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who: Architecture
Building Culture (ABC)
what: Architecture details: The firm tackles a wide range of projects, including residential, commercial, civic, and cultural structures. With a deep commitment to collaboration, ABC works closely with its clients to produce projects that are meaningful and engaging for both the client and the community at large.
Built on Community Written by RACHEL GALLAHER
Last year Brian Cavanaugh and Mark Ritchie of Vancouver, B.C., and
Portlandâs Architecture Building Culture found themselves designing a new conference center for the Jewish cultural organization, Lubavitch Foundation of British Columbia. The architects worked closely with the centerâs rabbi to learn more about the centerâs activities and orthodox traditions, and added modern touches to bridge the gap between past and present. The architectsâ work on the community center, (areas they designed are slated to open late this spring), included the massive 5,963-square-foot renovation within a nondescript office building constructed in the late â90s. Clean, simple lines and an abstract grid ceiling give the new reception hall an open, modern feeling, while traditional hand-washing stations fabricated with limestone are both functional and sculptural. Cavanaugh and Ritchie also designed the mikvahâa religious bathing pool and facility that has a long and sacred history. The architects researched ancient mikvahs in Israel and found that they were always made of stone, so they decided to stick with the tradition but added a regional injection with details in Douglas fir. âThe project was challenging but important,â Ritchie explains. âWe really were helping [the Lubavitch Center] design an interface with the surrounding community.â GRAY ISSUE No. three
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