about – 5468796 architecture

0585

platform.MIDDLE

publication

published 2023

Housing affordability in North America has reached a crisis point. Against the backdrop of rapid urbanization and an accelerating environmental emergency, we need solutions for city building that are more socially and economically sustainable, as well as multi-family housing that is more equitable and livable.

“platform.MIDDLE” was originally a symposium that took place at IIT’s College of Architecture on April 12 and 13, 2019, exploring the current state of multi-family housing in North America and the architect’s role in shaping its future, including inputs from design practices and development companies John Ronan Architects, KANVA, LBBA Architects, MA+HG Architects, Rafael Longoria, Brinshore Development LLC, RNDSQR, Shift Development, and Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. The symposium offered a platform for engagement and a call to action, motivating the production of three more volumes that expand on practical research working with challenging economic and environmental circumstances, using 546’s built works, urban designs and community projects as the foundations to assemble a ‘toolkit’ of strategies for high-quality attainable, accessible and affordable multi-family housing. The full publication, platform.MIDDLE: Architecture for Housing the 99%, was published with Arquine and released in September 2023.

With this project, we hope to inspire real change in policy and design aimed at creating a more inclusive, environmentally responsible and economically viable housing landscape.

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Ana Luz Valencia. Courtesy of Arquine.

Ana Luz Valencia. Courtesy of Arquine.

Ana Luz Valencia. Courtesy of Arquine.

Ana Luz Valencia. Courtesy of Arquine.

Ana Luz Valencia. Courtesy of Arquine.

Ana Luz Valencia. Courtesy of Arquine.
0492

Pumphouse

Winnipeg, MB

multi-family residential, commercial, adaptive re-use

35,515 sqft

complete 2024

$22M

Alston Properties

A mixed-use redevelopment on former railway lands, Pumphouse is both inextricably linked to its context, history and environment, while demonstrating how one building can spark new ideas about residential design and city-building.

Originally constructed in 1906 to improve the city’s water supply system, the James Avenue Pumping Station closed in 1986, and the building was thereafter slated for demolition. After 17 failed attempts by various design firms to revive the heritage building within Winnipeg’s Exchange District National Historic Site, 546 convinced an existing client to connect with the City-as-owner to take on an unsolicited conceptual design proposal and financial pro-forma, leading to the building’s successful preservation – and new life.

The site approaches the existing Pumping Station as a “found object”, integrating an office and restaurant within, while flanking the heritage building with two residential blocks that redefine multi-family housing potentials in the city.

Two specific design interventions made the project viable: in the first phase, the capacity of the original gantry crane structure was leveraged to suspend a ‘floating floor’ above the pumphouse machinery, enabling the brick building to be repurposed as an office and restaurant. Second, a zoning amendment to build a five-storey residential building on a 40-foot sliver of land between the heritage building and the street, along with a second, wider apartment building on the opposite end of the Pumping Station, made the project financially feasible while also establishing a project that expresses a distinct historical narrative within a district undergoing major transformation.

This multi-faceted, mixed-use development is the first proposal on the site that has gained the support of the community at large, the neighbouring condominium complexes, and the historic buildings committee at the City of Winnipeg. The original Pumping Station is brought back to life with simple, creative problem-solving, fuelling design decisions in harsh environmental and economic climates of the Prairies. Both deeply rooted in the site’s history, at the same time reorienting it, for the first time in 50 years, towards a vibrant and socially active parcel of the city.

Photography: James Brittain unless otherwise indicated

Awards: 2020 ArchMarathon Finalist| Refurbishment; 2019 World Architecture Festival| Future Project, Residential | Finalist; 2018 Canadian Architect | Award of Merit

Ralph Gutierrez
0310

Arthur Residence

Regina, SK

single-family residence

4,600 sqft

complete 2021

$1M

Arthur family

The Arthur Residence is a two storey home for a finish carpenter and an emergency room doctor situated in the Cathedral neighbourhood of Regina. Originally from South Africa, the owners longed for a private sanctuary that would provide ample space for gardening and infuse inspiring views into a modest forty foot infill site. Where required side yard setbacks typically result in unconsidered or left over space, the residence is designed to encompass the entire width of the lot. Conceived as a secret garden, the ground floor is surrounded by a concrete fence at the property edge. Beyond the wall, four courtyards – an entry court, a sunken patio, a main garden and a carport – define three interior spaces: the foyer, the combined living and dining room, and the linear kitchen / utility wing. The house is then divided vertically into living and sleeping quarters.

While the main floor is a protective shell punctured by internal garden views, the second floor is an airy refuge providing secretive, more discrete lookouts over the neighbourhood and existing tree canopy. White plaster walls curve inward like curtains drawn in by the breeze, resulting in triangular voids that allow daylight to softly wash the interior. These two distinct territories – of solidity and lightness, of activity and repose – intersect in the double-height living and dining room. Smooth, contoured plaster rests on raw, cast-in-place concrete, reinforcing the tactile and sensory qualities of material, space and light that form the essence of the house, one which is simple but not strictly minimal.

Photography: James Brittain

Awards: 2016 World Architecture Festival | Future Projects, House Category Winner; 2014 Canadian Architect Award of Excellence
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90/100 Alexander

Winnipeg, MB

multi-family residential, commercial, adaptive re-use

165,500 sqft

in construction

$38M

RNDSQR

90/100 Alexander is positioned between a recent condominium development to the south and the historically protected Eaton’s Warehouse building to the north.

Located within the borders of the parcel, the W.J. Guest Fish Company Warehouse — a four storey brick and stone heritage warehouse built between 1905 and 1910 — defines the approach to the project. Due to the site’s depth, there is an opportunity to provide the heritage building with considerable breathing room, allowing it to stand alone, exposing all four sides to operate as a 360 degree building.

A new 7-storey building winds around the existing brick structure, exposing all sides of the original building as an homage to its original free-standing form [uniquely, the entire building was constructed using face brick and remains in excellent repair after 115 years]. The building’s geometry maximizes the site density while creating a series of high quality public spaces.

The entry level of the site is designed with a porous ground floor, offering views through to the heritage building from Waterfront and Pacific, to the Red River from within the structure, and via paths into two intertwined plaza spaces from all directions.

A true mixed-use development, commercial units are offered at grade along Waterfront and Pacific with approximately 160 residential units above. In service to the neighbourhood and to offer an optimal mix of uses, the entire heritage building will hold commercial and office occupancies as well as tenant amenities including a rooftop patio.

Defined through interplay of old and new these spaces vary in scale, light conditions, and compressed or expansive nature, offering opportunities for commerce and city-building at different scales.

Awards: 2021 World Architecture Festival | Future Project | Finalist; 2020 Canadian Architect | Award of Merit
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Parkade of the Future

Calgary, AB

parkade, commercial

350,000 sqft

complete 2021

$56M

Kasian

CMLC + CPA

Great public infrastructural projects provide fundamental services for cities that increase the quality of life for their users. As means of transportation evolve, how can these projects remain essential over time? Parkade of the Future approaches this issue by designing multiple futures for a singular purpose building. CMLC (Calgary Municipal Land Corporation) and the Calgary Parking Authority (CPA) commissioned 5468796 Architecture as Design Architects to design a ‘parkade of the future’ for a 2.25 acre site on 9th Avenue in Calgary’s East Village. The project consists of a 510 stall garage that anticipates converting into office, light industrial or residential typologies based on future needs.

To transform both the vehicular parking circuit and the user experience from one of conventional, utilitarian function to one with rich, unexpected qualities, key typology-questioning approaches are pursued. High floor-to-floor height, 40 foot shallow floor plates, light-washed pedestrian-forward routes, elevated views in all directions, clear and simple wayfinding and straightforward, single-direction circulation come together to create a delightful destination within a parking-heavy programme. Vehicular access, centred on the property and aligned with 3rd Street SE, is flanked by pedestrian entrances and activities, which animate the frontage along 9th Avenue SE and frame the southern edge of the developing East Village.

Photography: James Brittain unless otherwise indicated

Awards: 2023 Fast Company Spaces and Places [Finalist], Circular Design [Honourable Mention]; 2023 AZ Award of Merit, Urban Design Infrastructure; 2022 Architecture Masterprize; 2022 WAN Awards, Transportation, Gold; 2022 The Plan Awards, Transport; 2022 World Architecture Festival | Completed Project | Finalist; 2022 Consulting Engineers of Alberta | Commercial Building Engineering | Award of Merit; 2022 Prairie Design Award of Merit

Selected press: Macleans, AZURE, CBC, The Plan, Canadian Architect

Red Point Media
0429

Veil House

Winnipeg, MB

single-family residence

5,735 sqft

complete 2022

In a prairie-value, conservative-minded early 20th century Winnipeg suburb composed primarily of large-scale, traditional-style dwellings, our clients sought a home in which to age in place and to enjoy a high degree of both airiness and privacy.

Veil House is arranged on a loose nine-square grid organized around a central courtyard. The residence is configured as a series of free-flowing open living spaces, (living, family, dining, kitchen, circulation) framed by solid utility blocks, (washroom, laundry, fireplace, storage, appliances). This interplay eliminates the need for walls and doors.

The house is situated at grade — rare for a city that receives large amounts of snowfall — with an interior ramp that enables universal access across two floors. This floating feature ascends from the main level, allowing natural light into the basement while providing emergency egress. Firmly planting the main floor at grade results in a seamless extension of the interior spaces to the courtyard and surrounding yard.

The blocks and ramp are blanketed by a weathered steel veil. ‘Propped’ up by the utility blocks, the veil follows the ramp, starting at ground level spiralling up and peeling off the wall to enclose the private patio on top of the garage. Strategically perforated over windows and balconies, the veil creates a sense of wonder and curiosity from the street, while elegantly filtering daylight into the interiors and allowing those inside to view the outside world without being seen.

Veil House functions as both architecture and sculpture, drawing connections between architecture and industry, structure and decoration, retreat, and expression.

Photography: James Brittain

Awards: 2023 World Architecture Festival Winner, Completed Buildings Villa; The Plan Award 2023, Villa / Completed Winner

Selected press: Architectural Record, Financial Times, The Globe and Mail, AZURE, Wallpaper*, ADPro
0707

Boom Town

Toronto, ON

urban installation

complete 2023

Office In Search Of

The Bentway, Waterfront BIA, Toronto Downtown West BIA and City of Toronto

Boom Town at the Bentway welcomes people of Toronto’s Lake Shore Boulevard and York Street intersection to the waterfront with a cast of characters that animate the site with personality and delight. A blue “stage” and a trio of “Bent Buddies” bring life to the gateway underneath the Gardiner Expressway, transforming the passage from an aging infrastructural giant into a playful experience for commuters and visitors.

The design responded to a call for temporary urban installations that would elevate the thoroughfare experience for both improved safety and enjoyment. Boom Town re-imagines the use of boom lifts and highway supports known as ‘bents’ characteristic of this often residual urban space.

The project is a winning competition proposal by 5468796 Architecture and Office in Search Of (OISO) for Waterfront ReConnect, a collaboration between the Bentway, the City of Toronto, the Waterfront Business Improvement Area, and the Toronto Downtown West Business Improvement Area (BIA). Boom Town will remain in place until 2025, when the section of the Gardiner Expressway overhead undergoes repairs.

Photography: Office In Search Of, Remi Carreiro, and Samuel Engelking © The Bentway.
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IW09

Calgary, AB

mixed-use, adaptive re-use

172,500 sqft

design development

RNDSQR

IW09, also known as RNDSQR Block, is an iconic mixed use project, woven carefully into the existing neighbourhood of Inglewood, Calgary. Prominently placed, it enhances urban life through a series of new exterior amenities while achieving density of use through 24/7/365 commercial, office, and residential programs. The existing 2-3 storey street fabric is being replaced by mid-rise structures. In correspondence, three floors of commercial retail build up from the sidewalk, referencing the scale and height of the Historic Building. Residential floors are stepped up and back from street level, achieved by twisting the entire form away from the Historic Building on the site’s Southwest corner, and the Lawn Bowling court to the Northeast. This cuts away overall mass, creates visual relief, and effectively ’thins’ out the tall portion of the building for residential use. The building form is shaped by site responses and to reduce its impact on adjacent properties. Maintained as a point of interest along the sidewalk, the renovated Heritage Building injects new life through universal access, roof activation, and via a new forecourt at its side. The remaining spaces extend public sidewalks through a diagrid arcade, with select elements removed to reveal building entrances on both streets, every corner, and the Public Lane. The 360 degree building design makes this possible by eliminating facade hierarchy and responding to each corner and public throughway.

Awards: 2020 AR Future Project Award | Highly Commended, Commercial Mixed Use; 2019 Canadian Architect Award of Merit
0527

17th Avenue Clinic

Calgary, AB

health, commercial

57,300 sqft

complete 2020

$12M

RNDSQR

17th Avenue Clinic is a health-oriented commercial building that centres around a purpose-designed skin clinic. The building features three clinics [medical dermatology, aesthetic, and rheumatology] at the second storey level, retail units at grade, on top of underground parking.

Light modulation is important for procedures in the clinic. The design evolves around different ways of bringing natural light into the spaces while reducing direct exposure to sun and glare: a tall clerestory perimeter that washes light against the roof’s light wooden undercroft; cut-away balconies at corners that softly light corridor spaces; strategically placed skylights; and a central lightwell that extends down through the two upper floors and pierces the parkade with light.

The lightwell, enhanced with boreal landscape features, radiates into adjacent spaces and embodies the natural and healthy ethos that the centre represents. Open to the sky, tall vegetation is envisioned to liven the interior life of the building.

On the top floor, a sequence of light-filled spaces is defined by a wood beam system, creating ceiling coffers and providing sound separation between rooms. Hundreds of micro-layers of laminated wood are stacked to form the monumental beams that reach down from the ceiling and form a datum grid. This grid supports the convex arc of the roof undercroft, which bows upward to meet the roofline at its perimeter and draws in a wash of natural light.

Photography: James Brittain

Awards: 2022 World Architecture Festival | Completed Project, Health | Winner; 2021 Prairie Wood Design Awards | Commercial
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CY33

Calgary, AB

multi-family residential, commercial

104,500 sqft

complete 2021

$15.5M

RNDSQR

Courtyard 33, also known as CY33, is a six storey mixed-use building located at the corner of a gateway intersection to the emerging Marda Loop area of Calgary. The proposed development consists of ground floor commercial space with five levels of multi-family housing above, served by two levels of underground parking.

The building design carves into the large mass afforded by the 150 foot x 120 foot lot to introduce an elevated courtyard on the second floor where residents can connect and neighbourhood life can thrive. The public courtyard is accessed via two staircases, one from the main thoroughfare and one from the backlane. The primary staircase is treated as a grand entrance with a mix of landscaping and bleacher-style seating. Two additional commercial spaces open onto the courtyard, and spatial programming is flexible to encourage use by community members.

Residential units vary from one-bedroom suites to two-bedroom homes, providing attainable housing options for both individuals and families. Innovation and efficiency come through the implementation of a skip-stop corridor design. While multi-family buildings are typically designed as double-loaded corridors, the skip-stop strategy incorporates two-storey, through-units accessed via a private staircase. This arrangement serves to eliminate corridors on alternating floors and increases saleable area, while also improving cross-ventilation and access to daylight in many of the suites. A variety of conditions are necessary to meet setback requirements on each facade. The checkered [cellular] approach achieved through alternating composition of balconies and solid walls on all facades permits inflections at each cell, allowing the design to meet zoning bylaws while maintaining the uniform nature of the building. Increasing setbacks on upper levels, inset balconies that alternate positions on each floor, and exterior exit stairs also serve to reduce the overall building mass and draw more daylight into the building.

Photography: James Brittain

Awards: 2017 Calgary MUDA Honourable Mention / Theoretical Urban Design Project
0242

62M

Winnipeg, MB

multi-family residential

29,300 sqft

complete 2017

$4.75M

Green Seed Development Corp. + Ranjjan Developments

62M is a 41-unit residential development located at the edge of downtown Winnipeg and the Red River. Compressed between a freeway and the backs of neighbouring properties, the site was considered undesirable due to restricted views and a lack of street frontage. Lifted up on 35’ high stilts, the project overcomes the limitations of its surroundings with an iconic form and unprecedented sightlines.

The three storey, circular building is both spatially efficient and cost-effective. As a whole, the 360 degree plan provides the widest possible perimeter for glass with the smallest amount of exterior envelope to construct. In addition, all units have identical, pie-shaped layouts that simplify assembly. Each 610 s.f. suite is arranged so that the entry and utility spaces occupy the narrow end, closest to the circulation core. This configuration frees the remaining square footage for a flexible, open living area that culminates in an expansive wall of floor to ceiling glass.

At ground level, a forest of columns fills the site; some of these stilts support the building while others function as light standards to illuminate the parking area. Their thinness becomes a clear counterpoint to the thicker ring of housing, emphasizing the weight and mass of the building floating above.

Photography: James Brittain and James Florio

Awards: Prairie Design Award of Merit 2022, AZ Awards Award of Merit Multi-Family Residential 2019, World Architecture Festival Shortlist 2014

Visit the Penthouse today at padwinnipeg.com.
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Maples Chiropractic Clinic

Winnipeg, MB

health, commercial

2,900 sqft

complete 2013

Dr. Gilbert Miranda

Maples Chiropractic is a busy clinic that recently relocated to an existing one storey strip mall in Winnipeg’s suburban Maples neighbourhood. The design-aware client wanted to refine the aesthetic experience of the clinic so that the space itself reflected the holistic, health-conscious ideology of the practice.

The project’s limited square footage is maximized through the introduction of a central spine rendered in standard dimensional lumber. The ends of the lumber are left exposed to best present the natural beauty of the material. The spine spans the length of the clinic and houses a number of functions, facilitating the sequential circulation of clients as they progress through different stages of treatment, beginning with the entry vestibule and intake area, and concluding with the follow up booking area.

The treatment rooms are organized along one side of the spine, with reception and adjustments along the other. A staff room and utility functions are housed at the back of the space.

Throughout the clinic, a modern material palette creates a simple and soothing effect; the presence of wood lends warmth and comfort, while white walls and glass make the best use of limited incoming daylight.

Awards: 2018 Prairie Wood Design Award
0372

Crossroads Garden Shed

Calgary, AB

pavilion

720 sqft

complete 2016

$100,000

CMLC

The Crossroads Garden Shed demonstrates the value and capacity of architecture to transform communities with even the smallest of briefs. Intended to supply a growing neighbourhood with a simple storage structure for gardening tools and outdoor furniture, the original vision shifted drastically when re-approached as a unique opportunity to enhance the pedestrian realm. This discovery led to a rigorous design process, developing the project into much more than initially imagined, and activating the area for residents and visitors.

Inherently stable and waterproof structures, three 8 foot x 10 foot shipping containers establish the base structure. Selected for their utilitarian nature and in response to the brief and budget, these were placed to create intimate spaces in-between, while the overall structure acts as a threshold between the street, gardens, and play area. One container is a tool shed, the initial programme requirement, while the remaining two provide additional storage and programmable space, critical to evolving the structure into a civic amenity.

The containers are composed of weathering steel, making it a natural choice for the whole structure. Their corrugated geometry is ’multiplied’ and ’stretched’ through layering weathered steel plates and expanded metal mesh, consequently softening the structure’s appearance. An oblong grid of hexagonal weathered steel shapes create a domed surface to gather within; steel honeycombs open skyward in vertical flues and, connected by an overhead trellis, dapple the ground below with light.

The final design is the product of a formulaic analysis which optimizes both budget and design for the largest civic impact possible. The project focus is not only its merits as an object but the ability of the spaces between to foster community. The re-imagined SHED is a civic attraction that lends itself to further programming as the area grows and includes areas for work, shelter and relaxation.

Photography: Images 1 and 11 courtesy of CMLC.

Awards: 2018 Architizer A+ | +Urban Transformation; 2017 Calgary Mayor’s Urban Design Award; 2016 Platinum American Architecture Prize

Courtesy of CMLC

Courtesy of CMLC
0510

One Bucket at a Time

Mexico City, MX

urban installation

complete 2017

Factor Eficiencia

Mextropoli 2017

In Mexico City’s metropolitan area, with a population of more than 23 million people, 4.5 million daily commuters navigate complex road networks, frequent traffic jams, public protests and parking shortages. The street—the prime public space—is the setting for all such friction. There, “viene viene” —entrepreneurs who function outside of government oversight —bribe the local police, use common painter’s buckets to claim a piece of the street, and charge hopeful drivers looking for a parking spot with an additional fee in exchange for access to their illegal stall.

One Bucket at a Time was inspired by this hijacking of public (parking) space and uses common painter’s buckets as the building blocks for an interactive pavilion. Connecting the buckets via a grid of ropes, the installation is a malleable surface that the public is encouraged to freely explore. The surface can be rolled, pulled together or up to a point or along a line taking on different forms. People can sit, run, play, stand, lounge, and participate in the act of taking over the public realm. In situ for a three day period, the installation will come down gradually, released from the ropes and absorbed by the city. By using buckets —a symbol of holding the public space hostage, we are highlighting and questioning this pervasive condition, and also empowering people of Mexico City to reclaim ownership of their public space, one bucket at a time.

Photography: Jaime Navarro and Mortiz Bernoully Photography

Awards: 2018 ArchDaily Building of the Year nominee; 2017 IDA Design Awards | Arch Pavilions; 2017 Glocal Premio Noldi Schreck finalist; 2017 Interior Design Installation BoY Award
0397

Brewery at the Forks

Winnipeg, MB

craft brewery

1,750 sqft

not pursued

The Forks Renewal Corporation

The Brewery at The Forks is part addition, part renovation of a new craft brewery operating out of Winnipeg’s historic Forks Market. Height limitations and load constraints caused the existing market building to be unsuitable for use as a full production brewery. These restrictions created an opportunity to explore a new complimentary form that draws inspiration from the market’s past and the processes occurring inside.

Prescribed by surrounding site constraints, the brewery is compressed on a small footprint which generated the need to vertically stack the key functions of the brewing process, resulting in a design reminiscent of early gravity fed breweries. The process begins on the roof deck, where malted grain is stored in a series of exterior grain bins. From here, it flows to the top floor for crushing, mashing and boiling. The product then travels down to the floor in series of tall fermentation tanks. The brewmasters and public have their first interaction as testing and tasting occur simultaneously.

Drawing on the site’s industrial past, the addition interlocks with the existing building at each level of production, the geometry articulated as a series of cogs in the brewing process. On the exterior, a dual purpose steel skin wraps the structure providing support for the significant lateral loads in addition to framing a series of apertures that provide small glimpses of the process inside. A new entrance folds into the existing market building at the ground floor, revealing an intimate tap room inside the exiting market.

Awards: 2017 ArchMarathon finalist; 2016 Canadian Architect Award of Merit
0439

Guertin Cottage

Storm Bay, ON

cottage

1,960 sqft

complete 2021

On the banks of Lake of the Woods, three black crests quietly emerge from a scattering of birch and spruce. The forms intersect with each other to create the Guertin Cottage, phase two of a three part lake-front property.

At the client’s request, the guest cottage evokes the form of a ’witches hut’ from the tale of “Hansel & Gretel”. Atop a simple raised platform the cottage materializes as a sculptural ’ wooden tent.’ The predominant black roof line contains three high cones with three associated low brims; each component arranged on a checkerboard grid in plan. The resulting shroud meets the ground for privacy in the northwest and is pushed and pulled at the joints and edges of the roof line to allow for light, views, and the expansion of living space to the south facing the lake. The structure co-exists with the forest both in function and aesthetic, exuding a playful character for guests of the family – primarily their children and grand children.

Propped up on a heavy timbre frame, the roof and it’s skeleton forms a clear delineation of materials and structure that maintain the simplicity that is integral to the cottage design. Three low box volumes are positioned between the supports, designed to house utilities and to create rooms. Resting above two of these volumes are a pair of sleeping lofts. The third volume acts as a chimney servicing the interior and exterior of the cottage. These towering volumes act to draw up warm air and provide ample daylighting within the cottage.
0416

Chair Your Idea

Winnipeg, MB

design advocacy

complete 2016

Available to all Winnipeggers, Chair Your Idea is a crowdsourced and crowdfunded open competition that seeks to generate 1000+ urban design ideas and $30,000+ to realize the winning idea.

For a $25 registration fee, participants were asked to submit their creative initiative in 140 characters or less and contribute one white chair for public use to mark their submission. The chairs, with the ideas written on them, were placed in public locations throughout the city and cared for by participating local businesses for the duration of the three week competition period. The accumulating chairs and the creative ideas associated with them allowed Winnipeggers to enjoy newly claimed public spaces, take part in a discussion about urban design, and exchange thoughts on how to make our city even better.

At the end of the competition period, the winning ideas were selected by a high caliber jury and announced at a block party at City Hall, where the chairs were gathered for a final spectacular display of Winnipeg innovation and pride. The winning idea – to hold a contest for kids to design environmentally themed art for city transit buses to encourage youth ridership – was implemented in the spring of 2016. Working together with Art City, an art competition called Imaginary Superbus was held at The Forks on May 14th.
0330

Tree House

Toronto, ON

multi-family residential

42,600 sqft

not pursued

$4.5M

Symmetry Developments

Tree House is a new low-rise, 39 unit townhome development in Toronto’s emerging Birch Cliff neighbourhood. The project raises the bar for high quality, contemporary architecture in the area by offering well-built, ample-sized and affordably priced homes and authentic community spaces for first time homebuyers, particularly families. Instead of a large residential building, The Tree House is composed of three separate block staggered to follow the property lines and maximize green space, with all required parking located underground. The multi-level two and three bedroom units range in size from 935 sqft to 1325 sqft. The project will appeal to buyers who desire both indoor and outdoor areas, with exterior access in the form of courtyards, private rooftop terraces and gardens. The shared courtyards provide open communal space for residents, encouraging social engagement.

The rhythmic, staggered geometry of stacked unit cells creates an ever-changing interplay of void and solid, shadow and light across the façade. The blocks are clad in anodized aluminum, which offers durability, modularity and beauty. The material’s almost iridescent quality provides a unique surface to receive and reflects light and shadow. Based on the length of the anodizing process, different shades are applied to each of the blocks so that the overall aesthetic remains consistent while still allowing for variety across the site.
0259

Parallelogram House

East St. Paul, MB

single-family residence

2,700 sqft

complete 2014

Situated on a typical suburban street in a bedroom community just north of Winnipeg, the Parallelogram House stands in quiet and refined contrast to its stucco-clad neighbours. While the clients desired a one-storey layout for their young family, they also wanted to ensure that all of the bedrooms had views of the front or backyard. By skewing the floor plan into a parallelogram, the window area was greatly increased without increasing the footprint, opening the home up to a panoramic view of the trees and preserving the site’s southern exposure within the required setbacks.

The house is clad in vertical wood siding that wraps onto the underside of an extensive roof overhang, which is supported by a family of Cor-Ten columns that acts as both structure and screen, evoking the rich texture and shadows of the tree line. Together, wood and steel render the house as part of the surrounding landscape.

Inside, the main living space is defined by an 11-foot high ceiling horizon and an open plan that flows around a freestanding utility box. The bedroom and garage wings are separated from the living space by white metal screens that extend the geometry of the exterior columns through the house. A simple and muted palette emphasizes the interior volumes, highlighted by a sequence of light wells and skylights.

Photography: James Brittain

Awards: 2018 Governor General’s Medal in Architecture ; 2017 Architectural Review House Awards shortlist
0393

Lake & East Tower

Oakville, ON

mixed-use tower

160,000 sqft

not pursued

$33M

Symgine Developments

Lake & East is a 20 storey mixed-use tower located at an important gateway intersection to Bronte Village on the shores of Lake Ontario in Oakville. The project site is one of the last remaining underdeveloped properties in the area, which is characterized by a mix of high-rise towers and one storey commercial buildings. The project brief called for 140+ dwellings with complementary amenity and retail spaces at grade.

While the expected solution would be a podium and tower model, further analysis revealed a need to reconcile the village atmosphere with the density of the adjacent high-rises. The result is a series of scattered, boulder-like volumes at ground level that extend the low-rise fabric into the site, with a slender and reflective tower above. The tower’s cladding carries down to grade, where it wraps the site as a continuous, protective screen. The tower’s form arises from a desire to provide all suites with views of the lake beyond. At the same time, the skewed footprint preserves views from the adjacent 18 storey building and reduces the tower’s shadow impact on the intersection. The custom aluminum façade consists of a gradient of porous and solid panels, generating a pattern reminiscent of the concentric ripples produced by rain falling on water. Each permeable section unifies four to six units through interconnected balconies that create opportunities for contact between residents.
0401

Zibi Windmill Tower

Ottawa, ON

mixed-use tower

200,000 sqft

competition finalist

$45M

Windmill Development Group

In 2015, 5468796 was shortlisted for an invited competition to design a 200,000 s.f. mixed-use scheme for a former industrial site on Ottawa’s Chaudiere Island. The project scope included a 20-storey residential tower, office and retail space, underground parking and the integration of two existing warehouse buildings. Proponents were asked to tie into an existing community masterplan while maintaining social and environmental sustainability as a high priority.

Permeability of the ground plane became an important driver for the planning strategy. By breaking down the podium’s mass into simple blocks and organizing them around pedestrian routes and the existing heritage buildings, the design increases points of contact between street and building, old and new, residents and visitors, resulting in a rich and memorable every day experience. Furthermore, the separation of the lower blocks provides a variety of entrance points and creates a diverse array of outdoor rooms, while increasing retail frontage and drawing natural light to the podium’s core. Inspired in part by Windmill’s desire to create a complete community, and in part by our belief that shared public spaces are essential to the quality of life in cities – particularly in tall buildings – the amenity spaces become part of the public domain, starting from the ground floor up and weaving upward through the building like a vertical streetscape.
0174

OZ Condominiums

Winnipeg, MB

multi-family residential

46,000 sqft

complete 2014

$7M

OZ Condominium Corporation Ltd.

OZ is a 25 unit, high-end condominium development located in the heart of Osborne Village. Located on an L-shaped site, the project is conceived as two towers linked by a minimal glass entry and a shared elevator core. Each tower is wrapped in a cohesive skin of black metal cladding that is carved into and punctured through to introduce outdoor space, provide shelter for ground floor entrances and respect setback restrictions. The deeply fluted corrugated metal skin consists of a gradient of solid and perforated panels that create a subtle play of light across the facade. Every component that is recessed behind or cut through the skin is rendered in white, reflecting daylight into the building’s void spaces.

Although zoning regulations initially limited the structure to five storeys, by introducing mezzanines on two levels the saleable square footage was increased substantially while still conforming to the maximum allowable building height. In addition, the precise interlocking of a variety of unit types served to reduce corridor areas. Compared to a conventionally planned development, the OZ configuration significantly increases density efficiency and thus profit potential for the developer. The square footage gained from compact planning allowed for the creation of horizontal courtyards off the mezzanines that punch through the building and provide large exterior decks with expansive vistas for loft units.

Photography: James Brittain

Awards: 2015 MCHAP.emerge Finalist
0409

Canadian Canoe Museum

Peterborough, ON

museum

79,500 sqft

competition finalist 2015

$25M

MTA

Canadian Canoe Museum

Situated on the shore of the Trent-Severn Waterway, the new CCM is inspired by the story of the canoe, its ingenuity and efficiency, its beauty and serenity, and its ability to elicit a personal response in all of us. The museum emerges in a wooded clearing as a simple box wrapped in a sinuous, shimmering cloud of mesh. As shadows move with the sun, the skin’s ethereal nature blurs the definition between architecture and sculpture and belies the efficient and rational form within. Visitors are drawn to the main entrance along an elevated boardwalk that passes through a purifying filter of birch trees. Below, the undulating terrain flows beneath the building, intersected by a creek and a meandering trail that leads visitors to the Lift Lock beyond.

From the lobby, the museum branches in two directions, one to the multi-purpose room and restaurant, and the other to the exhibition space. Imitating the descending landscape, a set of cascading bleachers connects with the cafe, storage, educational and administrative spaces on the lower level. The exhibition space is enveloped by a backdrop of stretched fabric that creates the illusion of a solid wall under certain lighting conditions and becomes semi-transparent in others. Through surface projection, the scrim allows the gallery to take on different atmospheres, from the gentle lapping of waves on Lake Ontario to the untouched wilderness of the Far North.
0369

Pino

Helsinki, FI

art gallery

130,000 sqft

competition 2014

$180M

Guggenheim

The iconic Guggenheim brand and the quiet confidence of the Finnish identity inspire an art gallery defined by an ethereal quality of light, space and material drawn directly from an understanding of place. The visible program is reduced into a highly charged timber form that claims the site for the city, but also distills its energy into a powerful point of gravity – iconic yet restrained, playful yet subtle, warm yet stoic. Set against the city or the harbour, the lush green of Tahtitorninmaki park in the summer or the bitter whiteout of winter, the wood structure becomes a beacon for visitors and locals alike.

The galleries rest under a civic blanket whose subtly undulated surface creates controlled ponding during and after rain, resulting in natural reflection pools. Below the plaza, the single level exhibition space provides a highly flexible and functional environment for art. A choreography of curated courtyards allows for precise filtering of light into the galleries, rendering each with a unique atmosphere and immersing visitors in a composition of dappled light and shadow. Inside the wood form, the gallery soars into an unexpected vertical volume where a movable floor takes on different programmatic identities – from performance hall to classroom to observation deck – depending on the level to which it is docked. Small apertures left between the stacked timbers modulate the delicate light that surrounds or emanates from within.
0258

548 Stradbrook

Winnipeg, MB

multi-family residential

9,200 sqft

complete 2013

$1.6M

Sunrex Group of Companies

548 Stradbrook is an eight unit infill development in Winnipeg’s Osborne Village neighbourhood. Located on a mature residential street lined with turn-of-the-century homes, the building is wrapped in a reflective glass shroud that allows it to be camouflaged with its character-filled surroundings. The project responds to existing zoning setbacks and density constraints with a three-storey, compact form that contains six two-bedroom flats and two three-bedroom loft units.

The project’s cladding treatment draws direct inspiration from its historic context, reinterpreting traditional lap siding with a custom, shingled glass facade of reflective panels that are overlaid like fish scales both vertically and horizontally across the entire building. The mirror-like finish and subtle angling of the glass creates an ephemeral interplay of reflections and light during the day, and transforms the building into a glowing apparition at night. At the second floor level, a metal canopy wraps the building’s perimeter, supported by a colonnade of thin black columns that lightly touch the sidewalk below. Functionally, the canopy defines a front yard patio space and sheltered walking path for tenants. Aesthetically, the canopy provides a stable counterpoint and grounding element to balance the ever-changing nature of the glass facade above.

Photography: James Brittain

Award: 2015 Architizer A+ finalist
0260

Square House

East St. Paul, MB

single-family residence

1,900 sqft

complete 2015

Designed for a young family of four, the Square House is a modest bungalow located in the municipality of East St. Paul, just north of Winnipeg. The owners purchased the lot and moved out of the city in order to raise their children in the community that they grew up in. The client requested a 1960s, mid-century modern quality with a contemporary twist.

The design began as a simple four-square plan with quadrants for the living and dining space, the master bedroom, the children’s wing and the garage. A sunken courtyard separates the children’s wing from the garage, bringing daylight and access to the outdoors down to the basement. Across the courtyard, a concrete bridge links the front sidewalk to the main entry, carrying the point of arrival into the very centre of the home.

Photography: James Brittain
0337

Table for 1200

Winnipeg, MB

pop-up dinner

1200 ft long

complete 2014

Storefront Manitoba

5468796 together with design advocacy group Storefront Manitoba celebrated the culmination of Winnipeg’s Architecture Fringe Festival and the 2014 Royal Architectural Institute of Canada’s Festival of Architecture on Saturday, May 31 by transforming the Esplanade Riel pedestrian bridge into a giant pop-up dining room and inviting guests to experience and discuss the power of architecture and design. The project is the culmination of 5468796’s Table for 12 – a nine-city series of intimate dining events that put the spotlight on architecture culture.

On this major civic landmark and against the backdrop of Winnipeg’s new Canadian Museum for Human Rights, the team joined together 150 tables of eight to create one continuous 1200 foot long dining table – making it one of the longest dining tables on record. Volunteer ”Table Captains” decorated their tables to a theme of their choice, competing for prize money for the best table setting. Diners from across Canada – including representatives from prominent institutions, the city government, arts organizations and the general public – were notified of the event’s secret location only hours prior to the dinner. Meals were provided by local chefs from RAW:almond (Mandel Hitzer from Deer + Almond and Joe Kalturnyk from RAW Gallery) along with Ben Kramer from Diversity Food Services.

Photography: Jacqueline Young (except Instagram grid)
0289

Table for Twelve

Various

research

complete 2014

$50,000

Canada Council for the Arts

In 2013, the Canada Council for the Arts awarded 5468796 the $50,000 Professional Prix de Rome in Architecture for their project, Table for 12, a nine-city series of intimate dining events that put the spotlight on architecture culture.

In every city, a regional host helped bring together a group of individuals – including architects and their clients, planners, local critics, members of the media, politicians and artists – to discuss the state of architecture in their city. The objective of the project was to research cities around the world with a thriving design culture and to gain a deeper understanding of the catalysts that have built a strong commitment to architecture.

5468976 disseminated the results of their research through a lecture at the 2014 MAA / RAIC Festival of Architecture.
0272

AGGV

Victoria, BC

art gallery

34,600 sqft

competition 2014

$14M

number TEN + Atelier Anonymous

Art Gallery of Greater Victoria

The AGGV’s permanent collection is housed in an historic mansion and series of Modernist additions in an established residential area of Victoria. Our design team was shortlisted for a competition to envision the future renovation and expansion of the gallery.

The current facility appears impenetrable, its vibrancy hidden behind brick and concrete. Our submission re-imagines the AGGV as a village of small pavilions, engulfed by the existing landscape and new public spaces that cascade through the site. A dedicated upper level gallery rises above, nested in the dense tree canopy of oaks and sequoias, its sculptural form enclosing a cohesive and flexible sequence of exhibition spaces. Programs on the second floor radiate around a large opening carved from the building mass that allows daylight to flood the lobby and frames the sky.

Interior spaces are defined by transparent walls, layered behind an innovative system of wood quills that cantilever from an external structural mesh. The skin acts as a natural shading device while allowing for diffused light penetration. Visitors meander through the exhibits, held above the land as if walking through the tree canopy itself, a gallery experience unlike any other in Canada.

Award: 2014 WAF Future Project of the Year
0212

Bond Tower

Winnipeg, MB

office, commercial

40,000 sqft

not pursued

Green Seed Development Corp.

Bond Tower is an eleven-storey office building that stands in clear contrast to the downtown Winnipeg skyline. Rising as a thin, black bar from its extremely narrow lot, the tower offers 4,200 s.f. floors of corporate condominiums and views of the downtown, resting on a commercial base. While the main level sits within the city’s setback regulations, the upper stories cantilever fifteen feet over the sidewalk on each short end, engaging the streetscape below, extending the usable floor space and capturing daylight through full-height glazing.

Due to the 33’ lot width, it becomes necessary to build flush with the side yards in order to maximize square footage requirements. As a result, no windows are permitted on the east or west façades. The introduction of diagonal ‘courtyards’ cutting through the structure allows the space to be broken up into smaller compartments, increasing access to light, views and fresh air. Generic plans are made unique by the size, orientation and location of these apertures, which are angled upward to incorporate a long flight of accessible, bleacher-style steps. Since every hole crosses from one floor to another, the floor plates remain continuous either above or below the opening

Awards: 2012 World Architecture Festival Shortlist; 2012 p/a awards | First Award; 2011 Canadian Architect Award of Merit
0198

Migrating Landscapes

Venice, IT

exhibition

complete 2012

$1M

Jae-Sung Chon

Canada Council for the Arts | RAIC

As more and more people move around the globe, the issue of im/migration is more important than ever. In spite of humanity’s increased mobility, many countries are becoming less open to new im/migrants, with Canada remaining a notable exception.

Migrating Landscapes was selected by a national juried competition as Canada’s official entry at the 2012 Venice Biennale in Architecture. The project was curated by 5468796 Architecture + Jae-Sung Chon, who joined together to become the Migrating Landscapes Organizer (MLO).

Migrating Landscapes explores the settling-unsettling dynamic of im/migration, featuring 18 video narratives and architectural scale models of ‘dwellings’ designed by young architects/designers. The work was selected by a prestigious jury from a Canada-wide competition and displayed in regional exhibitions, organized and constructed by MLO.

MLO has designed a wooden exhibition infrastructure that acts as a conceptual landscape onto which each architectural dwelling is settled, with each model representing an act of first im/migration. The landscape is envisioned as a malleable grid mosaic – an abstraction of the physical, social, economic and political conditions that form Canada’s pluralistic cultural identity.

Photography: Lisa Stinner-Kun and Jacqueline Young
0197

Manitoba Start

Winnipeg, MB

office, education

22,500 sqft

complete 2012

$1.7M

Manitoba Start

Manitoba Start is a non-profit organization that provides arrival services to Winnipeg’s recent immigrants. Their new facility is located on the main floor of The Avenue on Portage. Faced with a somewhat irregular grid of existing columns, the plan responds with a hexagonal geometry that flows freely through the building. Rooms oriented at 30 and 60 degree angles establish solid and void spaces that allow for easier movement of people and greater connectivity between elements. Fixed programs are contained in solid boxes – with walls of birch plywood or white-painted MDF – while flexible spaces fill the remaining voids. Hexagonal perforations in the plywood panels provide a greater sense of openness while still maintaining visual separation, acting as a filter between the more energized public environment and the quieter classroom zones.

The hexagonal geometry is employed in a variety of forms and at multiple scales, from the configuration of lighting and the open office furniture layout, to the detailing of way-finding signage and interior finishes. Functioning as both an organizing principle and a graphic element, the repeated pattern establishes a coherent spatial arrangement and cohesive branding for the organization.

Award: 2014 Prairie Design Award of Merit
0169

The Avenue

Winnipeg, MB

multi-family residential

97,000 sqft

complete 2012

$12.7M

Mark and Rick Hofer

The Avenue on Portage revives two historic commercial buildings from the early 1900s located one block west of Winnipeg’s most famous corner, Portage and Main. Once major retail destinations in the city, the Avenue and Hample Buildings experienced a slow decline, becoming blights to the street and downtown. In 2010 our client purchased the site to develop the derelict properties into 75 rental apartments and 22,500 s.f. of commercial space.

A series of formally simple moves dramatically transform the original façades, shifting public perception of the buildings from eyesores to a unified urban landmark. Hovering above the sidewalk, steel balconies cantilever from existing window openings and provide outdoor access for residents. Clad in mirror-finish aluminum, the balconies become camouflaged against their surroundings, reflecting at turns the sky, the façade and the street below.

At street level a wall of glass folds back into the building to create a deep, V-shaped entrance that broadens the width of the sidewalk. Overhead, a faceted canopy angles outward 13 feet from the face of the Hample before returning to meet the edge of the Avenue, unifying the two façades. Together, these elements draw the city into the building’s expression, making it an active participant in the life of the street.

Photography: James Brittain unless noted.

Award: 2014 Prairie Design Award of Excellence
0155

Sunspot

Winnipeg, MB

pavilion

18′ diameter

complete 2010

$10,000

Ewa Tarsia

The Forks

Sunspot, along with four other skating shelters designed by local and international architecture firms, was part of an exhibition of Warming Huts along the Forks River Trail in the winter of 2009. The event is now an annual celebration of art and architecture on ice.

The finished project is the result of a collaboration between 5468796 Architecture and Winnipeg-based artist Ewa Tarsia. The sphere is an extension of Ewa’s exploration of ‘dot’, a recurring theme in her recent work, as well as an interpretation of the ultimate source of heat – the sun.

The Sunspot hangs from the Forks’ Historic Rail Bridge, hovering just three feet above the frozen river. Composed of a structural frame coated in a skin of ice and coloured water, the interior is rendered with a vibrant and warm glow that evokes Tarsia’s painting plates. A large diameter opening at the bottom of the sphere allows skaters to enter and experience the transformed sky. The bottom ring provides a rope-wrapped bench to rest on, while the structure offers shelter from the wind.
0134

OMS Stage

Winnipeg, MB

pavilion

28′ cube

complete 2013

$1M

Exchange District BIZ + City of Winnipeg

‘The Cube’ is an open-air performance venue situated in Old Market Square, an iconic green space and summer festival hub in Winnipeg’s historic Exchange District. In 2009, 5468796 won an invited competition with a multi-functional design that throws out the old bandshell concept on the grounds that when a conventional stage is not in use it looks forlorn – especially through the city’s long winters.

A concrete structure enclosed by a flexible metal membrane, The Cube functions as a multipurpose environment. The membrane is composed of 20,000 identical hollow aluminum pieces strung together on aircraft cables. The orientation of the pieces alternates, forming a malleable and shimmering curtain that can stand like a wall, be pulled in to reveal the performance space, or function as a light-refracting surface – allowing it to morph into a projection screen, concert venue, shelter or sculptural object. When the stage is closed, the membrane’s diamond extrusions capture and refract internal lighting or projections to their outer surface, creating a unique pixel matrix for artists to appropriate at will.

Photography: James Brittain unless noted.

Awards: 2015 Premier’s Design Award of Excellence; 2014 Governor General’s Medal in Arch; 2014 Mies Crown Hall Prize | Shortlist; 2011 RAIC Award of Excellence; 2010 AR Award for Emerging Architecture
0133

Bloc_10

Winnipeg, MB

multi-family residential

12 000 sqft

complete 2011

$2M

Green Seed Development Corp.

Bloc_10 strives to re-imagine and re-invent the market-driven condominium. Situated on the site of a former gas station, the developer wanted a modestly priced building designed and constructed within 12 months. The resulting three-storey, 10-unit condominium is modelled after a ‘white-box’ concept: each buyer purchases an unfinished unit with basic plumbing, heating and electrical systems installed, allowing them to decide which rooms and finishes they would like on each floor. 5468796 challenged traditional townhouse layouts with apartments that cross from one side of the building to the other as they ascend over three levels. This arrangement provides every unit with north and south views, and transforms eight into corner suites. To take advantage of the maximum allowable mass for the development, cantilevered projections expand rooms, create balconies and provide support for the screen of vertical wood slats that wraps the exterior. The screen provides each homeowner with privacy and shade, filtering surrounding views and creating a buffer against traffic noise. The screen’s sheer texture unifies the façade and gives Bloc_10 a distinctive identity within the neighbourhood.

Photography: James Brittain and Lisa Stinner-Kun

Awards: 2013 RAIC Award of Excellence; 2012 AR Emerging Architecture Award; 2012 Governor General’s Medal in Arch.; 2010 Canadian Architect Award of Excellence
0122

WRHA on Hargrave

Winnipeg, MB

office

43,000 sqft

complete 2012

Hargrave Holdings LLC.

WRHA on Hargrave is a six storey, 43,000 s.f. office building in downtown Winnipeg. Bound by a street, a parking lot and two existing buildings, the site could only accommodate a 75’x75’ floor plate. With a conventional stair and elevator core, the project would not have provided enough usable area to meet the WRHA’s requirements for open office space and access to natural light. By uncoiling the stair flights, pushing them to the building’s perimeter and allowing them to cantilever over the site’s boundaries, the project became possible. Additional square footage was claimed for the offices, making the design economically viable and creating uninterrupted office space with ample daylight. The perimeter staircases also give the building its distinct appearance.

Starting from opposite corners, two staircases spiral down the building’s perimeter. The sloping stair geometry creates an unconventional massing on all four sides of the building and provides an unexpected spatial experience within. The exterior skin stretches over this geometry, with the stairs dividing the building in half and making a natural break between the more expensive curtain wall and the more economical metal cladding with punched windows. This division makes the material decisions appear natural and elevates the perceived value of the project.

Photography: James Brittain
0078

youCUBE

Winnipeg, MB

multi-family residential

21,700 sqft

complete 2015

$3.4M

Green Seed Development Corp.

youCUBE is an 18 unit housing development that explores the potential for density and affordability on a narrow, 264’ x 63’ urban lot. Located on the north end of Waterfront Drive, the project occupies a seemingly unremarkable site with limited visibility of the nearby river and neglected, industrial surroundings. With a modest budget and a background in custom home building, the developer needed a design that could be built using standard construction methods by residential contractors. In response, the project challenges conventional multi-family housing design with a modular and more affordable configuration of individual dwellings that goes beyond the brief to include extensive outdoor space and inspired architectural interiors.

The final composition clusters three and four storey townhouses together on an elevated plaza, which provides access to all of the suite entrances and shelters parking below. Each unit culminates in a rooftop patio with spectacular 360 degree vistas of the river and city skyline. Inside, the suites are defined by an architectural ‘wrap’, a design element that sculpts the interior into a fluid sequence of open plan rooms within a spacious, light-filled volume.

Photography: James Brittain

Awards: 2015 Premier’s Design Award of Merit; 2011 AR Future Projects Award | Commended; 2009 Canadian Architect Award of Merit
0057

Webster Cottage

Dunnottar, MB

cottage

1,200 sqft

complete 2010

Webster Family

Located adjacent to Lake Winnipeg in the village of Dunnottar, Webster Cottage is a modest, 4-season home away from home for a family of four. Cottage functions are divided to create a variety of habitable spaces, and allow for energy conservation through seasonal expansion and contraction. One roof envelopes three primary structures [main cottage / summer cottage / accessory building (storage+carport)] and an array of outdoor rooms [screen porch, covered decks, open decks]. Spaces are linked on the ground by a raised walkway. The material palette is kept simple to emphasize the contrast between the roof surface of dark, ribbed siding and the internal structures of exposed framing, plywood and translucent glass and plastics.

Inside, a simple strip of living space folds onto itself, orienting views toward the lake, and capturing sunlight and natural breezes. Delicate maneuvers in plan and elevation help preserve existing trees on the property. Complexity is created at the crease where the main cottage twists in response to these site conditions. The resulting two-storey sawtooth wall that bisects the main cottage and the triangulated roof surface brings dynamic volumes to an otherwise uncomplicated wood-frame cottage structure.
0054

Guertin Boatport

Storm Bay, ON

boatport

3,000 sqft

complete 2011

Guertin Family

The Guertin Boatport is a two-storey, open-air floating dock and fixed boardwalk situated on Storm Bay in western Ontario. The main level provides two sheltered boat stalls while the upper floor serves as an informal lounge space and viewing deck. Occupying a permanent position along an isolated stretch of the shoreline, the boatport accommodates shifting site conditions in order to provide a year-round amenity for the client.

The project is composed of fragmented vertical planes clad in reflective materials that scatter and redirect light off the lake’s surface. Perforated metal walls protect against wind and filter views while still allowing for extended sightlines of the bay and the surrounding Canadian Shield.

The boatport is accessed by an extruded aluminum plank boardwalk that follows the profile of the rocky shore. Flexible, hinged joints accommodate the rise and fall of water levels, as well as the freeze and thaw cycles of ice. The structure consists of custom designed, cold-formed steel C-channels, pressure treated joists and composite decking. The upper deck is lowered around its edges to keep the lake view clear and unobstructed by the stainless steel cable guards.

Award: 2013 Architizer A+ Awards | Winner
0027

Welcome Place

Winnipeg, MB

multi-family housing, support services

25,000 sqft

complete 2010

$3.75M

Manitoba Interfaith Immigration Council

Welcome Place offers shelter and transitional services to Manitoba’s new refugees. On a quiet residential street in an inner-city neighbourhood, the building is designed to address the fragile psychological and emotional state of residents and to help them to slowly transition to a new, supported life in Canada. The design concept was for the building to feel like a solid, protective volume, with offices on the lower floors, and three levels of residential suites above. The residential units are sheltered behind heavy walls with deeply set, porthole-like windows that provide occupants with discrete outdoor views while minimizing views in.

A sequence of shared spaces – starting with a landscaped entry courtyard, flowing to indoor lounges, assembly and seminar rooms and offices, and culminating with a rooftop terrace – flow through the building encouraging interaction amongst residents and staff. The solidity of the building is broken down with these colourful and airy public spaces, giving occupants an opportunity to experience openness and positivity while still within the protective shell. Once familiar with their surroundings, the residents will gradually start to transition from their private accommodation to utilize the shared spaces and subsequently ease their way into the surrounding community. This act is a first step towards their lives as Canadians.

Photography: James Brittain
0011

Centre Village

Winnipeg, MB

multi-family residential

17,520 sqft

complete 2010

$2.35M

Cohlmeyer Architecture

Centre Venture

Winnipeg’s Centre Village housing cooperative was aimed at helping to revitalize a neglected inner-city neighbourhood. The site was an abandoned lot zoned for six single-family houses. Instead, the project established a micro village of 25 dwellings within six, three-storey blocks. The blocks’ arrangement both defines and animates two public spaces – a through-street and a shared courtyard – that weave the city into the project and provide amenities for residents and neighbours. Each dwelling has its own entrance at grade or up an exterior staircase, reducing internal circulation and prompting residents to get to know one another.

The units have rich and playful compositions made from simple, compact and easy-to-build 8’x12’ modules and cantilevered 14’x12’ modules for larger living areas. Modules are then stacked and interlocked to create diverse unit configurations distributed over several floors. A typical residence has eight or more windows on at least two sides of the building, providing ample and varied access to daylight and cross-ventilation. Deeply set, vibrant orange cowlings around the windows modulate privacy and views into the units, granting Centre Village a distinct identity in the city.

Photography: James Brittain [exteriors]

Awards: 2013 Architizer A+ Awards | Shortlist; 2012 WAN Awards : Residential | Shortlist; 2011 World Architecture Festival Shortlist

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17th Avenue Clinic

CY33

62M

Maples Chiropractic Clinic

Crossroads Garden Shed

One Bucket at a Time

Brewery at the Forks

Guertin Cottage

Chair Your Idea

Tree House

Parallelogram House

Lake & East Tower

Zibi Windmill Tower

OZ Condominiums

Canadian Canoe Museum

Pino

548 Stradbrook

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Table for 1200

Table for Twelve

AGGV

Bond Tower

Migrating Landscapes

Manitoba Start

The Avenue

Sunspot

OMS Stage

Bloc_10

WRHA on Hargrave

youCUBE

Webster Cottage

Guertin Boatport

Welcome Place

Centre Village