lost and found | collective memory and the suburban house of cards
steven smyth
c ities have long memories held in their streets and structures. In early 2005 the City of Edmonton announced that its population was over a million. Viewed as a positive devel- opment, it nonetheless raises some concern about how we will look after the next million residents. Here are two tales: one the story of an Edmonton inner city neighbourhood on the verge of big things, and the other, a small condominium renovation that is a part of this urban regeneration. Street life is vibrant, rich, occasionally ugly in this neighbourhood; no attempts are made to blur this reality. The Avenue of Nations, 107 th , anchors the north edge of Edmonton’s downtown, with a multitude of services from schools, hospitals and restaurants from all corners of the globe, to massage parlours and liquor stores. There is increasing develop- ment pressure on this community. Failure to recognise its architecture and design will un- doubtedly destroy one of the few real, vibrant communities left in the city. The other side of the story is that 15,000 new housing starts have taken place here in the last three years. This is not an unfamiliar context; the influx of new neighbours puts
increased pressure on existing communities and even greater pressure on the landscape for neighbourhoods yet to be realized. Through the housing viewfinder the vision is that of a cultural, social and physical discon- nection between reality and the world that most of us try to live in, where a manufac- tured utopia is driven by the bottom-line and where ignorance carries no consequence. The cities we live in speak of this, with our atti- tudes, neighbourhoods and houses providing the evidence. A fortunate side effect of the craft of building is that once constructed, a building will last at least one lifetime. The same can be said of streets and neighbourhoods. This longev- ity retains the social and cultural qualities of neighbourhoods made when there was pleasure in a walk, when a community was a source of pride and inspiration rather than a place to compare merchandise. These places, the forgotten inner city neighbourhoods, give us the opportunity to re-learn what has been forgotten in our haste to house — how to build simply and allow for complexity, where places for people are rich and diverse rather than gentrified and stagnant.
Urban environments offer benefits beyond short commutes and a smaller environmen- tal footprint — there are other reasons for people to migrate to cities. The international population around the Avenue of Nations remains true to these urban roots. A street life thrives at all hours. From the window of a passing car the image is of urban grit — the reason sheltered suburbanites leave the city, however a walk down the street reveals something very different — people engaged in conversations, strangers smiling and the constant entertainment of road rage as people rush past to wherever they may be going. Back alleys look servicable; storefronts are unpretentious; the street defines the space and buildings and people animate that space. Reality and clarity of purpose are everywhere. Drawing on its surroundings, the condomin- ium building at 10743 107 th Avenue strength- ens and further defines this context. Built in 1982 and designed by Edmonton architect, Wayne Scott, its location and tectonic expres- sion provide great bones for a renovation project.
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housing | houses | house
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