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OCTOBER 2017 | 7 Bortolotto Architecture and Interior Design Bortolotto is a think tank architecture firm with a difference by NATALIE BRUCKNER-MENCHELLI A few days before his untimely death, Gaetano (Guy) Bortolotto spoke a few words to his daughter that resonated so deeply they would shape her life forever. "I was at university when my father, a talented carpenter and wood sculptor, died suddenly at the age of 51. Three days before his death he said to me, 'be the best that you can be' and 'be your own boss.' I took this to heart and remem- bered this throughout my entire education and career," says Tania Bortolotto, owner of Toronto-based Bortolotto Architecture and Interior Design, a firm that primar- ily focuses on the design of complex projects for institutional multi-layered clients. After completing two architecture degrees, one at the University of Toronto (Uof T) and one at Ryerson University, she went on to work with Diamond Schmitt Architects, Kohn Shnier Architects and Teeple Architects, but her father's words had created such an impact that she decided it was time to start on her own. "I didn't have a penny to my name," laughs Tania Bortolotto. "I had no clients or work and spent half the time on the phone begging people for work and half the time drawing, but I just knew it was something I needed to do. In my first year of busi- ness I grossed $10,000." The hard work eventually paid off. Today, Tania Bortolotto and her 10-person team are part of a very successful business that specializes in finding innovative approaches to solving problems for sectors including academic, childcare, govern- ment, private healthcare and workplace interiors. "I feel Bortolotto has had a very personified evolution. In its infancy there was a bold perseverance established through both trials and tribulations, and as we con- tinue to grow our philosophy remains the same: to lift up the human experience and enhance happiness, health and productivity," she says. In fact, calling Bortolotto a firm seems a little out of place. It is more of a think tank for architecture and interior design. "We want the individuals we serve to soar in the spaces we design and in the process along the way. It is our responsibility as architects to create a built environment with awareness and consideration of the health and well being of every human and community in mind. Our design process begins by placing the human at the centre of every design. Our inspiration lies in the relationship between architecture and the human experience." The firm's philosophy stems from Tania Bortolotto's inherent love of people. As a sociable and compassionate person, she has an empathetic approach that makes her designs naturally evolve. "It seems an obvious statement to say that architecture starts and ends with the human experience, and yet too often this gets overlooked by the many other com- plexities of architecture," she explains. "Architects have been known to design with the focus on a possible award, or how it will look in photographs, or designing to keep up with trends and fashion. Unfortunately, when these are the considerations, the people who use the space can be forgotten." It's obvious that Tania Bortolotto, like her father, understands the importance of forging bonds and building relationships, and that's not just with customers. "We have a brilliant, dedicated, creative problem-solving team devoted to bringing value to the client; this makes us who we are," she says. Among those team members are principal Alex Horber who has been with the firm for 15 years, architect Sara Miatello, who became a friend to Tania Bortolotto dur- ing their Uof T days and later worked with Bortolotto at Teeple's office and Danielle Braemer, the director of marketing and business development. It's a tight knit group and there is a certain energy when you walk into the office on College Street in Toronto that hits you like a breath of fresh air. It's quirky, inven- tive, fun and truly inspirational, and its work environment exudes this in buckets. Take the old style double door elevator to the fourth floor, walk through the large sandblasted glass entry that features a large heavy modern wood door and you will be greeted by Molly, a soft coated wheaten terrier. Inside, the office is a bright, open, post-and-beam loft space, where the team col- laborate on design and offer support and inspiration. "Because of the open work plan, we have developed close friendships and a team approach to our designs. There is a steady pleasant buzz of design collaboration and telephone communi- cation with contractors. Bortolotto was also one of the first companies to incor- porate the bench-type collaborative and activity based design work place," says Tania Bortolotto. It's this approach that has helped the team deliver projects that, time and again, adhere to Bortolotto's Four Pillars of Architectural Uplift: Wellness, Wholeness, Lightness and Nature, and kept the team focussed on inspiring humanitas; human nature, civilization and kindness through design and architecture Take the Reach Out Centre for Kids (ROCK – part of the Ontario Early Years Centre), one of Halton region's largest children's mental health facilities. The team at Bortolotto took inspiration for this three-storey, 21,000-square-foot expansion from the large rock formation Ben Bulben in County Sligo, Ireland. The addition pro- vides ROCK with a vibrant, happy, healthy facility designed to give patients a sense of clarity and the community a sense of accessibility. The design of the relocated Burlington Ontario Early Years Centre responds to the Reggio Emilia's philosophy suggesting that the natural development of chil- dren is intrinsically tied to the close relationships they share with the environment. Through careful and specific openings in the building, the Early Years Centre is con- nected to the landscape, allowing nature to penetrate and influence the occupants. Another great example of a project that evokes the four pillars philosophy is the OCAD Rosalie Sharp Pavilion, currently under construction, whose intricate facade is comprised of water-jet cut aluminum panels on a metal sub-structure secured by structural steel outriggers. It's quite something. Soaring Into New Spaces

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