Canadian Architect April 2017

CANADIAN ARCHITECT APR/17

RETHINKING THE HOUSE

THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE RAIC

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MAPEI helps forestry center meet Living Building Challenge MAPEI products were used to build one of the Americas’ first facilities to meet the Living Building Challenge, an environmental standard that reflects the most advanced measure of sustainability in today’s built environment.

Bill Fisch Forest Stewardship and Education Centre York, Ontario

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6 VIEWPOINT

5468796 ARCHITECTURE

DOUBLESPACE PHOTOGRAPHY

RETHINKING THE HOUSE

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CANADIAN ARCHITECT

APRIL 2017

Editor Elsa Lam reflects on programmatic synergies in two recent project by Hamilton-based Thier + Curran Architects.

9 NEWS

Farrow unveils design of cancer centre in Jerusalem; Lemay wins competition to redesign Morocco’s Casablanca coast; B.C. Wood Design Award winners announced.

29 PRACTICE

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Enoch Sears explains why a Low Commitment Consultation should replace the free-of-charge preliminary services that architects often offer.

30 BOOKS

13 DOUBLE DUPLEX An infill project by Batay-Csorba Architects presents an intelligent and inventive take on a classic Toronto typology. TEXT Javier Zeller

Recent books on the activism of Henriquez Partners, the legacy of William Grierson, and the condominiumization of Toronto.

33 CALENDAR

18 PARALLELOGRAM HOUSE Located outside of Winnipeg, a bungalow by 5468796 Architecture skews the classic square plan to increase a family’s contact with nature. TEXT Lawrence Bird

24 ENOUGH HOUSE

34 BACKPAGE

George Baird, FRAIC visits the house that Barton Myers built for himself in Montecito, California.

JAMES BRITTAIN

MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects adds to its rural portfolio with a superbly minimalist dwelling designed for an architectural intern-in-residence. TEXT Joseph Burkett

End-of-year shows at Waterloo and Ryerson; conferences in Vancouver, Ottawa, Toronto and Niagara-on-the-Lake; Jane’s Walk across Canada and beyond.

COVER Enough House by MacKayLyons Sweetapple Architects. Photo

by James Brittain.

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THE NATIONAL REVIEW OF DESIGN AND PRACTICE / THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE RAIC

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VIEWPOINT

ABOVE Designed by Thier + Curran Architects, the Richmond Hill HUB, north of Toronto, combines seniors’ housing with a youth shelter and drop-in centre.

SYNERGIES FOR SOCIAL GOOD Architects are often known for their skill in optimizing client programs, and Hamiltonbased Thier + Curran Architects (TCA) is no exception. Community-building synergies are behind a pair of their recent projects: a social service oriented development in Hamilton, and another in Richmond Hill.

For over 50 years, the non-profit Hamilton Good Shepherd has provided services for the area’s homeless population. In the mid-2000s, the Catholic Diocese offered it a piece of vacant land in an up-and-coming neighbourhood to build a women’s shelter.

TCA was hired to design the shelter, but after preliminary analysis of the large lot, they felt there was a moral obligation to develop more. “We could build three more buildings on the property without compromising anything, and it would actually be a nicer development and better for the community,” recalls Bill Curran, MRAIC. It took 12 years of fundraising and approvals to realize that vision, accompanied by “horrendous NIMBY ism, and an OMB hearing full of neighbours saying ‘we don’t want those people here’,” says Curran. One of the advantages of creating a larger development meant that this process only had to be navigated once—rather than through multiple consultations if the property was built up more incrementally. Moreover, “there are 6,000 families on the waiting list for affordable housing in Hamilton,” says Curran. Creating more units helped with addressing this demand.

In the end, Good Shepherd Square includes a courtyard building with a pair of shelters: one for older women with mental issues, and another for domestic abuse victims. A shared services wing includes community outreach spaces such as a chapel, rooms for drop-in counseling, and a medical clinic. Two eightstorey subsidized apartment blocks front onto the main street, one tailored for families and the other for seniors. Another building, a three-storey apartment, is yet to come.

In the case of the Richmond Hill HUB, TCA teamed up with a contractor to respond

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to a call for design-build proposals to create a seniors’ apartment tower. After winning the project, the client from the Region of York approached the team to ask if a youth shelter and drop-in centre could be added.

It was a “a shot-gun wedding” between programs, says Curran—but they found a way to spatially separate the youth functions from the seniors’ centre. They tucked the youth shelter towards the back of the building, and created indoor and outdoor amenity spaces for the seniors on the third floor.

Similar to Good Shepherd, the pairing of programs helped to address the region’s pressing social service needs. TCA had support from the mayor and council in facing neighbours’ concerns; again, those battles only needed to be fought once.

In many cases with social service projects, Curran says, NIMBY concerns dissipate once a project is up and running, particularly if care has been taken with the architecture. “A critical part is that it must not look institutional. It must be home,” says Curran. The façades for Good Shepherd Square use high-quality clay brick, and patterning that matches the scale of adjacent single-family homes. For the Richmond Hill HUB, TCA worked to break down the scale of the 10-storey building for it to integrate more closely with present and future development.

Working with tight budgets of $160 and $180 per square foot respectively, TCA aimed to combine challenging programs, while creating buildings that are home-like inside, and form quiet background buildings from the outside.

“Good Shepherd’s motto is ‘faith in people,’ and a lot of that is about dignity,” says Curran.

“Architecture really does impact people—it affects their quality of life and their feeling of self-worth that they live in a nice place.”

As a result of that sensitive outlook, Hamilton and Richmond Hill have new structures that, despite their eccentricities, are turning out to be good neighbours.

Elsa Lam

­­EDITOR ELSA LAM, MRAIC ART DIRECTOR ROY GAIOT ASSISTANT EDITOR SHANNON MOORE EDITORIAL ADVISOR IAN CHODIKOFF, OAA, FRAIC CONTRIBUTING EDITORS ANNMARIE ADAMS, FRAIC ODILE HÉNAULT DOUGLAS MACLEOD, NCARB, MRAIC REGIONAL CORRESPONDENTS HALIFAX CHRISTINE MACY, OAA REGINA BERNARD FLAMAN, SAA MONTREAL DAVID THEODORE CALGARY GRAHAM LIVESEY, MRAIC WINNIPEG LISA LANDRUM, MAA, AIA, MRAIC VANCOUVER ADELE WEDER, HON. MRAIC VICE PRESIDENT & SENIOR PUBLISHER STEVE WILSON 416-441-2085 x105 SALES MANAGER FARIA AHMED 416-441-2085 x106 CUSTOMER SERVICE / PRODUCTION LAURA MOFFATT 416-441-2085 x104 CIRCULATION CIRCULATION@CANADIANARCHITECT.COM PRESIDENT OF IQ BUSINESS MEDIA INC. ALEX PAPANOU HEAD OFFICE 101 DUNCAN MILL ROAD, SUITE 302 TORONTO, ON M3B 1Z3 TELEPHONE 416-441-2085 E-MAIL elam@canadianarchitect.com WEBSITE www.canadianarchitect.com Canadian Architect is published monthly by iQ Business Media Inc..

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PROJECTS

Canadian architecture firm Farrow, in collaboration with Jerusalem-based Rubenstein Ofer Architects, has unveiled the design for Israel’s newest cancer centre, located on a prominent site in the heart of Jerusalem. The 7,000square-metre centre will offer radiation treatment as a complement to present chemotherapy services on the campus.

The cancer centre is the first phase of Farrow’s master plan for the Shaare Zedek Medical Center (SZMC) campus. “We set out to create a campus where people can thrive and prosper, rather than cope and survive,” said Tye Farrow, FRAIC. “The design embodies SZMC ’s dedication to advanced medicine infused with human compassion, emphasizing the human touch and connections to nature.”

The cancer centre evokes the shape and movement of a butterfly, calling to mind the transformative nature of a creature that can fly. This optimistic vision is reinforced through soaring “wings” that radiate an abundance of filtered natural light. Construction will commence with the excavation of the site in June 2017. www.farrowpartners.ca

LGA Architectural Partners in consultation with ERA Architects to lead design team for kiln building at Evergreen Brick Works.

Evergreen, a national not-for-profit, has begun a retrofit of a 5,000-square-metre kiln building at Evergreen Brick Works. The project is to be used as an education and gathering space, extending the functions of the existing Brick Works facility. It will incorporate renewable energy technologies such as solar panels and geo-exchange systems, along with green construction practices, while preserving the heritage kilns and other features.

The design team is led by LGA Architectural Partners in consultation with heritage design specialists ERA Architects, working with constructor EllisDon, mechanical engineer Brookfield and manufacturing partner CRH Canada. The project aims to achieve a carbon neutral target.

“As a team, we are going to contribute a dynamic and forward-thinking thesis on what a 21st-century heritage and sustainable project should embody,” said Janna Levitt, FRAIC, principal at LGA Architectural Partners. “This historic kiln building produced the physical material that built our city and now, this new space will become a think-tank to generate ideas about future cities—not only in Canada but around the world.” www.lga-ap.com

COURTESY FARROW

Farrow unveils design of Israel’s newest cancer centre in Jerusalem.

CANADIAN ARCHITECT 04/17

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NEWS

ABOVE The design for Shaare Zedek Medical Center’s cancer care facility, by Farrow in collaboration with Rubenstein Ofer Architects, evokes the shape and movement of a butterfly.

Stantec Architecture part of consortium for CAMH project on Queen Street West.

CAMH has announced Plenary Health— a consortium of companies including Stantec Architecture—as its partner to design, build, finance and maintain the next phase of the Queen Street Redevelopment Project. Phase 1C will see CAMH’s two signature hospital buildings installed on Queen Street West.

These new hospital facilities will contain 235 beds for patients with acute and complex mental illnesses. Research and education spaces will be co-located within the clinical care environment to create opportunities for discovery and collaboration that will advance treatment for the patients of the future.

Designed for healing, CAMH’s new buildings will be planned around the patient’s journey and support a best practice, recovery-based model of mental health care.

Plenary Health is a consortium of a number of companies, including: Plenary Group and PCL Investments (developers); PCL Constructors (designer-builder); Stantec Architecture (architect); Plenary Group (financial advisor); and ENGIE Services (facility manager). Construction will begin in fall 2017. www.stantec.com

Lemay wins international competition to redesign Morocco’s Casablanca coast.

Lemay has won an international competition to redesign the waterside boulevards of Morocco’s Casablanca coast, which include the new seaside promenade of the Hassan II Mosque and the Ain Diab Corniche.

The Montreal-based firm won an international competition for the project that was launched

by real estate agency Casa Aménagement in June 2016, and called for a design that would enhance the coastline for the residents of Casablanca. For the jurors, Lemay’s proposal stood out with its trans-disciplinary approach, combining broad expertise in international development, sustainability, architecture, landscape architecture, urban design and graphic design.

Lemay will be collaborating with Moroccan firm Geodata, which specializes in topography and engineering. Sustainable development features, including an electric tramway and the coast’s first-ever bicycle path, feature prominently in their winning proposal. Recycling, ecological handling of waste, the use of local materials and plants, as well as the revitalization of natural areas will also contribute to the creation of a sustainable environment that promotes the well-being of future generations. www.lemay.com

AWARDS RAIC awards posthumous 2017 Gold Medal to architect and planner Roger du Toit.

One of Canada’s most important and influential urban designers, whose portfolio includes Toronto’s CN Tower, Ottawa’s Parliamentary Precinct, the Wascana Centre in Regina and projects at more than 25 university campuses, is the recipient of the 2017 RAIC Gold Medal.

Roger du Toit established his practice, now known as DTAH, in Toronto in 1975. He was not only a professional architect but also a certified landscape architect and planner. Born in South Africa, he died in 2015, aged 75, from injuries suffered in a bicycle accident.

“Roger’s work inspired many professionals and firms that followed his pioneering in urban

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NEWS

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for T3 (International Wood Design); Kengo Kuma and Associates/Minato-ku for Shaw Tower Teahouse (Jury’s Choice Award); and Hacker for Lakeside at Black Butte Ranch (Sustainable Forestry Initiative Award).

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Call for Proposals: 2018 Venice Biennale in Architecture.

ABOVE Tsawwassen Mills, by Chris Jacques with Read Jones Christoffersen, won a B.C. Wood Design Award in the commercial projects category.

design,” said the jury. “He made us aware that our community projects could go way beyond the traditional notions of just streetscapes.”

The RAIC Gold Medal is the highest honour the profession of architecture in Canada can bestow. It recognizes a significant and lasting contribution to Canadian architecture.

Du Toit’s widow, Sheila du Toit, and their sons Rob du Toit and Andre du Toit will accept the award at the RAIC/OAA Festival of Architecture taking place in Ottawa May 24-27, 2017. www.raic.org

The Pritzker Architecture Prize announces 2017 Laureates.

Rafael Aranda, Carme Pigem and Ramon Vilalta have been selected as the 2017 Pritzker Architecture Prize Laureates, known internationally as architecture’s highest honour.

The three architects, originating from Olot in the Catalonian region of Spain, have worked together collaboratively since founding their firm, RCR Arquitectes, in 1988. Their work demonstrates an unyielding commitment to place and its narrative, to create spaces that are in discourse with their respective contexts.

Harmonizing materiality with transparency, Aranda, Pigem and Vilalta seek connections between the exterior and interior, resulting in emotional and experiential architecture.

“Mr. Aranda, Ms. Pigem and Mr. Vilalta have had an impact on the discipline far beyond their immediate area,” said Tom Pritzker, Chairman of the Hyatt Foundation, which sponsors the award. “Their ability to intensely relate the environment specific to each site is a testament to their process and deep integrity.” This is the first time that three architects have been collectively honoured with the Prize. It is the second time that laureates hail from Spain, following

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Rafael Moneo, who received the award in 1996.

The Pritzker Prize ceremony will take place in Tokyo, Japan on May 20, 2017. www.rcrarquitectes.es

Winners announced for Wood WORKS! BC 2017 Wood Design Awards.

The Canada Council for the Arts invites proposals for the Canadian representation at the 2018 Venice Biennale in Architecture, the foremost international platform to engage critical conversations on contemporary architecture.

Doubling its previous investment and enhancing international exposure, the Canada Council will make a contribution of $500,000 towards the presenter’s exhibition. The presenter will be the curator, producer and project manager of the exhibition. The proposed presentation should communicate excellence, innovation and currency in contemporary Canadian architecture, including buildings, landscapes and places. The presentation may also focus on critical research on architecture, landscape architecture or the urban environment.

The deadline for proposals is May 15, 2017. www.canadacouncil.ca

Last month, the winners of the B.C. Wood Design Awards were announced at a celebration in Vancouver. Winners and nominees were honoured for their leadership and innovation in structural and architectural wood use.

There were 114 nominations in 13 categories.

All projects showcase distinctive and unique qualities of wood such as strength, beauty, versatility, and cost-effectiveness in a wide range of projects and a variety of wood uses.

Winners include: Dana Westermark/Oris Consulting (Wood Champion Award); Fast + Epp (Engineer Award); HCMA Architecture + Design (Architect Award); Weir-Jones Group/ MGA for Shoreline (Wood Innovation Award); Bella Bella for Bella Bella Passive House (Environmental Performance Award); Helliwell + Smith/Blue Sky Architecture for Arbutus House (Residential Wood Design); Innovation Building Group/Ron Nadeau for Solana (Multi-Unit Residential Wood Design); Chris Jacques/Read Jones Christoffersen for Tsawwassen Mills (Commercial Wood Design); Rod Windjack/ HDR /CEI Architecture for Mulgrave Senior School Addition (Interior Beauty); Shelley Craig/Urban Arts Architecture for UBC Engineering Student Centre (Institutional Wood Design – Small); Patkau Architects for Audain Art Museum (Institutional Wood Design – Large); D’Ambrosio architecture + urbanism for Cadboro Bay Residence (Western Red Cedar); Michael Green Architecture/Steve Cavanaugh/ DLR Group

NRC research aims to factor climate resilience into design of future buildings in Canada.

Over the next five years, the National Research Council (NRC) will conduct research, evaluations and risk analyses to develop new solutions to factor climate resilience into the design of future buildings and infrastructure in Canada. This includes houses, roads, bridges, water systems and rapid transit networks.

“With climate change, the total annual precipitation is increasing, as well as the frequency and severity of extreme events, such as heat waves, high winds, floods and droughts, all of which is resulting in increased stress on built structures,” says Richard Tremblay, General Manager of Construction at the NRC. “In 2017, it is a necessity to start planning to adapt our buildings and infrastructure to withstand the new loads.”

The Government of Canada is investing $40 million into these efforts from the Investing in Canada plan, which provides more than $180 billion in infrastructure funding over 12 years. Once in effect, the new measures are expected to reduce the costs of rehabilitating and replacing buildings and infrastructures affected by extreme weather events.

New specifications and guidelines will be ready and released as soon as 2020. www.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca

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Diamond Schmitt Architects opens new practice in Vancouver.

Diamond Schmitt Architects has announced the opening of its Vancouver practice, led by Ana Maria Llanos, a senior associate with the firm. “Western Canada has always been well represented in our portfolio, and with current projects and pursuits, now is the right time to open a studio in Vancouver and be closer to our clients in the western regions of Canada and the United States,” said Donald Schmitt, FRAIC. Llanos has worked at Diamond Schmitt for 20 years and has broad expertise in institutional and commercial projects. She is currently project architect for the Emily Carr University of Art + Design, a 27,000-squaremetre centre for 21st-century learning in art, design, media and applied research at the heart of a new creative cultural precinct. www.dsai.ca

New forecasting tool by UBC predicts Vancouver houses at risk of teardown.

Approximately one-quarter of detached homes in Vancouver’s housing market could be torn down between now and 2030, according to a new forecasting tool developed by a UBC researcher and industry collaborator.

The forecasting tool, known as the Teardown Index, suggests that the lower the value of the residence relative to the value of the overall property (its relative building value, or RBV ), the more likely it is the house will be torn down and replaced by a new one.

“An RBV between 60 and 70 percent is generally considered healthy for a new building,” said Joseph Dahmen, a professor of architecture at the University of British Columbia. “But when a building is worth less than 10 percent of the total value of the property, the probability of teardown and replacement increases dramatically.”

Given the recent rapid rise in Vancouver real estate values, half of single-family homes in Vancouver already have RBVs below 7.5 percent. Noting that a quarter of all single-family homes sold in Vancouver proper are torn down and replaced, the researchers are planning to use their findings to assess the projected environmental impact of the new homes. www.ubc.ca

2017 Festival of Architecture to celebrate Canada’s built heritage in Ottawa.

The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) and the Ontario Association of Architects (OAA) are partnering to present the Festival of Architecture, being held in Ottawa May 24-27, 2017. The event offers an opportunity to network and socialize while discussing the theme of Architecture 150. As Canadians celebrate the country’s milestone anniversary, the festival will consider the role of architecture in creating the country’s built heritage and expressing its culture.

In addition to an opening party at the Canadian War Museum on May 24, the RAIC College of Fellows will hold its convocation ceremony at the Canadian Museum of History, inducting new members on May 25. The President’s Dinner and Awards Gala on May 26 will celebrate excellence in the built environment as the RAIC and OAA bestow a variety of awards. On the final day, the RAIC will host the first-ever International Indigenous Architecture and Design Symposium at the Wabano Centre.

Adding to the sense of this historic occasion, the RAIC will mark the 110th anniversary of its founding as Canada’s national architecture association. festival2017.raic.org

New exhibition at Stewart Museum celebrates 50th anniversary of Expo 67 World Fair.

To mark the 375th anniversary of Montreal and the 50th anniversary of Expo 67, the Stewart Museum in Montreal presents an exhibition that draws on the technological innovations featured at the pavilions, and the dreams that became a reality at the 1967 World Fair.

The exhibition is created using archival images and footage from the National Film Board and CBC/R adio-Canada. It invites visitors to explore immersive installations on St. Helen’s Island, the original site of the World Fair. Expo 67: A World of Dreams opens April 26 and runs until October 8, 2017. www.stewart-museum.org

Amphibious architecture conference explores design solutions for flood mitigation.

In the last 20 years, the ten worst floods around the world have displaced over 1.1 billion people and resulted in damages of over $165 billion. The 2017 International Conference on Amphibious Architecture, Design and Engineering (ICAADE) will bring together more than 200 professionals from around the world to focus on amphibious design and its practical applications for flood mitigation.

The conference will include leaders from industries including marine engineering, urban architecture, water management, land planning, real estate development, construction and urban landscaping. Municipal representatives, government officials and academics will be among the attendees.

ICAADE 2017 will be held at the University of Waterloo from June 25-28, 2017. www.icaade.org

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DESIGN WITH TYPE AN EMERGING FIRM REVEALS AN INNOVATIVE TAKE ON THE TORONTO DOUBLE HOUSE WITH TWIN DUPLEXES ON ADJACENT PARKDALE LOTS.

ABOVE Double Duplex consists of twin buildings, each combining a two-storey upper unit and two-storey lower unit. A slight assymetry in the design integrates the buildings into the streetscape.

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In the upper unit, X-shaped columns to either side of the kitchen island maximize structural efficiency while adding minimalist flair; checker-patterned steel stairs are used throughout, making use of economical industrially produced materials. OPPOSITE The lower unit’s open floor plate extends between two courtyards and includes loft-like areas at front and back, providing a surprising sense of spaciousness.

ABOVE, LEFT TO RIGHT

Double Duplex, Toronto, Ontario Batay-Csorba Architects TEXT Javier Zeller PHOTOS Doublespace Photography PROJECT

ARCHITECT

Since moving their firm from Los Angeles to Toronto in 2012, BatayCsorba Architects has established a reputation for balancing research and building, and challenging assumptions implicit in the city’s built fabric. This interest in the transformative possibilities of playing with architectural typology has resulted in two Canadian Architect Awards and a spot on the OAA Awards shortlist in quick succession.

Toronto’s character is embodied in the carpet of houses that stretches across the inverted T-shape of the old city, testament to a speculative boom at the end of the 19th century. The condominium wave currently consuming much of downtown has left large swaths of these lowrise residential neighbourhoods untouched. An eye-watering rise in real estate prices has done as much as any planning controls to limit the insensitive block-busting that characterized downtown development in the 50s and 60s. Now, developers are instead buying oversized, undervalued or vacant lots to construct small-scale speculative infill projects.

These low- and mid-rise developments comprise much of BatayCsorba’s work, a portfolio which is typical of emerging practices in Toronto. But their interest in pursuing each of these projects as a serious study in urban form-making sets the firm apart from most of its contemporaries.

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In the 1970s, architect and theorist George Baird’s pioneering work in analyzing Toronto’s urban morphology was a landmark North American example of typological analysis. So was Steven Holl’s survey of housing in Rural and Urban Housing Types, which included the ubiquitous Toronto double house as an example.

Batay-Csorba’s Double Duplex project consciously confronts this cultural history to great effect. The speculative pair of duplexes, which completes the north side of a well-treed street in Toronto’s Parkdale neighbourhood, is remarkable in the degree to which it stakes out a new approach to the familiar type identified by Holl—all while unsentimentally complementing the form of its neighbours.

At first glance, Double Duplex is surprisingly unobtrusive, considering its strong formal contrast with the bay-and-gable Victorian houses that make up the balance of the street face. The twin buildings maintain the setback of their immediate neighbours. While their massing suggests that each is a single residence, the cladding strategy informally signals their internal arrangement. A two-storey wood brise-soleil screens the front of the upper units and orange-red brick clads the lower units. Together, the wood and brick form a dialogue with the traditional materials of adjacent dwellings.

This consideration of the streetscape extends to the shape of the brisesoleils and metal roofs. There is a subtle asymmetry between the two houses, evident in the upper unit of each duplex. In the western half, the wood screen continues across the building face to align with the second storey cornice of the house next door. In contrast, the eastern twin’s sloping metal roof dips down to pick up the line of its neighbour’s roofed porch.

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Each of the duplexes is composed of stacked two-storey units that extend the full length of the houses. The lower unit is bracketed with sunken courtyards at either end. Entry is through the street-facing courtyard, where a metal stair descends to this lower level. Once inside, it doesn’t feel like a typical basement: an open living-dining space stretches the length of the house, with expansive windows at each end, while the courtyards and double-height volumes that cap the space suffuse the interior with light, even on a snowy mid-winter day.

The interior walls of the courtyards are painted with murals that very effectively expand the space of the lower f loor into the site.

Three upper-floor bedrooms are arranged on the ground level, two of them pulled in from the exterior walls to create a loft condition over the living spaces below. These bedrooms face large, aluminum-framed windows. The third bedroom suffers comparatively, depending on borrowed light from an inverted bay, carved into the demising wall.

The upper unit, reached from a street-level vestibule by a blackpainted checker-plate steel stair, is a kind of inversion of the lower unit. The upper-f loor bedrooms are pushed to the exterior and a skylight draws light into the centre of the plan. The wood brise-soleil covers the south façade from second to third f loor, forming a tall, semi-enclosed outdoor room. The screen throws an abstract pattern of shadows—with allusions to animal or cloud forms—recalling traditional Arabic mashrabiya or latticework screens, which allow for both shade and privacy.

Both lower and upper units enjoy a high degree of privacy from the street, which is striking as this is achieved while using large-scale windows. The living areas of the lower unit are screened from view by the guard surrounding the entry courtyard, with the bedroom pulled

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away from its large ground-floor window. The upper unit is completely obscured behind the brise-soleil, its volume set back from the street and only visible at oblique angles. This project admirably overcomes the typical condition of contemporary homes, where large windows into living spaces or bedrooms are masked by perpetually drawn shades.

As a speculative project, Double Duplex doesn’t engage in the fetishization of material or craft that characterizes many client-commissioned modern residences. Batay-Csorba have instead applied their efforts to achieving spatial variety, selectively using digital fabrication to amplify the material and textural richness of the project’s most public face.

The interior is by no means spartan, though. All the units sport custom kitchens with integrated appliances. Elegant and cost-effective design solutions have been deployed, such as exposing the f loor joists and arraying the blocking to echo the algorithmic pattern of the sunscreen. In the upper units, a splayed column gives whimsical punctuation to the kitchen, while allowing for a more economical structure.

The most notable success of the project is the adventurous way that Batay-Csorba has managed to re-imagine the semi-detached house as a horizontally divided type. This approach of tackling typology distinguishes Double Duplex from most other modern takes on the traditional bay-and-gable home. The project does not shy away from adopting a modern language, but the doubling of density in such a gracious and sensitive way is ultimately even more innovative. It radically re-imagines the typical Toronto house, and in doing so suggests a way of growing the city without destroying its fabric.

Javier Zeller, MRAIC, is an architect working in Toronto with Diamond Schmitt Architects.

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The lower-level living area adjoins an entry courtyard, while above, the bedroom is drawn back from the windows for privacy; a lattice-like wood screen provides a porous enclosure for the upper unit’s front balcony. ABOVE, TOP TO BOTTOM Graffiti-like murals by a local artist adorn the light court in the upper unit; the same artist was commissioned to create works for the front and rear courtyards, giving the project a colourful, urban feel.

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CLIENT THE MADA GROUP INC. | ARCHITECT TEAM ANDREW BATAY-CSORBA, JODI BATAY-CSORBA,

MICHAEL FOHRING, LOLA ABRAHAM | STRUCTURAL SECANT ENGINEERS INC. | MECHANICAL FRANZESE MECHANICAL | CONTRACTOR THE MADA GROUP INC. | AREA 4,000 FT 2 | BUDGET WITHHELD | COMPLETION AUGUST 2016

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1 ENTRY COURTYARD 2 ENTRY 3 STUDY 4 DINING ROOM 5 KITCHEN 6 LIVING ROOM 7 REAR COURTYARD

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SKEWING THE SQUARE A LUXURIOUS BUNGALOW STEMS FROM THE INITIAL MOVE OF PULLING AT THE CORNERS OF A FAMILIAR SHAPE. Parallelogram House, East St. Paul, Manitoba 5468796 Architecture TEXT Lawrence Bird PHOTOS 5468796 Architecture (exteriors) and James Brittain (interiors) PROJECT

ARCHITECT

The exurban house is a conundrum. What are we to do with the country villa today, as the definition of “country” is complicated by development and a blurring of urban, suburban and rural environments? With Parallelogram House, 5468796 Architecture and their clients propose an inspired response. It takes the form of an understated yet beautiful dwelling, based on a simple, subtly elaborated gesture.

For principal Sasa Radulovic, FRAIC, the approach in any house is to look for the thorny problem essential to the owner and the site. In this case, clients Nolan and Rachel Ploegman commissioned a house for their family of four on an 80-foot-wide site in East St. Paul, northeast of Winnipeg, with a 10-foot zoning offset from side property lines. Perhaps due to personal sensibilities, they wished to avoid ostentation: so they wanted the building to be only one-storey high. This was a tight squeeze

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ABOVE Appearing as a modest bungalow, the house takes advantage of its geometry to accommodate a three-car garage on one side, and expansive views on the opposite side. OPPOSITE Floor-to-ceiling windows and a cascade of terraces open towards the backyard.

for a dwelling that was to offer views to the landscape and room for cars; all while being original and accommodating the richness of family life.

The solution, uncovered over three months of early design conversations, was deceptively simple. The designers took a banal house-form— four walls at right angles with a roof overhead—and sheared it into a parallelogram. Suddenly, a box with 60-foot edges was transformed. While maintaining the same built area (and thus similar construction costs), the rear façade onto the garden increased to almost 85 feet, as did the front façade. This is characteristic of 5468796’s modus operandi: to create space where none existed before.

From this key gesture, a host of design opportunities unfolded. A key challenge was to ensure that the oblique angles and increased expanse of perimeter did not increase the visual mass of the building. A palatte

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Deep eaves and an earthy palette of Corten steel and western red cedar are used to accentuate the house’s sweeping, horizontal form.

A sawtooth profile along the south façade provides indirect views facing the neighbouring property. OPPOSITE The full-height basement receives ample natural light, thanks to a series of light wells and openings between the two levels of the dwelling.

ABOVE

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of strategies was deployed to slim the structure’s profile and modulate its edges: 10-foot-wide eaves emphasize the sweeping gesture of the form, downspouts are eliminated to further accentuate the horizontal, and an array of 14-foot-high Corten steel sheets, folded for rigidity—while still appearing supple—extends along the perimeter. Connections with the roof trusses are recessed and hidden above each column, and the roof seemingly hovers above.

Because of the skewed geometry, a cluster of columns was required at the two acute corners of the building, where there was insufficient span to cantilever the trusses (which run perpendicular to the long edges of the structure). Far from limiting the architects, this provided another opportunity to modulate the edge, lending an irregular rhythm to the façade. This is masterfully exploited to eliminate any sense of monotony, and to set up a syncopated rhythm with the surrounding trees. Standing inside, the triangular living space opens up and extends out through white-mullioned glass walls, beneath f loating eaves, between Corten columns, and over a concrete verandah and seating area to encompass a broad swath of forest. The owners say that, in the house, nature becomes a family member.

In tune with this sensitivity to the surrounding landscape, principles of sustainable design are integrated throughout. The broad eaves reduce solar gain, a minimal number of trees were removed, and space is efficiently used to maximize the bungalow’s sense of expansiveness.

Inside, the floorplate is organized into living, sleeping, and garage zones. Boundaries between these areas are managed by a free-standing service block, including washrooms, kitchen, pantry and storage. A line of white-painted internal screens provides further division between public and private spaces, and their rhythm and angularity riff on that of the exterior columns. Pale red-oak flooring and millwork complement the weathered patina of the Corten, as does a solid reclaimed-timber table. Elegant but unfussy, these elements bring material solidity to the light and airy space, making it at once graceful and substantial.

These achievements were facilitated by a client who came to the project with considerable experience as a developer. The client’s existing relationships with manufacturers and skilled trades—and the trust that goes along with that—proved crucial to the project. The Ploegmans worked closely with Star Truss, Brunswick Steel and Aabacus Welding to develop the structural system and connections that made the roof and columns work.

Most of the trusses are unique, and the complex connections were figured out on-site and in the factory. The owner’s hand-picked trades included All Seasons Carpentry for flooring and millwork, and Wood Anchor for

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The open concept kitchen and living areas enjoy full access to the leafy backyard along the house’s long façade. BELOW A pleated divider between the living and bedroom zones echoes the geometry of the Corten columns outside the house. BELOW One of several openings along the perimeter lend daylight and a sense of spaciousness to the lower level.

ABOVE

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the reclaimed timber table and teak-oil-finished oak front door. In some cases, it still took considerable persuasion to overcome the fear of the new idea. For instance, when the drywaller hesitated at framing the roof ’s single aperture—a skylight with a complex geometry—Radulovic stepped in to model it at 1:1 on site, in string.

In section, the angular geometry is carried through in vertical connections: window wells almost 30 feet high punctuate the perimeter, extending down into a full-height basement. This has the impactful effect of nibbling away at the slab edges at key, yet sometimes counterintuitive locations—in the living area, at the corner of the master bedroom, in the washroom and in the laundry room. Beyond bringing wedges of light into the lower storey, the tall window wells also contribute to the façade’s well-studied and subtle modulation of Corten and rough-sawn western red cedar.

Unlike any of its neighbours, Parallelogram House withdraws both its front door and its triple garage from the street. Rare in a suburban home, the three-car garage does not dominate the façade, but is instead subsumed by an arcade between the wooden wall and Corten columns.

Homes in bedroom communities typically tend toward ostentation: free-standing villas set apart on large lots, in a vague, stuccoed neoclassicism. Given his home’s completely different stance, Nolan Ploegman confesses to occasionally wondering: “Is my house not grand enough?”

This feeling is perhaps an inevitable consequence of choosing, as the owner puts it, to “go beyond society’s norms” by building a house which is modest as well as expansive, down-to-earth as well as refined.

The square, the right angle, and the grid are some of the fundamental ordering gestures of design. Modern bungalows in Central Canada are among their manifestations: repeating pixels across a gridded Prairie geography. By skewing the basic form of the square—breaking it open and spilling its interior into the landscape, and vice-versa—5468796 has both rethought the house and reformulated the basic unit of low-density exurban development. One wonders how beautiful bedroom communities might be, if consistently designed with such a sensibility.

In this case, success was assured by the close collaboration of an architect and a developer. As Radulovic says of architects, no-one else in the building process has the remit to inventively rethink form in response to constraints. But the builder also matters, if one is to achieve a new take on the setting up of four walls and a roof—the basic gesture of the house.

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Lawrence Bird, MRAIC practices in architecture, urban design and the visual arts.

He works in Winnipeg for Ager Little Architects.

GROUND FLOOR CLIENT NOLAN PLOEGMAN | ARCHITECT TEAM SASA RADULOVIC, JOHANNA HURME, COLIN

NEUFELD, APOLLINAIRE AU, PABLO BATISTA, KEN BORTON, JORDY CRADDOCK, AYNSLEE HURDAL, CAROLINE INGLIS, KELSEY MCMAHON, SHANNON WIEBE, SHARON ACKERMAN, MANDY ALDCORN, SARAH ALMAKI, BEN GREENWOOD, ANDRIY IVANYTSKYY, JEFF KACHKAN, TRENT THOMPSON | STRUCTURAL HANUSCHAK CONSULTANTS INC. | LANDSCAPE SCATLIFF + MILLER + MURRAY | CONTRACTOR CONCORD PROJECTS | AREA 2,700 FT 2 + GARAGE + FULL BASEMENT | BUDGET WITHHELD | COMPLETION AUGUST 2014

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MORE THAN ENOUGH

WILLIAM GREEN

A MINIMALIST HOUSE IN RURAL NOVA SCOTIA IS MAXIMALLY GENEROUS IN ITS SWEEPING VIEWS, SIMPLE COMFORTS, AND THOUGHTFUL ARCHITECTURAL GESTURES.

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Enough House, Upper Kingsburg, Nova Scotia MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects TEXT Joseph Burkett PHOTOS James Brittain, unless otherwise noted PROJECT

ARCHITECT

On a narrow peninsula along the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia, Brian MacKay-Lyons is building a village. Beginning with the design-build exercises known as Ghost, the site has long been the research lab for the residential side of his practice, MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects.

The property has been gradually built up through a combination of the relocation and restoration of aging structures, and the design and construction of new ones.

Enough House falls into the latter category. Its name comes from an early conception of the project as a reaction against excess. It is meant to be a prototype for a “minimum” house, with the essential elements of a house arranged in an economical footprint.

My first in-person glimpse of the cabin came at the end of a long journey. After being chosen for this year’s Ghost Residency, I put most of my belongings into storage, packed up my small pickup, and made the trek from North Carolina to Canada. MacKay-Lyons’ property, which he calls Shobac, sits nestled among glacial formed drumlins.

It is bordered on one side by the Atlantic Ocean, and on the other

by Mosher’s Bay at the mouth of the LaHave River. Arrival to the site is via a rough patchy road, which carries you over a series of hills and down into the grouped buildings. As you crest the last hill, you catch sight of the campus against the backdrop of water and the LaHave Islands in the distance, before losing the view behind trees.

PREVIOUS SPREAD Enough House is a four-season cabin on Brian MacKayLyons’ rural property near Halifax. OPPOSITE Wood framing is left exposed throughout much of the house, which is a model for a minimal dwelling.

ABOVE Concrete foundation walls extend outwards to define the surrounding areas. LEFT The upper level of the house is a loft-like sleeping area, warmed by the ground-floor wood stove.

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The burnt orange colour of Enough House’s weathered steel skin stands in bold contrast to the landscape of rolling pastures and buildings clad in silver-gray shingles, wood, or galvanized metal. It is the newest addition to the collective, but its prominent position on the site would make you think it might have come first. MacKay-Lyons says that he tried to find the effective centre (or “navel”) of the property when deciding where to site the cabin. Its placement in relation to the other buildings gives form and identity to the surrounding spaces, defining a public square to the front, parking area to one side and barnyard to the back.

This sort of proto-urban development—shaping space by filling in, rather than expanding out—illustrates the ideas of settlement and community that are integral to the work of the practice.

The building sits lightly on a foundation of three concrete fins, which run perpendicular to its length and reach out into the landscape, bending to create outdoor rooms. Facing the road, two fins frame an elevated dooryard. On the valley side, the concrete walls wrap around a rectangular steel fire pit to create a gathering space. Elevated on these fins, the gabledroof structure evokes an iconic house shape, while the asymmetrical composition of the elevations begins to deconstruct this traditional form.

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The lower floor, dedicated to the living spaces, is designed to open to the landscape. A bite is taken out of the southwest corner to create an entry porch, which pinwheels in plan with the full-height glazing that wraps around the northeast corner, the latter presenting views of the adjacent pastures and hills. Sheep are often grazing within a few feet of the glass, giving the project one of its nicknames: “Shepherd’s House.” The hearth, an important element in most of the firm’s projects, sits on a raised plinth at the base of the perforated steel stair. This allows it to be enjoyed from the living space, while heat rises up to the sleeping quarters.

The bedroom is, somewhat paradoxically, the largest space in the building due to the generous headroom provided by the steep pitched roof. A large south-facing window above the stairs allows for solar gain, while offering views from bed of the sunrise over the ocean. Through most of the building, the wood-framed structure is left exposed, with only the service spaces of the kitchen, bathroom, closet, and dressing area receiving an interior finish of Douglas fir plywood.

When not in use for summer rentals, the building is meant to house an intern architect, giving the project its most commonly used name: “Intern Cabin.” This year, that intern is me. Soon after being asked to write about the cabin, a blizzard swept through the region, making the road impassable and knocking the power out. As I reheated the leftovers of a deer leg in a pot on the modernist Swedish wood stove, I thought about how different my relationship with the cabin is from that of the average guest. The harsher weather is an obvious difference—but most people come here for respite, while I am here to work. On an average day, I wake up, build a fire, make breakfast, and do some farm chores before beginning work on architectural projects. This could mean a quiet day at the computer, or being pulled in multiple directions.

The remoteness of this place can, at times, make it feel like the edge of the world. But in other ways, it feels more like the centre of it.

The sites of two of the projects I am working on can be seen from the cabin’s living room window, with other projects within walking distance or a short drive away. Brian MacKay-Lyons spends part of each week on the property, and when he is here, Shobac is effectively the remote command post for the practice.

The other buildings on-site are regularly occupied by renters or guests of the MacKay-Lyons family. In the past few months, these have included architects from abroad, an award-winning science fiction author, a collective of professional surfers, several photographers and a film crew shooting a music video. Due to its central position, the cabin is also known as “Gate House,” and part of my role is as gatekeeper and ambassador, greeting and directing visitors—whether local craftspeople working on various projects on the site, or simply someone who took a wrong turn while looking for Gaff Point Nature Preserve. One day I might be mending fences, and the next day having coffee with Glenn Murcutt.

The ability of the Enough House to shelter an intern through the winter as well as accommodate vacationers in the summer shows the flexibility inherent in the design’s simplicity. The work of Brian MacKay-Lyons has always been more about an evolution of ideas rather than spontaneous invention. In this way, the ideas explored in the Enough House can be seen reworked or flipped around in prior and subsequent projects.

The pivotal role of the project within the landscape of Shobac seems to be illustrative of its larger impact. As MacKay-Lyons describes it: “It’s a small building that punches above its weight.”

Joseph Burkett is the current holder of the Ghost Residency with MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects. A part-time carpenter, woodworker and upright bassist, he holds a masters degree in architecture from North Carolina State University.

CLIENT MARILYN MACKAY-LYONS | ARCHITECT TEAM BRIAN MACKAY-LYONS, TYLER REYNOLDS, MEGGIE KELLEY | STRUCTURAL BLACKWELL STRUCTURAL ENGINEERS—RENÉE MACKAY-LYONS | CONTRACTOR PHILIP CREASER CUSTOM HOMES & WOODWORKING | AREA 700 FT 2 | BUDGET WITHHELD | COMPLETION SEPTEMBER 2015

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FOR WHAT IT’S WORTH Enoch Bartlett Sears

A STRATEGY OF CHARGING FOR INITIAL CONSULTATIONS ALLOWS ARCHITECTS TO GET PAID FOR ALL OF THEIR WORK—AS WELL AS GIVING CLIENTS MORE CONFIDENCE IN THE DESIGN PROCESS. Alberta architect Spencer Court, MRAIC, principal of 010110 Architecture + Urbanism, had had enough. Enough free site visits and design sketches, of prospects who “pick his brains” and then evaporate. “We’ll think about it and get back to you,” they say. But then Court adopted the Low Commitment Consultation (LCC) strategy. “So far I’ve landed three large residential projects with the strategy,” says Court, who finds the approach useful for “eating the elephant one bite at a time.”

The LCC strategy was developed by architect marketing coach Richard Petrie, in response to complaints he heard from architects around the world about how the sales process often halts when potential clients receive a proposal.

“Clients stall,” says Petrie, “because they lack all the information they need to make an informed decision early in the process. They are afraid of making a mistake. Committing to move ahead with a contract for architectural services is a huge decision with a lot of inherent risk for a client.”

The typical proposal process asks too much of a potential client, too fast, he says. “It’s like a man proposing marriage to a woman on the first date. You wouldn’t move this fast in a relationship. Yet when it comes to selling architecture, architects throw everything they know about human relationships out the window and go for the full Monty.”

Petrie originally developed the strategy when he was working in sales for a New Zealand IT firm. While other IT firms offered a full package of services, Petrie would offer a “Needs Analysis” to help a potential client determine the scope of services. Petrie found that companies were more likely to move ahead with a small commitment like a Needs Analysis, and that 95 percent of the companies that paid for the Needs Analysis moved on to engage his company for full services.

“It’s like taking the client on a few dates,” says Petrie. “You get to figure out if this is a fit before signing up for a big commitment.”

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ABOVE Preliminary site massing options are part of the Discovery Consultation offered

by Lethbridge-based 010110 Architecture.

BELOW A rendering of the firm’s Hillside House renovation in Cardston, Alberta. The project started as a Discovery Consultation and is slated for construction this spring.

Petrie has developed a framework for creating an LCC, which he recommends that his architecture clients offer as part of their sales process.

However, a roadblock appears if clients think a firm is charging for something that other firms do for free. The key to overcoming this obstacle is to position the Low Commitment Consultation as a product.

In marketing lingo, this is known as “productizing a service”.

A productized service has four important elements: A name

A promise

A process

A price

For instance, the airline industry has productized First Class flying.

The name of the productized service is “First Class.” The promise is greater comfort, privacy and exclusivity. The process includes expedited checkin, preferred seating, higher-end food selection and concierge-level service. The price is double or more what one would pay in Coach or Economy Class. By productizing First Class flying, airlines are able to sell this service as a package people understand, and for which they’ll pay a premium.

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PRACTICE

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This same strategy is used to create a Low Commitment Consultation productized service offering for an architecture firm. First, the service must have a name. Possible names for an architectural Low Commitment Consultation include: • Needs and Options Review • Feasibility Study

• Opportunity Analysis • Exploration Package

The promise of an LCC varies by firm and services offered, but typically includes identifying project constraints, challenges and opportunities. The process can include an initial meeting, site visit and exploratory research, with the focus on pre-design work. The price is a fixed fee amount that depends on the target client and services offered. I’ve seen fees anywhere from $500 up to $18,000. The charge should fairly compensate the architect for their services and deliver value to their client.

Architect Spencer Court’s LCC is a Discovery Consultation, for which he charges a fee on a sliding scale, starting at $1,800. For this fee, Court delivers a five to seven page functional program outline, along with other documents including a site evaluation and order of magnitude budget estimate. Court helps the client understand that the research that goes into this report aids them in avoiding potential project pitfalls and uncovering hidden opportunities. It also helps the client feel more comfortable with the process, and allows Court to find out if the client will be a fit for the way he works.

The Low Commitment Consultation strategy also works with non-residential clients. Toronto architect Robert Murphy, MRAIC serves institutional owners of multiple properties. His firm, A. Robert Murphy Architect Inc., offers a Site Feasibility Study that includes a high-level zoning review and several massing schemes to explore possibilities for maximizing site development and revenues.

“We used to give this sort of preliminary work away, hoping to get a job once in a while. We are now strong believers that it is far better to sell a useful and affordable front-end service that positions us in the client’s mind as the go-to firm for future work,” says Murphy.

Architect Graeme Verhulst, MRAIC is a principal with Waymark Architecture, based in Victoria, B.C. His firm offers a Needs and Opportunities Assessment to potential clients. A recent LCC led to other work for his firm because of the opportunities it uncovered. Interestingly, Verhulst has also found that some clients don’t move ahead with the project after the LCC. “In these cases, the clients had unrealistic expectations, so it is probably a good thing those didn’t turn into projects,” says Verhulst.

With an LCC, the simpler and more straightforward it is, the better.

The easiest way to do it is to simply charge for the first meeting that most architects give away for free. Meeting and offering advice without a fee sets a bad precedent in a potential client’s mind moving forward, because it devalues the architect’s time. On the flip side, a well-positioned LCC actually increases the perceived value of an architect’s services.

Ultimately, the Low Commitment Consultation is useful because it fills a critical gap in the typical architecture firm’s sales process. It allows clients and architects to “date” before committing to marriage. It gives clients a way to evaluate what it will be like working with a firm. And because it is a smaller commitment on the part of the client, it is much easier to sell than full design services, which means that more prospects convert into clients. Offering an LCC is a great win-win.

But that’s not all. “In addition to getting paid for work I used to provide for free,” Court says, “I find that this helps me identify the qualified clients, which ends up saving me time.” As architects, time is one thing of which we can never have enough.

Enoch Bartlett Sears is a California-licensed architect and co-founder of the Architect

Citizen City

By Marya Cotten Gould, Gregory Henriquez and Robert Enright. Edited

by Robert Enright. Blue Imprint, 2016.

Unlike a traditional call to action that urges leaders to do something positive for upcoming generations, a new book by Vancouver’s Henriquez Partners inspires young architects to shape the world of tomorrow themselves—starting today. In their book Citizen City, Marya Cotten Gould, Gregory Henriquez, FRAIC, and Robert Enright challenge budding city-makers to “learn your craft and dream new paradigms, but also to participate in the communities in which you live.” Using 10 of the firm’s Vancouver projects as case studies, the book illustrates “the latent potential within the architect’s role to not merely be a tool of others, but instead be seen as an activating force in the creation of our cities.”

The authors describe the “Citizen City” ideal as “a vibrant, culturally rich city where people from disparate backgrounds and economic levels are included in urban community.” In using Vancouver as a model, readers can easily see the different ways in which the vision can (and already has been) achieved. The authors highlight the triumphs of the city— including its vibrant multicultural makeup and forward-looking urban planning processes—while frankly acknowledging its shortfalls—including its struggles with housing affordability and homelessness. The book is convincing in its assertion that “the values are present that make it possible for Vancouver to achieve Citizen City status, but the challenges facing the city are profound, and will require the deployment of all sectors to make greater strides.”

Though the authors paint a picture of an ideal urban realm, they are careful to avoid romantic and utopian notions. Their narrative is visionary and inspiring, yet realistic and practical. They strive for “the good” but highlight the obstacles that stand in the way. They stress diversity, inclusivity and civic engagement as the pillars of a Citizen City, and attempt to clearly guide readers towards these goals.

While it may be directed towards students, the message of the book has the potential to extend beyond—to other architects, communities, professionals, and city-builders. The authors write, “Look around you and ask yourself what you would like to change for the better. Seek out mentors, friends and colleagues who share your passions.” It adds, “All revolutions start as grassroots movements.”

Marketing Institute. For more information on how to apply the Low Commitment Consulta-

Shannon Moore is Assistant Editor for Canadian Architect, Canadian Interiors and

tion strategy, a free, downloadable booklet is available at http://archmarketing.org/lcc.

Building magazine.

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ium design lacks inspiration, it’s a failure of the whole, and it can’t be pinned down to one single part. If there is a flaw in this book, it lies only in the selection of the word “Manifesto” for this final section, when “Invitation” would be a closer description of what is suggested here.

While Rise and Sprawl could easily be dismissed as by and for the Toronto design community, to do so would be a mistake. This coauthored criticism is about the power of cities, the loss of our ability to identify sprawl and, most importantly, the necessity of working together to find a way forward.

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Samantha Armitage is a writer and marketing professional based in Toronto.

Rise and Sprawl: The Condominiumization of Toronto

By Hans Ibelings and PARTISANS. The Architectural Observer, 2016.

“Sprawl” has multiple definitions, but my personal favourite was raised

by Ellen Dunham-Jones, Director of Urban Design at Georgia Tech School of Architecture, in Gary Hustwit’s 2011 documentary, Urbanized. “Defining sprawl is a little bit like defining pornography,” she explains. “You know it when you see it.” But at a time when cities around the world are experiencing steady growth and, increasingly, urban residence is heralded as a better, more sustainable way to live, what if we’ve lost sight of what it is we’re actually trying to avoid? What if we’ve pushed “sprawl” in an entirely new direction? What if we’ve forgotten how to critically look at what is springing up all around us?

Hans Ibelings and PARTISANS broach this difficult topic in their book Rise and Sprawl: The Condominiumization of Toronto. Systematically reviewing planning, design, development, and marketing processes in a city that is consistently ranked as one of the most livable and competitive in the world, this dynamic co-authorship bravely tackles the question: “How do you fix something that does not yet appear to be broken?” Critical but not accusatory, methodical but not without inspiration, Rise and Sprawl divides and conquers this complicated topic in three tidy sections.

The introduction, an essay entitled “Tower by Tower” by Ibelings, balances context with criticism, carefully reviewing how Toronto arrived at its current skyline. Examining everything from zoning regulations, to Jane Jacobs, to the unifying principles of a city and its architecture, he applies a conversational tone to the rapid growth of downtown Toronto.

In Section 2, Catalogue, PARTISANS takes a straightforward look at condominium development over the past decade. True to its name, this section chronicles everything from demographics and architect/developer profiles, to standardized floorplans and marketing campaigns.

While not exhaustive, this section provides a more than adequate range of materials to spark such critical questions as: Is condominium marketing inspired by architecture, or have these roles somehow reversed? Why do we have a strange attachment to unusable balcony space? Why do all developers seem to talk about their commitment to great design, all architects their commitment to great clients, and all renderings still end up looking exactly the same? With little-to-no narrative to accompany each subsection, this catalogue provides an invaluable comparative analysis that strikes at the heart of the problem.

By Section 3, Manifesto, the point has become painfully obvious.

The research is clear, yet no fingers are pointed. If Toronto condomin-

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William Grierson: Selected Works

By Joan Grierson with Alex Champlin. Table Rock Press, 2016.

University of Toronto teacher and architect William Grierson, one of the partners at Brook Carruthers Grierson Shaw Architects, is the subject of a recent monograph by his wife and business partner, architect Joan Grierson. Over the course of a career spanning some fifty years, Grierson left his mark in a series of institutions, urban houses and experimental cottages that continue to offer lessons for today’s designers.

As David Sisam, FRAIC writes in the introduction, “Grierson’s architecture was particularly interesting because its qualities were the result of both looking forward and looking back. His look forward resulted in early examples of sustainable design and innovative wood construction, while his look backward reflected his deep understanding of historical Ontario architecture and landscape as well as time-tested construction techniques.”

One of his cottages, on Little Bear Lake in the Haliburton district (1965), has the earthy qualities of a hobbit dwelling. Drawing on a technique used by early settlers, it’s built of 9-inch balsam and fir logs, stacked on their sides, with the spaces between filled with mortar made from lime and site-sourced sand. Other cottages, including his own at Table Rock, Georgian Bay, explore the theme of a circular plan, creating efficient structures that connect inhabitants to their rugged surroundings.

The cover of the book showcases one of Grierson’s marquee projects, the Northwood Pulp and Timber Office in Prince George, B.C. Drawing on lessons from his smaller works, it includes a skylit court and warm wood interior, with particular attention given to the control of natural light. Like many of his other works, Northwood was notable for its qualities of fitting in, rather than standing out—developing a close reading of its site and using local materials, and deriving its formal language from its context, not from stylistic preconceptions.

Elsa Lam is editor of Canadian Architect.

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CANADIAN ARCHITECT 04/17

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Let’s talk about... Play

Boxed In

April 13, 2017

April 24-30, 2017

This panel discussion in Calgary will focus on the quality of outdoor spaces and the concept of how we use shared public play space in urban design. www.dtalks.org

This installation at the Gladstone Art Hut in Toronto explores the material objects that anchor small homes in increasingly dense urban environments. www.gladstonehotel.com

CityAge: The Data Effect

ROOFTech 2017

April 13, 2017

April 25-26, 2017

A one-day conference, held in Ottawa, looks at using new tools in data to build an innovation economy, promote productivity, and make government more responsive and effective. www.cityage.org/dataeffect

This trade show in Mississauga brings together architects, building inspectors, and other industry representatives to explore updates and issues affecting the roofing industry. www.rooftech.ca

Projects Review 2017

Expo 67: A World of Dreams

April 17-May 21, 2017

Opening April 26, 2017

Graduate and undergraduate projects from the University of Waterloo School of Architecture are showcased in this year-end exhibition of work. www.uwaterloo.ca/architecture

This multimedia exhibition in Montreal revisits Expo 67 using archival images and footage from the National Film Board and CBC/Radio Canada. www.stewart-museum.org

Grow Op

Evolution

April 19-23, 2017

To April 28, 2017

This Toronto exhibition aims to cultivate ideas across disciplines, examining how humans and other species live within and without natural systems of growth, change and abundance.

Presented by the Design Exchange, this exhibition looks at how natureinspired paradigms such as biomimicry are influencing design thinking in Canada. www.dx.org

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Ryerson Year End Show ULI Toronto Symposium April 24-25, 2017

Convening experts from around the world, this symposium seeks to develop solutions that make cities better places to live, work, learn, play and invest. www.toronto.uli.org

April 28-May 26, 2017

The Ryerson University Department of Architectural Science annual Year End Show displays models, drawings, collages, sketches and digital presentations by top students. www.arch.ryerson.ca

Living Lightly on the Earth: Building an Ark for Prince Edward Island, 1974-76 To April 30, 2017

Curated by Steve Mannell, FRAIC, this exhibition at the Confederation Centre of the Arts in Charlottetown, PEI explores the story of the Ark, an early prototype for a self-sufficient living environment. www.peiark.com

Springfest 2017 May 3, 2017

With 250 exhibits and 18 educational seminars, this professional and educational forum provides exposure to the latest developments in design, innovation, products, technology and more. www.springfesttoronto.com

Icons of Knowledge: Architecture and Symbolism in National Libraries To May 5, 2017

On display at Library and Archives Canada in Ottawa, this exhibition explores the architecture of national libraries and their relationship to a nation’s culture. www.bac-lac.gc.ca

Jane’s Walk May 5-7, 2017

Inspired by the community-organizing and urban advocacy work of Jane Jacobs, Jane’s Walks are free, locally organized walking tours in cities across Canada and around the world. Led by locals, the format encourages people to get together to explore and talk about their neighbourhoods. www.janeswalk.org

AIBC Annual Conference May 8-10, 2017

Hosted by the Architectural Institute of British Columbia, this conference includes plenary sessions, seminars, panel discussions and more.

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CALENDAR

www.conference.aibc.ca

Grey to Green May 8-10, 2017

This conference in Toronto explores the latest science on green infrastructure performance, economic valuation and technological development. It considers best practices in design, installation and maintenance. www.greytogreenconference.org

Festival of Architecture May 24-27, 2017

Presented jointly by the RAIC and the OAA, this four-day conference in Ottawa considers the role of architecture in creating built heritage and expressing culture. festival2017.raic.org

SSAC Annual Conference May 24-27, 2017

The Society for the Study of Architecture in Canada’s 43rd annual conference takes places in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, and features sessions on the theme “Layered Histories”. www.canada-architecture.org

STONEX Canada May 16-18, 2017

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BACKPAGE

RUSS WIDSTRAND

CANADIAN ARCHITECT 04/17

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TORO CANYON HOUSE TEXT

George Baird

IN THIS UNPUBLISHED TEXT FROM 2011, GEORGE BAIRD REFLECTS ON A VISIT TO BARTON MYERS’ ICONIC CALIFORNIA HOME. Our sense of the house’s setting began on the undulating plain of the Pacific coast, in Montecito, just east of Santa Barbara.

We turned inland, and moved across the plain to arrive at the foot of Toro Canyon, which, in turn, led up into the mountains above. The lush greenery of the coastal plain began to give way to the dryer brush of the rising mountainside. Close to the top of Toro Canyon Road, we turned east onto a winding, climbing driveway. After a few hundred yards, a parking court came into view, and above it, we had our first glimpse of the house that Barton Myers designed and built here for himself.

The main house sits on a plateau on the slope of the mountain, with a garage and guest house beneath it, and a small studio building behind it. The main house is fronted by three large steel bays, facing out towards the Pacific and the island of Santa Cruz. Each bay is enclosed by a glazed industrial garage door, some 15 feet or so high. The three great bays house living, dining and kitchen. Stretching across the back of the three bays ranges a longer, narrower, lower stucco block of more enclosed and more intimate rooms. At either end of this linear plan configuration is located a large bedroom suite.

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The house bespeaks a long architectural lineage. Its designer has had an epic architectural career, and one of the main themes of that career’s ambition has been the devising of steel systems of construction for residential buildings that are meticulously fabricated—but in a relaxed fashion that does not fetishize the system.

In this sense, the Santa Barbara house is a child of the Pacific Palisades house of Charles and Ray Eames. But this characterization does not fully capture its pedigree; it is, after all, symmetrical about a north-south axis. In its formality, it also evokes the grandeur of that conse­ quential precedent that so influenced the Eameses: the Farnsworth House of Mies van der Rohe. Yet this reference also is not quite enough to close out the complex set of memories it evokes. For the grandeur of the Toro Canyon house is informal, not formal. In this sense, one reaches for comparisons back even beyond Mies to Schinkel, and of course, also to Palladio, whose stately, but modestly constructed villas in the Veneto are, after all, farmhouses.

Save for the house’s spatial amplitude and steel construction, it also is modestly constructed. The garage doors are industrial grade; the cladding of the other building elements is stucco, and many of the floor surfaces

ABOVE Industrial-grade garage doors open the living spaces of Toro Canyon House to Pacific Ocean views.

are unfinished concrete. From below, the roof assemblies of the three buildings are exposed steel deck. On top, they all hold elements of a comprehensive recirculating pool system which performs multiple functions. First of all, they serve as water reservoirs for firefighting, since the house is located high enough up in the mountains to be susceptible to brushfires capable of rapid spread. The water bodies also provide insulation, and perform a cooling function in the California summer heat.

It seems to me that the Toro Canyon House stands as a sort of summa of Myers’ design career. Technologically precocious, but also deeply civilized and urbane, and comfortable in the dense matrix of historical references it evokes, the house brilliantly, intensely, yet relaxedly integrates its constructional, spatial, programmatic and symbolic aspects.

We lingered over lunch on the giant porch, observing the intense blue California sky as it glittered on the pool in front of us, and, in the far distance, as it reflected on the surface of the Pacific Ocean.

George Baird is a Professor Emeritus at the Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design, and is a founding partner of Baird Sampson Neuert Architects.

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