Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/493534
8 | A PR IL 2015 W here does creativity spring from? Every architect has an opinion or two about the topic, but they would probably agree that a single-minded drive to create functional spaces isn't exactly ideal breeding ground. Those who subscribe to that theory would therefore, after perusing the eye-popping portfolio of Group2 Architecture Interior Design Ltd., assume that the firm's sole purpose is to make visual statements. Nothing could be further from the truth. The firm's designers may have a flair for the artistic, but Group2's leadership has grounded its reputation in the no-non- sense world of delivering functional environments that are economically attainable to clients. It's just that in doing so, Group2 has also graced the Alberta landscape with the most remarkable-looking structures in the educational, municipal, cultural and health-care sectors. Moreover, principals Craig Webber and Doug Ramsey, and their Group2 colleagues, firmly believe that spectacular design can flow naturally from a devotion to function. And the proof is incontestable. Consider the enormous inverted cone structure of the Physical Activity and Wellness (PAW) Centre at the University of Alberta, completed in May of last year. The cone is a bold landmark as well as an impressive feat of engineering, and the design evolved from Group2's determination to fulfill a host of practical goals. First and foremost, the shape proved to be the ideal housing for PAW's climbing wall. Secondly, with its narrow base, broader shoulders and rounded corners, the cone achieves a campus mandate to maintain clear pedestrian sightlines. "Plus, it's a great entrance for the five different buildings comprising PAW," says Ramsey. "But we never thought of the shape first. Instead, we concentrated on how to organize the five buildings, and how to accommodate a climbing wall. We also wanted PAW to be built as easily as possible – and the cone was the outcome." Ramsey's latter remark reflects another Group2 trait that is unusual from a traditional architectural standpoint: the active attempt to make things easy for builders. From Webber's perspective, striving towards this objective is just plain common sense for the Group2 team. "Architectural complexity usually translates into high costs, and that's something developers can do without," he explains. "Take our work on Northgate and Meadows: they both look dramatic, but they're actually very simple forms. One is a clear horizontal slab, and the other is a series of boxes elegantly put together." Webber is referring to Edmonton's Northgate Transit Centre Building (completed Prairie Pioneers Group2's focus on function makes for dazzling structures by ROBIN BRUNET