Muscowpetung Powwow Arbour, by Oxbow Architecture in collaboration with Richard Kroeker and Wolfrom Engineering. Rendering by the Mirage Studio
Three years ago, Canadian Architect and Twenty + Change first partnered to bring a curated showcase of emerging Canadian architectural practices to the pages of this magazine. This year, we are thrilled to have done so again.
The sixth edition of Twenty + Change, called New Perspectives, is the result of an open call for submissions, and careful consideration by a curatorial team representing architectural practices from across the country—many of whom were showcased in earlier editions of Twenty + Change. The team included Marie-Chantal Croft of Écobâtiment (Quebec City), Susan Fitzgerald of FBM (Halifax), Andrew Hill of StudioAC (Toronto), Ben Klumper of Modern Office of Design + Architecture (Calgary), and ourselves, Heather Dubbeldam of Dubbeldam Architecture + Design (Toronto) and Elsa Lam of Canadian Architect (Toronto).
One of the trends we observed in this year’s selection was the rise of firms rooted in environmental sustainability practices. Three of the firms chosen this year—architecture écologique (Montreal), BoON (Quebec City), and Poiesis (Toronto)—boast one or more Passive House-certified designers, giving them the expertise to design buildings that require minimal operating energy.
Other firms, such as COMN (Toronto) and Alexandre Bernier (Montreal), are focused on infill housing, contributing towards a vital component of a sustainable future. Further west, AtLRG (Winnipeg) has built a reputation for tackling complex urban sites, from new-builds to office-to-residential conversions.
One of the most ambitious change-makers in our showcase is Mindful Architecture (North Vancouver), a partnership between an architect and an industrial designer with a patented cradle-to-cradle living wall system. Their mass timber Métis Cultural Centre in Fort McMurray, Alberta, is currently under construction, and projects in development include insulation made of human hair, and a 3D-printed solar pit house inspired by traditional circular Indigenous dwellings.
The idea of replacing conventional construction with technologydriven solutions is also key to projects by Leckie Studio Architecture + Design (Vancouver) and VFA Architecture + Design (Toronto). While both firms practice conventionally, they also have side-hustles: Leckie’s Backcountry Hut and TripTych are prefabricated designs for cabins and urban housing; VFA’s Ukkei Homes harnesses prefabrication to create affordable laneway suites that can be added to existing properties.
What is the potential of new models for practicing architecture? Two Montreal firms—LAAB and Pivot—are asking precisely this question. LAAB leans heavily on quantitative analysis, using UX modelling to ground services anchored in strategic design. Pivot, for its part, is one of a handful of architecture co-ops in Canada—an egalitarian model that opposes the hierarchical structure of traditional architectural practices.
Cross-disciplinarity is in the DNA of another trio of firms. Nonument (Toronto) positions itself at the intersection of art and architecture, while Future Simple Studio (Montreal) embraces branding and object prototyping alongside residential and commercial interiors, and Oxbow (Regina and Saskatoon) describes architecture as a subset of landscape design.
The broader context—whether a forested West Coast island, northern city, or southern metropolis—is key to a set of practices that might be seen as addressing the concerns of critical regionalism. Laura Killam (Vancouver) is deeply attuned to her childhood landscapes along the Salish Sea, while s.no has set up a thriving practice in Whitehorse, and blanchette’s designs carry an intent to bring out the Nordic character of Montreal.
Three final firms take a cross-cultural approach to architecture. Odami (Toronto) is a partnership that blends and blurs ideas from one partner’s training in Europe with the other’s Canadian education. Rafael Santa Ana Architecture Workshop (Vancouver) prides itself on a diverse staff comprised mostly of newcomers to Canada, who bring a vibrancy of ideas to the practice. And EHA (Vancouver) takes both a cross-cultural and cross-generational view of design: they specialize in environments for community- based elder care, with several initial projects blending in elements from traditional Japanese homes to align with their clients’ background.
Any emerging practice spends some time getting its footing. And then, with some luck, it begins to be able to ask bigger questions: what is Canadian architecture now? And what might it become? In the pages ahead, you’ll find 20 distinct answers.
La Crête Métallique adds to a tiny 52-square-metre house from 1885, with an interior that exposes and celebrates raw materials from the original construction. Photo by Maxime Brouillet
Ferme des Coteaux, located on an old orchard in the lower St. Lawrence region, includes a residence and series of stables and barns. The design pairs exteriors inspired by traditional agricultural buildings with minimalist, carefully detailed interiors. Photo by James Brittain
NK Flats is a 29-suite apartment block on a landlocked site in Winnipeg’s North Kildonan neighbourhood. It shares a green space with a high-rise neighbour to one side, and is realized at a scale sensitive to the single-family housing on the opposite side. Photo by Stationpoint Photographic
The 31-unit Le Petit Laurier includes a continuous exterior walkway, which rings a communal courtyard for residents. The site’s natural slope allows for a threestorey volume on the street side and a four-storey volume on the alley side, and facilitates the inclusion of units for people with reduced mobility. Photo by Welldone.Arch
A multi-use wood-frame building in Montmagny, Quebec, includes a private courtyard designed to optimize daylight and natural ventilation for residents. A ground-level commercial space addresses the main throughfare, and parking is tucked under the back volume.
COMN’s first built work, Semi Semi, consists of two 1,000-squarefoot semi-detached homes nestled onto a site near Toronto’s Greektown. One serves as the firm’s residence and studio, and the other is used for long-term rental accommodation. Photo by Doublespace Photography
A 48-unit seniors supportive housing building adds to the existing Seton Villa campus in Burnaby, BC. As part of the design, a new garden amenity building provides a destination for residents to take part in activities and share a coffee or meal with friends, while enjoying views of the gardens and North Shore mountains. Photo by EHA
The design of SushiBox, a restaurant in Quebec City, includes textured surfaces that connect distant traditions with local craft. Photo by Felix Michaud
The flagship physical location for a born-digital furniture start-up, Cozey’s storefront design started with UX and branding research. The result is a next-generation store with no onsite storage and no cash registers. Photo by Riley Snelling
Located on an off-grid Salish Sea island, Ranch Outpost includes generous outdoor living spaces that blur the line between interior and exterior. The interiors for the project were designed in collaboration with Sophie Burke Design. Photo by Andrew Latreille
TripTych is a housing prototype for adaptable densification. The design consists of 75-square-metre modules that can be combined and reconfigured in a variety of ways over the lifespan of a building. Photo by Leckie Studio Architecture + Design
Currently under construction, the Métis Cultural Centre in Fort McMurray marks the land with the Métis infinity symbol. The loop joins two large courtyards, which respectively house an outdoor amphitheatre and an enclosed ceremonial Fire Circle. On the roof, a terrace is shaded by a Dream Catcher-inspired trellis, and visitors enjoy views of the Athabasca River and Moccasin Flats. Photo by Mindful Architecture
An office for Steam Films (part of the Radke Film Group) is anchored by a gallery kitchen and storage wall, crafted from solid white oak. Photo by Scott Norsworthy
The Palisades Village, Los Angeles, location of Aesop is inspired by the local vernacular, with buildings delicately perched within a cascading landscape of lush ridges and valleys. Photo by Rafael Gamo
The Avenue P Medical Office Building in Saskatoon strives to provide a user experience that is as light and uplifting as possible, through the use of abundant daylight, generous communal spaces, and clear wayfinding. The clinic spaces adjoin a large skylit atrium, and medical specialists share offices and administrative spaces on a separate level. Photo by Candace Epp
The Little Italy Fourplex transforms into an existing Edwardian home in Toronto to walk-up apartments that integrate with the existing streetscape. Photo by Omar Robledo
Spanning the banks of the Mamquam Channel, the Squamish Pedestrian Bridge connects the edge of downtown with a developing residential neighbourhood. Working with Aspect Structural Engineers as prime consultant, Rafael Santa Ana Architecture Workshop developed a design that references local rock gullies and layered forests. Photo by RSA AW
The Current is a four-storey mixed-use project in downtown Whitehorse that includes a main floor with commercial and private education spaces, and 34 residential units above. Deep overhangs provide a welcoming gesture—and sheltered area—for visitors and residents. Photo by Andrew Latreille
Cleaver Residence results from a close collaboration between its landscape designer client and VFA. A landscape courtyard pushes into the home, housing a European beech tree. Photo by Scott Norsworthy
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