We are very excited to be hired as the Architects for a new contemporary single family residence that will focus on green building technologies, its ecological footprint, off grid power and use rammed earth walls as its primary construction method.  Because of the uniqueness and healthy environmental focus of this project we decided to start a blog dedicated to its design and development from concept to completion.  This should be a very interesting journey and one that we hope spreads knowledge and awareness.

Rammed earth home

“OTTAWA CITIZEN — A most unusual building hugs the corner of Pretoria Avenue and O’Connor Street. The concrete walls could easily be the palette for a collection of ancient cave paintings or the pictorial history etched onto the side of a large mud hut set on the African savannah.  Using a piece of bone, the homeowner, who also happens to be a talented artist, has covered the large concrete panels with a series of free-flowing elements to produce a unique, award-winning work detailing the history of this shop-home that was built 109 years ago.” -  By Gillian Magnan, Citizen Special

Link to the Archticle

Found this little modern Rug store in Toronto.  We used a couple of their pieces in our Infill design’s and they are something special.

“Rich in colour, texture, and craft, Modern Weave rugs can be made-to-order to accommodate the unique specifications of any environment.” – The Boutique, Modern Weave

http://www.modernweave.com/

I wish I could live in the third one from the left……..You know, the one with the red door.  With a red door I could be “different” and express my “individual character”.  Nothing is more depressing then seeing suburbia from the sky.  At least everyone has a garage and a big back yard………that’s a good thing right?  Why does the “Ottawa Urban Infill Guidelines” promote front porches to animate the street, discourage large garage doors, express the need for a dominate front door, encourage sustainable elements, require landscaped front yards,  will not allow front yard parking and goes through great lengths to promote interesting concepts in housing while allowing this to be built over and over?  Why can’t there be a Suburban Design Guidelines?

When designers, developers and the city come together and explore the possibility of dense modern housing amazing possibilities arise.   The result is the mecca of modern infill housing…….Amsterdam.

Simply stunning if you ask me.

We are very honored to a guest presenter for the upcoming Pecha Kucha Night - Ottawa #2 20×20 night this March 31st 2010.

PechaKucha 20×20 is a simple presentation format where you show 20 images, each for 20 seconds. The images forward automatically and you talk along to the images.

“PechaKucha Night was devised in Tokyo in February 2003 as an event for young designers to meet, network, and show their work in public.  It has turned into a massive celebration, with events happening in hundreds of cities around the world, inspiring creatives worldwide. Drawing its name from the Japanese term for the sound of “chit chat”, it rests on a presentation format that is based on a simple idea: 20 images x 20 seconds. It’s a format that makes presentations concise, and keeps things moving at a rapid pace.”

We are very proud to announce that we are Ottawa Architect for the “Engravings” project that has been published in Dwell magazine. Please feel free to check it out as it’s an interesting project and an even more interesting client / concept.

Dwell – Engravings

As are the Toronto Architect for the “Mini House” we decided to create a Blog dedicated to following one of our modern infill projects in Toronto.  We will discuss everything that is involved in designing and building a custom, modern home. Through this blog we hope to educate anyone who is interested in building their own home and offer a real time account to those who are just curious about the process.

Mini BLOG

I’ve been a fan this Toronto / Montreal focussed “urban landscape” magaine for quite a while. Impassioned writing and stunning city photography.

“Public space is at the heart of democracy. It’s where people interact, teach, learn, participate, and protest.  But environmental degradation, commercial self-interest, and infrastructure neglect have come to dominate our cities’ streets. Fortunately, imaginative and passionate city-dwellers worldwide — and in Toronto in particular — appreciate the endless possibilities that cities can offer. They are resisting the co-option of their communities through random acts of beauty and intellect.”

Spacing