we’re looking at a project, but the biggest thing is they have to haveapurpose,”Tudorexplains. “They have to be fulfilling. They have to be relevant to our time. They have to address important issues – like the environment, our proximity to nature, social justice, and economic justice. Those are the subjects that are important to us – almost all of the projects that we do now tend to touch on those themes.” Tudor reiterates, however, that when it comes to typology and scope, they remain flexible. For example, they can go from a science museum like the Montreal Biodôme, to a community centre for a non-profit organization, to a residential development that “questions the role of density in the city.” An example of such a housing development is the Elää – is a 41-unit residential complex located at the entrance of the Verdun Borough, in Montreal. What makes that project unique is the building is fragmented into several volumes united by green spaces. That kind of typology is common in in Scandinavian and European cities, but rarely found in Montreal. “Closer to a house than a condo, it is a place where ownership is encouraged and where a sense of community is created through the juxtaposition of units and green spaces,” Tudor describes. Instead of creating a front and a back to the building, the team at KANVA designed the project with an exterior and an interior. The facades are treated with two main contrasting materials in both color and texture. The outer perimeter consists of dark, charred wood, while the interior facades become white acrylic. The breaks in THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTYzNTg=