{"id":15396,"date":"2018-09-17T16:56:50","date_gmt":"2018-09-17T20:56:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sothebysrealty.ca\/insightblog\/?p=15396"},"modified":"2018-09-17T16:56:50","modified_gmt":"2018-09-17T20:56:50","slug":"3-canadian-architectural-firms-making-an-impact","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sothebysrealty.ca\/insightblog\/fr\/2018\/09\/17\/3-canadian-architectural-firms-making-an-impact\/","title":{"rendered":"Breaking Ground"},"content":{"rendered":"

Meet three Canadian architectural firms who are using their talents to make an impact on society. In this age of mounting social and political activism, architects are making a powerful statement in their own right. They\u2019re tackling issues close to their hearts, from helping the homeless to supporting the cause for sustainable food and building better cities through design. We\u2019ve rounded up three leading Canadian architectural firms who are boldly breaking new ground \u2014 with a conscience.<\/p>\n

The Innovators<\/strong><\/p>\n

StudioAC, Toronto<\/em><\/p>\n

Food trucks and pop-up shops are regular fixtures on Toronto streets. But if architect Jennifer Kudlats has her way, mobile showers will soon be, too. Kud- lats is part of the design team at Toronto-based StudioAC (a.k.a. Studio for Architecture and Collaboration) that is transforming a 50-foot trailer into mobile shower units for the homeless, which will move from shelter to shelter this fall. \u201cMany shelters have people come and stay but [have] no shower and plumbing facilities for them to use. The bigger idea [in providing showers] is allowing people to have a moment of dignity,\u201d says Kudlats. \u201cIn terms of design, it\u2019s what you\u2019d imagine a high-end residential bathroom to look like, with beautiful light fixtures and in-floor heating.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"\"Each unit has a skylight & includes a luxurious shower, toilet & vanity<\/a><\/div>\n

When approached by World Changers \u2014 a Christian charitable organization in Toronto \u2014 with its groundbreaking idea of a mobile shower program, StudioAC jumped at the chance to help create social change. The studio, known for its sleek, modern living spaces, took inspiration from the Truck Art Project in Spain, which show- cases the work of street artists on the exteriors of commercial trucks. StudioAC is also in talks with the City of Toronto on a public-art component to the project \u2014 graffiti artists creating original murals on the trailers\u2019 fa\u00e7ades. It\u2019s a way of making art accessible to the masses and with a deeper meaning of bringing awareness to the issue of much-needed facilities for the homeless.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere will be skylights in each of the [truck\u2019s] three showers because we wanted to bring natural light into the space,\u201d says StudioAC\u2019s Reza Nik, who\u2019s heading the pro bono project. \u201cThere is a lobby space with towels and lockers. It wasn\u2019t about maximizing the number of people who can use it but allowing individuals to sit down and take a moment.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"\"Woodward's re-development, a mixed use project in downtown Vancouver<\/a><\/div>\n

The City Citizens<\/strong><\/p>\n

Henriquez Partners Architects, Vancouver<\/em><\/p>\n

Gregory Henriquez is on a mission to end homelessness in Vancouver and beyond. In 2010, the managing partner of Henriquez Partners Architects unveiled the revamped Woodward\u2019s Redevelopment in the city\u2019s Downtown Eastside neighbourhood. The massive socially inclusive project \u2014 which includes 200 non-market housing units as well as retail shops, an urban green space and a public plaza \u2014 was instrumental in transforming a once-gritty area into the hipster haven that it is today. Not surprisingly, Henriquez is a proponent of inclusionary zoning, a land-use planning tool that requires affordable housing units to be included in residential developments of a certain size.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re very excited about creating more inclusive cities,\u201d says Henriquez, who has since taken on a slew of similar pro- jects, such as Oakridge Centre, a shopping mall-turned-full-on- town centre slated for comple- tion in 2025. (it\u2019s the largest development in Vancouver\u2019s history and, in typical Henriquez form, will incorporate both rental- and social-housing units).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"\"Rendering of the community-oriented reconstruction of Mirvish Village, a local landmark in Toronoto<\/a><\/div>\n

For Henriquez, an architect is an activist of sorts \u2014 some- one who can shape communities and create positive social impact. In his book, Citizen City, <\/em>published in 2016, he encourages young architects to engage civically and act as a liaison between the needs of a community and the financial incentives of developers. That\u2019s precisely the role Henriquez is now playing in Toronto, in one of his most high-profile projects \u2014 Mirvish Village (home of the iconic Honest Ed\u2019s discount store, a city landmark that closed in 2016).<\/p>\n

Currently in pre-construction, the 1.8-hectare (4.4-acre) site will include more than 800 rent- al units \u2014 a rarity in Toronto\u2019s condo-saturated core. \u201cWe were chosen to work on this project because of the left-leaning, social-activist neighbourhood. It was the most robust community consultation in the city. It took three years,\u201d says Henriquez. \u201cThere\u2019s a very large pedestrian- friendly realm with a landscape that\u2019s more like Europe, with piazzas. A whole new concept was derived from listening to the neighbourhood, such as pop-up retail along the alley… and we\u2019re talking to [international documentary festival] Hot Docs about playing outdoor cinema at night. It\u2019s really community-oriented.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The Cultivators<\/strong><\/p>\n

Woodford Sheppard Architects, St. John\u2019s<\/em><\/p>\n

Chris Woodford and Taryn Sheppard \u2014 founders of Woodford Sheppard Architects in St. John\u2019s, Newfoundland \u2014 have mastered the art of building buzzworthy structures while maintaining a site\u2019s unique heritage. Case in point: O\u2019Brien Farm. The 13-hectare (32-acre) property was operated by the O\u2019Brien family for more than 150 years until 1998, when the last descend- ant passed away. It is now an historic site, and the O\u2019Brien Farm Foundation is aiming to preserve the farm and make it a visitor attraction.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"\"A render of a restoration project by Woodward Sheppard Architects - O'Brien Farm<\/a><\/div>\n

Woodford and Sheppard volunteered to help raise funds for the project with a \u201cfarmhouse chic\u201d proposal (think traditional- style barn alongside an edgy contemporary learning centre for urban farming). \u201cIt could have easily become a subdivision of vinyl-clad houses,\u201d Sheppard points out. \u201cWe wanted to save the history of the site. Our goal is to celebrate old heritage buildings and contrast it with newer materials.\u201d<\/p>\n

The team has the additional challenge of factoring in the harsh climate. \u201cWe try to make use of the rugged nature of the Newfoundland coastline \u2014 our high wind loads, high snow loads \u2014 and find an aesthetic in those details,\u201d says Sheppard. \u201cThis is especially true in the ru- ral areas that see an abundance of precipitation.\u201d For one of their recent projects, a residence in the town of Eastport, they focused on making the space energy-efficient by including south-facing glazing on the exterior to keep the house warm and planting local species on the property to block the winds.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"\"St. Thomas Community Centre in Paradise, Newfoundland was reinterpreted in a modern context<\/a><\/div>\n

The duo is excited about O\u2019Brien Farm\u2019s potential from an architectural standpoint, as well as what it will do for the community. \u201cIn Newfoundland, most of our food is imported. The site was an actual working farm with chickens and other animals. By turning it into a learning centre, we\u2019re helping to stop farming techniques from being lost,\u201d says Woodward.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat kind of an urban farm doesn\u2019t exist in most places any- more. People can now learn how to grow vegetables in their own yard. That is pretty amazing.\u201d <\/p><\/blockquote>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

By Shawna Cohen –  *This article originally appeared in INSIGHT: The Art of Living | Fall 2018<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Photography by: Bob Matheson<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Meet three Canadian architectural firms who are using their talents to make an impact on society. In this age of mounting social and political activism, architects are making a powerful statement in their own right. They\u2019re tackling issues close to their hearts, from helping the homeless to supporting the cause for sustainable food and building better cities through design. We\u2019ve rounded up three leading Canadian architectural firms who are boldly breaking new ground \u2014 with a conscience.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":31,"featured_media":15397,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[394],"tags":[86,409,577,842,922,923,924,925],"class_list":["post-15396","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-insight-magazine","tag-architecture","tag-insight-magazine","tag-vancouver-architecture","tag-architects","tag-insight-magazine-fall-2018","tag-architectural-firms","tag-toronto-architecture","tag-canadian-architects"],"yoast_head":"\nBreaking Ground - Sotheby's International Realty Canada<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Meet three Canadian architectural firms who are using their talents to make an impact on society.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sothebysrealty.ca\/insightblog\/fr\/2018\/09\/17\/3-canadian-architectural-firms-making-an-impact\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"fr_FR\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Breaking Ground - Sotheby's International Realty Canada\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Meet three Canadian architectural firms who are using their talents to make an impact on society.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/sothebysrealty.ca\/insightblog\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15396\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Sotheby's International Realty Canada\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2018-09-17T20:56:50+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/sothebysrealty.ca\/insightblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/cover-1.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1440\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"570\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"SIRC\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"\u00c9crit par\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"SIRC\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Dur\u00e9e de lecture estim\u00e9e\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Breaking Ground - Sotheby's International Realty Canada","description":"Meet three Canadian architectural firms who are using their talents to make an impact on society.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/sothebysrealty.ca\/insightblog\/fr\/2018\/09\/17\/3-canadian-architectural-firms-making-an-impact\/","og_locale":"fr_FR","og_type":"article","og_title":"Breaking Ground - Sotheby's International Realty Canada","og_description":"Meet three Canadian architectural firms who are using their talents to make an impact on society.","og_url":"https:\/\/sothebysrealty.ca\/insightblog\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15396","og_site_name":"Sotheby's International Realty Canada","article_published_time":"2018-09-17T20:56:50+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1440,"height":570,"url":"https:\/\/sothebysrealty.ca\/insightblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/cover-1.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"SIRC","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"\u00c9crit par":"SIRC","Dur\u00e9e de lecture estim\u00e9e":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/sothebysrealty.ca\/insightblog\/en\/2018\/09\/17\/3-canadian-architectural-firms-making-an-impact\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/sothebysrealty.ca\/insightblog\/en\/2018\/09\/17\/3-canadian-architectural-firms-making-an-impact\/"},"author":{"name":"SIRC","@id":"https:\/\/sothebysrealty.ca\/insightblog\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/23efd124483948cf5ddb8b3ca55812a2"},"headline":"Breaking Ground","datePublished":"2018-09-17T20:56:50+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/sothebysrealty.ca\/insightblog\/en\/2018\/09\/17\/3-canadian-architectural-firms-making-an-impact\/"},"wordCount":1129,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/sothebysrealty.ca\/insightblog\/en\/2018\/09\/17\/3-canadian-architectural-firms-making-an-impact\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/sothebysrealty.ca\/insightblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/cover-1.jpg","keywords":["Architecture","Insight Magazine","Vancouver architecture","architects","Insight Magazine fall 2018","architectural firms","toronto architecture","canadian architects"],"articleSection":["Insight Magazine"],"inLanguage":"fr-FR"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/sothebysrealty.ca\/insightblog\/fr\/2018\/09\/17\/3-canadian-architectural-firms-making-an-impact\/","url":"https:\/\/sothebysrealty.ca\/insightblog\/fr\/2018\/09\/17\/3-canadian-architectural-firms-making-an-impact\/","name":"Breaking Ground - Sotheby's International Realty Canada","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/sothebysrealty.ca\/insightblog\/fr\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/sothebysrealty.ca\/insightblog\/fr\/2018\/09\/17\/3-canadian-architectural-firms-making-an-impact\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/sothebysrealty.ca\/insightblog\/en\/2018\/09\/17\/3-canadian-architectural-firms-making-an-impact\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/sothebysrealty.ca\/insightblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/cover-1.jpg","datePublished":"2018-09-17T20:56:50+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/sothebysrealty.ca\/insightblog\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/23efd124483948cf5ddb8b3ca55812a2"},"description":"Meet three Canadian architectural firms who are using their talents to make an impact on society.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/sothebysrealty.ca\/insightblog\/fr\/2018\/09\/17\/3-canadian-architectural-firms-making-an-impact\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"fr-FR","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":[["https:\/\/sothebysrealty.ca\/insightblog\/fr\/2018\/09\/17\/3-canadian-architectural-firms-making-an-impact\/"]]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"fr-FR","@id":"https:\/\/sothebysrealty.ca\/insightblog\/fr\/2018\/09\/17\/3-canadian-architectural-firms-making-an-impact\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/sothebysrealty.ca\/insightblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/cover-1.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/sothebysrealty.ca\/insightblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/cover-1.jpg","width":1440,"height":570,"caption":"Rendering of the mobile shower units for the homeless - designed by StudioAC for World Changers"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/sothebysrealty.ca\/insightblog\/fr\/2018\/09\/17\/3-canadian-architectural-firms-making-an-impact\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/sothebysrealty.ca\/insightblog\/fr\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Breaking Ground"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/sothebysrealty.ca\/insightblog\/fr\/#website","url":"https:\/\/sothebysrealty.ca\/insightblog\/fr\/","name":"Sotheby's International Realty Canada","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/sothebysrealty.ca\/insightblog\/fr\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"fr-FR"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/sothebysrealty.ca\/insightblog\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/23efd124483948cf5ddb8b3ca55812a2","name":"SIRC","url":"https:\/\/sothebysrealty.ca\/insightblog\/fr\/author\/sirc\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sothebysrealty.ca\/insightblog\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15396","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sothebysrealty.ca\/insightblog\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sothebysrealty.ca\/insightblog\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sothebysrealty.ca\/insightblog\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/31"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sothebysrealty.ca\/insightblog\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15396"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/sothebysrealty.ca\/insightblog\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15396\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15405,"href":"https:\/\/sothebysrealty.ca\/insightblog\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15396\/revisions\/15405"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sothebysrealty.ca\/insightblog\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15397"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sothebysrealty.ca\/insightblog\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15396"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sothebysrealty.ca\/insightblog\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15396"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sothebysrealty.ca\/insightblog\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15396"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}