Canada Council Prix de Rome press release —
Kobayashi + Zedda partners Jack Kobayashi and Antonio Zedda will visit the circumpolar regions of the north including Iceland, Greenland, Russia, Norway and Finland; areas of the world that share common features like the boreal forest, extreme sun paths, harsh climates and Aboriginal cultures. They believe that northern architects use innovative yet basic technologies to produce ambitious and original site-specific buildings. They will travel to each country twice, in order to compare winter and summer conditions. The firm has recently become recognized throughout Canada and the circumpolar region as a leader in First Nations and sustainable architecture. They represented Canada at the International Green Building Challenge (Mayo Replacement School) and received a Lieu- tenant Governor of British Columbia Medal in Architecture (Teslin Tlingit Heritage Centre). Their web site is www.kza.yk.ca.
prix du nord | Kobayashi + Zedda Whitehorse, Yukon
onsite : your practice in the Yukon is so locally rooted, something that many architects would worry might keep them from being in the ‘world’, however, you are increasingly known in Canada and across the circumpolar region. What is your obligation to your local community? Kobayashi + Zedda : we have been busy building up our base. We now have 6 full time staff in the office and have started a construction company to build our own buildings in the community. We want to broaden the spectrum of an architect’s role in the community. I love the fact that we have two salaried journeymen carpenters on staff and one apprentice along with a bunch of architectural interns. It would be great to do an On Site issue on why we should build as well as design. I have learned so much about the street: legal (dealing with solicitors and litigators and understanding the difference), financial (scraping together $2 million in financing by putting everything you own on the line) and just the reality of building. We are becoming better architects because of it and I think most people here really appreciate the hands on effort to change the built environment...albeit one building at a time.
facing: some recent projects—
Journal entry, September 01, 2006 Jack and I have spent the last few hours trying to figure out how we might both find the time to leave Whitehorse, two operating companies,14 employees in need of guidance and way too much work to complete. We have come to the realization that in order to be considered as a potential recipient of the Prix de Rome, a firm needs to complete a substantial body of work. By the time a firm has (completed enough built work), they are in the midst of their busy careers...with little free time to travel around the world, and in this case, twice! top: Latitude 60 Live/Work Lofts. Three storey mixed-use development. Completed in 2003. Four two-storey lofts over ground floor commercial space (dentist’s office). below: New Cambodia. Three storey mixed-use development. Completed in 2005. 11 residential units (1 to 3 bedrooms) and 3 ground floor commercial units (offices, yoga studio, massage therapist).
We are still trying to figure out what it all means to practice architecture.
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