OAA Perspectives The Journal of the

Ontario Association

of Architects

Volume 20, Number 1

Spring 2012 $5.00

Stories Built to impress. Built to last. Hanson Brick is Canada’s largest manufacturer of commercial and residential Revolutionary clay brick with the style, selection and quality discerning designers demand. Our products are renowned for their striking style, enduring nature and modest environmental footprint. Let us inspire you to create beautiful, sustainable communities that will leave an Window Technology impressive legacy. Call or visit us online today.

V-weld Technology Machine welded, leaving no space for leaks Apex Alloy High performance for low & mid-rise projects Exceeds the Code 2012 Building Code

www.allweatherwindows.com 800 263 6229 Southwestern Ontario / Hamilton-Niagara hansonbrick.com t Ted Newman t Tom Dagenais [email protected] [email protected] All Canadian made for all Canadian weather. London (519) 680-1600

563622_Hanson.indd 1 1/28/12 9:44:47 AM 566274_RiteWay.indd 1 20/01/12 3:25 PM Revolutionary Window Technology

V-weld Technology Machine welded, leaving no space for leaks Apex Alloy High performance for low & mid-rise projects Exceeds the Code 2012 Ontario Building Code

www.allweatherwindows.com Southwestern Ontario / Hamilton-Niagara t Ted Newman t Tom Dagenais [email protected] [email protected] All Canadian made for all Canadian weather. London (519) 680-1600

566274_RiteWay.indd 1 20/01/12 3:25 PM Stories

EDITORIAL IN ThIS ISSUE

Architects hAve greAt stOries tO teLL and, with little President’s MessAge encouragement, are only too happy to tell them. Jobsite stories, offi ce stories, 07 President Sheena Sharp internship stories, stories from the very trenches of architectural practice are refl ects on the power of shared, as often as not, around a lunch table, a conference table or a coffee stories in architectural table in a hotel bar. OAAPerspectives wanted to hear these stories, but we practice. started at a disadvantage, since we were unable to offer a round of after-dinner resPOnse drinks, or a dinner, or even a table, just the following hopeful invitation: 08 In this issue’s Response, we present letters from our OAAPerspectives, in its ongoing quest to explore the nature of architecture readers and a tribute to the and architects, recognizes that there are many fascinating stories that late Rod Robbie. need to be told. These stories can reveal the key elements of being an FeAture architect and their role in the building process. We all hear interesting 10 Architects tell their stories: stories, often perplexing, positive, amusing or horrifi c, most of us Romance, travel, telephone experience them – and we all can learn from the experience of others. calls, public meetings, We have been able to publish many recollections in past issues, but we client presentations, also know that there are more stories out there, and some will never fi t miracles, courtroom dramas, into any imaginable feature themes. destruction and resurrection. The OAAPerspectives Committee is asking to hear from you. The rules are It’s all here and it’s all simple: tell us a story that illuminates some aspect of your architectural (substantially) true. experience that you wish to share with our readership. As might be internAtiOnAL expected, it should be entertaining. 23 An architect takes his family on a trip and learns what it Our invitation was accepted by a brave group of architects whose narrative means to see architecture at skills comprise our extraordinary feature. The stories vary in length, intensity the unhurried pace of a child and subject matter, but all share one common characteristic: they describe in a stroller. some valuable aspect of an architectural life that you will never fi nd in any OntAriO PLAces project proposal, presentation drawing or construction document. 30 ’s CNIB Building creates an architectural environment for all the senses.

8 10 23 30 EDITORIAL COMMITTEE PUBLISHED BY SALES REPRESENTATIVES The OAA does not verify, endorse For further information, contact Ian Ellingham, Chair Naylor (Canada), Inc. Anook Commandeur, or take responsibility for claims the Administrator, Website Bill Birdsell, Council Liaison Brenda Ezinicki, Candace Dyck, made by advertisers. and Communications, Ontario Herb Klassen, Rick Mateljan, Cheryll Oland, David S. Evans, Association of Architects (OAA) Christopher Moise, Gary Pask, Meaghen Foden, Michelle The Ontario Association of 111 Moatfield Drive 100 Sutherland Avenue, Winnipeg Anthony Provenzano, Greg Reuter, Dalrymple, Robyn Mourant, Architects is an open and Toronto, Ontario M3B 3L6 Perspectives is the official MB R2W 3C7 Barbara Ross, Alexander Temporale Stuart Whitney, Tracy Goltsman responsive professional association Tel: 416.449.6898 journal of the Tel: 204.947.0222 of members which regulates, Fax: 416.449.5756 Ontario Association Toll-Free: 800.665.2456 REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS LAYOUT AND DESIGN supports, represents and promotes e-mail: [email protected] of Architects www.naylor.com Mary Ellen Lynch Comisso, Toronto; Emma Law the practice and appreciation of Website: www.oaa.on.ca Published Spring, Summer, Amanda Fraser, London, UK; Debbie architecture in the interest of all PUBLISHER Robert Phillips Fall, Winter ©2012 Friesen, Toronto; Stig Harvor, Toronto; COVER IMAGE CREDITS Ontarians. Illustration for Perspectives: Publication Mail Agreement Errol Hugh, Hong Kong; Evangelo NAYLOR EDITOR EDITOR Gordon S. Grice David Gillett The Association was founded #40064978 Kalmantis, Windsor; Tom Leung, Andrea Németh ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES ; Vivian Lo, Toronto; Lucian in 1889 and its primary role is Articles from Perspectives may be to serve and protect the public Alana Place Nan, Toronto; David Parker, PROJECT MANAGER reproduced with appropriate credit PUBLISHED MARCH 2012/ Tel: 800.665.2456 St. Catharines; Natalie Tan, Toronto Alana Place interest through administration OAA-Q0112/6876 and written permission. of the Architects Act, and ADMINISTRATOR, WEBSITE through leadership of the AND COMMUNICATIONS profession in Ontario. Tamara King

4OAA PersPectives|SPRING 2012 !"#$%&#'(

Now available in Ontario Ventilated Clay Tile Facade

History : • Installed worldwide for nearly 30 years • Over 200 projects completed in North America Advantage : • Lightweight (50kg /sq meter) • Quick and easy installation • Dimensional stability • Extensive durability • CAD ready – tech support • Non-fading color Selection: • Non-flammable Modular size to fit your needs • Eco friendly 18 thru body color • Fully recyclable 5 textures • Healthy wall construction Wide selection of Glazed finish • Energy saving Ruel Brothers 800-463-5282 [email protected] www.Rueletfrere.com

570487_Ruel.indd 1 08/02/12 2:41 PM CANADA’S TOP ARBITRATORS AND MEDIATORS

800.856.5154 adrchambers.com [email protected] John G. Davies John G. Davies, B.Arch., C.Arb. is recognized as an expert in Canadian construction dispute resolution. John arbitrates and mediates complex design and construction claims (including the Design-Build method) relating to significant infrastructure, engineering, industrial, commercial and institutional projects. Put his 50+ years of experience to work for you.

536506_ADR.indd 1 7/14/11 10:06:18567369_GSCNE.indd AM 1 2/1/12 6:04:00 PM

Construction Law Specialists Serving Ontario Architects

Architects’ Professional Liability; Contracts; Employment Matters; Lien Claims; Mediation & Arbitration

CHARLES SIMCO HELDER M. TRAVASSOS SEAN LAWLER HEATHER PATERSON MEGAN MARRIE JESSICA VICKERMAN

Toronto 250 University Avenue, Suite 700 139 Bentworth Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M6A 1P6 Toronto, ON M5H 3E5 Tel: (416) 787-0271 • Fax: (416) 787-5421 www.oasinc.ca • [email protected] MAIN: 416.214.5200 FAX: 416.214.5400 TOLL FREE: 1.877.214.5200 [email protected] A USG COMPANY

WWW.SHIBLEYRIGHTON.COM

569829_Shibley.indd 1 1/20/12 3:48:39481582_OAS.indd PM 1 5/31/10 10:03:02 PM 6OAA Perspectives|SPRING 2012 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Fact or Fiction? Isn’t everything a story?

Even a photograph, which represents reality, gets much of its meaning from framing, editing and timing (had the picture been taken 10 seconds earlier or later, its meaning might be drastically different). Stories are the best way for us to convey knowledge to one another. Consider the difference between telling an intern architect to consult the CHOP (Canadian Handbook of Practice) to find the answer to a perplexing question and tell- ing the same intern a true story about your own career, relating to the same question. One source conveys what, the other conveys why. This is why our Construction Contract Administration Committee chose to use “Stories from the Field” on its web page (visit www.oaa.on.ca, go to professional resources/construction contract administration) to illustrate the finer points of contract administration. Our profession has been the source of some great stories, from the alarming to the uplifting. I remember standing on the ground floor of a 13-storey building that my firm was renovating. We were investigating a space that the owner wanted us to change, when our engineers noticed that an important shear wall, which the “as built” draw- ings indicated as monolithic concrete, was actually made of concrete block. That was alarming and it was our clue to Consider the difference between telling an exit the building and hold the intern architect to consult the CHOP to find the rest of the meeting outside. On another occasion, I went back answer to a perplexing question and telling to visit a building for which I the same intern a true story about your own had led the programming and design team. A vice-president career, relating to the same question. of the company that occupied the building was very happy with it, noting with surprise that it functioned better than their old building because departments that worked together were actually located close to one another! That was both uplifting and mind-boggling. It’s the simple things that sometimes make the difference. One of the repeat questions we get on the Society Tours is, “Why is there no archi- tectural equivalent of that great Canadian TV lawyer series Street Legal?” Unfortunately, this is one of the many things the OAA cannot control. However, I have been collecting works of fiction that feature architects as protagonists, or feature architecture prominently. If you would like to help me do this, send your suggestions to [email protected]. Who knows? There may be something that can be made for TV. Then we could share our stories (well, many of them) with everyone. ❚

Sheena Sharp, OAA, FRAIC, President www.oaa.on.ca OAA Perspectives|SPRING7 2012 response

Rod Robbie O.C., Dip. Arch. (Hons.), Dip. T.P., stream and it happened frequently and as quickly as I LL.D. (Hon.), FRAIC, RIBA, AIA, MCIP, RCA have set this down. September 15, 1928–January 4, 2012 The Source of Great Design Ideas. Once I asked In January, our profession lost one of its most cherished Rod what led him to his design for the pyramid on members, Rod Robbie. His legacy lives on in the buildings the Canada Pavilion. Rod said, “Well, we were sitting that he conceived and in the many stories that will help around a large ashtray, smoking and brainstorming. to keep his memory very much alive. We are grateful Then it occurred to me what a great pavilion that ash-

Illustration: to Jamie Wright and Gary Erickson for the following tray could be. That’s it!” David Gillett contributions: The Ottawa City Hall. Monday mornings were always Scale. Rod never met a project he couldn’t make tricky because Rod would have had all weekend to bigger. “Scale creep” was a constant element in our develop an idea. conversations. He could move seamlessly from the Sometime in the 1990s, the City of Ottawa launched solution for a single lab layout to the project’s under- a design competition for a new city hall on their Green lying principle (future flexibility), to the community’s Lake property. Rod was immediately captivated by the potential (science innovation zones), to the regional opportunities. The first Monday morning after the competi- context (the Toronto city state), to matters of national tion was announced, I arrived to find a set of beautiful importance (Canada as a kinder, gentler country and coloured drawings on my desk along with a covering its opportunity for a more important position in world letter. The drawings, as Rod later explained, described politics) and eventually to the architect’s natural role a transfer of properties whereby the U.S. Embassy, now in the design of everything (space stations to offshore directly across from the parliament buildings on Wellington drilling rigs). It was all covered in one continuous Street, would move to the Daly Block on Rideau Street and the Russian Embassy would move to an island in the middle of Green Lake, where it would represent its ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERS then isolation. I can’t remember what was supposed to happen to the existing Russian Residence, but the City of Ottawa would take over the existing U.S. Embassy Specialists In: site, demonstrating the tension that existed between the national capital and the country. The covering letter, Designated Substances Surveys for Renovation, addressed to then prime minister the Honourable Brian Demolition and Construction Projects Mulroney, explained all of this in detail. Mould Investigations and Remedial Design and I wasn’t being asked for my opinion but more about Supervision strategy. I think my contribution was to forward the Air Quality Testing letter to the Public Works minister who at the time happened to be a Nova Scotian and who I knew had a Asbestos Surveys and Abatement Design and sense of humour. Supervision Phase I and II Environmental Site Assessments, Infrastructure. Rod has always had an interest in Site Cleanup and Risk Assessment major transportation projects. Going back 25 years, he Geotechnical Investigations started to promote the idea of a new -Windsor high-speed railway line as an important economic For More Information Contact: Wayne Cormack, CIH stimulant with obvious political overtones (and which or Rein Andre has recently received renewed serious consideration). 121 Granton Drive, Unit 11 More recently, he’d been developing ideas for twinning Richmond Hill, Ontario L4B 3N4 Tel: (905) 882-5984 the Suez Canal. Fax: (905) 882-8962 He saw this kind of thinking as the natural purview Web-Site: http://www.dcsltd.ca of the architect, whose training allowed him uniquely, E-Mail: [email protected] he felt, to assimilate concepts, urban scales and related [email protected] technologies at the same time. Skydome, of course, was an obvious example; the world’s first building with a DECOMMISSIONING CONSULTING SERVICES LIMITED retractable roof served, in his terms, as “the Renaissance

476027_dcs_ad.indd 1 4/16/10 10:27:12 AM 8OAA Perspectives|SPRING 2012 LETTERS Hi Gordon, As an Alberta resident with a long-standing interest in Ontario architecture, I really enjoyed “My First Project” in the current issue cathedral” of our times, allowing large numbers of people [Fall 2011]. The sincerity and optimism (perhaps also change-the- to assemble for important, now secular, purposes. world naïveté) of your contributors was touching. Also appreciated “Digressions” and the recent issue on drawings. Perspectives is a Space. Rod was always looking for the big idea in every thoughtful publication. Keep it up! project, but when in doubt he defaulted to using the Best wishes, budget to maximize usable space which he said could Geoffrey Simmins never be over-provided, given growth and the constant The letter writer is Associate Dean, Research and Planning in the need to accommodate the building’s changing user Faculty of Arts at the University of Calgary. He is also the author of groups. Ontario Association of Architects: A Centennial History (OAA, 1989)

St. Mike’s. When I spoke to Rod in the hospital between Dear Gordon, Christmas and New Year, he immediately asked if I knew What a lovely surprise to see a watercolour of mine on the about St Michael’s Hospital’s planned expansion on the cover of Perspectives. Your review of Sketches is most generous – Victoria Street parking lot. Assuming in advance that thank you so much for your insight and appreciation. For that I we wouldn’t be proactive, Rod said that he’d prepared a am most grateful. series of sketches for a scheme that also incorporated What was most encouraging was to find that drawing and replacement of the old part of the hospital and closing sketching is alive and well in this electronic and digital world. Bond Street and some adjacent lands to enable a more I was impressed at the level of accomplishment in many of the appropriate scale of development if the project were to works you published. be successful. Kind regards and thank you again. Perhaps this is a fitting epitaph for an architect who A.J. Diamond refused to go quietly into that good night.

WE’RE EXCITED ABOUT OUR NEW ASSOCIATES

Sean Brown Christine Jeffers Margaret Kubaczkowski

INTEGRATED ARCHITECTS, ENGINEERS, INTERIOR DESIGNERS, URBAN DESIGNERS AND PLANNERS. EFFECTIVE COLLABORATION WITH YOU. EXTRAORDINARY RESULTS FOR YOU. James Rutherford Gaurav Wadhawan

VANCOUVER | CALGARY | EDMONTON | TORONTO designdialog.ca

563052_Dialog.indd 1 03/12/11 10:01 AM www.oaa.on.ca OAA Perspectives|SPRING9 2012 S TORIES “To be a person is to have a story to tell. Stories have been told as long as speech has existed, and sans stories the human race would have perished, as it would have perished sans water.” – ISAK DINESEN1 “To hell with facts! We need stories!” – KEN KESEY, 1987 “One mark of a second-rate mind is to be always telling stories.” – JEAN DE LA BRUYÈRE2

I. Romance GORDON S. GRICE OAA, FRAIC

hen Marlow, the old sailor in Joseph Conrad’s story Youth, describes his fi rst voyage to the East he paints a romantic image of “a small boat…a jagged wall of purple at sunset…a wide bay, smooth as Wglass and polished like ice, shimmering in the dark…a puff of wind, a puff faint and tepid...” I had an experience a little bit like that, except it was the West Indies, not the East Indies, and, although it wasn’t my fi rst impression, it was a lasting one. We were cruising back from a meeting in St. Thomas in a small Bertram. It was a brilliant sunset, the crimson of the clouds refl ected in the water, giving the feeling of being suspended in the bell of a gigantic tropical fl ower. I saw the ship off the port bow, between us and Great Thatch Island: a sleek black hull and honey-coloured sails. As I remember, it was a hermaphrodite brig—both gaff-rigged and square-rigged—in full sail, to catch the hint of breeze that was rippling down the chan- displaced to the tropics, was singing about getting ourselves “back nel. It was a breathtaking vision. As we drew nearer, we could make to the garden,” and paving paradise “to put up a parking lot.” It’s an out the name painted across the tall stern: Romance, Road Harbour, old story: no sooner does humankind behold a romantic paradise BVI. Illuminated by the red sky, and refl ected on the water, the ship than it sets out to ruin it. I was a young architect in those days, glowed like a smoldering ember. “Romance” it was, in every respect. working in a tropical Eden, and I was acutely aware of the problem. As we came closer to this fl oating fantasy, we saw, waddling toward And like Conrad’s Marlow, this vivid image has stayed with me. the stern, the ship’s mate, a middle-aged woman with the propor- As he explains in the story’s fi nal lines, tions of a naval decanter (wide at the base to avoid tipping). As we “…our weary eyes looking still, looking always, looking anxiously continued to gaze at this postcard image, the mate performed what for something out of life, that while it is expected is already gone— must have been her daily duty. With one hefty thrust, she emptied has passed unseen, in a sigh, in a fl ash—together with the youth, the contents of the garbage bucket onto the smooth surface of the sea. with the strength, with the romance of illusions.” Immediately, grapefruit rinds, eggshells, bacon strips, slices of bread, The old sea captain had learned that, if growing older brings bags, boxes and bottles fanned out behind the ship. Our attention wisdom, it must do so at the expense of innocence. The exchange was now drawn away from the sailing ship to this jetsam, bobbing is not always gradual. At times, youthful romantic illusions are dis- languidly on the surface of the water, glowing with the sun’s dying patched suddenly and with stunning severity. For Conrad, romance rays, as we cruised slowly through it. was in the nature of all illusions. For me, Romance will always be When this event took place, I recognized it as an obvious meta- the name of a fantastic, disenchanting sailing ship. phor, for there is nowhere on earth that is richer in metaphor than the West Indies. In those days, Joni Mitchell, another Canadian Gordon S. G rice is editor of OAA Perspectives.

1 Last Tales. New York: Random House, 1957, p. 3 “L’une des marques de la médiocrité de l’esprit est de toujours conter.” Texte de la 2 “Des Jugements: Les Caractères Ou Les Moeurs De Ce Siècle, from Les Caractères, dernière édition revue et corrigée par l›auteur, publiée par E. Michallet, 1696 ED 52 (IV). The Project Gutenberg EBook. Release Date: March 14, 2006. Originally NOTE: de la Bruyère was incredibly unpopular during his lifetime.

10OAA PersPectives|SPRING 2012 II. Swinging London ALLAN RAE OAA

n graduating from the School of Architecture at U each face of the building. But for detailing and coordination, I of T, way back in 1960, I spent a year working with prepared larger scaled, keyed elevations, drawn at 1” = 1’-0” and Colleti Brothers on Copley Square in Boston. Living grouped: ground fl oor to second fl oor/ break/ sixth and seventh in an historic brownstone walk-up on Marlborough fl oors/ break/ thirteenth and fourteenth fl oors. OStreet in the Back Bay, I lectured in the syllabus programme of the Quarrington’s, an established fi rm of quantity surveyors, was Boston Architectural Club in second-year design and architectural brought on board to prepare the project budget. This was my fi rst history. This complete immersion gave me a great opportunity to experience with a QS and it was very educational. The project put fi ve years of architectural education into perspective and focus. went to tender. On receipt, we gathered round the table expect- Then, in 1961, I took a passenger freighter from “across antly as the tenders were opened. All building components were the pond” to London. I had arranged an intern position with the within the project budget, with the exception of the quotation fi rm of Howard Lobb the previous year, when one of the partners, from Crittals Windows, which was half the expected price. At Brian Leather, visited the School of Architecture. After landing the time, Crittals was a highly regarded and experienced fabrica- and getting my bearings, I touched base with him, confi rmed the tor of top quality windows and we couldn’t fi gure out what had position was still open, then bought a Vespa 150cc scooter and gone amiss. Was this a bargain? Had I screwed up? Was the QS took off for the Continent. that far off base? After a four-month architectural pilgrimage that ranged from Aalto Actually, none of the above. It turned out that the Crittals estima- in darkest Finland to Corbu’s Unité d’Habitation on the sunny Riviera, tors had gone directly to my large-scaled, keyed elevations (showing I returned to London and started working with the “Lobbsters,” as only seven of the fl oors2 ) and prepared their estimate accordingly, they were affectionately called. The offi ce was on Gower Street, just ignoring completely the overall elevations of the building. Thus up from Bedford Square and Bloomsbury and in the heart of a hap- their price was for a SEVEN-storey, not a fourteen-storey, building, pening scene that seemed to explode while I was there. hence half the estimated price. But still, our client wanted to use Happening indeed! Crittals windows: great product, inter-fi rm connections. What to do? Terence Conran had just designed his knock-down couch (and Meetings were held, embarrassed estimators were drawn and which of us hasn’t at some time). But then he opened Habitat and quartered, pride was swallowed, price was doubled and contract changed the way the Brits looked at their interiors. Mary Quant awarded. Lesson learned: never underestimate the estimator. released her fi rst tube of white lipstick. Jean Shrimpton was THE model. David Bailey was THE photographer. Antonioni’s Blow-up Allan Rae is principal of Allen Rae Architect Inc. in Toronto. hit the big screen. Maggie Smith and Albert Finney were getting their fi rst rave reviews in the West End. The Beatles were creating their unique sound in Liverpool. And I got measured for a pair of slacks on Carnaby Street: “On which side do you dress, sir?” (I’d never paid attention.) It was all quite exciting for a colonial boy. Lobb’s was a good place to get my architectural “chops” in gear, as I was given a lot of latitude and responsibility. We wore white lab coats and drew on linen with Rapidograph pens and Leroy lettering stencils on draughting boards with parallel rulers – all very posh! And although I was a boy from the colonies, I spelled colour with a “u” and knew what “LBW” meant1 and so it was felt that I was somewhat acceptable in a civilized society. Accordingly, I was assigned design and detailing for a 14-storey offi ce building for Ross Group Fisheries at Grimsby, across the river from Hull, on the North Sea. Site visits by train were informative and fun, with Brown Windsor soup slopping around the bowl as we feature illustrations for oaa PersPeCtives drawn by orillia made steady progress through the bucolic English countryside and arChiteCt and illustrator david gillett. passed places with romantic names like Skegness and Cleethorpes. 1 “Leg-before-wicket,” for non-cricketers The design that I developed was quickly approved and contract 2 Remember, in England the fi rst fl oor is above the ground fl oor, so my large-scale documents started. Full elevations at 1/8” = 1’-0” were drawn for drawing showed seven fl oors, not six. www.oaa.on.ca OAA PersPectives|SPRING11 2012 III. The Competition LUKE ANDRITSOS OAA, AIA, MRAIC

or two weeks and a day, I worked mightily on an archi- dog was happy not to hear computers humming and was rewarded tectural competition for the Museum of Modern Art in with plenty of walks and treats. He’s a pretty good boy, after all. Warsaw, Poland. I was a “hired gun” for a local company The eighth of February arrived and, somewhere between a stretch of some renown. and a coffee refi ll, the phone rang: “I am soooooo disappointed,” FA beautiful design emerged from the cryptic depths of creativity the downtrodden voice said, “We can’t guarantee courier delivery and an ever-smooth collaboration spanning three continents and for the deadline, due to customs and imports.” myriad wee hours (the director was in China). Three days’ time was I could sense grown-man tears threatening to fl ow unabashedly. pencilled in for shipment. It was noon. Then I got mad. “I’ll hand deliver the thing myself!” As the date approached, the revisions were increasingly, incremen- There was no way I was going to waste two sleepless weeks of sweet, tally minor, as is so often the case. “Always work to the deadline” irreversible time and about $20,000 worth of effort (with printing, is the cardinal rule. “Don’t worry,” they said, “as long as we courier labour, etc.) The project deserved a chance to compete, not die it on the eighth of February, we’re OK.” It was due on the ninth, at anonymously with my name etched on it somewhere dark and quiet. 4:00 p.m. sharp, Warsaw time (locals benefi t from the extra produc- But was it possible?” tion time that foreign entries must allow for shipping). Telephone and internet connections fired up to Air Canada, My work complete, the project went to the printers to produce Expedia, Travelocity and lesser-known travel agencies. There was a eight boards 1000mm x 700mm and to a model maker, who charged fl ight, costing about $3000, that left at 5:20 p.m. (meaning I had thousands. I got a call from the fi rm: “Beautiful work, thanks!” They to be at the airport by 3:00pm or so.) I’d be in Warsaw by 11:30 were very happy, since we had a contender on our hands. a.m.: lots of time to learn the language, get acquainted with the I enjoyed a much-needed full night’s sleep and then embarked on city, hunt down the still-theoretical offi ce and deliver the package. an adventurous pajama day (the ones with sailboats on them). The But the drawings were printed incorrectly, so they had to be reprinted and the model-maker wouldn’t be fi nished till 6:00 p.m. More time was needed. So I booked a fl ight to Heathrow leaving at 8:20 p.m. and connecting to Warsaw at the tentative landing time of 2:05 p.m. It was a risk, but one worth taking. Everyone was tense. At least it was cheaper. Sleep-deprived, save for a night well done, beard grown out (for luck, as in the playoffs), I fi nally hit the airport at 7:30pm. Only my tender puppy-dog eyes got me past the charming gate attendant. Three rapid hours later, somewhere over the Atlantic, the sun shone brightly, breaching tentative slumber with frosty-bright lucidity. Time was a surreal backdrop to a surreal time-stretched voyage. I yawned so hard I pulled a jaw muscle. Landing at Heathrow in the morning, I sought out the solace of black coffee and then discovered that the fl ight to Poland was delayed due to fog. Coffee was exchanged for Guinness and an email was fi red off to Toronto, requesting that an architect’s sister meet me in Warsaw (there would be time for neither cab directives, nor haggling). During the next leg of the fl ight, a dewy-eyed baby kept me entertained by staring at me knowingly. She knew what I was going through and commended me in her cute way. I could tell by her mannerisms. The plane fi nally landed in Warsaw. It was 3:05 p.m.. and I still had to go through customs. I had heard that it took roughly 45 minutes to reach downtown on a good day. I ran to the oversize baggage belt. Nothing came out. An airport announcement was made in Polish, which a fellow traveller translated as “There will be a HALF HOUR DELAY due to a fl ight from Paris.” Nothing to do but wait. Finally the boxes spurted out. The race was back on! I tossed my torn and frayed parcels on a shrieking cart and wheeled it

12OAA PersPectives|SPRING 2012 IV. A Funny Thing Happened on the emphatically to customs where the prim guards, asked, “What’s in the crates?” Way to Rezoning. I told the tale and left them to discuss it, knowing that if they opened all the crates, I would never make the deadline, but if they IAN ELLINGHAM, B.A RCH, M.B.A., PH .D., OAA, FRAIC let me through I could win the competition and they would be part of history. One shaven-headed offi cial looked at another shaven- headed offi cial. I could hear my watch. “GO! GO! GO!” they said ong before OAAPerspectives existed, in a small r emote and I ran like a madman. Ontario town, a funny thing happened. We had fund- At the gate, a woman held up a sign with the Toronto architect’s ing to build some non-profi t apartments for senior name on it. She spoke no English; I spoke no Polish. It didn’t matter. citizens and the architect came up with a most elegant We ran to her car and she fumbled to pay the machine. Powerless Ldesign, with some innovative features. As usual, the property in the passenger seat, I resolved to enjoy these suspended moments. needed rezoning. The day for the presentation to town council It was all I could do, after all. That and keep her calm. was arranged and the date approached. The chair of the non- She made a wrong turn and we were back at the terminal. “Shiza!” profi t board suggested we let one of the other board members, a she said, or the Polish equivalent. Back on the throughway, we fl ew rather elderly lady who was already preparing to move in, make past cars at unholy speeds. My eyes soaked up blurry vistas and the presentation. Although she has now passed away, we will exchanged glances with frightened pedestrians. Traffi c built up. The call her Mrs. Williams to protect the guilty. The architect and I clock read 3:42 p.m. She hopped sidewalks, ran reds. I stepped on put together a complete presentation with display boards and a imaginary brake pedals and dared not look straight ahead. I promised speech. Mrs. Williams took away the notes for the speech and her perogies if we lived. said she would prepare for the presentation. At 3:48 p.m., with 12 minutes to go, we were somewhere within The night of the meeting, we all went to the town hall and put range. We parked illegally in front of the Palace of Culture, a Soviet- up the display boards in the council chamber. Mrs. Williams had era birthday cake building. It was 3:54 p.m.. We ran across the plaza a good grasp of the project and what she should say. However, with model and panels fl apping and bee-lined into the building. after she had entered the council chamber, it was immediately Now I was having fun! apparent that she was not going to follow any of the carefully Other architects, tired and unshaven too, cheered us on. “Norba, prepared notes. She had another strategy in mind. The architect norba!” they said, or some such thing, and pointed downstairs from and I were cringing, wondering what disaster was about to the lobby. We ran down thinking the marathon was over. But no; it befall us, but the other members of the non-profi t board seemed was an elevator lobby. What fl oor!? Miraculously I had the courier strangely relaxed. address label in my pocket, in case it might come in handy, which Mrs. Williams did not make a presentation at all, but proceeded it did: 1345 was the room; 3:56 p.m. was the time. We rushed to interrogate the councillors. “Peter, do you think it is a good idea into the elevator. to have some inexpensive apartments for seniors in our town?” And we MADE IT! The timestamp on the receipt read 15:58; all “Yes, Mrs. Williams.” the way from Toronto, with a two-minute cushion. My accomplice “John, do you think this is a good place to put it?” dropped me off at a nearby hotel where I had the shower of my “Yes Mrs. Williams. It is very good place, because you can dreams. Sleep was unneeded as I slipped into the lobby bar and had walk to the stores.” the most fantastic drink of my life. The next one was even better. And so it went. Perhaps my recollections of this distant and The bartender thought I had won a lottery. I told him the tale. confusing event are somewhat hazy, but I do think the commit- He couldn’t believe it. “It’s good to know there’s still crazy people tee members sat a little straighter when she came in and I think like you in this world.” she might have even called the vote. It passed readily. After all, A little later, a giant painted lady of the night came by (or so I everyone knew who was in charge. thought.) “Are you Luka?” The moral of the story: if you need to have a site rezoned “Yup.” in a small Ontario town, get the retired grade four teacher to “I heard about you and would like to buy you a vodka…” Or three. look after it. Architecture has its rewards. But that’s a story for another time…. And the building? It is still there, and some years later, the town approved two more phases. It serves the community well, Luke Andritsos is principal of Andritsos Architect International, a and to those who were at that meeting, it remains an enduring design-based practice in Toronto. monument to Mrs. Williams.

Ian Ellingham is chair of the Perspectives Committee. www.oaa.on.ca OAA PersPectives|SPRING13 2012 V. Your Call is Important GORDON S. GRICE OAA, FRAIC

ome of you might remember a time, not so long ago, when the family, we are just so many bits of binary code zipping through the best way to get in touch with someone far away was to the atmosphere. place a long-distance phone call. This involved picking up A few weeks ago, I wanted to make a hotel reservation in Montreal. the big lumpy telephone handset and dialing “0” using an The hotel was offering a great price, but only if I made the reserva- Sactual dial. A chatty woman (invariably) would answer your call and tion on-line. The process was laborious and time-consuming. The set the process in motion. It might take a while, so she would offer website berated me from time to time for giving incorrect responses. to call you back. And she When I fi nally completed always did. Your call was the process, I was greeted important to her, but it by a cheerful window that wasn’t necessary for her told me that they were to tell you so. sorry; due to technical Several decades ago, diffi culties, on-line reser- I worked as an archi- vations were temporarily tect on a faraway trop- suspended. They were cer- ical island. Nowadays, tain I wouldn’t mind call- the island has cellphone ing their 1-800 number. towers and cruise ships I placed the call, and is surrounded by a selected my preferred lan- virtual blockade of char- guage of communication, ter sailboats. But then, chose from a list of options unless you collected to connect to reservations stamps or read National and was told that my call Geographic, you would was important to them. have no idea where it After a while, an operator was. One day, when I had came on the line and the been living there for a few reservation process began years, a friend called from all over again. She told Canada. He had dialed me that there were many the long-distance operator more options to consider, and said he wanted to and described them all to place a call to the British me in generous detail. The Virgin Islands. The oper- options were enticing, but ator looked down a list that would have included British Guyana, none was as good as the on-line bargain, which was the one I wanted. British Honduras and other places that don’t exist anymore. After She was sorry, but she couldn’t offer that option. I would need to some time, she was able to connect him with the BVI operator, talk to their internet department. I waited, heard the new extension whose faint, distant voice he could just make out. ringing and was promptly disconnected. “BVI operator. What number are you calling?” she asked. My friend In my second call, I exercised all of the restraint that I could muster read out the four-digit number. and explained to the new operator exactly how I had spent the previous “And who would you like to speak to at that number?” My friend hour. “My goodness,” she drawled, “we have to fi x that.” And we did. gave her my name. There was a brief hesitation. She was talking to me from sunny Texas, but had been brought “Oh,” she said. “That’s his offi ce number, but he won’t be there up near Detroit. Michigan is as cold as Canada, she told me, and now. He goes home for lunch. Would you like me to ring his house?” sometimes she missed it. Naturally, she had been to Windsor, where When my home phone rang, the operator spoke to me fi rst. She she still had friends. She also had friends in Vancouver, which we asked how I was doing and said there was a friend from Canada who both agreed was a fi ne place. She had never been to Montreal, but wanted to speak to me. She hoped everything was okay. she was sure I would have a nice stay. That’s how it used to be: people talking to people. Nowadays, Before hanging up, I said that I had enjoyed talking to her. And, we have emails, FTP uploads, text messages, voicemail, automated you know, I really meant it, not just because it had been a pleasant switchboards and call waiting. More often than not, our call is conversation, but because it had actually been a conversation: two important and the next available operator will be happy to serve complete strangers, separated by thousands of miles but each with us. Our call may be important, but we are defi nitely not. Whether an unspoken understanding that in some often unpredictable way, we are making a multi-million dollar deal or just checking in with every call is important.

14OAA PersPectives|SPRING 2012 VI. Two John Parkin Stories

ROGER DU TOIT, B.ARCH., M.A RCH., OAA, FRAIC, MCIP, RPP, AICP, CSLA

have two John Parkin stories, one of which is also a John and Macy came in second. John Parkin, who wanted to be the local Andrews story. They are both second-hand and seem so associated architect, asked John Andrews to join the fi rm, which is unbelievable in today’s climate as to verge on the urban myth what brought Andrews to Canada. category. The story goes that a few years after that, Andrews was put to work IJohn Parkin, after winning the design competition for the OAA’s on the design of a project. At the end of each day, he would leave his former clubhouse cum headquarters in the early 1950s, went on to work on the drawing board and that night Parkin would review it run the fi rst of Canada’s big multi-disciplinary practices. The story and leave a bunch of notes and changes to be made. This did not sit is that he was presenting a project in a small northern town. There well with Andrews, so he set about developing both his and Parkin’s weren’t too many places for the display of presentation boards in that scheme in parallel. This went on until the time came to present to town, so the steering committee assembled in the inter-city bus station. the client. Andrews packaged up the drawings – his drawings! And There was a whole series of panels, which John went through like any they went together to see the client. good presenter, keeping eye contact with his audience. One person in When the drawings were unveiled and mounted, Parkin looked particular paid keen attention, nodding and responding at all the key at them, realized what had happened, and raised an eyebrow at points. So as he continued, John spoke more and more directly to him. Andrews. He then gave a masterful presentation of the scheme he That is, until just before the presentation was complete, when the had never seen before. man got up and boarded his bus! And that’s when John Andrews started his own practice. While students in the Master’s class at Harvard, John Andrews and Macy Dubois entered the international design competition for Roger du Toit is a principal at Roger du Toit Architechts and du Toit the Toronto City Hall, which Viljo Revell won in the late 1950s. John Allsopp Hillier in Toronto.

When the drawings were unveiled and mounted, Parkin looked at them, realized what had happened, and raised an eyebrow at Andrews. He then gave a masterful presentation of the scheme he had never seen before.

www.oaa.on.ca OAA PersPectives|SPRING15 2012 VII. Back to Beer ANTHONY PROVENZANO OAA

I was working in Sault Ste. Marie, my “And then, you’ll get married; you’ll have kids; you might start home town, for the summer following up your own practice and you’ll experience some lovely stress levels my fi rst year of Architecture School at and then, do you know what you’ll drink? Liquor. Like scotch or rye a fi rm called Tossell & Caughill and, or a martini. You’ll still drink wine and beer, but mark my words; 1991after my fi rst ever company golf day, we all went for lunch. you will begin to drink liquor. Bruce Caughill was not only a partner in the fi rm, he was (is) “And then, your kids will grow up, they’ll go away to university; my buddy’s dad. His son Adam was (is) a friend of mine against it will give you more time to spend with your wife. You’ll be able whom I played many hockey games growing up. So after golf, while go on a canoe trip with just the two of you and do you know what sitting in a restaurant, Bruce and I talked about an upcoming canoe you’ll pack the cooler full of? Beer. trip that he and his wife were embarking on the next day. Bruce “And the moral of the story is: you always come back to beer!” looked over at me and said, “Anthony, let me buy you lunch. What With that, he also ordered a beer with his lunch and I remember are you going to drink?” Being a 20-year-old university student, I thinking: I want to drink beer for as long as possible to preserve said, “That sounds great. I’ll have a beer.” Bruce smiled and said, my youth. “Of course you will,” and then explained something to me that I still think of almost daily. 2011 “Anthony,” he said, “let me explain something to you. You’re young, It’s 20 years later. I’m 40 and married; I have developed a taste you’re in university and you drink beer. You go out to bars with for manhattans, scotch and vodka. At dinner, I prefer a glass of your buddies, you go to keg parties, you have down time and you red wine. When we show up to a dinner party, we show up with drink beer. And besides, beer is cheap and you don’t have much a bottle of red. After I play hockey or while watching a game on money these days. TV, it’s beer. “But eventually, you’ll graduate and start working and then you’ll I never intended to, but I ended up following Bruce’s alco-guide start going to dinner parties and over to your friends houses and do to life as an architect. And, in time, I really look forward to getting you know what you’ll bring? Wine. You’ll still drink beer, make no back to beer. mistake about that, but you’ll start drinking more and more wine. You’ll have a glass of wine at home with your meal, you’ll have a Anthony Provenzano is a Toronto architect and a member of the of glass wine at a restaurant and you will drink wine. OAAPerspectives Committee.

16OAA PersPectives|SPRING 2012 VIII. A Small Christmas Miracle GORDON S. GRICE OAA, FRAIC

udging from the title of this story, you might think that I’m you expect to hear is, “I’ll be okay (cough). You go on without a religious person. I’m not. But sometimes things happen me. I’ll only slow you down (cough, cough).” Now that was my that even agnostics like me have trouble writing off as pure car. If I didn’t fi nd gas, the car was fi nished. I would be walking Jcoincidence. to Montreal and I wouldn’t be there for dinner. I exited at the I was working as a freelance illustrator and business was slow. next interchange. The car started coughing in earnest. I could see There was a rule that, if you wanted work to start coming in, the gas station straight ahead on the left. As I cruised up to the you just had to make pumps, I saw that the arrangements to take pumps were locked. a vacation. As soon as The station was closed. your non-refundable At that moment, the travel arrangements engine conked out. were finalized, the A hundred metres phone would start ring- farther down the ing and there would be street, at the intersec- offers of work that you tion, there was another now couldn’t accept. I gas station, emanating had made arrangements a warm incandescent to spend Christmas glow. It was open. I in Montreal with my put the car in neutral family. Just as the rule and started pushing it predicted, the phone toward the lights. The rang almost as soon non-functioning power as final arrangements steering made naviga- had been made. The job tion diffi cult, but the was too good to turn gradient was downhill, down: a shopping plaza so I was able to pick up somewhere in eastern enough speed to coast Ontario, with a healthy up the ramp to the fee but, of course, it pumps. One more push had to be completed and I was there. This before New Year. In was more than a close other words, no vaca- call. It was deliverance. tion. But I had an idea. As I pumped fuel into There were still several days till Christmas. I would send my family the empty tank, my mind and my eyes wandered. What would ahead on the train, work night and day to fi nish the job, deliver it I have done if this gas station had also been closed? And where early and make sure I was in Montreal by Christmas Day. on earth was I? The project took more time than I expected—don’t they always?— My eyes rested on a sign on the opposite side of the inter- but I wanted to do a nice job, so I didn’t deliver the drawing until section. There was something oddly familiar about it. It rose late Christmas Eve. My new plan was to get up Christmas morning above a construction hoarding that surrounded the site of a and start driving. There was plenty of time; the roads would be new shopping plaza. The sign was familiar because it appeared clear and I would be in Montreal in time for Christmas dinner. I on every page of the drawings that I had been working with needed gas, but my local stations were closed for Christmas Day, for the past week. Quite simply, this was the site of the pro- so I hit the road around 9:00 a.m., with half a tank, confi dent that ject that I had been drawing—the project that had made me I could stop at the fi rst service centre on the 401. almost miss Christmas. Now it appeared to have provided my I miscalculated. Before I could reach the fi rst service centre, salvation. I can’t describe, even now, what an odd sensation the fuel gauge was reading empty. I pulled onto a side road that passed through me. “It is Christmas and anything is possible,” advertised food and fuel, but the outlets were closed. Back on the I thought. highway, I nervously hoped that the next side road would be more We all know that buildings have the power to improve our profi table. The engine coughed. lives. That’s one of the reasons we decided to become architects. In the movies, when a member of the travel party coughs, it’s But can a building, or more precisely, a building site, actually alter never just a scratchy throat. It’s the end of the road. The next thing the course of our lives? That’s what I still don’t know. www.oaa.on.ca OAA PersPectives|SPRING17 2012 IX. Court in Session TED DUARTE, B.TECH . (ARCH.), LIC. TECH., OAA, MRAIC

t was a beautiful summer morning and I was making my way Fast-forward to July 1999. After two years of work, I still loved to a coffee shop opposite the nearly completed John Sopinka every minute of my time spent on site. The building was now nearly Courthouse in downtown Hamilton, when I saw an elderly complete and, in fact, it was open for business. However, required fi eld woman speaking with a fully geared SWAT team offi cer who reviews were still taking place, in order to clear up some defi ciencies. Iwas struggling to hold back pedestrians. “Excuse me young man,” Assigned to those reviews, one day I was walking along the public cor- I heard her ask, “What movie are you shooting?” ridors and decided to go into a one of the courtrooms that had minor But before I tell you the police- outstanding architectural items. A police man’s unexpected reply, let me back- offi cer in full SWAT gear was standing track approximately two years prior guard at the courtroom door. After a to this event, to August 1997, when quick, silent search, he allowed passage I was attending to the court in session. When I opened for Architecture. Thanks to my the double doors, the scene I witnessed Construction Project Management was worthy of a Hollywood movie. In instructor Jim Mansfi eld, I was offered the front seats at the center of the room a job as a student assistant to a veteran were six or seven intimidating skin-heads contract administrator on the site of who immediately turned to look at me a new twenty-three-courtroom justice when they heard the door open. After facility. I jumped at the opportunity. a few seconds, they turned back to the I only needed a few more credits to front and I sat in the last row near the graduate, and I was eager to join the exit doors. We were the only public spec- workforce. I accepted the position right tators of what seemed to be a criminal away and committed myself to this fas- pre-trial. The judge was fl anked by two cinating project for the next two years. bodyguards dressed in suits, black ties The contract administrator, Jack Clark, and ear-pieces. They stared at me and at had been lured back from retirement the men sitting in the front row. Other and re-hired to complete one last project men occupied bullet-proof glass boxes before heading into the sunset. Jack was on either side of the room. Nobody in a Ryerson graduate (class of ’57) and the courtroom except me seemed to care my fi rst mentor. He was a person from about the expensive fi nishes or design whom I learned a great deal, in a true details of the space, and it was hard for sense of architectural apprenticeship, me to focus on them. After fi ve minutes, not in design, but in an equally import- I felt I had seen enough. ant area of our industry: construction. It was a couple of hours later that I saw Interacting with a contractor is a delicate the elderly woman approach the SWAT art, not mastered by all, but Jack’s experience made it seem effortless. offi cer, who replied to her question, “This is not a movie, please stand The project, a renovation to a 1936 federal post offi ce, included sig- back, ma’am!” At that very moment, four unmarked tinted-window nifi cant historical restoration to the exterior and heritage lobby details, SUVs sped out of the underground garage and disappeared down the requiring the skills of marble, bronze and stonework specialists rarely street. From a conversation with a courthouse security offi cer, I later seen on a modern construction site. Aside from historical content, the discovered that the court proceedings pertained to a southern Ontario new courthouse consisted of a re-adaptation of its existing structure, organized crime case and that one of the men behind bullet-proof glass encompassing eighteen courtrooms and fi ve motion rooms, as well was a gang-member-turned-informant, now testifying against the ring as a new seven-storey addition. Removal of asbestos materials was a leaders. Understandably, the four SUVs were intended to conceal the sensitive requirement during construction and the complex implemen- location of the informant and prevent any possible harm. tation of state-of-the-art (for that time) security measures made for a The following day, I was able to complete my architectural task at very challenging project. Given that only Jack and I represented the the new Hamilton courthouse. It was a memorable assignment. Not architect on site, I was pretty much directly involved in every issue. only did I clear the defi ciencies, but I also had the rare opportunity In fact, I welcomed the hectic pace and even learned a thing or two to see the building in action. The courthouse passed with fl ying from the contractor. Deserved credit goes to Ellis-Don; they did a great colours on both counts – and I learned that a building is sometimes job not only in working with a tight schedule, but also in managing a lot more than a collection of forms, spaces and details. to accommodate ever-changing requirements from many stakeholder government groups and agencies. Ted DuArte is a Senior Contract Administrator at Comtech Design Group.

18OAA PersPectives|SPRING 2012 X. Montreal, 1967: My First Employment KALINA SERLIN, B.A RCH., OAA

he mid-sixties were a fruitful time for architects working in Montreal. The approaching fi lled the city and the architectural profession with an excitement that resonated far and wide. Montreal became a hub for architects from Taround the world and local fi rms commissioned to work on Expo projects became their main focus. Architecture students and recent graduates came here for the unique opportunity to share and explore new design ideas. Optimism was everywhere and architecture exuded the air of the progressive free-thinking profession I had imagined it to be. At the time, a year out of high school, I was not yet an architect, but nevertheless involved in the profession as a junior draughtsman and

an assistant model maker (the term draughtswoman or the unisex term Kalina serlin Photo: draughtsperson were not yet part of the language, let alone our conscious- THE ARCOP OFFICE, 1967. FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: UNIDENTIFIED SENIOR ness). Having landed at Arcop, a well-known Montreal fi rm, was a feat DRAUGHTSMAN, DANIEL LAZOSKY, UNIDENTIFIED PROJECT MANAGER, in itself. The fi rm was not only busy working on Expo 67, but was also PAULINE BARRABLE, CANADIAN TRAINED ARCHITECT in the midst of designing and constructing the prestigious multi-use fare I had become accustomed to. We had less luck with other non- Place Bonaventure, fi rst of its kind in Canada. Shortly after joining European cuisine, which had yet to establish itself on the Montreal the offi ce, I was assigned to work on this project. Place Bonaventure, restaurant scene. along with Place Ville Marie, Place Victoria, and Westmount Square, Another signifi cant change taking shape was the increasing presence was considered a signifi cant addition to the Montreal downtown core. of women in the profession. Women had been part of architecture Although not as tall as the other buildings, it was imposing through throughout the twentieth century, however, their numbers were min- its sheer volume, occupying an entire downtown block. The massive iscule, even though I would like to think their contribution was not. sandblasted ribbed concrete structure was built over the CN railway Although still small in number, women were beginning to play an tracks, after the use of its air rights had been negotiated. ever-increasing role in the profession. Most of the women in the offi ce To add to the already challenging program, Place Bonaventure also were newcomers from Europe or Asia. Female graduates of Canadian connected to the yet-to-be-completed underground metro system, as Universities were still a novelty. One Canadian-trained architect had well as the underground shopping concourse. It was one of the fi rst just returned to work after years as a stay-at-home mom. Working and buildings to feature a subterranean pedestrian link, which was to raising children was not yet the norm. become a Montreal trademark, and would later expand to link a large My personal favourite was a senior draughtswoman, a lovely franco- section of the downtown core. The building contained an exhibition phone from Montreal, who took me under her wing and became my hall, several trade fl oors and offi ces. The two top storeys featured a mentor. Professional, knowledgeable and generous to a fault, she not 400-room hotel, built along the outside perimeter overlooking a land- only taught me the rudiments of architecture and construction, but scaped rooftop garden, one of the fi rst in Canada. also, and not less importantly, introduced me to the art of French Arcop’s head offi ce at the time was located in west-end Montreal, cuisine and the music of Edith Piaf. To keep up with construction however, Place Bonaventure had its own downtown site offi ce on De demands on site, we often worked late into the evening, and at times la Gauchetière Street, at the base of a steep hill, and a challenge to took dinner breaks at one of the local French bistros, which at the manoeuvre at any time, but especially in the winter. The sidewalks time proliferated on the Montreal restaurant scene. were often icy and slipping would mean walking into the offi ce with Place Bonaventure was innovative in other ways as well. It was built an unsightly nylon run. What a relief when a few years later pant suits at the same time as the working drawings were being prepared and became not only permissible but also acceptable offi ce attire for women. revised. In order to stay one step ahead of construction, working into The offi ce was, at the time, a conglomerate of architects from many the evenings was a real necessity and the bistro breaks were a pleas- countries, including China, Taiwan, India and the Middle East. This ant interval. As I learned later on other projects, and to my sometime was a precursor to the multiculturalism which would become part of chagrin, working late into the night became the norm rather than an the Canadian landscape a few decades later, but which was new at the exception in this profession, regardless of the building method. I left time. It was an exciting period, not only architecturally, but also in the offi ce to pursue other opportunities before the building was com- terms of exposure to other cultures and their inherent customs, lan- pleted, but have always looked back on this period with a great deal guage and cuisine. The offi ce was within walking distance of the small of fondness. It was a vibrant time for Montreal and its architecture, but thriving Chinatown, and we would often head out for lunch with and an opportune time to enter the profession. a Chinese colleague who, at our prompting, would order “authentic” Chinese dishes to share. Although some dishes proved to be a chal- Kalina Serlin is a graduate of University of Montreal, working and liv- lenge to the western palate, most far surpassed the Chinese-Canadian ing in Toronto since the early 1980s. www.oaa.on.ca OAA PersPectives|SPRING19 2012 XI. Rowing on Lake Ontario GORDON S. GRICE OAA, FRAIC

n the morning, I love to row on Lake Ontario. It doesn’t mat- had to go. Nobody curls anymore and this waterfront site could be ter what time of year it is, or even how bad the weather is: put to much better use. choppy water, gale-force winds and driving sleet have never Fortunately, wisdom—both architectural and marketing—prevailed, deterred me. I’ve only been rowing regularly for about three when it was realized that if the solid concrete block walls on the Imonths now, in brief stretches, but already I’ve added up enough lakeside were replaced by glazing, the resultant building would nautical miles to have made the trip across the lake to Grimsby and provide a spectacular exercise facility, with locker rooms, a lounge, back, at least theoretically. activity rooms and one of the fi nest indoor swimming pools in the Four times a week, I dress appropriately (usually cross-trainers city, and all with a priceless unobstructed view across the lake. and gym clothes), I adjust the seat, set the tension, adjust the foot- My part of the architectural process was to provide illustrations, straps, set the program to “just row” (I’m a devil-may-care sort of in order to convince the club’s board and members that, visually at rower) and start pulling on the handle. There, on the other side of least, the improvements would justify their considerable expense. I the double-glazing, barely three metres away, Lake Ontario spreads spent many hours rooting around in the old, musty, disused facility, out before me in all its majesty. photographing it inside and out and discovering the beauty of the I know that sitting on a high-tech rowing machine is not the structure and its location. At least one of my illustrations shows the same as actually rowing. It’s a lot better: there’s no biting wind in exercise room with gangs of happy treadmillers facing out towards my face, no bobbing on the water, no machismo man-against-nature, the lake. The rowing machines must have been an afterthought, no danger of falling into the lake. I’m warm, I’m dry, and every maybe as an homage to the club’s original membership. day, I travel expectantly without the underwhelming experience And that’s how I came to be a morning lake-rower. When the of ever arriving. renovations were completed, the old curling rink looked, surprisingly Maybe I should mention what this has to do with architecture. (to me at least), much better than in my illustrations. So I joined the About eight years ago, I worked on a project with Toronto archi- club. It took a while before I started rowing, but now I can’t stop. tect Ian MacDonald. Ian’s job was to renovate an old and stodgy While I toil at the oars—fl anked by soaring wood trusses, imagin- waterfront club that had been founded, more than a century ago, ing myself plowing through the waves, with ducks and seagulls as a canoeing club. Now, the club found it necessary to improve scattering, and the profi le of the Grimsby waterfront just on the its image and appearance, to attract some new, possibly younger, horizon—stray thoughts occupy my mind. What would I be doing membership. The old guard, it seemed was expiring faster than their if Ian MacDonald had never called me? What if the arena had been replacement rate and the club’s fi nancial future looked unpromising. torn down and replaced by some sleek modern gym? Or what if I One of the club’s assets was a distinctive six-rink lakeside curling had taken up rowing on the actual lake? arena with a unique folded-plate double-pitched roof, supported by Well, the answer to the last question is simple. As every rower magnifi cent sloping, gang-nailed timber trusses. The building, after knows, the direction in which you are facing is opposite to the direc- 50 glorious years, had fallen into disuse and disrepair. Clearly, it tion in which you are moving, so with my gaze fi rmly fi xed on the southern horizon, after four months and some 25,000 oar strokes, I would have gone nowhere at all—which is not as bad as it sounds. At some point in life, the absence of any forward progress is less important than the knowledge that at least you haven’t been going backwards.

My part of the architectural process was to provide illustrations, in order to convince the club’s board and members that, visually at least, the improvements would justify their considerable expense.

20OAA PersPectives|SPRING 2012 XII. An Architect Helps Resurrect an “Educational Experiment”

BARBARA M. ROSS, M.ARC H., OAA, FRAIC

nce upon a time, in a far away land called Hamilton, of English at Mohawk. This the phone rang. It was 40 years after the installation of gang-of-four commits its ener- a special piece of steel, but there was a problem, and the gies to ensuring that some- architect was asked to help. This is my best recollection thing is done to conserve the Photo: george wallaCe, generously Provided by Kit wallaCe Kit by Provided generously wallaCe, george Photo: Oof a story told to me by my friend, retired architect Tony Butler. sculptures. Wallace’s son Kit, THE ORIGINAL INSTALLATION. Back in 1964, Tony designed the campus for Mohawk College, as now a practicing architect in partner in the allied fi rms of McIntosh & Moeller/ Gerrie & Butler. This Toronto, joins the volunteer alliance. It is 2009 and the components was before a joint venture was a regulate-able thing, before institutions of Educational Experiment are relocated to Kanbara’s gallery on North considered the Request for Proposal de rigeur, before CAD, and long, James Street, for exhibition. Each time the fragments are moved, a little long before voicemail, email, and tweets. Ontario’s new Community more damage is done. After a long silence, the phone rings again at Colleges were being launched. Mohawk, along with Niagara, George Tony’s house and, once again, he is most willing to help. Brown, and others, would be opened during 1967, Canada’s bright A collective shaking of heads at the sorry state of the fi gures and shining Centennial Year. The era was enlightened: the Province ensues, but it does not go on for long. Although the feet and of Ontario had allocated some of its public money to acquire Art. hands of Educational Experiment are full of holes, the volunteers During Tony’s 45-year consulting career, this was the only time that are determined to put Wallace’s sculpture back where it belongs: in he was asked to commission a work of public art: four large pieces the public eye, somewhere on the Mohawk campus. Accompanied of sculpture, in fact. George Wallace, whose work was known around by the alliance members, Tony walks the halls of the buildings he Hamilton, was selected to create two of them — one called Educational designed, so long ago, knowing that the Educational Experiment has Experience, and another called Educational Experiment, which is at been badly butchered. They accept the sad reality that the sculpture the heart of our story. At the time, Wallace hadn’t yet fi nished his 30 cannot be put back together in the way it was originally conceived; years of teaching art at McMaster, hadn’t yet moved to Victoria, B.C. re-welding the components as they once were would leave enormous, or been recognized as an artist of national signifi cance. (The National obvious scars. How could this nationally important work of art be Gallery of Canada acquired some of his works on paper, after his presented in a way that would help it endure long into the future? death in 2009.) All of this would happen in due course. He had not The group selects a wall, in a two-storey corridor, in the recently yet taught Bryce Kanbara or Bob Yates, both of whom would, some constructed IT wing (not part of the original design). An idea hatches, 30 years later, come to the rescue of Educational Experiment, nor had to hang the pieces on the wall. Brett Davis, a restoration specialist, he seen one of his sons, Kit Wallace grow into an architect—but I’m helps work out the details. Tony, Yates and Dreossi appear on Rule’s getting ahead of myself here. public radio show, ArtWaves, to talk about the project. Mohawk agrees To suit its outdoor setting, Wallace made Educational Experiment to re-install the Educational Experiment. The work is planned for the out of weathering steel. Stelco supplied the metal, with every assurance winter of 2012. that it would behave just as well as U.S. Steel’s then-popular Cor-ten. In his 2003 Massey Lectures, educator and humorist Thomas King Perhaps it was the metallurgy, or perhaps it was the air quality in argues, “the truth about stories is: that’s all we are.” In this one, a Hamilton—who knows?—but the extensive corrosion after 25 years was work of art was nearly lost. It couldn’t rely on the administrators extreme. When the college noticed the near-collapse of the sculptures, who saw it on opening day, as they had long ago left their stations. adjunct professor Dr. Zdenek Matejka suggested that the sculptures It couldn’t call on its artist, as he had passed away, while the makers should be rehabilitated, and fast. Once again, Tony’s phone rang and of its steel fl esh and bones had closed shop. Educational Experiment, he was willing to help. and the public for whom it was made, relies for its future on the The fi rst round of appeals to the college administration did not story that a whole group of people choose to write—including the result in the kind of action the would-be conservators had in mind. architect who, alone, remembers when and why it was conceived. Educational Experiment was sawn into pieces and stacked in a corner of As of this moment, the story isn’t over. Let’s hope I can soon report the campus – outdoors, in the acid rain. Time passed. Fortunately, Tony that Educational Experiment lived happily ever after. persuaded the college to move the pieces into an indoor storage space. For more information see (or listen to): http://www.georgewallace.ca Wallace, by then residing in British Columbia, shuffl ed off his mortal | http://archive.org/details/artwaves | Thomas King. 2003. The truth coil. The weather in Hamilton continued to do its work. The sculptures about stories, Massey Lectures. http://www.cbc.ca continued to corrode. Enter Kanbara and Yates, plus Romano Dreossi, former students of Barbara Ross is principal of The Research in Architecture Studio and Wallace, all. They form an alliance with Bernadette Rule, a teacher Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of Waterloo School of Architecture. www.oaa.on.ca OAA PersPectives|SPRING21 2012 dia 24mm Elevation

Legal advice Space for seating you can build on

x4131

We have been providing innovative counsel to the Auditorium design and construction industries for over 25 years. To find out how we can help with your construction projects, please contact: control room Bernie McGarva Certified Specialist in Construction Law [email protected] or 416.865.7765

Logo

airdberlis.com Website

532122_Aird.indd 1 6/2/11 2:55:58546584_ReForm.indd AM 1 8/20/11 9:39:44 AM www.OrderConstruction DocumentsHere.ca Our online store can be your one stop shop: Order the CCA/CCDC documents you need and pay on line. Order today at: www.OrderConstructionDocumentsHere.ca A Service Provided By

www.ogca.ca

554950_Motion.indd 1 10/4/11 5:17:30552130_OGCA.indd PM 1 9/15/11 3:29:24 PM

ONTARIO BUILDING OFFICIALS ASSOCIATION Building Knowledge. Growing Communities.

507900_Ontario.indd 1 12/2/10 9:04:28537125_Valcoustics AM Canada.indd 1 6/24/11 7:49:01 PM

                 A wide selection of natural stone $*/      and precast concrete Noise, Vibration products and Acoustics • Flagstone • Interlocking Visit One of • Cultured Stone Consulting Engineers • Masonry products Canada’s Largest • Retaining walls • Architectural Acoustics Outdoor Displays • Aggregates • Accessories • Building Noise and Your one stop shop for pond and waterfall kits and accessories • Bulk/bag road salt Mississauga, Ontario Offi ce and yard: 25 Langstaff Rd. E., Thornhill, Vibration Control Yonge & Hwy 7-407 P: 905-826-4546 Manufacturing plant: 12350 Keele St., Maple 416-222-2424 or 905-886-5787 Fax: 905-886-5795 HOWE GASTMEIER CHAPNIK LIMITED www.hgcengineering.com www.beavervalleystone.com

517594_BeaverValley.indd 1 2/8/11 8:23:39540899_HGC.indd PM 1 8/23/11 6:08:24 PM 22OAA Perspectives|SPRING 2012 INTERNATIONAL illustration: david gillett david illustration:

Travels with Sam DAVID GILLETT OAA

e knew not what to expect, my wife and Well-meaning but heartless friends had smiled weakly and I, when we set off for six long weeks of suggested meekly that perhaps we should consider leaving trekking around England. We’d been there Sam at home. Rumour had it that we were taking nannies before, but then it was just the two of us, in suffi cient numbers to post a round-the-clock watch on Wa bit of loose change and an architecture guide book. This him and his habits of mass destruction. Yet in the end, we time, it would be an autumn trip with three children in tow, went it alone, ready to take whatever he could throw at us. all under nine, (which meant six extra backpacks, a baby What he did throw at us (apart from masticated gummy seat, a stroller, and enough gummy bears to drive toothpaste bears and half-empty bottles of HP sauce) was the chance shares through the roof). And as with the English weather, to take stock and ask some slow-motion questions of our- we had no way of predicting if things would be fair or foul, selves. Did we really need to travel at that old hectic pace, stormy or calm. cameras blazing? Did two cities in one day mean as much Yet we were fairly certain of one thing at least: Samuel as one city in two weeks? Were frantic fl y-bys as rewarding would make life diffi cult for us. Sam is two. as measured contemplation? Nothing wrong with two, of course; some of our nicest Sam was a bear without his afternoon nap, and it soon friends had once been two. But Sam, being two, and proud became painfully apparent that we’d either have to sit inside of it, was out to undo what he could of our adventure. He every afternoon, losing the best part of a day’s exploration, had just learned to run (sideways), was long overdue for or he’d have to sleep while we explored. The choice was some sort of life-threatening sickness (probably Ebola) and between “Simmering Frustration” (and British soap operas) was developing an alarming fondness for anything edible or “Travels With The Amazing Sleeping Baby.” We opted (and sugar-coated) or toylike (and plastic-coated). for the latter. www.oaa.on.ca OAA PersPectives|SPRING23 2012 We went on tour, baby Sam and I, during the afternoons. While sung to sleep by the ancient stones around him that “whispered,” as Katy took Harry and Molly on adventures in search of dragons and Matthew Arnold put it, “the last enchantments of the Middle Ages.” elves, I pushed him in a peaceful sleep-walk through the landscapes Weeks of such afternoons passed, the stroller wheels showing their of my own Grand Tour. age, axles squeaking. We passed through villages and small towns, I’d been to Bath before and marched through its crescents and ruined abbeys and walled gardens and arrived finally in the hectic squares like any duty-bound student of architecture, but this time it bulls-eye of action: London. was different. My pace was slow and the rhythm of my walking was We studied the vanguard of modern London’s construction boom, measured, thoughtful. Sam slept in tranquil oblivion beneath his horsey- circled the Great Court of the British Museum for an hour, studying blanket, Curious George next to his blushed cheek. At such a pace, details, soaking in the freedom of a slowed pace. We walked the paths the nuance of the honey-coloured stone wasn’t lost on me, and hardly of Regent’s Park on a lazy Sunday afternoon, avoiding impromptu a doorway in John Wood’s Royal Crescent escaped detailed analysis. football games by a safe margin, lightly crossing the cobbles, greatly I studied the serene Georgian proportion in complete silence enjoying tranquility in the centre of the metropolis. under the October sky, walked the leaf-strewn side streets, chatted in It would never have been like this without Sam and his annoying hushed tones with doormen, followed the movements of the clouds need for an afternoon nap. I would never have slowed to this pace as they hurried towards winter. without a slumbering child to slow me. I wouldn’t have noticed the It soon became a habit, these afternoon strolls; quiet, thoughtful, frozen angels in the cathedral close in Salisbury without him, or had introspective. Strolls that would once have been frustrated aggrava- time to solve the maze at Hampton Court (twice). Instead, I would tion became walks of discovery. I began to see just how much I’d have rushed headlong, striking names from the list I had mentally been missing. The tour books had lied: a city a day? Walking tours prepared back in architecture school. Shooting photos, marching that cover the centre of Oxford in just two hours? Sam and I spent through history, missing the minute details, the quiet lanes, the as much time just crunching through the russet leaves of a deserted glories of an architecture that took time to absorb. Botanic Garden, the shadows of Magdalen College growing long “Even sleepers are workers and collaborators in what goes on in the beside us. Nothing could give one the sense of quiet contempla- universe,” said Heraclitus in 500 BC. Heraclitus knew his babies, I’d say. tion that can be achieved at the controls of a stroller filled with a Katy and I had given our family a six-week trek through the heart sleeping two-year-old. of an autumnal England. Sam, his little blonde head oblivious to it With time to observe, my pencil and sketchbook came back all, had given the subtle shading of the ancient stones back to me. into play. On the banks of the Cherwell, punters passed silently as under the blankets, Sam sailed on plush waves to the land of Nod, David Gillett is an architect and illustrator who lives and works in Orillia.

STEP UP THE ULTIMATE FROST PROTECTED SHALLOW FOUNDATION

4 Harris Point Lane Office: 877 273 5536 RR 2 Westport ON, K0G 1X0 Cell: 613 539 2182 www.icfrideau.com [email protected]

571108_Arriscraft.indd 1 1/27/12 1:22:17569040_Teixeira.indd PM 1 1/25/12 4:46:02 PM 24OAA Perspectives|SPRING 2012 WINDOWS & DOORS 25 |SPRING 2012 2/16/11 6:58:51 PM 304 ectives ™ p 12/2/11 5:53:36 AM + OAA Pers OAA

mechanical lock profile

t t t t t t t Universal No-Tape thermalstructural barrier polymer

2 1

n n n n n

e e e e e e e e

high-performance fenestration components that meet our customers’ sustainability goals and expectations.”

m m m m m m m

“Our main purpose is to provide

t

i m

1 m

MARKETPLACE

Contact us to learn about the thermal barriers of Azon role conservation. in energy o 1-800-788-5942 | www.azonintl.com

2

C

&

(mechanical lock profile) for commercial window,

e ™

c

i

Fax: 416-746-0979 Fax: v Azon Saves Energy r NEW total design system: MLP door, storefront and curtain wall applications offers the best balance of energy efficiency and high strength for aluminum fenestration products used in the most demanding climates and conditions. e

S

•

471 Chrislea Road, Woodbridge, Ontario L4L 8N6 Woodbridge, 471 Chrislea Road, s 519273_Azon.indd 1 e i n

a les p

Toll Free: 1-800-565-1851 • Tel.: 416-743-3667 416-743-3667 • Tel.: Free: 1-800-565-1851 Toll m 8/26/10 11:52:23 AM o

C

f

o

Architectural Aluminum Products Architectural • Entrances • Swing Doors • Bi-Fold Doors • Sliding Doors • Windows • Curtain Wall

p

u

o r

G

o

r

o

T

e

h

t

f

o

r

in-house profi 3,000 les capability • Over e

• Large variety of millwork products of millwork variety • Large b

m e

For information, call 1 866 377-2539. information, For

M

[email protected] • www.commdooraluminum.com [email protected]

A Custom profi 562992_Commdoor.indd 1 Moulding to your plans Moulding to your www.oaa.on.ca 493850_Alexandria.indd 1 MARKETPLACE

Optimal Doors & Jambs. Optimal fi t.

Baillargeon’s custom approach opens up a world of potential and an access to a unique expertise that complements yours.

Fire-rated, Oversized, High impact, Radiology, Autonomy, Soundproof, French Doors, Wood Jambs and more.

WINDOWS & DOORS WINDOWS Discover our green side. Our products contribute to LEED credits.

Toll free: 1-800-804-5666 www.baillargeondoors.com Automatic Doors

566698_Baillargeon.indd 1 1/5/12 9:29:12507889_MAC.indd AM 1 12/8/10 2:33:32 PM Craftsmanship. Style. Performance.

PELLA ADVANTAGE NUMBER 204: A LONG LINE OF COMMERCIAL SUCCESS.

Draw from Pella’s generations of commercial fenestration expertise. See how we’ve helped leading commercial architects and general contractors meet their project, application and budget needs since the Carefully crafted with outstanding quality, superior functionality 1940s. The wood, fiberglass and vinyl products, plus and unmatched performance; all backed by the best warranty in the business. It’s easy to see why more architects, contractors and homeowners the technical support you need to make your mark. specify Strassburger Windows and Doors. That’s The Power Of Yellow.® 1-800-265-4717 or visit www.strassburger.net

Kitchener Head Office and Showroom Barrie Office and Showroom 2101 Shirley Dr., Kitchener ON N2B 3X4 18 Alliance Blvd., Unit 2, Barrie ON L4M 5A5 519-885-6380 1-800-265-4717 705-812-4923 1-866-796-7023

Toronto | Oakville | Richmond Hill | London 1-866-897-3552 pellacommercial.com Vinyl windows, patio and entrance doors for the replacement, renovation and new-construction markets The Etch-A-Sketch product name and configuration, and the Etch-A-Sketch product, are registered trademarks owned by The Ohio Art Company. © 2008 Pella Corporation

560897_Strassburger.indd 1 11/19/11 4:58:27569901_Pella_Windows.indd AM 1 24/02/12 2:24 PM 26OAA Perspectives|SPRING 2012 MARKETPLACE MASONRY & DECORATIVE STONE Get All the Choice You Want... Cast Stone & Architectural In the Sizes, Shapes & Colours You Need! Concrete Masonry Units Available in a wide variety of shapes, sizes and profi les. Premier Glazed™ & Prestige® Series: Lighweight, modular concrete units; permanent glazed face, vibrant colour pigments, waterproof, abrasion, impact and stain-resistant. ® Catalogues Ultra Burnished: Ground-Face and samples available units; mixture of aggregates within, on request. smooth surface, dozens of colours. . Heritage Cast Stone: Clay Face Brick, Thin-Brick and Durable, natural looking fi nishes “Genuine Clay” Paving Bricks that replicate limestone.

... when you call #9 - 5115 Harvester Rd., Burlington, ON L7L0A3 Phone (905) 637-6997 Tollfree (800) 567-5800 Email [email protected] YOUR SOURCE FOR HIGH QUALITY ARCHITECTURAL PRODUCTS www.ThamesValleyBrick.com Since 1970

562334_Thames.indd 1 11/22/11 3:56:15 AM ® let us LEED you green Beautiful. Sustainable.

• • Polysulphide – “The Proven Performer” Robertson building with high insulation • Proven to provide the best field performance when A values can help you conserve energy and reduce the cost to operate and maintain your building. used in a dual sealed IG System provides the best The Robertson Thermal System (RTS) can argon retention and MVTR of two-part sealants accommodate up to 1 foot of uncompressed 1343 Sandhill Dr. | Ancaster, Ontario insulation between two metal panels. With millions Canada | L9G 4V5 of square feet in the market, RTS is one of the • Fenzi Thiover polysulphide contains no solvents or industry’s most proven and economical thermal roof other hazardous ingredients and wall systems. If your project requires a Continuous Air • Fenzi Hotver 2000 Hot Melt Butyl, also solvent free Robertson Insulated Metal Panels are th ® Consisting of two single-skin metal panel a foamed-in-place core, the panel attaches • Maximize available LEED points structure with concealed clips to eliminate • “For your next job, specify Fenzi” short circuits. GREEN Thermal ef¿ciency and fast installation ar unbeatable combination. Build with the st of steel -- one of the world’s most recycle

Call 1-800-387-5335 TODAY to ¿nd out HERE TODAY, HERE TOMORROW Robertson Builder can help you design a b reliable and ef¿cient building that’s right TO SERVICE YOUR NEEDS theenvironment. Tel: 416-674-38311 | FFax:ax: 416416-674-9323 674 9323 www.fenzi-na.com To ¿nd out moreYisit ZZZ.RobertsonBuildinJs.Fom*reen

552708_Fenzi_North_America.indd 1 9/30/11 8:38:52550229_Robertson.indd PM 1 11/9/11 2:08:30 AM www.oaa.on.ca OAA Perspectives|SPRING27 2012 28 OAA Pers 552021_PostLatch.indd 1 545160_Can.indd 1 GREEN MARKETPLACE 572244_Tandus.indd 1 p ectives Style: Change,shownin18”x36”Modular NOW, MODULARISMORETHANJUSTASQUARE |SPRING 2012 |SPRING 9/21/11 1:55:34 PM 8/9/11 4:12:51PM 564735_Coloured.indd 1 533234_LMDG.indd 1 Fire Protection & Life Safety Building Code and Fire Code Consultants L QUALITY AND STRENGTHGR FROMTHE flooring, roofing, cladding, landscape and other specialized industries landscape andother flooring, roofing, cladding, Manufacturers anddistributorsofspecialtyaggregatessandsforthearchitectural %LEED’S approvedWhiteRoofingAggregates Dolomite % Calcite % Basalt % CrushedGlass Architectural % James R. Ware, FPET www.LMDG.com Fax: (416) 646-0165 Tel: (416) 646-0162 5K4 ON M9C Toronto, Suite 206 300 North Queen Street Ontario Office: M D G Building Code Consultants Ltd. ¬

Custom sizesandpackagingavailable Powerbond Aggregates % % % % ihDniy High Density Traprock River Rock Feldspar ® ModularBroadloomWoven Glenn A. Gibson, M.Eng., P.Eng., CP P.Eng., M.Eng., Gibson, A. Glenn Emmanuel A. Domingo, P.Eng. www.LMDG.com Fax: (604) 682-7149 Tel: (604) 682-7146 2M1 V6B B.C. Vancouver, 4th Floor - 780 Beatty Street Office: Head % % % Aggregates % Marble Limestone Granite Light Weight 800.655.1075 OUND UP OUND tandus.com 2/1/12 12:46:29AM % % % 12/17/11 6:26:06 AM 6/11/11 7:37:59PM Quartz Quartzite Obsidian ontario places continued from page 30. they can then read in Braille and respond to without your focus is on learning new skills to help the blind and partially ever having known that you were corresponding with someone sighted to live independent lives. There is a kitchen class- who was not sighted. This is true “barrier-free.” room, for example, where skills of organization and safety are The most important lesson of the CNIB, however, is the taught that can be taken home and used in one’s daily life. way that it accomplishes so much by means of simple choices Most impressive, however, is the talking book facility. There of readily available materials, methods and details. These are four professional-standard studios where volunteer voice are sophisticated but low-tech solutions designed to assist actors give life to the printed word. These are then recorded orientation, way-finding and safety through limited visual onto Daisy Readers and MP3s and distributed by the thousand means. The tile at the top of the staircases, for example, is to around the world right from this building. Some laid inverted, with the lugs pointed upward to give a tactile recipients of these recordings will ask for other titles by the warning of danger. Doors are universally dark wood against same voice artist, as opposed to the same subject, so close a white wall. Lighting in the corridors has been designed to is their relationship with the familiar unseen reader. be even and free from glare and the floors are bordered by a The CNIB was founded after World War I to address the dark tile and matching baseboard that gives a strong visual needs of the large numbers of visually impaired returning sense. Handrails and guards are detailed to avoid cane traps. soldiers. In those days, and indeed for many decades after, The plan of the building is intentionally simple, with one the focus of the organization was on protected workshops, circulation spine as its organizing feature. The cafe includes broom-making and piano-tuning. The need was acute and the a “tactile” insert to assist in navigation. Brilliant. aims laudable, but this was charity more than integration. Special attention was also given to the sense of location The new facility embraces a completely different model of created by the acoustic environment. The main circulation service for the visually impaired public and demonstrates that areas have lively acoustics created by hard surfaces, while commitment by simple but sophisticated choices in form, other spaces are more subdued. There are lessons to be organization, colour and detail. It serves the sighted and learned (or relearned) here about the desirability of tailoring non-sighted equally well, designed as it is by a philosophy the acoustics to the rest of the design, even in those quite of integration and universality. ❚ ordinary spaces we so often create and inhabit. This building is also significant as a kind of microcosm of Rick Mateljan is a partner in Strickland/Mateljan Design the services that the CNIB provides to the public, where the Associates Ltd. and a member of the Perspectives Committee.

INDEX OF ADVERTISERS ACOUSTICAL DISTRIBUTORS CLAY TILE FACADE MEDIATION & ARBITRATION OAS ...... 6 Ruel et Frere ...... 5 ADR Chambers ...... 6 ACOUSTICAL ENGINEERS CODE ENFORCEMENT METAL BUILDING MANUFACTURER HGC Engineering Ltd ...... 22 Ontario Building Officials Association . . . .22 Robertson Building Systems ...... 27 Valcoustics Canada Ltd ...... 22 CONSTRUCTION LAW SERVICES MOULDINGS & MILLWORK PRODUCTS ALUMINUM DOORS/WINDOWS/ Aird & Berlis, LLP ...... 22 Alexandria Moulding ...... 25 CURTAIN WALLS Commdoor Aluminum ...... 25 DOUBLE DOORS & REMOVABLE MULLIONS NATURAL STONE PRODUCTS Post Latch Industries ...... 28 Beaver Valley Stone Ltd ...... 22 ARCHITECTURAL ACOUSTICS Valcoustics Canada Ltd ...... 22 ELEVATOR/ACCESSABILITY CONTRACTORS NOISE & VIBRATION CONTROL Motion Specialties ...... 22 Valcoustics Canada Ltd ...... 22 ARCHITECTURAL ENGINEERING DIALOG ...... 9 ELEVATORS ONLINE CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS Delta Elevator Ontario General ARCHITECTURAL GLASS Company Ltd ...... Inside Back Cover Contractors Association ...... 22 Fenzi North America Inc ...... 27 ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING SERVICES SOFTWARE - BUILDING ARCHITECTURAL SOFTWARE Decommissioning Consulting Services Ltd . . . . 8 INFORMATION MODEL Re-Form Technologies Ltd ...... 22 GSCNE Inc ...... 6 EXTERIOR STONE DESIGN AUTOMATIC DOORS StoneSelex Inc ...... Outside Back Cover SOUND-CONDITIONED ROOMS MAC TECH SYSTEMS INC ...... 26 Baillargeon Doors Inc ...... 26 FLOORING BARRISTERS & SOLICITORS Tandus Canada ...... 28 SPECIALTY AGGREGATES/SANDS Shibley Righton, LLP ...... 6 Coloured Aggregates Inc ...... 28 FLOORING - INFORMATION RESOURCE BRICK MANUFACTURERS/SUPPLIERS Concrete Flooring TESTING SERVICES (LAB & FIELD) Arriscraft International Inc ...... 24 Association ...... Inside Back Cover Can-Best ...... 28 Hanson Brick Canada . . . . Inside Front Cover Thames Valley Brick & Tile ...... 27 GLASS BLOCK & GLASS FLOOR SYSTEMS WHEELCHAIR LIFTS Thames Valley Brick & Tile ...... 27 Delta Elevator BUILDING CODE CONSULTANTS Company Ltd ...... Inside Back Cover LMDG Building Code Consultants Ltd . . . . . 28 INSULATED CONCRETE FORMS Teixeira Construction Inc . WINDOWS CARPET DBA . ICF Rideau ...... 24 Azon U .S .A ,. Inc ...... 25 Tandus Canada ...... 28 INTERIOR WOOD DOOR FRAMES AND JAMBS WINDOWS & DOORS CLAY BRICK & MASONRY Baillargeon Doors Inc ...... 26 Pella Windows and Doors of Ontario . . . . . 26 Hanson Brick Canada . . . . Inside Front Cover RiteWay Building Products ...... 3 MASONRY Strassburger Windows and Doors ...... 26 CLAY PAVING BRICKS Ruel et Frere ...... 5 Thames Valley Brick & Tile ...... 27 www.oaa.on.ca OAA Perspectives|SPRING29 2012 Ontario Places

CNIB Centre, Toronto Rick Mateljan

Architects by nature think of a building as a estate agents know enough to pay attention to this factor. place where the visual sense is predominant. But this is not (Would you be attracted to a house characterized by the always so. Some environments must be designed explicitly smell of wet dog?) for those who experience space primarily through the other The fragrant garden also creates auditory and tactile experi- senses. Contexts in which special consideration is given ences. To the visually oriented individual in the twenty-first to the non-visual senses should offer us lessons in how century, it is not immediately obvious that trees of different we might enhance other, more “ordinary,” spaces. Obvious species create distinct kinds of rustles in different winds, so, examples are buildings that use non-visual or limited-visual when combined with the seasons, the garden offers an ever- cues to define space and circulation routes, much as other changing experience. The garden is located away from the buildings might use colour, pattern and signage. The CNIB street in an attempt to reduce the omnipresent background (formerly known as the Canadian National Institute for the roar that urbanites so often take for granted. The attempt Blind) Centre in Toronto, completed in 2005, designed by is to create a complete microclimate, embracing the whole Sterling Finlayson Architects in Joint Venture with Shore, range of senses. Tilbe, Irwin and Partners, is such a building. We are usually drawn into awareness of the non-visual The CNIB Centre is both an expression of, and an ongoing world through design failures. We have all been in restaurants experiment in, the precepts of universal design. As well, it in which communication with one’s immediate neighbour incorporates an intriguing program singularly designed to was undertaken by shouting. I recall being amused by a assist Canadians who are blind or partially sighted. It is a particular exhibition space characterized by a continuous fascinating case study. background ringing—rather like walking around inside a vast We all know how evocative the sense of smell can be: bell—which, I suspect, was not what the designers intended. encountering a long forgotten aroma can stir recollection of One sometimes encounters those strange flooring transitions, other, more distant, fondly remembered times and spaces. where you inevitably stumble in front of a prospective Two areas in the CNIB building were given special olfactory client while you are more engrossed in the discussion than treatment. The first is a fragrant garden, the successor to one watching for the cues that inform you (visually) that you created in the mid-1950s, which is dominated by the smells are moving from one type of flooring to another. Hence, a of flowers and plants, which change season by season. The building such as the CNIB, which considers other senses, is other, perhaps inevitably, is the cafe. The cafe area is defined something from which to learn. aromatically by the smell of coffee, tea and freshly baked We have come to expect that computers and technology sweet rolls, pumped into the vicinity through the mechanical can, or soon will be able to, solve any problem, and there system. Who doesn’t respond to those aromas? Curiously, is evidence of this in the CNIB front lobby, with a reading architects seldom seem to design for aroma, although real tablet that allows you to send an email to someone which continued on page 29. 30OAA Perspectives|SPRING 2012          •     •    •     •      •      •     •      •     

   •     !              • "        •   #      •       !!"#" •  $  $ !!"##% &' tor Life• Cycle%     Planning ()**+  ( •    "  ,,,   (

438905_DeltaNEW.indd 1 6/18/10 12:20:11 PM Who is installing your next concrete floor ?

OR

The Cowboys The Professionals • Hard working but don’t read specifications. • Are skilled and technically proficient. • Substitute specified materials with • Use specified methods & materials. whatever was left over from the last job. • Proudly stand behind their product with a • No guarantees – they left town yesterday ! written guarantee. Exposed concrete floors are THE sustainable floor solution. Make sure you next concrete floor is a success by specifying members of the “Concrete Floor Contractors Association”. www.concretefloors.ca

570121_Concrete.indd 1 1/18/12 6:46:21 PM www.CanyonStoneCanada.com

Project: Quartzite Ledge Courtesy of Stone Selex Inc.

Architectural Stone Veneers... Natural Look... Natural Feel... Coast to Coast Stone Veneer 1-888-950-7737

561813_StoneSelex.indd 1 11/16/11 5:19:15 PM