Canadian Interiors September-October 2011

September/October 2011

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September/October 2011

ic

Official publication of the Interior Designers of Canada

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COVER — 39 Breakout room in the Toronto office of PR firm Edelman, designed by Bartlett and Associates. Photo by Tom Arban

25 DEPARTMENTS 46

WHAT’S UP — 16

Contents FEATURES

Working it Out URBAN RENEWAL — 32 To house the new Montreal offices of Lemay Michaud Architecture Design, principals Alain Lemay and Viateur Michaud transformed an industrial building into a modern space – making use of its exposed original structure and found elements.

By Rhys Phillips ART OF THE DEAL — 39 For the Toronto office of Edelman, the global PR firm, Inger Bartlett of Bartlett and Associates created a pristine white canvas with bursts of eye-arresting colour.

By Rhys Phillips

INSIDE — 14

STEELTOWN BOY MAKES GOOD — 46 How Bill Curran, principal of Thier + Curran Architects, came up with “the coolest office in Hamilton.”

By Leslie C. Smith FLEXTIME — 51 In today’s incredible shrinking office, work gets done here, there and everywhere. The smartest systems introduced at NeoCon 2011, held in Chicago this past June, offer maximum flexibility.

By Michael Totzke THE ROUGH WITH THE SMOOTH — 57 Nigel Parish of Vancouver-based Splyce Design takes the idea of the cabin – close to the ground, in tune with the elements – to a refined new level.

By Adele Weder

SHOW BIZ — 25 The great pretenders New and improved technologies brought the development of porcelain tiles that are dead ringers for other hard-surface materials – such as marble, travertine and even hand-hewn wood planks – into sharp focus at Coverings 2011 in Las Vegas this past spring.

By Peter Sobchak WHO’S WHO — 62 LAST WORD — 66 I’ll take Maharam My annual pilgrimage to the textile innovator’s NeoCon showroom.

By Michael Totzke

Following page 22

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Inside

In and out of the office Throughout my working life, I’ve had a love/hate affair with the office. What I like: the hum, the camaraderie, the routine. What I don’t like: the hum, the camaraderie, the routine. Let me explain.

Though I’m happy to be at the office, by and large, there are times when I need to escape – to seek out quiet or natural light or merely a change of scene – in order to get my work done. Which is why I’m a big fan of today’s office culture, which, thanks largely to technology, allows us to work all around the office and beyond. Hallelujah: no longer are we chained to our desks. of course the desk long ago morphed into the workstation, which continues to evolve. Due to rising costs and novel ways of working, the new norm is smaller workspaces in open-plan environments, with more touchdown and temporary spaces. This was certainly borne out at neoCon in Chicago this past June. In my report (“Flextime,” page 51), I’ve focussed on systems developed for this new paradigm – from Teknion’s Dossier, a compact reinterpretation of the private office; to Haworth’s latest additions to its Integrated Palette modular office system; to Allsteel’s Gather, a collection of furniture that encourages collaboration.

The bulk of this year’s annual office issue is taken up by three extraordinary offices, into which I can easily place my working self.

At the old-and-new Montreal offices of Lemay Michaud Architecture Design (“Urban renewal,” page 32), there I am in the boardroom, pondering themes for upcoming issues, nicely hypnotized by the original wall of beige brick with a ghostly residue of grey paint.

There I am writing a column on the snazzy roof terrace of PR firm Edelman’s oh-so-civilized Toronto HQ, designed by Bartlett and Associates (“Art of the deal,” page 39). And at the wide-open office of Their + Curran Architects, in Hamilton, ontario (“steeltown boy makes good,” page 46), that’s me proofing pages by the fire in the windowed front “living room.”

If I had my druthers, I’d be working lakeside at the shuswap Cabin by splyce Design (“The rough with the smooth,” page 57), essentially an urban house transplanted to B.C.’s okanagan. Its owners spend weeks at a time there, conducting both their business and personal lives. nice work if you can get it. c I Michael Totzke mtotzke@canadianinteriors.com

12 Concorde Place, Suite 800, Toronto, ON M3C 4J2

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What’s Up

SEPT./OCT. Falling for the DX The joint – Toronto’s venerable Design Exchange – is really jumping as summer turns to autumn.

Two notable exhibitions continue. Play>Nation (to Oct. 10) explores the importance of Canada’s great outdoors: “such a significant part of our nationhood that Canadian iconography – the beaver, the maple leaf, the Group of Seven, postcards of the Rockies, images of children playing hockey on frozen ponds – is indelibly linked to the natural environment.” Play>Nation incorporates a host of design disciplines, from apparel to industrial design, along with iconic objects and artworks.

Capacity (to Oct. 16) showcases new works by 10 female, Toronto-based designers.

Featuring a wide range of mediums (including textile, sculpture, furniture and product design), it examines the word “capacity” as it relates to the role of women in the field of design. (For images of the exhibition opening, see Who’s Who on page 62) Je T’Aime Alouette is an official Scotiabank Nuit Blanche 2011 independent project. On the evening of Oct. 1, artists Miles Keller and Michele Woodey will transform the DX’s historic Trading Floor into a “sublime territory” – paying tribute to the Alouette Satellite, launched on Sept. 29, 1962, making Canada the third nation, after the U.S.S.R and the U.S., in space. “Although it

was switched off after some 10 years, it remains in orbit, ” the artists say of the satellite.

“Some say it is still potentially operational and in fact is only ‘sleeping.’”

This year, the DX Black & White Fundraising Gala (Nov. 12) honours Canadians behind two unique global practices: Karim Rashid, head of his namesake firm, and Asymptote Architecture’s Hani Rashid and Lise Anne Couture. Brothers Karim and Hani, both born in Egypt, were raised in Canada from young ages (5 and 7, respectively); Lise Anne was born in Montreal and raised in

Ottawa. Karim is recognized as one of the most accomplished industrial designers in the world, with 3,000-plus products in production in over 35 countries. Hani and Lise Anne, who founded Asymptote (ASY) in 1989, have produced powerful and innovative architecture around the world.

Proceeds from the annual gala – always a glittering, glam and genuinely fun affair – raise funds for DX youth programs.

Finally, at a gala dinner on Nov. 22, the Design Exchange presents its annual national awards, in 12 categories ranging from architecture and industrial design to landscape architecture and visual communication.

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What’s Up

Lounging with Keilhauer No one does lounge seating better than Canada’s own Keilhauer, the private, familyowned company founded 30 years ago. At NeoCon in Chicago this past June, the Toronto-based manufacturer introduced two stunning examples: Boxcar, a lounge collection, and Moss, a lounge seating system.

Boxcar continues the fruitful association between Keilhauer and EEOS, the well-known Austrian design firm, whose principals are Martin Bergmann, Harald Grundl and Gernot Bohmann (other products include the Sguig task chair and Cahoots side chairs). The hallmark of the Boxcar collection is a discreet separation carved between backrest and seat: the backrest appears to be floating over the sculpted seat. Sofas and chairs each have their own distinctive, refined polished chrome bases, further enhancing the appearance of weightlessness. Boxcar comprises two sizes of sofas, with or without arms; an elegant lounge chair without arms; and a generous armchair.

Accompanying tables bring balance and offer a modern vibe. Two sizes of round end tables are made of steel, with polished chrome finishing on the top halves and matte black on the bottom; while polished chrome rectangular tables are topped with glass.

As for second introduction, “Moss is a deceptively simple product,“ says company president Mike Keilhauer.

“Three pieces, each in two lengths, comprise the entire collection; but, due to the ingenious design and innovative connecting hardware, a multitude of seating configurations can be created for a variety of applications.”

Essentially, Moss is a kit of parts, consisting of unadorned upholstered benches – in two lengths and three heights. The height dimensions are based on the seat height, arm height and back height of conventional sofas. Each piece can be used as a seat, and their different heights accommodate every level of seating, from sprawling to perching and leaning. An aluminum extrusion at the

18 CANADIAN INTERIORS September/October 2011

base of each piece joins them through the use of a connecting paddle; this paddle can be placed in any position along the base to allow for multidirectional, asymmetrical configurations and clusters.

Moss’s designer is Torontobased Andrew Jones. Says Jones of his design inspiration, “While at a busy party, I noticed how people were using all the sides of a sofa, perching on the sofa arms, leaning against the back, and of course sitting. The arrangement worked remarkably well for a variety of social interactions.

In fact, the postures and heights of people added something to the buzz of the room. That was the spark of the idea.”

At NeoCon, Keilhauer also introduced the Northern Biome

Collection of contract textiles.

The eight fabrics in the collection comprise small- and medium-sized patterns and textural solids, in bright and neutral colours, all inspired by the flora and fauna indigenous to Canadian biomes.

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Clockwise from top Boxcar lounge collection, designed by EOOS, the well-known Austrian design firm; Moss, a lounge seating system, created by Toronto-based designer Andrew Jones; Keilhauer’s Northern Biome Collection of contract textiles, inspired by flora and fauna indigenous to Canada.

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Left Portrait of D. Fridman and G. Glushchenko with a model for the Building of Industry, Sverdlovsk, Soviet Union (now Ekaterinburg, Russia). From Modernism in Miniature: Points of View.

Below Office Environment, 1986; photo by Lynne Cohen.

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This fall, the Canadian Centre for Architecture in Montreal presents two intriguing exhibitions. The first is Modernism in Miniature: Points of View (Sept. 22 – Jan. 8), which explores the relationship between photography and architectural model-making (a main feature of the modernist repertoire) in the period between 1920 and 1960.

Focussing on model photography as a distinctive genre, Modernism in Miniature suggests that the so-called “model boom” was bound up

with the explosion of modern mass media. The second exhibition is Imperfect Health: Architecture’s New Agenda (Oct. 25 – Apr. 1), which endeavors to answer a pertinent question: “As health becomes a central focus of political debate, are architects, urban designers and landscape architects seeking a new moral and political agenda to address these concerns?”

Imperfect Health looks at the complexity of today’s health problems juxtaposed with a variety of proposed architecture and urban solutions.

You & IIDEX If you’ve yet to make plans to attend IIDEX/NeoCon Canada (at Toronto’s Direct Energy Centre, Exhibition Place, Sept.

22–24), let us remind you what you’d be missing: new products from a host of exhibitors; 70+ CEU-accredited seminars; design, architecture and hospitality keynotes; and THINK:Material, the ultimate resource for design professionals to source new, creative and sustainable materials (which includes an exhibit of favourite materials from guest curators II BY IV Design Associates, the Toronto-based firm).

Then there’s a full roster of awards ceremonies, from the ARIDO Awards and IIDEX NeoCon Canada Innovation Awards (Sept. 21) to two new “firsts” for IIDEX: the International Design Awards (IDA), celebrating student achievements from around the globe, and the Top 5 Under 5 Awards, highlighting up-and-coming intern/provisional members of the IDC (Interior Designers of Canada).

Also premiering this year is Hospitality Canada – featuring the latest products and services for interior designers,

architects, hoteliers and facility managers specializing in the hospitality industry – with its own awards program: the enRoute Hotel Design Awards, celebrating the best Canadian-designed hotels worldwide.

Another first is the Chair Hockey Tournament, in support of Ronald McDonald House Toronto. Originally conceived

by Herman Miller, this is a hockey tournament with a twist: participants face off on ergonomic task chairs. Teams collect points for meeting fundraising targets and getting the chance to play a celebrity team in a championship showdown.

All this and more at IIDEX/ NeoCon Canada. We hope to see you there. Visit us at the Canadian Interiors booth.

To the trade: Reward your own good taste.

Join our exclusive new Designer Rewards Program and save 10% on all of our inspired pieces.

At this year’s IIDEX/NeoCon Canada, surfacing manufacturer Cambria (the only producer of natural quartz in the U.S.) will install an ultra-luxe lounge in the hotel-lobby display on the show floor.

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contents/sommaire departments

features Enabling Design

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Disabilities – temporary or otherwise – affect a growing number of Canadians. As Ontario gets set to address this issue, will the other provinces be far behind? Les invalidités – temporaires ou autres – affectent un nombre grandissant de Canadiens. Pendant que l’Ontario se prépare à relever les défis du problème, les autres provinces feront-elles pareillement?

Mentorship Rewards

14

Whether formal or informal in nature, mentoring is a rewarding experience for everyone involved. Peu importe qu’il soit officiel ou informel, le mantorat est une expérience gratifiante pour tous les gens impliqués.

On a professional note…

Sur une note professionnelle…

4 5

In conversation with…

En conversation avec…

12 13

On your behalf…

En votre nom…

18 19

Industry members/Membres de l’industrie

20

dimensions team

idc staff

idc board of management

Publisher: Susan Wiggins, Executive Director, IDC swiggins@idcanada.org

Susan Wiggins, Executive Director Irma Kemp, Executive Assistant Sue Gravelle, Director, Professional Development Jenn Taggart, Director, Business Development Sarah Brown, Communications Coordinator Julia Salerno, Communications Coordinator Debora Abreu, Marketing Coordinator Marc Sintes, Marketing Coordinator Tony Sienes, Manager, Accounting

(BC) David Hanson, President (AB) Donna Assaly, President Elect (BC) Jenny Mueller-Garbutt, Past President (MB) Stephen Lamoureux, VP Finance (ON) David Gibbons, Secretary/Director At Large (AB) Adele Bonetti, Director (BC) Ada Bonini, Director (SK) Aandra Currie Shearer, Director (ON) Clinton Hummel, Director (NB) Monique Leger, Director (NS) Carolyn Wood, Director (MB) Michelle Du, Director At Large (NB) Jessica Gozdzierski, Director, Intern/Provisional (ON) Ron Hughes, Director, Industry (AB) Janice Smith, Director, Education (QC) Denis Chouinard, Provisional Director (ON) Trevor Kruse, IIDEX/NeoCon Canada Liaison

Editor: Penny Tomlin penny.tomlin@gmail.com Editorial Advisory Board (MB) Lise Boucher (SK) David Chu (BC) Kate Holmes (ON) Ron Hughes (ON) Johane Lefrançois-Deignan (NS) Carolyn Maguire

canadian interiors team Publisher: Martin Spreer, Canadian Interiors mspreer@canadianinteriors.com

Dimensions is the official magazine of IDC (Interior Designers of Canada) © 2010 Interior Designers of Canada C536–43 Hanna Avenue Toronto ON M6K 1X1 t 416.649.4425 tf 877.443.4425 f 416.921.3660 e dimensions@idcanada.org w idcanada.org

Deputy Editor: Peter Sobchak, Canadian Interiors Art Director: Lisa Zambri, Canadian Interiors French translation: Pierre-Éric Villeneuve

www.idcanada.org

volume 3, 2011

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On a professional note…

April 29 was a great day for IDC! That’s when the membership of APDIQ (Association Professionnelle Des Designers d’Intérieur du Québec) voted in favour of becoming full members of IDC. The idea was first proposed to Québec’s membership by IDC’s board nearly two years ago.

It was championed by APDIQ president, Andre LaPointe, and IDC director, Denis Chouinard, and involved much discussion and many presentations. We are delighted that in the end APDIQ’s membership decided to join IDC. Since the vote, we have received many emails and phone calls from members across the country, all of whom are excited and pleased at the news that we will once again be united with our colleagues from Québec. In fact, the result of the vote became the talk of the Association for weeks.

On behalf of the board and staff of IDC, we welcome 550 new members from Québec and applaud them for making the decision to accept the standards of the profession moving forward. Au nom du conseil d’administration et le personnel des DIC, nous accueillons 550 nouveaux membres du Québec et applaudissons leur décision de désormais adopter les normes de la profession.

July 1 was also a great day for IDC! In addition to being Canada’s birthday, the day marked one full year of operations for the new Association. The board has concluded that the year was a success in many ways, with the Québec initiative we just spoke about topping the list of achievements.

Among the many other achievements of the past year was the launch of our new brand, which includes a new logo and website, and a video and e-communications series. In the area of membership, we created a new industry membership category for manufacturers and suppliers and now count more than 250 companies as members of IDC. (See the last page of this issue of Dimensions for a complete list.) We thank all of our industry members for their support of our profession.

In the past year, we participated in several Canadian, U.S. and other international initiatives to promote the profession through trade shows, symposiums, events, meetings and trade missions.

We partnered with enRoute magazine on the first Hotel Design Awards for Canadian designers and architects, and we are excited to be launching Hospitality Canada as part of IIDEX/NeoCon Canada later this month. n Prior to becoming president 18 months ago, I never imagined how important IDC’s presence would be on the global stage; I knew a unified national voice was important, but I never realized just how much. As president, I have been privileged to represent IDC and the profession at events in Montréal, New York, Chicago, Paris, Hong Kong and Dubai. These experiences have left me overwhelmed with the possibility of what we can accomplish as the new IDC. Thank you to everyone who had faith in the restructuring. The board has decided we are finished with the word restructuring – our new word for 2011/2012 is implementation. Watch it unfold here and in your inbox.

Dav i d Hanson Pre s i dent/ Président

Su san Wiggins E xecutive Director/ Directr ice

Check out IDC’s website: www.idcanada.org

Your member resource...

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Sur une note professionnelle…

Le 29 avril a été une journée mémorable pour les DIC! C’est à ce moment que les membres de l’APDIQ (Association professionnelle des designers d’intérieur du Québec) ont voté majoritairement pour devenir des membres de plein droit des DIC. L’idée fut d’abord présentée aux membres du Québec par le conseil d’administration des DIC, il y a bientôt deux ans. Le projet a été immédiatement accueilli par le président de l’APDIQ, André Lapointe, et par le directeur aux DIC, Denis Chouinard. Cela aura nécessité plusieurs discussions et de nombreuses présentations du dossier. Voilà pourquoi nous sommes fiers que les membres de l’APDIQ aient finalement décidé de joindre les rangs des DIC. Depuis le vote, nous avons reçu plusieurs courriels et des appels de membres de partout au pays. Tous nous disent à quel point ils sont contents de nous voir réunis à nouveau avec nos collègues du Québec. De fait, le résultat du vote a été le sujet de discussion de l’association depuis des semaines!

Au nom du conseil d’administration et du personnel des DIC, nous accueillons 550 nouveaux membres du Québec et applaudissons leur décision de désormais adopter les normes de la profession.

Le 1er juillet était aussi une date importante pour les DIC! En plus d’être la fête du Canada, ce jour a marqué le premier anniversaire des opérations de la nouvelle association. Le conseil d’administration a conclu que l’année a été un succès dans plusieurs domaines, avec en haut de la liste des réalisations importantes, cette initiative du Québec dont nous venons de parler.

Parmi les réalisations importantes de l’année qui viennent de passer, on compte le lancement de notre nouvelle identité corporative. Elle comprend un nouveau logo et un site Internet, des vidéos et une série de bulletins électroniques. En ce qui concerne les adhésions, nous avons créé une nouvelle catégorie: l’adhésion d’industrie. Elle est destinée aux fournisseurs et aux fabricants et compte déjà plus de 250 compagnies membres des DIC (voir à ce sujet la dernière page de cette édition de Dimensions pour une liste complète).

Nous tenons à remercier tous nos membres de l’industrie pour leur appui à notre profession.

Durant l’année passée, nous avons participé à des initiatives canadiennes, américaines et internationales dans le but de promouvoir la profession dans des salons, des symposiums, des rencontres d’événements et des missions d’échanges commerciaux. Notre partenariat avec le magazine enRoute, dans le cadre du premier Prix hôtelier du design pour les designers canadiens et les architectes, reste une avancée. Nous sommes fiers de lancer l’aire d’exposition Hospitality Canada au salon IIDEX/NeoCon Canada, qui aura lieu vers la fin du mois de septembre. n Il y a 18 mois, juste avant de devenir président, je n’avais jamais imaginé dans quelle mesure la présence des DIC sur la scène internationale serait importante. Je savais qu’une voix nationale unifiée était nécessaire, mais je n’avais pas mesuré à quel point. En tant que président, j’ai eu le privilège de représenter les DIC et la profession dans des événements à Montréal, à New York, à Chicago, à Paris, à Hong Kong et même à Dubaï.

Ces expériences m’ont comblé, je suis ravi de voir ce que nous et les nouveaux DIC, pouvons accomplir. Nous tenons à remercier tous ceux qui ont eu confiance en la restructuration. Le conseil a décidé que nous en avions fini avec le mot restructuration — notre nouveau mot pour l’année 2011-2012 est implémentation.

Regardez-le bien se déployer ici et dans votre boîte de courriels!

Dav i d H a nson Pre s i d e n t/ Président

Su san Wiggins E xecutive Director/ Directr ice

Visitez le site Internet des DIC à www.idcanada.org

Une ressource pour les membres... www.idcanada.org

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Enabling design

Disabilities – temporary or otherwise – affect a growing number of Canadians.

As Ontario gets set to address this issue, will the other provinces be far behind?

Les invalidités – temporaires ou autres – affectent un nombre grandissant de Canadiens. Pendant que l’Ontario se prépare à relever les défis du problème, les autres provinces feront-elles pareillement?

by Leslie C. Smith

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rooke Dolby simply wanted a cup of coffee. The 33-year-old interior designer with Defence Construction Canada thought that should be easy enough, since the local Starbucks was in the building directly beside her downtown Halifax condo. Young, athletic, only temporarily confined to a wheelchair by a soccer accident, Dolby felt she’d be able to take on any unexpected obstacles to her mobility. She got as far as her condo’s front door.

The large, solid-wood heritage door was unmoveable from her seated position, and the security man, always so good at holding the door open for building tenants, was on a break. Dolby sat pondering what to do, humiliated and frustrated by a task so routine that she’d never noticed performing it before. Finally, someone entered the building and let her out.

Broken and uneven pavement made manoeuvring along even the smallest stretch of sidewalk difficult. As she wheeled her way carefully to the adjacent building, she thought of being forced to take several weeks off work because her older office building was inaccessible – no 8

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rooke Dolby voulait simplement prendre une tasse de café. La designer d’intérieur de 33 ans, qui travaille pour Construction de Défense Canada, pensait que cela serait assez facile étant donné qu’il y avait un Starbucks dans l’immeuble en face de son condo, au centre-ville d’Halifax. Jeune, athlétique, et temporairement condamnée à un fauteuil roulant en raison d’un accident de soccer, Dolby croyait pouvoir relever tous les défis insoupçonnés faisant obstacle à sa mobilité. Elle ne s’est pas rendue plus loin que la porte de son condo.

L’ancienne porte en bois, large et solide, était pratiquement impossible à ouvrir de son siège. Le gardien de sécurité, toujours poli lorsqu’il tenait la porte ouverte pour les résidents du bâtiment, était parti à sa pause. Assise dans son fauteuil, Dolby se demandait ce qu’elle allait faire. À la fois humiliée et frustrée elle n’avait jamais réfléchi comment elle l’accomplissait, avant cela, une activité aussi routinière. Finalement, une personne est entrée dans l’immeuble et l’aida à sortir.

Un pavé inégal et brisé a rendu le moindre déplacement sur une courte partie du trottoir difficile. Tandis qu’elle faisait son bout de chemin en roulant jusqu’à l’édifice voisin, elle se voyait forcée de prendre quelques semaines de congé parce que l’ancien bâtiment où elle travaillait était encore moins accessible : aucune rampe, des corridors encombrés et une salle de réunion au deuxième étage où il n’y avait pas d’ascenseur. www.idcanada.org

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ramp, cramped doorways, and a second-floor boardroom with no elevator to it.

She thought too about her new fears – of limited mobility, lack of independence, and the depression that would likely result. But more immediate was the far-toosteep ramp rising 10 steps above the pavement made from old, broken patio stones.

Grabbing the side railing, Dolby gritted her teeth and pulled herself up hand-over-hand, trying not to think about the sharply angled path behind her. If she lost her hold she would go flying backwards into a major street.

And how she’d get safely down again, well that was anyone’s guess.

It was night, so the building’s main entrance with its handy wheelchair access button was closed. The other entry to Starbucks was a door near-impossible to pull open and wheel around. Again, Dolby had to wait until someone came by – only to find herself now trapped inside between that door and another leading to the vestibule. An employee finally heard Dolby tapping on the glass and came to her assistance.

All for one cup of coffee. It was hardly worth the effort. ************ The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (www.e-laws.gov.on.ca and follow the links) was designed to deal with everything Brooke Dolby encountered and more. The first legislation in Canada that places the legal onus for full accessibility on companies providing goods and services to the public, the AODA was enacted in 2005. Its standards for compliance in customer service, employment, transportation, information and communication will all come into effect for some 360,000-plus businesses across the province on January 1, 2012.

Of more vested interest to designers like Dolby is the Act’s final phase, which deals with the built environment.

Comprehensive draft standards for new buildings have already gone through an industry and advocacy committee and are currently being reviewed by the Ministry of Community and Social Services. Final legislation could be introduced in Ontario’s legislature as early as next year, according to Susan Ruptash, one of the committee members, and a principal as well as long-time accessibility specialist with Toronto’s Quadrangle Architects.

“Ontario is on the leading edge in Canada right now,” Ruptash said in a recent interview. “No other province has legislation as broad as this, but I’m sure the other provinces are watching the process very closely.”

Brian Everton, owner of Winnipeg-based Design For All, is another accessibility specialist with some 25 years of experience. Like Ruptash, he is a proponent of universal design – not just a ramp here and a handrail there but design for everyone no matter what their age, physical or mental abilities. In fact, he says, “mobility is the first thought that comes to people’s minds. That awareness is there and some codes and standards have www.idcanada.org

Elle pensait à ses nouvelles peurs, celles de la mobilité limitée, du manque d’indépendance et de la dépression qui en résulteront probablement. Et elle pensait à cette rampe trop raide le long des dix marches d’un escalier au-dessus du pavé, des escaliers faits avec de vieilles pierres de patio brisées.

En s’accrochant à la rampe sur le côté, Dolby a serré les dents et s’est levée. Elle se disait qu’il valait mieux ne pas trop penser au pavé escarpé derrière elle. Si elle perdait la force, elle reculerait jusque dans une rue achalandée.

Comment pourrait-elle alors redescendre en toute sécurité? On peut se le demander!

C’était le soir. Cela expliquait que l’entrée principale du bâtiment, avec son dispositif automatique pour les fauteuils roulants, était inopérable. L’autre entrée du Starbucks était une porte pratiquement impossible à ouvrir et à franchir en fauteuil roulant. Une fois de plus, Dolby a dû attendre que quelqu’un lui ouvre la porte, pour finalement se retrouver prisonnière entre la porte extérieure et celle du vestibule donnant accès au café. Un employé a finalement vu Dolby qui frappait sur la vitrine et s’est empressé de l’aider.

Tout cela pour une simple tasse de café. Cela ne valait certainement pas tous les efforts. ************ L’AODA (The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act — www.e-laws.gov.on.ca et suivre le lien Internet) a été conçu pour résoudre l’ensemble des problèmes qu’a rencontrés Brooke Dolby, et plus encore.

Instauré en 2005, l’AODA est la première réglementation au Canada qui oblige légalement les compagnies qui offrent des services au public à une accessibilité totale. Ses standards de conformité dans le service à la clientèle, l’emploi, le transport, l’information et la communication devraient être en vigueur dès le 1er janvier 2012 pour plus de 360 000 entreprises à travers la province.

Ce qui intéresse davantage les designers comme Dolby, c’est la phase finale de l’Acte de loi qui concerne plus particulièrement l’environnement bâti.

Les normes pour les nouveaux bâtiments ont déjà passé les premières étapes imposées par le comité de protection et de l’industrie. Ces premières étapes d’un projet de loi sont présentement en analyse au ministère des Services sociaux et communautaires. La réglementation finale pourrait être introduite à l’Assemblée législative de l’Ontario dès l’an prochain, selon Susan Ruptash, membre du comité, présidente et spécialiste des questions d’accessibilité depuis plusieurs années pour la firme Quadrangle Architects de Toronto.

Dans un entretien fait récemment avec Ruptash, elle affirmait: « L’Ontario est un leader prépondérant dans le domaine au Canada présentement. Aucune autre province n’a une législation aussi ample que celle de l’Ontario, mais j’ai la certitude que les autres provinces suivent le processus de très près.» volume 2, 2011

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already been addressed. The areas that are completely overlooked deal more with sensory loss and intellectual-related disabilities.”

This includes, for example, people with hearing aids who find air-conditioning and exposed mechanical systems troublesome; intellectually challenged individuals who need a calm, easy-to-orient environment; and persons with limited to no vision who require contrasting colours and textural indicators to keep themselves from tumbling down stairs and escalators or accidentally stumbling into the wrong washroom.

Ontario statistics indicate that 1.85 million citizens, or one in seven people, currently have a disability of some kind. Given the country’s greying populace and the fact that we tend to fall prey to disabling conditions as we age, within 20 years this number will have grown to 20 per cent of all Ontarians, or one in five people.

The rest of Canada’s provinces face similar statistical inevitability, yet at present offer only a patchwork of accessibility codes. “In most places, it’s just what’s in the building code, which is a pretty basic level — handrails and ramps and washrooms,” says Ruptash. “Manitoba is now looking at doing something similar [to AODA], New Brunswick is beefing up their regulations . . . Everybody’s doing something but no other province has legislation that comes close to Ontario’s.”

Back in Nova Scotia and back on her own two feet, Brooke Dolby isn’t waiting. “I never, ever thought that I would be in a wheelchair,” she says. “Now, accessibility is constantly on my mind.” So much so that the first thing she did upon returning to work was talk a client into replacing a planned row of tall bar tables and chairs with ones of more wheelchair-friendly height. n

“Ontario is on the leading edge in Canada right now. No other province has legislation as broad as this.”

L’Ontario est un leader prépondérant dans le domaine au Canada présentement.

Aucune autre province n’a une législation aussi ample que celle de l’Ontario.

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Le propriétaire de la firme Design For All, à Winnipeg, Brian Everton, est un autre spécialiste des questions d’accessibilité. Ses 25 années d’expérience font de lui un grand défenseur d’une approche universaliste du design.

Selon lui, il faut plus qu’une rampe ici et une main-courante là. Il faut le design pour tous, peu importe leur âge, leur capacité mentale et physique. En fait, il faut que «la mobilité soit la première chose qui vient à l’esprit des gens.

Les gens en sont conscients et certains codes et normes ont déjà été interrogés. Les problèmes qui demeurent encore oubliés sont ceux qui touchent davantage la perte de sensation sensorielle et les déficiences intellectuelles.»

Cela comprend tous ces problèmes qui touchent les gens qui portent des aides auditives et ceux qui trouvent les systèmes mécaniques ou d’air climatisé ennuyants, les individus qui ont des déficiences intellectuelles et qui ont besoin de calme et d’un environnement facilitant du point de vue de l’orientation, les gens qui ont une visibilité réduite ou nulle et qui ont besoin de couleurs contrastantes et d’indicateurs texturés pour éviter de tomber dans les escaliers ou les ascenseurs. Sans oublier que ces individus peuvent se retrouver malencontreusement dans les mauvaises salles de toilettes.

En Ontario, les statistiques nous indiquent que 1,85 million de citoyens, ou un individu sur sept, a présentement un handicap ou une autre forme d’invalidité. Si on considère notre population vieillissante et le simple fait que nous sommes de plus en plus prisonniers d’une condition débilitante lorsque l’on vieillit, ce chiffre atteindra, dans les vingt prochaines années, 20% de la population ontarienne, soit une personne sur cinq.

Le reste des provinces du Canada fait face à la même inévitable statistique, mais n’offre présentement qu’une parcelle réduite des codes d’accessibilité disponibles.

Ruptash précise: « Dans la plupart des endroits, on retrouve seulement ce qu’il y a dans le Code du bâtiment, qui correspond au niveau minimum: les mains-courantes, les rampes et les salles de toilettes. Le Manitoba est en train d’examiner les possibilités de faire la même chose que l’AODA. Le Nouveau-Brunswick est aussi en train de revoir ses régulations. Tout le monde fait quelque chose mais aucune autre province n’a une réglementation qui équivaut à celle de l’Ontario.»

De retour en Nouvelle-Écosse et à nouveau sur ses deux pieds, Brooke Dolby ne perd pas son temps. «Je n’ai jamais pensé que je serais un jour dans un fauteuil roulant.

Je pense désormais constamment aux problèmes d’accessibilité, ceux-ci occupent mon esprit.» À un tel point que la première chose qu’elle a faite à son retour au travail a été de convaincre un client de remplacer une rangée de hautes chaises de bar et de tables par un scénario de design plus adapté à la hauteur d’un fauteuil roulant. n

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in conversation with…

Abby Schnaider continues a family tradition in interior design.

B y P e n n y To m l i n

You could say interior design is in Abby Schnaider’s blood. Her mother is an interior designer, as well as two of Abby’s aunts and two uncles. Her father is an art teacher who taught an interior design class in her high school in the northern Saskatchewan community of Hudson Bay. “When I took that class, that’s when I knew I wanted to be an interior designer,” says Abby.

After graduating high school, Abby left Hudson Bay to attend Mount Royal University in Calgary.

She says it was the work term aspect of the applied degree at Mount Royal that appealed most to her.

For that work term, she secured a position with HDH Architects in Saskatoon. At the time, Abby was the only interior designer with the firm. She obviously made an impression on the partners. They told her a permanent position would be waiting for her when she completed her degree. Four months later she returned to HDH Architects where she remained for the next four years.

But it seems interior design is not the only passion in Abby’s life. In September 2007, she left for India with four of her friends to spend four months volunteering with the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta, an order established by Mother Teresa. “The trip was a faith-building exercise for me. It was an opportunity to learn from my fellow volunteers, the sisters and those we were there to serve.”

When Abby returned from India, she went to work for Kindrachuk Agrey Architecture in Saskatoon, a firm specializing in large-scale commercial and institutional projects. Abby’s most recent project has been an $86-million expansion to the Academic Health Sciences Building at the University of Saskatchewan, known as E-Wing. Abby had previous experience in this area, having worked on a similar expansion, that being D-Wing, of the same building when she was at HDH Architects.

abby’s advice to colleagues just starting their career: “have fun with

While Abby hopes to write her NDICQ exams soon, she has not been able to commit to a definite date just yet. Abby and her husband, James, are expecting their first child any day now. She says she’s considering studying for the exams during her maternity leave, but she wants to wait to see how well she is able to juggle the demands of motherhood with the rigors of academic work.

Being a member of the Interior Design Association of Saskatchewan (IDAS) is “a great way to stay connected and develop friendships within the profession,” says Abby. “It’s nice to have a personal connection with other designers who might have to approve your work (as was the case with the interior designers on staff at the University of Saskatchewan during the Academic Health Sciences building expansions) or when designers from smaller firms are consultants for your firm.”

Her advice to students or recent graduates: “Have fun with design.” She recommends “always keeping your eyes open to design, wherever you go, and reading lots of design magazines.

You never know where you might find your inspiration.” n

design.”

name: Abby Schnaider Age: 30 Jobs since graduation: Two favourite design tool: Her imagination / paper & pencil Least favourite tool: AutoCAD

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Abby Schnaider poursuit la tradition familiale en design d’intérieur.

B y P e n n y To m l i n

On peut dire qu’Abby Schnaider a le design d’intérieur dans le sang. Sa mère est designer d’intérieur ainsi que deux de ses tantes et deux de ses oncles. Son père est un professeur d’art qui a enseigné un cours de design d’intérieur dans son école, dans le petit village de Hudson Bay, dans le nord de la Saskatchewan. Abby dit: «J’ai su que je voulais devenir une designer d’intérieur lorsque j’ai suivi ce cours.»

Après sa graduation au secondaire, Abby a quitté Hudson Bay pour poursuivre ses études à l’Université Mount Royal, à Calgary. Elle raconte que c’est l’aspect du métier axé sur le travail d’équipe qui lui paraissait le plus intéressant. Pour combler les besoins du travail durant ses études, elle a obtenu un poste dans la firme HDH Architects, à Saskatoon. Dès lors, Abby était la seule designer d’intérieur de la firme. Il va sans dire qu’elle avait fait bonne impression auprès des partenaires, qui lui ont dit qu’une position permanente l’attendait une fois qu’elle aurait obtenu son diplôme. Quatre mois plus tard, son diplôme en main, elle est retournée chez HDH Architects, où elle a travaillé pendant les quatre années suivantes.

Le design d’intérieur n’est pas la seule passion d’Abby. En septembre 2007, elle est partie en Inde avec des amis pour un séjour de quatre mois afin de consacrer son temps à du travail bénévole pour les Missionnaires de la Charité, à Calcutta, cet organisme humanitaire fondé par Mère Teresa. Elle précise: «Ce voyage a été déterminant dans la conception de ma foi. Cela a été une occasion d’apprendre de mes collègues bénévoles, des sœurs et de tous ceux qui étaient là pour servir.» À son retour de l’Inde, elle a commencé à travailler pour la firme Kindrachuk Agrey Architecture, à Saskatoon, une compagnie qui se spécialise dans de grands projets commerciaux et institutionnels. Son projet le plus récent est l’expansion de l’Academic Health Sciences Building de l’Université de Saskatchewan, un projet de 86 millions, familièrement appelé E-Wing. Abby avait de l’expérience dans ce domaine, ayant travaillé sur un projet consacré à l’expansion d’un bâtiment similaire, le D-Wing, lorsqu’elle était une employée de la firme HDH Architects.

Même si Abby espère passer les examens du NCIDQ très bientôt, elle ne connaît pas encore la date définitive.

Abby et son mari, James, sont dans l’attente de leur premier enfant, dans les jours à venir. Elle dit qu’elle pense commencer à étudier pour ses examens lors de son congé de maternité, mais ajoute qu’elle devra attendre de voir comment elle parviendra à conjuguer les exigences de la maternité et celles de la vie académique.

Le fait d’être membre de l’IDAS (Interior Design Association of Saskatchewan) reste, selon Abby, «une manière merveilleuse de maintenir le contact avec les gens et de développer des amitiés à l’intérieur de la profession. C’est agréable d’avoir des liens profonds avec d’autres designers qui parfois devront approuver votre travail, comme c’était le cas avec les designers d’intérieur employés durant le projet d’expansion du bâtiment Academic Health Sciences de l’Université de la Saskatchewan. C’est aussi merveilleux d’avoir des liens avec des designers de petites entreprises qui sont des consultants pour votre firme.»

Son conseil aux étudiants et aux jeunes diplômés: «Amusez-vous avec le design.» Ce qu’elle recommande: «Il faut toujours avoir l’œil ouvert pour le design, où que vous alliez et, autant que possible, lire des magazines de design.

Vous ne savez pas où vous trouverez votre inspiration.» n

le conseil que donne abby à ses collègues en début de carrière: «amusezvous avec le design.»

nom: Abby Schnaider Âge: 30 ans emplois depuis la graduation: Deux outil de design de prédilection: Son imagination / papier et crayon outil de design le moins apprécié: AutoCAD

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Mentorship rewards Whether formal or informal in nature, mentoring is a rewarding experience for everyone involved.

Peu importe qu’il soit officiel ou informel, le mantorat est une expérience gratifiante pour tous les gens impliqués.

B y P e n n y To m l in

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“Most people don’t go into mentoring thinking about what they will get out of it, but everyone who has been a mentor talks about what they learned in the process. Mentoring truly benefits both parties.”

Jeffrey F. Kenney, executive Director, NCiDQ

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long our career path, as in life, it helps to have someone on our side — a trusted advisor, a person who can offer wise counsel, who will guide, encourage and challenge us. This role may be filled by a variety of people throughout our life, beginning with our parents and extending to older family members and friends, teachers, coaches, clergy or other community leaders. We call these individuals mentors.

The word mentor has its origins in Greek mythology.

When Odysseus set off to fight the Trojan War, he made his friend and trusted counsellor, Mentor, guardian to his son. Today, the practice of mentorship is evident in the tradition of trade apprenticeships and professional internships.

In the trades and some professions, mentorship is a requirement of qualification or certification. While not a formal requirement for professional qualification as an interior designer, mentorship is a common practice within the profession. While in many instances this is an informal arrangement between two individuals, in recent years some large design firms have established mentorship programs for their employees.

Kasian Architecture Interior Design and Planning Ltd. is one such example. Senior management initiated the program as a means of providing opportunities for staff to share internal knowledge, experience and expertise. The program is open to all staff, and participants come from all areas of the firm. A cornerstone of the program is a signed confidentiality agreement between mentor and protégé.

This ensures all mentoring sessions, whether professional or personal, remain private.

The program has been operating since 2007 and is headed by Kate Nova, the firm’s human resources director, who is located in the Vancouver office. “The first couple of years, the program focused on pairing individual protégés with pre-qualified mentors. It has since evolved into a self-organized, self-identified, protégé-driven program. We

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ans notre carrière tout comme dans notre vie, il est pratique d’avoir des alliés: un conseiller de confiance, une personne qui peut nous donner des conseils pertinents, nous guider, nous encourager voire même nous donner des défis. Ce rôle peut être joué par différentes personnes dans notre vie, en commençant par nos parents, nos grands-parents et nos amis, nos professeurs, des coachs, des gens d’Église ou d’autres leaders de la communauté. On appelle parfois ces individus des mentors.

Le mot mentor prend ses origines dans la mythologie grecque, lorsque Ulysse (dans l’Odyssée) part pour la bataille de la guerre de Troie et fait de son ami et conseiller, Mentor, le gardien de son fils. Aujourd’hui, la pratique du mentorat fait partie intégrante de la tradition des échanges d’apprentissage et des stages professionnels.

Dans les échanges commerciaux et autres professions, le mentorat est un préalable à certaines qualifications ou certifications. Même si ce n’est pas un préalable formel pour certaines qualifications professionnelles, comme celle requise dans le domaine du design d’intérieur, le mentorat est une pratique commune dans les rangs de la profession. Dans les dernières années, de grosses entreprises ont mis sur pied des programmes de mentorat pour leurs employés, même si dans plusieurs instances, il s’agit d’un arrangement formel entre deux individus.

La firme Kasian Architecture Interior Design and Planning Ltd. en est un exemple. Les gestionnaires experts ont mis sur pied un tel programme dans le but de fournir des opportunités, pour les employés, de partager les savoirs à l’interne, de profiter de l’expérience et de l’expertise. Le programme est ouvert à tous les employés. Les participants viennent de tous les domaines de la firme. Une des pierres angulaires du programme est un accord confidentiel signé entre le mentor et son protégé. Cela assure que toutes les sessions de mentorat professionnel ou personnel demeurent privées. www.idcanada.org

no longer pre-select mentors; every employee has the opportunity to gain exposure to areas of the firm that are of particular interest to them,” says Nova.

Christine Boston is an interior designer at Kasian’s Edmonton office. An American, educated at Louisana State University, Boston moved to Edmonton for the opportunity to work at Kasian. She says the firm’s mentorship program was one reason she wanted to join Kasian. Her mentor is a principal and interior designer with the firm’s Calgary office. “It’s an incredibly valuable program. My mentor can help me draft a career plan within Kasian. She knows the bigger picture. And, because she knows my background and experience, she tries to get me assigned to projects that match my skill level.”

Honor Morris is Kasian’s media relations manager and a mentor herself. She says the program is far from the dogmatic, inflexible ones she was familiar with from time spent it Europe. She describes it as “very much a two-way street. It’s not a case of the mentor telling the protégé what to do but is, in fact, a collaborative effort, an exchange of ideas.”

Mentoring is most successful and rewarding when both parties are open to learning and committed to their roles.

The exercise can lead to unexpected rewards for mentors as well as their protégés. Jeffrey Kenney, executive director of the National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ) says, “Mentoring is a personal, tangible way to give back to your profession while at the same time getting something in return. Most people don’t go into mentoring thinking about what they will get out of it, but everyone who has been a mentor talks about what they learned in www.idcanada.org

Le programme est en opération depuis 2007. Il est chapeauté par Kate Nova, directrice des ressources humaines de la firme, qui travaille dans le bureau de Vancouver. Nova raconte que «dans les premières années, le programme servait à réunir des protégés avec des mentors en voie d’obtenir les qualifications obligatoires. Il a depuis évolué pour devenir un programme autoréglementaire, auto-identifié et stimulé par les besoins desdits protégés. On ne fait plus de sélections de mentors au préalable. Tous les employés ont l’occasion d’acquérir de l’expertise dans les domaines de la firme qui les intéressent plus particulièrement.»

Christine Boston est designer d’intérieur dans les bureaux de Kasian, à Edmonton. Cette Américaine ayant fait ses études à Louisana State University a quitté Boston pour se retrouver à Edmonton pour cette rare occasion de travailler pour la firme Kasian. Elle raconte que l’une des raisons pour laquelle elle voulait se joindre à l’équipe de Kasian était justement son programme de mentorat. Sa mentor est une designer d’intérieur, présidente du bureau de Calgary de la même firme. Elle ajoute : « Ce programme a une valeur inestimable. Ma mentor peut m’aider à dresser le portrait de ma carrière avec la firme Kasian. Elle connaît bien le portrait général, et comme elle est aussi familière avec mon portfolio et mes expériences, elle m’incite à travailler sur des projets qui correspondent au mieux à mon niveau d’expertise.»

Honor Morris est gestionnaire des relations avec les médias chez Kasian et est elle-même mentor. Elle dit que le programme n’est pas un de ces espaces dogmatiques ou inflexibles comme ceux qu’elle a connus lors de séjours en Europe. Elle décrit le programme comme étant «une chose qui fonctionne dans les deux sens. Ce n’est pas une situation

«La plupart des gens ne s’aventurent pas dans le mentorat en pensant à ce qu’ils en retireront, mais tous ceux qui ont été un mentor parlent de ce qu’ils ont appris durant l’exercice. Le mentorat est vraiment profitable pour les deux parties.»

Jeffrey F. Kenney, Directeur, NCiDQ

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the process. Mentoring truly benefits both parties.”

And firms that have a formal mentorship program find they gain from increased employee engagement and job satisfaction. According to Kasian’s program leader, “Mentorship acts as a supplement to training and development, which is a great benefit to the firm. We want to establish a culture of mentorship at Kasian and have found that, over the long-term, natural mentoring is occurring as a result of our mentorship program.”

Many less-structured mentorship pairings exist across the profession. IDC member Johane Lefrançois-Deignan of JNSQ Design, Toronto, has been a mentor to 2007 Ryerson graduate and current IBI Group employee, Alex Campbell. The two had known each other for several years prior to establishing a relationship as mentor and protégé when Campbell was still a student and a good friend of Lefrancois-Deignan’s son. When Campbell approached her to see if she would be interested in acting as her mentor, Lefrançois-Deignan says she did not hesitate.

“I act as a sounding board for Alex. Talking helps her figure out what she wants to do in her career. I offer advice and have recommended firms where she would be most likely to find the type of design work she prefers to do,” says Lefrançois-Deignan.

“It’s been such a help to have someone in the industry that I can confide in. Johane ran through the pros and cons of working for a small firm versus a large firm, and was very good at suggesting employers who fit my interests.” Campbell believes the profession should encourage mentoring, and recommends interns seek a mentor they can connect with, and that they not be afraid to ask lots of questions. n

ROLE OF THE MENTOR / LE RÔLE DU MENTOR • offer wise counsel and career guidance / offrir des conseils pertinents et des directives de carrière • Present challenging ideas / Présenter des idées qui posent des défis • Trigger self-awareness / Stimuler l’autoréflexion • Teach by example / enseigner par l’exemple ROLE OF THE PROTÉGÉ / LE RÔLE DU PROTÉGÉ • Be willing to learn / Vouloir apprendre • Be able to accept feedback / Accepter les critiques et les commentaires dans la rétroaction • Be able to identify goals / Être capable d’identifier les objectifs • Be willing to “stretch” and accept challenges / Pousser ses limites et accepter les défis FOUNDATIONS FOR SUCCESSFUL MENTORING RELATIONSHIPS / LES FONDATIONS POUR UNE RELATION DE MENTORAT RÉUSSIE • Develop and communicate clear goals and expectations at the beginning /

où le mentor dit à son protégé quoi faire. Cela ressemble plutôt à un effort de collaboration, à un partage d’idées.»

Le mentorat est plus efficace et profitable lorsque les deux parties impliquées sont ouvertes à l’apprentissage et qu’elles sont engagées dans leur rôle. L’exercice peut aboutir à des avantages, autant pour les mentors que pour les protégés.

Jeffrey Kenney, le directeur du NCIDQ (National Council for Interior Design Qualification) précise: «Le mentorat est une manière personnelle et tangible de donner à la profession tout en obtenant quelque chose en retour. La plupart des gens ne s’aventurent pas dans le mentorat en pensant à ce qu’ils en retireront, mais tous ceux qui ont été mentors parlent de ce qu’ils ont appris durant l’exercice. Le mentorat est vraiment profitable pour les deux parties.»

De surcroît, les firmes qui ont un programme de mentorat trouvent qu’elles sont gagnantes dans l’implication des employés et leur satisfaction. Selon le leader du programme chez Kasian, «le mentorat agit comme un supplément à la formation et au développement, ce qui constitue un avantage pour la firme. Nous désirons implanter une culture du mentorat chez Kasian. À long terme, nous trouvons que le mentorat se vit naturellement et prend plus de place. C’est l’avantage de notre programme de mentorat.»

Certes, il y a d’autres types de partenaires de mentorat moins bien structurés dans la profession. La membre des DIC Johane Lefrançois-Deignan, de la firme JNSQ Design, à Toronto, a été la mentor d’Alex Campbell, une graduée de l’Université Ryerson en 2007 et employée pour le groupe d’IBI. Les deux femmes se connaissent depuis plusieurs années. Elles se sont rencontrées bien avant d’établir cette relation de mentor et de protégé, lorsque Campbell était encore une étudiante et une très bonne amie du fils de Johane. Lorsque Campbell l’a approchée pour voir si elle ne serait pas intéressée à devenir sa mentor, Lefrançois-Deignan raconte qu’elle n’a pas eu une minute d’hésitation.

Johane insiste sur le fait qu’elle joue le rôle de cette personne qui écoute Alex. «Nos dialogues l’aident à mieux déterminer ce qu’elle veut faire dans sa carrière. Je lui donne des conseils et je lui ai recommandé des firmes où elle pourra trouver le type de travail qu’elle préférerait faire dans le domaine du design.»

«Avoir quelqu’un de l’industrie à qui je peux me confier m’a été d’une aide précieuse. Johane m’a fait un portrait des pour et des contre quand vient le temps de travailler dans une petite entreprise. Ces suggestions d’employeurs qui correspondent au mieux à mes intérêts ont été éclairantes.»

Campbell croit que la profession devrait encourager le mentorat. Elle recommande aux stagiaires de trouver un mentor avec qui ils peuvent échanger et à qui ils pourront poser, le plus librement, toutes les questions. n

Développer et communiquer les objectifs et les attentes le plus clairement, dès le début • Set the ground rules and develop an agreement / Instaurer les règles de base et développer une entente • Clarify the roles of the mentor and protégé / Clarifier les rôles du mentor et du protégé • Work out when and how feedback will occur / S’entendre sur les périodes de critique et ses méthodes • Review the relationship at regular intervals / Revoir la relation établie à des intervalles réguliers (Excerpts from presentation by Jacinta Hughes, CHRP, Consultant, Peakes Performance Consulting) / (Extraits d’une présentation donnée par Jacinta Hughes, consultante en ressources humaines, Peakes Performance Consulting) 16

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On your behalf…

Did you know that IDC owns IIDEX/NeoCon Canada? The nation’s largest trade show and conference for the design community is held every September in Toronto. Each year the show attracts more than 350 exhibitors and 15,000 attendees from across Canada and the bordering states. Attendees include interior designers, architects, facility managers, builders, developers, manufacturers, sustainable experts, and end-users in all areas of design.

IIDEX/NeoCon Canada gives you an opportunity to see the latest products, meet suppliers, participate in professional development through numerous seminar offerings, and network with colleagues at a variety of social events. As the annual event that attracts the largest number of interior design professionals, the show is also the venue for IDC’s Annual Meeting.

This year, IIDEX/NeoCon Canada is launching Hospitality Canada, a show-within-a-show. The launch puts the spotlight on hospitality design and gives attendees the opportunity to connect with leaders of the hospitality industry and key end-users.

Hospitality Canada will feature a special keynote presentation from Isadore Sharp, founder and chairman of the Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts; Howard Pharr, president of Atlanta-based Hirsch Bedner and Associates, a prominent, international interior design firm working in the hospitality industry; and Ilana Weitzman, editor-in-chief of enRoute magazine. In addition, IIDEX/NeoCon Canada will include an accredited hospitality seminar stream featuring high profile players from the restaurant, hotel and entertainment industry.

The all-new enRoute Hotel Design Awards will also be launched at IIDEX/NeoCon Canada this year as a result of a new partnership between IDC and Air Canada’s in-flight magazine. This awards program celebrates the best Canadian-designed hotels around the world, highlighting the international scope of our members’ work. The awards will be presented at a special ceremony at IIDEX/NeoCon Canada and the winning designs will be featured in the September 2011 issue of enRoute magazine and on the website at www.enroute.aircanada.com. The awards will no doubt garner great exposure for the winning design firms and bring important public attention to this growing facet of our industry.

Dine by Design will highlight restaurant design and provide the perfect opportunity for the design and hospitality communities to socialize with peers and potential clients. For the first time ever at IIDEX/NeoCon Canada, several Canadian interior design firms will promote their restaurant designs on the trade show floor. Attendees will be able to make a reservation to dine with the designer at the actual restaurant, at a fixed-price dinner menu, to learn firsthand about the design.

This year’s show will also feature a fundraising event for Ronald McDonald House Toronto, to help this charitable organization raise $2 million for the construction and fit out of a new 96-bedroom home. The event is a hockey tournament with a twist. Interior designers, architects, facility managers, engineers, sales and A&D reps will play hockey while seated on ergonomic chairs in an arena located in the heart of the IIDEX/NeoCon Canada trade show floor. Teams collect points for meeting fundraising targets. The winning team gets the chance to play a celebrity team in the final championship showdown September 23. You won’t want to miss it. n The launch of Hospitality Canada and the enRoute Hotel Design Awards are just the most recent examples of IDC’s continuing efforts to fulfill its mandate of promoting and advocating for the profession. Keep watching this column in each issue of Dimensions as we bring you up to speed on the work your Association is doing on your behalf.

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En votre nom…

Saviez-vous que les DIC sont les propriétaires du salon IIDEX/NeoCon Canada? Le salon et la conférence pour la communauté du design les plus importants au pays ont lieu tous les mois de septembre, à Toronto. Chaque année, le salon attire plus de 350 exposants et 15 000 visiteurs en provenance de partout au pays et des États frontaliers. Parmi les visiteurs, nous retrouvons des designers d’intérieur, des architectes, des gestionnaires du bâtiment, des promoteurs, des fabricants, des experts dans le domaine du développement durable et des usagers finaux dans tous les domaines du design.

IIDEX/NeoCon Canada vous donne l’occasion de découvrir les nouveaux produits, de rencontrer des fournisseurs, de participer à de nombreux séminaires offerts pour satisfaire le développement professionnel, en plus de vous offrir des opportunités de réseautage avec vos collègues de l’industrie lors des divers événements sociaux. Puisque c’est l’événement annuel qui attire le plus de designers d’intérieur professionnels, le salon demeure l’endroit tout indiqué pour qu’ait lieu l’assemblée annuelle des DIC. Cette année, IIDEX/NeoCon Canada lance la nouvelle aire d’exposition Hospitality Canada. Cette section du salon met en valeur le design du milieu de l’hôtellerie et donne aux visiteurs l’occasion de venir rencontrer les leaders et les usagers de l’industrie de l’hôtellerie. Hospitality Canada présentera quelques conférences de marque, dont celle du fondateur et président des hôtels Four Seasons, Isadore Sharp. Vous pourrez y entendre Howard Pharr, président de la firme Hirsch Bedner and Associates, une firme de design d’intérieur basée à Atlanta qui travaille dans l’industrie de l’hôtellerie, ainsi qu’Ilana Weitzman, la rédactrice en chef du magazine enRoute. De plus, IIDEX/NeoCon Canada offrira un séminaire accrédité sur les questions qui concernent le milieu de l’hôtellerie, avec des membres importants des industries de la restauration, de l’hôtellerie et du divertissement.

De plus, cette année, les nouveaux Prix du design hôtelier enRoute seront aussi lancés au salon IIDEX/NeoCon Canada.

Ces prix sont la fierté d’un nouveau partenariat entre les DIC et le magazine enRoute, disponible sur les vols d’Air Canada. Ce programme de prix célèbre le meilleur design d’hôtel dans le monde entier et l’envergure internationale du travail de nos membres. Ces prix seront présentés dans le cadre d’une cérémonie spéciale au salon IIDEX/NeoCon Canada. Les designs primés seront présentés dans le magazine enRoute et sur le site Internet www.enroute.aircanada. com. Cette exposition fournira une vitrine hors du commun pour les firmes gagnantes et attirera l’attention du public dans le contexte grandissant de ce secteur de l’industrie.

L’événement Dine by Design valorise le design du milieu de la restauration et offre une occasion, sans équivalent, pour les communautés de design et de l’hôtellerie, de socialiser avec leurs pairs et de rencontrer des clients potentiels. Pour la première fois au salon IIDEX/NeoCon Canada, les firmes de design d’intérieur canadiennes auront la chance de promouvoir leurs designs de restaurant en plein cœur du salon. Les visiteurs pourront même faire une réservation pour manger avec le designer du restaurant et en apprendre davantage sur son design.

Le salon de cette année donnera place à une collecte de fonds pour le Manoir Ronald McDonald de Toronto, dans le but d’aider cette fondation à ramasser 2 millions de dollars pour la construction et la décoration d’une nouvelle maison de 96 chambres. Cet événement prendra la forme d’une partie de hockey. Les designers d’intérieur, les architectes, les gestionnaires du bâtiment, les ingénieurs et les représentants de vente qui joueront au hockey seront assis sur des chaises ergonomiques dans un aréna situé en plein cœur du salon IIDEX/NeoCon Canada. Les équipes ramasseront des points pour atteindre l’objectif de la collecte. L’équipe gagnante aura la chance de jouer contre une équipe de célébrités dans un match final qui aura lieu le 23 septembre 2011. Vous ne voulez pas manquer cela! n Le lancement de l’aire Hospitality Canada et des Prix du design hôtelier enRoute sont les plus récents exemples des efforts continus des DIC à remplir leur mandat de promotion et de protection de la profession. Continuez à lire ce billet d’information dans chaque numéro de Dimensions car nous vous tenons informé de ce que votre association fait en votre nom.

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industry members* Membres de l’industrie

IDC National Member 3M Canada - Architectural Markets Hunter Douglas-Div Window Fashions INSCAPE Knoll North American Corp.

Steelcase Canada Ltd. Tandus Flooring IDC Regional Member Cambria Natural Quartz Surfaces GLOBAL GROUP Haworth Ltd. Kravet Canada Milliken & Company Shaw Contract Group IDC Provincial Member Allseating Allsteel American Standard Brands Beaulieu Commercial Benjamin Moore & Co. Ltd. Contrast Lighting M.L. Inc. Crown Wallpaper + Fabrics Dauphin North America Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts Groupe Carreaux Cèragrés Kohler Canada Co. Mabe Canada (GE Monogram) MARANT Construction Ltd. Metropolitan Hardwood Floors Inc. Miele Limited Odyssey Wallcoverings Paloform Inc. Partition Components Inc. Three H. Furniture Systems IDC Print Partner PacBlue Printing IDC Media Partner Canadian Interiors Design Quarterly HOMES Publishing Group MONTECRISTO Magazine NUVO Magazine IDC Local Member 360 Living Inc. 3form AABA Granite & Marble Inc. Abet Corp.

Aeon Stone & Tile Inc. Alendel Fabrics Limited Altro Ames Tile & Stone Ltd. AMTICO International Inc. Anthony Allan Work Environments Applied Electronics Ltd. Arborite, division de/of ITW Canada Archer Construction Group Ltd.

Arconas Arrow Furniture Ltd. Art Works Gallery Artopex Astro Design Centre AYA Kitchens and Baths Ltd Banner Carpets Ltd. bf workplace BL Innovative Lighting Blackburn Young Office Solutions Blum Canada Ltd. BoConcept Bradlee Distributors Inc. Brunswick Manufacturing Co. Ltd. Buckwold Western Business Interiors by Staples California Closets Canadian Contract Leathers Inc. Canlyte Inc. Cantu Bathrooms & Hardware Ltd. Carpenters Union, Local 27 CAS Interiors Inc Cascadia Design Products cd/m2 LIGHTWORKS corp.

Ceratec Ceramic Tiles CF + D | custom fireplace design CGC Inc. Chase Office Interiors Inc. Cherrywood Studio Ciot Marble & Granite Inc. Click Lighting and Home Coast Flooring by Design Cocoon Furnishings Colin Campbell & Sons Ltd. Colonial Countertops Command Performance Exclusive Electronic Solutions Commercial Electronics Ltd. Connect Resource Managers & Planners Inc. Contemporary Office Interiors Convenience Group Inc. Cooper Bros. International Coopertech Signs and Graphics Crate and Barrel Canada Creative Matters Inc CTI Working Environments Cubo Design Inc. Custom Closet Organizers/Shelving Outlet Custom Home Decor Ltd Custom Range Hoods Inc. Daltile Canada Denison Gallery Design Exchange Design Living Centre Divine Hardwood Flooring Ltd. Division9 a Shnier Company Dominion Rug Sales Ltd. D’or Art Consultants Drechsel Business Interiors DSG Custom Glass DWMartin Construction E. Roko Distributors Ltd. / Formica Emily Quinn Entertaining Interiors Environmental Acoustics Envirotech Office Systems Inc. Erv Parent Group Ethan Allan European Flooring

European Hardwood Flooring Centre faAB Home Fashions Fendi Casa, Canada Fieldstone Windows and Doors Ltd. Fleurco Products FloForm Countertops Floor Coverings International Flux Lighting Inc. Fontile Corp.

Forbo Linoleum Inc. FU.O.CO Urbano Gateway Kitchen Centre Ltd. Geovin Furniture Inc. Grand & Toy Greenferd Construction Inc. Grohe Canada Inc. Hardwoods Specialty Products Heritage Office Furnishings Ltd. Heritage Office Furnishings Victoria Ltd. Herman Miller Canada Inc. Heron Construction & Millwork Ltd. Hettich Canada L.P. High Point Market Authority Holmes & Brakel’ Humanscale Huntington Lodge Electric Fireplaces ICI/Akzonobel Paints IDEE17 Impact Office Furnishings Limited Info-Link Interior Surfaces Inc. Interna Furniture Design Ltd. Isted Technical Sales J+J Invision JCO & Associates Joel Berman Glass Studios Johnsonite Jones Goodridge Julian Ceramic Tile Inc. Jump I.T. Kitchen & Bath Classics (Wolseley) Korson Furniture Imports Ltd. Kraus/Floors with More La Scala Home Cinema + Integrated Media LAVA Canada Leber Rubes Inc. Leviton MFG of Canada Liesch Office Interiors Light Resource LightForm M.R. Evans Trading Co. Ltd. MacCormack & Sons Ltd. Magnum Opus Maharam Mannington Commercial Mapei Inc. Marble Trend Ltd. Marco Products (W Group) Martin Knowles Photo/Media Metro Wallcoverings Inc. Millennium Office Furnishings Miller Thomson LLP Millson Technologies Inc Modallion MOEN INC. Momentum Group Monk Office Interiors M-Tec. Inc. My Greener House

Novanni Stainless Inc. Office Source Inc. OLON Industries Olympia Tile International Inc. Optimal Performance Consultants Orion Hardware Corporation Pacific Stone Tile Ltd Pamas Slate & Stone Supplies Inc. Para Paints Paytrak Payroll Services Pentco Industries Inc. PI Fine Art/ Posters International POI Business Interiors Prima Lighting Prolific Marketing Inc. Rae Brothers Ltd. Ram Mechanical Marketing Manitoba RE/max Professionals Inc. , Brokerage Renovations By Gray Robert Allen Fabrics Canada Rodgers Wall Materials Inc. Roman Bath Centre Roya Manufacturing & Supply Canada Inc. Salari Fine Carpet Collections Schoolhouse Products Inc. SCI Interiors Ltd. Silk and Style By Dann Imports - 707585 Ontario Limited Silverwood Flooring Smitten Creative Boutique SOFA, Source of Furniture and Accessories Solutions Workplace Furnishings Sound Solutions 1997 Inc. Spacesaver Corp.

Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. Stonequest Inc. Suite22 Interiors Sun Glow Window Covering Products of Canada Ltd. Symmetry Lighting The Ensuite The floor studio inc.

The Gallery on the Lake Inc. The Office Shop The Reeves Group Agents Ltd. The Sullivan Source Inc. Threadcount Textile & Design Threadneedle Ltd. Tierra Sol Ceramic Tile TOR The Office Resource Toronto Office Furniture Inc. Tri-Can Contract Inc. Tripped On Light design inc.

Tritex Fabrics Ltd. Turco-Persian Rug Co. Ltd. Tusch Seating Inc. Unique Storage & Organizers Valley Countertops Industries Ltd. Vandyk Commercial Co. Ltd. Verno International Art Studios Vifloor Canada Ltd. W Studio Decorative Carpets Waterflo Kitchen & Bath Gallery Weavers Rug Gallery Westport Mfg. Co. Ltd. White-Wood Distributors Ltd. Wilsonart Canada Window Works Ltd. Working Images Your Home Custom A/V Systems

Karastan: Elegant Fracture, Meditations

IDC/IIDEX Partner DIRTT Environmental Solutions Ltd. Henderson Resource Group, Inc. InterfaceFLOR Nienkamper Furniture and Accessories Inc. Ruud Lighting Canada/BetaLED Teknion

| Lees: Character Lines, City Fragments, Vacant Beauty | Bigelow: City Courage

With thanks to our industry members for their continuing support of IDC. Avec nos remerciements aux membres de l’industrie pour leur soutien continu aux IDC.

*As of July 25, 2011 * À partir du 25 juillet 2011

InTeRIoR DeSIGneRS of CAnADA C536–43 Hanna Avenue Toronto on M6K 1X1 t 416.649.4425 tf 877.443.4425 f 416.921.3660 e dimensions@idcanada.org w www.idcanada.org 20

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CanInt_TMG

| Lees: Character Lines, City Fragments, Vacant Beauty | Bigelow: City Courage Karastan: Elegant Fracture, Meditations

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Show Biz

The great pretenders New and improved technologies brought the development of porcelain tiles that are dead ringers for other hard-surface materials – such as marble, travertine and even hand-hewn wood planks – into sharp focus at Coverings 2011 in Las Vegas this past spring.

—By Peter Sobchak

GO BIG Scale and proportions were the dominant themes at Italy’s Florim and its Casamood brand – where an 80-by-80-inch format was part of the offering in the Nera collection, which emulates the look of lava stone in a range of sizes, from slabs to mosaics, plus strips and decorations. florim.it

September/October 2011 CANADIAN INTERIORS 25

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Learn more about Flotex’s unique durability, visit: www.forboflooringNA.com Forbo Flooring Systems | 1-866-661-2351 | email: info.na@forbo.com

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Show Biz

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1—PAST TREASURES Marazzi Tile brought some Archaeology to Coverings. This collection recreates the look of luxurious travertine slabs used for building projects by ancient peoples and unearthed, often intact, at historic sites around the world. Using the latest digital print technology, it emulates the tiniest detail, including fissures, striations and colourations. marazzitile.com

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2—SOLID HISTORY StonePeak Ceramics, headquartered in Chicago, took the wraps off of Raja, a tile that uses advanced inkjet technology to replicate the exotic slate found in ancient quarries of India. The resemblance to the real thing is impressive, down to the tiniest details. Raja is available in three colors, three sizes and a complete trim package. stonepeakceramics.com 3—ROMA! At Tau, a Tile of Spain branded manufacturer, Colonna was the centre of attention, mistaken for a high-sheen marble of Imperial Rome but, in reality, a porcelain tile. The series is sold in the 58-by-58-inch format and comes in amber, beige, grey and ivory versions. auceramica.com 4—GET THE BLUES The research and development team at Crossville created a porcelain tile that mimics the look of bluestone and aptly named it Bluestone. The resemblance to its namesake is uncanny, with fossil-like impressions and a subtle pearlescence created by embedded shells. crossvilleinc.com

ROMANCING THE STONE

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September/October 2011 CANADIAN INTERIORS 27

Get to know Amtico International flooring As the pioneers of LVT for over 40 years, Amtico International has been bringing you the best quality, styles and innovations in flooring. Get to know the Amtico International family of brands.

Visit us online at www.artecaflooring.com

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Show Biz 1—FUN WITH GEOMETRY The hexagon seemed to be the “it” shape at Coverings. The Spanish firm Apavisa has taking the traditional look of stone and added a contemporary flair with the new hexagonal shaped NeoCountry, available in natural and bocciardato finishes, and randomly textured mosaic and multi-colours. apavisa.com

2—NEW METRICS The new collections Mosaic+ brought to the show are all experimentations with geometric shapes and modular patterns.

The Dialoghi collection (shown), for example, explores the possibilities of customization with the Dialoghi Design Tool, a versatile multimedia tool used to create modular mixtures and decorations with almost endless colours and material combination possibilities, based on various layouts.

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SHAPES & SIZES

mosaicopiu.it

3—THE DIGITAL AGE No trip to a hard-surfaces trade show would be complete without a visit to SICIS (the Art Mosaic Factory). This year, SICIS premiered PixALL, a mosaic collection that is a representation of the fragmentation of digital surfaces. Much like the pixilation of a computer image, motifs and themes take on the jagged effect typical of video art, when seen in extreme close-up. scis.com 4—OLD FLOOR REDUX In the Lea Ceramiche booth the spotlight was on Slimtech, a new ultra-thin 3mm laminated porcelain that comes in extremely large formats. With a wider chromatic palette, the collection has a total of 23 colors in seven product series (shown is Slimtech Basaltina). Thin and light, Slimtech is ideal for the renewal of floors and can be laid over an old surface, avoiding demolition and waste production. ceramichelea.com

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September/October 2011 CANADIAN INTERIORS 29

GE Lighting

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1—A DYNAMIC SURFACE texture was another top story at this year’s coverings. micro-patterns were big, and one of the most impressive was at refin, which showcased Kaos, a porcelain tile peppered with a dimensional relief of tiny dots. the dots give way to the illusion of a linear pattern, a visual effect aided by the monochromatic, tone-on-tone shadings of the confetti-like decoration. refin.it

2

ALL TOUCHY-FEELY

2—FAUX BIO Florida tile brought its new berkshire maple to the show, a style that takes the wood lookalike trend to a whole new level.

A coverings introduction, it not only imitates the look, it practically imitates the feel, with dimension, saw marks and details typical of hand-scraped woods. floridatile.com

3—LIGHT AT PLAY Venerable bathroom brand Villeroy & boch added several newcomers to its portfolio, including Outline, Silent Wave and Light curve (shown). created in basic colours, these matt non-vitreous ceramic tiles exhibit textures that invite light and shadows in a gentle palette reminiscent of fine paper to create distinctive colour effects. villeroy-boch.com

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4—HOME SKIN SIcIS premiered its Lifestyle collection at the show. Five new colour stories and patterns reflect the tones and current trends the well-known Italian brand sees in the fashion and home industry. the pixel energy of mink, Nude, Savile, Gypsy and tango (shown) takes depth and dimension and the artistic expression of chiaroscuro to dramatic new levels. scis.it

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September/OctOber 2011 cANADIAN INTERIORS 31

Working it Out

Urban renewal to house the new montreal offices of Lemay michaud Architecture Design, principals Alain Lemay and Viateur michaud transformed an industrial building into a modern space – making use of its exposed original structure and found elements.

—by rhys phillips

32 cANADIAN INTERIORS September/OctOber 2011

photography by pierre bélanger

Working it Out

The elongated lobby acts as a telescope, focussing attention toward a peek-a-boo screen, itself partly concealed by a grey pavilion.

Behind the screen, a sliver of glazing fronting a raised boardroom is visible.

September/October 2011 CANADIAN INTERIORS 33

Lawyers acting on their own behalf are said to have a fool for a client. Architects who design their own project, it may be said, will have a client who is never satisfied. Such adages may be droll but are also frequently inaccurate. Alain Lemay and Viateur Michaud, principals of Lemay Michaud Architecture Design, have good reason to be pleased with their self-designed offices in both Quebec City and Montreal. The former, completed in 2010, adapted a voluminous, 30-foot-high Bank of Montreal banking hall (1906) into a two-and-a-half storey studio. A mix of modern interventions with in situ architectural details and exposed structure, the office features a mezzanine detached from the walls to permit better light penetration. Similarly, their new Montreal studio involved the conversion of a historic urban industrial building into a highly functional and modern office – animated by its exposed original structure augmented with recycled found components.

The Montreal office is located just west of the city’s heritage quartier in the Cité Multimédia district, a planned mix of adapted historic industrial structures and new buildings housing both media-related businesses and residential condominiums.

34 CANADIAN INTERIORS September/October 2011

Like its Quebec City twin, the new studio reuses a single-storey heritage building, but in this case a very simple red-brick factory block constructed in the early 20th century. The move was necessitated by Lemay Michaud’s emergence as one of Quebec’s larger design firms, with a staff of almost 100 that includes seven principals as well as the two founding partners.

The relocation to the new 8,000-squarefoot atelier required no moving vans, however, as the original office, a similar but smaller structure, was immediately adjacent. Not incidentally, the firm oversaw the conversion of its old office into an upscale but stripped-back restaurant fronted by a sizable and elegantly landscaped front terrace enclosed on two sides by ivy-drenched walls. The terrace neatly frames the forecourt – the understated new entrance to Lemay Michaud – cut under the northeast corner of the old factory volume.

Clad in grey concrete fiberboard on its west side, this compressed exterior space leads to a glazed wall with a solid opaque door that leaves the interior lobby only partly exposed. If the exterior is minimalist in the extreme, the large light-filled lobby is designed to showcase the firm’s ability to create interiors that are rich in detail but

rely on a palette of raw materials and the incorporation of found structure and leftover objects.

The elongated lobby acts as a telescope, focussing attention toward a peek-a-boo screen, itself partly concealed by a grey pavilion. Behind the screen, a sliver of glazing fronting a raised boardroom is left visible. Dark-grey carpeting, along with the deep hues and rustic texture of the largely exposed roof structure, offsets crisp white walls. Rough lumber found casually stored across the rafters was

The factory’s original wall of beige brick with a residue of grey paint left in place is punctured by an opening framed in black I-bar. A glass partition in the opening encloses the raised boardroom. Stairs to this space are screened by a massive, reclaimed zinc panel door with some of the back panels removed to “reveal its wood core and tell the story of its composition.”

simply left in place. A sizable industrial skylight, reconstructed with recycled wood from the building’s factory days, provides a strong wash of natural light.

Halfway down on the right wall, a volume of cold-rolled steel extrudes from the wall before morphing into the reception desk, which features ultra-thin ceramic tile. The opposite side acts as a gallery wall embellished by four large black-and-white rough sketches from the firm’s projects.

These constructivist-like drawings hang above the most basic of benches, a

massive, clear-stained wood beam salvaged during reconstruction.

With the reception desk tucked off to the side, the real emphasis is placed on the visitor sitting area, the enigmatic screen and the partly visible boardroom behind. The skylight acts almost like a spotlight to highlight the composition.

Behind three of Brent Cordner’s 2002 Felt armchairs, the factory’s original wall of beige brick with a residue of grey paint left in place is punctured by an opening framed in black I-bar. A glass partition in

the opening encloses the raised boardroom. (The change in elevation was the result of raising the back half of the floor a little over three feet to permit underground parking.) Stairs to this space are screened by a massive, reclaimed zinc panel door with some of the back panels removed to “reveal its wood core and tell the story of its composition,” says partner Louise Dupont as we tour the studio. The result is a layered tableau of subtle colours, varied textures and industrial archeology.

September/October 2011 CANADIAN INTERIORS 35

Behind the boardroom and stretching across the back mezzanine level is a voluminous open space. Again, the roof structure remains exposed, as does the found-in-place I-beams that permit the columnless free span. This functional and polyvalent space houses the firm’s archives, library and technical lab.

Considerable natural light floods in from another large industrial skylight. This feature permits testing of colours and materials in natural light conditions; conversely, a wide array of lighting types installed in other parts of the space facilitates artificial-light testing. A large staff lunch room, a grand open studio (sans drawing tables in this computer age) and a smaller boardroom all feature extrahigh ceilings with exposed structure, large white boards for creative speculation and a similar palette of limited materials. But they also boast large windows opening to the sidewalk.

The almost gritty industrial yet refined 36 CANADIAN INTERIORS September/October 2011

aesthetic of the office reflects the firm’s best large-scale projects of the last decade.

This includes the 2000 conversion of a Brutalist office building into the award winning Hôtel Le Germain Montréal, a strong signature design for the Alta Hotel chain; and the much acclaimed Hôtel Quartier in Quebec City. Most recently, the Calgary iteration of the Le Germain hotel has provided the city with an architectural landmark marked also by a finely honed modernist interior. c I

Above left A second, smaller boardroom retains the high exposed ceiling found throughout the office, along with cool industrial colours on the concrete fiberboard walls. The chairs provide vibrant slashes of red that play off the hot-rolled steel table custom built for the firm. Above right Simple geometry, crisp white on the soaring walls and the most basic of wall hangings give architect Viateur Michaud’s own office an almost monastic simplicity, softened by the mellow tones of the wood desktop.

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Working it Out

Art of the deal For the Toronto office of Edelman, the global PR firm, Inger Bartlett of Bartlett and Associates created a pristine white canvas with bursts of eye-arresting colour. —By Rhys Phillips

Bartlett likens the crisp and colourful lobby to a lobby in a boutique hotel – a first meeting place ensuring a strong initial perception of welcome. Shelves are filled with carefully selected books and memorabilia.

Photography by Tom Arban

September/October 2011 CANADIAN INTERIORS 39

Working it Out

Edelman self-confidently bills itself as the world’s leading independent global PR firm. And well it might. Tagged as the top-ranked PR firm in the last decade by Advertising Age, the still privately owned media giant has 53 offices worldwide, supporting a staff of over 3,600 and boasting annual billings approaching a half-billion dollars. But while its dual head offices are in New York and Chicago, the firm’s CEO, Richard Edelman – the son of founder Daniel Edelman – has a special attachment to Canada and the new Toronto office. In a blog posted last October while attending the official unveiling, Edelman reflected on the nation’s emerging bravado. Shy no more and no longer second to its southern 40 CANADIAN INTERIORS September/October 2011

neighbour, aggressively seeking new alliances without relying on government intervention, and on the cusp of international opportunities for its agile entrepreneurs, “It is a country with high cultural equality,” he wrote, “a trading nation, global in perspective and aware of [its] strength and challenges in equal measure.”

Inger Bartlett of Bartlett and Associates was handed a dual challenge in creating the new 20,000-square-foot facility located on the hyper-posh corner of Bloor Street and Avenue Road. It needed to walk the line between being a showcase atelier fitting into Edelman’s worldwide office look and providing a unique loftlike atmosphere that would serve as a vibrant

brand statement – not for Edelman as whole but specifically for the Toronto and Canadian operation. To make the hill just a little steeper, the firm also wanted to shift from a private office culture to a more dynamic, open office environment marked by a physical clarity capable of facilitating collaboration and enhancing creativity. Renaissance Plaza, the host building, is a rather hulking pre-cast concrete tower from the 1980s. But Edelman’s third-floor location did offer generous glazing on all sides of the V-shaped floor plan, including views peaking around the preserved neo-Gothic Church of the Redeemer (1876) to Daniel Libeskind’s idiosyncratic ROM addition.

With this brief and the able assistance

Working it Out

Above The office’s primary boardroom overlooks the church square and a sizable staff café. Stretching across an entire wall from floor to ceiling, a graphic image depicting a fragment of Toronto’s urban fragment – by photo artist Nelson French – provides a blast of invigorating fire-engine red.

Right In side-by-side breakout rooms, two indentical but reversed images by French provide an intriguing visual duality.

September/October 2011 CANADIAN INTERIORS 41

This page The staff cafĂŠ has as softer feel than the rest of the office, thanks to mellow maple screens. Four ribbon-like metal handrails lead up three steps to the terrace level. Opposite The outside roof terrace features funky blue Coco chairs and a sectional sofa with festively patterned pillows. Bartlett wrapped the space on three sides with lime-green tarpaulin sheets cut in such a way to resemble fresh, trailing leaves.

of Toronto-based photo artist Nelson French, Bartlett has created a sparkling, transparent “urban village” by minimizing visual barriers and splashing an almost ruthlessly white canvas with brilliant flashes of colour. She began by stripping everything back to basics, removing that scourge of office buildings – the suspended ceiling – and returning the floor to its concrete roots, albeit now polished. She then laid out a “street grid of neighbourhoods,” with open workstations arrayed close to windows and twinned with breakout spaces. Each of these areas is

associated with a Toronto subway stop whose name has been etched onto the glazed walls of the many fishbowl-like breakout rooms.

The organizing plaza of this village is the lobby; Bartlett likens this crisp and colourful space to a lobby in a boutique hotel – a first meeting place ensuring a strong initial perception of welcome. A fireplace is surrounded by bookcases filled with carefully selected communicationsrelated memorabilia (including an old radio microphone, a transistor radio and a turquoise dial telephone), as well as communications-themed tomes featuring bold graphics and travel books reflecting the firm’s global reach. A brightly striped, custom-designed sofa provides seating along with two retro chairs by prolific Danish designer Hans Wegner.

Off this space spins both the office’s primary boardroom overlooking the church square and a sizable staff café that also acts as “Edelman U,” an informal space for organized learning seminars.

Against the crisp geometry, pristine white surfaces and icelike glass boxes of the rest of the office, this latter space, despite September/October 2011 CANADIAN INTERIORS 43

the sleek white lacquer finish of Ikea’s Abstract cupboards, has a softer feel. This is thanks to the liberal use of mellow maple screens, photographer Christine Flynn’s graphic photographs, and the graceful lines of its Grace chairs by Italy’s Pedrali. In addition, four serpentine ribbon-like metal handrails lead up three steps to the café’s interior terrace level.

This change in levels was required to permit the development of an outside roof terrace. While this carved-out urban oasis is screened from the café only by a transparent floor-to-ceiling glass wall, it is sandwiched on its other side by a rather intimidating blank wall. To mediate this lack of scale and offset the wind-tunnel effect in the resulting canyon, Bartlett wrapped the space on three sides with Camouflage 700, tarpaulin sheets designed

by Finnish designers Iikka Airas and Markus Wikar to improve the look of construction sites. A vibrant lime-green

colour, the sheets are cut in such a way that they open up to become three-dimensional leaf-like screens. A sectional sofa covered with brightly coloured Arabesque pattern material from Mokum in New Zealand is complemented by funky blue Coco chairs (made from 100-per-cent recycled polyethylene) by Minnesota’s Loll Designs.

Back inside, the rectilinear organization of the working areas and the transparent minimalism of the glass boxes allow Bartlett to exploit fully the impact of French’s bold, mono-coloured photographs depicting fragments of Toronto’s urban fabric. Stretching across entire walls from floor to ceiling, these eye-jolting red, blue and green graphic images have the creative kick of a fine double espresso. In a couple of cases, two identical but reversed images are placed in side-by-side breakout rooms, resulting in an intriguing visual duality. In these

team-friendly rooms, Pedrali’s molded Snow chairs match the vibrant colours of the photographs.

Edelman’s new Toronto office has the clarity of a winter landscape caught in the crisp ozone-saturated light of a northern landscape but mediated by a brightly coloured, hand-knit toque. And just in case you miss the point, a series of Richard Johnson photographs of iconic Canadian ice-fishing huts provides the hook, line and sinker. c I

The rectilinear organization and transparent minimalism of the working areas allow Bartlett to fully exploit the impact of French’s powerful images. As in all breakout rooms, Pedrali’s molded Snow chairs coordinate.

44 CANADIAN INTERIORS September/October 2011

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Working it Out

Steeltown boy makes good How bill curran, principal of thier + curran Architects, came up with “the coolest office in Hamilton.”

—by Leslie c. Smith

46 cANADIAN INTERIORS September/OctOber 2011

photography by Dan banko / banko media

Staffers at Thier + Curran Architects can draw inspiration from a huge workspace that mixes the new with the old, functional with fun, and utilizes its rough brick walls for artistic installations. A steel-andlimestone fireplace dominates the office “living room” (complete with kitchenette) but doesn’t detract from a magnificent, window-framed view of downtown Hamilton.

September/October 2011 CANADIAN INTERIORS 47

Other areas of Canada may be booming, but Hamilton, Ontario – a.k.a. Steeltown or The Hammer – faces an iffy future.

Although it remains the country’s largest steel-production centre, this city of more than half-million people located an hour’s drive from Toronto has seen its manufacturing fortunes slip drastically in recent years. As it fights to regain its feet and launch a smart, diversified industry counter-punch, local champions have begun to help out – men like Bill Curran, principal of Thier + Curran Architects, whose new-old workspace on James Street North has been labelled on blogs as “the coolest office in Hamilton.”

After establishing his street creds in both the Big Smoke and the Big Apple, Curran returned to his hometown, setting up his own firm there in 2005. In 2010, he and two silent partners purchased a huge, 8,000-square-foot, three-storey building on a major downtown street, if not quite for a song then at least for the kind of price a modest home in Toronto would fetch. The 120-year-old building, a former furniture factory, had been lately occupied by a small gift shop run by a Vietnamese couple, who had been living in a sectioned-off area of the main floor. Thier + Curran’s new office space, comprising 5,000 square feet of the immense thirdfloor loft, was Mrs. Quanh’s quiet place, used for daily meditation and bicycle exercise.

As is typical with most historic buildings, the interior and exterior had

been altered and adapted by successive owners over time, creating what Bill Curran calls “all kinds of unanticipated, eccentric and sculptural attributes.” One such attribute was the Buddhist sutra covering a plastered portion of the chimney: Mrs. Quanh’s addition to the artistic mix that Curran decided to leave untouched. Also gratefully accepted were the exposed brickwork walls, thick wooden ceiling joists and pull-down gate elevator (now stabilized for use as a small library) – as well as the original oak floor, which was not stripped and varnished as it would be in so many other places but simply buffed and sealed with Danish wood oil, allowing its rich patina and more than a century’s worth of “character scratches” to remain.

New components added by Curran include three large, motorized Belgium dome skylights; a steel-and-limestone stand-alone fireplace (practical in the wintertime and a constant reminder of the firm’s Steeltown roots); LEED-CI-approved high-efficiency HVAC systems, energy-recovery ventilators, low-flow toilets and waterless urinals; plus tankless hot-water heaters for low-energy shower facilities, available to staffers who wish to bike or jog to work.

The entire office is open concept – no imposing reception desk or grand lobby but rather conjoined workstations, fluid meeting areas, and a windowed front “living room” complete with kitchenette meant for everyone’s enjoyment.

“The studio is the first impression upon arriving, and the most dynamic space in the office,” says Curran. “We sought to reconceptualize the modern creative office – with a design that gave precedence to the staff, a design that supports collaboration, communication and sustainability while creating a high-quality workplace that showcases our firm’s capabilities.”

Its location on the cusp of an emerging artists’ enclave made it part of “an edgy, vibrant neighbourhood with a strong arts culture that as architects we relate to.”

Curran has consciously played up this aesthetic factor by filling his office with regional artwork, opening it up to host a series of arts-related events, and renting out the beautifully restored main floor (complete with curved leaded glass windows and what must be the largest tin ceiling in existence) to the Art Gallery of Hamilton for its new gift shop and art-rental facility. As one local has already commented, for Hamilton, “Art is the new steel.”

Says Curran, “We very much wanted to do our part to help revitalize downtown, which we firmly believe is being turned around by small groups of social entrepreneurs like us, each contributing a small incremental civic improvement that cumulatively are transformative. Rather than awaiting a ‘white knight’ or megaproject, we need a hundred small successes like this. We see this as the best prospect for downtown Hamilton’s return to vitality.”

Whether arts-based, connected to old steel or the new health-sciences industry that is now the city’s major income generator, Hamilton is undergoing a repurposement. And Bill Curran has got himself a front-row seat. c I

Opposite The meeting room’s zany chandelier, by Vancouver art collective Propeller Design, is made from 125 pieces of vintage gas-station glassware.

Left The previous owner’s handlettered Buddhist sutra remains as is on a section of the chimney plaster. The original oak floor displays a century’s worth of “character scratches.”

September/October 2011 CANADIAN INTERIORS 49

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E

Working it Out “Rising real estate costs – and the resulting new ways of work and reinvention of the office environment – are driving employees from their larger, enclosed individual workstations to a new norm of smaller workplaces in open-plan environments. At the same time, the number of touchdown and temporary address spaces is increasing. These trends are changing the relationship that employees have with their workspace in terms of comfort, privacy, personalization and efficiency. As workspaces get smaller, each component must do more.” So, in a nutshell, Teknion design director Steve Verbeck characterizes the modern office.

Three showrooms in particular at NeoCon – Allsteel and Haworth, as well as Teknion – brought this smaller, smarter, savvier office vividly to life.

The buzzword at Allsteel was “collaboration,” as suggested by the names of the company’s —By Michael Totzke two main introductions: Involve, a workstation where impromptu meetings can occur; and Gather, a collection specifically designed for the collaborative workplace. Says Jim Cahill, Allsteel’s VP product development and management, “Until recently, the ‘We’ spaces – such as

Flextime

In today’s incredible shrinking office, independent and collaborative work gets done here, there and everywhere. The smartest systems introduced at NeoCon 2011, held in Chicago this past June, offer maximum flexibility.

cafés, teaming and huddle rooms – have been the key focus for furnishings for collaborative needs. But, increasingly, with technology driving the change, the ‘I’ space is now evolving.”

Haworth’s showroom demonstrated the ways in which people best perform, together and apart. The company’s Integrated Palette, a new approach to modular interiors, identifies and addresses seven major trends: economy, distribution of work and alternative workplaces, the work/life blend, sustainability, collaboration, technology shift and – to be blunt – “Your office is getting smaller.”

The theme of Teknion’s showroom was “CoCreate,“ the company’s byword for successful collaboration, which requires “a workplace that allows people to interact freely, fluidly and spontaneously.”

Among Teknion’s introductions in support of CoCreate are Dossier, a new spin on executive furniture, and Workstation Enhancers, a collection of multi-functional open-plan workstation tools.

In the following pages, you’ll find the Allsteel, Haworth and Teknion introductions, plus a pertinent product each from HON, Inscape, Three H and Turnstone.

Attendance at the 43rd annual NeoCon – approximately 43,000 – was up four per cent from last year. More than 700 showrooms featured their products in one million square feet of space in Chicago’s venerable Merchandise Mart. NeoCon 2012 takes place at the Mart June 11–13.

Designed by architect Clive Wilkinson, Haworth’s showroom at NeoCon highlighted the company’s new products in three zones: evolution of the workspace, expressive collaboration and traditional meeting.

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Photo by Eric Laignel

September/October 2011 CANADIAN INTERIORS 51

Allsteel

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52 CANADIAN INTERIORS September/October 2011

THREE-PART HARMONY Three items introduced at NeoCon are the latest elements of Haworth’s far-sighted Integrated Palette, a modular office system that so far includes Enclosed Moveable Walls, Patterns Architectural Systems and Plane Conferencing: Reside Desking, with a wide choice of desk shapes, structural choices, linking elements and extensions – offering efficient and functional assembly of worksurfaces; Beside Storage, designed to enhance an individual work space within a desking, panel or movable-walls environment; Belong Accessories, including work tools, power access and screens. haworth.com

1—COME TOGETHER Gather is an extensive collection of seating, tables, technology support and ancillary pieces, designed to encourage collaboration in any setting.

Shown here are six elements: View A credenza with an optional media panel; All-Around A table supporting a wide range of needs; Take-5 A light bent-ply chair; Sketch A mobile, minimalist marker board;

Hedge A vertical freestanding unit ideal for spontaneous gatherings; Scooch A lightweight pull-up seat featuring recessed handles for easy transport.

Other elements include: Linger A lounge-type chair with a seat back deliberately formed to allow another individual to lean against it; Mind-Share Generous, upholstered banquette-style seating; Rise Upholstered stepped seating modules, reminicent of stadium seating.

2—IF YOU BUILD IT...

Allsteel’s Involve is a blended workstation where impromptu collaboration can occur.

It includes freestanding desks along with an extensive offering of casegoods and banquette-like seating, which can be configured to independently create a work area. A key component is storage, which performs double duty – acting as a space division as much as housing for both work and personal needs. allsteeloffice.com

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1—PERSONAL PROPERTY Workstation Enhancers are multifunctional, open-plan tools that enable uses to personalize, control and maximize a smaller workspace. There are four elements in all: Podium A collection of user-adjustable desktop shelving, supporting laptop, flat-screen monitors and multiple hand-held electronic peripherals, along with everyday and personal items (shown); Retractable Surface Providing storage, laptop/keyboard support and a nonhanded mousing surface, plus clean power and data wire management; Behind-You Screen Composed of two screens: one attached to a worksurface and another that closes behind the user – providing visual and territorial privacy; Stand-Up Meeting Surface Provides, within a small workstation footprint, a social context for impromptu meetings.

2—UP TO DATE Teknion has reinterpreted the traditional private office with Dossier. Designed for today’s smaller, more functional spaces, the collection offers high-density storage; configurable credenzas; built-in wire management; back-painted magnetic glass for writing and pin-up; and a choice of open table desks for collaborative environments or traditional desks. teknion.com

September/October 2011 CANADIAN INTERIORS 53

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Best of the rest

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1—ALL FOR YOU Voi is a collection of layered work surfaces and practical storage components.

The name Voi – which means “you” in Italian – was chosen because Voi works for the individual. Its many work-surface options include four basic forms: rectangle, rudder, saddle and wedge.

There’s also a system of supports, such as a simple O-leg, plus pedestal and cabinet options incorporating storage. Additional storage choices include credenzas, layering shelves, wardrobe towers and overhead cabinets. hon.com 2—CREATIVE POWER Three H’s Create Office Platform offers one simple, intelligent platform on which four practical applications are built: Club An executive suite with higher elements, and more storage and privacy; Studio A new kind of low, light, simple privacy screen; Forum Space for small groupings of two or large clusters of eight; Park A place to go for a temporary respite, with long surfaces and open storage.

ou 4

product solution. Work environments can be easily and simply created by mixing and matching components and finishes; because the components are integrated, all the heights and lines will match up and nothing will look out of place.

Horizontal lines, rectilinear shapes, flat top trims and concealed technology management provide a minimalist aesthetic. inscapesolutions.com

cable and power cords, along with integrated storage – but it also includes a first-of-its-kind integrated Rumble Seat and Hoodie, plus arches that support canopies, mountain bikes and snowboards. What’s more, Bivi ships in a week, is delivered within 10 days and can be put together with one simple tool in less than three minutes. steelcase.com

three-h.com

3—SYSTEMATIC Inscape System is a modular furniture system that offers a truly integrated 54 CANADIAN INTERIORS September/October 2011

4—DO IT YOURSELF Turnstone, a division of Steelcase, introduced Bivi at NeoCon. At its core it’s is a desk, containing integrated troughs for

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11-08-31 7:40 AM

Shuswap Cabin’s deft and generous use of wood garnered a Residential Wood Design Award from the Canadian Wood Council.

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The rough with the smooth Nigel Parish of Vancouver-based Splyce Design takes the idea of the cabin – close to the ground, in tune with the elements – to a refined new level.

—By Adele Weder

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08-31 7:40 AM

Photography by Ivan Hunter

September/October 2011 CANADIAN INTERIORS 57

In the living-dining area, the wood millwork and post-and-beam framework are offest by an urbane polished-concrete floor and slate-tile fireplace. When the sliding doors are open, the inside-outside barrier almost vanishes.

Once, a cabin was – by definition – a rough and simple wooden dwelling, the Thoreauesque hole-in-the-universe where urbanites would flee for a cursory escape from the world. These days, the cabin still serves as breakout room, but the design brief is much more ambitiously refined. Even the fact that a cabin would have a designer suggests we’re not in Walden Pond anymore.

58 CANADIAN INTERIORS September/October 2011

Nestled in the heart of the Okanagan, the lakefront Shuswap Cabin was designed

by Nigel Parish, principal of Splyce Design.

The Vancouver-based Parish sees this project as an urban house transplanted to Shuswap, with all necessary adaptive features. The clients had originally considered a two-storey structure, for instance, but Parish persuaded them to harness “the luxury of a broad site.” The idea of the

cabin – whether rustic or refined – is to be close to the foliage, the rockery, the water.

A second storey in the city can add views or extra square footage – but out in rural Okanagan, a single storey generously provides for both. “It was literally about being grounded,” says Parish. “Going up two levels, you’re just removing yourself.”

The front facade is inscrutable: a hybrid of cedar cladding and powdercoated

aluminum, it conveys protection more than welcome. The sole architectural gesture of invitation is its front entry. Here, the transparent glass front door generates a sightline clear through the house, through the glazed foyer back wall, to the swathe of lake water that lies beyond.

Inside, the material palette is comprised of what we collectively once thought of as “city” stuff: polished concrete, felt uphol-

stery, stainless-steel appliances, translucent cupboard doors, and sleek white and cherry-wood-veneered cabinetry fitted flush into the walls. But a kind of atavistic rusticity is there too, in its open post-andbeam construction and indoor-outdoor ambiguity. The massive glulam posts supporting the structure allow for the remarkable sliding-door system.

The vast expanse of glazing creates a

heart-stopping view and a terrific party backdrop. “It’s meant to be a pavilion for the experience of the setting,” says Parish.

“To me, the refinement of the interior places more emphasis on the view.” It sounds contradictory, but in certain ways, it’s tenable: the huge German-manufactured glass doors of the living-dining area are very urbane. Yet when you slide them open, the sense of being “indoors” September/October 2011 CANADIAN INTERIORS 59

Below left The sleek open-galley kitchen descends to the dining area. Below right Tucked away in the intimate west wing of the cabin, the master bathroom is infused with light and strategic views. Opposite The copiously glazed lakeside facade of the cabin glows at night.

vanishes and you feel almost outdoors. I say “almost” because as soon as those sliding doors open partway, one feels an urge to kick away the supporting posts, too, for a truly unfettered view. As it stands, we content ourselves with a Miesian “almost nothing.”

What energizes the Shuswap Cabin is its trapezoidal plan, generated by an oblique lot line on the east side, and a wise 60 CANADIAN INTERIORS September/October 2011

inclination to avoid the static formality of a shoebox form. Parish chose to cant the eastern wall both to follow the lot line and in order to maximize the view. That oblique line is echoed in the patio wall, which fans out to an expansive lake view from the front foyer, in the process generating a series of triangular niches into which you can squirrel away, in tribute to the original purpose of a cabin.

Inside, the post-and-beam framework is visible and would be rather overbearing if not for a number of leavening gestures.

First, the ceiling joists sit right on top of the supporting beams, generating the uncanny feeling that one could simply life the roof right off of the framework. Second, the roofline inflects upwards toward the fireplace, making the whole ceiling appear as it could take flight. Finally, the whole

interplay of wall and floor is lightened by a continuous and universal series of reveals.

The white walls, the concrete plinth of the fireplace and even the massive glulam posts seem to graze one another lightly.

What, then, is the purpose of such a finely wrought structure? Definitely not to rough it or seek out one’s inner Luddite. The clients and owners are not, in fact, using this place as a weekend get-

away (it’s too far from their Vancouverarea home). Instead, they spend weeks at a time here, conducting their business and personal lives within the ether, basing their family gatherings and entertaining here. This makes refinement logical rather than gratuitous.

In keeping with a secondary-going-onprimary residence, the Shuswap Cabin is all-season and all-hours. Every region of

the structure is infused with natural light, even during a mid-afternoon drizzle. Hours later, the setting sun sends the light scudding across the polished concrete, like a warm-up act to the evening’s entertaining. As night falls, a series of pot lights and LED footlights illuminate cupboards’ translucent doors. The scheme conveys the cool of a city soirée, and the warmth of a camp-side fire. c I September/October 2011 CANADIAN INTERIORS 61

Who’s Who 1

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TAYLOR SMYTH’S 10TH Taylor Smyth Architects (TS) celebrated its first 10 years and the launch of its new website with a cocktail party in their revamped Davenport Road digs.

Smiles of a summer night

1—TS team: communications manager Colin Geary; architects Dorie Smith and Margaret Krawecka; intern Anthony Gopuansuy; and office manager Carmeli Banci.

2—Founding partners Robert Smyth and Michael Taylor.

3—Arne Nordtorp, honorary Danish consul general; architect Rebecca Wei, TS associate; and John Paul Kim, junior tenant designer, Toews Engineering.

4—TS architects and associates Greg Adams and Aaron Finbow flank David Reale, partner at industrial designer and custom fabricator Reale Born.

—By David Lasker

FEMININE MYSTIQUE The Design Exchange’s Chalmers Design Centre and Teknion Lounge hosted the opening of Capacity, an exhibit of new works in a wide range of media by 10 Toronto-based women designers.

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1—Maiwenn Castellan, industrial designer at cutlery and dish maker Gourmet Settings, and creator of the show’s LIAM Mailbox; mixed-media artist MatthewRobin Nye, whose work recently appeared at the York U Art Gallery; Ange-line Tetrault, who stands in front of her I U Lamp, and designs for ceramics giftware maker Imm Living; and Nathalie Nahas, who creates store-window displays at Yorkville’s Anthropologie boutique, and whose contribution to the show is a Now I know my ABCs alphabet.

2—KPMB architects Glenn MacMullin, Steven Casey and Joy Charbonneau (whose Hydrological Map of Canada, in the exhibit, shows our every lake, river and brook); furniture designer Derek McLeod, whose credits include Keilhauer’s Flit stacking chair; and York U social psych student Amanda Williams.

3—Jordan Lane, board of maintenance, Ireland Park Foundation; Stratford Festival scenic designer Joanna Yu; show co-curator and ceramics designer Katherine Morley with her Hanna children’s-book display; and Paul Kawai, an environmental designer at Bruce Mau Design.

62 CANADIAN INTERIORS SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011

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Last Word

I’ll take Maharam My annual pilgrimage to the textile innovator’s NeoCon showroom.

—By Michael Totzke After eight visits to Chicago’s NeoCon (see my report, “Flextime,” on page xx), I have a confession to make: I have a thing for Maharam, the New York–based, fourth-generation, family-run textile company. It’s true. Each year, I put off visiting the Maharam showroom until late on Monday, as a reward for a full, frenzied day of reporting. I know I’ll fall in love all over again with its incomparable offerings, ranging from re-editions of enduring designs of the 20th-century’s most notable visionaries to collaborations among the Maharam Design Studio and the most adventurous of today’s designers; along with the latest Maharam Digital Projects, a growing portfolio of digitally printed wall installations.

This year, an assemblage of 11 different Digital Projects formed two flowing ribbons of imagery across the length of opposing showroom walls. My favourite is Type, by New York artist Polly Apfelbaum. In this sprightly composition, 100+ dingbats are arranged in a graduation based on a 66 CANADIAN INTERIORS SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011

turn-of-the-century palette from Dutch art supply manufacturer Talens.

In the showroom proper, floating display structures (by New York– and London-based artist Liam Gillick) moved the new textiles away from the wall, “calling attention to characteristics that are often lost when textiles are perceived as flat surfaces.” And what textiles, among them Hella Jongerius’s homespun Hours, its spun woolen yarns reflecting the Dutch designer’s interest in atmospheric shifts over the course of a day; the cheeky Deconstructed Rose, a traditional floral needlepoint transformed through a modern, pixilated scale; and “classic with a twist” Point by Paul Smith, the British fashion designer, which features dense rayon yarns in warp and weft secured by a fine nylon border. A feast for the eye; a tactile experience.

Which brings me to Maharam’s latest Textile of the 20th Century, Palio by Alexander Girard. In his years as art director of Herman Miller’s Textile Division (from its formation in 1952 through the

‘60s), Girard created more than 300 patterns to suit the company’s mid-century furniture. Palio’s motifs, colours and name are drawn form the famous bareback horserace held semi-annually in Siena, Italy. The eight motifs – including combs, fringes, flames, spikes, checkerboards and coronets – are based on the emblematic banners and flags of Siena’s city districts.

The re-edition, in which all eight motifs are collected as stripes, seems the very essence of joyful celebration.

Until next year, then: Maharam, I salute you.

Left to right Deconstructed Rose; Type by Polly Apfelbaum; Point by Paul Smith; Hours by Hella Jongerius; Palio by Alexander Girard.

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