof and wall cladding to blend into the natural surroundings.

THE MILLINERY 2023

by Mean Studio

Project Manager / Designer

Amherstburg, Canada Image Credit: Mean Studio

Mean Studio was approached to design the additions and alterations of the building, originally built in 1853, located at a prominent corner of the historic downtown core of Amherstburg. The building originally existed as a Milliner’s shop and underwent a number of uses and alterations in the 120+ years of its lifespan. Means Studio engaged in several interactions with the local heritage committee alongside creating an extensive heritage document. One of the main objectives of the restoration was to reintroduce the prominent shop front presence, including a tripartite wood-clad facade. The unique chamfered entrance is also reintroduced, however, stepped back for better functionality and to meet code requirements. 2x commercial units are planned for the ground level with residential on the upper level. Commencing construction unveiled the old wood log structure and timbers that were originally hand cut. Many of these timbers held together well and though no longer structurally holding the building together due to various unsound alterations over the years, these timbers are intended to make their way back into the interiors of the spaces.

VUJA DE 2018

by Local Studio

Project Manager / Designer

Johannesburg, South Africa Image Credit: Local Studio Local Studio worked on a number of affordable housing buildings. Both new build and adaptive re-use. Vuja De is a 330-unit affordable housing block designed for Ithemba Property in downtown Johannesburg. The project is one of more than 2000 new affordable rental units the developer has completed in the inner-city this year. Local Studio designed the courtyard to be an extension of tenants’ living spaces as a counterpoint to micro-units which range from 17m² to 34m².

FREEDOM WALK 2014

by Local Studio

Project Manager / Designer

Johannesburg, South Africa Image Credit: Local Studio

During the apartheid years, geographical features, such as the mining belt and their dumps were used to create social and racial divisions. The Freedom walk project is meant to bridge those still present divides to provide 11km of non-motor transit route and public spaces for commuters and recreationalists. We worked closely with an environmental scientist to identify sensitive and at risk areas, aiming for the protection of the natural surroundings and indigenous biodiversity, as well as the remediation of the surrounding mine dumps. The main objectives for this project included: 1. Connecting two bodies of water with a functional and safe non-motor transit route for commuters, 2. Enhancing and rehabilitating the surrounding environment, 3. Enhancing public open space, 4. Redressing the inequalities of the past - bridging divides, 5. Creating a destination for locals and tourists, 6. Defining socio-economic opportunities, 7. Implementing guidelines for storm water management, and 8. Providing maintenance and implementation strategies.

QURTUBA - ADAMJEE MASTER PLAN 2014

Project Manager / Designer

2018

Johannesburg, South Africa Image Credit: Local Studio

by Local Studio

The Linbro park neighbhourhood sits adjacent to Johannesburg’s main business district, Sandton. Previously it was allocated as farmland, and is currently underdeveloped and underutilized with large undivided plots. Local Studio was first approached by the Adamjee Group to create architectural designs for their Project 35 site. Following this we helped the client determine feasibility and strategy by creating a master plan for their vision. Part of the creation of the master plan included engagement with criminologist, Monique Marks, where Local Studio hosted a workshop involving the client, members of the City’s planning department, and third party planners, aiming at designing a precinct without walls, differing from the common current practice in Johannesburg. Creating active public spaces, safe streets and public amenities including a mosque and Islamic school along side of residential and commercial were key aspects to the neighbourhood planning.

MAYFAIR & FORDSBURG UDF, PEU, UMP by Local Studio 2014

Project Manager / Designer

2019

Johannesburg, South Africa Image Credit: Local Studio

Over the years, Local Studio worked with the City, including the Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA) department to create a number of Urban Development Frameworks (UDF). One of the more prominent ones that we focused on were for the Fordsburg and Mayfair neighbourhoods, which were considered by residents and business owners to be neglected, unsafe, and in disrepair. Local Studio conducted extensive research involving the community and business owners, as well as hiring a third party data collection organization that is heavily invested in social outcomes. Strategies were defined for waste, recycling, property infill, project identification, planting strategies, traffic calming, and parking strategies. A year after the UDF was adopted the first Public Environment Upgrade project was identified by the JDA, which included the design and upgrade of Church Street and McIntosh Park. Local Studio won the bid for the upgrades, seeing the designs through to construction documents. As part of this development, Local Studio continued to be heavily involved with the community and BIA to create an extensive Urban Management Plan (UMP) and report with an MOU documented between the City and BIA for maintenance and upgrades in order to create a working relationship between the public and private sectors.

FORDSBURG PEU 2018

by Local Studio

Project Manager / Designer

Johannesburg, South Africa Image Credit: Local Studio Alongside the UDF, PEU, and UMP created for the Mayfair and Fordsburg neighbourhoods, the Public Environment Upgrade (PEU) for the Fordsburg neighbourhood was identified by the City and awarded to Local Studio to design. The City didn’t have a large budget for this neighbourhood, needing desperately to repair the storm water system in the area. Simple measures of street activation were identified by Local Studio by creating placemaking on active or “unsafe” corners. The simple activation included seating, wayfinding, info markers for the neighbourhoods historic and political past, traffic calming, graphic demarcation of streets and buildings to create a tourism destination, as well as lighting and connection for safety. Unfortunately a lot of time and money was spent on creating the designs and construction documents for the Mayfair and Fordsburg PEU projects, but neither of them were implemented due to lack of funding during politically tumultuous times.

WALKABLE BRAAMFONTEIN 2016

by Local Studio

Project Manager / Designer

Johannesburg, South Africa Image Credit: Local Studio The Braamfontein Improvement District (BID) was historically a compulsory by the City; all property owners within a certain boundary in Braamfontein were obliged to pay levies towards basic urban management and improvements in the area. In 2015 the High Court ruled against this, making it voluntary instead. The BID then resolved to commission a vision plan for good urban management work and to attract a wider range of constituents to the new voluntary city improvement district. Local Studio were appointed to design the plan and very early on resolved that the single most powerful intervention in Braamfontein would be the significant increase in pedestrian public space. The resultant plan proposes a partial pedestrianisation of Juta Street and its transformation into a linear park. The pedestrianisation of Juta Street is not an entirely original idea. It was identified as a low vehicular traffic road in early frameworks by Albonico Sack. Local Studio’s approach began by stating that Braamfontein currently performed far more as a gateway or threshold than as a destination. The process therefore looked to identify roads that were underutilized. The final plan is the complete restructuring of Juta Street from building line to building line for the 1km length with 80% of it as green park. The proposal also looked at guidelines for buildings flanking the park and how they could catalyse off this new public space.

Zoning & Public Buildings

5 3

AL ADASSEH PLANNING STRATEGY 2011

by IPCC

Designer

Al Addasseh, Israel / Palestine Image Credit: Internation Peace and Co-operation Centre (IPCC) As part of the Urban Resilience Studio, The 2011 IPCC Summer Design Studio brought together an international team of professionals, academics and students from the fields of architecture and planning to develop IPCC's plans for the Al Addasseh neighbourhood of Jerusalem. The studio offered an opportunity to exchange knowledge and methodologies from around the world to help approach some of the complex planning issues in Jerusalem. The IPCC Urban Design Program is focused on utilizing public space as an agent of change and sustainable development. Their goals are to shape public agenda(s) that supports the urban transformation of the Palestinian society and enhances its civil participatory culture. This research / advocacy project was done through intensive research and understanding of the communities as well as the political, historical, religious, and cultural past and present. The objective was to provide a masterplan for an area of Palestinian owned land that for presentation and advocacy to council with intentions of pushing for building permits, which were almost never granted.

Dr. E

Gladstone Ave.

Parent Ave.

6 7

Howard Ave.

Ouellette Ave.

Erie St.

11 13

Asian food Imports (Indian) / 275 Wyandotte St. W Windsor Korea Market / 550 Pelis sier St. 3 Downtown Farmer’s Mark et / Saturdays on Pelissier St. 4 La Vern’s Market / 100 Univ ersity Ave. 5 Family Fruit Market / 645 Mercer St. 6 Windsor Market / 671 Wyan dotte St. E 7 Al-Nakheel Market / 679 Wyan dotte St. E 8 Baled Food Market / 743 Wyandotte St. E 9 Ur City Supermarket / 742 Wyandotte St. E 10 Mediterranean Seafood / 980 Parent Ave. * 11 Mancini’s Italia Bakery / 571 Erie St. E 12 La Stella Supermarket / 948 Erie St. E * 13 Blak’s Bakery / 1022 Lang lois Ave. 14 Polish Village Deli / 920 Ottawa St. 15 The City Market + Nizam Produce / 1030 Walker Rd. 16 The Vegan Gard iners / 998 Drouillard Rd. 17 Charron’s Market + Confectionary / 2757 Whelpton St. 18 The Mush Hub / 879 Walker Rd. * 19 Ethos Grocery / 1506 Wyandotte St. E 20 Steve Gree n Foods (Butcher) / 1512 Wyan dotte St. E, rear 21 Yasmeen Bakery / 1448 Wyandotte St. E

PICNIC

ROUTE

BIKE LANE * CLOSED SUNDAY

Langlois Ave.

18 Niagara St.

THE ROUTE /

PANIER PICNIC Richmond St.

2023

Lincoln Rd.

Wyandotte St. E

Dr o uillard Rd.

Walker Rd.

Glengarry Ave.

4 Pelissier St.

Univers ity Ave.

Rivers ide

16 15

by Mean Studio

Project Manager / Designer

Windsor, Canada Image Credit: Mean Studio

PANIER PICNIC /

Give your self 1-2 hours prior Small, locally owned, “mom n’pop” grocers, bakers, butchers, and to food are (or thepurveyors picnic to ride walk) the route in full or in part. 14 Expl fundamental to vibrant neighbourhoodsshop that are easily accessible on bike orore foot. They are smal l local s and pick up some recommended items (and connective tissues in our urban fabric,anyt neighbourhoods, and communities, supporting both the hing else you like). At the ﬁnal destination, open MORE / physical and interpersonal realms of city life. While big box grocery stores are increasingly your picnic blanket, lay out your spread, and eat! On + Bradner FarmsOrganics / 1390 Walk Sunday, May isolated/isolating, impersonal, and expensive, local7th, small grocers exist for thethere community. They er Rd. * from 12-2, we’ll all be to share + Schwab’s & Primo’s (Butcher + Deli) our expe rienc es / 1587 and Tecumsehto most allow opportunities connect and discover the diversity of your community, and help to promote delic Rd. E ious discoveries. Do it + Endy ’s African & Supermarket / 1311 again and again. choose diffe Tecumseh Rd. E approach rent shops, picnic spots, * to urbanand living. + Francis Mediterranean Bakery / a more sustainable new ﬂavours. 695 Tecumseh Rd. E + Mexico Lindo Latin American FoodThe initial route was created for the 2023 Windsor-Essex Jane’s Walk Festival, as a self-guided s / 4611 Tecumseh Rd. E WHAT TO BRING / + Nuts House (mini market) / 366 tour, culminating in a large group gathering / picnic at Wilistead Park , but you can choose any Wyandotte St. W • Your bicycle + helmet + Giglio’s Market / 2268 Wyandotte St. W * or the route to walk or cycle, or create your own route portion and create your own community • A bicycle panier or backpack + Deda’s (Deli Shop) / 5211 Tecu mseh Rd. Egathering - or enjoy your own quiet picnic. picnic • A picnic blanket, utensils, napk + Hoa Viet (Asian groc Ottawa St.

ery store) / 465 Wyandotte St.

+ Chance Coffee (Coffee Roaster)

W / 1012 Drouillard Rd.

in etc. • Food items collected along the route • Sunshine

PAUL’S HOMEMADE ICE CREAM 2018

by Local Studio

Project Manager / Designer

Johannesburg, South Africa Image Credit: Local Studio

Paul’s Homemade Ice Cream is known for its incredible and innovative flavours, fun graphics, and the owner’s hustle in his small neighbourhood to get started. We were excited when approached to design their new HQ as an adaptive re-use project along with a new build factory. The HQ is equipped with meeting spaces, individual work spaces and also a gym. The existing building has a unique roof shape and slope that was condusive to adding a mezzanine in order to maximize space. More light and ventilation were added through an operable clerestory skylight and new windows that step with the stair, mimicking the existing slender vertical windows. Soft colours and shapes were chosen as well as the glass block to evoke the essence of ice cream. The design for the new factory responds to zoning and site conditions but allocates an area for public space for tastings and events. The modular concrete panels are arranged and tinted to emulate scoops of ice cream suspended in front of a series of circular windows that allow for light into the work spaces. The main circulation forms the facade for clean space and fire separations.

DARKROOM DETROIT 2019

by Mean Studio

Project Manager / Designer

Detroit, USA Image Credit: Mean Studio

A non-profit dedicated to increasing photography access, education, and visual literacy. The partial below-grade space needed to accommodate many uses for the young but growing nonprofit including classroom, gallery, library, storage, lighting studio, darkroom and digital facilities, retail, and co-working desks. Incorporating this variety of uses in the limited area required some ingenuity in combining dedicated space for the distinct programs of photo processing, with easily mutable, but highly functional multipurpose spaces for other uses. The space was grounded with an open-concept co-work/gallery/retail and reception space flowing into a glowing central library and display corridor. The dedicated functions were clustered together to allow maximum flexibility for the other uses, allowing the classroom/studio space to be opened to the main public spaces for gallery openings and other larger events.

UofW - Ed Lumley Centre for Engineering Innovation 2008

Designer

2009

Windsor, Canada Image Credit: architizer.com and UofW

by B+H Architects

The design concept for this building is to promote inventive spirit through the technology, resources and collaborative spaces required to meet emerging teaching and research demands. Creating a hands-on educational environment, the building is constructed with a variety of building materials so that students and researchers are able to monitor the facility for research and learning purposes. Four bridges that span over the main atrium can be tested for material strain and deformation. The design of the building itself is an innovative engineering exercise and provides practical experience with how systems perform over time. The green roof is also equipped with measurement devices to allow students to compare the data from the green roof to that of a control sample on a regular roof. Having more than 80 teaching and research laboratories, classrooms, meeting rooms and computer teaching suites provide students with flexible and collaborative meeting and study spaces. The Centre’s interior living wall also makes a marked improvement on indoor air quality.

AMAZWI ABESIFAZANE WOMEN’S CENTRE 2012

Designer

by Peter Rich Architects

KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa Image Credit: Peter Rich Architects Amazwi Abesifazane, Voices of Women project began, in 2002, as the brainchild of Andries Botha, after attending the Truth and Reconciliation hearings in South Africa, developed a creative methodology as a means for women’s memory to be recounted and held in trust as part of the memory archive of South Africa for future posterity. The Museum holds in trust the memories of women in close to 3000 embroidered cloths and recorded personal stories. They represent a number of indigenous languages. The centre has been conceived as a refuge for recovery and exploration offering an opportunity for retreat that evokes the beauty and tranquility of the surrounding landscape. The design is led by a desire to connect the five basic elements. This is done through the material connection to the earth, the flow and movement between spaces, the connection to the sky through its oculus and the surrounding nature as well as symbolically placing the imbokodo stone at the heart of the main museum. Construction methods incorporate the fusion of centuries old tiled vaulting tradition with innovative ‘stabilized soil’ technology. Light-weight earth tiled timbrel vaulting is made up of overlapping catenary vaults and is efficient, low cost, has a low embodied energy, while also employing the use of local labour and materials, transferring skills into communities and building livelihoods.

Thank You!