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OAA Perspectives
The Journal of the
Ontario Association
of Architects
Volume 24, Number 4
Winter 2016/17 $5.00
The Sesquicentennial Issue
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The Sesquicentennial Issue
EDITORIAL
IN THIS ISSUE
6 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
WHAT IS IT ABOUT A 150th anniversary that’s so exciting and engaging? Judging from the
amount of enthusiasm and outpouring of emotion surrounding Canada’s sesquicentennial so far: not
very much.
But it’s a bit early to judge. As I write this, the beginning of the Sesqui Year is still three months
away, and the anniversary date itself is another six months beyond that. But the countdown has
already started. And, by the time you read this, the official festivities should be in full swing.
When we asked our Committee members and regular contributors to jot down their thoughts
on the significance of the sesquicentennial, responses were a little slow in coming. It
seems that a centennial, a bicentennial, or even a millennial, is easy to comprehend: these
are nice round numbers, and there’s usually a huge party. A sesquicentennial, on the other
hand, is a difficult concept to appreciate. It’s halfway between two events, and the word
itself—“ses-qui-cen-ten-ni-al”—even with its innate musicality (in poetic terms: dactylic dimeter),
is not easy to love.
Let’s consider for a moment what 150 years represents. Except for some biblical personalities,
it’s longer than anyone has ever lived. Also, it’s longer than many countries have existed (yes,
and a whole lot less than many others). The oldest animal in the world, Jonathan the tortoise, is
183 years old and still healthy. There is no report on his sesquicentennial birthday, but I bet his
upcoming bi-centennial will be a blow-out occasion.
The sesquicentennial celebration planned by our government will be a year-long extravaganza
of activities and events, including art exhibits, orchestral performances, tall ships, science shows,
travel and exploration. But nothing on the list is even vaguely architectural. So it looks like it’s up
to us to pick up the slack.
One thing you can do is enjoy our feature, which contains the reflections of several thoughtful
writers on the subject of centennials, sesquicentennials and bicentennials. The other thing you can
do, which will show your appreciation for our 150-year-old country and the important contribution
of our profession is to attend this year’s RAIC Festival “Architecture 150,” which will be held in
concert with the OAA Conference, in Ottawa, May 24–27, 2017. Attendance will go a long way
toward keeping us connected with our heritage, our culture and our built environment. That’s when
the celebration will really start. See you there.
12
OAA Perspectives is the
official journal of the
Ontario Association
of Architects
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Fall, Winter ©2016
EDITOR Gordon S. Grice
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President Toon Dreessen shares
Gen X reflections on Expo 67.
9 RESPONSE
Autographed buildings, highrise
architecture in a dystopian
future, Alfred Hitchcock as
architect, and timely advice
from 250 years ago.
12 FEATURE
A compendium of reflections
in celebration of Canada’s
sesquicentennial.
31 FICTION
Another piece of flash fiction
from the OAA Perspectives
Fiction Vault.
38 ONTARIO PLACES
The Toronto Legacy Project
celebrates the home of
Eric Arthur.
COVER IMAGE A PRISMACOLOR SKETCH
BY PAUL STEVENSON OLES, DOYEN OF
AMERICAN ARCHITECTURAL ILLUSTRATORS,
COMMISSIONED BY PETER CHERMAYEFF,
DEPICTING THE PROPOSED INTERIOR
OF THE US PAVILION AT EXPO 67.
38
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Articles from OAA Perspectives
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5
OA A PER SPEC T IVES | WINTER 2016/17
PRE S ID EN T ’ S ME S S AGE
Time Flies
TIME FLIES. THERE IS NO time like
the present. A good time was had by
all. Ahead of one’s time. Big time.
Closing time.
The year 2017 marks a major
milestone in Canadian history. It is
the 150 th anniversary of Confederation
and the 50 th anniversary of Expo
67, the seminal World Expo that put
Canada on the world stage. Arguably,
it was a defining moment for Canadian
architects.
In the early 1960s, the Right
Honorable John Diefenbaker said,
In a few short years, this nation
will be celebrating its Centennial…I
ask that you, the members of this
profession, should play a most
important part, and I ask you…to
present to the Centennial Committee
as soon as possible your views and
suggestions for that celebration…
— quoted in Architecture and
National Identity / Architecture et
identité national: The Centennial
Projects 50 Years On / Les projets du
centenaire 50 ans plus tard catalogue
by Marco Polo and Colin Ripley.
Halifax: TUNS Press, 2014.
This call to action resonates as much
today as it did then. To me, it looks
like we still have this challenge before
us: to show why architecture matters.
It has been said that the Centennial
Projects can be seen as a de facto
attempt to build a national identity
through architecture. Unfortunately, I
missed the Centennial. As a Gen X-er, I
was born after this great celebration,
and came into a world with great
architecture built by and for the
boomers who came before me.
I have been part of the generation
of cynics—the disenfranchised and
educated professionals who have been
raised on mobility of employment,
the internet, CAD and fee-based
competitions for work. I’ve never
known a fee schedule “like the good
old days.”
I listen to elder statesmen talk
wistfully of the spirit of the ’60s. Sure,
it was a time of rampant sprawl, carcentric culture, urban renewal projects
that destroyed historic neighbourhoods
and unfettered use of fossil fuels to
heat, cool and build our cities. It
was also a time when our profession
seemed to peak with creative passion,
a time when we were valued by society
and commanded fees that we can only
dream of today. This was a time when
identities, reputations and ideals
were forged.
Today, I know that much of our
mid-century modern built form needs
renewal; that deep energy retrofits and
adaptive reuse projects are meant to
revitalize these buildings because this
architecture has become part of our
cultural fabric. Stripping out asbestos,
reconfiguring brutalist buildings and
TOON DREESSEN, ARCHITECT
OAA, FRAIC, AIA, LEED AP
PRESIDENT
6
OA A PER SPEC T IVES | WINTER 2016/17
making them more energy-efficient
helps preserve their value to the
public. But how do we preserve
our value to the public? How do we
recapture that spirit of the ’60s?
For this Gen X-er, running a firm of
millennials that is built on the legacy
of founding partners who established
the firm on their successes in the
’60s, ’70s and ’80s, I’m eager to help
forge a new Canadian architectural
identity—one that’s built on the
ideals of our profession, that embraces
new technology, that resets the
conversation with First Nations people
and the environment. I dream of a
future in which architects are valued
members of society in a culture where
a healthy built environment performs
at the highest levels and elevates the
human spirit.
The time is now.
POST SCRIPT:
This is my final President’s Message.
By the time of publication, a new OAA
President will have been elected. I
can’t begin to thank all those who have
been a part of the past two years—
members of Council, committees and
staff—thank you for your patience
and support. To my partners and staff,
thank you for putting up with long
absences; to my family, thank you,
simply, for everything. Most of all, to
the members, thank you for attending
conferences, meetings, society tours;
for sharing your input and ideas, for
working together to raise the profile
of architecture in Ontario, and abroad.
Thank you for raising your voice. z
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07/07/16 4:15 am
RE SP ONSE
LETTER TO
THE PRESIDENT
HELLO,
I just read your “President’s Message”
in the OAA Perspectives Magazine! I
enjoyed it and liked the reference of
“pages and pages of supplementary
conditions” for RFP’s, lol. It’s a
headache to even look at them and I
am not even preparing the proposal…
don’t know how you guys do it!
Regards, Sonia Allaham,
Quality Assurance & Customer
Service Manager, Ottawa
NEW RULE
Some of you will certainly be aware of
the new Toronto city planning policy
that architects will henceforth be
obliged to “sign” their buildings, in the
same way that authors, painters and
sculptors sign their work. As reported
in Metro News,
Great works of art carry the artist’s
signature, and now new Toronto
buildings will do the same. A new
policy prepared by city planners will
ensure new buildings over 1,000
square metres include a prominent
credit to the architect near the main
entrance or on the main facade. 1
The initiative was first proposed
by MPP (and former architect)
Peter Milczyn, but has now been
formalized. In keeping with the theme
“Architecture Matters,” the hope is to
raise the level of discussion of design
in the province.
“Historically, laying the corner stone
of a building was very important,”
said Toon Dreessen, President of the
Ontario Association of Architects.
“We’re hoping this initiative
continues that tradition.”2
HIGHRISE
The name JG Ballard has appeared
on the pages of this magazine as a
writer with distinctly architectural
sensibilities. Now, one of his more
architectural novels has been made
www.oaa.on.ca
into a movie, with director Ben
Wheatley (2015). As with many Ballard
stories, this one takes place in an
imagined future that is initially utopian,
but ultimately dystopian. According to
the promotional material, an ambitious
doctor, Rober Laing, played by Tom (The
Night Manager) Hiddleston, takes up
residence in a luxury highrise apartment
complex, “the epitome of chic, modern
living.”3 Among the “eccentric tenants”
is Anthony Royal, the building’s
“enigmatic architect,” played by
Jeremy Irons.
Life seems like paradise to the
solitude-seeking Laing. But as power
outages become more frequent and
building flaws emerge, particularly
on the lower floors, the regimented
social strata begins to crumble and
the building becomes a battlefield in
a literal class war. 4
Like some other Ballard stories,
this one establishes its setting as
determinant in the story’s outcome.
To the old warning “be careful what
you wish for,” the novel and the movie
add the corollary: “be careful what you
build for.”
THE WRONG HOUSE:
THE ARCHITECTURE OF
ALFRED HITCHCOCK
by Steven Jacobs,
Rotterdam: nai010, 2007
On the same theme—architects
and architecture in the movies—the
jacket copy for this book begins with
the statement: “Alfred Hitchcock is an
architect.” The book describes the role
that architecture plays in Hitchcock’s
films. Having been a set designer
before becoming a director, Hitchcock
maintained an involvement with the
design of his sets and paid special
attention to spaces and details (a
stair or a window) that could generate
drama and emotional responses in his
characters and his audience.
Discussing how Hitchcock’s cinematic
spaces are connected with the
OAA PERSPECTIVES
ADVICE COLUMN
Our guest advisor for this issue is Philip Stanhope,
4th Earl Chesterfield. Advice has been taken
from his letters to his son, never intended to be
published, but published nonetheless in 1774.5
Some of his advice is extremely practical:
“To play a good game of billiards is the sign
of a well-rounded education, but to play
too good a game of billiards is the sign of a
mis-spent youth.”
Other pieces of advice, such as the following,
excerpted from Letter XXXVI, point out how much
our world has changed in 250 years.
DEAR BOY,
Bath, October the eighth, O. S. 1748.
Tell stories very seldom, and absolutely never
but where they are very apt and very short.
Omit every circumstance that is not material,
and beware of digressions. To have frequent
recourse to narrative betrays great want of
imagination…(p. 82)
Loud laughter is the mirth of the mob, who
are only pleased with silly things; for true
Wit or good Sense never excited a laugh since
the creation of the world. A man of parts and
fashion is therefore only seen to smile, but
never heard to laugh. (p. 88)
narrative, the characters, and the
mise-en-scène of his films, Jacobs
also situates these fictitious
buildings in the history and theory
of architecture.
NOTES:
1. “ARCHITECTS ORDERED TO ADD THEIR NAMES TO
TORONTO BUILDINGS: CREDITS ON BUILDINGS
COULD UP THE ANTE FOR DESIGN, EXPERT SAYS,”
CHRIS BATEMAN, METRO, JUNE 21, 2016
WWW.METRONEWS.CA/NEWS/TORONTO/2016/
06/21/ARCHITECTS-ORDERED-TO-ADD-TAGS-TOTORONTO-BUILDINGS.HTML
2. IBID.
3. WWW.WIKIWAND.COM/EN/HIGH-RISE_(FILM)
4. WWW.IMDB.COM/TITLE/TT0462335/
5. FROM: LETTERS WRITTEN BY LORD CHESTERFIELD
TO HIS SON, SELECTED BY CHARLES SAYLE.
LONDON AND NEWCASTLE-ON-TYNE: THE W.
SCOTT PUBLISHING CO., LTD. HTTPS://ARCHIVE.
ORG/STREAM/LETTERSWRITTENBY00CHESUOFT/
LETTERSWRITTENBY00CHESUOFT_DJVU.TXT
9
OA A PER SPEC T IVES | WINTER 2016/17
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CANADA’S SESQUICENTENNIAL
IN
CELEBRATION
OF
QUI
SES
BY GORDON S. GRICE OA A, FR AIC
150th anniversary is certainly something worth celebrating. The question is: how, exactly?
Canada’s 1967 Centennial celebration was a year-long affair, including transitory celebrations
and permanent mementos—buildings, books, parks and memorials—right across the
country. The Canadian and provincial governments spent more than 88 million (1967)
dollars, which equates to roughly 630 million dollars in 2016 currency. As journalist Joseph
Hall has said, in 1967, and the years surrounding it, “the country was awash in architectural exuberance.” 1
This would be a tough act to follow,
under any circumstances, but so far, the
Sesquicentennial Canada 150 Fund has anted
up only 210 million (2016) dollars.
In attempts to understand the nature of
a sesquicentennial, our contributors to this
feature discuss the range of centennial-type
celebrations, including semi-centennial,
sesqui-centennial, and bi-centennial.
Our first two contributors have spent
the past half-century as architects, having
graduated from the University of Toronto
School of Architecture (as it then was) in the
Centennial year—a time of prosperity and
unbounded optimism. In 1967, the profession
was well-defined and job security was
ABOVE PROCLAMATION OF CANADIAN CONFEDERATION.
PHOTO WIKIMEDIA COMMONS, VOYAGER, 20 DECEMBER, 2007
BELOW CANADA OTTAWA PANORAMA.
PHOTO WIKIMEDIA COMMONS, BY G. BARANSKI, MAY, 2009
12
OA A PER SPEC T IVES | WINTER 2016/17
assured. At least, that’s how it seemed. Our
writers share with us the experience of having
practiced for 50 years and, in both cases,
continuing to be active in the profession.
It all goes to confirm that an architectural
education truly begins after graduation.
Our next two contributors share their
experiences as visitors to Expo 67 in Montreal.
CANADA’S
CENTENNIAL
As they both observe, it lived up to the
tradition of other Worlds Fairs, in that it was a
conspicuous celebration of architecture. But
it was also a celebration of nationhood and
of life in general. The connection between
architecture and culture was evident and
undisputed—a connection that is much less
obvious, 50 years later.
The next pair of contributions deal
with the written word. The first essay is a
review of a book written by the father of
one of Canada’s best-loved actors, who
also happens to have been a planner of
Canada’s centennial celebrations. The
author recommends 10 rules for planning a
centennial celebration—we’ve got 50 years
to put them in place. The second essay
www.oaa.on.ca
reveals, among other things, the little-known
fact that Canadian architectural journalism
is only two years shy of celebrating its own
sesquicentennial. It’s instructive to compare
the experiences described in the “Story of an
Architect,”—written by an architect towards
the end of his career, 100 years ago—with
the stories of our 1967 graduates. Things may
change, but circumstances, don’t.
Two more of our contributors look ahead to
the next 50 years. What can we expect? Both
writers believe that the profession will not only
survive, but prevail. One suggests that this
will be accomplished by adapting. The other
suggests that tradition will see us through.
This writer believes that it will require a
lot of both.
In attempts to
understand the nature
of a sesquicentennial,
our contributors to this
feature discuss the
range of centennial-type
celebrations, including
semi-centennial,
sesqui-centennial,
and bi-centennial.
GORDON S. GRICE is editor of OAA Perspectives.
NOTES
1. “SAFDIE, MORIYAMA AND CANADA’S BIG ARCHITECTURAL
DREAMS,” IN THE STAR, JULY 1, 2016.
13
OA A PER SPEC T IVES | WINTER 2016/17
CANADA’S SESQUICENTENNIAL
MY CAREER:
50 YEARS AND COUNTING
BY PAUL ROTH OA A , FR A I C, CL AS S O F 6T7
fter working for Victor Heinrichs (a
50-year practitioner this past year),
I set up a firm with John Knibb:
Roth Knibb Architects—no
Inc. at that time. We practiced
architecture, although I sometimes think that
we didn’t really know what we were doing. I
can remember graduating and thinking “This
is it? I thought I would be prepared to be an
architect when I graduated.” However, we
survived, somewhat under the OAA radar, and
eventually learned by experience, and without
the aid of lawsuits. That firm was wound down
in 2012 after 40 years.
I remember being intimidated by the
spectre of the OAA during those early years,
knowing that we were probably not doing
things right. It was not until Chuck Greenberg
asked me to join the Practice Committee,
despite my protestations of ignorance, that I
connected with the wider architectural world.
That experience, which included 10 years as
chair, was very educational. It convinced me
that all architects should serve some time on
committees for their own professional benefit
as well as the good of the profession.
14
OA A PER SPEC T IVES | WINTER 2016/17
My life as an architect is probably as unique
as that of every other architect. I remember,
while getting my “internship” points, sitting
in on a lecture by a fastidious spec writer from
a large firm. It almost convinced me to walk
away from the profession. His approach was
that every contractor was out to get you and
the only way to survive was to nail him to the
wall with the specifications. I can’t argue that
this is not a useful way to work. It’s just not the
way that I wanted to work. As a result, our firm
operated on a much more cooperative model.
I realize that this was possible because we
were a small boutique firm (approximately 10
people) doing small projects. Contractors were
chosen on the basis of their willingness to work
as a team, as well as on the basis of price and
quality of work. I also emphasized that I was
not superior to the contractor and I was willing
to work as an equal. I credit this approach to
the low tension level I experienced during
the construction phase and the avoidance of
litigation throughout my career.
Having wound down Roth Knibb Architects
Inc. in 2012, I decided to maintain my license
and continue practicing as Paul Roth Architect
Inc. The idea was that I would take on the odd
small project, if it appeared, to keep me from
watching the afternoon soaps on TV. I must
confess that the motivation was based in part
on “self-identifying” as an architect, a life I have
enjoyed. The result has been non-stop work
from morning to night, and frequently turning
down potential projects due to work load.
For the production of contract documents, I
also collaborate with some members of my
former staff.
I’m glad I fell into architecture, despite the
remuneration level. As almost all architects
know, this profession is not a source of great
wealth. Perhaps this is due to our actually liking
what we do, and therefore competing for the
work without commensurate attention to the
financial return. At this point in my career, I’m
comfortable based on outside investments
and purchasing a building on Queen Street
West, when it was a slum. Had I relied solely on
fees, my financial comfort level would not be
nearly as good.
Had I to do it all over again, I would gladly
choose the smaller projects that many
architects reject. They provide an opportunity
LOOKING BACK
ON 50 YEARS
BY JOHN HACKETT OA A, FR AIC, CLASS OF 6T7
I
SKETCH BY PAUL ROTH
to have fun in a way that some larger projects
do not, particularly when the owner has
an emotional as well as a purely financial
investment in the project.
I look back at our archived hand-drawn
drawings with admiration for the skill and craft
involved in their production. When the digital
world became a reality, my partner John Knibb
and I decided that we would be the guinea
pigs for CAD. Unlike any other firm I know, we
learned CAD (ArchiCAD) first, before buying
licences for the staff. So in the early 1990s we
began to work in 3-D. In hindsight, this was a
very wise (lucky?) decision. To this day, I design
starting with bubble diagrams which very
soon morph into simple digital models. These
are of the same nature and complexity as the
venerable cardboard models. As the design
progresses, these models grow in detail and
complexity while providing opportunities for
the client to sit beside me and walk through
and around the developing design. Visualizing
the emerging design in three dimensions is still
as important as it has always been.
PAUL ROTH is a Toronto architect.
www.oaa.on.ca
am grateful to be able to look back on
50 years in architecture, but confess I am
less optimistic about the future of our
profession today than I was 50 years ago.
Fifty years ago, Expo 67 had
put architecture and architects on the
front pages everywhere. It was part of
our country’s celebration of reaching
adulthood. It was also, among other things,
a celebration of architecture. By comparison,
this year the Ministry of Tourism for the
Province managed to exclude architecture
from its Cultural Strategy. The OAA
attempted to get architecture added by
petition, but reportedly got no response.
Regardless of the outcome, the oversight is
in telling contrast to 1967.
Today, too many client organizations see
the need to protect themselves from the
perceived limitations of architects. Again,
the Province has shown its lack of affection
for the profession by enthusiastically
deciding not to engage directly with
architects for major public buildings,
preferring instead to resort to a “P3” or a
Design-Build approach, avoiding the need
to deal with an architect. The public service
sees this as progress/risk management
perhaps. It certainly makes for unengaged
users of our capabilities.
Fifty years ago, a “standard” contract or
client-architect agreement was accepted as
the norm—by both architects and clients.
Today the opposite applies, and architects
cannot keep up with the endless variations
of contracts they are being required to sign
in order to practice their profession (and
perhaps get paid).
And few architects seem to care or be
prepared to say “No!” The need for work (at
any cost) trumps any other consideration.
(Remember when “trump” was an
acceptable word?)
The central character in the 1976 movie
“Network,” played by Peter Finch, started a
populist movement based on his rant: “I’m
mad as hell and I’m not going to take this
anymore!” Times were different then; today
he might be an architect.*
From distant memory, I recall that we may
have been better prepared for some of the
realities of practice (thanks to Professional
Practice courses, Gerry Raymore, Frank Helyar
and others), a full three weeks of OAA courses
over several years as part of the licensing
requirements, with three sets of exams that
had to be passed in order to add “MRAIC”
after our name, MRAIC being automatic for
OAA licensees.
Fifty years ago, they hadn’t invented
the “air barrier,” or “rainscreen” design, or
other elements that are now mandatory for
delivering a code compliant wall. Pre-OPEC, air
and energy transmission through uninsulated
walls helped dry out any moisture that had
inevitably managed to get inside. Today, we
get petri dishes in walls instead. Architects
today need to know more about what they
don’t know, and know how to fill in the gaps—
and they need the resources to pay for the
extra advice.
And back then, we expected that
employment meant we were actually
employees, and might expect to have a career
with a practice. I managed it, more or less,
and am grateful to the clients and colleagues
who made it possible, but I don’t think that is a
normal expectation today.
My mother kept tabs on the reported
rankings of the earnings of various professions,
and took comfort in the fact that architects
seemed to be on a par with doctors throughout
the 1950s, when I started to show an interest in
architecture. But that was before I graduated.
I must have brought the average down when I
started to practice.
*Another memorable and perhaps prophetic
line in the same movie, at least for the writer,
was “Tell Hackett to go to Hell” (or words to
that effect).
JOHN HACKETT is Vice-President, Practice Risk
Management for Pro-Demnity Insurance Company.
15
OA A PER SPEC T IVES | WINTER 2016/17
MY 1967 TRIP TO
MAN AND HIS WORLD
BY BILL BIRDSELL OA A, FR AIC
MONTREAL: HABITAT 67.
PHOTO WIKIMEDIA COMMONS, WLADYSLAW, 15 SEPTEMBER, 2008
A GERMAN POSTAGE STAMP DEPICTING THE GERMAN
PAVILION AND SOME EXPO 67 PASSPORT STAMPS.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE AUTHOR
16
OA A PER SPEC T IVES | WINTER 2016/17
M
y memories of Expo
67 are those of a child
experiencing an amazing
event that was designed to
entertain adults, but to a
child, it was a spectacle filled with larger-thanlife robots and amazing exhibits.
I look back on that visit with a mixture
of pride and nostalgia. It was truly a world
exhibition, a catalogue of displays on a
massive scale. I’ve come to learn since that
the whole thing was designed to reflect the
primacy given to human values. The theme
was “Man and His World.”
I remember vividly the sound that Montreal
subway cars made as they sped down the line
on rubber tires, and then the experience of
arriving at the station and bursting out into
the bright sunshine of a July afternoon.
I recall a large plaza filled with people from
around the world dancing to music, enjoying
the sights and all-round having fun. With
my Expo passport pressed into my hands, I
couldn’t wait to collect stamps from every
country and province.
First to catch my eye was the Great
Britain spire, topped with a ’60s-style threedimensional Union Jack. Inside, the “cave of
history” was filled with the moving images
of kings and armies past, and above it, the
light of the “Genius of Britain” extolled the
country’s recent accomplishments.
The structure representing France was
wrapped in shimmering aluminum fins. The
interior gave way to a presentation of atomic
reactors and museum pieces. The City of
From the top edge
walkway, I had a
spectacular view
across the islands,
and from atop the
viewing platform, I
could see Habitat 67
off in the distance
across the water—every
apartment a house in
the sky, with multiple
views, ventilation and
a garden, achieving
an uneasy balance
between concrete
and nature.
THE CANADIAN PAVILION, EXPO 67, MONTREAL. PHOTO WIKIMEDIA COMMONS, LAURENT BÉLANGER, 24 JAN., 2014
Paris had its own special spot of honour. The
neighbouring pavilions of France and Quebec
remain today in the form of the Casino
de Montréal.
A complex soaring roof floated above a
raised platform of 12,292 tons of Precambrian
rubble in the Ontario Pavilion. A multitude
of Ontario exhibits populated the remainder
of the space. I remember riding the mini-rail
as it snaked its way in and around the small
mountain range of triangular shapes of the
roof. Water was everywhere in this palette of
movement and fun.
The giant inverted pyramid of Katimavik
dominated the Canada pavilion. The interior
featured a Haida mask, adjacent to the
“People Tree” portrait of Canadians at work
and play. Of course, there were the theme
exhibits: Man the Explorer, Man the Creator,
Man the Producer and so on. The overriding
goal was a celebration of the present and
an optimistic view of a future filled with fun.
Canada’s population was a mere 20 million but,
through the course of the exposition, over 50
million people from over 60 countries came to
participate—over half a million in just one day.
From the top edge walkway, I had a
spectacular view across the islands, and from
atop the viewing platform, I could see Habitat
67 off in the distance across the water—every
apartment a house in the sky, with multiple
views, ventilation and a garden, achieving an
uneasy balance between concrete and nature.
The comparisons to the Japanese architecture
movement, Metabolism, would come much
later in my life. As a small child, I had no idea
about its utopian aspirations. To me it was
www.oaa.on.ca
just a monochromatic jumble of Lego on the
horizon that paled in comparison with all the
colour and life below and around me.
Below me, there was a series of small
pavilions, food courts and canals, with people
seeming to dance to the environmental music
as they explored it all. This gave way to the
immense wing of the roof of the Soviet Union
Pavilion—huge and white against the blue
sky—hovering over the silver-gray rectangle
of its exhibition halls. I did not notice or
understand the dates 1917–1967, marking 50
years of the USSR. The Soviet interpretation
of Man and his World was “Man, for the good
of Man.” I recall the large and small models
describing the accomplishments of the Soviet
way of life in science and engineering. This
idealized view of a world was lost on me,
but was understood by my mother, who had
Ukrainian roots.
The huge German tent structure perched
over its site on a number of raked masts. By
day, it was lit by sunlight filtering through the
mesh. By night it just glowed. Miles of cable
made up the mesh, all anchored to the earth.
Statistics like that were everywhere at Expo:
millions of nuts and bolts here, thousands of
cubes there.
Across another canal loomed the great
United States Pavilion, a 250-foot-diameter,
three-quarter-geodesic dome, set in a
garden. During the day it glistened like a
huge bubble in the sky and at night it gave
way to the multicoloured hues of the interior.
Fifty flags flapped in the forecourt entrance,
one for each state (Hawaii and Alaska had
achieved statehood just eight years earlier).
There were small shallow concrete fishponds
as well, or maybe that was the Soviet pavilion.
All I remember are large bumpy sturgeon in
the water. Inside we went past the marines
in their dress uniforms and up the world’s
tallest escalator to the Space Observation
Deck. There were more displays on the
other levels. The exhibit designers had
decided to demonstrate the craftsmanship,
inventiveness and creativity of the American
People. Modern paintings hung alongside
movie star pictures and a wooden sculpture
of a baseball player. Raggedy Ann dolls
and Elvis’s guitar could be found among
spacecraft and artifacts representing the
American dream.
My visit to Expo 67 was quite brief, but
remarkably memorable. I’m amazed how
time stretches to hold such brief but intense
childhood memories—a great contrast to idle
rural summers of the remainder of my youth.
Gone with time are all the memorabilia
of that trip: The metal trays and glassware
emblazoned with images of what I had
seen. Today I am left with memories of a
miraculous time in my life, one that still fills
me with unexpected emotion. It inspired
me to become an architect—a goal that I
achieved despite the fact that I had never
met an architect and did not even know what
they did. This vacuum would be filled by an
education that would begin a decade after
my trip to Expo 67.
BILL BIRDSELL is a Guelph architect,
OAA Perspectives Committee member and
OAA Past President.
17
OA A PER SPEC T IVES | WINTER 2016/17
CANADA’S SESQUICENTENNIAL
EXPO
REMINISCENCES
BY ROCCO MAR AGNA OA A, MR AIC
O
n Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day
2015, I found myself beside
the St. Lawrence River.
Behind me was Habitat, that
architectural and historical
landmark, and in front, Île Notre-Dame and
Île Sainte- Hélène, with the Biosphere, like a
beauty mark, on the horizon. I had come to
Montreal to attend various meetings on the
subject of migration, and from there, make
my way to Milan for Expo 2015, “Feeding the
Planet.” So I ventured to the shore of the St.
Lawrence River, hoping to tease my memory
of almost 50 years ago, when I visited Expo 67,
“Man and his World.” While watching the rolling
and whirling water of the great river, my mind
wandered back to the decade of the ’60s.
In a flash, it all started coming back to
me: the cold war and nuclear shelters; JFK’s
election and assassination; Star Trek and
travels into space and to the moon; the new
Toronto City Hall and the truncated Spadina
Expressway; the adoption of the Maple
Leaf Flag and Quebec’s “Quiet Revolution”;
Beatlemania and Trudeaumania; the Vietnam
war and “draft exiles”; the first heart transplant
and the DNA genetic code; the flooding of
Florence and “Acqua Alta” in Venice; the
growth of performing arts architecture and
celebrating Canada’s Centenary; Bilingualism
and Multiculturalism; Woodstock and 2001: A
Space Odyssey; fading Taliesin and “Space Age”
Arcosanti. It was a time of fear and optimism,
of implied danger and imagined desires; of
shedding pragmatic disciplines and discovering
new cultural capabilities.
18
OA A PER SPEC T IVES | WINTER 2016/17
ABOVE AN ILLUSTRATION OF THE
US PAVILION INTERIOR, BY PS OLES.
BELOW MONTREAL BIOSPHERE. PHOTO WIKIMEDIA
I was a young immigrant then, navigating an
endless labyrinthine territory, full of unknown
obstacles: a different language in an alien
setting; a piazza-less urbanscape, fraught
with prejudice. At every turn, there was a
temporary respite for having made it, until the
next barrier appeared. The inescapable allure
of the new and possible was everywhere,
offering a yearning to belong and asserting a
post-adolescent freedom. This was made partly
possible by a technical education which landed
me, at a very early age, in Ron Thom’s office,
located at 47 Colborne Street. This address was
an incubator of artistic encounters with the
likes of John Andrews, Roger duToit, Morden
Yolles, and many others whose faces I can see,
but whose names escape me. It was here that I
came across fresh thinking that deconstructed
the traces of mediaeval culture that had been
inculcated in me during my childhood years in
the village of Vittorito.
The creative impulse of the summers was
tamed by the didactic offerings at the School of
Architecture by that long-forgotten Pied Piper
director, whose tenets were mainly focused
on the anti-space axonometrics, floating in
isolation, signifying the anonymity of the
last vestiges of the Modern Movement. At 47
Colborne, a world of forms, rhythms, materials
and colours unfolded before my eyes, working
with T-square, set-square and H/2H pencils, and
yes, I did learn to sharpen pencils like Ron. It was
these simple yet essential tools and his artistic
capabilities that designed projects such as Expo
67’s Polymer Pavilion on Île Sainte-Hélène—a
“Polymeric Molecule” that resembled a faceted
diamond at ground level, but from the air, it was
suggestive of a spiral galaxy.
On this summer day in 2015, I had returned
to the Expo site to remember, as best I could,
that magical summer, nearly 50 years ago, when
the two islands that made up Expo 67 served as
a testing ground for the future—the potential
technological advances, innovative design and
a staging ground for things to come. However,
this grand operatic work lacked the process of
fit and linkages with the reality prevailing on
COMMONS, PHILIPP HEINSTORFER, 16 OCTOBER, 2007
the terra firma, and in time proved to be neither
in balance with the past, nor suggestive of the
future, except for Parc Jean-Drapeau. Today,
except for Habitat and Bucky’s dome, there is
little evidence of the great event, unless one
happens to catch a screening of Robert Altman’s
Quintet, filmed on the battered rusted Man the
Explorer pavilion on the Expo site.
By the end of the ’60s, I had begun to realize
that to be Canadian is an expression of both
being and wanting, resulting in a feeling of
belonging: I to the place, and the place to me.
For me and others who had recently arrived
in this country, the centennial year was a
good time to be a Canadian—even for a “new
Canadian,” or an “Italian-Canadian,” as we were
then called.
This sense of belonging was reinforced as
I stood near the “Tree of Life” or what looked
more like a model of a wormhole, at Expo 2015
in Milan. What will remain of the energy that
went into creating this place and its pavilions?
Will the wormhole swallow them? Or will Italian
ingenuity see this as the launch pad of a new
Renaissance as Canadians did half a century
ago? It is said that the 2015 site will be turned
into an urban park, like the islands on the St.
Lawrence. I hope so. However, I worry that it will
become sprinklings of green between a frenzy
of gray, indiscernible in the dense Milan fog.
Expo 1967 and 2015 span the Millennium
with their common theme of humanity and
the ever-increasing condition of migration.
Whereas the dreamlike Pavilions dissipate
into nothingness, humans remain and apply
their knowledge to realize their dreams. I have
learned a lot during the past half-century;
Canada has allowed me to keep that which has
been, value that which is and aspire for that
which can be. This Canadian achievement could
well be the theme for a future Expo somewhere
across this nation of ours.
ROCCO MARGNA is Principal of Maragana
Architect Inc., in Toronto.
REVIEW
BY HERB KLASSEN OA A
The Anniversary Compulsion:
Canada’s Centennial Celebrations,
A Model Mega-Anniversary.
By Peter H. Aykroyd
Dundurn Press
Toronto and Oxford 1992
HABITAT 67 COMPLEX. PHOTO WIKIMEDIA COMMONS,
NORA VASS AND GERGELY VASS, 15 APRIL, 2006
A fascinating, and rare, insight into the
motivation behind anniversary celebrations
in general and Canada’s celebrations
in particular.
P
eter H. Aykroyd was the director of
special projects from 1963 to 1968
for the Centennial Commission, the
Canadian government organization
responsible for staging the
country’s mega-anniversary celebration in 1967.
He was also a member of the Commission’s
Management Committee, which included
John Fisher (Mr. Canada), Robbins Elliot,
Claude Gauthier, Robert Choquette, and
Jean-Pierre Houle. As part of this team, Mr.
Aykroyd was closely involved in the planning,
development and implementation of how
Canada’s Centennial of Confederation would
be celebrated. The question of why it was
being done was not really posed at the time.
“It was a categorical imperative. You just did it.
That’s all.”
In this book, published in 1992, Mr. Aykroyd
reflects back on his experience of the process
of putting on such a large-scale celebration and
comes up with both insights into what such
events mean to a society, and a wonderfully
personal account of what actually happened.
The insights are explored in Chapter 1, “The
Anniversary Compulsion,” and come from
asking the questions: Why are such events
important to a society, and what motivates
people to acknowledge them? They are partly
ritual (a rite of passage) and partly celebration
to mark the passage of time. Though in his
analysis, he suggests that Canada was ready
for more than just a ritual response to the
Centennial and was ready for a celebration.
In fact, from his analysis of the events leading
up to and during the Centennial celebration, Mr.
Aykroyd, has developed a set of principles—a
framework for anniversary planners. He calls
this framework The Anniversary Axiomatique:
1 Reinforce the identity of the
organism: in doing this, spend lots of
www.oaa.on.ca
time understanding all the dimensions of
that identity.
2 Provide continuity and restatement,
reminding people of the past that shapes
the present: reassure the people of the value
and worth of shared history by recognizing
achievement and growth.
3 Seek out and accentuate unifying
elements: symbols, songs and all things
that are held in common, and have
bonding potential.
4 Analyze destructive forces that may
be present: thoughtfully plan how to
aggressively oppose them.
5 Focus some part of the program on
the future: give people confidence and
determination to continue the voyage.
6 Encourage personal and community
improvement: similar to when a special
visitor is expected in the home, and everyone
wants to do their best and look their best.
7 Build monuments and memorials: these
are tangible statements of achievement and
strong elements of a sense of continuity.
8 Give gifts: not commodities that have
only commercial value but gifts that keep on
giving, gifts that have expanding worth.
9 Set up performances and public events
and encourage participation: it is in sharing
with others at the same time and place the
experience of large-scale spectacles that one
feels warmth, and pride and cohesion.
10 Make sure it’s fun, but also allow for
dignity and emotion: it is healthy to release
the spirit through noise, through laughter,
through tears and through awe.
And, according to Mr. Aykroyd, if one follows
these “precepts,” it is “axiomatic” that the
response to the anniversary compulsion will be
“positive, evolutionary, benevolent and full of
pleasant memories.”
From this reviewer’s point of view, applying
many of these precepts to situations which
involve people working together on projects or
a team could very easily lead to similar results.
Most of the book after the first chapter is a
wonderful sharing of the history of events and
anecdotes of what occurred between 1963 at
the start of the centennial celebration process
and 1968 when the celebration ended.
Mr. Aykroyd points out in Chapter 12, “Expo
67,” the Centennial events organized by the
Centennial Commission were completely
separate from Expo 67—The World’s Fair—
which was held in Montreal. The planning,
development and implementation of Expo 67
was under the direction of a Crown Corporation
created by an Act of Parliament in 1962. The
cost to the Canadian government for Expo 67
was $561 million (1992 dollars) as opposed to
the over 2300 large and small projects spread
across the country that were sponsored by
the Centennial Commission at a cost to the
Canadian government of about $360 million
(1992 dollars).
Mr. Aykroyd provides an interesting statistic
regarding the geographic origin of attendees at
Expo ’67. They were as follows:
•Montreal
26.9%
• Quebec (outside Montreal) 4.8%
• Canada (outside Quebec)
19.8%
• United States
44.8%
• Other Countries
3.7%
He notes that “the Expo 67 celebration was
good for Canada. It was fabulous for Quebec.”
As an aside, it should be noted that Mr.
Aykroyd is a retired Government of Canada
Senior Executive. He served in the Privy Council
office with the rank of assistant secretary to
the Cabinet and was assistant deputy minister
of Research and Development at Transport
Canada. In addition to The Anniversary
Compulsion (1992), Mr. Aykroyd has authored
two other books—A Sense of Place (2003) and
A History of Ghosts: The True Story of Séances,
Mediums, Ghosts, and Ghostbusters (2009)—and,
yes, he is the father of Dan Aykroyd the actor
and ultimate Ghostbuster.
HERB KLASSEN is a professor in the Foundations
in Art & Design and Fine Arts programs at Durham
College in Oshawa.
19
OA A PER SPEC T IVES | WINTER 2016/17
CANADA’S SESQUICENTENNIAL
SOME NOTES REGARDING
THE 148TH ANNIVERSARY
OF ARCHITECTURAL
JOURNALISM IN CANADA
BY GORDON S. GRICE OA A, FR AIC
I
n 1867, the British Isles suffered through
an unusually cold snowy winter. Spirits
were a little low, and upper lips were
particularly stiff. But on Wednesday, May
22 of that year, Queen Victoria (not yet
empress of India) had an extremely cheerful
proclamation to make:
Whereas by an act of Parliament, passed
on the twenty-ninth day of March, One
Thousand Eight Hundred and Sixty-seven,
in the thirtieth year of Our reign, intituled,
“An Act for the Union of Canada, Nova
Scotia and New Brunswick, and for the
Government thereof and for the purposes
connected therewith,” after divers recitals,
it is enacted that “it shall be lawful for
the Queen, by and with the advice of Her
Majesty’s Most Honourable Privy Council,
to declare, by Proclamation, that on and
after a day therein appointed, not being
six months after the passing of this Act,
the Provinces of Canada, Nova Scotia and
New Brunswick, shall form and be One
Dominion under the name of Canada. …
As florid and “Victorian” as the language
was, the intent was clear: a new country
was about to be born. Accordingly,
on Monday, July 1, 1867, our founders
proclaimed into law The British North
America Act, and the Dominion of Canada
A DAMAGED COPY OF THE CANADIAN ARCHITECT AND BUILDER, JANUARY, 1901.
PHOTO FROM THE OAA PERSPECTIVES LIBRARY.
20
OA A PER SPEC T IVES | WINTER 2016/17
came into being. The year 2017 marks our
country’s 150th birthday.
The successions of meetings and
conferences that led to the formation of
Canada had been going on for some time,
as part of a general trend, during the latter
half of the nineteenth century, toward
forming ties and alliances. The American
Civil war having just ended, the remaining
North American colonies now faced a large,
autonomous, powerful southern neighbour,
that had no qualms about exercising cultural
dominance, even if not political dominance,
over the North American continent.
Canadian architects, like other
professionals at the time, felt a similar need
to form associations that would define
their expertise, establish written codes
of conduct, and create professional and
educational standards. Just as important,
such associations would provide them with
a formal means of exchanging ideas and
information. The Royal Institute of British
Architects (RIBA), chartered in 1837, and
the American Institute of Architects (AIA),
founded in 1857, provided excellent models.
So, in 1887, the Canadian Society of
Civil Engineers was formed. Architects
quickly followed suit: on March 1, 1889,
the Architectural Guild of Toronto (formed
October 3, 1887) was transformed into the
Ontario Association of Architects (OAA).
Architectural associations were formed in
Québec in 1890 and British Columbia in 1892
and, on June 6, 1908, the Royal Architectural
Institute of Canada (RAIC) was incorporated.
Without too much fanfare, another
professional institution was also being
established—one that had already helped
to guide the formation of architectural
associations, and would continue to
fulfil some of the important associations’
functions, such as establishing a regional
identity, providing a vehicle for sharing
ORIGINAL CENTRE BLOCK ON PARLIAMENT HILL, OTTAWA.
PHOTO WIKIMEDIA COMMONS, CA. 1910S, BIBLIOTÈQUE ET ARCHIVES
NATIONALES DU QUÉBEC, REF. NO. P133, S5, D23.
information, and maintaining an esprit de
corps, among the members of the profession.
This useful, unheralded institution was
architectural journalism.
JOURNALS
In 1867, architectural journalism was in
its very infancy, the first periodical with
“Architectural” in its name (The Building News
and Architectural Review ) having appeared
only seven years earlier, in Great Britain, but
the role that these journals played was critical
to the development of architecture in Canada.
As professor Geoffrey Simmins points out,
For those unable to travel, professional
journals arrived here [from England] after a
time-lag of only a few weeks.
Such journals…illustrated the latest work
being done in the metropolitan capitals
and they frequently contained articles that
discussed issues of ethical and stylistic
propriety. Many architects here evinced
a strong interest in what we would call
architectural theory, then dominated by
English writers.1,2
Over the course of their history,
architectural journals continued to provide
a forum for the discussion and development
of architectural theory, practice, education
and technology, and coverage of significant
events. The following is a short list of early
journals (pre-Second World War), beginning
with British titles. Descriptions and quotations
have been taken from online sources, where
more information may be found.
The Builder, first issue, December 1842,
renamed Building, in 1966, “has reported
on all aspects of the construction industry.”
Pre-20th-century, the journal was
“particularly well illustrated with examples
of architecture.”3
The RIBA Journal, the magazine of the
www.oaa.on.ca
Royal Institute of British Architects, first
issue (third series), November, 1893.
It reported on news at the institute
and trends, with analysis of topical
issues in architecture and features on
architectural practices.4
The Builders’ Journal, first issue,
12 February, 1895, after several name
changes, becoming Architects’ Journal
(AJ), in 1919. “Each week the AJ includes
detailed building studies and the latest
news on the built environment.”5
Architectural Review (AR), first issue,
November, 1896, intended originally as
“a magazine for the artist, archaeologist,
designer and craftsman,” evolved into its
current form, as a “visually-led magazine
[that] covers current issues in architecture
and features in-depth building studies.”6
Architectural Design and Construction,
first issue, 1930, renamed Architectural
Design (AD), 2001.7
It’s remarkable that, in an industry like
magazine publishing, constantly threatened
with extinction, these British journals have
adapted and survived for well over a century
and show no signs of succumbing. In part,
this reflects the history of architecture itself:
constantly concerned with maintaining
relevance, but adapting and surviving.
American journals followed suit, with a
more informal approach and a concerted
focus on graphics, but with a less impressive
survival rate.
The American Architect and Building
News, first issue, January 1, 1876, renamed
The American Architect, in 1909,
published as The American Architect
and the Architectural Review between
1921 and 1925, after which it reverted
to The American Architect, until being
absorbed by Architectural Record in 1938.
The inaugural issue invited contributors
to submit “items of local interest” and
vowed “our journal will have its own
opinions and will express them when it
sees occasion; but it is prepared to respect
those of other people, and to give them a
courteous welcome…though they should
differ from its own.” 8
The Brickbuilder, first issue, 1892, later
renamed Architectural Forum, absorbing
Architect’s World in 1938, ceasing
publication in 1974. It was dedicated
to architecture and the homebuilding
industry. A sample issue in the writer’s
collection, May 1925, contained 83
pages of editorial, sandwiched between
198 pages of advertising. Content
included AIA convention reports, book
reviews and building reviews, focusing on
residential architecture.9
Architecture, first issue, January 15, 1900,
was “lavishly illustrated with photographs
and architectural drawings”; it ceased
publication in May, 1936.10
Journal of the American Institute
of Architects, first issue, June, 1913,
underwent various name changes,
before ceasing publication, in 2006,
as Architecture: The AIA Journal. The
first issue “published the minutes of the
Board of Directors, reproduced superb
graphics, and carried provocative articles,
all with a point of view…Along the way,
dreamy photographs of New York and
New Orleans, drawings and photographs
of colonial mansions, and news of
current events made their way into the
magazine.”11
Pencil Points, 1920, known as New
Pencil Points 1942–1943, renamed
Progressive Architecture, 1945, ceased
publication in 1995. The journal “defined
the contemporary debates in architectural
theory. It was an arena for the proponents
of modernism. It published the debates
and presented the new architecture;
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CANADA’S SESQUICENTENNIAL
concerns in the first half of the twentieth
century reflect those of today in the
twenty-first century.” 12
CANADIAN JOURNALS
Like their American and British
counterparts, Canadian journals discussed
professional matters and events. And like
the American journals in particular, they
were never shy about asking their readers to
submit items of interest for publication.
The Canadian Builder and Mechanics
Magazine, 1869–70, succeeded by
The Canadian Architect and Builder:
A Journal of Modern Construction
Methods, first issue, January, 1888, ceased
publication in 1908. “The only professional
architectural journal published in Canada
before World War I. Beautifully filled with
photographs, drawings, advertisements
and valuable articles, today, CAB provides
a wealth of information on the state
of architecture and building in Canada
during the late 19th and early 20th
centuries.”13, 14
The Journal, Royal Architectural
Institute of Canada, first issue, 1924; it
ceased publication in 1973. It featured
building reviews, items of professional
interest and news of the RAIC and
provincial associations.15
The Canadian Architect, 1955, renamed
Canadian Architect in 1995. The monthly
magazine “documents significant
architecture and design from across the
country and features articles on current
practice, building technology, and social
issues affecting architecture.” CA sponsors
an annual national awards program.16
Less typical of
architectural
journals, then and now,
Pencil Points included
personal accounts of
architectural life—often
lighthearted and ironic.
It’s no secret that a
degree of inspiration for
OAA Perspectives is
derived from this
publication.
22
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CANADIAN ARCHITECT
AND BUILDER
To date, CAB remains one of the most
important primary research sources
for architects, conservation architects,
building technologists, architectural
historians and social historians.17
In his book Architecture in Transition,
Carleton professor Kelly Crossman notes the
important role the early architectural journals
played in the rise of architectural associations
in Canada. “In the 1880s, some American
architectural journals…had begun to cover
architectural developments in Canada, on
a regular basis,” he writes. However, these
journals showed little interest in publishing
Canadian commentary or contributions.18
In an attempt to remedy this, architect
and surveyor Thomas Winning Dyas
introduced The Canadian Builder and
Mechanics Magazine in 1869, just two years
after Confederation. Unfortunately, the
publication folded in the following year.
It wasn’t until nearly two decades later,
when the idea of forming an Ontario
architectural society was beginning to take
root, that publisher C.H. Mortimer introduced
The Canadian Architect and Builder, in January,
1888. It was intended as a document of this
country’s unique architectural developments
and a forum for news and events submitted
by Canadian architects and builders. But
more than that, it helped to pave the way
for the growth of a distinctly Canadian
architectural profession, and encouraged the
founding of the OAA, on March 21, 1889. As
historian Stephen A. Otto writes,
The founding of the Ontario Association
of Architects (OAA) was complemented by
the appearance of a monthly journal, The
Canadian Architect and Builder, in 1888.
For the next twenty years, it reported fully
on things of interest to the members of
the profession.19
In 1901, CAB began publishing the
proceedings of the OAA. The first of these
reports, in January, 1901, discussed the
educational work that the OAA had recently
undertaken: “The work this winter will to a
considerable extent be experimental. The
suitability of various systems and methods
will be tested.” Among the features deemed
particularly valuable were the proposed visits
to factories where “building materials and
appliance are produced.” In the February
issue, CAB reported that “the Annual
Convention of the Ontario Association of
Architects, held in Toronto last month, the
proceedings of which are printed in this
number, was one of the most interesting
in the history of that organization.” In the
same issue, an article on an exhibition
of architectural drawings at the Toronto
Architectural Eighteen Club pointed out
“our own architects have not made a study
of rendering, as was evident from many
of their exhibited works,” and asked: “But
is it well to enquire how far the art of
making attractive drawings is helpful to the
art of architecture?”
In subsequent 1901 and 1902 issues,
CAB continued to publish useful technical
information, as well as discussions about
architectural education and design theory.
It also published interesting tidbits of
information from around the world. We
learn, for instance, that a lack of competent
stonemasons for the construction of the
Aswan Dam in Egypt (1898–1902), home
of some of the finest stonework ever
constructed, made it necessary to import
masons from Italy. We also learn that the
English monarch Alfred the Great (871–899)
was, among other things, an architect, and
that prior to American administration of
Alaska (1867), human foundation sacrifices
were common.
Closer to home, one writer reported “The
erection of the Royal Muskoka Hotel has
brought luxury to Muskoka at last…Hitherto,
Muskoka had been the poor man’s paradise.”(
The hotel was, unfortunately destroyed by
fire in 1952.) Another item describes an illconceived proposal to cut away part of Goat
Island in the Niagara River, to connect the
American and Canadian falls into “one grand
torrent of water.” The November issue tells
us that “The weekly luncheons in the [OAA]
rooms every Tuesday have been successfully
continued throughout the summer.”
The August 1901 issue contained a
remarkable account of the raucous spring
entrance exams for the École des BeauxArts in Paris, adding more information
about the origins of the word “charrette,”
a topic that we have frequently discussed
in this magazine.20 The writer describes a
group of frenzied candidates, working by
candlelight trying to finish their work before
their deadline.
When a party of visitors make their [sic]
appearance at the door of this loge,
the busy one would call out “Charette!”
[sic] And this would be respected, for it
means “I am in a hurry; need all my time.
Don’t bother me.” At eight the guardians
collected the drawings, most of which
were completed.
As Kelly Crossman has suggested, CAB
offers a fascinating account of the growth of
the Canadian architectural profession during
a critical period of its, and the country’s,
history. The OAA Perspectives library contains
the 24 issues published between January,
1901 and December, 1902, as described
above. Full text is available online 21
With the demise of CAB, the Canadian
architectural publishing industry appears
to have gone into hibernation until the
appearance of the RAIC Journal, in 1924. For
the next three decades, and through the
Second World War, the Journal existed as
the only Canadian architectural magazine.
In 1955, The Canadian Architect began
publication and, later, provincial journals
entered the market. Notable among these
are: ARQ: Architecture/ Québec, in 198122;
Nouvelles OAQ, in 1983 (ceased publication,
1984)23; Perspectives, in 198724; Esquisses, in
April 1990.25
More recently, a number of Canadian
magazines that include architectural content
have established themselves. Examples
are: The Site Magazine, Azure and Arabella.
In addition, there is a growing number of
online journals, blogs and e-zines, many
of which are based in Canada and reflect
Canadian content.
PENCIL POINTS
Turning our attention once again to
architectural journalism south of the border,
one publication stands out. The American
monthly journal Pencil Points, which began
publication in 1920, was important for a
number of reasons. For the very first time,
it established the architectural office, and
architects themselves, as subjects worthy
of discussion. Typical of American journals,
its pages were filled with excellent photos
and illustrations. Less typical of architectural
journals, then and now, it included personal
accounts of architectural life—often
lighthearted and ironic. It’s no secret that a
degree of inspiration for OAA Perspectives is
derived from this publication.
www.oaa.on.ca
SOME COPIES OF THE RAIC JOURNAL, 1941 AND 1943. PHOTO FROM THE OAA PERSPECTIVES LIBRARY.
That Pencil Points has a large following is
witnessed by number of websites dedicated
to its memory (it ceased publication in
1943). In 2004, the Princeton Architectural
Press released a comprehensive book,
edited by George Hartman, that featured
and discussed excerpts from the journal’s
23 years of publication.25 The following
discussion is based mainly on the contents
of this book, with some recourse to the
small number of original journals in the OAA
Perspectives library.
Pencil Points appeared in 1920 as a
monthly journal for the drafting room.
It emphasized drawing, drafting,
camaraderie in the studio and with clients,
and the relationship of the draftsman
to the architect. During the first decade
of Pencil Points, architecture was seen
as an attitude and a way of life, with its
own language and traditions. By 1943,
when the journal merged with Progressive
Architecture, it had become a magazine of
urbanism and planning.27
In an early issue of the journal, it
established, as one of its goals, the
exploration of the “human side” of practice.
All the interests of life have their human
side—to lose sight of that fact is fatal
to the progress and happiness of
the individual…In order to meet the
requirements of its readers, Pencil Points
is endeavouring to give due attention
to the human side of the drafting room,
atelier, and school. Personal items,
accounts of entertainments, dances, etc.,
anything about the fellows has a legitimate
and important place in the scheme of
this journal.28
For 23 years, the journal was true to
its word, being unique in the world of
architectural publishing, by telling the stories
and revealing the feelings and motivations of
architects and draftsmen. “Pencil Points,” the
editors wrote in their very first issue,
is to be edited with our readers as well
as for them, and the cooperation of the
entire field is sought in order that we may
produce a journal of the greatest interest
and value to those it seeks to serve.29
In addition to fulfilling this mandate, the
journal also traced the course of architectural
thought, education, stylistic preoccupations
and practice, during this period of profound
change. The period from 1920 to 1943
witnessed both the great depression and
the Second World War, times when the
architectural profession, like most others,
suffered from chronic unemployment. More
than ever, readers of Pencil Points needed
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CANADA’S SESQUICENTENNIAL
professional information and ideas, but they
also needed a little relief from the hardships
they faced. Pencil Points filled the journalistic
gap by providing light-hearted, often
fictional accounts of professional life. A few of
these—“The Story of an Architect,” and “The
Cultural Advantages of Unemployment”—
transcend national boundaries and have
become classics.
By the midway point of American
involvement in WWII, the editorial content of
the journal had begun to focus on the more
serious aspects of architecture, especially
building critique, professional opportunities
and the finer points of architectural practice.
It was, after all, time to get the profession
back on its feet. In 1943, the magazine was
folded into Progressive Architecture, which
pursued this same editorial course until its
demise in 1999.
“THE STORY OF AN ARCHITECT”30
1930 was not a prosperous year, the Stock
market having crashed a few months earlier.
To soothe its readers, Pencil Points reprinted
an honest and mostly uplifting architectural
story that had been published 13 years earlier,
and which had already earned a following.
Interestingly, an underlying message is that,
even during the best of times, architects are
woefully underpaid.
Hartman explains that the story was:
originally published in Century Magazine
to explain to the layperson how
the architectural profession and its
practitioners worked. Perhaps Pencil Points
reprinted the story thirteen years later
for the same reason the editors of this
contemporary Reader have selected the
story for republication eighty-five years
hence—to remind readers that even a
“successful architect in 1917—as well as in
1930 and 2002—would be humbled by a
modest income and modest public acclaim.
It’s noteworthy that there are themes in
the story that strongly resonate, 100 years
later. And reminiscent of sentiments that OAA
Perspectives has expressed many times, the
Pencil Points editors expressed their hope that
the story would encourage readers to send in
their own stories for publication. They report
that the story was read and appreciated
by many people and “helped to establish
in the lay mind a better understanding
of the architectural profession and of its
individual practitioners.”
The story begins with the writer, as a small
child, building sand castles on the beach with
the help of a friendly stranger who turns out
to be an architect. This marks his discovery
of the profession. Many years later, he is
fortunate to earn a grant for entry into the
École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, which at that
time accepted only 20 foreigners per year. But
the financial burden and dislocation proved
too difficult, so instead, he studied Fine Arts
at an American University.
He secured a job for $8 per week with a
New York architectural firm. Although the
office was not a happy place, he found “what
I have always found in every office since, that
the draftsmen were more than willing to help
the beginner.”
His next job was in a much more pleasant
and better-paying office in Boston, where
PHOTO FROM THE OAA PERSPECTIVES LIBRARY
Everybody was hard working, earnest,
and enthusiastic; there was no time-clock;
the men appeared to come and go pretty
much at will, and yet I think there wasn’t
one of them who did not spend at least his
full forty hours a week in the office, and
most of them habitually put in half an hour
or so more every day.
24
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When he joined an École atelier, his real
architectural education began. He soon
graduated to the position of clerk of the
works and his salary crept up to 20 dollars a
week—still not enough to convince his future
father-in-law that he had sufficient prospects
to marry his daughter.
In his third office, he found that the boss
was ready to take credit for the good work
that his staff did, but quick to blame them
if anything went wrong. It seemed like the
time had come to lay the foundation for his
professional independence.
I was married in the first house I ever
designed…I got a two weeks’ vacation,
the first I had had since I began work.
Most of this vacation was spent in making
drawings for our own house…One of the
upper rooms I made into a little office for
myself, and as I continued to get small jobs
from time to time, it was there on nights
and Sundays and early in the mornings
that all of the drawings were made.
I am in a way a successful architect, I might
almost say a very successful architect; yet
I have not been able to live in comfort
and put away money. In fact, my reason
for writing this story is that I may add
something to the little surplus which
would be available for the support of my
family, should I receive the commission
for which I have applied and be called
to the front [serving American forces in
World War I].
Nevertheless, I wouldn’t change
professions with any one I know. One has
always the feeling that one is creating
something of permanent beauty.
The story finished with the author saying
that one of the most enjoyable things about
the profession, and one not frequently
discussed, is the rewarding relationships
between the architect and the client.
Architects of today can’t help but
empathize with this anonymous architect of
a century ago, whose life contained many of
the rewards and challenges that professionals
face today. 31
www.oaa.on.ca
PHOTO FROM THE OAA PERSPECTIVES LIBRARY
The hours were long, and the pay was
poor: “The salaries they get are below
those of the bricklayers and carpenters
who execute the work from the drawings
they make.”
In his fourth office, there was little
discipline, to the point that a few of the
draftsmen set up a target at one end of the
drafting room and practised their pistol
marksmanship.
Finally, in order to get some relief from the
punishing work schedule, with maybe a little
time off, and with his own client list growing,
he set up his own practice and quickly gained
35 pounds.
Years later, the author wrote:
“THE CULTURAL ADVANTAGES
OF UNEMPLOYMENT”31
As in indication of how bad things were in
1931, the editors of Pencil Points printed an
advisory to architects all over the country
“that New York is as hard up as the rest of
the country and that travelling here for a
chance to get a job is useless.” This was hardly
the kind of encouraging material that the
journal wanted to publish, but, apparently,
it was necessary. To lighten things up a
little bit, the February, 1932 issue carried a
fictitious story about the “advantages” of
being unemployed.
The story takes the form of the rambling
thoughts and observations of an out-ofwork architect strolling the streets of New
York. He consoles himself that since “twothirds of a draftsman’s life is spent griping
and complaining or in pulling the work of
contemporary architects to pieces…there
seems to be no reason why a business
depression should have any serious effect
on him.” He adds, “For the first time perhaps
in his life, for the better expression of his
critical faculties, he can move around and
see what’s what.”
He meets an acquaintance and together,
they engage in a critique of New York
planning, an evaluation of the aesthetics
of the 179th Street Bridge, a castigation
of engineering in general, focused on the
“new elevated highway” [presumably the
FDR expressway, not completed until much
later], which threatens to destroy views of
the river. Bidding his companion a farewell,
the architect states, with more than a little
irony, that “the cultural advantages of
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CANADA’S SESQUICENTENNIAL
CONCLUSIONS
In the half-century since the Canadian
centennial, the profession has seen the
demise of several good architectural
magazines—the AIA Journal, Progressive
Architecture, Architectural Forum, the RAIC
journal—and the remarkable survival
of many others. The British publication
Building, along with its precursor The
Builder have been in continuous publication
for 173 years, Architectural Journal
and Architectural Record, for 79 and
80 years, respectively.
In Canada, a country whose tradition of
architectural journalism is nearly as old as
the country itself, the approach has been a
very Canadian one: to adopt and adapt—to
model publications after those in other
countries, particularly the UK and the
US, but with Canadian content, and then
gradually develop a distinct national (or
provincial) voice.
In their mission statements, most
professional journals include a commitment
to “inform and entertain” its readers. But
the definitions for both these words are
ambiguous and fluid. What might inform
and entertain Americans will not necessarily
work for Canadians, and what was effective
in 1867 will certainly have lost its impact
by 2017.
Much has changed in our profession,
particularly in the way it is practiced
and the technology that supports it. A
nineteenth-century draughting room
would be a quaint alien environment to
a young architect today. And changes
in education, theory and culture of
architecture have changed dramatically.
Neo-classical, Gothic revival, art and
crafts, art deco, modernism, brutalism,
and postmodernism are all officially dead.
Long live neomodern, neo-eclectic and
new classical!
But, as the saying goes, the more things
change, the more they stay the same.
Looking through the early journals, today’s
reader will recognize many familiar themes
and sentiments: architects are underpaid
and underappreciated, but wouldn’t be
happy doing anything else; along the same
lines, architects love to complain (let’s call
it “pointing out deficiencies in the hope
of rectification”); architectural education
doesn’t prepare its graduates for the real
world; architects seem prone to working
overtime, and labouring on projects right
up to the eleventh hour; the difficulty
with architecture is it’s an art as well as a
science; etc.
Journalism has also undergone many
significant changes: high-resolution
television, digital radio, internet distribution,
digital photography, online publishing,
blogs, digital diaries, e-zines, Google search,
Microsoft Word, the many functions of
the run-of-the-mill smartphone, etc. As
you can easily appreciate by reading the
older journals, even the language that we
speak has changed noticeably. The list of
changes and indisputable improvements in
journalistic practice may in fact be endless.
But the function of journalism hasn’t
changed at all: to inform and entertain. In
architectural journalism, as in any other, the
reader comes first.
NOTES:
1. SEE JOHN RUSKIN, SEVEN LAMPS OF ARCHITECTURE,
PUBLISHED 1849
2. GEOFFREY SIMMINS. THE ONTARIO ASSOCIATION OF
ARCHITECTS, A CENTENNIAL HISTORY, 1889–1989. TORONTO:
OAA, 1989, 11–12
3.HTTPS://BOOKS.GOOGLE.CA/BOOKS?ID=
NXFLAQAAMAAJ&PRINTSEC=FRONTCOVER&SOURCE=
GBS_GE_SUMMARY_R&CAD=0#V=ONEPAGE&Q&F=FALSE
4.HTTPS://BOOKS.GOOGLE.CA/BOOKS?ID=
NXFLAQAAMAAJ&PRINTSEC=FRONTCOVER&SOURCE=
GBS_GE_SUMMARY_R&CAD=0#V=ONEPAGE&Q&F=FALSE
5.WWW.ARCHITECTURE.COM/IMAGE-LIBRARY/RIBAPIX/
IMAGE-INFORMATION/POSTER/BUILDERS-JOURNAL1895-FEBRUARY-12-PAGE-1-THE-OPENING-PAGE-OFTHE-FIRST-ISSUE-OF-THE-JOURNAL/POSTERID/
RIBA105403.HTML
6.WWW.ARCHITECTURAL-REVIEW.COM/TODAY/
CONTACT-US
7.WWW.WIKIWAND.COM/EN/ARCHITECTURAL_DESIGN
8.HTTPS://BOOKS.GOOGLE.CA/BOOKS?ID=
NXFLAQAAMAAJ&PRINTSEC=FRONTCOVER&SOURCE=
GBS_GE_SUMMARY_R&CAD=0#V=ONEPAGE&Q&F=FALSE
9.HTTPS://ARCHIVE.ORG/DETAILS/BUB_GB_J1EIAQAAMAAJ;
WWW.WIKIWAND.COM/EN/ARCHITECTURAL_FORUM
10. WWW.WIKIWAND.COM/EN/ARCHITECTURE_
(MAGAZINE,_1900–1936)
11. HTTP://ONLINEBOOKS.LIBRARY.UPENN.EDU/
WEBBIN/SERIAL?ID=JAIA
12.GEORGE E. HARTMAN & JAN CIGLIANO, EDS., PENCIL
POINTS READER: A JOURNAL FOR THE DRAFTING ROOM,
1920 – 1943. NEW YORK: PRINCETON ARCHITECTURAL
PRESS, 2004, XIII
13. HTTPS://ARCHIVE.ORG/STREAM/
CANADIANARCHITEC04ONTA/
CANADIANARCHITEC04ONTA_DJVU.TXT.
14. HTTP://SEXTONDIGITAL.LIBRARY.DAL.CA/RAIC/
15. WWW.DEXIGNER.COM/DIRECTORY/CAT/ARCHITECTURE/
MAGAZINES
16. HTTP://DIGITAL.LIBRARY.MCGILL.CA/CAB/ABOUT.HTM
17. KELLY CROSSMAN. ARCHITECTURE IN TRANSITION: FROM
ART TO PRACTICE, 1885–1906. KINGSTON AND MONTREAL:
MCGILL-QUEEN’S UNIVERSITY PRESS, 1987.
18.ERIC ARTHUR, REVISED BY STEPHEN A. OTTO. TORONTO:
NO MEAN CITY. TORONTO: UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO
PRESS, 2003
19. OAA PERSPECTIVES, SUMMER 1989, FALL 1993, WINTER
2003, SPRING 2004 AND SPRING 2005.
20. HTTPS://ARCHIVE.ORG/STREAM/
CANADIANARCHITEC04ONTA/
CANADIANARCHITEC04ONTA_DJVU.TXT
21. WWW.WORLDCAT.ORG/TITLE/ARQARCHITECTUREQUEBEC/OCLC/8332585/
EDITIONS?EDITIONSVIEW=TRUE&REFERER=BR
NOTE: “ARQ IS NOT A CONSUMER MAGAZINE. IT’S WRITTEN
IN ‘ARCHITECTURESE,’ A SPECIAL LINGO UNDERSTOOD
BY ARCHITECTS.”
22. WWW.VIRTUALREFERENCELIBRARY.CA/DETAIL.
JSP?ENTT=RDM1056575&R=1056575
23. PERSPECTIVES, FIRST ISSUE JULY, 1987, RENAMED OAA
PERSPECTIVES IN FALL, 2011. THE FIRST ISSUE STATED,
“ONE OF OUR PRIME OBJECTIVES … IS TO PROVIDE
A FORUM FOR THE MEMBERS. WE WILL PUBLISH A
SELECTION OF LETTERS AND ARTICLES WRITTEN BY
MEMBERS.” AS OAA PERSPECTIVES, THE FOCUS EVOLVED
TO THE EXPLORATION OF VARIOUS FORMS
OF ARCHITECTURAL WRITING BY AND FOR THE MEMBERS.
WWW.OAA.ON.CA/NEWS%20&%20EVENTS/
PERSPECTIVES%20MAGAZINE
24.WWW.OAQ.COM/ESQUISSES/DESIGN_ACTIF.HTML
25.GEORGE E. HARTMAN & JAN CIGLIANO, EDS. PENCIL POINTS
READER: A JOURNAL FOR THE DRAFTING ROOM, 1920 – 1943.
NEW YORK: PRINCETON ARCHITECTURAL PRESS, 2004.
26. IBID., XIII
27. IBID. NOVEMBER 1920, 9
28.IBID. JUNE, 1920, 4
29.IBID., MARCH 1930, 258. REPRINTED IN PENCIL POINTS
BY PERMISSION FROM THE CENTURY MAGAZINE FOR
DECEMBER, 1917. THE AUTHOR IS ANONYMOUS.
30.THE ENTIRE STORY IS ACCESSIBLE ONLINE (SEPTEMBER 8,
2016) AT: HTTPS://BOOKS.GOOGLE.CA/BOOKS?ID=
LIUBOOTVSJKC&PG=PA225&LPG=PA225&DQ=THE
+STORY+OF+AN+ARCHITECT+CENTURY+MAGAZI
NE&SOURCE=BL&OTS=LOEYYJJEDF&SIG=GKN-PLF
TTZ0FKMBZL1D4KNMLAV4&HL=EN&SA=X&REDIR_
ESC=Y#V=ONEPAGE&Q=THE%20STORY%20OF%20AN%20
ARCHITECT%20CENTURY%20MAGAZINE&F=FALSE
31. HARTMAN, OP. CIT., 302. WRITTEN BY WILLIAM WILLIAMS,
THE STORY APPEARED IN FEBRUARY 1932. THE PENCIL
POINTS EDITORS POINT OUT: “THE MAN WHO WROTE THIS
ARTICLE IS A REAL DRAFTSMAN REALLY OUT OF WORK.”
walking about town are enormous. And it’s
lots of fun. I wouldn’t take a job before next
Monday if it were offered to me.”
The Pencil Points editors were fairly brave
to have published this story at a time when
few architects found humour in the situation.
In the brief introduction to the story, they
state that they are not trying to make light of
a serious situation, and that the story should
be read “in the spirit in which it was written.”
It’s an excellent piece of fiction of the
sort not often seen in professional journals
that are mostly devoted to facts. If nothing
else, it illuminates a very important
point: that architecture is, at root, an
optimistic profession.
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OA A PER SPEC T IVES | WINTER 2016/17
Contributions of value to the persons in
whose interest this journal is published
are cordially invited. Subscribers are also
requested to forward newspaper clippings
or written items of interest from their
respective localities.
The Canadian Architect and Builder, Vol.
XII, no. 1, January, 1899
INTO THE MILLENNIAL:
WHY WEIRDOS WILL
CHANGE THE WORLD
BY JAMIE K WAN, M.D.M.
I
t’s another long weekend, three days
away from the architectural grind, and all
I see on my Twitter and Facebook feeds
are announcements of my friends’ travels,
both far and near. As I write this, I’m sitting
in seat 43K on my flight to Vancouver.
The Millennial generation is a unique
set of humans. One of our distinguishing
characteristics is the way we travel. My
parents, both considered Boomers, have
a very different perspective on trips and
holidays. (Why spend money on travel when
you can spend some quality time at home,
in the backyard on a late summer’s cool
evening?) And when they travel (plans are
usually made way in advance), it’s to escape
from daily life—just to go somewhere else.
Millennials, on the other hand, are constantly
monitoring digital alerts for last-minute
flight deals, as we frantically try to arrange
a holiday, to visit friends all around the
world whose couches we can sleep on
at a moment’s notice. We’re a connected
generation, and want to experience
everything first-hand.
As a millennial myself, I can safely say that
the impact of globalization is far different
for us than for any previous generation.
And it’s largely due to our upbringing. I’m
part of a generation that grew up having
supercomputers in our pockets and on our
wrists before we turned 25. During our
formative years, we had unprecedented
access to information, any time we needed
it. We crave learning about and experiencing
diverse cultures and outlooks, fearlessly
forming our own opinions and sharing them
with an internet audience (three billion, give
or take). We want to learn about everything,
and we have the means to do it very quickly.
If you need proof, just glance at a millennial’s
Facebook feed, and you’ll see how connected
to information we really are.
The architectural profession is at an
interesting place as we approach Canada’s
150th birthday. With Boomers soon retiring,
and Millennials (which some refer to as “Echo
Boomers”) just entering the field, we’re
experiencing a transformative time within
every profession, as the concept of “doing
meaningful, passionate, significant work” is
vastly changing. Predicting what the next
50 years might be like for architecture is a
daunting, impossible task. But that’s what
Millennials do best: embrace moments, and
embrace ambiguity. We welcome differences
and uniqueness far more than any other
generation, and we question why the world is
the way it is.
We entered higher education on a path
toward a well-defined profession, but we
often ended up doing something completely
different, as a career or on the side. I always
wanted to be an architect, but I discovered
my passion for designing with digital
media, and have returned to working in an
architectural office in a very different role.
We might be defined by a job title, but most
importantly, we’re embracing the fact that
we are what creative recruiter Maria Scillepi
refers to as “wonderful weirdos.”
With our constant access to information,
we haven’t necessarily become experts in
everything, but we’ve come pretty close to
knowing a lot about a diverse range of topics.
We’ve gained an ability to communicate,
understand, and collaborate with other
kinds of people with other kinds of interests.
That’s not to say we’re the only group that’s
eager to learn. However, Millennials have
become the generation of “weirdos” because
we have such a wide range of interests that
affect our outlook on the industry and on our
career paths.
What do the next 50 years hold for
the architectural profession? As with any
other industry, I think there’s going to be
an embrace of us wonderful weirdos, and
a generation of new leaders who know
how to collaborate with diverse groups
will emerge: technologists working in city
planning, biologists working in architecture,
even play and toy designers working in
urban design. Architects will no longer just
be architects. Interests will bring a unique
spin to every single “master builder,” and
unconventional interdisciplinary practices will
become, well, conventional, resulting in more
inclusive, more accessible, and more valued
architecture. In the short time I’ve been in this
profession, I’ve already worked with groups
(artists, scientists, educators, “wonderful
weirdos”) who impact architecture and
cities, but whose creative activities and
education lie far from the profession. That
said, if we define creativity as the ability to
connect disconnected things, then we’re
definitely going to start to achieve a new level
of creativity.
Next time you talk to a Millennial, ask them
honestly what are they passionate about
outside their careers. What do they want to
do with their lives? You might hear an answer
you weren’t expecting, and you might even
get a glimpse of the future.
JAMIE KWAN is an interdisciplinary experience
designer working with FORREC in Toronto.
A generation of new leaders who know how to collaborate with diverse groups
will emerge: technologists working in city planning, biologists working in
architecture, even play and toy designers working in urban design. Architects
will no longer just be architects.
www.oaa.on.ca
27
OA A PER SPEC T IVES | WINTER 2016/17
CANADA’S SESQUICENTENNIAL
THE
BICENTENNIAL ISSUE
BY IAN ELLINGH AM PH.D. OA A , FR A IC
T
he chair of the OAA Perspectives
committee walked slowly
down the stairs after a typically
exhausting, fascinating,
stimulating, yet baffling
meeting. The committee was planning the
bicentennial issue, scheduled to come out in
the spring, and it was already mid-2066.
The issue would involve quite a bit of
looking back, in particular to the great
Montreal exhibition of 1967, but also
some looking ahead. The centennial year
had been a time of great architectural
excitement—domes, tensile structures,
monorails and space-frames had all been
featured as ways to the future. That forecast
had clearly not materialized, but the century
had seen many changes, even though
geodesic domes were as rare now as they
had been then.
People in 2066 didn’t live in radical
buildings (just the opposite in fact), planes
still took six-and-a-half hours to cross the
Atlantic, although it was now easier to get
to and from airports, on trains that still
ran on two tracks (not one). Scientists still
claimed that controlled fusion was only
20 or 30 years away, but that seemed less
important now that orbiting solar collectors
beamed power down to the earth’s
surface. What had really changed were
human attitudes.
This unexpected
reversal had led to a
developing demand
for real, authentic,
buildings. The strange
thing was that not only
did people like to use
real buildings, but they
wanted to go out and
build them.
28
OA A PER SPEC T IVES | WINTER 2016/17
From the beginning, living creatures had
struggled just to survive and pass on their
genetic blueprints (“blueprints”—strange
how some terms just refused to disappear).
That struggle was nearing an end, with a
world of plenty for all within grasp. Indeed,
few people toiled for more than a few hours
a week. The big question was: once mere
survival was not the objective, what was it
all about? What did people actually want?
What were you supposed to do in all that
non-working time? Or, to use the language
of a hundred years ago, what is the meaning
of life?
All of this had been reflected in the
world of architecture, a discipline which
had almost died. In the earlier part of
the 21st century, there had been a vast
explosion of virtual reality technologies,
which meant that, without leaving home, an
individual could access a myriad of possible
environments—real and imagined—with
full sensory stimuli. One result was that
buildings were constructed as mere
faceless warehouses. Another result was
a massive reduction in tourism; after all,
anyone could now stroll by Niagara Falls,
and when, five minutes later, that became
boring, they could flip over to Amsterdam
and muse canal-side. With a good system,
you could even get that distinctive
Amsterdam smell. Virtual food was on the
technological horizon.
Yet something else had happened.
It was those pesky human attitudes.
Virtual experiences were proving to be
somehow unsatisfying.
Over the past few years, something had
been happening that was actually beneficial
to architects. Somehow authenticity was
becoming important. It was not just
enough to be adequately nourished with
great-tasting (and durable) food, but more
people were actually growing it—in real
dirt. Sailing and golf had reappeared too.
Despite the great simulators, people felt
it was still not quite the same thing as
really getting cold and wet. In addition, it
seemed no longer enough to believe you
were walking around Paris, or relaxing on
the Adriatic Coast; people increasingly felt
the need to actually go to those places, and
interact with the place and the people—
and not just virtually.
This unexpected reversal had led to a
developing demand for real, authentic,
buildings. The strange thing was that not
only did people like to use real buildings,
but they wanted to go out and build them.
Unbelievably, tours were offering to take
you to Italy to heave stones about on a
construction site—surely a quaint and
unnecessary activity now that one could
3-D print an entire Italian villa, down to the
smallest detail. But people were ascribing
value to the real stone and the real setting,
and most bizarrely, the labour to make
them. Where would it all lead? Was there a
limit to this?
The final straw was when a committee
member’s firm had been asked to build
something that had apparently disappeared
a couple of decades ago—a theme park.
It seemed that there was now a demand
for an authentically contrived experience
as well. Was this the final destiny of
humanity—to be endlessly seeking this
weird thing: the authentic experience?
Walking across the OAA parking lot to his
car, he reflected: it was curious that even
after almost a century of meetings, and
with all the technological change that had
occurred over that period, the ever-evolving
OAA Perspectives team still met eight
times a year, talked about architects and
architecture to create a paper magazine,
and notes were still taken using a pen and
paper. And there were still never enough
desserts for lunch. z
IAN ELLINGHAM is Chair of the OAA
Perspectives Committee.
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30
T HE F IC T ION PAGE
ACCOMMODATION
BY GORDON S. GRICE
DR. GRUBER WAS SITTING MOTIONLESS as
we entered his office. His face and clasped
hands, silhouetted by the glaring curtain
wall, were reflected in the polished surface
of his massive desk. He was already staring in
our direction. “I’m glad you decided to come
and see me,” he said.
It hadn’t been an easy decision. The Gruber
Method was unorthodox and untested, but
we had tried other kinds of therapy and none
of them seemed to key into the nature of our
particular problem.
“My therapy is innovative,” he explained.
“Lots of couples and families find themselves
in your situation, but it takes an open and
creative mindset to benefit from my approach.
First, I will want to visit your house while
you’re not there, just to get a sense of its
personality. Then, we can all meet there
to sort through the issues. If we all work
together, I am certain we can find a solution.”
I should mention that our house is
exceptional. That’s not just our opinion,
either; it’s what the design magazines
have called it, as well as “contextually
adventurous,” a “Meisterstück,” a “watershed
creation” of the brilliant young architect
we had hired to design it. It was everything
we wanted. But somehow, we weren’t
contented there. We started bickering and
spending time apart. We even started to
feel alienated from our extraordinary house.
We tried several kinds of couples’ therapy.
One of our therapists recommended that
we consider renovating the house, so that
it would feel more comfortable and maybe
better suited to our admittedly middleclass
lifestyle. Then a friend of ours referred us
to Dr. Gruber, M.Arch, Ph.D., CAT (Certified
Architectural Therapist).
Our next appointment with Dr. Gruber
was in our “Being Space”—a sort of leftover
area between the Reception Area and the
Cooking Centre. The Doctor had reached some
conclusions about our treatment.
www.oaa.on.ca
He looked at us with kindness and concern,
like a grandmother preparing to apply a
bandage to a child’s wounded knee. “I know
you’ve given a lot of thought to your personal
relationship,” he said, patiently and earnestly.
“But have you thought for even a minute how
your house might feel?”
This jarred us both, a little.
“In any relationship, it’s important to
consider the role of all parties,” he continued.
“The thing is that architecture—buildings—
are eternal. Sure they can be altered,
renovated, redecorated, repurposed. But
that’s expensive and time consuming and in
the end you still have the same old building,
just tinkered with, and this can be very
upsetting to a house. People, on the other
hand are able to change very easily. Look,
you go camping, you live in a little tent for
a week and cook on a wood fire; you go on
a cruise ship, you feel sick for a week, drink
too much, eat too much, spend a couple of
months recovering. We adapt. Think of how far
humans have come. We used to live in caves,
now we live in highrise condos. It’s amazing
what people can become accustomed to.”
Now, assuming a more professorial air,
he went on, “It’s really just a question of
moulding your lifestyle to accommodate
your surroundings—a sort of Darwinian
adjustment, if you like. I think that if we
can just narrow the gap between you and
the house, you and your house will be
much happier.”
Dr. Gruber’s assistant helped us make the
necessary arrangements.
We didn’t make all of the lifestyle
alterations at once. Like Darwin said,
adaptation takes time. Finding new friends
was easy. Most of our neighbours had avoided
us since we built the house, anyway. It
was out of sync with the neighbourhood
and, evidently, we were too. Our new
friends seemed to really like the house.
They said all the right things: “It has really
engaging spaces…it re-contextualizes the
streetscape…it’s iconic.” We had to look some
of these words up.
It was easier than you might think. We
started going out—theatres, galleries,
documentary cinema—we got new clothes,
a sleek European car, and even new hobbies.
Why hadn’t we thought of this before? We
started reading books and magazines—Dwell,
Architectural Digest, OAA Perspectives, New York
Review of Books. We joined a book club and a
couple of art galleries. We took architectural
tours. Most important, we started to really
feel like we belonged in our house—not
comfortable, necessarily, but much better
accommodated. z
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INDEX OF ADVERTISERS
ACOUSTICAL DISTRIBUTORS
OAS������������������������������������������������ 34
www.oasinc.ca
ACOUSTICAL ENGINEERS
HGC Engineering Ltd.���������������������� 34
www.acoustical-consultants.com
ARCHITECTURAL CAST-IN-PLACE
CONCRETE FORMS
GoliathTech - Your Deck Co.�������� 8, 35
www.goliathtechpiles.com/
ASSOCIATIONS
International Reprographic
Association���������������������������������� 34
www.apdsp.org/
BRICK MANUFACTURERS/SUPPLIERS
Brampton Brick Limited�������������������� 7
www.bramptonbrick.com
Forterra Building
Products����������������� Inside Front Cover
www.forterrabrick.com
Thames Valley Brick & Tile���������������� 32
www.ThamesValleyBrick.com
BUILDING CODE CONSULTANTS
LMDG Building Code
Consultants Ltd.�������������������������� 36
www.lmdg.com
CLAY BRICK & MASONRY
Forterra Building
Products�������������� Inside Front Cover
www.forterrabrick.com
CLAY PAVING BRICKS
Thames Valley Brick & Tile�������������� 32
www.ThamesValleyBrick.com
CONCRETE FLOORING/FINISHING
Concrete Flooring Association�������� 33
www.concretefloors.ca
CONSTRUCTION LAW SERVICES
Aird & Berlis, LLP���������������������������� 34
www.airdberlis.com
CONSULTING ENGINEERS
CCI Group Inc. �������������������������������� 34
www.ccigroupinc.ca
M & E Engineering Ltd.����������������������35
www.me-eng.com
EXTERIOR SIGNAGE
GoliathTech - Your Deck Co.�������� 8, 35
www.goliathtechpiles.com/
FLOORING
Maple Flooring Manufacturers
Association, Inc.�������������������������� 37
www.maplefloor.org
FOUNDATION SUPPORT
GoliathTech - Your Deck Co.�������� 8, 35
www.goliathtechpiles.com/
SITE AMENITIES
A.B.C. Recreation Ltd. �������������������� 30
www.abcrecreation.com
GARAGE DOOR MANUFACTURERS
Steel-Craft Door
Products Ltd.������� Inside Back Cover
www.steel-craft.ca
SKYLIGHTS
Velux Canada Inc.�����������������������11, 35
www.velux.ca
GLASS BLOCK & GLASS
FLOOR SYSTEMS
Thames Valley Brick & Tile�������������� 32
www.ThamesValleyBrick.com
SOFTWARE - BUILDING
INFORMATION MODEL
Graphisoft North
America ������������Outside Back Cover
www.graphisoft.com
GUTTERS
Precision Gutters Ltd.���������������������� 33
www.precisiongutters.com/home
SOUND & VIBRATION CONTROL
Pliteq Inc.������������������������������������ 8, 35
www.pliteq.com
HARDWARE & ACCESSORIES
GRASS Canada Inc.������������������������ 33
www.grasscanada.com
SPECIALTY DOORS
Baillargeon Doors Inc. �������������������� 32
www.baillargeondoors.com
HELICAL SCREW PILES
GoliathTech - Your Deck Co.�������� 8, 35
www.goliathtechpiles.com/
STEEL FRAME BUILDINGS
BEHLEN INDUSTRIES LP������������������ 3
www.behlen.ca
INTERIOR WOOD DOOR
FRAMES & JAMBS
Baillargeon Doors Inc. �������������������� 32
www.baillargeondoors.com
STONE MASONRY VENEERS
Canadian Stone Industries���������10, 31
www.AllThingsStone.com
JOIST SYSTEMS
iSpan Systems LP ���������������������������� 4
www.totaljoist.com
LUXURY PLUMBING
Acorn Engineering�������������������������� 33
www.neo-metro.com
MASONRY ANCHORAGE
& REINFORCMENT
GoliathTech - Your Deck Co.�������� 8, 35
www.goliathtechpiles.com/
ONLINE CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS
Ontario General Contractors
Association���������������������������������� 36
www.ogca.ca
ORNAMENTAL IRON FENCING
Iron Eagle Industries Inc.���������������� 32
ironeagleind.com/
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Building Code Consultants Ltd
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ON TAR IO PL ACE S continued from page 38
1574 Bathurst Street, Jane Jacobs to
69 Albany Avenue and Lester Pearson
to 12 Admiral Road. Other notable
honourees include Frederick Banting,
Charles Best, Robertson Davies, Emma
Goldman, Lorne Greene, Ned Hanlan,
William Kurelek, Tom Longboat, Marshall
McLuhan, Oscar Peterson, Johnny
Wayne, Frank Shuster, Tuzo Wilson
and the architects E. J. Lennox and
Frank Darling.
The plaques are intended to be
permanent and their numbers will
grow over time, as future Toronto
Legacy Project members add new
candidates to the list. More details
of the Toronto Legacy Project can be
found at the Heritage Toronto website:
heritagetoronto.org.
Architects have always been
intrigued by the connections between
a person, place and occasion. Can the
design or quality of a place influence
the actions of those who live in it,
and can that provide benefits to our
community? The locations of the
plaques do not answer that question.
However, they do serve to enrich the
historical knowledge of our city. Where
there are several possible plaque
locations for a particular individual,
the placement decision is influenced
to some degree by where the most
passersby will notice it.
Now the people of Toronto and
visitors can be reminded of where
Milton Acorn wrote many of his poems,
where Norman Bethune studied
medicine, where mathematician Donald
Coxeter wrote some of his famous
books, where the actor Raymond Massey
was raised, and where Harry Somers
composed some of his music. A street
you have travelled down many times
may suddenly become much more
meaningful once you know more about
the lives of those who preceded you—
that at this place, at this time, some
cultural figure of note lived or achieved
something memorable.
As to Eric Arthur’s house, he designed
it and moved in with his wife, Doris, and
two children in 1955. It is in Lawrence
Park, at the time a developing suburb of
sturdy brick houses with Arts and Crafts
detailing. Arthur’s house is unique and
worth a visit. It is expressive of his
design philosophy—modern in style,
but respectful of its context with no
historicist details. Of special interest is
that the home has been owned and lived
in for many years by another architect,
who has taken pride in preserving the
character of the place and was very
supportive of the new plaque installed
at the edge of the city sidewalk. z
A PLAQUE MARKING
THE LOCATION
OF FREDERICK
BANTING’S HOUSE
AT 46 BEDFORD
ROAD IN TORONTO,
NOW THE SITE OF
TADDLE CREEK
PARK. BANTING
BUILT THE HOUSE
AFTER WINNING
THE NOBEL PRIZE
FOR THE DISCOVERY
OF INSULIN.
PHOTO COURTESY
TORONTO LEGACY
PROJECT
PETER ORTVED is a principal in CS&P
Architects Inc., in Toronto.
The Blend of
Art and 6FLHQFH.
The human form was daVinci’s inspiration.
The athletic floor is our inspiration.
The relationship of technical standards and system design
has led us to create uniform standards of performance
IRUVSRUWVÁRRUVWKH0)0$3856WDQGDUGV
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e-mail mfma@maplefloor.org
37
07/05/16 2:49 AM
OA A PER SPEC T IVES | WINTER 2016/17
ON TAR IO PL ACE S
TORONTO LEGACY PROJECT
BY PETER ORTVED OAA, FRAIC
MOST READERS OF THIS MAGAZINE
THE ERIC
ARTHUR
PLAQUE, IN
CONTEXT AND
CLOSE-UP
38
know who Eric Arthur was. Some may
have been taught by him or will have
consulted one of his excellent books
on architecture. Some know of his
role as Professional Advisor on the
seminal New Toronto City Hall design
competition. Many of us owe him a debt
for his founding of the Architectural
Conservancy of Ontario. He left a
remarkable record. There are likely few
of us, however, who know the house he
designed and lived in for 27 years at 41
Weybourne Crescent in North Toronto.
A legacy is a gift from the past
that enriches the lives of the present
generation. The Toronto Legacy
Project evolved to its present form
from a volunteer group of individuals
who first came together in 2002, led
by poet Dennis Lee as founder and
Grace Westcott as chair. The intent
of the project is to raise awareness
of the historical presence in Toronto
of distinguished persons of the past
and make the city a more attractive
and interesting place to live, do
business and visit. Since 2009, in
partnership with Heritage Toronto, the
Toronto Legacy Project has celebrated
Toronto’s notable figures in all fields
of endeavour—culture, thinking,
OA A PER SPEC T IVES | WINTER 2016/17
THE ERIC ARTHUR RESIDENCE AT 41 WEYBOURNE CRESCENT.
ALL PHOTOS COURTESY TORONTO LEGACY PROJECT
sports, politics and more—by installing
plaques on their homes or workplaces.
The plaques, modelled on the famous
London Blue Plaques, are elegantly
designed in the form of an oval, in blue
with white lettering, and include the
coat of arms of the City of Toronto.
As a former board member and chair
of Heritage Toronto, I was pleased to
join the committee several years ago,
and the first project I took on was the
Eric Arthur plaque. In the past six years,
38 plaques have been successfully
installed, and another dozen are
awaiting approvals and installation
details. The list of those honoured to
date includes an impressive roster of
personalities, some long-time Toronto
residents, some who were raised here
or spent only a short time in the city.
Without a plaque, few of us would have
connected these famous people to the
places where they lived or worked. Now
anyone can link Amelia Earhart to 392
Sherbourne Street, Northrop Frye to
continued on page 37
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