Canada

Moncton, the largest city in New Brunswick, Canada, is unlike any city in the nation. It features the bustling city life of Toronto or Vancouver, while surrounded by large waterways and coniferous landscapes. It truly is a one-of-a-kind city filled with artistry; some created by humans and others carved into existence by nature (like the Hopewell Rocks just 30 minutes from the city). Additionally, the maritime province is an excellent place to enjoy fresh seafood thanks to the large bodies of water that flow to Moncton’s shores from the North Atlantic Ocean. Known as the “Hub City” to locals, the area is centrally located to some of Canada’s best sights throughout the New Brunswick and Nova Scotia provinces. ... More

This concept design for a pediatric care and community center in Canada near Toronto was completed for Grandview Kids, a non-profit organization that provides family-centered care for children and youth with physical, communication, and developmental needs. The competition for this design was highly selective in order to ensure the best possible outcome for future patients and staff of the proposed facility. Partnering with NEUF Architect(e)s, C& Partners worked in initial concept development, massing, and façade design, and spearheaded the interior design using principles of salutogenic design and concept-driven decisions to achieve exciting and highly functional results. Caption Two key considerations were present during... More

Those who love nature belong in Riverview New Brunswick Canada; at least according to the locals. The name lends itself to the views one can expect while in Riverview, as the Petitcodiac river runs above and around the city. Whereas the Acadian Forest surrounds the southern end of the area with luscious coniferous and deciduous trees to bring high air quality to individuals who are so lucky to experience it. Within Riverview, NB, is a newly developed apartment complex. The 5-story complex is home to 74 residents with unobstructed views of the Petitcodiac River. Situated just minutes from the Route 112 & Route 114 highways, residents have easy access to downtown Moncton, New Brunswick. Moncton, which is otherwise known as “Hub Cit... More

At the gateway to Algoma University in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, currently stands Shinhigwauk Hall, the former residential school where children from 184 First Nations communities across Canada were taken from their parents, families, culture and communities. Since the school’s official closure in 1970, the Children of Shinhigwauk Alumni Association, the survivors of the school, have been working with Algoma University to heal this place, and work toward reconciliation through the vision of a cross-cultural learning centre – a facility of healing, cultural preservation, dialogue and transformation. A new heart for the campus, the design intent of the Makwa Waakaa’igan Indigenous Centre of Cultural Excellence is to provide... More

The Université de l'Ontario français (UOF) is Ontario’s first French-language university governed for and by Franco-Ontarians. Rooted in downtown Toronto’s East Bayfront, an emerging start-up and innovation neighbourhood, the 50,000 sf campus is home to the mobilization and creation of French-language education in Ontario. Occupying the entire second floor of a mixed-use building, Gow Hastings Architects designed the inaugural campus to retain existing industrial elements while introducing a new vision for academic design focussed on student-faculty interaction.  Tom Arban The design embraces the irregular shape of the building, its exposed concrete walls and structure to embody the spirit of the surroun... More

Assembledge+ has continued its ongoing collaboration with Cactus Restaurant Group in support of the Vancouver-based company’s expansion into Canada’s eastern provinces. Michael Weschler Michael Weschler This expansion includes the new 17,000 sf flagship location of their award-winning Cactus Club Café fine-dining concept at the Sherway Gardens entertainment complex in the city’s western suburbs. Looking to build on the success of their downtown Toronto flagship, the goal was to export the brand’s hallmark formula of upscale, inventive, and global cuisine paired with a high-energy, high-design setting to a suburban location accessible to a new segment of the city’s residents. Michael Weschle... More

The new Niagara College Welland Campus Student Commons establishes a welcoming heart within the sprawling, decentralized campus, establishing a flexible gathering place where students can study, collaborate, eat and socialize. In addition to enhancing student amenities, the project upgrades the 1970s era campus with a new north-facing entrance, enhances both wayfinding and branding with a bold graphic treatment, and opens the building to natural light and external views. Scott Norsworthy At the apex of a complex of dark, narrow corridors from previous renovations and additions, the project involved demolishing some tight spaces, improving wayfinding, and introducing natural light to the dated campus. The new 35,000 sf double-height sp... More

Located in Vieux-Rosemont, nearby the Promenade Masson, the new DESK architectes workshop is right in the heart of the neighborhood where it was born. Wishing to operate a place of meetings and collaborations evocative of their beliefs regarding the city, the group of architects chose to settle in a place directly connected to the street; an active and proactive postulate towards the effervescence of Montreal. The chosen place is characterized by high ceilings of over 13 feet, raw materials and generous windows. The exposed structure reveals an imposing poured concrete cross-wall, a polished concrete floor slab and visible mechanical elements. The objective of creating a first tailor-made workshop for DESK was to provide the firm with the... More

Award-winning architecture firm Studio JCI recently completed Hill & Dale, a 75,000-square-foot mixed-use development at the corner of Yonge and Roxborough Street in Toronto’s prestigious Rosedale neighbourhood. The eye-catching project accommodates retail, offices and residences, transforming a nondescript three-storey office block into a dynamic new six-storey building. Hill & Dale not only reflects a global trend in the design and construction industry, which favours working with existing structures as opposed to building new, but it also takes a highly creative approach to City of Toronto’s mid-rise guidelines, opting for a form that is far more varied than many of the cookie-cutter mid-rise developments in the city.... More

Our own human body reveals that beauty or health is symmetrical, balanced, and ordered. The smallest intervention project of Atelier RZLBD to date, the AK Room is a spatial experimentation of these values, converting a typical clinic room of an insignificant footprint (6’ by 10’) into one that transcends its physical boundary and inspires a deeper sense of well-being. Expressing the idea of “care” beyond clinical service, the room is composed of two symmetrical “hands” coming together from above and below, embracing a body in the very center. The materials of the ceiling (wood) and the floor (tile) extend on the two side walls up to the ribbon mirror in the middle, forming a U-shaped bottom and its counte... More

Twosome House is a two-storey, 540-square-metre Etobicoke home designed for a family of five. Following in the tradition of Louis I. Kahn, floor plans are defined by precise regulating lines. Two axes divide the property into distinct zones, with rooms plotted according to their program. This organization of “public/private” & “servant/served” spaces establishes a clear sense of order throughout the home. Borzu Talaie The first of the project’s dividing lines runs north to south. Upon approach, the structure presents as two distinct volumes: a stuccoed rectangular western block, and a square-shaped eastern wing clad in stone veneer. This two-part configuration separates family-oriented areas (kept to... More

Connect Communities is a transitional residence for those recovering from Acquired Brain Injuries or Stroke. The Hamilton facility is their first in Ontario, using a new treatment model that creates a residential environment with 42 bedrooms and ensuites, as well as communal living areas connected by amenity spaces and offices.   This past January, we photographed the interiors of the facility with dpai architecture before it was fully occupied, to avoid being disruptive to the staff and the residents. My approach was to highlight the clean and simple, yet warm design of the space. In several rooms, the views of the windows were framed carefully to highlight the architecture of the other wings of the building.   Despite the di... More