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 contents
Gerry Kopelow

shai Gil

Courtesy team North

16 ManitoBa hydro place 9 news
ew Art Gallery of Alberta opens; call for
N
this laNdmarK projeCt iN wiNNipeG represeNts a CritiCal juNCture iN the trajeCtory
of sustaiNable desiGN, outperformiNG eveN its owN striNGeNt eNerGy reduCtioN
submissions for the 2010 National Urban
tarGets. teXt peter sampsoN Design Awards.

32 technical
24 langara college liBrary and Kathy Velikov and Geoffrey Thün describe
the complex process of designing and
student centre building North House, an important
the iNCorporatioN of bold formal Gestures iN this faCility by teeple arChiteCts iN prototype for sustainable living.
assoCiatioN with ibi/hb arChiteCts provides a welCome ChaNGe iN the City of
vaNCouver. teXt matthew soules
35 report
Leslie Jen comments on the recent spec-
tacle of CERSAIE 2009, a massive inter-
national trade show devoted exclusively to
briaN dust

ceramic tile and bathroom furnishings

held each year in Bologna, Italy.

40 calendar
L eonardo da Vinci: The Mechanics of Man at
the Vancouver Art Gallery; Francine Hou-
ben of Mecanoo Architecten lectures at
Ryerson University.

42 Backpage
An architect strives to convert a portion of
Toronto’s Gardiner Expressway into an
elevated park in the city’s downtown core.

jaNuary 2010, v.55 N.01

maNitoba hydro plaCe iN wiNNipeG.

coVer

The NaTioNal Review of DesigN aND PRacTice/ photo by eduard hueber.

The JouRNal of RecoRD of The Raic

01/10 canadian architect 5

 viewpoint
Courtesy shaPe vanCouver
above Led by busby PerkIns + wILL and ConCord PaCIfIC, shaPe vanCouver 2050 Is an
onLIne researCh InItIatIve Intended to GuIde future PoLICIes reGardInG urban densIfICa-
tIon and sustaInabILIty.
Because competition amongst Vancouver archi-
tects is so high (the city has the highest concen-
tration of architects per capita in Canada), many
firms have been forced to either merge their
practices—as Hotson Bakker Boniface Haden
Architects has done recently with Cohos Evamy—
or engage in research that distinguishes them
from the rest of the pack. Bing Thom Architects
has developed research and policy reports on
housing and changing demographics. Henriquez
Partners Architects intends to publish an issues-
related book every two years—its latest volume is
to be released shortly. Although many of the
city’s architecture firms are staffed with “LEED-
ites” who are well-versed in all things “sustain-
able,” one firm—Busby Perkins + Will—remains
the leader in this regard. Under the direction of
Peter Busby, who continues to use that rare com-
bination of strong design skills and business
acumen to advocate for greener cities, Busby Per-
kins + Will has recently launched a new online
poll to question Vancouverites’ opinion of their
precious skyline and the environmental implica-
tions of intensifying the city’s downtown core.
For those unfamiliar with the shape of Van-
couver’s downtown peninsula, it is a carefully
monitored and controlled entity, with view cones
(developed in part by Busby Bridger Architects
in 1989), height restrictions and design guide-
lines that have taken decades to develop and ac-
cept. But as the city grows, what are the real
benefits of mitigating Vancouver’s carbon foot-
print, and what are the realistic limitations to
its growth? Entitled “Shape Vancouver 2050”
(www.shapevancouver.com), Busby’s initiative was
developed in conjunction with the developer
Concord Pacific. The project involves an inter-
active website allowing visitors to clearly visual-
ize—through the manipulation of building heights
and densities—how taller buildings can affect
variables like carbon savings, energy consump-
tion, infrastructure costs and automobile usage.
The survey makes no claim that tall buildings
are a panacea for our cities’ environmental ills,
but it certainly makes us aware of how many dol-
6 canadian architect 01/10
lars, tonnes of carbon, and cubic feet of asphalt
can be saved if we can promote higher-density
urban living. Shape Vancouver is merely intend-
ed to gauge the public’s opinion of the extent to
which we can alter Vancouver’s skyline for the
better, being careful to note that “it does not pro-
vide metrics for more complex issues such as af-
fordability, amenities, transportation or other
social issues.” The initial results were released in
mid-January with ongoing results and commen-
tary continuing thereafter. Based on responses
from participants, an average build-out should
be developed by the beginning of February.
Hopefully, the survey will provide guidance for
the City of Vancouver to correlate issues affecting
sustainable design practices with existing and in-
creasingly obsolete zoning regulations. The City’s
planning department still struggles to develop a
firm direction regarding the implementation of
proactive sustainable planning measures. But
while the City has been promoting its EcoDensity
and Greenest City platforms, Busby has been
working hard at testing and evolving the implica-
tions of increased density through his own list of
projects, especially in the areas surrounding the
Canada Line, for which his firm has been com-
missioned to design three stations.
While we appreciate Vancouver Mayor Gregor
Robertson’s 2020 action plan entitled “A Bright
Green Future”—part of his desire to make Van-
couver the greenest city in the world by 2020—the
City would be wise to move beyond motherhood
statements and gear up toward an action plan that
promotes and builds real projects, not just pub-
lish a wish list of benchmarks. Simply put, if the
implications of Shape Vancouver 2050 and its
findings are folded into building and zoning regu-
lations, the City will find that its accomplishments
may prove more tangible than any of its intermin-
able eco-reports. It isn’t just the competition
amongst Vancouver architects that is fierce, but
also that city’s need to compete on the global stage.
Vancouver must shape up, or lose its capacity to
become a global leader in sustainable living.
Ian ChodIkoff ichodikoff@canadianarchitect.coM
editor
Ian ChodIkoff, OAA, MRAIC
associate editor
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PrOjects
new art Gallery of alberta opens.
Designed by Los Angeles-based Randall Stout
Architects, the renovation and expansion of the
new Art Gallery of Alberta (AGA) was completed
this month and opened to the public. Located on
Sir Winston Churchill Square in downtown
Edmonton—the city’s arts and government core,
the addition/renovation project has upgraded
and expanded the original 1960s Brutalist con-
crete structure with galleries and art-handling
facilities, featuring a significant increase in the
number of exhibition spaces, including gallery
space for the AGA’s permanent collection of
more than 5,000 pieces of art. Additionally, a
new off-site collection storage facility was com-
pleted as part of the first phase of the New Vision
project. An expanded art education centre
doubles the number of classroom/studio spaces,
complemented by a new restaurant, gallery shop,
and the renovation of a 150-seat theatre. New
public event areas have been incorporated, like
the soaring four-storey entry lobby, the Gallery
Great Hall, a multi-purpose theatre, a café, a gal-
lery shop, a “floating” private members’ lounge,
and an outdoor sculpture terrace. Edmonton’s
underground light rail transportation system
(LRT) and public pedway are accessible from the
main entry lobby. The new building totals 84,000
square feet, adding 27,000 square feet of new
public spaces and galleries and approximately
24,000 square feet of interior exhibition space.
The duality of Edmonton’s urban grid layout
juxtaposed against the winding contours of the
North Saskatchewan River is reflected in the
square and curved components of the new
design, while the swirling forms of the Aurora
Borealis provided inspiration for the building’s
main stainless steel feature.
www.youraga.ca
Levitt Goodman architects to design new
Learning commons at York University.
York University has selected Levitt Goodman
Architects to develop detailed designs for its com-
petition-winning design for a 26,390-square-
foot renovation of York University’s main library
on its Keele campus. The “Learning Commons”
will provide users with a mix of group study areas
that will shift York University’s 40-year-old Scott
Library into a progressive learning environment.
The $2-million renovation will be the first initia-
tive on the campus specifically designed to reflect
York’s pedagogical shift from a teacher-centred
approach to active and collaborative learning. The
firm’s winning scheme offers a mix of open and
semi-private multi-purpose areas designed to
promote interaction, collaboration and group
aBOVeThe ArT GAllery of AlberTA (AGA) will open iTs renovATed And expAnded premises AT
The end of JAnuAry. desiGned by los AnGeles-bAsed rAndAll sTouT ArchiTecTs, The build-
inG AppeArs To be inspired by frAnk Gehry’s ApproAch To civic-buildinG desiGn.
study. The first part of the multi-phased initiative
will proceed under the direction of Brock James,
Levitt Goodman’s partner-in-charge of the pro-
ject. The library will remain open during the con-
struction period, which is expected to commence
in the spring of 2010, with a projected completion
date for the start of the fall semester. The firm’s
recent library projects include the Musagetes
library at the University of Waterloo School of
Architecture, Bridgenorth Library, the five-year
multimillion-dollar renovation of the Queens
Square Central Branch of the Cambridge Libraries
system and the $24.9-million renovation of the
Kitchener Public Library (in association with
Walter Fedy Partnership and Phillip H. Carter
Architect) which will be completed in 2013.
diamond and schmitt architects design
algonquin college centre for construction
excellence.
The looming shortage of skilled trades workers
across Canada served as the catalyst for the
planned Centre for Construction Excellence at
the Algonquin College of Applied Arts and Tech-
nology. Diamond and Schmitt Architects in col-
laboration with Edward J. Cuhaci and Associates
Architects have designed a 180,000-square-foot
building that will consolidate all of Algonquin
College’s trades education programs under one
roof. With classrooms, studios, laboratories and
shops for 600 construction students and for
thousands more studying in related programs,
news
ArT GAllery of AlberTA
the LEED Platinum-certified building will be a
teaching laboratory for best practices in sustain-
able construction. The $77-million Centre for
Construction Excellence is expected to be com-
plete by fall 2011. Located in Ottawa, Algonquin
College of Applied Arts and Technology is the
largest college in Eastern Ontario with 18,000
full-time students and more than 33,000 part-
time students registered in over 140 programs.
awards
call for submissions for the 2010 national
Urban design awards.
Urban design plays an important role in main-
taining and enhancing the quality of life in Cana-
dian cities. The Royal Architectural Institute of
Canada (RAIC), the Canadian Institute of Plan-
ners (CIP) and the Canadian Society of Land-
scape Architects (CSLA) in cooperation with Ca-
nadian municipalities, wish to promote public
and private awareness of that role. For this rea-
son, an Urban Design Awards program has been
established to recognize individuals, organiza-
tions, firms and projects that have contributed to
the quality of life in our Canadian cities and their
sustainability. There are six different categories
of urban design projects, and one award will be
bestowed for each category: Urban Design Plans;
Urban Fragments; Urban Architecture; Commu-
nity Improvement Projects; Civic Design Pro-
jects; and Student Projects. The jury members
01/10 canadian architect 9
 A groundbreaking study on
Canadian architectural firms

2009 Canadian
Architectural Practices
Benchmark Study

A study on architectural
practices has just been published
by Canadian Architect magazine
and the Royal Architectural
Institute of Canada. For the first
time, firms can compare their
operations to hundreds
of others across Canada. Make
sure your firm has a copy of
this foundational study.

How does your firm measure up?

Compare your firm to the most profitable firms in Canada. What are they
doing that you’re not? Also, find answers to these questions and more:

• How does your firm’s growth compare with other similar firms?
• Is your employee compensation on par with everyone else’s?
• How do your billings compare to other firms?
• On average, how many RFP’s do firms respond to per year?
• How does your rate of winning commissions compare to other firms?
• What is the average cost to develop a proposal?

Order Your Copy Today. Go to:

www.canadianarchitect.com/benchmark
CirCle reply Card 16

are: Vincent Asselin, FCSLA (Montreal); Nigel
Baldwin, FRAIC (Vancouver); and Don Hester,
FCSLA, MCIP (Winnipeg). Entry forms and
binders must be received before 4:00pm on Feb-
ruary 11, 2010.
www.raic.org/honours_and_awards/awards_
urban/2010call/urban-submission_e.htm
c3 community care consortium wins 2009
academy award for Mental health design.
The C3 Community Care Consortium—comprised
of Montgomery Sisam Architects, Kearns Manci-
ni Architects and KPMB Architects—has recently
been honoured with an Academy Award from the
International Academy of Design and Health for
Mental Health Design. The Academy recognizes
mental health design projects that provide a civi-
lized and humane setting to support therapeutic
intervention. The Award was given for Phase IA
of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
(CAMH) in Toronto. CAMH is Canada’s leading
addiction and health treatment centre, and suc-
ceeds in transforming the lives of affected indi-
viduals by applying the latest in scientific ad-
vances through integrated and compassionate
clinical practice, education, research and care.
Pugh + scarpa architects to receive 2010
aia architecture Firm award.
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) Board
of Directors voted for Pugh + Scarpa Architects to
receive the 2010 AIA Architecture Firm Award.
Given annually, the award is the highest honour
the AIA bestows on an architecture firm and rec-
ognizes a practice that consistently has produced
distinguished architecture for at least 10 years.
Founding partners Gwynne Pugh, AIA, and Law-
rence Scarpa, AIA, along with Angela Brooks,
AIA, who became a partner in 2001, are known
for forging a broad, inclusive, experimental ap-
proach to socially and environmentally sensitive
urban planning and design. Previous recipients
include Olson Sundberg Kundig Allen Architects,
Leers Weinzapfel, Moore Ruble Yudell, Murphy/
Jahn, and KieranTimberlake.
cOMPetitiOns
winners announced in competition for new
northern Ontario school of architecture.
The winners of a competition for a new school of
architecture at Laurentian University were re-
cently announced. The competition asked the
question of what a new school of architecture can
be within the unique context of Northern Ontar-
io, and asked entrants to question the role of
schools of architecture, defining physical, ab-
stract and theoretical characteristics. It purpose-
fully ignored setting strict design guidelines in
ÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊSINGLEÊPAGEÊ=Ê2.5ÊXÊ10.625
order to allow entrants complete freedom to gen-
erate their own unique ideas, stipulating only
that the school will provide education in either
English or French, and that it must deeply engage
with and learn from the First Nation communi-
ties throughout the province. A jury comprised of In trodu cin g
Anne Cormier, Douglas Cardinal, Craig Dykers
Sort
and Dominic Giroux awarded a first prize of
$5,000 to the Italian team of Daniele Rocchio and ª
Ferdinando Mazza from the Facoltà di Architet-
tura Valle Giulia Sapienza. Second-place winners
Dylan Sauer and Joe Smith from the Yale School
recycling system
of Architecture received $3,000 in prize money. designedÊbyÊJohnÊRizzi
And taking third place was Ryerson University’s
Michael Blois, Sean MacLean and Jason Fung,
who shared a prize of $2,000. Prizes were award-
ed based on each submission’s contribution to
the research, creation and critique of new ideas
for a school of architecture—specifically one that
serves a culturally diverse community while pro-
viding an innovative and globally competitive ed-
ucation. There was no specific site for the pro-
ject, other than a general location within the
downtown of the City of Greater Sudbury.
www.laurentianarchitecture.ca
what’s new
all architects resign from city of Ottawa
design review Panel.
On December 7, 2009, all of the architects that
were members of the Downtown Ottawa Urban
Ê
Design Review Panel resigned. The City was in-
formed by way of a letter to Councillor Peter
Hume, Chair of the Planning and Environment
Ê
Committee. The Downtown Ottawa Urban Design
Review Panel was established in March 2005 to
105532ÊDTÊLFÊSORT-CANÊARCHÊJANÊ2010.inddÊ
provide expert peer review of urban design ele-
ments of new developments in the downtown
core. More than 15 major development applica-
tions have been reviewed. The Design Review
Panel was originally composed of seven archi-
tects and three landscape architects. The resigna-
tion of all of the architects leaves the Panel with
only three members. Reasons cited for the resig-
LFÊSORTÊ09Ê09_01-PICKUP.tif
nation included long-overdue improvements to
the design review process, the City’s continuing
inaction on the Ottawa By Design section of its
Official Plan, and the City’s approach to the re-
development of Lansdowne Park. The architects,
in their letter of resignation, state that, “while we
believe that it is no longer possible to support the
status quo, we do remain committed to improv-
ing the quality of urban design in the city. We
hope the City will take a renewed interest and
877.837.3275 • landscapeforms.com
commitment to urban design, but until we see
substantial improvements in the approach to
urban design on the part of the City, it is no lon-
circLe rePLY card 17
ger in our interest to participate.”
01/10 canadian architect 11
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CirCle reply Card 18

RAIC Syllabus Renewal
FAQ online
In an effort to communicate
ongoing efforts regarding the
Syllabus Renewal, RAIC offers
the answers to frequently asked
questions on its web site.
Please see www.raic.org for a
link off the home page.
Intern representative joins
Board
The RAIC Board of
Directors is pleased
to announce W.
Stephen Boulton,
MRAIC is joining
them as a Director
to represent the
general interests of
Intern Architects.
ISSuE 32. 1
W INTER 2009/ 2010
AU RAIC Centre for Architecture receives
CCMPA support 2009-2010
The RAIC and Athabasca university (Au) recently announced the Cana- RAIC Board Members
dian Concrete Masonry Producers Association (CCMPA) has become
President
the first industry partner to support the new architecture program at Ranjit (Randy) K. Dhar, FRAIC
Au. The RAIC Centre of Architecture at Au will eventually replace
the RAIC Syllabus program. The CCMPA has agreed to a long term 1st Vice-President and
partnership with RAIC and Au. The terms of this partnership will be President-Elect
Stuart Howard, FRAIC
formally announced in early 2010.
2nd Vice-President and
Treasurer
Task Force appointed to David Craddock, MRAIC
promote Fee Guidelines Immediate Past President
Paule Boutin, AP/FIRAC
Members from across Canada
have been tasked with recom- Regional Directors
mending methods to com- Wayne De Angelis, MRAIC
municate, promote, and ensure (British Columbia/Yukon)
the adoption of the Guide to Wayne Guy, FRAIC
Determining Appropriate Fees (Alberta/NWT)
for the Services of an Architect: Charles Olfert, MRAIC
(Saskatchewan/Manitoba)
•  Nick Bevanda, MRAIC – BC
David Craddock, MRAIC
•  Wayne Guy, FRAIC – Alberta/NWT (Ontario Southwest)
•  Jeff Jurzyniec, MRAIC – Saskatchewan Ralph Wiesbrock, FRAIC
•  Chris Fillingham, PP/FRAIC – Ontario SW (Ontario North and East/Nunavut)
•  Claudio Brun del Re, FRAIC – Ontario NE Claude Hamelin Lalonde, FIRAC
(Quebec)
•  Alain Fournier, FIRAC – Québec Paul E. Frank, FRAIC
•  William Knorr, FRAIC – Atlantic (Atlantic)
Gerrie Doyle, MRAIC will participate on behalf of the OAA and Rick Chancellor of College of
Linley, FRAIC on behalf of the MAA. Alexander Rankin, FRAIC will Fellows
Alexander Rankin, FRAIC
act as RAIC Board Liaison.
RAIC launched its national fee guidelines in June 2009. The guidelines Council of Canadian University
Schools of Architecture
are intended for use by both clients and architects. It includes updated (CCUSA)
recommendations for percentage-based fees and is free to RAIC Eric Haldenby, FRAIC
members.
Director Representing Intern
Architects
W. Steve Boulton, MRAIC
Editorial Liaison
RAIC strategic objectives Ralph Wiesbrock, FRAIC
At a recent Board retreat RAIC reviewed its strategic plan and Executive Director
identified six areas as key issues for the 2010. Jon Hobbs, FRAIC
1. Regional Chapters – the development of a framework, Editor
including name, bylaws, financial and support structure Sylvie Powell
2. Festivals – recommendations for future formats for the The national office of the
annual conference after 2011 RAIC is located at:
3. Syllabus – hiring a Director and launching the program as 330-55 Murray St.
soon as possible Ottawa ON K1N 5M3
Tel.: 613-241-3600
4. Fee Guidelines – promoting the new document to Owner Fax: 613-241-5750
groups E-mail: info@raic.org
5. The 2030 Challenge – advocating for its adoption and pro-
viding tools for architects to meet the challenge
www.raic.org
6. Transition to a New Executive Director
MASThEAD PhoTo: LANGuAGE TECHNOLOGIES RE-
SEARCH CENTRE AT uNIvERSITy OF QuEBEC IN OuTA-
OuAIS | MENKèS SHOONER DAGENAIS LETOuRNEux
ARCHITECTS / FORTIN CORRIvEAu SALvAIL ARCHITEC-
TuRE + DESIGN | PHOTO: MICHEL BRuNELLE
NuM éRO 32.1
HI v ER 200 9/201 0
Le Centre d’architecture de l’IRAC à l’AU obtient
Conseil d’administration l’appui de la CCMPA
de l’IRAC de 2009-2010 L’IRAC et l’université Athabasca (Au) ont le plaisir d’annoncer que la Cana-
dian Concrete Masonry Producers Association (CCMPA) est le premier
Président partenaire de l’industrie à offrir son appui au nouveau programme en archi-
Ranjit (Randy) K. Dhar, FRAIC tecture de l’uA. Le Centre d’architecture de l’IRAC à l’uA remplacera
Premier vice-président et
éventuellement le programme actuel Syllabus de l’IRAC. La CCMPA a
président élu convenu d’un partenariat à long terme avec l’IRAC et l’Au. Les modalités
Stuart Howard, FRAIC de cette entente seront annoncées officiellement au début de 2010.
Deuxième vice-président et
trésorier
David Craddock, MRAIC
Création d’un groupe de travail pour promouvoir le guide
national des honoraires
Présidente sortante de charge
Paule Boutin, AP/FIRAC
L’IRAC a créé un groupe de travail
formé d’architectes de toutes les
Administrateurs régionaux régions du pays et lui a confié le
Wayne De Angelis, MRAIC
mandat d’orienter, de développer
(Colombie-Britannique/Yukon) et de recommander des méthodes
en vue de la diffusion, de la promo-
Wayne Guy, FRAIC
(Alberta/T.N.-O.) tion, de l’utilisation et de l’adoption
du Guide aidant à déterminer les
Charles Olfert, MRAIC honoraires appropriés pour les ser-
(Saskatchewan/Manitoba)
vices d’un architecte. Le groupe de
David Craddock, MRAIC travail est formé des membres suivants :
(Sud et Ouest de l’Ontario)
•  Nick Bevanda, MRAIC – Colombie-Britannique
Ralph Wiesbrock, FRAIC
(Est et Nord de l’Ontario/Nunavut) •  Wayne Guy, FRAIC – Alberta/Territoires du Nord-Ouest
Claude Hamelin Lalonde, FIRAC •  Jeff Jurzyniec, MRAIC – Saskatchewan
(Québec) •  Chris Fillingham, PP/FRAIC – Sud et Ouest de l’Ontario
Paul E. Frank, FRAIC •  Claudio Brun del Re, FRAIC – Nord et Est de l’Ontario
(Atlantique)
•  Alain Fournier, FIRAC – Québec
Chancelier du Collège des •  William Knorr, FRAIC – Provinces de l’Atlantique
fellows
Alexander Rankin, FRAIC Gerrie Doyle, MRAIC représentera l’OAA et Rick Linley, FRAIC représen-
tera le MAA. Alexander Rankin, FRAIC sera l’agent de liaison de l’IRAC.
Conseil canadien des écoles
universitaires d’architecture
L’IRAC a lancé son guide national sur les honoraires en juin 2009. Ce guide
(CCÉUA) est conçu pour être utilisé par les clients et les architectes. Il comprend FAQ sur le renouvellement
notamment des recommandations actualisées concernant les honoraires à
Eric Haldenby, FRAIC
pourcentage et est offert gratuitement aux membres de l’IRAC.
du Syllabus de l’IRAC
Conseiller représentant les Pour mieux faire connaître les
stagiaires efforts continus déployés dans le
W. Steve Boulton, MRAIC
dossier du renouvellement du
Conseiller à la rédaction Syllabus, l’IRAC a mis en ligne
Ralph Wiesbrock, FRAIC
objectifs stratégiques de l’IRAC une liste des questions les plus
Le conseil d’administration a tenu récemment une réunion spéciale fréquemment posées. veuillez
Directeur général au cours de laquelle il a revu son plan stratégique. Il a décidé d’axer cliquer sur le lien suivant pour y
Jon Hobbs, FRAIC avoir accès www.raic.org.
ses efforts sur les six domaines prioritaires qui suivent au cours de la
Rédactrice en chef prochaine année.
Sylvie Powell 1. Sections régionales – le développement d’un cadre portant
notamment sur l’appellation, les règlements administratifs et la
Le siège social de l’IRAC
structure financière et de soutien. Un représentant des stagiaires
est situé au :
2. Festivals – recommandations quant à la forme des prochains au conseil d’administration
55, rue Murray, bureau 330
Ottawa (Ontario) K1N 5M3
congrès annuels après 2011. Le conseil d’admi-
Tél. : 613-241-3600 3. Syllabus – embauche d’un directeur et lancement du program- nistration de l’IRAC a
Téléc. : 613-241-5750 me le plus tôt possible. le plaisir d’annoncer
Courriel : info@raic.org que W. Stephen
4. Guide sur les honoraires – promotion du nouveau document
Boulton, MRAIC
www.raic.org auprès des divers groupes de donneurs d’ouvrage.
5. Le Défi 2030 – plaider en faveur de son adoption et offrir aux se joint à lui pour
architectes les outils dont ils ont besoin pour relever le défi. représenter les inté-
PhoTo EN CARToUChE DE TITRE : CENTRE DE
RECHERCHE EN TECHNOLOGIES LANGAGIèRES DE rêts généraux des
L’uNIvERSITé Du QuéBEC EN OuTAOuAIS | MENKèS
SHOONER DAGENAIS LETOuRNEux ARCHITECTES /
6. Transition au poste de directeur général. stagiaires en archi-
FORTIN CORRIvEAu SALvAIL ARCHITECTuRE +
DESIGN | PHOTO : MICHEL BRuNELLE tecture.
1968 Social environmental
movements take hold.
1978 Earth Day brings
awareness to Earth’s
need for continual care.
1988 1,000 communities
in America initiate
curbside recycling.
1998 EPA launches voluntary
programs for energy,
water, indoor air
quality, waste and
smart growth.
2008 U.S. Green
Building Council
member organizations
grow to 15,000.
CirCle reply Card 19
WHO SHAPES THE FUTURE
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eduard Hueber

climate-controlled

Performing 66 Percent better than model national He was flown to Copenhagen to rescue the federal
energy guidelines suggest, a new state-of-the-art government’s dwindling hopes of escaping the
corPorate headquarters in downtown winniPeg is talks unscathed. More significantly, the energy-
setting new standards for commercial office buildings. rich province is also home to the Best Tall Build-
ing in America in 2009 awarded by the Council
on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH),
ProJect Manitoba Hydro Place, WinniPeg, Manitoba
based in Chicago.
KuWabara Payne McKenna bluMberg arcHitects, sMitH carter arcHitects
integrated design team

& engineers, transsolar KliMaengineering, Prairie arcHitects inc. Located in downtown Winnipeg, the 22-storey
teXt Peter saMPson headquarters for Manitoba Hydro was designed
Photos gerry KoPeloW and eduard Hueber by Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Archi-
tects in conjunction with Smith Carter Architects
With the Copenhagen Summit having come to a mood for their recent performance in this re- and Engineers of Winnipeg, and climate engin-
dismally weak resolution on global emissions gard. Amidst this weakness on ecological futures, eers Transsolar of Germany. Opened earlier this
targets, and with Canada’s even more appallingly the province is home to ex-premier-turned- year with its LEED Platinum target firmly in
vague and fidgety position on the issue of climate ambassador Gary Doer, known internationally sight, Manitoba Hydro Place is proving to be one
change, many Manitobans are in a celebratory for his strong track record on the environment. of the most efficient passive-energy office towers

16 canadian architect 01/10


in North America.
Let’s face it, nothing says regional head office
like Winnipeg’s skyline and so it is with some
measured sense of pride that Winnipeg’s newest
addition to the stumpy vista beat out contenders
from cities across the continent for the Award.
What is remarkable is that this 696,000-square-
foot winner is outperforming its own energy re-
duction targets, no small feat in Canada’s coldest
city where even modest efficiency milestones are
challenging in the smallest of residential infills.
With an annual Canadian temperature swing of
70 degrees Celsius, Winnipeg’s –35 degree win-
ters make most Canadians wince at the thought of
100 percent fresh-air intake. “If we can build
like this here,” says Tom Gouldsborough, District
Manager of Corporate Services and the visionary
project manager for Manitoba Hydro, “then we
can build like this anywhere.”
Despite Canada’s poor reputation in Copen-
hagen, on its home continent, Manitoba Hydro
Place—known locally as the Hydro Tower—is
clearly a new kind of symbol for progress in this
century. Manitoba has been making a name for
itself on issues of sustainability through an ex-
tensive and complex commitment to ecological
construction and performance. Much of this ef-
fort is spearheaded by the country’s fourth-lar-
gest utility, a provincially owned corporation that
boasts some of the lowest rates on the continent,
yet still promotes energy conservation as a fun-
damental mandate. In these low-dollar-per-
eduard Hueber
rising along WinniPeg’s Por-
oPPosite toP
tage avenue, Manitoba Hydro Place usH-
ers in a neW era of office building for
a city tHat already Has a ricH History of
HigH-rise arcHitecture. aboVe one of
tHree soutH-facing atria tHat acts as a
Winter garden and lung for tHe build-
ing, teMPering fresH-air intaKe tHrougH
tHe use of Passive solar Heating.
square-foot times, it is hard not to observe, de-
spite the $278-million price tag, how far the pub-
lic dollar has been stretched here. A city of
700,000 people in a province of 1 million is
home to the continent’s leader in the evolution of
office towers. And what’s more, in the face of re-
cent international criticism of Canada, of the 25
01/10 canadian architect 17
bryan cHristie
Shoulder Seasons/
Summer Mode
air is drawn naturally in
through large operable
windows
South Gusting Winds
abundant in Winnipeg, dir-
ect air into south winter
gardens
Winter Garden
six-storey-tall atria act
as the building’s lungs,
drawing fresh air in and
preconditioning it before
it enters the workspace
Winter Mode
air is drawn in through
outer mechanical units
and heated by geother-
mal field
Inner Heating and
Cooling Units
further condition air as it
passes into the raised
floor distribution plenum
Waterfall
24-metre-high water
feature either humidifies
or dehumidifies air as it
enters the building
Parkade
limited to 200 spots to en-
courage employees to take
public transit, and use
parking spaces in the city
FresH Air
PassiVe mechanical systems
consulting experts commissioned for Manitoba
Hydro Place, all but one firm was Canadian.
The general well-being of architecture in this
country stands to benefit from Manitoba Hydro’s
commitment to building not the largest nor the
tallest tower in the country, and not the slen-
derest nor the most formally outstanding. In-
stead, a quiet and didactic working laboratory for
passive and sustainable energy performance is
set in an urban environment and is open to the
public. Bruce Kuwabara, the project’s design
18 canadian architect 01/10
Solar Chimney
115-metre-high solar
chimney uses stack
effect
Shoulder Seasons/
Summer Mode
draws used air up and
exhausts it out of the
building
Exposed Ceiling
eduard Hueber
Mass
uses radiant heating
and cooling; warm air
rises and is drawn into
north atria via natural
pressure differences
100% Fresh Air,
24/7
in all office spaces is
drawn through the
raised access floor
Winter Mode
chimney closes, fans
draw warm exhaust air
down, and recirculate it
to warm the parkade.
Heat exchangers recap-
ture heat and return it
to south winter gardens
to preheat incoming air
Geothermal System
280 boreholes 125
metres deep draw
excess heat or cold
eduard Hueber
stored within the soil to
condition the building
exHAust Air HeAting And Cooling systems
architect, tells me that “this just might be one of toPa variety of cladding Material Was
the best ways to spend public money that I can used on tHe Project, ranging froM
think of.” Manitoba Hydro Place is challenging loW-iron ultra-clear glass to tyndall
the nature of conventional large building targets stone and a tyndall stone-insPired frit
in Canada. “It is long overdue,” Kuwabara says, aPPlied to a unitized curtain Wall. aboVe
in addition to iMProving tHe vieW for
“that we raise our standards.” Many office WorKers, tHe green roof
On track to achieve LEED Platinum, the project HelPs reduce solar Heat gain and Miti-
marks what Kuwabara describes as “a critical gates storM Water runoff. below a series
moment for Canadian architecture. The era of the of tiMe-laPse PHotograPHs brilliantly
hermetically sealed box is over. And so is the way conveys tHe sPecial quality of ligHt
found only on tHe Prairies.
we deliver projects of this stature and complex-
gerry KoPeloW
ity.” Manitoba Hydro Place is a game-changer.
“The Class A office tower is a thing of the past,”
he says. “The whole notion of B’s and A’s is a ri-
diculous leftover of modern efficiency. Isn’t it
weird that in the 21st century, we’re actually talk-
ing about how good the quality of air is—that this
is something we should actually talk about? How
did we get here?”
Collected data for Class A office towers in Can-
ada indicates that most cold-climate office tow-
ers operate in a range of 400-550 kWh/m2 per
year. Gouldsborough confirms that the average
Manitoba office space utilizes 495 kWh/m2 per
year. When the design of Manitoba Hydro Place
began five years ago, the average Canadian office
space used 550 kWh/m2 per year. Today, Winni-
peg office towers are in the 325 kWh/m2 per
annum range because of Manitoba Hydro initia-
tives over the past decade. He also notes that new
performance guidelines for Class A office towers
in Canada are targeting energy consumption at
260kWh/m2 per annum.
Current consumption patterns at Manitoba
Hydro Place demonstrate a projected energy use
of 88 kWh/m2 per annum, 66 percent better than
the Model National Energy Code for Buildings
(MNECB). “And that surpasses the project target
of being just 60 percent better than the MNECB,”
Gouldsborough says.
The high-performance envelope is comprised
of a double-glass curtain-wall system containing
operable windows and automated solar shading.
The system is comprised of low-iron glass which
maximizes natural daylight entering floorplates,
reducing demand for artificial lighting. Shallow
Office lofts
Hanging
wood screens
Access
bridges
Water
features
Geothermal
well field
lobby
floorplates capitalize on this daylighting strategy:
the workspace is only 11 metres from envelope to
core, and while this is two metres deeper than
code standards established in Germany around
daylight design, it is shallower than local con-
temporary examples. Where lighting does occur,
advanced T-5 fluorescent fixtures are used.
Extending below the single storey of under-
ground parking is the province’s largest geother-
mal system with 280 boreholes, each one 125
metres deep. These tap the earth’s natural energy
storage for both heating and cooling purposes.
Because of the raised floor ventilation provided
at each floor, the bulk of heating and cooling
radiates from exposed concrete slabs above.
Three south-facing, six-storey “winter gar-
dens” are lungs that condition incoming air. By
capitalizing on available solar energy, these sus-
pended atria add to a bevy of social spaces that
perform vital functions in the passive operations
of the complex. Here, multi-storey waterfalls
flow down steel wires humidifying or dehumidi-
fying air, depending on the season. Below, green
roofs atop the three-storey podium feature sweet
grass, a sacred plant of local Aboriginal cultures,
and other native prairie plants. These assist in
the reduction of stormwater runoff and are said
to convert carbon dioxide to oxygen, minimizing
the building’s urban heat-island effect. Most im-
portantly, an advanced fully integrated building
management system coordinates ventilation,
heating, lighting and solar shades throughout the
day ensuring that the structure operates as a sin-
gle entity while actively responding to changes in
climate, use, environment, and operational re-
Parkade
quirements.
At the north apex of the atrium, a 115-metre-
tall solar chimney rises expressively over Portage
Avenue above the bulk of the complex to capture
the sun. It provides an energy-free passive venti-
lation source by employing the natural stack ef-
fect of a high-rise structure and drawing spent
interior air up and outwards.
The CTBUH provides an annual internationally
juried awards program to assess advances in tall-
building technology on a continent-by-continent
basis. This year’s jury statement noted that Mani-
toba Hydro Place “was designed to be completely
site-specific. The design could not be trans-
planted to another city and still work, thus mak-
ing it the perfect response to the seeming homo-
genization of the world’s skylines.” This is quite
an ironic description for a building that clearly
gives a nod to Gordon Bunshaft’s canonical 1952
Lever House in New York City, a building many
consider to have singlehandedly ushered in the
generic International Style to the skylines of
America. Bunshaft is credited with the statement
“concrete, steel and glass are the natural materi-
als of North America,” a broad notion of site
specificity, to be sure.
Bunshaft’s seminal headquarters transformed
the urban skyline in the 20th century because it
revolutionized envelope constructability and per-
formance through the design of the curtain wall.
Manitoba Hydro Place pays homage to the Lever
House both formally and in the reinvention of
the curtain wall into a triple-glazed performative
skin that mediates the behaviours of interior and
exterior environments in a way Bunshaft could
Green roof South grove
bryan cHristie
Public plaza
01/10 canadian architect 19
 Oriented due south, the sixth-floor Exposed radiant Overhead direct-indirect lighting Computer-con- Computer-controlled exterior
atria act as passive solar collectors ceiling slab heats uses integrated occupancy and trolled louvre blinds window vents allow air into
in the winter, allowing the low and cools the daylight sensors to minimize reduce glare and the double skin when temper-
winter sun to warm the air in the space efficiently. energy consumption, and make solar gain. atures allow.
atria, and penetrate deep into the maximum use of daylight.
core of the building.

Humidification or
dehumidification is pro-
vided by a water feature
in each atrium.
During the summer, horizon-
tal blinds deploy and protect A second set of fan coils Exterior glazing uses
the atrium from the harsh at each floor level fur- extremely clear low-iron-
summer heat and glare. ther heats and cools the content glass to allow
air as it is drawn into more light into the work-
the raised floor at space lofts.
Six-storey-tall communication each level.
Low-emissivity coatings
stair encourages physical help to reduce heat
activity and interdepartment penetration at the
communication. Large-span struc- Manually controlled The perimeter edge façade.
tural concrete ribs interior windows allow of the slab has been Where a double skin is
provide flexible occupants to individu- shaped to allow for

bryan cHristie
Air is preheated at the exterior not employed, façades
column-free office ally control airflow maximum daylight utilize high-efficiency
bench using glycol circulated lofts. and temperature at penetration into the
through the geothermal field. triple glazing.
their workstations. building.

atrium

not have imagined. It subverts the generic nature
of the overdone glass box and podium by context-
ualizing it in a local, living, ecological response to
place.
One major factor of place is the urban context.
Hydro’s mandate went beyond technological per-
formance. The renewal of resources included so-
cial resources. The commitment to downtown
development was not second nature to Hydro;
word on the street is that it came at the insistence
of Glen Murray, Winnipeg’s mayor from 1998 to
2004. Gouldsborough comments that when he
helped broker the deal to merge Winnipeg’s
hydroelectric utility company with the Province’s
Crown utility corporation, the proviso was that a
new head office be built downtown. Hydro’s
1,800 employees were seen as an obvious and
much-needed stimulus to the downtown econ-
omy.
Stefano Grande, the Executive Director of
Winnipeg’s Downtown Biz, comments that “a few
decades from now, when we look back on what
some of the turning points for downtown were,
eduard Hueber
the decision to relocate 2,000 workers in the
heart of our city will be right up there.” He an-
ticipates the precedent will spark a decade of re-
vitalization. A host of cultural institutional land-
marks currently under construction indicate that
renewal in the city’s core is well underway.
Manitoba Hydro Place amalgamates 15 of the
corporation’s two- and three-storey suburban
leaseholds. Prior to the new facility, 95 percent of
the employees drove to work. Hesitancy among
employees to move to the downtown location was
countered with a careful Change Management as-
sessment conducted by Hydro to complement a
host of corporate incentives ranging from par-
ticipation in Winnipeg Transit’s EcoPass pro-
gram. Six months after moving, Hydro cites that
50 percent of the relocated employees are leaving
their cars at home. As a result, Manitoba Hydro
has been able to reduce its parking demand in the
downtown sector and has observed a five-fold in-
crease in employee use of public transit com-
pared to the previous year. Gouldsborough adds,
“energy reductions were important, but primarily
we did this to create a healthy infrastructure for
our employees.”
Further positive impact to the downtown ex-
tends to the type of leasing opportunities offered
in the base building. These are intentionally lim-
ited in an effort to stimulate the support of local
businesses and to encourage staff to experience
their city. Though space exists for a child-care
facility, research determined that the nearby
YMCA’s child care program was under-enrolled
and would benefit from the arrival of a new
demographic.
The project was commissioned through an In-
tegrated Design Process in which each team
member was interviewed, selected and con-
tracted directly by Hydro. Dudley Thompson,
Principal of Prairie Architects, was retained as
the Advocate Architect for the project. Kuwabara
credits him with enabling a team of high-calibre
experts to come together. As the first member of
the team, Thompson spearheaded the Integrated
Design Process and worked closely with Hydro to
establish LEED objectives. In the pre-design and

gerry KoPeloW

20 canadian architect 01/10


research phase of the project, Thompson ar-
ranged a field trip for Hydro executives to tour
10 high-performance buildings across the US
and Europe.
When it came to the selection of the Design
Architect for the project, a number of inter-
national architects known for their success with
bioclimatic design were interviewed along with
KPMB. These included British architect Norman
Foster, Stuttgart-based Behnisch Architekten,
Germany’s Christoph Ingenhoven, and US-based
Gensler. “With that roster, I can’t say we came to
Winnipeg expecting to win,” says Kuwabara.
Thompson recalls that “Bruce’s presentation was
gerry KoPeloW
simple and direct; we knew who we would be
dealing with. The other groups came with too
many people; we could not get a sense of who ac-
tually would be doing the work with our team, if
any of them. There was something about Bruce’s
ability to listen and his interest in people that
convinced us that he would work with the team to
create an appropriate urban building for both
Hydro and Winnipeg.”
“The process depends entirely on respect,”
says Kuwabara. It is only as good as the individ-
uals who participate in it. If there is distrust or
stubbornness at the table, he says, the process is
entirely compromised. Kuwabara cites his own
eduard Hueber
gerry KoPeloW
aboVe various atria tHrougHout tHe build-
ing Provide sPace for socializing and
iMProMPtu Meetings. oPPosite, bottom left to
right a vieW along Portage avenue illus-
trates tHe building’s classic Modernist
origins; tHe tHree-storey atriuM tHat
constitutes tHe Main entrance also
acts as tHe building’s Hub and connec-
tion to an outdoor Public Plaza; a vieW
doWn tHe central atriuM; an oPen stair
terMinates tHe nortH-facing atriuM and
adds WarMtH WitH its douglas fir clad-
ding; one of tHe Many attractive stairs
in tHe building, a gesture tHat encour-
ages eMPloyees to use tHeM instead of
elevators WHenever Possible.
eduard Hueber
01/10 canadian architect 21
 — east and west faces offer a double-skin
façade with occupant-controlled natural
ventilation
— floor-to-ceiling height of 3.31m (10’10”)
— floor-to-ceiling glazing, typical
— overhead radiant heating and cooling
— air and services distributed through raised
access floors
porta
ge av
e.
contained spaces
8’0” demountable solid and glass partitions
enclosed spaces
8’0” demountable solid and glass partitions, with glass transoms to ceiling
atria
north/south multiple floor atriums, with communication stairs
core
elevators, services and storage
open work stations
50” tall panels
tyPical tower floor layout concePt 0 10M site Plan
eduard Hueber
inexperience with IDP when he began the pro-
ject. “I guess because I had not gone through it, I
had no preconceptions of it—it was an open-
minded event. I think many of us approached it
this way. It worked well on this project because it
was so well organized.”
Both Kuwabara and Thompson suggest that
without Thomas Auer of Transsolar, whose ex-
pertise in passive bioclimatic architecture and
energy modelling spans two decades, Manitoba
Hydro Place could not have been what it is today.
“Thomas brought with him a wealth of experi-
ence from Europe that doesn’t yet exist here,”
says Kuwabara. His ability to react quickly to de-
sign ideas based on that experience was an im-
measurable asset to the team. “Thomas was in my
office one day looking at some of the schemes
that we had on the go before a big presentation to
Hydro,” says Kuwabara, “and he casually com-
eduard Hueber
mented that if we rotated one of our schemes 90
degrees, we could capitalize on the prevailing
southerly winds and sun of Winnipeg.” Despite
being from Germany, Auer’s intimate research
and modelling of weather patterns around the
city made him the resident expert on local cli-
mate. “That was a beautiful moment in the pro-
cess,” says Kuwabara, “everything just snapped
into place. The urban design strategies that we
were wrestling with to limit shadows on Portage,
the effort to strengthen pedestrian connectivity
on the site combined with the towers being situ-
ated so as to open the atrium to the south, all of a
sudden everything was in place.”
At $400 per square foot, Manitoba Hydro Place
exceeds financially the objectives of many of local
tHe soutH façade of tHe
left, toP to bottom
building, overlooKing tHe neW Public
Plaza; tHe 115-Metre-HigH solar cHiMney
uses tHe stacK effect to HelP ventilate
tHe toWer.
22 canadian architect 01/10
carlton st.
graham ave.
edmonton st.
0 30m
developers building in a slow-growth city. “With
the payback period for construction measured
over 60 years instead of the more typical short-
term investment “scenario,” says Kuwabara, he
feels the commitment to such a long-range fore-
cast reinforced the design team’s commitment to
quality workspaces, systems durability, and the
overall urban integrity of the project. Gouldsbor-
ough claims that many of the project’s major de-
sign elements—the bright open floor spaces, high
ceilings, operable windows, advanced work-
stations, and the 100 percent fresh-air ventila-
tion system—are designed to maximize employee
productivity and comfort as well as minimize
energy consumption. These have untallied finan-
cial advantages for any organization and are clear
objectives as we move into the second decade of
this century. ca
Peter Sampson is Principal of Peter Sampson Archi-
tecture Studio in Winnipeg and is an Adjunct Profes-
sor at the University of Manitoba’s Faculty of Archi-
tecture.
client Manitoba Hydro
integrated design team KuWabara Payne McKenna bluMberg
arcHitects (design arcHitect); sMitH carter arcHitects & engin-
eers (executive arcHitect); transsolar KliMaengineering (energy/
cliMate engineers); Prairie arcHitects inc. (advocate arcHitect/
leed consultant)
structural HalcroW yolles, crosier Kilgour & Partners ltd.
mechanical/electrical aecoM
landscaPe PHilliPs farevaag sMallenberg, HilderMan tHoMas
franK craM
interiors KPMb arcHitects (base building and Public sPace), ibi
grouP, nuMber ten arcHitecture grouP, esP environMental
sPace Planning (interiors, office/WorKsPace)
construction manager Pcl constructors canada inc.
acoustical aercoustics
building enVeloPe brooK van dalen & associates
water features dan euser WaterarcHitecture
geothermal groundsolar energy tecHnologies, oMnicron
consulting grouP
quantity surVeyor HanscoMb
code & life safety leber rubes
traffic/access/Parking nd lea engineers & Planners
lighting Pivotal ligHting design
microclimate rWdi inc.
Vertical transPortation soberMan engineering
geotechnical engineer/hydrogeologist uMa engineer-
ing
municiPal & site serVices WardroP engineering
area 695,742 ft2
budget $278 M (Project cost)
comPletion sePteMber 2009
CirCle reply Card 20
tactical insertions
a series of new buildings introduces an
expressive architectural language that is
relatively unfamiliar to the vancouver
context.
proJect Langara CoLLege Library, Langara Student union and
Langara CLaSSroom buiLding C, VanCouVer, britiSh CoLumbia
architects teepLe arChiteCtS inC. and aSSoCiate arChiteCtS ibi/hb
arChiteCtS
text matthew SouLeS
photos Shai giL
One of the most obvious things to say about Stephen Teeple’s new work at
Vancouver’s Langara College is that it’s black. Literally. The new library’s
exterior presents a hulking black concrete mass, the renovated classroom
building is refaced in black metal panels, and the student centre is clad with
black cementitious board. Not to ascribe too much meaning to a building’s
colour, but in this case it’s difficult to resist. Every sizeable city has a dis-
tinct architectural culture which inflects all aspects of design—including co-
lour. Douglas Coupland’s idiosyncratic but insightful guide to Vancouver,
City of Glass, smartly riffs on the city’s colour palette: a range of greens, a
few blues, and grey—naturally—for the sky. But there’s no mention of black
and I can’t think of any recent building in Vancouver in which the colour
has figured so prominently. That Teeple has operated outside of the perva-
sive Vancouver palette is not insignificant and is the signifying tip of a larg-
er architectural agenda he has flown from Toronto to Vancouver.
Like many other cities, Vancouver’s architectural culture is relatively in-
sular and, in more ways than one, it’s hard to imagine the new work at Lan-
gara being produced by a local. In Metro Vancouver over the preceding de-
24 canadian architect 01/10
cades, there have been very few significant commissions designed by “out-
siders.” At the same time it is readily apparent that Vancouver would benefit
from more diversity in its architecture. An increased number of architects
from elsewhere operating in the city could help address this shortcoming.
Architecture and urbanism in Vancouver are famed for their livability.
This livability is most often described in terms of podium towers, ample
green space, and generous civic programming, and is associated with the
newer residential condominium districts of the central city. One might ex-
tend this list to include ecological and environmental sensitivity in light of
recent projects such as the new convention centre and the South East False
Creek neighbourhood. What is less commonly discussed are the ways in
which the ethos of livability impacts buildings and projects throughout the
city and far beyond the residential zones of the central city. At its core, liva-
bility prefaces the middle ground; for many good reasons it is anti-extrem-
ism. The podium tower itself is literally a hybrid middle that combines the
high density of the point tower with the more “human” scale of the row-
house. A collateral result of pursuing this comfortable middle is a latent
distrust of “form” or “shape”—the implication being that an overly shapely
building must somehow disregard more important considerations related to
livability and environmental performance. Too much form is superficial,
the argument goes. This is, of course, an overly simplistic and reductive po-
sition. Nevertheless it silently persists. Perhaps the most important contri-
bution that Teeple Architects offer at Langara is a useful reminder that for-
malism can be smart and meaningful—that is, how ambitious shapeliness
and a resulting iconicism can be the product of polyvalent criteria ranging
from environmental performance to social interactivity.
Langara College opened in 1965 and has been operating at its current
campus on 49th Avenue in south Vancouver since 1970. With 23,000 stu-
dents, it is one of Metro Vancouver’s major post-secondary institutions and

opposite topdeSpite itS Striking bLaCk ConCrete maSS, the new
Library SkiLLfuLLy refLeCtS the unique quaLitieS of VanCouVer’S Late-
afternoon Sun. above ContraSting againSt the dark ConCrete,
the CLear bright Light emanating from the Library iS further
aCCentuated by refLeCting pondS aLong the buiLding’S perimeter.
is the only one with its primary campus directly inside the city of Vancou-
ver. Occupying 20 acres within a detached-home neighbourhood, the cam-
pus has until recently been defined by a collection of disparate and mostly
Brutalist structures set among a sea of parking. The school is currently re-
inventing itself through a 25-year master plan that seeks to unify its campus
and connect it more effectively with its surrounding context. This effort,
along with the new Canada Line subway, with a station two short blocks
away, poise the campus to possibly take on a more central role in the intel-
lectual and cultural life of the city.
Teeple Architects’ first and most important building on the campus is the
new library—a 7,700-square-metre, three-storey rectangular mass that an-
chors the western portion of the campus. As part of the master-plan strate-
gy, the building buries former surface parking underground and helps con-
figure and order its surroundings. To its north, a series of reflecting pools
and a plaza extend from the main entrance to 49th Avenue, linking the
building with the campus’s most important public edge. A three-storey-
high interior circulation spine runs through the entire western edge of the
building from the main entry—offering a major connection sequence be-
tween planned future buildings that will straddle the library to its northwest
and southwest. As the western boundary of a centrally located open space, it
helps define a new student quadrangle.
While the library and its landscaping strategies give order to its surround-
ing context, the process also acts in reverse, as exterior contingencies at
multiple scales shape the library building. Conceptually, we could describe
the library as a concrete block that is deformed by external forces. In an am-
bitious effort to naturally cool and ventilate the building, five wind tower
voids are subtracted from the block, each facilitating air movement through
the use of the stack effect. Primary vertical circulation is located within two of
these voids, therefore allowing these environmental performance mecha-
nisms to also function as organizational and experiential devices. The roof is
warped into an undulating surface that responds to multi-directional wind
movement in an effort to accelerate crosswinds, thereby enhancing the per-
formance of the wind towers. A rooftop weather station monitors wind direc-
tion, speed and humidity, and adjusts louvres in the wind towers accordingly.
Again, environmental performance has palpably impacted the spatial form
and experience of the building as the top floor of the library’s interior is de-
fined by the strikingly exposed concrete undersurface of the curving roof that
recalls the grand reading rooms of classical libraries—only here, form is at
once grand and performative. In addition to the warped roofscape and the
wind towers, exteriority inflects the building elsewhere. Two exterior sub-
tractions drop down into the building in the form of sunken courtyards that
are planted with trees—offering a visually rich interaction with living ecology
deep within the procession of space. At the ground, the primary reflecting
pool carves its way into the northern face of the building, resulting in visual
connection with the pool from the interior and a dramatic overhang. At the
southern edge, a primary axis from the central quadrangle cuts through the
mass, again resulting in an overhang, but this time providing a walkway pro-
tected from the rain.
This pushing and pulling is echoed in the interior circulation hall that
runs north-south. A larger study zone extends into the hall as an elevated
bridge, while smaller-scale study nooks pop out as glass boxes that offer
connectivity to the movement below. A concrete stair devoted to the admin-
istration offices similarly juts into the space. The result is a physical and
interactive enlivening of the space. Elsewhere in the project, this formal
clarity breaks down with sometimes less than successful results. A jarring
instance is the undulating dropped ceilings on floors one and two. While
clearly an echo of the concrete roof, this purely formal conceit devalues the
performative formalism elsewhere in the scheme. Another example is the
massing at the southwest corner. Here, the simple but provocative notion of
a concrete block deformed by a series of forces and factors seems to have
been abandoned in favour of a collage-like assembly of forms and materi-
als; a berm-covered computer lab, a heroic glass stair, and the concrete
mass dematerializing into planar elements.
Teeple’s newest building at Langara is the recently completed student
centre that sits east of the library at the geographic heart of the campus. A
dynamic “Y” plan that positions one of its lengths tightly between two existing
classroom buildings with the other two lengths extending out as a figure into
the central quadrangle, this building formally ties the campus together by
offering a new circuit-like hub. Its modest area packs informal study lounge
areas, a restaurant, and student union offices into a complex and energetic
sectional arrangement. One of the challenges in lending unity to the disparate
campus is to offer connection among a variety of differing ground elevations.
Primary among these shifts is the drop from the existing entry levels of the
neighbouring classroom buildings to the lower quadrangle. Through a series
of ramps and stairs, the student centre resolves these differences in a build-
ing that is radically spatially diverse. A high lounge space opens up to the
quadrangle. A sleek interior ramp leads to a compressed restaurant that is
tucked under the cellular offices. Two tight stairs extend up into the office
level. Another ramp runs up the exterior of the building and connects to a
route between the existing classroom buildings, offering overlooks down into
the centre and a bypass shortcut through the campus. The overall result is an
01/10 canadian architect 25
 leftSet amidSt a refLeCtiVe LandSCape, the
open Corner of the Library and CLaSS-
room buiLding C CreateS a Softer and
tranSparent arChiteCturaL expreSSion.
middle, left to right the pLaStiCity of darkLy

pigmented ConCrete haS reSuLted in the

whimSiCaL expreSSion of an interior
Stair; the upSide-down ziggurat-Shaped
Corner of the new buiLding on Cam-
puS. bottom left an axonometriC of the
Library and CLaSSroom buiLding C
iLLuStrateS the appLiCation of paSSiVe
enVironmentaL ControLS SuCh aS pLant-
ingS, naturaL VentiLation and atrium
SpaCeS. bottom right aS iS typiCaL of muCh
of teepLe’S work, an aSSembLage of in-
expenSiVe materiaLS CreateS a dynamiC
and effeCtiVe interior arChiteCture.

array of spatial qualities that make this relatively

small building feel large and varied.
Like the library building, exterior forces play a
significant role in determining the form of the
student centre. While the library derives much of
its spatial logic from environmental performance
criteria, the student centre prefaces its contin-
gent location in relation to existing structures
and ground heights. In both instances, Teeple
successfully achieves a formally ambitious archi-
tecture that is responsive to particular needs.
However, in both buildings Teeple seems to un-
dervalue restraint and persistent clarity. The
purely formal conceit of the library’s undulating
dropped ceiling on its lower floors is echoed in
the student centre in idiosyncratic and almost
ornamental little angles and tweaks in various
planar and structural elements. This results in an
overly fussy amalgam of elements in which the
clarity of larger moves is compromised. It is not
unreasonable to want both buildings to be calmer
throughout, thereby allowing the strong, larger
operations to be more appreciated.
In a city preoccupied with a notion of livability

26 canadian architect 01/10

 right ampLe feneStration and a Large,

open atrium introduCe pLenty of natur-

aL Light into the Library’S three StoreyS.
bottom, left to right the Student union buiLd-

ing’S interiorS Contain CurVed Con-

Crete eLementS whereVer poSSibLe to
frame ViewS and enhanCe interior
CirCuLation SpaCeS; the maSSing and
expreSSion of the Same buiLding attemptS
to CLarify exterior CirCuLation and out-
door pubLiC SpaCeS within an otherwiSe
inCoherentLy deVeLoped CampuS.

that often suspiciously views strong form as

potentially superficial, Teeple has made an im-
portant contribution in the work at Langara by
demonstrating that this kind of architecture can
indeed be responsive and responsible; that it can
be grounded in the performative specificity of its
location. Part of the rationale for choosing black
as the dominant exterior colour is to make the
buildings stand out in relation to Vancouver’s
often overcast skies. Black itself is contingent
and operative. We can only hope that more non-

langara college library and classroom building

client Langara CoLLege
architect team Stephen teepLe, CheryL atkinSon, myLeS Craig,
LuC bouLiane, martin bruCkner, Jeff ChriStianSon, hiLde heyVaertS
structural gLotman SimpSon
mechanical CobaLt engineering
electrical StanteC, keen engineering
landscape pfS
interiors teepLe arChiteCtS inC.
leed ibi/hb arChiteCtS
contractor bird ConStruCtion
area 80,000 ft2
budget $35 m
completion 2007

langara student union and langara classroom

building c
client Langara CoLLege
architect team Stephen teepLe, myLeS Craig, LuC bouLiane, Jeff
ChriStianSon
structural weiLer Smith bowerS
mechanical imeC meChaniCaL ConSuLtantS/perez engineering
Ltd.
electrical geniVar, rfa ConSuLting eLeCtriCaL engineerS
landscape teepLe arChiteCtS inC.
interiors teepLe arChiteCtS inC.
leed enermodaL engineering
contractor bird ConStruCtion
area 68,000 ft2
budget $18 m
completion 2009

01/10 canadian architect 27

 local architects will have the opportunity to ex-
pand the range of possibilities in this fast-grow-
ing metropolis. ca

Matthew Soules, MAIBC, is the director of Matthew

Soules Architecture (MSA) and an Adjunct Professor
at the School of Architecture and Landscape Architec-
wind tower section ture at the University of British Columbia.

garden

12 1(below)
2
12

10 10
4
4 4

4
12 3
9 12 12

library and student union building—second floor 0 10M

classroom building c—level 1 0 10M

6 6

1 1 1

5 5 7
4 2
8
4

11
3 3

0 10M
library and student union building—first floor
1 CirCuLation Spine 7 Café
2 Lobby 8 preSentation room
3 main Library SpaCe 9 meeting room
4 CLaSSroom 10 Study Lounge
5 adminiStration 11 CoVered waLk
6 Computer Lab 12 open to beLow

classroom building c—level 0

0 10M

3
1

4
6

1 buiLding a 4 CentraL quad 0 50M proposed campus future future future

2 buiLding b 5 new Library circulation spine expansions green spaces student quad
3 buiLding C 6 Line of exiSting buiLding N
10m 25m 50m
site plan 0 50m site plan 0 50M

28 canadian architect 01/10

CirCle reply Card 22
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CirCle reply Card 23

technicaL

north house Project

An extensive interdisciplinAry teAm Applies A

rAnge of building And informAtion tech­ southwest view of north house, instAlled on the nAtionAl mAll in
aBoVe, LeFt to riGht

nologies to design And build An import­ wAshington, dc during the 2009 solAr decAthlon; the Alis touch screen is embedded
Ant prototype for sustAinAble living. into the continuous coriAn wAll surfAce in the Kitchen, which glows with vAriAble
intensity As energy systems And wAter usAge of the home Are optimized; south
fAçAde of north house At dusK.
teXt KAthy veliKov And geoffrey thün
Photos teAm north

Global transformation with respect to technol-
ogy, culture and economy within the past two
decades has brought about a serious internal re-
consideration of the role of architecture. The
modes in which architects operate within the
world, the tools and techniques best suited to en-
gage these new conditions, and the nature of ap-
propriate pedagogic tools and approaches that
will cultivate the next generation of professionals
will help produce responsive and innovative
architectural projects that will help improve the
ways in which we engage and address contem-
porary issues. Fundamental to this endeavour is
the mobilization of the potential power of new
partnerships between academic/practice/indus-
try interests as an opportunity for complex col-
laborations and the ability to engage within a
broader set of disciplinary communities. These
forms of successful partnerships will certainly
test new limits for design innovation while serv-
ing as a lever for advanced research funding op-
portunities.
Only recently has architecture begun to de-
velop productive industry/academia design re-
search relationships such as those that have been
common in the fields of technology, engineering
and medicine. However, current government and
industry investment in green building research is
still appallingly low, given the urgency in advan-
cing innovations in green building technology,
manufacturing processes and performance
evaluation. A recent report by the United States
Green Building Council (USGBC) identified that
in 2005, research in the US related to high-per-
formance green building practices and technolo-
gies amounted to only 0.2% of all federally fund-
ed research and only 0.02% of the estimated
value of annual US building construction. The
condition is laden with potential, as a reliable
and continually developing knowledge, practice
and research base is essential to the advancement
of building and urban design practice within the
current mandate for buildings to reduce energy
consumption and to increase renewable power
generation associated with sustainable agendas.
Potentials for researcher/practitioners in archi-
tecture are beginning to emerge.
One scenario positioned to lever such out-
comes is the US Department of Energy’s Solar
Decathlon, where international academia/indus-
try teams construct, showcase and enter into
competition fully solar-powered homes. The
authors’ design research-based practice RVTR,
initiated and led Team North, a multidisciplinary
Canadian team of students and faculty from the
University of Waterloo, Simon Fraser University
and Ryerson University, to design and complete
the North House prototype for the 2009 com-
petition. The North House prototype offers
specific proof of a concept model of a broader set
of goals that formed the basis for RVTR’s Latitude
Housing System, designed for the 2008 Living
Steel Sustainable Housing Competition, and
expands on RVTR partners Velikov and Thün’s
S.W.A.M.P. House which won a 2005 Canadian
Architect Award of Excellence. The prototype
combines module and panel methods of pre-
fabrication, and aims to develop and demonstrate
a whole-building strategy for solar-powered
residential design that approaches questions of
how to design buildings that are resilient and
adaptive to climate extremes while maintaining
strong connections to their surrounding land-
scape, and how to develop new technologies,
alternative energy systems and pre-fabricated
customizable components optimized for high-
performance net-energy-producing architecture.
The prototype serves to test system components
that can be applied to a range of residential typ-
ologies. Following its participation in the 2009
competition, North House will become a living

32 canadian architect 01/10

laboratory at the University of Waterloo where it
will continue to be utilized for extensive per-
formance monitoring, systems testing and occu-
pancy evaluation. It will also operate as a highly
visible site of public demonstration and educa-
tion in solar living and energy conservation.
Project funding and financing was assembled
through a network of governmental, institutional,
industry and private support, providing grants,
cash, product, and in-kind contributions. We be-
lieve that this model of institutional, government
and industry collaboration will be increasingly
common where the discipline of architecture can
promise and deliver on the design and produc-
tion of projects that constitute leading-edge ap-
plied research with recognizable and holistic
products and outcomes. Similar efforts will be
necessary to support development in the field of
high-performance and experimental building
technologies that both drive and lead contempor-
ary demand and market awareness. Successful,
compelling demonstrations of sustainable hous-
ing are essential for consumers, builders and re-
lated building industries to buy into sustainable
housing as a marketable option and to transform
the nature of contemporary offerings and prac-
tices. Similarly, the context of collaboration
between academic, industry, government and
professional agents helps drive a model of prac-
tice that moves beyond current discussions asso-
ciated with the Integrated Design Process (IDP).
Throughout the two-year research and design
process of North House, Team North worked in
direct contact with industry and manufacturers,
multi-disciplinary experts and practicing profes- to quintuple-glazed to double façades. Based on
sionals to develop individual system components this investigation, a quad-glazed krypton-filled
of the project, each of which has been developed unit was chosen due to an optimum balance of
to the level of a working demonstrable prototype. U-value, Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) and
Of these systems, two in particular—the DReSS solar transmittance. The glazing panels are pos-
(Distributed Responsive System of Skins), and itioned within a custom structural wood curtain
the ALIS (Adaptive Living Interface System)— wall system deploying rubberized “thermally
point towards new directions in high-perform- inert” caps on the vertical and fibreglass caps on
ance building design and technology integration. horizontal joints to maximize frame efficiency.
The DReSS is based on the principle of layered Phase-change materials (PCMs) integrated in the
high-performance clothing, where each layer floor assembly mitigate temperature fluctuations
performs a specific function contributing to inte- and store daytime heat for release during the
grated building performance. It combines active night. The exterior shades are linked to a custom
and passive technologies in the envelope of the sensor and control system that tracks the sun
building to result in a net-energy-producing throughout the day and season, providing for a
building design. Automated exterior aluminum highly environmentally responsive envelope that
venetian blinds developed for exterior and cold continually allows for natural light and views. In-
weather use block 80 percent of solar radiation in terior shades provide privacy and are paired with
the summer, while allowing individual control of the custom parametrically modelled and panel-
clerestory tilt angles for light and view. In the
winter, the shades retract and the large areas of
highly insulated glazing (R-12.5 centre-of-glass
rating) with selective UV coatings maximize pas-
sive heating for the house. Intensive analysis was
carried out to investigate over 60 glazing com-
binations with different types of glass, films,
coatings and configurations, from double-glazed
riGht two screen operAtions Are illus­
trAted to highlight the mAny ApplicA­
tions developed for the iphone by teAm
north to monitor the performAnce of
their protoype building using the AdAp­
tive living interfAce system (Alis).
01/10 canadian architect 33
 2
3 formance feedback. Working with human test subjects within the university
1
6 7
5
enVeLoPe aXonometric
1 bipv solAr pAnels 6 thermAlly broKen douglAs fir struc­
2 interior blinds turAl curtAin wAll
3 thermAlly inert rubber mullion cAp 7 quAd glAzing
4 exterior motor housing 8 exterior Aluminum shAdes
5 pcm sAlt hydrAte phAse­chAnge mAteriAl
cAptures And stores heAt in floor, releAsing
it on cool evenings
lized interior ceiling system to reduce glare, diffuse natural and artificial
LED lighting, and dampen acoustics within the house. Solar-power genera-
tion includes a rooftop BAPV (Building Applied Photovoltaic) array, as well
as highly efficient glass-encapsulated BIPV (Building Integrated Photo-
voltaic) façades on the east, south and west elevations which capture low
sun angles in winter months and in the early and late parts of the day.
Solar thermal collectors provide hot water for resident use and for running
the highly efficient solar-assisted reversible heat pump system (also
custom-designed for the house) that very efficiently heats and cools the
house. Operable windows provide passive ventilation in the shoulder
seasons. These systems, in combination with R-66 opaque envelope com-
ponents, are designed to make North House a net-energy producer within
the demanding conditions of northern climates. Excess energy from the
total 13.5 kWp PV system can be sold back to the electrical grid, taking
advantage of the feed-in tariff program recently introduced by the Ontario
Power Authority that pays up to $0.8 kWh for small-scale independent
energy production.
The ALIS and smart-home control system combines a customized set of
advanced controls with direct and ambient feedback systems intended to
enhance and mediate individuals’ relationships to the complex technologies
and systems of the home. Touch screens with a custom graphic user inter-
face are integrated in the home to easily and intuitively control the lights,
shades, and climate settings in the house. An ambient display of variable
LED lights signals energy and water use, and through subtle cues, fosters
behavioural reinforcement of sustainable use of the home. ALIS also deliv-
ers a series of community-based Web application tools that have been de-
signed to support the North House resident in maintaining low-energy-use
living patterns. The resident can compete in energy reduction challenges,
compare energy stats against the community average, and share energy-
saving advice through a series of Web-based forums.
An emerging area of research in the design of sustainable buildings
examines the extent to which the occupants of that building are engaged and
involved with its operation. Research has found that actions of building oc-
cupants can account for significant variations in building energy use. The
motivation for the design of North House, ALIS is rooted in the observation
that intelligent buildings are not just automated but provide the occupants
with the information and access to help the building operate more effi-
ciently. Supporting behavioural transformations that lead toward energy-
saving living patterns, the ALIS moves beyond automated controls to direct-
34 canadian architect 01/10
4 ly address the needs of residential occupants by providing an easy-to-use
ubiquitous interface that helps the occupant control the systems of the
house while integrating the user’s lifestyle and providing meaningful per-
and with computer software design consultants, the design team developed
the ALIS system for North House under the principles of ubiquity, context-
ually appropriate information and control, integration with life, and mean-
ingful performance feedback. The extent of the automation within the home
was continually at the forefront of the discussion, as was the integration
with currently accepted technologies such as smart phones and internet
tools. The system is currently in a beta testing stage and is intended to
undergo several rounds of development before its commercialization.
These are just two examples of several within the project where the
creation of multidisciplinary teams to work on specific areas of focus within
8
the overall project generated highly innovative solutions, brought to proof-
of-concept stage in remarkably short time frames. In total, almost 80
graduate and undergraduate students were involved in a number of course
offerings throughout the project’s development that valourized this form of
“learning though doing” from a range of disciplinary silos. Ten graduate
students from the University of Waterloo were paid for their full-time work
on the project and their contributions formed the basis of their graduate
thesis requirements. We believe this kind of design research pedagogy will
become increasingly dominant within architectural education in the coming
years. In some instances, these students now possess expertise and experi-
ence beyond the level of most professional offices that they will soon join.
Facilitation of the North House prototype’s manufacture was enabled by
its ability to operate outside of traditional project procurement constraints.
Certainly, relationships with industry manufacturers were essential to its
realization. These range from direct product donation, to at-cost supply,
technical consultation and collaboration, and the manufacture of new cus-
tomized products developed to suit the low-energy demands of the proto-
type. Numerous products deployed in the project are drawn from foreign
commercial applications, and required special testing in order to meet do-
mestic building code requirements. Rather than tendering the project to a
general contractor, Team North operated as project managers with Toronto-
based expert fabricators MCM2001 Inc. who handled the fabrication, in-
stallation and construction of the prototype on a cost-plus basis. This ar-
rangement permitted extensive refinement of project details in terms of
both material and process selection during construction, in direct day-to-
day dialogue with design team members at the construction site. Team
members revised as-built drawings and specifications along the way, with
the entire prototype being fabricated in just under 12 weeks.
For RVTR, this project represents its first foray into design research at
the scale of prototype manufacture, and has reinforced the belief that this
alternative model of practice model will yield significant disciplinary out-
comes and transformation in the future. Beyond the development of the
first proof-of-concept prototype, several research streams focused on re-
sponsive building envelopes, energy-producing façades, building auto-
mation interface systems, and module-based mass-customization strategies
have emerged from the North House project and will be developed over the
next several years with new partners and collaborative networks. ca
Geoffrey Thün and Kathy Velikov are partners in RVTR, a research-based practice
currently located in Toronto. Kathy Velikov is an Assistant Professor and Geoffrey
Thün is an Associate Professor at the A. Alfred Taubman College of Architecture
and Urban Planning, University of Michigan.
Team North is comprised of over 80 graduate students, faculty collaborators, de–
sign professionals, industry partners, and product manufacturers. For a full list of
Team North credits, see www.rvtr.com/rvtrWeb/TEAM_NORTH_CREDITS.pdf.
For more information on the North House Project, see www.team-north.com.
 report

tiles for
Miles
Some highlightS are preSented from CerSaie
2009, the international eXhiBition of
CeramiC tile and Bathroom fUrniShingS
held annUally in Bologna, italy.

teXt leSlie Jen

photos Brian dUSt, UnleSS otherwiSe noted

CERSAIE, the international exhibition of ceramic

tile and bathroom furnishings, takes place every
autumn in Bologna, a northern Italian city filled
with sensory delights, where sights, smells and
tastes arouse the most jaded of travellers. Archi­
tecturally, the city is striking: from above, the red
roofs of the buildings form a monochromatically
rosy textured surface; from the street, the grand
arcades in the historic city centre shelter pedes­
trians from the blazing sun. And in the crowded
shop windows of the food purveyors in the Qua­
dilatero district off Piazza Maggiore, the mind­
boggling array of produce, pasta, seafood and aBoVe the main entry into the Bologna fiere CompleX. clocKWise froM BottoM riGht one of
cured meats astounds: vying for your attention the more dramatiC diSplayS at CerSaie evokeS the loCh neSS monSter; SUperStar SpaniSh
deSigner patriCia UrqUiola haS eXpanded her repertoire to inClUde “déChirer,” a line of
are alarmingly giant legs of prosciutto and bound teXtile-inSpired CeramiC tile for mUtina; a BeaUtifUlly ornate and whimSiCal tile moSaiC
and bulging mortadellas the size of toddlers. evidenCeS the Still-viBrant tradition of Craft in italy.
This richly historic city draws a number of
massive trade shows year­round, as its exhibition exhibition booth. And even within the contextless tion, craft, expertise and pride in the Italian de­
venue in the Fiera district is one of the largest in environment of the immense, airless exhibition sign industry, a sensibility that is understandably
Europe. CERSAIE 2009 kicked off its five­day halls, there is a clear reminder that one is still in not as developed in Canada. With a centuries­old
run on September 26, and despite recessionary this most fashionable city of Bologna: how do the culture of extensive artisanal production, it’s
times, it was a sold­out event that featured over armies of impeccably tailored suits maintain the hard to compete.
1,000 exhibitors and 83,137 visitors from Italy razor­sharp creases in their chic, narrowly cut The bounty of Bologna’s rich history was shared
and abroad. Given the economic woes of the past wool trousers despite the wilting heat? with visitors and participants through a number
year, the theme of “Building, Dwelling, Think­ What does become quickly evident is the tradi­ of events that were held in architecturally signifi­
ing”—borrowed from Heidegger’s seminal essay—
encouraged reflection on issues beyond com­
merce to larger existential themes.
Located just a few kilometres from the city
centre, the Bologna Fiere venue is visible from
some distance—Kenzo Tange’s adjacent six­tower
office structure (1989­1994) serves as a land­
mark. The space devoted to CERSAIE is vast—1.9
million square feet, most of it devoted to ceramic
tile, and the rest showcasing the latest in slick
bathroom furnishings. The sheer volume of tile
on display is inconceivable to most: there are
tiles that look like tiles, and then there are tiles
made to look like wood, like stone, like wallpa­
per, like wainscoting, like fabric, like anything.
They amaze with limitless textures, colours, geo­
metric patterns, floral motifs, iridescent and
matte finishes and everything in between.
The design and production of ceramic tile is a
vital industry in Italy. CERSAIE is clearly a show
geared to buyers; a whole lot of business is being
conducted at the tables located at the back of every
mUtina

01/10 canadian architect 35

 a glorioUS view of the red-roofed City of Bol-
aBoVe, left to riGht
ogna; CrowdS gather in antiCipation of renzo piano’S keynote
leCtUre. BottoM, left to riGht marazzi preSentS a teXtUred pattern of
dotS in high-gloSS red; trend offerS a wallpaper-inSpired finiSh
throUgh artfUlly laid tiny moSaiC tileS; d’agoStino getS Creative
at CerSaie, USing a grid of lemonS to form Booth partition
wallS; taking a Break in the vaSt eXhiBition CompleX.
cant buildings around the city. The Arena del Sole, a grand Neoclassical
structure on via Indipendenza, the city centre’s main thoroughfare, was the
venue of choice for an international press conference featuring representa­
tives from the Italian Trade Commission, Confindustria Ceramica and
Mapei. Immediately following, a gala awards dinner was held at the spectac­
ular Basilica di Santo Stefano, whose origins are thought to date back as far as
the 5th century. This complex of religious buildings includes four linked Ro­
manesque churches along with a medieval cloister and various courtyards
and accessory spaces. With dramatic blue uplighting clearly articulating the
Basilica’s striking architectural detail against a clear and cloudless night sky,
it could easily have functioned as the set of a Fellini film.
As if this were not inspiration enough, one memorable highlight of CER­
SAIE was the keynote lecture delivered by Pritzker Prize­winning Italian
architect Renzo Piano. From a vast body of work in virtually every part of the
world, notable projects include the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris
(1977) designed with Richard Rogers, Kansai International Airport in
Osaka, Japan (1987­1990), and the recently completed Art Institute of Chi­
cago expansion (2009).
Rather startling was the anticipation preceding the event, a fever pitch that
is usually reserved only for rock stars. Hordes of eager fans queued outside
the Palazzo dei Congressi hours before Piano’s scheduled appearance, and
ultimately, dozens were turned away at the door, despite the abundant over­
flow crowds that gathered in the expansive lobby of the venue hoping to at
least catch a glimpse of the revered architect on a televised screen.
The impossibly elegant and articulate Piano took the stage and transfixed
the audience with a highly compelling presentation entitled “Creating
Architecture.” Augmenting his lecture with an impressive selection of
slides, Piano emphasized the importance of site and context as the essence
of each project, and that craftsmanship is as important as science in build­
ing—hence, his emphasis on model­making as a critical part of the design
marazzi trend
36 canadian architect 01/10
process. His participation in this year’s CERSAIE introduced a three­year
(2009­2011) joint venture between Confindustria (the Italian employers’
federation) and the Renzo Piano Foundation, an initiative which admits 16
young architecture students for six­month work­experience programs in
Piano’s Genoa and Paris offices.
Piano was not the only design superstar in attendance at CERSAIE: Milan­
based Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola introduced a line of ceramic
tile for Mutina, just one example of the increasing number of high­profile
designer/manufacturer collaborations taking place. Trained as an architect
in her native Spain, Urquiola is best known for her interiors and furnish­
ings. At the show, she unveiled “Déchirer,”a collection of large, unglazed
porcelain stoneware tiles, the surfaces of which are embossed with a deli­
cate, almost lacey texture, creating evocative patterns of light and shadow.
Cut into hexagonal shapes, the ceramic tiles also function as tops in Urquio­
la’s “Bugs”collection of tables for Mutina’s interior design collection.
In keeping with the existential nature of the show’s theme, the future of
building and our planet was addressed through a dominant focus on sus­
tainable solutions and energy­saving technologies. A major feature of CER­
SAIE was an outdoor exhibition entitled Green Street: Landscape Meets Archi-
tecture, in which ceramic tiles were utilized extensively to demonstrate how
the use of ceramic, a product made from natural raw materials, minimizes
environmental impact. A plethora of seminars were offered that furthered
the sustainability objective, covering topics such as energy remediation for
existing buildings, and the role of ceramic tiles in the energy/environmen­
tal certification of buildings.
The mantra of reduce, reuse and recycle has been adopted by virtually
every tile manufacturer at CERSAIE. A real commitment to sustainability is
evidenced through the reduction of material in the form of thinner tiles
which can still withstand high traffic, the use of recycled materials such as
glass and electronic appliance waste to make new tiles, and the reuse of
wastewater derived from the production of ceramic tile.
CERSAIE proved that despite global economic setbacks, the ceramic tile
industry is thriving. This recent showcase of beautiful product in a beautiful
city reminds us that it is now more important than ever to educate ourselves
and to keep abreast of new developments in the international design com­
munity and in the materials we spec to ensure we fulfill our commitment to
a healthy and sustainable future. ca
CeramiC tileS of italy/lUCiano BUSani
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calendar

the Films of John lennon and
yoko ono 1970-1972
January 28, 2010 As part of the Inter-
mission: Films from a Heroic Future
series at the Canadian Centre for
Architecture in Montreal, at 7:00pm
UbuWeb founder Kenneth Gold-
smith presents four rarely seen
films by and about John Lennon and
Yoko Ono.
www.cca.qc.ca/intermission
Origamic Architecture
Until February 25, 2010 This exhibi-
tion at the Japan Foundation in
Toronto involves the three-dimen-
sional reproduction of architecture,
geometric patterns and everyday
objects through cut and folded
paper. Varieties of existing build-
ings of the world, from historical to
contemporary, are included in this
show. All models are designed by
the late Masahiro Chatani (1934-
2008) singlehandedly. Half of the
exhibited models are freshly con-
structed in Toronto by local Cana-
dian folders.
www.jftor.org
Jack diamond lecture
February 3, 2010 As part of Carleton
University’s Forum Lecture Series,
Jack Diamond of Diamond &
Schmitt Architects in Toronto lec-
tures at 6:00pm at the National Gal-
lery in Ottawa. Admission is free
and open to the general public.
architecture@carleton.ca
Kelly Shannon lecture
February 4, 2010 Kelly Shannon,
Professor of Architecture, Catholic
University of Leuven in Belgium,
will lecture at 6:30pm in Room
ARC202 of the Ryerson Architecture
Building in Toronto.
Leonardo da Vinci: The Mech-
anics of Man
February 6-May 2, 2010 For the first
time in history, the anatomical
drawings of Leonardo da Vinci’s
Anatomical Manuscript A will be on
view in their entirety in this exhibi-
tion at the Vancouver Art Gallery.
Comprised of a series of 18 sheets
created during the winter of 1510,
16 of which have drawings on both
sides, this celebrated group of ex-
quisitely rendered compositions
represents stunning achievements
in both art and science. With more
than 240 individual drawings and
13,000 words written in Leonardo’s
unique mirror-image script, Ana-
tomical Manuscript A is a treatise on
the human body created centuries
ahead of its time.
www.vanartgallery.bc.ca
Francine houben lecture
February 11, 2010 Francine Houben
of Mecanoo Architecten in Delft,
Netherlands, will lecture at 6:30pm
in Room ARC202 of the Ryerson
Architecture Building in Toronto.
net Zero energy lifestyle in
canada
February 11, 2010 As part of the
Building Ecology, Science and
Technology Lecture Series at the
John H. Daniels Faculty of Archi-
tecture, Landscape and Design at
the University of Toronto, Sevag
Pogharian delivers this lecture from
6:00-8:30pm. Pogharian is pushing
the borders of net zero buildings by
creating the Alstonvale Net Zero
House, one of the winning projects
in Canada Mortgage and Housing
Corporation’s EQuilibrium Sus-
tainable Housing Demonstration
Initiative.
www.daniels.utoronto.ca
werner Sobek lecture
February 15, 2010 Werner Sobek of
Werner Sobek Engineering & De-
sign in Stuttgart delivers the Steel
Structures Education Foundation
Lecture at 6:00pm in Room G10 of
the Macdonald-Harrington Building
at McGill University in Montreal.
naSa archive 1966-1972
February 18, 2010 As part of the Inter-
mission: Films from a Heroic Future
series at the Canadian Centre for
Architecture in Montreal, Christo-
pher Riley, co-curator of the NASA
material presented in Intermission,
speaks at 7:00pm about the origins
of the NASA film archive and its
preservation, and explains the tech-
nical demands of filming in space

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and the continuing importance of
this footage.
www.cca.qc.ca/intermission
Vitória Stone Fair 2010
February 23-26, 2010 This event takes
place in Vitória, Espírito Santo in
Brazil.
www.vitoriastonefair.com.br
Bernardo Gómez-Pimienta
lecture
February 25, 2010 Bernardo Gómez-
Pimienta of BGP Arquitectura in
Mexico City will lecture at 6:30pm
in Room ARC202 of the Ryerson
Architecture Building in Toronto.
Moonwalk One: The Director’s
Cut
February 25, 2010 As part of the Inter-
mission: Films from a Heroic Future
series at the Canadian Centre for
Architecture in Montreal, this film
was originally made in 1970 as the
definitive documentary about the
Apollo 11 program. It was never
widely released even though the
filmmakers were given unprece-
dented access to NASA. The only
surviving 35-mm print was discov-
ered and remastered in 2007 with
additional footage added to com-
plete this amazing time capsule,
which screens at 7:00pm.
www.cca.qc.ca/intermission
Francis westley lecture
February 25, 2010 Francis Westley
will deliver a lecture as part of the
University of Calgary’s Faculty of
Environmental Design’s (EVDS)
Design Matters lecture series. De-
sign Matters intends to engage the
Calgary community in thoughtful
discussions on how the design of
our material culture impacts our
daily lives and the well-being of
the environment we inhabit. The
lecture takes place at The Uptown,
located at 610 8th Ave SW in
Calgary.
For more inFormation about
these, and additional list-
ings oF Canadian and inter-
national events, please visit
www.canadianarchitect.com
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01/10 canadian architect 41

 BackPage
Quadrangle archiTecTs
the thin green Line
an archiTecT’s desire To improve The sus-
TainabiliTy facTor and general well-being
of his ciTy is noTed.
text ian chodikoff
As a society, we tend to praise the entrepreneurial
spirit of those who demonstrate acumen in gener-
ating new ideas, persevering with them until com-
pletion. There may be even greater praise for
those who can take an idea, allow it to gather mo-
mentum, and connect it with the zeitgeist of the
day. Needless to say, turning ideas into reality
takes relentless hard work and politicking to en-
sure that all the proverbial ducks are lined up in a
row. A recent example of such an entrepreneurial
and speculative endeavour is the “Green Ribbon.”
Presented by architect Les Klein last June at an
ideaCity conference, Klein’s proposal involves
transforming a section of Toronto’s Gardiner
Expressway that runs along the edge of Lake On-
tario and across the city’s downtown core into an
elevated swathe of green space for bicycles and
pedestrians instead of cars. Spurred on by his
well-received public presentation and a spate of
media attention thereafter, he has been busy
pitching the idea ever since, hoping to eventually
see the Green Ribbon built. What makes his pro-
posal so interesting to so many people is the fact
that it incorporates several feel-good principles of
sustainable design ranging from reducing the
heat-island effect and offsetting carbon dioxide
emissions, to generating renewable forms of elec-
tricity and mitigating the effects of the automobile
in the city.
When Klein, principal of Quadrangle Archi-
tects, first presented the Green Ribbon, another
42 canadian architect 01/10
elevated park had just been completed and
opened to the public—the first section of Man-
hattan’s High Line. The High Line was built in
the 1930s as part of a public-private infrastruc-
ture project and remained operational until 1980.
Rising nearly 10 metres above grade, it removed
freight trains from street level, thereby segregat-
ing two modes of transportation in the city. By
1999, a community-based non-profit group
known as Friends of the High Line was formed to
preserve and maintain the disused rail lines as an
elevated public park. It wasn’t until 2001 when
the visually arresting photographs of the High
Line taken by Joel Sternfeld brought the neglect-
ed infrastructure into the public imagination.
Sternfeld’s images of wild grasses growing on top
of the old railway allowed politicians and citizens
alike to appreciate the poetry and potential of
such a place.
The High Line needed to be transformed into a
magical and economically viable place. So, when
James Corner Field Operations and Diller Scofi-
dio + Renfro won the commission to transform
the abandoned railway into an elevated urban
park in 2004, the two firms needed to reformu-
late the vision for the 2.4-kilometre-long piece
of infrastructure. Its success has been immediate
and its transformation has proven to be an awe-
inspiring addition to the city, altering visitors’
perspectives of the surrounding world. During its
first six months in operation, the High Line has
attracted nearly 2 million visitors.
Nevertheless, the High Line is not without
criticism. There are numerous rules that visitors
must obey, such as not walking in certain areas,
sitting on railings or climbing on any part of the
elevated structure. Due to the limited area of the
Quadrangle archiTecTs
Two renderings of The
aBOVe, LeFt tO right
green ribbon—a speculaTive proposal To
Transform ToronTo’s gardiner express-
way inTo an urban park.
pathways and the fragility of the new plantings,
pets are not allowed either. Fittingly, a cartoon
that appeared in The New Yorker last September
depicted a number of dogs leashed to steel col-
umns amidst garbage cans in the dark and dirty
streets below, while their more fortunate owners
enjoyed ice cream cones, drank Starbucks coffee,
and otherwise experienced the city from a level of
blissful detachment high above the city.
Undaunted by such criticism and inspired by
the success of the High Line, Klein is convinced
that Toronto’s Gardiner Expressway can be simi-
larly transformed. He sees the potential for the
Green Ribbon as a seven-kilometre-long urban
park complete with cycling and pedestrian path-
ways, plantings, and both wind turbines and
photovoltaic panels to generate enough electricity
to power the lighting and electrical systems
needed to sustain the park. He estimates that the
park could be built for about half of the $1.2 to 1.8
billion needed to take down the expressway alto-
gether. Some engineering and costing reports
have been prepared to add legitimacy to Klein’s
crusade, and he has been seeking out allies from
both public and private sectors for additional
support. If anything, it has given his firm, which
was founded in 1986, a resurgent voice to speak
about sustainable design issues on an urban
level, providing inspiration for other architects
like him to initiate new design opportunities in
the public realm. ca
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