For many their home will form the basis of the most intimate relationship they will have with a building. The tight site called for long, narrow suites. With an advantageous east/west orientation we organised our living spaces so we rise with the early morning sun and see the evening sun as day turns to night. The outside is pulled into the building through open decks and large windows, attaching us to time and place as light and volumes change with the passing hours and the changing seasons. The new colour and material palette reflect the character of the building and enhance the daylight within the spaces. Blemishes are not masked with mouldings, materials are finished to both reveal and celebrate their character, not made to look like something else. The arcade of mature maple trees gives us solar shading in the summer and defines the space of the street while infusing green life into the city. When experienced together none of this seems arbitrary, contrived or banal. For many their home will form the basis of the most intimate relationship they will have with a building. The street in front will be the playground and will shape the child’s comprehension of the social, cultural and
environmental elements of the city. These experiences should also inform an awareness of reality, anchored in time and to a place. We are fortunate to inhabit an incredibly unique and beautiful place on the planet. Our homes, streets and cities should commemorate and connect us to the reality of this. The design community can not afford to remain silent, we must begin to involve ourselves within our communities as they grow. The leadership role is wide open and now is the time to think big. The possibilities for greater awareness of the issues are upon us, people are ready to listen and are looking for something better. As Edmonton and Alberta mark their first century of place, it is time we began to con- sider the legacy and story our housing will leave on the landscape. c
Carmon Shirras is a freelance photog- rapher. Steven Smyth is a designer with Manasc Isaac Architects. Both are past executive board members of the Media, Art and Design Exposed (M.A.D.E.) in Edmon- ton Society and have lived on the Avenue of Nations for several years.
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