Scale and Context

Since the dawn of civilization, public buildings have shaped towns and cities, and have provided identity of place for hundreds, sometimes thousands, of years. It is, for example, worthy to note that of the seven ancient wonders of the world, five were buildings. The others (the Colossus at Rhodes and the statue of Zeus at Olympia) would fall into the category of public sculpture.

The Greek temple, the Italian Duomo, the Gothic cathedral, museums, art galleries and opera houses are iconic symbols of cities and enlightened civil/political/religious thinking. In North America, some may even argue that sports venues (Maddison Square Gardens or the Montreal Forum) and transmission towers (CN Tower or the Seattle Space Needle) have provided emblematic recognition of the urban centres in which they are situated.

With the possible exception of The Rooms in St. John’s and perhaps the Fogo Island Inn (although the latter is not a public building per se) urban centres and towns in Newfoundland and Labrador generally do not feature such architectural symbols. And that’s okay to an extent because locals and visitors have come to identify with natural landscapes and heritage precincts of bright coloured clapboard. The architecture of public buildings is not a priority. This truly is a shame, and I hope this post may help explain why.

Continue reading “Architectural Procurement for Public Building Design”

A good architect today must be a generalist, well-versed in space distribution, construction techniques and electrical and mechanical systems, but also knowledgeable in financing, real estate, human behavior and social conduct. In addition, he is an artist entitled to the expression of his aesthetic tenets. He must know about so many specialties that he is sometimes said to know nothing about everything. The engineer, on the other hand, is by training and mental makeup a pragmatist. He is an expert in certain specific aspects of engineering and in those aspects only.

Mario Salvadori, Why Buildings Stand Up (McGraw-Hill, 1980) p. 24.

Continue reading “Architecture as it Differs From Engineering”

I guess as an architect, it’s hard to imagine why many people see architecture and engineering as the same, or perhaps one discipline as simply a subset of the other. It’s somewhat akin to thinking that doctors and chiropractors are really the just the same. This is a ridiculous notion to most.

The distinctions between architects and engineers have always been contentious. It’s that way here in Newfoundland & Labrador, across Canada, and around the world. The problem is exacerbated by engineers, many of whom make every effort to blur the lines between the disciplines so that they can practice architecture. This is not as uncommon as you may think, and the effort along these lines usually peaks when economies tank.

Continue reading “The Evolution of Engineers Practicing Architecture”

There has been a great deal of debate regarding the traffic reconfiguration of Rawlin’s Cross in the heart of St. John’s. The roundabout (of sorts) that is undergoing a trial period, was first criticized for not being fully accessible – and rightly so. The City has now resolved to provide a low back curb (ramp) at the termination of the new crosswalk on Monkstown Road.

The “Cross” has been a bit sad in recent years. It seems as though nobody can make a go of it commercially at 134 or 136 Military Road – the past premises of a copy centre, dry cleaners and a sub shop, just to name a few.

Continue reading “Rawlin’s Cross: Greatest Potential Ever”

I have a dream of a new public library in the downtown. It is an iconic piece of architecture designed by local architects of considerable talent. The Port Authority and Oceanex have come together and offered up a site on the harbourfront, something akin to the spot designated for the Sydney Opera house in 1955. It rivals The Rooms in scale. It celebrates our culture in its context. It demonstrates what political will can accomplish if only it would put aside the pathetic daily squabbling in order to set holistic direction. A democratic direction. The embodiment of inclusion and higher learning.

Continue reading “A Plea for a New Public Library in St. John’s”

Without even having sense enough to realize it, the provincial government appears to be on a mission to stamp out the architectural profession in Newfoundland and Labrador. Ignorance is bliss as the saying goes, and our current crop of politicians is every bit as clueless as their predecessors. If architects could gain status as an animal species, we’d be on the endangered list. There are less than fifty registered architects based in this province. Of that number, only about half currently have meaningful (i.e. profitable) work. And that number, under the crushing economic times we find ourselves in, is likely to shrink further.

Public buildings generate more work for architects than anything else. Thus it ever was. That is why governments (federal, provincial and municipal) are such coveted clients. But being reliant on government work can be extremely risky for architects, especially when the funding taps are turned off. New governments have a penchant for doing this. They want to demonstrate how fiscally responsible they intend to be.

Continue reading “Local Architects Soon to be Declared Extinct”

”A great work of architecture will speak to us of a degree of serenity, strength, poise and grace to which we, both as creators and audiences, typically cannot do justice – and it will for this very reason beguile and move us.  Architecture excites our respect to the extent that it surpasses us.”

Alain de Botton; The Architecture of Happiness

Setting down rules for urban architecture could be akin to walking through a minefield.  Beautiful cities – Paris, Rome, Edinburgh, San Francisco, Bath, Sienna, Sydney, New York – all have completely different reasons for their attractiveness.  Some defer to order and regularity, others rely on their antiquity, and others delight in their eclecticism.  Many of us know what we like and what we don’t like.  Many simply don’t care or do not stop to consider.  However, most everyone enjoys cities that are vibrant, although this appeal is even more difficult to assess – influenced by climate, social maturity and the economy.

Continue reading “Building Aesthetics and “Quality Urban Design””

I spend a great deal of time in my workshop these days. Working alone with no particular deadline induces a particularly contemplative atmosphere. I am no longer focused on what other people think. As I trundle along on various projects and continuously examine the tools at my disposal, my mind drifts into that sphere where I consider only what it is that I should think. I’ve reached that point in my life.

The other day I had to assemble something or other. Can’t be specific. I seem to be routinely assembling things purchased. Things that I need. Or stuff my wife gets from Wayfair. They always seem to have just what she needs. And of course there’s the miniature ziplock plastic bag with the ubiquitous Phillips screws – an indication that this whatchamacallit came from the good ole US of A.

If I am close to a hardware store prior to any sort of assembly, I invariably take the representative size Phillips screw there to replace the manufacturers’ fasteners with the ones I prefer: Robertson. Having found the suitable replacements, the Phillips screws all go where they belong. In the garbage.

Akin to a wine snob, I am a screw snob.

Continue reading “The Politics of Screwing”

There’s a prevailing sentiment about luck: to paraphrase, you make it happen. You can sit around and wait for something to come your way. Or you can choose to spend the time and make the effort to chase after it.

Architects are consultants that tackle problem-solving in three dimensions. They are visualizers. Some are considered to be visionaries. Others have even proven themselves to be. The impact of the built environment on mankind is profound, especially as we will soon pass the point where more of us live in cities than in the country. The skills that architects bring to the equation are considerable. Continue reading “Unsolicited Proposals”

The specifications that I wrote for aluminum composite panels (ACP) were very detailed. They were also very specific that in that whatever was proposed by the contractor, it would have had to have passed the testing required by CAN/ULC-S134 for:

1. Flame Spread Distance: flaming on or in the wall test assembly could not spread more than 5.0 metres above the opening during the test procedure, and
2. Heat Flux: during the flame exposure on the wall assembly could not be more than 35 kW/m² measuring 3.5 metres above the opening during the test procedure.

Now this is getting a bit technical, but I can assure that if this was the case for Grenfell Tower, the fire would have been limited to one or two storeys.

Continue reading “Grenfell Tower Disaster, Part II: What Happened? Could it Happen Here?”