Hamilton

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

Pier 8 is artificial land, created on what was once the water of Burlington Bay, in the City Hamilton, birthplace of Bruce Kuwabara. West Harbour is the west end of Lake Ontario which was once a glacial lake, Lake Iroquois. KPMB curated an integrated team of four local and national architects to prepare the winning design competition for a master plan vision to transform Pier 8. It will be a new great neighbourhood where people and families can live rich and productive lives; engaged with a community that is inclusive, open and accessible, and an exemplar of what it means to live in Canada as a model of democracy in the 21st century. The collective architecture for Pier 8 connects people to the fundamental features and phenomena that f... More

The renovation of the Hamilton Public Library and Farmer’s Market was conceived as a design-driven opportunity to spur sustained urban renewal. A 96-meter long, continuous glass vestibule with LED lighting re-establishes the building’s relationship to York Street, while the interior executions are geared around elevating the library’s functionality to modern European standards. An emphasis on transparent materials facilitates a conversation between the library and adjacent market, which received a series of service upgrades. More

Hamilton’s downtown renewal is well underway after suffering a fate similar to many post-industrial North American cities during the late 20th century. Notably, its renewal is grassroots, centering on the arts and entrepreneurial communities. A diversity of small, locally-owned businesses have taken root and are leading the economic and urban renewal. When the new owners of the old Tregunno Seeds warehouse began imagining the building’s future, dpai were asked to lead the initiative. The former seed warehouse had established itself as a regional hub for farmers, gardeners, and birdwatchers—in this sense it was an important resource to provide support for the productivity of the community. The designers and owners understood this and we... More