Award

Nicola Valley Institute of Technology, Merritt, B.C. Aberdeen Hall, Kelowna, B.C. BC SPCA Delta, B.C. 10 | AUGUST 2016 Supporting local companies and locally-sourced materials is also very impor- tant to the Meiklejohn team. One company they work closely with is Structurlam, a Penticton and Okanagan Falls-based company that produced some of the first glulam beams and is one of the first manufacture's of CLT (cross-laminated timber). "We want to support local companies that are well respected and so we incorpo- rate glulam in our work when appropriate. We have a lot of experience designing in wood; we were one of the first architects to bring the use of wood in large public buildings such as secondary schools." Jim Meiklejohn refers to his style of architecture as "regionally-appropriate mod- ernism." The firm's focus on a local essence and flavour can be seen in all manner of Meiklejohn Architects Inc.'s projects, from the 6,000-square-foot LEED Gold equiva- lent Beelineweb.com building in the Lake Country that features the locally-sourced glulam beams, a vertical geothermal system and a rainwater collection system that irrigates an organic garden, to the white-painted steel Kelowna Yacht Club that was designed to evoke images of sailing with its simple and elegant use of distinctly nau- tical forms, materials and shapes. In fact, when it comes to intriguing, stand-out projects, Meiklejohn's portfolio is full to the brim, and each one exudes a quality of the firm. Take the Animal Shelters designed for Delta and Maple Ridge, B.C. which feature some of North America's most progressive animal welfare designs and (in Maple Ridge) is Canada's first cer- tified LEED Gold animal shelter. Or the Osoyoos Visitor Centre whose shape was inspired by an Okanagan First Nations pictograph and has uplighting on the ceiling that makes the building a lighthouse to passing motorists at night. Then there's the two-storey Alaskan yellow cedar-clad Nicola Valley Institute of Technology day- care and theatre; a B.C. First Nations provincial institute with campuses in Merritt and Vancouver. And of course, in keeping with the tradition of the firm and harking back to its roots, there's the Aberdeen Hall University Prep School whose campus design incor- porates a formal axial arrangement of buildings along a "bench" in the slope, which encourages a casual but controlled crossover of all student and faculty. The robust materials used in this project – including raw concrete and large timbers – comple- ment the rustic setting. For the team at Meiklejohn, sustainability is intrinsic to their work – for them it's not a trend, nor is it a case of "appearances." Sustainability lies at the core of the firm's practices. To Jim Meiklejohn, it means so much more than being green; it's about achieving the possible, being frugal by lowering capital costs and therefore making it accessible to everyone . . . it's also about learning from the past and think- ing far, far into the future. However, when it comes to environmental foresight, Jim Meiklejohn is rather modest: "I'm not sure if we really stand out on sustainability. There is a lot of good work done out there but we try to avoid getting caught up in overly complex build- ing systems, or green rating systems. Sustainability to me is about simplicity as much as it is about technology and engineering prowess. We have done several LEED buildings, but I have to admit concern about overly-formalized scoring systems and overly-exotic building systems to 'get more green than the other guys.' I think we all feel a bit of shame when we see a building owner or manager struggle to operate their green systems properly." Perhaps then we should allow the qualifications speak to how naturally green fingered this firm is: In 2004, Jim Meiklejohn became the first architect in the B.C Interior to achieve LEED accreditation. Cal Meiklejohn, an early adopter of the sustainable design process, was an original member of the OAQ (Quebec Order of Architects) Green Building Committee in 1992 and then co-chair of the AIBC Energy and Environment Committee in 1998. Speaking with Jim Meiklejohn it's obvious he loves what he does and has a dis- tinct pride in his work, the firm and in his 15-plus staff, who can be found gathering at the "hub" in the centre of their office in one of the oldest buildings in Kelowna. His infectious passion heightens when he talks about the future of the firm, architecture in general and the Okanagan. He gives credit to a new generation of architects who are stepping into lead projects and bringing fresh design ideas and advanced technical skills to the firm. "We are a second generation 'family firm' that does not have a third generation of family in the wings. This means the future will see us change to a more corpo- rate model where we will be taking on more projects that have fantastic potential," he says. As for future of architecture, Jim Meiklejohn firmly believes that it will be more about the performance of the building. "Buildings are being built in a virtual world first and modelled in how they are performing as well as how they look. People want to know how they will work before they build. There is a sense we should be build- ing for longer term." And what about the future of the Okanagan? Jim Meiklejohn says that while the Okanagan is limited in land, natural resources and transportation infrastructure, it has always had an allure as a lifestyle designation that will steer the region onto a different track. "We have been working with Accelerate Okanagan [a local tech start-up support organization] on a new building, nearing completion, called the Okanagan Centre for Innovation that will offer strategic support for entrepreneurs, innovation and tech companies, and create a long-term economic impact in Kelowna and throughout the Okanagan Valley. The digital economy seems to thrive in life- style locations and this fact could very well place the Okanagan as a future key player in the technology sector. We sincerely hope that it does." A Meiklejohn Architects Inc. PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY MEIKLEJOHN ARCHITECTS INC.

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