2013 Recipients

Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia Award in Architecture – Medal Level (3) –

Recognizing exceptional excellence in completed architectural projects completed within the past seven years and led by a B.C.-registered architect.

North Vancouver City Hall
Firm: mcfarlane green biggar ARCHITECTURE + DESIGN
Lead Design Architect: Michael Green Architect AAIBC FRAIC AIA NCARB
This renovation and expansion project presented the challenge of expanding upon a complex 1970s heritage building while at the same time envisioning 20 years of predicted future growth and expansion. The design team also took on aggressive sustainability targets. Central to the solution: wood. This project celebrates the innovative use of wood as an aesthetically-pleasing and economical means of minimizing the buildings environmental footprint. Like the best architecture, it is as much about people as place, intent on bringing about a fundamental shift in office culture for city administration. The result: an integrated, flexible working environment, inviting to the community and in keeping with North Vancouver’s commitment to sustainability.

 

Regent Park Aquatic Centre
Firm: MacLennan Jaunkalns Miller Architects
Lead Design Architects: Viktors Jaunkalns Architect AIBC OAA AAA MRAIC with David Miller OAA MRAIC
Seen as a central component of Regent Park’s revitalization efforts, this multi-purpose swimming pool facility makes a bold statement. Several, in fact. One distinguishing characteristic is its “dorsal fin” of sky lighting that bisects the aquatics hall. Above, a green roof and cisterns for site water stewardship – smartly appropriate for an aquatic centre. Visually, the design team opted for a “see through” approach to enhance the notion of open, inviting public space. In another bold move, it is also the first facility in Canada to adopt the singular use of universal change rooms.

 

University of British Columbia Faculty of Arts Buchanan Courtyard Renew
Firm: PUBLIC: Architecture + Communication
Lead Design Architect: Brian Wakelin Architect AIBC AAA MRAIC LEED AP
Built in the 1950s, the Buchanan Block at UBC has long been the historic home for the university’s Arts and Humanities programs. Despite its history, something was missing. The solution was to be found through a fresh take on the block’s stagnant twin courtyards. Visit it today, and a towering pavilion of white concrete immediately demands ones attention. Your eye then travels downward to a serene reflecting pool. Previously abandoned, it is now central to a newly-integrated storm water recycling system. Adjacent wood-and-steel benches and glass-and-steel canopies complete an irresistible environment for student convergence and engagement. The renewed courtyard gives UBC’s Arts faculty a long-needed sense of identity. It also provides a masterful example of public space architecture.

 

Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia Award in Architecture – Merit Level (3) –

Recognizing excellence in completed architectural projects completed within the past seven years and led by a B.C.-registered architect.

Environmental Learning Centre, North Vancouver Outdoor School
Firm: McFarland Marceau Architects Ltd
Lead Design Architect: Larry McFarland Architect AIBC
The ELC, as it is affectionately called, is the first step in an ambitious master plan to revitalize the North Vancouver Outdoor School in Brackendale. In keeping with the essence of a centre for environmental study and discovery, it is a playful tree house design that cleverly contains multi-purpose learning spaces, administrative offices, a kitchen and dining area, a multi-purpose hall, exhibition space and a nature gallery. Of note: the decision to elevate the main floor, resulting in a tree-level vantage as well as extensive covered outdoor teaching areas that bring the nature connection to life.

 

University of British Columbia Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences Centre for Drug Research and Development
Firm: Saucier + Perrotte with Hughes Condon Marler Architects
Lead Design Architect: Gilles Saucier Architect AIBC OAQ OAA FRAIC
The striking six-storey building has been purposely designed as a gateway to the southeast edge of the UBC campus. Conceptualized around the healing qualities of nature, its arboresque design includes a ground floor that is open, airy and inviting, branching up to functional spaces highly conducive to research and learning. Targeting LEED Gold standards, the sophisticated design speaks to the university’s global reputation for excellence in pharmaceutical research and learning.

 

Surrey City Centre Library
Firm: Bing Thom Architects Inc.
Lead Design Architect: Bing Thom Architect AIBC FRAIC AAA OAA AIA
The City of Surrey is undergoing a remarkable transformation, and the new Surrey City Centre Library takes that transformation to new heights.  The four-story structure boasts a captivating contemporary design. Its edgy exterior gives way to a cathedral-like interior distinguished by a spiraling staircase that carries users to a multitude of gathering spaces. Constructed to LEED Silver standards, it is awash in natural light, creating an idyllic environment for discovery, contemplation and community. And aptly so, as the project was built upon an extensive community engagement process. The result is a truly welcoming and inspiring community facility, a stunning piece of architecture that has already earned landmark status.

 

AIBC Innovation Award (2) –

For achievements in building design that are not strictly architectural but that have a direct bearing on the future of architecture.

Monad
Firm: Lang Wilson Practice in Architecture Culture, Vancouver
Lead Design Architect: Oliver Lang Architect AIBC
Like its name, Monad is unique, concise and impactful. The design team set out to create a paradigm shift, a viable housing alternative that also addressed the cultural, social, environmental and economic realities of a modern city. It succeeded. With an adaptable, affordable model that embraced prefabrication while still allowing customization, Monad re-imagines both the structure and the essence of condominium living.

 

The University of British Columbia’s Earth Sciences Building
Firm: Perkins+Will Canada Architects
Lead Design Architect: Jana Foit Architect AIBC, LEED AP BD+C
This project is a showcase for science. It houses state-of-the-art teaching and research space for three academic departments while also providing highly-visible laboratory space and an impressive gallery for the Pacific Museum of the Earth. The building is also a testament to wood. It stands as the largest solid wood panel building on the continent. Of particular note is the five-storey atrium awash in natural light and distinguished by a free-floating solid timber staircase made from a seamless folding “ribbon” of rigid glulam stringers—the first of its kind in the world. Already, it has become an important part of UBC’s campus community, as intended.

 

AIBC Special Jury Award (5) –

A discretionary honour for outstanding achievement.

Sloan / Berkes House
Firm: Allen + Maurer Architects Ltd.
Lead Design Architect: Florian Maurer Architect AIBC, MRAIC, LEED AP with Chris Allen, MRAIC, LEED AP
Special Jury Award in Recognition of: Engagement of Site
This single-family home in Naramata nearly dissolves into its wine-country surroundings. It features three distinct but connected spaces, each thoughtfully integrated with its lofty locale. The central building is airy and open, perched on the ridge; a second, nearly invisible within the hillside and under a grass roof; while the third is also elegantly burrowed into the rise. The choice of raw, rugged building materials only enhances the earthy feel.

 

Askew’s Uptown Supermarket

Firm: Allen+Maurer Architects Ltd.
Lead Design Architect: Florian Maurer Architect AIBC, MRAIC, LEED AP with Chris Allen, MRAIC, LEED AP
Special Jury Award in Recognition of: Atypical Approach to a Typical Program Type
Part of a bigger plan for the interior town of Salmon Arm, this grocery store is a stepping stone for future growth in a community where growth is much-needed. Rather than simply facilitating commerce and cars, it takes a modern approach to energy use while also featuring traditional building materials reflective of the local economy. In transforming a longstanding family business, the design team also recognized and built upon its special place at the heart of this small-town community.

 

Tarrant County College – Trinity River East Campus
Firm: Bing Thom Architects Inc.,
Lead Design Architect: Bing Thom, Architect AIBC, FRAIC, AAA, OAA, AIA
Special Jury Award in Recognition of: Buildings Making Space
Building on the architect’s earlier master plan for the city of Fort Worth, this new campus offers more than just a place of learning. Its design speaks to interaction and engagement. From courtyards and fountains to pathways and waterfalls, the campus conveys an interconnectedness that extends to the surrounding environment. It takes full advantage of its unique riverside locale. Though it’s a long way from Vancouver to Texas, the architectural subtleties and sensitivities ring familiar.

 

Energy. Environment. Experiential Learning Building at the University of Calgary
Firm: DIALOG Alberta Architecture Engineering Interior Design Planning Inc. with Perkins+Will Canada Architects Co.
Lead Design Architects: Perkins+Will: Peter Busby, C.M., Architect AIBC, Architect AAA, MOAA, FRAIC, AIA, BCID, LEED AP BD+C; DIALOG: Jim Goodwin, Architect AAA, OAA, NSAA, Architect AIBC, FRAIC
Special Jury Award in Recognition of: Animating the Program
The five-story Energy. Environment. Experiential Learning Building at the University of Calgary is one of the largest LEED Platinum Certified laboratories in North America. Unlike many campus structures, the motivation behind this building was always about the students. And it shows. It boasts all the characteristics of an optimal learning environment: interactive, flexible, smart, efficient, and alive. At the heart of the structure is a social stair, an informal setting for gathering, socialization and introspection. The multifaceted building also serves to unite a collection of disparate, pre-existing campus buildings, creating a sense of connectedness and shared purpose that suits a post-secondary institution.

 

The University Boulevard Transit Shelters at the University of British Columbia
Firm: PUBLIC Architecture + Communication
Lead Design Architect: John Wall Architect AIBC, AAA, OAA, LEED AP
Special Jury Award in recognition of: Experimental Architecture
It is subtle as far as arch itecture goes, easily overlooked. But were you to stop and consider the artistry and   impact of the two curious transit shelters along University Boulevard at UBC, the magic emerges. The shelters themselves share a lineage with the Katsura trees that grow nearby. Most striking is the intricate wood-and-glass “canopy” that provides both shelter and stimulation. Creatively constructed, it provides not only structural integrity, but lasting visual interest. Add sunshine, and the intricate nature-like pattern overhead is replicated under foot – a delightful change from the usual, mundane bus stop.