Seminars #2 to #28 (May 2020)

Seminars #2 to #28: 

MAY, 2020, (27 ZOOM SESSIONS)

Pan-Canadian working groups on the determinants of quality in the built environment: Toward an open access digital platform for cross-referencing information, interpretation and research on award-winning projects and achievements in architecture, urban planning and landscape architecture

ATLAS of RESEARCH on EXEMPLARITY in ARCHITECTURE AND THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT (AREA-BE)

This series of remote exchanges is part of both the establishment of a large collaborative and research partnership on the quality of built environments (AREA-BE) and the design of a digital platform or “ENCYCLOPEDIA ON QUALITY” capable of supporting long-term research on the understanding and dissemination of best practices in the Canadian context. This database is decentralized and in open access.
Coordination in May 2020: Jean-Pierre Chupin (Université de Montréal), Terrance Galvin (Laurentian University)
Doctoral students and assistants: Mandana Bafghinia, Aurélien Catros, Sherif Goubran, Firdous Nizar, Lucie Palombi, Alexandra Paré, Anne-Lise Belbezet

DURING THREE WEEKS, IN MAY 2020, 3 GROUPS OF SCHOLARS AND PROFESSIONALS ACROSS CANADA PARTICIPATED IN THREE BRAINSTORMING SESSIONS PER WEEK, 9 ZOOM SESSIONS PER GROUP, 27  IN TOTAL.

WITH THE SUPPORT OF TWO MODERATORS (Jean-Pierre Chupin and Terrance Galvin) ALONG WITH DOCTORAL STUDENTS, EACH GROUP ALTERNATED REFLEXIONS ON ONE THEME PER WEEK POINTING AT PROMINENT ENSEMBLES OF QUALITIES FOR THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT. SUSTAINABILITY, MATERIALITY AND LIVABILITY.

If the AREA platform is a long-term project, a number of short-term issues need to be addressed while the network and database are being developed:
  • How should we design the digital platform so that it can be used to both document and analyze exemplary (award-winning) buildings and designs in parallel? Do you know examples of comparable databases that could inspire us?
  • What is the minimum information required to document an award-winning project or building in the fields of the built environment?
  • How can we harmonize the terms and vocabulary used to describe these cases?
  • What reading grids (by theme) should we use? (Following the current “State of the art”)
  • Among many standard systems, which would be the most conducive to the establishment of a grid of criteria for evaluating quality in architecture, landscape, urban planning, etc.?
  • Which books or papers contain the comparative tables, analysis tables and grids that should absolutely be consulted to deal with the three themes and in order to show them as examples to the computer specialists who design the AEA platform?
  • As a teacher and researcher in architecture / landscape / urban planning, what would you expect from a platform designed to encourage and support collaborative research?
amongst the determinants of quality in the built environment
SUSTAINABILITY AS… DESIGNERS’ POINT OF VIEW (professionals) USERS’ POINT OF VIEW (inhabitants and or visitors) RESEARCHERS’ POINT OF VIEW (scholars)
The Realization of Performance
Respect of a Set of Norms 
An Opening on New values
A Holistic or Integrative Approach
Definition of Temporality
amongst the determinants of quality in the built environment
MATERIALITY AS… DESIGNERS’ POINT OF VIEW (professionals) USERS’ POINT OF VIEW (inhabitants and or visitors) RESEARCHERS’ POINT OF VIEW (scholars)
Constructive Imagination (Tectonics), Technology and Craft
Mode of Expression, Aesthetic choice and Symbolic Meaning
Integration in a Broader context
(including social, economic and cultural context)
Consideration of Temporality and Recycling
amongst the determinants of quality in the built environment
LIVABILITY AS… DESIGNERS’ POINT OF VIEW (professionals) USERS’ POINT OF VIEW (inhabitants and or visitors) RESEARCHERS’ POINT OF VIEW (scholars)
Fulfillment of Basic Physical and Human Needs
(In Regard to Past Experiences)
Enriched Lived Experience / Set of Sensorial Perceptions / Perception of Well-Being
(In Regard to Present Experience)
Livability as Horizon of Expectations / Measure of Happiness and Existential Horizon
( Projection in Future Experiences) 

BELOW ARE A SERIES OF SCREEN SHOTS OF THE 3 GROUPS OF SCHOLARS AND PROFESSIONALS ACROSS CANADA WHICH PARTICIPATED IN THREE BRAINSTORMING SESSIONS PER WEEK DURING THREE WEEKS IN MAY 2020.

GROUP #1

Anne Cormier* Université de Montréal École d’architecture https://leap-architecture.org/chercheur/anne-cormier/#parentHorizontalTab2 
Marco Polo* Ryerson University Architectural Science https://www.ryerson.ca/architectural-science/people/faculty/marco-polo/ 
Michael Putman Dalhousie University Faculty of Architecture and Planning https://www.dal.ca/faculty/architecture-planning/school-of-architecture/faculty-staff/faculty/michael-putman.html 
Wei-Han Vivian Lee University of Toronto John H. Daniels https://www.daniels.utoronto.ca/people/core-faculty/wei-han-vivian-lee 
Joshua Taron University of Calgary School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape https://sapl.ucalgary.ca/people/faculty/joshua-taron 
Lisa Landrum University of Manitoba Department of Architecture http://umanitoba.ca/faculties/architecture/facstaff/faclist/landruml.html 
Shauna Mallory-Hill University of Manitoba Department of Interior Design https://umanitoba.ca/faculties/architecture/facstaff/faclist/mallory-hill.html  
Mercedes Garcia Holguera University of Manitoba Department of Architecture https://umanitoba.ca/faculties/architecture/facstaff/faclist/mercedesgarciaholguera.html
Sean Ruthen James KM Cheng Architects non-academic consultant (British Columbia) https://raic.org/raic/sean-ruthen-fraic 

GROUP #2

Bechara Helal* Université de Montréal École d’architecture https://architecture.umontreal.ca/professeurs/professeurs/in/in29417/sg/Bechara%20Helal/ 
Carmela Cucuzzella* Concordia University Design and Computation Arts https://www.concordia.ca/finearts/design/faculty.html?fpid=carmela-cucuzzella 
Leila Farah Ryerson University Architectural Science https://www.ryerson.ca/architectural-science/people/faculty/leila-farah/ 
Brian Robert Sinclair University of Calgary School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape http://evds.ucalgary.ca/evds_info/profiles/120-141558 
Robert Wright University of Toronto John H. Daniels https://www.daniels.utoronto.ca/people/core-faculty/robert-m-wright 
Annalisa Viati Archivio del Moderno Mendrisio ENSA Versailles https://search.usi.ch/en/people/db36c1ec7680135323fb2d7ccbf438da/viati-navone-annalisa
Nicola Navone Archivio del Moderno Mendrisio Mendrisio http://www.arc.usi.ch/en/resources-and-service-centers/resources/archivio-del-moderno 
Thomas Walker Concordia University Finance and sustainable buiding https://www.concordia.ca/jmsb/faculty/thomas-walker.html

GROUP #3

Izabel Amaral* Laurentian University McEwen School of Architecture https://laurentian.ca/faculty/iamaral 
Brian Lilley* Dalhousie University Faculty of Architecture and Planning https://www.dal.ca/faculty/architecture-planning/school-of-architecture/faculty-staff/faculty/brian-lilley.html 
Mason White University of Toronto John H. Daniels https://www.daniels.utoronto.ca/people/core-faculty/mason-white 
Catherine Hamel University of Calgary School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape http://evds.ucalgary.ca/evds_info/profiles/120-136558 
John David Howes Concordia University Center for Sensory Studies https://www.concordia.ca/faculty/david-howes.html 
Mariana Esponda Carleton University Azrieli School of Architecture https://carleton.ca/architecture/profile/mariana-esponda/ 

CLICK HERE TO OPEN A WINDOW WITH 3 VIDEOS OF DISCUSSIONS BY GROUP 3