province—we were able to
reverse the decline and actu-
ally create something that was
more successful than we ever
imagined.
How did the Woodward's
project change your practice?
At the time, we were 18 people
doing institutional work. Now
we're 60 people doing complex
rezoning that are all hybrids
of aŒordable housing, mar-
ket housing and retail. We're
doing work in Toronto, Calgary
and Seattle. Our model went
from responding to tenders
like a traditional Žrm to being
involved from the ground up—
determining the civic amenities
that respond to the larger social
issues that come with these
complex projects.
What do you think the role
of an architect should be in a
city like Vancouver?
I think that every citizen has the
responsibility to participate in
conversations on what we want
our cities to look like. As archi-
tects, our role is really deŽned
by our values; mine happen to
be aŒordability and inclusivity.
That means advocating for more
mixed-use projects that include
housing for the less fortunate.
As someone who is literally
drafting future city plans, what
makes Vancouver unique?
Vancouver is one of the most
culturally diverse cities in the
world, and Canada is one of the
most inclusive societies on the
planet. In terms of the real
tanYa GoEhrinG
FACTOID
Gregory's father, Richard, is best known for his redesign of Gastown's streetscape in the early 1970s
F
ew individuals have
shaped Vancouver in
the early 21st century
to the extent that Gregory
Henriquez has. The 53-year-old
architect is the man behind
Woodward's, Telus Garden
and the upcoming Oakridge
redevelopment—each project
transforming neighbourhoods
(or promising to transform
them) in profound ways.
Henriquez joined his
father Richard's Žrm
(then called Henriquez
Partner Architects, and
prior to 1977, Henriquez
and Todd) in 1992, after
graduating from McGill
University with a master
of architecture. He has
helped turned the
Žrm (where Richard,
now 75 years old, still
works) into one synonymous
with complex projects that
combine social aims with
high-end housing—a balanc-
ing act that requires a deft
understanding of politics.
It's been a decade since
your firm won the bid to
design the abandoned
former Woodward's depart-
ment store. Describe what
you saw back then.
The entire site was boarded
up and occupied by activists,
and the neighbourhood was
dealing with an
HIV epidemic
and a serious drug-dealing
problem. Through a series
of events—Žrst
COPE's ascent
to power, and then the City's
purchase of the site from the
Gregory Henriquez
the managing director of henriquez partners architects on the legacy of
woodward's and the political balancing act of building in vancouver
by Jacob Parry
THE CONVERSATION
Major
henriquez
ParTners
ProjecTs
2004 BC Cancer Centre
2010 Woodward's
Redevelopment
2013 60 West Cordova
2013 Brewery
District, New
Westminster
2015 Telus Garden
2018 Oakridge
redevelopment
2020 Honest
Ed's rede-
velopment,
Toronto
octoBEr 2016 BCBusiness 27
