Award

M A R C H 2 0 2 2 | 7 hcma P H OTO G R A P H Y BY H U B ERT K A N G P H OTO G R A P H Y BY H U B ERT K A N G P H OTO G R A P H Y BY EM A P E T ER P H OTO G R A P H Y BY K I M B EL L AVA N C E What started as a one-man operation in 1976 by Roger Hughes has today grown into a company of 125 multi-skilled professionals – from architects, designers, and technologists to social impact and inclusivity experts. But the one thing that hasn't changed (just evolved), is a sense to do better, be better. "About 15 years ago the firm started to focus heavily on municipal work. This approach aligned with our philosophy and values as we are driven by how good design can improve the public realm," says Fast. It was also an aligning of personalities, all of whom had one common goal: to make a real difference in the communities in which they work, as Michael Henderson, principal, explains: "That trajectory emerged from Darryl Condon's leadership, our managing partner [who joined hcma in 2000]. Darryl is a men- tor for myself, Paul, and our other partners. As our voices coalesced around each other, we found a unified voice and niche, as well as a real passion for driving that vision forward, together." And while many companies these days will talk about making a difference in the world in order to score high when it comes to corporate social responsibility, you just need to look at hcma's body of work to realize this approach comes from the heart. One great example is the pro-bono More Awesome Now laneway project in Vancouver. In collaboration with the Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association (DVBIA), hcma set about reshaping two generic laneways into engaging, accessible public spaces that inspire new opportunities for social connections and that would contribute to the vibrancy of Vancouver. "It's probably one of the smallest projects we've ever done, but the one with the biggest impact. It was a labor of love that taught me that it doesn't take much to have a profound impact – it's easy to forget that sometimes," says Fast. Another great example of how seemingly small steps can promote great change was hcma's work with the Rick Hansen Foundation on the Cost Comparison Study of its Accessibility Certification, which received an Equity Award from the Architecture Foundation of British Columbia. "That has to be one of my proudest moments so far," says Marni Robinson, director of social impact at hcma. "One of the main outputs from that study was an Excel spread- sheet, which doesn't sound very sexy, but the impact of that spreadsheet is enormous. It was a line-by-line comparison of the National Building Code to the Rick Hansen Foundation requirements to achieve certification. It demonstrated that you can achieve 70 percent of the impact just through good planning." This commitment to inclusive and accessible design can be seen throughout all hcma projects: from Clayton Community Centre in Surrey – the largest Passive House-certified community building in North America that combines four aspects of the City of Surrey's community services (recreation, library, arts, and parks) in a seamlessly integrated facility – to the Minoru Centre for Active Living facility in Richmond, B.C. that supports active living and wellness for all ages. "Minoru stands as an experiment in how we can improve accessibility and hold inclusion to a high level for people of all ages, identities, and cultures," says Henderson. And then there's the Coronation Park Sports and Recreation Centre, which, while not the first project for hcma in the province, was the launchpad for hmca's expansion in Alberta and the opening of its Edmonton office. Working alongside DUB Architects, and in association with FaulknerBrowns Architects, hcma was tasked with designing a community hub for all ages – a challenging task as the Centre is also home to a velodrome. "Traditionally a velodrome is not a community building. It's a high-performance sports facility. Yet the City of Edmonton asked us to mesh this with a community centre, so it was interesting to get the balance and understand the delicate compromises needed to be made to make that happen," explains Fast. As hcma continues to put the pedal to the metal to push the boundaries of architecture across Canada, for the team it's often the small wins that really ignite the fire within … like their impact on washroom design. Once overlooked, hcma works hard on creating designs that work for all and in doing so are changing the way washrooms are now considered within the design process. They have come a long way, but the hcma team – always curious – is also at the beginning of a new journey of sorts. "As we continue to apply our social impact framework more broadly, I'm excited to see how that will transform our practice and the industry. Growing our team is a big part of our culture. As we continue to collaborate with our people, our clients, and the industry, I'm looking forward to seeing where we can take this," says Henderson. A Mill Woods Library, Seniors' + Multicultural Facility Minoru Centre for Active Living More Awesome Now Laneway Activation Jasper Place Library

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