Canadian Interiors May June

CDN $8.95 MAY JUNE 2021

Home Work

Our evolving relationship with WFH

Residential products for nearly every room

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The paint your designs deserve.

Ceiling – Chelsea Gray HC-168, AURA®, Matte Walls – Mountain Peak White OC-121, AURA®, Matte Colour accuracy is ensured only when tinted in quality Benjamin Moore® paints.

Colour representations may differ slightly from actual paint. ©2021 Benjamin Moore & Co., Limited. Aura, Benjamin Moore, and the triangle “M” symbol are registered trademarks of Benjamin Moore & Co., Limited. 3/21

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See the Love

caesarstone.ca

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5112 Aterra Blanca

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Bring the earth into your home with our new 2021 white colours

A series’ of nature-inspired lighter colours that are washed in white and wrapped in the smoothness of a stone. It’s a mark of our craftsmanship carefully passing from us to you.

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May | June 2021 / V58 #3

Senior Publisher

Martin Spreer

416-441-2085 x108 Editor in Chief

Peter Sobchak Art Director

Roy Gaiot Contributors

Marie Girolamo, Amanda Hamilton, Arnaud Marthouret, Rhys Phillips Online Editor

Christiane Beya Customer Service / Production

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416-441-2085 x104 Circulation Manager

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Canadian Interiors magazine is published by iQ Business Media Inc. 101 Duncan Mill Road, Suite 302 Toronto ON M3B 1Z3 Telephone 416-441-2085 e-mail: info@canadianinteriors.com website: www.canadianinteriors.com Canadian Interiors publishes six issues, plus a source guide, per year. Printed in Canada. The content of this publication is the property of Canadian Interiors and cannot be reproduced without permission from the publisher.

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Please send payment to: Canadian Interiors, 101 Duncan Mill Road, Suite 302 Toronto ON M3B 1Z3 or order online www.canadianinteriors.com For subscription and back issues inquiries please call 416-441-2085 x104 e-mail: circulation@canadianinteriors.com, or go to our website at: www.canadianinteriors.com Canadian Interiors is indexed in the Canadian Magazine Index by Micromedia ProQuest Company, Toronto (www.micromedia.com) and National Archive Publishing Company, Ann Arbor, Michigan (www.napubco.com).

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05/062021 Features

19 BEYOND THE COUCH OR DINING ROOM CHAIR It’s time to accept

that remote work will remain a significant feature of both the workplace and the homespace in 2021 and beyond. By Marie Girolamo

24 STAGES OF LIFE Jean Verville blurs the lines between architecture, theatricality, and playfulness in a new single-family residence. By Rhys Phillips

29 ROOM BETWEEN THE LINES Creating a space within the confines of a devel­oper’s design restrictions. By Amanda Hamilton

32 LAYING FOUNDATIONS New construction technology can help the world re-imagine the way it thinks about housing. By Peter Sobchak

Regulars

08 CAUGHT OUR EYE 10 THE GOODS Product trends in all residential spaces are focusing more and more on functionality and comfort as we continue to redefine our relationship with our homes. 34 OVER & OUT A design team turns a code requirement into a building’s statement piece.

COVER – Jean Verville challenges the definitions of living space and performance space for two actor clients in Montréal.

Photo by Studio Jean Verville Architects + Felix Michaud

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com Welcome to our new podcast series, where we step away from the photographs and talk with interesting folks about interesting ideas and issues facing the design world today. Available now for listen or download on our website as well as a variety of streaming platforms, including

Paint It Red: Christian Louboutin

Episode 8 A Cinema for Design w/ Kyle Bergman

Unique Store Fixtures collaborated with the venerable cobbler on a new luxury boutique within Holt Renfrew at Yorkdale mall in Toronto.

Canadian Interiors conversations

Compact Living: 95 Mackay Laneway Designed by Gabriel Fain Architects together with Globizen Studio, this new two-storey laneway house is a study in compact living.

Episode 9 The Financialization of Architecture w/ Matthew Soules

Fluid Spaces: 10th Avenue

scene

Paul Bernier Architecte designed a detached duplex with elements of integrated furniture in Montréal’s Rosemont district.

View all events online @ canadianinteriors.com

47th CIFF Guangzhou 2021

Workplace Balance: First Gulf

Despite a limited presence of foreign visitors, aisles displaying new furniture trends were still packed for eight days in March.

Figure3 designed a new office for a staff of 180 who had been toiling in a space of high cubicles and siloed work.

CANADIAN INTERIORS 5/6 2021

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inside

Hindsight is 2020, so what is 2021?

The swiftness of the stay-at-home/work-from-home orders that were handed out a year ago (and have since stuck around for the most part unbroken) meant many professionals were scrambling to create a makeshift home office. Since not all have the luxury of an actual home office, untold numbers of kitchen tables, living room sofas and beds suddenly found themselves drafted into service doing multiple duties. While time has marched on, in many respects our home-work setups have not, and this is not a good thing.

“The average home workstation setup is exponentially worse than workstations found in traditional offices. Already we’re seeing musculoskeletal symptoms on the rise and the need for medical treatment will increase as will the number of injury claims in the coming year, as a result from 2020 work-from-home experiences,” says Jonathan Puleio, global vice president and certified professional ergonomist at Humanscale. “This will impact insurance rates, lost work

time, and productivity rates,” adding, “The best way to counteract these risks is through education and proper workstation design.”

So much time and effort is being expended now trying to figure out what it will take to properly welcome workers back into office spaces (designers being asked to come up with elaborate new layout schemes and wayfinding signage to minimize employee contact with each other and surfaces, for example), based on an assumption that the pandemic will end at some point and people will want to return, an action that itself represents an assumed desire for return to normalcy.

But according to the March results of Morneau Shepell’s monthly Mental Health Index, most Canadian employees (65 per cent) want flexibility to work from home once the pandemic is over, and a survey

by McKinsey Global Institute of almost a thousand corporate executives showed 38 per cent believe their employees will continue to work remotely after the pandemic. We must face the fact that remote work is a part of our foreseeable future, and the design of it must be taken seriously. Designers must apply their considerable skills to creating products and solutions that appropriately support remote work in ways that do not necessarily replicate the traditional office environment and certainly do not give companies a chance to surreptitiously co-opt “work-from-home” and turn it into “live-at-work.”

07 Peter Sobchak

psobchak@canadianinteriors.com

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS! 24th Best of Canada Awards, the only national design competition in Canada to focus on interior design projects and products without regard to size, budget or location!

All winners will be published in the Nov/Dec issue of Canadian Interiors.

Submission Deadline: Thursday, September 9th, 11:59 pm

www.canadianinteriors.com/BoC

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caught our eye

Thin as Light Designed by Zsuzsanna Horvath from Denmark and manufactured

by Luceplan from Italy, the Illan lamp uses flexible plywood laser-cut in filigree shapes that are so thin that the lamp doesn’t extend to its full size until mounted on the ceiling.

Until then, it can be transported laid flat, which saves on packaging materials, garnering it a Red Dot 2021: Best of the Best award. www.luceplan.com

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Let’s Have Fun There is something playful about 3D-printed concrete. It evokes memories of squeezing Play-Doh through a mold-maker, and Roche Bobois is now giving customers this hands-on fun with the 3D-printed concrete base of the new Corail table. Whether from home via software on Roche Bobois’ website or in-store, buyers can customize the shape, size, and even the weaving effect created by the printer’s movement. Developed with Antoine Fritsch and Vivien Durisotti, the table’s organically curving walls support a tempered glass top that leaves the interior visible from above.

© Delfino Sisto Legnani

www.roche-bobois.com

Bump in the Night A significant contributor to the Memphis Group movement, Masanori Umeda (of Tawaraya boxing ring fame) is back at it with the new Night Tales collection for Post Design, unveiled during Fuorisalone Milan Design City 2021. Within the collection, the Utamaro series of double bed, sofa and armchair dazzles with a blue and fuchsia metal tubular structure, black and white chessboard pattern laminate borders, tatami mats, and flamboyant coloured silk pillows, all inspired by erotic rituals of the Edo period, women and the interiors of traditional homes, as represented in the works of Japanese painter Kitagawa Utamaro. www.memphis-milano.com

Making a Stand For ECO Solidarity, one of the CLOSEUP 2021 programs presented by ICFF and WantedDesign Manhattan, work from eight international designers was selected that considers positive social impact, design empathy, and sustainable materials.

Sorgi by Ana Horvath of Malta-based Aha Objects was one: this outdoor public space furniture collection was born from a research project about circularity opportunities in Malta. Using forms referencing important demolished buildings and recycled construction waste as materials, the collection is highly critical of that country’s booming construction phase. www.wanteddesignnyc.com

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the goods

No Screens Here We may be working from home, but that shouldn’t mean living at work. Residential spaces need their own identity, too.

1 Toro Lounge | ISA Intentional The defining feature here is a highly sculptured back produced in solid ash, paired with a plinth base that can be stained in 19 standard wood finishes or customized to spec. The seat can be upholstered in any of ISA’s standard textile program options or COM. www.havaseat.com

Compiled by Peter Sobchak

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2 Cloudscape | Diesel Living with Moroso The newest edition to this collection is a modular sofa system with outsize shapes characterized by extra-large, connected pillows with distinctive flaps, which are a collection signature. The pillows themselves comprise the structure, with no extra addons. Available in a one-, two-, three-seater and modular versions. www.moroso.it

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3 Ljuvare Collection | IKEA Canada Created in collaboration with Lebanese designer, Nada Debs, Middle Eastern motifs are represented through earth-toned hues, geometrical patterns and rich gold tones. The collection, including dinnerware, textiles and ambient lighting, uses a design technique called chasing, where a hammer is pressed into the metal which creates a hand-crafted geometric finish. www.IKEA.ca

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4 Geometric Table | Ethnicraft The spring 2021 interior collection includes new pieces covering tables, seating, and storage solutions. Key items include a black-finished teak shelving column inspired by the de Stijl movement; a bold statement piece in the oak Geometric dining table (shown); which would pair nicely with the simple yet rustic Pebble chair. www.ethnicraft.com

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the goods

Pick A Flow

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Compiled by Peter Sobchak

Perhaps it was the unpredictability of 2020 that pushed some to a minimal bath aesthetic and others to more energetic elements.

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1 AA/27 | Boffi and Fantini Designed by Michael Anas­tassiades for Aboutwater

by Boffi and Fantini, the collection’s star is a faucet composed of handle and spout combined with a third horizontal cylindrical element that allows the spout to float above but not touch the surface it is mounted on. The collection includes a deck and wall-mounted faucet, tub-filler, and shower available in matte gun metal PVD or brushed stainless steel. www.fantiniusa.com

2 Moxie Showerhead & Speaker | Kohler Embedded with a Harman Kardon wireless speaker configured to Amazon Alexa, this showerhead brings an audio experience to the showering space. A Silver winner at KBIS, it features full-cover­ age spray while the portable speaker delivers specialized tuning for the unique acoustic dynamics of a bathroom. www.smarthome.kohler.com

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3 Studio S | American Standard This collection, defined by minimalist lines and clean silhouettes, has been expanded to a Full-Suite Solution and now includes coordinating furniture and chinaware pieces. Also new are two-piece toilets and a tankless, low-profile unit featuring PowerFlo bowlscrubbing technology for quieter, more powerful flushes without requiring electrical power or batteries. www.americanstandard.ca

4 GC Touchless Faucet | Toto This Gold recipient at KBIS’s 2021 virtual show won not only for beauty – inspired by entrance columns in ancient Japanese temples – but also technology that both reduces water use and saves power through self-generating hydropower for the sensor faucet’s operation, with no hardwiring or routine battery replacement. www.totousa.com 5 Bubble | Glass Design The latest harvest from an ongoing collaboration between an Italian bath product manufacturer and hyper-designer Karim Rashid, this countertop washbasin is fashioned in one of the newer silicone materials, called Siliconio.

Soft, bendy and sensual, it can be stretched and flexed, always returning to its original form, and is available in four character­istically Rashid colours: pink, yellow, sky blue and lavender.

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the goods

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Home’s Ground Zero

Kitchen trends are focused on functionality and comfort as we continue to redefine our relationship with our homes.

Compiled by Peter Sobchak

CANADIAN INTERIORS 5/6 2021

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1 Patagonia Glacè | Antolini The newest member of the Italian company’s Exclusive Collection, this granite is yet another entry in an eyebrow-raising collection of natural stone products. www.antolini.com

5 Combination Steam Oven | Fisher & Paykel Expanding upon the New Zealand brand’s existing Combination Steam and Convection Oven model, the new 2021 appliance debuted at KBIS and features one of the largest cavity capacities on the market at three cubic feet, an integrated water tank located behind an easy-to-use touchscreen interface and added functionality including Sous Vide. www.fisherpaykel.com

2 Select Knobs | Emtek A Gold winner in the Kitchen category at KBIS, this collection of mix-and-match knobs, stem and rosettes work as a set or cross-matching with finish options. The three knob designs (White Marble, Knurled or Straight Knurled) with seven finishes can be paired with any style rosette in any combination of available finishes. www.emtek.com

6 Whitelight | Caesarstone The venerable quartz surfacing company debuted a new collection at both KBIS and the International Builders’ Show (both held virtually). This series of new light-coloured neutrals mimics movement in natural stone and includes three new designs: the sandy tones of Adamina; dynamic copper veining in Arabetto; and misty white mixed with smoky grey in Aterra Blanca. www.caesarstone.ca

3 French Door Refrigeration | Bosch Upgrades to the 800 series are always being made, including an adjustable FlexBar for interior organizing; a smartphone app to control temperature and humidity, lighting, or run diagnostics; and the industry’s first dedicated refreshment drawer with new glass front display. www.bosch-home.ca

4 Dekton Craftizen | Cosentino Inspired by the minimalism and versatility of Venetian stucco, this collection — the first large-format stucco material of its kind designed specifically for flooring and cladding — won the coveted Best of Show award at the 2021 KBIS show, held this year online. www.cosentino.com

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7 Quad Collection | Artaic The newest offering from this mosaic design manufacturer is an offshoot of their own Vitreous Glass and Glazed Porcelain lines. Depending on the tile size specified, a palette of over 180 colours can open to designers, as well as an array of compositions in grid style, classic, and modular alignments in names like Tetra, Check Mate and Herringbone.

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the goods

An Alfresco Sanctuary

Compiled by Peter Sobchak

1 Spring is here, so ditch the sad plastic pieces incapable of withstanding two winters and instead invest in a new set of quality outdoor furniture.

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1 Onde | GandiaBlasco 2021 marks the Valencian outdoor furniture maker’s 80th anniversary, and names like Luca Nichetto, Made Studio, Søren Rose and Mayice Studio have come to the party, bringing new furniture collections (Onde, Bosc, Capa and Buit, respectively) inflected with Scandinavian, Mediterranean and other design influences with them. www.gandiablasco.com

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2 Hopper AA | Extremis The design of this new all-aluminum multi-purpose table utilizes low entry points and slanted bench corners to allow people to join the table easily. The mono-material is finished with a scratch-resistant powder-coating technique and is available in five colourways. www.extremis.com 3 MoBar | Dometic This Swedish refrigeration brand has entered the outdoor living market with a new range of mobile bars that received both an iF Design Award and a Red Dot Product Design Award for 2021. Available within the three stainless steel models are a variety of prep areas, dry storage and dual-zone refrigerator compartments, all housed in typical Scandinavian minimalism. www.dometic.com 4 Elio | Tribù Inspired by the sunset and the motion of light reflecting on landscapes and objects, Canadian duo Yabu Pushelberg named their new chair design after the Greek sun god Helios. Framed in natural teak, the seats are handwoven in Tricord rope that survives outdoor weather conditions while staying soft to the touch. The Belgian outdoor furniture brand picked up a 2021 Red Dot Award in Product Design for this collection. www.tribu.com

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5 Mun | Stellar Works The Shanghai-based furniture manufacturer has launch­­­­ed its first lighting product: a portable rechargeable lantern designed by the Danish firm OEO Studio, fitted with a sturdy silicon strap making it either an outdoor table centrepiece or wall hanging for a diffused glow. www.stellarworks.com 6 Za Stools | Emeco Designed by Tokyo-based Naoto Fukasawa, the Za (“a place to sit” in Japanese) not only borrows heavily from but was intended to be a part of the broader Navy chair family, one of the company’s more famous items.

The simple yet purposeful round seat and square aluminum tubing fit a range of indoor or outdoor spaces from residential to commercial. www.emeco.net

See more @

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• 2021 Outdoor Collection by Caesarstone

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• 2021 Outdoor Collection by Roche Bobois

•D eck Chair by Børge Mogensen for Carl Hansen & Son

• I slands Low Tables

by Stephen Burks for Living Divani

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Beyond the Couch or Dining Room Chair

By Marie Girolamo

It’s time to accept that remote work will remain a significant feature of both the workplace and the homespace in 2021 and beyond.

RockIt @ Home | Inscape > Purposefully designed to look like a beautiful Scandinavian-inspired piece of furniture, RockIt has been adapted to integrate into any home environment, through sitting or convertible sit/ stand options; wood accents; muted colours and curved elements, and more.

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Above Marien152 Seating Collection | Coalesse > This collaboration between Arik Levy and the Coalesse Design Group would look just as appropriate in someone’s home office as in a boardroom, eschewing typical task chair hallmarks such as mesh backs and oversized lumbar curves in favour of residential stylings in fabric, colours and form. www.coalesse.com Right Nova with Wireless Charging Base | Humanscale > Offering ideal light quality for desk work, Nova can now be specified with a charging base that keeps mobile devices charged throughout the day. The lamp’s Smart Dimming technology automatically turns the light off when no movement is detected to help conserve energy. www.humanscale.com CANADIAN INTERIORS 5/6 2021

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It has been 13 months since office workers everywhere were told they would have to work from home for a mere two weeks. Initially, several businesses were hopeful that their teams would reunite with a buzz, ready to gossip about their two weeks away. Just as many companies were quick to relinquish their physical space in favour of laptops and home office perks, so few could have forecasted that it would be the last time they were going to set foot in an office building for over a year. While we know that one day life will return to some form of normalcy, we also now see the value of having a permanent workspace at home.

Above Peek-a-Book | Poltrona Frau > Designed by Roberto Lazzeroni and part of a massive roll-out of new products under the moniker Take Your Time Collection, this conceptually charming desk has wrapped a sheet of wood in Pelle Frau leather, folded the wood back on itself and added a couple drawers, creating the visual effect of a leatherbound book resting on three trapezium-shaped bases made of solid ash. www.poltronafrau.com

Although it is our own homes that we are operating from, we should still make efforts to treat our workspaces differently than our living spaces. Often, we tend to make ourselves “too comfortable” which can leave both our mental and physical health in position of weakness. Rather than allow the nature of work-from-home orders to impose on your home, it is time to view the previous year as an opportunity to evolve your space to suit the changing times.

Lighting We must take note of our circadian cycle when understanding lighting for the home office. Our bodies crave natural light during daytime hours, which is the most optimal lighting for any office. Appropriate light sources are necessary especially for those who don’t have a wall of windows at their disposal. Even if you do have windows, it is important that your light sources help you transition into evening mode to wind down, by informing your body that the sun has set. Additionally, make sure that the colour temperature of your light source is consistent throughout your home for a more cohesive and comfortable environment.

Ergonomics If you have ever found yourself asking if you need a standing desk, or a sitting desk, or an office chair with adjustable arms, or maybe no arms at all, it means you’ve been thinking about ergonomics. Simply put, workspaces must be modified to be suitable for the user and never the other way around. The office chair is the most critical piece of furniture in the home office setup. Since many of us spend upwards of eight hours a day sitting down, we need to ensure that our furniture accommodates our bodies to avoid strain everywhere; but especially our necks, backs, wrists, and eyes. Two easy signs of comfort in an office chair are feet flat on the floor and supported arms. Adjustable desk heights can be beneficial to those who find themselves needing to get up and walk around often. At the same time, monitor placement at eye level is important for comfort while sitting or standing.

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Acoustics

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Most condos are not set up for one person to work from home, let alone two. This becomes even more amplified when everyone is struggling to coordinate multiple meeting calls throughout the day.

There are a few easy ways to mitigate sound transfer throughout small spaces, the first being the door to the office itself. Consider re5/6 2021 CANADIAN INTERIORS

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placing the interior hollow-core door with a solid-core one to attenuate the sound drastically. Those living with the nettlesome sliding partition can instead benefit from an abundance of textiles that help to absorb sound. Avoid too many exposed hard surfaces and get creative with rugs, curtains, throw pillows and wall hangings.

These design principles are no secret, but the combination of an overnight transition to a work-from-home setup and general pandemic stress has left many people still feeling the effects of a makeshift office one year later. Considering the future of our working lives, it is likely that the home office will be a permanent fixture. By making the proper adjustments, you will have your home office working for you in no time.

Storage Being properly organized is a sure-fire way to help you be more productive and make moving down the hall from your bedroom to your office feel less daunting. If space is at a premium, consider vertical storage elements in your office. Not only will this allow you to utilize the volume of your room, but it will also draw the eye upward, making the space feel larger and airy. Disconnecting is already difficult because we now have a one-second commute to our jobs. However, we do not need to be reminded of work during off-hours. For those with their office in their living room or dining room, consider closed storage where you can put your work away and entirely out of sight.

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Marie Girolamo began her career at Toronto-based Cecconi Simone and was a finalist on HGTV’s Design Interns in 2006 before moving on to designing condo suites for MOD Developments as Director of Design.

Above Gale | De Gaspé > A mix of design considerations such as ergonomics, durability and subtlety (with its rounded corners), this sit-stand desk also mixes manufacturing components: the tops are made in the De Gaspé workshop in Montréal with adjustable bases made by the American company ESI Ergonomics. Personalization can come through options such as wood type, colour, dimensions and even the type of base.

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Gail Herendeen Photography

Pod People are Coming!

theHUB Pod

Although unquestionably a product of the pandemic, most agree the absorption of home-work-life will not disappear once workspaces re-open, putting pressure on designers to rethink how residential space can support that mix.

Perhaps inevitably, one growing fixture of the office environment that has come home have been pods. For example, theHUB Pod by Indiana-based YOURspace comes with features such as adjustable desks, shelves, lighting, sound deadening, ventilation, and a centralized electrical panel, all with an eye to residential applications thanks to a proprietary extrusion system allowing customization, easy installation and reconfigurability.

But to some designers, a solution exists just outside the house: homeowners with access to a yard are now in a unique position to turn parts of that yard into useable office space, an opportunity that will no doubt appeal to many white-collar workers cooped up in home office spaces staring at the wall. Ontariobased LIV Pod is one such example. Designed by Lisa Kooistra and constructed in partnership with her husband, Ryan Kooistra of York Renovation & Designs, the cube structure is ideal as a personal home office, with cabinetry, shelving, two desks and even space for an espresso machine. Incorporating a clean white aesthetic with an entire wall of sliding glass doors, the pod creates “needed separation while inviting the calmness of outdoors into our workspaces,” says Kooistra.

LIV Pod

Also entering this new yardscape is Toronto-based Syllable, who very recently rolled out a new set of Yard Pod packages for four-season use that come with heated floors, optional HRV, as well as fully insulated walls, roof and extended outdoor deck.

Passive cross-ventilation and roof overhangs help keep the pods cool in the summer. To create a higher sense of luxury, one of the packages comes with a two-way fireplace to serve as a focal point for backyard gatherings. www.yourspaceinc.com / www.LKDesigns.ca / http://syllable.design/

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By Rhys Phillips

Stages

This spread MSO; Play/Pause’s interior boasts a series of platforms that serve as both circulation and theatrical stages (dramatized by the owners decked-out in colourful wardrobes). A 16-ft. square steel structure centres the house and reaches down 39 feet from its skylight cap. Steel plate floors at level two and three are perforated with a laser-cut bespoke pattern. Vertical wire mesh screens overlook an open shaft that also serves in part as a stairwell. A central, secondlevel hall leads past two retained and traditionally enclosed bedrooms on the left to a platform “pause” on the right that forms the base of the stairs ascending to the third level.

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of Photography by Studio Jean Verville Architects + Felix Michaud

Life

Jean Verville blurs the lines between architecture, theatricality, and playfulness in a new singlefamily residence.

“All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.”

Perhaps this opening line of Jacques’ famous soliloquy in Shakespeare’s As You Like It, minus the dismissive “merely,” inspired Montréal actors Sophie Cadieux and Mani Soleymanlou’s approach to their renovated house.

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Architects Jean Verville and Tania Paula Garza Rico, while retaining the original row house’s three core levels, have undertaken a complete “volumetric reconfiguration” that melds scenographic theatricality with functional living spaces. By inserting mediated transparency along with multiple, playful platforms (or “scenic pauses”), artistic creation is balanced against what they call “the illusory banality of habitability,” hence the house’s moniker, MSO; Play/Pause.

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The clients, says Verville, knew from other artists that the firm’s signature approach was not about a style, but an intensive process of inclusion mediated by playfulness (the words play, playful and playfulness frequently popped up in our conversation). While the architects seek to implant new ideas, these are then rebounded back from the client in a “playground” of creative interaction. “When people can play with us in such a process, it can be very profitable as the clients become more secure with the results,” he says.

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The actor couple wanted two key elements. First, as the original house belonged to Cadieux, they wanted something quite different that would reflect their partnership and young son. But second, as actors and directors they wanted a working space in which they could both imagine “spectaculars,” that is theatrical compositions, while still meeting domestic functionality. While the design was prior to COVID-19, the result has proven to be a serendipitous work/live domicile.

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This spread The platform at the base of the stairs to the third level is decked with a colourful rug, an early addition to a longer-term process of introducing art and colourful objects to play against the neutral “griege.” On the first level, the kitchen is awash with natural light and shadows created by the perforated steel floors below the skylight. Grey predominates both to soften the shadow effect and play down the metal core structure. On the third level, a large skylight pushes natural light through the perforated steel floor while also spilling more light through the metal mesh screen.

The architects started by inserting a central steel-framed shaft inside the 20-ft.-wide brick row house dating from around 1900. This openwork structure extends down from an eight-by-eight-foot skylight to the kitchen on the first level, 40 feet below. But this is not a simple open shaft, although it does ensure natural light reaches deep into the boxed-in residence. Instead, it is mediated by two steel plate floors at the third and second levels. Both are perforated with a bespoke, laser-cut pattern. While also ensuring structural integrity, the frame boasts several walls of porous steel mesh overlooking a second but completely open shaft. Cut through the upper two levels, its base is the top of a three-quarter high pantry volume serving the kitchen.

From the first level, one ascends stairs to the top of the pantry then spiral upwards through a series of platforms before crossing the second level’s perforated floor. Stairs parallel to the opposite wall ascend to the top level. This “selective subtraction of floor areas,” say the

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architects, is about freeing the core for a new and very theatrical vertical progression. While there are three basic levels, these are embellished by the gradual unfolding of a succession of 10 versatile and multifunctional platform stages usually separated by two or three steps. Frequently, only partial walls or mesh define these “meandering” pauses. This ensures a mediated transparency that generates a multiplicity of “points of view in space and new perspectives on the presence of others.” These series of mini stages may be primarily circulation, activity spaces or simply a small sitting form that minimizes the need for furniture.

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Around the edges of this vertical unfolding, some of the existing, more traditional rooms have been retained. On the first level, located a halflevel below the street as is common in Montréal, are an “everything” room, the open kitchen as well as a bathroom, pantry and front studio.

The second level hosts two bedrooms and a bathroom as does the 5/6 2021 CANADIAN INTERIORS

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third level. But even in these more traditional spaces, Verville emphasizes flexibility. “There is no specific function for a space,” he states.

“The clients can move uses, like using a room as a bedroom, but then another time as an office, another time as a play area or guest quarters.”

If playful is such a core design principle, why then are all surfaces a monochromatic grey? Elsewhere, Verville has stated, “the great calm of monochrome greige and the changing and dancing light offer as much visual spectacle as inspiring spaces for theatrical rehearsal, and even soon the possibility of performance before a small audience.”

But, he tells me, “colours are not important to me, I accept colour or material from the client.” Consideration was given to white, bright colours and even gold. But it was important that the colour be monochromatic to unify the space and not cause the exposed steel structure to define the space. White was rejected as creating too much drama, too much luminosity with dark shadows playing off white.

Grey better supported the eventual addition of multicolour elements.

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H ENTYRY L WALK-IN M ROOM N ROOM P PAUSE

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Above The house’s open shaft terminates as a two-level stage atop a kitchen pantry whose roof does not reach the second level. From these two “pauses,” stairs descend to the kitchen level. In the plans for the three-level house, retained rooms are indicated in black while white areas indicate the many “pauses” or stages that spiral around and through the core steel structure. Grey areas are the two perforated steel floors beneath the skylight.

The clients have begun experimenting, already adding plants for a green effect. They are also working with artists imagining the house as a canvas for murals and are on the lookout for very colourful objects to incorporate into the spaces.

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Shakespeare’s moribund anti-hero Macbeth whines near the end of the play, “life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more.” Evidently Cadieux and Soleymanlou disagree. Across MSO:Play/Pause’s stages they intend to generate many life affirming moments.

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Room Between the Lines

Creating a space within the confines of a developer’s design restrictions.

By Amanda Hamilton Photography by Klassen Photography

While working intimately with clients to help them realize their vision brings about an intense sense of accomplishment and reward, there is also nothing quite like the thrill of having no client at all. Instead of a designer-client relationship that focuses on unique wants and needs, the design instead becomes based on what the market dictates. Real estate developers are often able to put aside their own personal aesthetic and analyze the market to guarantee

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a successful sale. As designers, we have the rare opportunity to work closely alongside the marketing and sales team early on to assist in assessing who the potential buyer or renter might be to create an aspirational space that will appeal to their distinctive sensibilities.

Previous page & this spread For the ultra-luxury new Calgary condo project The Concord, our team was brought in to assist with interior selections of the penthouse that were guided by the developer, Concord Pacific, as well as provide design recommendations for additional enhancements throughout the suite. With limited customization options, we look for alternate ways to express the client’s personality and individual design aesthetic once the unit is turned over. In this case, we included simple additions like wallpaper in the elevator lobby, powder room, dining room ceiling and master bedroom to create warmth and texture to the contemporary space. Swapping out the basic lighting package, we installed beautiful fixtures that acted like jewelry throughout the home. More complex installations that required several different trades included extensive wall panelling throughout the corridors, built-in cabinetry with brass details and custom metal doors that had an Art Nouveau-inspired, time-honoured charm that helped to soften the bones of the space.

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The first challenge is to understand the individual process of the developer, as it ranges dramatically depending on the market in which you are practicing. In the commercial market, past experience, team capacity and even the designer’s “clout” may all play a role in the selection process. In the residential market, there are two major market differences: creating spec homes; and pseudo-custom homes where a client is involved. With respect to both, part of the challenge is determining the scope of work and what level of flexibility exists in regard to the actual specifications and revisions to the floor plans.

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Experienced builders in the residential market have a fairly specific process, pricing model and vendors that support their expansive portfolio, whereas small builders may have a looser process in place.

In many cases, a client comes to our studio having already secured a

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piece of land where their builder has started construction. At the pressure of the builder — who has often left the interior specifications up to the client — this outreach can be quite late in the process, forcing clients to make important and expensive decisions on their home in a manner that doesn’t allow for thoughtful consideration. On some occasions, the builder has their own specifications and with others the designer has free reign to select from the vendors that best suit the client’s vision. While most designers would naturally prefer the latter, it is imperative to understand the developer’s process and requirements prior to commencing work. Speaking from experience, we have jumped the gun only to find out that everything had to be specified only from the builders’ suppliers. Goodbye billable hours, hello better project onboarding.

Another challenge faced in this type of arrangement is often the selections can be incredibly limited, especially if a design centre is your only option. A client’s vision may be very specific, like wanting a Moroccan tile backsplash, and the only option available in the price point allocated by the builder is a choice between two nearly identical

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white subway tiles. If by some miracle the developer does allow for specifications outside of their vendors, in that case both the designer and client must understand that there may be financial and even timeline repercussions associated with specifications outside the builder’s existing supply chain. If there isn’t open communication between the developer, it ultimately can reflect negatively on the interior designer, who is then criticized for budget overages.

While it is far more exciting for the client, and often the designer, to jump at the interior specifications, I speak from numerous personal experiences when I say: slow your roll. Asking about specifics regarding budgets, allowances, and schedules can affect how you can manage the merger of your internal process with those of the developer.

Asking the critical questions will allow for a seamless process and hopefully repeat business for years to come.

As founder and creative director of her eponymous boutique studio, Amanda Hamilton is responsible for a diverse portfolio of projects in both residential and commercial markets across Western Canada.

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Laying Foundations

By Peter Sobchak Photography by Regan Morton Photography

New construction technology can help the world re-imagine the way it thinks about housing.

It has been roughly 35 years since the first 3D printers were brought to the consciousness of a shocked-and-awed mainstream audience.

For exorbitant amounts of money, you could have a machine that oozed streams of acrylic-based materials to create small trinkets that decorated your desk or became your character piece on a board game. Fast forward three and a half decades — almost an eternity in the world of technology — and common patterns of price reduction, widespread industry adoption and general public acceptance have taken their course. But that doesn’t mean there is no room left in our technologically jaded world to be shocked-and-awed by what this technology can do. Such is the case with the U.S.-based ICON’s Vulcan construction system and 3D printer for homes, designed in collaboration with product development firm M3 Design.

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A deserved 2021 Red Dot Awards: Best of the Best winner in the Product Design category, the Vulcan is a potential game-changer in the “digitally native” approach to building construction. Laying rows of lavacrete (a proprietary Portland Cement-based mix) around a space of up to 2,000 square feet leads to a resilient single-storey building that is made faster, cheaper and with less waste than many traditional construction methods.

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Since its creation, ICON’s Vulcan construction systems have 3Dprinted two dozen homes and structures across the U.S. and Mexico.

Yet as impressive as the machine is, both through its capabilities and as an object of design itself, it is the bigger-picture potential as a force for good that is so remarkable. In the wake of COVID-19, as a lack of housing supply is skyrocketing and affordability plummeting, homelessness is a growing crisis. To combat this, ICON partnered with a non-profit organization to 3D-print (using architecture designs by Logan Architecture and structural engineering by Fort Structures) a first-of-its-kind neighbourhood of seven homes in Austin, Texas for individuals experiencing homelessness.

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The Vulcan 3D printer won a 2021 Red Dot: Best of the Best award. ICON 3D developed the product, designed by M3 Design, specifically to tackle the global housing crisis. Where most construction equipment is aggressive and intimidating, the physical form of the Vulcan printer is noticeably different. M3 helped ICON simplify the image of such a complex machine by creating a streamlined silhouette and simple geometry that mixes hard edges and rolling surfaces.

To tidy the exterior and ensure protection from the elements, all wiring and material hoses are routed internally up to the print head. www.iconbuild.com

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Révélateur Studio / A. Marthouret

over & out

One For All

A design team turns a code requirement into a building’s statement piece.

By Arnaud Marthouret

By code, all public buildings must be accessible to those with disabilities. While based on a noble ideal, the requirement is often just a box to check for builders and treated as an afterthought. The Center for Social Innovation (CSI), a non-profit co-working space, faced just such a challenge: their flagship location, located in an early 20th century post-and-beam warehouse in Toronto, was only wheelchair accessible via a tiny, claustrophobic elevator in the back alley.

Early attempts to provide an ad-hoc ramp made of 2”x 4” timber were both unsightly and too steep for most wheelchair users. The inadequate nature of the temporary ramp prompted CSI member Daniel Hall, an architect, carpenter and founder of The Architect Builder Collaborative (TABC), to team up with CSI tenant, David Oleson of Oleson Worland Architects (OWA). By carefully examining and creatively interpreting the building code, they were able to CANADIAN INTERIORS 5/6 2021

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devise a structure that serves as an entrance, staircase, stadium seating, podium, informal meeting space and of course, a ramp.

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The team enlisted the help of Michael Jewett, a urologist, client of TABC and historic preservation fanatic who had been salvaging reclaimed timber from demolished buildings around the city for years. For this project he procured timber recovered from an old manufacturing building in Toronto’s east end. “Ours is a vision of a world where ‘more is more.’ The ramp is more than a ramp, it’s a stage, a podium, a playground, a quiet spot to chat, a bleacher at a show,” says Hall. “It breathes new life into old wood, it calls upon the best from our craftsman, it enlists the Ontario Building Code as a source of design inspiration instead of a set of rules and limitations. It invites us to think of ramps as places to be, places for all, not just for ‘others.’”

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Design: Corgan, Dallas, TX Logo feature wall with white oak veneer, edge painted details and LED lighting

design / develop / deliver

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eurOptimum.com

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Teknion Future Smart

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At Teknion, we believe history offers narratives that apply to our own 21st century. Swept along by the pace of change, we can draw from a shared past to shape our collective future. As a Future Smart society or business, we need to understand where we’ve been, as well as to imagine where we might go.

The mirror of history offers perspective, revealing that periods of disruption often yield to an era of renewed creativity and innovation.

Once again, opportunity arises to reimagine models of life and work, to leverage the power of design.

teknion.com

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