Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/175815
OCTOBER 2012 / VOLUME 26 / NUMBER 5 PERSPECTIVE EDITOR ART DIRECTOR CONTRIBUTING WRITERS by Leslie M. Klein, FRAIC Architecture Canada | RAIC Regional Director for Ontario Southwest It's the Architecture (that) Matters I love my role as an architect and the experience of creating Eventually, the development is approved in some form – either spaces that inspire. The complex process of design, drawing by the local council or an appeals body. and construction fills me with joy and wonder. Precious little is said about the architectural form of the project, However, one aspect of the process – the public meeting – or its impact on the site and the immediate surroundings, or the is unsatisfying. future life of the community around it. There is little discussion In principle, this approach to public engagement is laudable, about the way in which the building engages the street and involving affected persons in the decision-making process and reinforces pedestrian life around or analysis of how the building engaging the public in discourse about the direction of the built contributes to a sustainable future. There are no kudos for how the environment. In practice, though, the built form of a proposed building may contribute to organic or holistic change. development often does not The good news is that some architects, even enter into the discussion, developers, residents, municipal planners, or if it does only tangentially. lawyers and local councillors have changed Public meetings have the nature of these discussions, and have become pro forma. The tone is begun to use public meetings to create bridges. often hostile, as exemplified They have also insisted the conversation be by one public meeting where about creating a common vision for their 30 people showed up wearing communities, one which reaches beyond the T-shirts printed with the word proponent's property lines and beyond dry 'NO' in bright red letters! statistical analysis. The proponent (developer, They recognize the development process institution or corporation) is involves synthesizing many often-conflicting accused of 'getting away with' parameters into a solution that can address a development inappropriate most of the community's concerns and most for its surroundings. of the needs of the proponent. Out of this There are expressions approach has come the realization that the of outrage, and concerns built form of developments can play a key about traffic, height, density, role in spanning the differences between the shadowing and loss of privacy, parties. inadequate community In fact, architects, uniquely among the facilities and services, other players, have the skills and the vision to the negative impact on expand the scope of the discussions to include surrounding property values, the broader issues that their projects address. and an influx of crime and As experts in their field, they can challenge the – Leslie M. Klein, FRAIC other social problems. other parties to come to the table armed not The discussion devolves with numbers but with ideas, not with fears into arguments about numbers but with hopes, not with negativity but with a – how many units and parking commitment to building consensus that could spaces, storeys and height in make a proposal better architecturally and also metres, floor space index, site coverage, percentage of landscaped allow it to contribute positively to its surroundings and to the future open space, etc. of the community. There are demands for compensation to the community for Architecture matters – and architects should lead the negative impacts through 'contributions' – development charges, discourse about the future development of our communities. We service levies, community benefit contributions, payments in lieu of are uniquely qualified to do so and should not shy away from the parkland, etc. challenge. ■ "In fact, architects, uniquely among the other players, have the skills and the vision to expand the scope of the discussions to include the broader issues that their projects address. As experts in their field, they can challenge the other parties to come to the table armed not with numbers but with ideas." 6/ p.06-07RAIC.indd 6 CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER PRODUCTION MANAGER STUDIO MANAGER ASSISTANT STUDIO MANAGER PRODUCTION COORDINATOR PRODUCTION SYSTEMS MANAGER ADVERTISING PRODUCTION ELECTRONIC PRODUCTION SENIOR IMAGING TECHNICIAN ELECTRONIC IMAGING PUBLISHER ACCOUNT MANAGER ADVERTISING COORDINATOR Shannon Miller Laurel MacLean Angela Altass Bill Armstrong John Atkinson Luigi Benetton Robin Brunet Godfrey Budd Stacey Carefoot Stefan Dubowski Jerry Eberts Laurie Jones John T.D. Keyes Lauren Kramer Helen Lammers-Helps Dan O'Reilly Christine Peets Don Procter Irwin Rapoport Leslie C. Smith Pamela Tourigny Kim Wooder Chris Bolin Suzy Williamson Kristina Borys Mandy Lau Julie Reynolds Kim McLane Allison Griffioen, Mandy Lau, Chris Sherwood Ina Bowerbank Debbie Lynn Craig Bernhard Holzmann, Laura Michaels Dan Chapman Alexander Sugden Queenie Blumenthal AWARD MAGAZINE – HEAD OFFICE Phone 604.299.7311 Fax 604.299.9188 CHAIRMAN, CEO PRESIDENT SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT/ EDITORIAL & CUSTOM PUBLISHING VICE PRESIDENT/PRODUCTION VICE PRESIDENT/FINANCE VICE PRESIDENT/SALES VICE PRESIDENT/MARKETING & DIGITAL MEDIA VICE PRESIDENT/ DIGITAL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT VICE PRESIDENT VICE PRESIDENT DIRECTOR OF CIRCULATION DIRECTOR OF SALES OPERATIONS DIRECTOR OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY EDITORIAL OPERATIONS MANAGER DIGITAL MEDIA Peter Legge, obc, lld. (hon) Gary Davies Kathleen Freimond Corinne Smith Farnaz Riahi, ca Karen Hounjet Holly Pateman Shannon Emmerson Samantha Legge, mba (on leave) Rebecca Legge (on leave) Scott Wheatley Rhea Attar Mike Packer Mike Roberts Piushi Ariyawansa, Yau Bing Chong, Kristen Hilderman, Elaine Linsao, Lisa Manfield, James Marshall, Huong Nguyen, Michael Small, Candice Ui, Alonso Ysa SENIOR MARKETING/SPECIAL EVENTS MANAGER Tamara Johnston (on leave) MARKETING MANAGER Joanne Da Silva MARKETING COORDINATOR Natasha Gowda MARKETING & MEDIA STRATEGIST Casey Crawford TECHNICAL SUPPORT ANALYST Brian Fakhraie APPLICATION SUPPORT ANALYST Eileen Gajowski ACCOUNTING Rita French, Eileen Gajowski, Joy Ginete-Cockle, Terri Mason, Sonia Roxburgh, Jocelyn Snelling CIRCULATION MANAGER Tracy McRitchie CIRCULATION Ashley Cleggett, Millie Coskun, Ginger Jessamine, Kelly Kalirai, Ruth Pisko, Isabelle Ringham EXECUTIVE ASSISTANTS Heidi Christie, Jackie Lee RECEPTION Maria Vlasenko Award magazine is published six times a year by Canada Wide Media Limited. 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. OCTOBER 2012 9/11/12 11:29 AM