Award

AUGUST 2016 | 7 PERSPECTIVE A U G U S T 2 0 1 6 | V O L U M E 3 0 | N U M B E R 4 PUBLISHER Dan Chapman dchapman @ canadawide.com EDITOR Natalie Bruckner-Menchelli nbmenchelli @ canadawide.com ART DIRECTOR Scott Laurie slaurie @ canadawide.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Robin Brunet Godfrey Budd Laurie Jones Stacey McLachlan Dan O'Reilly Jacob Parry Susan Pederson Peter Stenning Martha Uniacke Breen PRODUCTION MANAGERS Kristina Borys Kirsty Senior Candice Ui ASSISTANT STUDIO MANAGER Mandy Lau ADVERTISING DESIGN Chris Sherwood SALES/PRODUCTION LIAISON Ina Bowerbank IMAGING TECHNICIAN Mandy Lau ACCOUNT MANAGER Alexander Sugden asugden @ canadawide.com ADVERTISING COORDINATOR Allie Davison adavison @ canadawide.com AWARD MAGAZINE HEAD OFFICE 604.299.7311 CHAIRMAN, CEO Peter Legge, OBC, LLD. 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The publishers cannot be held responsible for unsolicited manuscripts and photographs. by MARIA COOK Manager, Communications and Advocacy | RAIC D uring the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada's Festival of Architecture last June, three parking spots in downtown Nanaimo, B.C. were transformed into "parklets" where people sat, drank coffee, read, chatted and checked email. A parklet is an extension of the sidewalk, designed to provide pub- lic space and amenities. Parklets originated in 2005 in San Francisco and since then cities across North America have launched either indi- vidual parklets or full-fledged parklet programs. Designed by high school students – finalists in a Vancouver- Island-wide high school design competition – the parklets proved to be a successful strategy for public outreach. "One of the primary goals of the competition was to engage the community and raise awareness about the importance of public spaces," says David Poiron, a Nanaimo architect, and co-organizer of the competition. "We wanted to advocate for architecture to the public and to make real connections to the community as part of our 2016 RAIC Festival theme connexions." In the end, the community was engaged on all levels; the designs were realized and built by the Vancouver Island University Carpentry Foundation Program; local companies provided plywood and equipment; Vancouver Island architects mentored the stu- dents throughout the process; and the general public enjoyed the parklets as they were intended – for relaxing and socializing. The students took away prize money and valuable lessons about plan- ning, design, teamwork and even concrete skills such as 3D printing and construction. "I can't tell you how impressed I was with the work of the stu- dents," said City of Nanaimo Mayor Bill McKay. "These intimate seat- ing areas were used in the great weather to connect the indoors to the outdoors, the buildings to the street and promote connectivity between people." After consulting with educators, members of the RAIC Vancouver Island chapter decided on a design competition for high school stu- dents because it aligned with the goal of project-based learning set out in B.C.'s new curriculum. Thirty-one teams from across Vancouver Island registered for the design competition when it launched last October, and 19 teams submitted concepts. A jury selected 11 designs to move to the next phase of developing drawings, details and scale models. Last April, three finalist teams were selected, and their designs became reality with the help of architect mentors and carpentry stu- dents. The parklets were displayed on Commercial Street outside the Vancouver Island Conference Centre during the RAIC's Festival of Architecture. The first place award went to Team Monster Club, (students Jasmine Yu and Fo Wu) of St. Michaels University School in Victoria, B.C., where their parklet is now located. Enclosed by white pickets, this abstract garden contained two large leaf-shaped planter seats. Succulent plants grew among beach pebbles set into the planters. Transparent tables hovered over the leaf forms, making a series of small seating areas. Second place went to GISS Junior Design from Gulf Islands Secondary School on Salt Spring Island. The team members were students Patrick Little, Stuart Hambrook and Jackson Sweet. Their urban backyard concept contained a planter bed and built- in tables and roof trellis, all of heavy timber. The parklet contained 22 feet of seating, including benches made of slabs of wood, with trees providing shade. GISS Junior Design's parklet is now located at Vancouver Island University Duncan Campus. "It was such a thrill to see our design built in real life," they wrote to organizers. Third place (as well as the People's Choice Award) went to NC Aspengrove from Aspengrove School in Lantzville. The team was com- prised of students Christopher Dwerryhouse and Nathaniel Maguire. In their design, white planters surrounded an outdoor room opening to the sidewalk. Flowers and grasses reinforced the sense of enclosure. Two booths with round tables and benches offered spaces for small groups. NC Aspengrove's parklet is now located in Qualicum Beach, B.C. RAIC president Allan Teramura was impressed by the "surprising level of sophistication and maturity, given that they were created by kids with no design training. Judging by local media coverage," he added, "the idea that non-professionals, kids no less, could be empowered to make changes in the urban environment clearly reso- nated with people." A Empowering Youth Team NC Aspengrove Team GISS Junior Design Team Monster Club PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY RAIC

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