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April 2013 / Volume 27 / Number 2 editor Natalie Bruckner-Menchelli art director Laurel MacLean contributing writers contributing photographers Angela Altass Bill Armstrong Robin Brunet Godfrey Budd Stefan Dubowski Jerry Eberts Lawrence Herzog Laurie Jones Jessica Kirby Helen Lammers-Helps Yvan Marston William Mbaho Stacey McLachlan Dan O'Reilly Christine Peets Sonu Purhar Chris Bolin production/Studio manager Kristina Borys assistant Studio manager Mandy Lau production coordinator Julie Reynolds Advertising Production Allison Griffioen, Chris Sherwood Electronic Production Ina Bowerbank senior imaging technician Debbie Lynn Craig electronic imaging Mandy Lau, Laura Michaels publisher Dan Chapman Account Manager Alexander Sugden Advertising Coordinator Queenie Blumenthal Award Magazine – Head Office Phone 604.299.7311 Fax 604.299.9188 Chairman, ceo Peter Legge, obc, lld. 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Head office: 4th Floor - 4180 Lougheed Highway, Burnaby, B.C. V5C 6A7. Phone 604.299.7311, Fax 604.299.9188. Send covers of undeliverable copies to address above. Publications Mail Agreement No. 40065475. © 2012. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without written permission of the publisher. Award is distributed to architects, interior designers, landscape architects, consulting engineers, specification writers, development companies and major construction companies throughout Western Canada and Ontario. For subscription information call 604.299.1023 or email: awardsubscriptions@ canadawide.com National Library No. ISSN 1202-5925. Printed in Canada by Transcontinental LGM Graphics. Award magazine welcomes your letters, corporate announcements or company information. The statements, opinions and points of view expressed in articles published in this magazine are those of the authors and publication shall not be deemed to mean that they are necessarily those of the publisher, editor or Canada Wide Media Limited. The acceptance and publication of advertisement of products and services does not indicate endorsement of such products or services. The publishers cannot be held responsible for unsolicited manuscripts and photographs. p06-07RAIC.indd 7 perspective by Samuel Oboh, FRAIC Architecture Canada | RAIC Regional Director, Alberta / Northwest Territories Bolstering the Value of Responsible Architecture and High-Quality Design T he importance, preciousness or regard we bestow on an object, a person or a place, speaks volumes about our notion of value. Value connotes subjectivity, and one valueladen anecdote that puts this into perspective for me is the story of aluminum. Despite being the most abundant metal in the earth's crust, aluminum was once one of the priciest commodities on earth. Unlike gold, which is found chemically pure, aluminum is tightly bonded to oxygen in the form of bauxite. And because no one knew of any inexpensive extraction method prior to 1886, aluminum remained the most expensive of metals. The monetary worth was so high that it became the metal of choice for elegant jewellery worn only by royals and monarchs – synonymous with wealth, nobility and power. In 1884, aluminum was used on the apex of the Washington Monument ostensibly to depict the authority, affluence, clout and coming-of-age of the United States of America. However, in 1886 when Charles Martin Hall invented an inexpensive electrolytic reduction method of extracting aluminum from bauxite, aluminum became ubiquitous. One of the immediate impacts of Hall's invention was the sharp drop in aluminum's monetary worth. The usefulness value, however, skyrocketed because its use everywhere was made possible. Aluminum now features prominently as an indispensable material in architecture, engineering, construction, communications, consumer products, technology, transportation and other aspects of our daily lives. What makes a commodity like aluminum valuable and different? Is it because it's rare, beautiful or useful? Was aluminum more valuable when it was rare (pre-1886) or when it became ubiquitous (post-1886)? Reminiscent of architecture and design, living in a fastpaced world that's pathologically gripped by an insatiable craving for instantaneous gratification, it's quite easy to ignore how responsible architecture and high-quality design enable significant economic, social and environmental value for all. Knowledgeable building owners rarely need to be persuaded about the competitive advantage that good design provides and no one needs to convince erudite property investors about the positive impact good design has on rental and property values. Paradoxically, notwithstanding the abundant proof showing how good design enhances our quality of life, should it be a surprise that in the rush to cut costs, the value of architecture and design is increasingly under scrutiny? I have no doubt in my mind that the importance of responsible architecture and quality design is widely recognized. However, analogous to what Hall did with aluminum 127 years ago, architects and designers of our generation must take on new roles to invent creative, effective and efficient methods of measuring, proving and demonstrating the value of architecture and design to the public. They must ensure people understand that good design is not just about esthetics. It is about the economic value demonstrated in our designs to reduce whole life costs – resulting in improved economic performances, higher property values and market attractiveness. It is about the social value encapsulated in how we use buildings to fuse social inclusion, sustainable lifestyles and health and wellness into our collective identity and civic pride as a community or nation. It is about the environmental value established through the excellence infused into our built environment by creating buildings with greater energy performance, less pollution and enhanced ecological advantage. It was Myles Munroe who rightly said, "Where purpose is unknown, abuse is inevitable." When architects and designers fail to demonstrate value of good design, we diminish the purpose of architecture and abuse the rights of the public to better health and access to quality lifestyle through responsible architecture. n Théâtre de Quat'Sous (Montreal) / Architect: Les architectes FABG. Photos: Steve Montpetit / With permission of RAIC | Architecture Canada. 13-04-05 1:46 PM