Twenty + Change: New Perspectives

In 2021, we first partnered with Canadian Architect magazine to present a curated showcase of emerging Canadian architectural practices. Now, in 2024, we are excited to continue this collaboration with the latest edition. The sixth edition of Twenty + Change, titled ‘New Perspectives’, is the result of an open call for submissions, and careful consideration by a curatorial team representing architectural practices from across the country—many of whom were featured in earlier editions of Twenty + Change. The team included Marie-Chantal Croft of Écobâtiment (Quebec City), Susan Fitzgerald of FBM (Halifax), Andrew Hill of StudioAC (Toronto), Ben Klumper of Modern Office of Design + Architecture (Calgary), and ourselves, Heather Dubbeldam of Dubbeldam Architecture + Design (Toronto) and Elsa Lam of Canadian Architect (Toronto).

One of the trends we observed in this year’s selection was the rise of firms rooted in environmental sustainability practices. Three of the firms chosen this year—architecture écologique (Montreal), Boon (Quebec City), and Poiesis (Toronto)—boast one or more Passive House-certified designers, giving them the expertise to design buildings that require minimal operating energy. Other firms, such as COMN (Toronto) and Alexandre Bernier (Montreal), are focused on infill housing, contributing towards a vital component of a sustainable future. Further west, AtLRG (Winnipeg) has built a reputation for tackling complex urban sites, from new-builds to office-to-residential conversions.

One of the most ambitious change-makers in our showcase is Mindful Architecture (North Vancouver), a partnership between an architect and an industrial designer with a patented cradle-to-cradle living wall system. Their mass timber Métis Cultural Centre in Fort McMurray, Alberta, is currently under construction, and projects in development include insulation made of human hair, and a 3D-printed solar pit house inspired by traditional circular Indigenous dwellings.

The idea of replacing conventional construction with technology driven solutions is also key to projects by Leckie Studio Architecture + Design (Vancouver) and VFA Architecture + Design (Toronto). While both firms practice conventionally, they also have side-hustles: Leckie’s Backcountry Hut and Triptych (shown below) are prefabricated designs for cabins and urban housing; VFA’s Ukkei Homes harnesses prefabrication to create affordable laneway suites that can be added to existing properties.

What is the potential of new models for practicing architecture? Two Montreal firms—LAAB and Pivot—are asking precisely this question. LAAB leans heavily on quantitative analysis, using UX modelling to ground services anchored in strategic design. Pivot, for its part, is one of a handful of architecture co-ops in Canada—an egalitarian model that opposes the hierarchical structure of traditional architectural practices. Cross-disciplinarity is in the DNA of another trio of firms. Nonument (Toronto) positions itself at the intersection of art and architecture, while Future Simple Studio (Montreal) embraces branding and object prototyping alongside residential and commercial interiors, and Oxbow (Regina and Saskatoon) describes architecture as a subset of landscape design.

The broader context—whether a forested west coast island, northern city, or southern metropolis—is key to a set of practices that might be seen as addressing the concerns of critical regionalism. Laura Killam (Vancouver) is deeply attuned to her childhood landscapes along the Salish Sea, while s.no has set up a thriving practice in Whitehorse, and blanchette’s designs carry an intent to bring out the Nordic character of Montreal.

Three final firms take a cross-cultural approach to architecture. Odami (Toronto) is a partnership that blends and blurs ideas from one partner’s training in Europe with the other’s Canadian education. Rafael Santa Ana Architecture Workshop (Vancouver) prides itself on a diverse staff comprised mostly of immigrants, who bring a vibrancy of ideas to the practice. And EHA (Vancouver) takes both a cross-cultural and cross-generational view of design: they specialize in environments for community-based elder care, with several initial projects blending in elements from traditional Japanese homes to align with their clients’ background.

Any emerging practice spends some time getting its footing. And then, with some luck, it begins to be able to ask bigger questions: what is Canadian architecture now? And what might it become? Below and in the pages of the magazine, you’ll find 20 distinct answers.

Elsa Lam and Heather Dubbeldam

Selected Practices

Selected by the Curatorial Committee, the following 20 Canadian practices are featured as part of Twenty + Change: New Perspectives in Canadian Architect magazine’s October 2024 special issue: