Despite the snow and cold weather, construction has been moving ahead on the Meadows Recreation Centre and Library on the northeast corner of 17th Street and 23rd Avenue in Edmonton. You can see finish elements, such as the wood ceilings, emerge as the interior spaces become protected by the expansive roofs. [ CLOSE ]

David Staples wrote this week how Edmonton might use narrow lots to go about increasing the density of it's mature neighbourhoods. http://bit.ly/PXgs2t This proposed solution looks very different than the pictures posted about a week earlier in the journal. If you missed it, these were photos showing front facing suburban style garages, and they had Group2's Barry Johns quickly responding in the opinions page. http://bit.ly/RK2zCZ

First of all, the argument for density is made many times over by others, ie. http://www.urbandesign.org/density.html But it really hits home after the snowstorms this week, where more dense, walkable communities means fewer cars on the roads to idle in traffic and cause accidents.

A couple solutions presented by Tegan Martin-Drysdale of Red Brick are far from the suburban garage idea so feared by the neighbourhoods. She rightly points out that such housing types are not going be adopted overnight, but they are excellent precedents to start change in motion. her article can be found here: http://redbrickinc.ca/?p=120

One thing to add, would be to highlight the proximity and relationship of the living quarters to the street, and imagine how that changes the 'feel' of the street. In each of the precedents, the public areas, (or the areas where guests are welcome) are pushed to the front of the house, to fairly close proximity to the street. This gives a human face (perhaps literally) to the house, and thereby it increases safety by having more eyes on the street. This in turn influences how 'welcome' a neighbourhood feels – regardless of where the garage is.

photo credit:Greenfab via: redbrick [ CLOSE ]

“Old ideas can sometimes use new buildings. New ideas must use old buildings.”

Jane Jacobs in the Death and Life of Great American Cities

The Ukrainian Canadian Archives & Museum of Alberta is a blend of both new and old, and nowhere will this be more evident than through the original brick walls. Unsurprisingly, a project re-purposing a building as old as this old hotel is a challenging proposition.

Commonly over time, buildings are adapted to new uses - windows are filled in, and walls are changed. Occasionally one has to be a detective, but the changes are often evident, even years after. One of many such changes to this building was where the basement was dug under the original hotel, long after it was built. As you might imagine, this did not enhance the structural integrity of the building. In fact, it made retaining one of the central brick walls very difficult. Adding to the degree of difficulty is that the wall was hollow, from the basement up to the roof - 4 floors above. The wall had actually functioned as a chimney, and was in poor shape.

The solution was to remove sections of the bricks, build in reinforcement and pour concrete. This had to be done one section at a time. If concrete was simply poured from the top, the pressure would blow out the brick at the bottom. Not to mention that the wall was no longer supported by the original structure. The Delnor crew (very safely) reinforced the wall back to the remainder of the building, and section by section, rebuilt the wall from the bottom, all the while filling it with concrete. The final result is a much stronger brick wall that will serve as the central corner to the new gallery spaces and be a feature at the main entrance.
[ CLOSE ]

The Toronto contingent from Perkins + Will has been in Edmonton recently – remaining involved in the regular reviews of the rapidly expanding structure on the south side of Edmonton. After some early challenges due to significant water presence on site, construction on the Meadows rec centre continues to move swiftly.

The exciting activity recently has been centred on lifting one of the main scuppers into place. Three cranes performed a precise ballet, coordinating to install the giant prefabricated piece and its supporting structure. The scupper, 18,000lbs, and large enough to stand in, will collect and direct all of the water from the green roof over the library.

All of the Glulam beams (laminated wood) are wrapped in white tarpaulin to protect them against damage and weather, but they will eventually be exposed, and will be visible to the interior as a visible expression of the structure.
[ CLOSE ]

In Seville, Pedro Kok has created a video-narrative exclusively for Domus Metropol Parasol by Jürgen Mayer H.: a giant-scale structure that, like Santiago Calatrava’s nearby El Alamillo suspension bridge, emerges forcefully from the urban fabric. According to Kok, Parasol is a kind of architectonic promenade that physically transports people over city rooftops, offering an unexpected point of view. He raised thousands of controversies among politicians and experts, but residents have successfully adopted it, rediscovering a square in the historic town which for years had been relegated to the parking. Check out the video at the link below. [ CLOSE ]

From the CISC Awards 2009 - Sustainability Category, this video features Triffo Hall at the University of Alberta, a building still being toured today which showcases its re-use of materials, specifically the steel structure. [ CLOSE ]

Triffo Hall: Re-use of existing Steel

This month on Architectural Record's Building Types Study features K-12 schools. Very thought provoking interesting design work from all over the United States that exemplifies learning in the 21st Century. [ CLOSE ]

Landry High School - Eskew Dumez Ripple

This article providing information about "A Better World" and the support it provides marks 20 of service for the charity organization. Group2 has been consistently involved in the many projects in Africa over the last 5 years, donating both architectural services and funding to build a better life for people in Africa. [ CLOSE ]

The National Building Code, National Fire Code, and National Plumbing Code are scheduled for publication in November 2010, incorporating over 800 technical changes. It looks like the 2011 NECB will be 25% better than the 1997 code. [ CLOSE ]

M.A.D.E. in Edmonton will kick off Edmonton Design Exposed (EDE) with an opening reception showcasing a retrospective exhibit of the last decade of M.A.D.E. events at the Art Gallery of Alberta on October 14 2010. They will be exhibiting all things M.A.D.E., including an expansive display of the past film screenings, exhibitions, symposiums, street furniture competitions, and, of course, lectures. Join MADE as they reminisce about how this volunteer group has evolved since its inception, and how Edmonton has evolved and changed simultaneously. [ CLOSE ]

MasterFormatTM is a master list of numbers and associated titles classified by work results used to organize specifications (ex. 04 20 00-Unit Masonry). It was created by Construction Specifications Canada and the Construction Specifications Institute (USA).

Recently, MasterFormat 2004 has been updated. Major changes include an entirely new division (Division 46–Water and Wastewater Equipment), revisions to Division 44–Pollution and Waste Control Equipment, and sections related to polished concrete.

The changes found in MasterFormat 2010 Update are the first under a new annual revision cycle that incorporates suggestions by design/construction professionals.

Steve Londry, Specifications Writer
[ CLOSE ]

The 13th Annual Sustainable Building Symposium was held in Edmonton on May 11&12, and in Calgary on May12 &13. As an Intern Architect from the Edmonton Studio, I attended the Edmonton session as a volunteer, and was privileged to experience a well-run event that included engaging and informative presentations from leaders in the field of sustainable design. It was also a great opportunity to network with like-minded individuals, and be energized by new ideas about up-coming technologies, strategies, and emerging paradigms in ‘green’ building. The kick-start to the symposium was the innovative keynote address by Jay Ingram (of Discovery Channel fame) in conjunction with the band ‘The Turbines’ from Calgary. They delivered a musically inspired message that set the tone for the remainder of the program. It was a great experience, and I would encourage participation in next year’s event either as a delegate, speaker, or volunteer!

Eleanor Hopkins, Intern Architect [ CLOSE ]

New book published by Princeton Architectural Press on LEED and building materials and how different building material relates to specific credits and how much each material can contribute to your overall point total. [ CLOSE ]

Seattle design/build firm BUILD LLC has a great blog that is updated twice a week. They blog about overall design culture that is affecting and influencing their work but they also show off their work and attempt to demystify the hiring of an architect and the design/build process that they take each client through. They design, build and have their own custom cabinet shop that does well crafted simple millwork. There are some great posts on the 'Process of Architecture' and a 'Construction Cost Cheat Sheet' - check it out. [ CLOSE ]

BUILD cabinet shop - wine rack

A great article at Planetizen on how the reforming of transportation policies can have a great impact on Sustainable Development than LEED Certification. [ CLOSE ]