sturgess architecture

Jeremy on CBC Radio

2012-02-10T13:20:00.000-08:00

If you missed Jeremy talking about the recently approved Glacier Discovery Walk on the Calgary Eyeopener on CBC this morning, go here and skip to about 8:40.

Radio Canada International - Glacier Discovery Walk

2012-01-17T13:23:00.000-08:00

Jeremy was interviewed by Frank Rackow for Radio Canada International about the Glacier Discovery Walk

link to listen to the radio segment

Sturgess: An unusual process yields an extraordinary result: Peace Bridge

2011-12-23T08:55:00.000-08:00

Jeremy wrote an article about the Peace Bridge in the Calgary Herald, published on the 19th.

Sturgess: An unusual process yields an extraordinary result: Peace Bridge

Jeremy Sturgess - one of Western Living Magazine's 40 most important people, places and things

2011-11-29T15:15:00.001-08:00

Jeremy is featured in Western Living's December Issue for their 40th Anniversary.

canadianarchitect.com

2011-11-09T09:33:00.000-08:00

Announcement of our award on canadianarchitect.com

Sturgess Architecture won the Future Projects (Competition) category at the World Architecture Festival in Barcelona

2011-11-03T11:47:00.000-07:00

go here to see the WAF press release

The judges said, 'The jury was unanimous. This is a simple, elegant yet highly emotional project. It is a project that bridges to the natural in a way that is apart yet within nature.

'It is a critical object presenting the drama of global warming from an ethereal perch - watching as the glacier vanishes. It uses Corten steel cutting into the flank of the mountain and slowly bleeding.'

The jury of our category was Bjarne Hammer, Will Alsop and Alan Balfour.

Calgary's Sturgess Architecture seeks world design award for Glacier Discovery Walk

2011-11-01T13:39:00.000-07:00

Calgary's Sturgess Architecture seeks world design award for Glacier Discovery Walk

Sturgess goes to Barcelona

2011-10-25T09:00:00.000-07:00

World Architecture Festival Awards has shortlisted the Glacier Discovery Walk

The World Architecture Festival Awards, one of the preeminent annual architecture events and held in Barcelona, has shortlisted Sturgess Architecture’s Glacier Discovery Walk design. Sturgess will be among 8 Canadian firms presenting projects to the jury on November 2-4th, 2011. Submissions from over 60 countries have been narrowed down to 283 in 26 categories that will be presented to an esteemed jury.

The Glacier Discovery Walk is a 450-metre interpretive walk carved and folded into mountainous landscape in Jasper National Park in the Canadian Rockies. The walk ends with a 35-metre parabola cantilever, slightly twisted, facing the Athabasca Glacier in the Columbia Icefield. This icefield straddles the Continental Divide where the North American watersheds diverge between the Pacific and the Atlantic Oceans, and the Arctic Ocean.

Engineering and design of the walkway were based on the concept of cropping out from the landscape, creating an experience of a natural extension of the land. “We wanted to give people the opportunity to get out of their car, to experience this incredible landscape in a way that would provide a cerebral connection to our changing natural environment,” explains Jeremy Sturgess who heads Sturgess Architecture. “The design is founded in the idea of a mountainside outcropping, to exist as an organic extension of the landscape.”

The parabola cantilever is the result of an engineering technique taking advantage of a balance formed by opposing tension and compression members and thereby eliminating the need for a more traditional superstructure of pylons and cables above the outlook. “The apparent eccentricity of supporting the walkway on only one side is resolved by the opposing actions of a tensile cable support and a compression tube mounted below it; both working in combination with the curvature of the walkway,” says Simon Brown, Associate at the structural engineering firm Read Jones Christoffersen Ltd. The tip of the cantilever, a 30-metre glass walkway that is floating 130-metres above ground, reveals a seamless vertical view of the glacier. Designed to outcrop the mountainside, views of the walkway from the highway a few metres above are obscured, entirely separating the pedestrian experience from the automobile experience.

A special thank you to:
Brewster Travel Canada
Read Jones Christoffersen, Ltd.
PCL Construction Management, Inc.

more information: glacierdiscoverywalk.ca

Calgary Now - Urban Sprawl

2011-10-18T10:38:00.000-07:00

Jeremy was on the Shaw series Calgary Now to talk about Urban Sprawl.

Watch it here http://vimeo.com/couchmode/channels/calgarynow/sort:newest/30860670

Lisa Rochon writes about the Glacier Discovery Walk in the Globe and Mail

2011-10-14T10:41:00.000-07:00

link to the pdf of the article here

Current and Upcoming Exhibitions

2011-09-19T14:46:00.000-07:00

Sturgess Architecture is featured in two exhibitions:

Building A History:

Highlights of 20^th Century Canadian Architecture

From the Collections of the Canadian Architectural Archives, University of Calgary

Connections with Collections Series

September 9 – October 12, 2011

Check out the review of “Building A History” in FFWD Weekly:

http://www.ffwdweekly.com/article/arts/visual-arts/building-a-history-8054/

Triangle Gallery of Visual Arts

104, 800 Macleod Trail SE

Calgary, AB T2G 2M3

403.262.1737 / www.trianglegallery.com

AND

We will be a part of the University of Calgary Faculty of Environmental Design's EVDS40/makeCalgary exhibition:

Exhibition Opening: October 1st, 7pm

University of Calgary Downtown Campus
906 – 8th Street SW Map
On the evening of October 1st, the Faculty of Environmental Design will open an exhibition celebrating its 40th anniversary. The show, which will run from October 1st – 14th in the Atrium of the Calgary Downtown Campus, will feature work from the makeCalgary charrette and the evds40 collection.
Admission free. Refreshments & cash bar.

for more information: makecalgary.com

Review of Full Spectrum - Canadian Architect

2011-01-04T08:45:00.001-08:00

link here

Full Spectrum: The Architecture of Jeremy Sturgess Edited by Geoffrey Simmins. Calgary: University of Calgary Press, 2010.

This limited-edition book from the University of Calgary Press is a collection of essays describing the impact that architect Jeremy Sturgess has made on the city of Calgary and the Prairies, and in contributing to architectural dialogue in Canada over the past 30 years. Encased in a jarringly vivid box emblazoned with fuchsia text on the cover, the book screams colour--something that is seemingly part of Sturgess's overarching design philosophy. One of the book's essays, David Down's "Chromatic Iconoclast," elaborates on Sturgess's fascination with colour, equating this preoccupation with a very human approach to building--seen in the design for the Chuzenji Kanaya Hotel in Japan (1989). There, Sturgess fuses the Canadian mountain lodge typology with Japanese architecture, allowing the landscape to behave as a colourful backdrop to the hotel. Full Spectrum contains nine booklets, each one bearing its own distinct colour and containing dozens of inspirational sketches and informative drawings of a wide range of projects. Designed by Melina Cusano, the book is thoughtfully edited by Geoffrey Simmins, who is also the curator of the travelling exhibition bearing the same name. Full Spectrum includes a requisite essay by Trevor Boddy--a Prairie-minded iconoclast in his own right--who has followed Sturgess's career since he himself was an architecture student. Anne Suche has written an insightful essay that examines Sturgess's multi- and single-family residences, and an essay by Keith Orlesky discusses the importance of Sturgess's contribution to the evolution of the Calgary urban design fabric. Other essays include those by George Baird--a former teacher of Sturgess, and Derek Besant--a well-known artist who has worked with Sturgess in Calgary's arts scene for many years. Ian Chodikoff

Spacious Room Fit for a King - Calgary Herald December 4

2010-12-07T12:31:00.000-08:00

link to the article here

Link to Greenspace post - Should cities mandate green standards or lead by example?

2010-11-30T09:02:00.001-08:00

link to post

The Cranbrook Guardian: On a snowy evening in Cranbrook...

2010-11-22T10:36:00.000-08:00

The Cranbrook Guardian: On a snowy evening in Cranbrook...: "Jeremy Sturgess Over 80 people gathered at the College of the Rockies last night to hear architect Jeremy Sturgess speak about sustainable..."

Spiral House under construction, October 2010

2010-10-18T11:30:00.000-07:00

CAUSA: Lecture by Jeremy Sturgess September 9

2010-09-03T11:13:00.000-07:00

The Calgary Architecture & Urban Studies Alliance presents a lecture by Calgary Architect

Jeremy Sturgess

Current Work

Thursday, September 9, 2010

7:00 PM

Engineered Air Theatre, Epcor

Free Admission

Award winning architect Jeremy Sturgess will speak about his most recent work and reflect on 30 years of varied and impressive architectural practice in Calgary with projects ranging from individual houses to civic buildings and urban design.

Full Spectrum: The Architecture of Jeremy Sturgess is now available

2010-07-16T14:53:00.000-07:00

Edited by Geoffrey Simmins and published by the University of Calgary Press, Full Spectrum is a tribute to the creative career of Jeremy Sturgess. It celebrates his fearless exploration of shape, colour and function in award-winning architectural designs.

This collector’s edition is presented in a brilliantly-coloured, boxed set of nine portfolios, with essays by professional colleagues that examine Sturgess’ impact on Calgary and Canadian architecture.

Full Spectrum is illustrated with architectural line drawings, an innovative design of panoramic, multi-paged visual perspectives and images by award-winning photographer Robert Lemermeyer.

To order your copy through Sturgess Architecture, go to sturgessarchitecture.blogspot.com/p/full-spectrum.html. The book can also be ordered through the University of Calgary Press (uofcpress.com), amazon.ca and worldarchitecturenews.com.

Price: $105 CAN incl. GST
Shipping $25

If you would prefer not to give credit card information online, or would like to pick up a copy of the book in person, arrangements can be made by emailing Clea Sturgess at clea@sturgessarchitecture.com. Click the link below to view more
pictures of the book.

press for Full Spectrum

2010-05-13T13:27:00.000-07:00

A full house at the May 7th opening of Full Spectrum at the Nickle Arts Museum

Fast Forward's Drew Anderson wrote an article for the May 13th issue about the book and the exhibition. Other coverage includes the University of Calgary's UTODAY, and two recent articles in the Calgary Herald, one by Nancy Tousley and one by David Parker. May's Avenue Magazine has a story as well. CBC Radio's Calgary Eye Opener also discussed the book on May 10th. To listen, go here and scroll down to:
New book looks at the work of distinguished Calgary architect

Monday, May 10, 2010

Architect Jeremy Sturgess celebrated in new book and exhibition

2010-05-03T14:54:00.001-07:00

The University of Calgary has announced two special events on May 7, 2010 will pay tribute to the impressive 30-year career of Calgary architect Jeremy Sturgess. An exhibition at The Nickle Arts Museum and a new limited edition book from the University of Calgary Press trace the impact Sturgess has made in transforming the architectural face of this city and beyond.

Both the exhibition and the book are entitled Full Spectrum: The Architecture of Jeremy Sturgess, referring to both Sturgess’ well-known interest in vivid colours in his own architecture and this examination of the full range of his career.

The exhibition opens with a reception on Friday, May 7 at The Nickle Arts Museum from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Jeremy Sturgess will give a tour of the exhibition at 4:30 p.m. Full Spectrum, the book, will be available for presale from The Nickle Arts Museum Shop.

The exhibition of selected works commemorates three decades of practice for Sturgess. Well known for his collaboration with contemporary artists in his architectural commissions, his growing body of work continues to make a significant contribution to the changing Canadian landscape. Five major representative projects have been selected to be described in drawings and photographs, models, artifacts and a video. The projects include: The Water Centre, an office and operations centre for the City of Calgary; The Grand Theatre, a renovation of an historic theatre in Calgary; the 7th Avenue LRT Refurbishment – Prototype and Stations along 7th Avenue in Calgary; The Bridges Master Plan – a mixed-use master plan in Calgary; and House on Bowen Island. The exhibition will be on view through August 27, 2010.

The exhibition is curated by Geoffrey Simmins and designed by the Sturgess firm under the leadership of Kevin Harrison. Support has been generously provided by the Canada Council for the Arts, the Alberta Foundation for the Arts, 7 S Group, Anvy Digital, Dominion Construction Company Inc., Libraries and Cultural Resources at the University of Calgary, Read Jones Christoffersen Engineering, Stebnicki + Partners Engineering and Thomas Hickerson.

At the same time, the University of Calgary Press is pleased to launch Full Spectrum, a full-colour limited edition book edited by Geoffrey Simmins and designed by Melina Cusano. This important collection of essays features contributions by architects, journalists, colleagues and professors who have worked with Sturgess over the years. They provide a multi-sided examination of his architecture and urban design, and assess his contribution to Canadian architecture generally and Calgary architecture in particular. The publication has been generously supported by the Canada Council for the Arts and the Alberta Foundation for the Arts.

Sturgess Architecture’s Strathearn Heights Master Plan LEED for Neighbourhood Development (LEED ND) Pilot Project awarded LEED Silver Certification

2010-01-06T15:43:00.000-08:00

The Strathearn Heights Master Plan, designed by Sturgess Architecture with Carlyle + Associates and Armin A. Preiksaitis & Associates has achieved a LEED Silver Certification for an approved plan from the US Green Building Council as one of 239 LEED ND Pilot Projects worldwide. The new LEED ND system was finalised in December 2009 and will come into use in 2010 in the US, and will quickly follow in Canada.

The Strathearn Heights Master Plan will redevelop an apartment site, located in an existing Edmonton neighbourhood, and preserve its legacy of mature trees. Key sustainable concepts for the plan include:

Higher densities to support services, streets and parks.
New links to the river valley, cycle pathways, and transit systems which promote transportation choices and enhance site connectivity.
Urban Design principles that inspire high standards of architecture, landscaping, and accessible open spaces, establishing a new model for the inner city’s development.

The project team was commended by Edmonton City Council for the public participation process, and the project went on to win a City of Edmonton Urban Design Award in 2008. In December 2009, the Edmonton City Council approved the alignment for the Southeast LRT Transit Corridor locating a new transit station on 95 Avenue immediately adjacent to the project.

The LEED ND rating system has four categories on which the project is evaluated. Smart Location & Linkage, Neighbourhood Pattern & Design, Green Construction &Technology and Innovation & Design Process.

About LEED ND
(LEED for Neighbourhood Development)

Of the 239 pilot projects, there are 34 projects which have achieved the stage two certification at this stage
Of the 239 pilot projects, there are 24 Canadian pilot projects of which 8 have achieved either stage one or stage two certification.
There are five LEED ND projects located in Alberta and Quebec, six in Ontario and eight in BC. Thus far 3/5 projects are certified each in Alberta and Quebec and one each in Ontario and BC.
There is a 3 step certification process: stage one - pre-review/approval of the plan by the USGBC; stage two certification of an approved plan – including the approving authority such as the relevant municipality i.e. in this case the City of Edmonton ;stage three - the certification of a completed neighbourhood when the final construction of all phases are complete.
Of the pilots, the average project size is 298 acres and the median project size is 30 acres - the Strathearn project is 22.4 acres.
“Pilot projects are generally located in areas with more compact development forms and where alternative transportation modes, such as transit or walking, are viable. Second, these trends indicate the potential for LEED for Neighborhood Development to produce carbon reduction and climate change benefits.” Source: Characteristics of LEED ND pilot projects. Criterion Planners, Census Bureau, and USGBC

For more information about LEED ND, please go to the US Green Building Council’s website.

More about the Strathearn Heights Master Plan
Strathearn Heights was designed as a model for post-war affordable housing within a sylvan context. The present buildings have come to the end of their viable life cycle, and the development is not sustainable in 21st century Edmonton. Strathearn’s enviable location, only a few minutes’ walk from downtown and the picturesque river valley, make it a location of choice for residents. The site is graced by a remarkable legacy of mature trees and a unique street pattern evocative of the river valley, set as a counterpoint to Edmonton’s street grid.

There are few consolidated sites where sustainable mixed-use development can mesh so well into an existing fabric, offering the opportunity to establish a model for new and appropriate forms of housing, and ensure a diverse, vibrant and lasting community. The site’s size and proximity to downtown, combined with a sensitive and sustainable urban design, allows for Strathearn Heights to be walkable and livable, open to the surrounding community, enhance continuity of green spaces, and reinforce neighbourhood vitality with a “village” centre for local commerce and gathering places. As an urban village, Strathearn Heights offers a mix of residential and commercial development to meet residents’ daily needs, and a Central park that encourages casual social interaction. This inclusive concept will be a catalyst for rejuvenation and ensure the long-term vitality of the community.

The proposed concept focuses around a public gathering space and local retail village that includes various amenity spaces to house active and passive activities. The plan maintains and enhances pedestrian linkages through the community to the river valley and between parks. Additional public park space is provided, including a central park and six smaller public open spaces to complement the existing trees, playground, rink and hall of Silver Heights Park. Residential high-rise buildings are integrated with diverse housing typologies that feature individual doorways, porches and windows providing a human-scaled building edge, creating active and inviting streetscapes at grade. The concept is compact, using higher densities to support built form, streets and park space. The development of links to the river valley, cycle path system, and future transit systems promote a range of transportation and enhance walkability and connectivity to and throughout the site.

http://www.strathearnrejuvenation.ca/

Jeremy Sturgess: Themes and Variations Exhibition

2009-12-14T12:43:00.000-08:00

An exhibition of Jeremy's work and the work of Sturgess Architecture was at the Eric Arthur Gallery at the University of Toronto's Faculty of Architecture from 11/09/2009 - 12/12/2009. The exhibition will travel to the University of Calgary's Nickle Arts Museum in Spring 2010.

The thematic exhibition of selected works commemorates three decades of practice for architect Jeremy Sturgess. Well known for his collaboration with contemporary artists in his architectural commissions, his growing body of work continues to make a significant contribution to the changing Canadian landscape. Five major representative projects have been selected to be described in drawings and photographs, models, artifacts, and a video. The projects include:

The Water Centre, an office and operations centre for the City of Calgary
The Grand Theatre, a renovation of an historic theatre in Calgary
the 7th Avenue LRT Refurbishment – Prototype and Stations along 7th Avenue in Calgary
The Bridges Master Plan – a mixed-use master plan in Calgary
House on Bowen Island

Many thanks to Libraries and Cultural Resources at the University of Calgary, RJC Engineering, Stebnicki and Partners Engineering, and 7S Group for their support for this project.

The exhibition is curated by Geoffrey Simmins
Geoffrey Simmins pursued graduate studies in Toronto, concluding with a doctorate in art history from the University of Toronto. He is currently associate dean, research and planning, in the Faculty Of Fine Arts at the University of Calgary. His publications include books on both contemporary historical and contemporary art and architecture, as well as exhibition catalogues and videos. A frequent contributor to Canadian Encyclopedia, Simmins edited Calgary Modern: 1947-1967 (2000). Other publications include: Fred Cumberland: Building the Victorian Dream (1997, University of Toronto Press). With Claude Bergeron, he co-authored L’Abbaye de Saint-Benôit-du-Lac et ses bâtisseurs (The Abbey of Saint-Benoît-du-Lac and its Builders). With Linda Fraser, he co-curated Mid-Century Icons: Architectural Photography from the Panda Collection (Calgary: Triangle Art Gallery, 2009). He is the editor of the forthcoming publication, Full Spectrum: The Architecture of Jeremy Sturgess (Calgary: University of Calgary Press, 2010).

Exhibit Designer and concept
The exhibit installation has been designed by the firm under the leadership of Kevin Harrison, an architect associated with the firm for the past three years. Kevin Harrison has made Jeremy Sturgess’ well-known love of colour an integral part of the exhibition featuring palettes of hot pink, lime, and yellow.

There is an article about the exhibition here.

The Contemporist features House on Bowen Island

2009-12-09T11:11:00.000-08:00

Respected design blog The Contemporist has featured the House on Bowen Island on their site.

photograph by Robert Lemermeyer

The Water Centre recieves LEED Gold designation from the Canada Green Building Council

2009-12-04T10:21:00.000-08:00

photograph by Robert Lemermeyer

The Water Centre has received a LEED Gold designation from the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) for its innovation and sustainability.

Calgary is the first municipality in Canada to adopt a Sustainable Building Policy whereby all new building developments must achieve a minimum LEED Gold certification. Calgary was informed of the building's designation on December 3.

LEED, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design is an internationally recognized symbol of excellence for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings.

Paul Fesko, Manager of Strategic Services in Water Resources is one of about 800 employees working in the The Water Centre.

“Working in an LEED Gold building reflects our values in protecting the environment,” he said. “We're not only leading change, we're living it, and our employees benefit from being a part of that.”

LEED certification is based on a points system marking achievements in five key areas including sustainable site development, water efficiency, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality. It is awarded following an independent audit and review. The Water Centre received a total of 50 out of 70 points.

"Flights development touted as sustainable suburb" - Sturgess Architecture and Flights Project in the Calgary Herald

2009-12-02T09:41:00.000-08:00

An article about the Flights development was in the Calgary Herald on December 1st.

In Good Company: Sturgess Architecture makes it to the World Architecture News Awards long list

2009-11-30T13:40:00.000-08:00

photograph by Robert Lemermeyer

The Water Centre is the only Canadian project on the list and 1 of 3 North American projects. This ‘long list’ of 27 projects was reduced from 100 entries. The winner will be announced on December 8.

Sturgess Architecture wins big at the Calgary Mayor's Urban Design Awards

2009-10-29T09:30:00.000-07:00

Sturgess Architecture won in two categories at the Calgary Mayor's Urban Design Awards. The Grand Theatre Rejuvenation (right) won The Mawson Urban Design Award. This category is for an individual building or a composition of buildings that achieve urban design excellence and creativity through awareness of the Calgary context. Flights YYC won in the City Edge Development category, for plans, studies, urban design plans, architecture, landscape designs and site elements which respond specifically to the challenges and opportunities presented on sites located in all recently developed and newly developing areas of the city.

photograph by Robert Lemermeyer

The Water Centre wins Green Good Design Award

2009-09-03T08:54:00.000-07:00

The award is the second international award The Water Centre has won, and is one of only two Canadian architectural projects recognized.

The Water Centre has won nine awards previous to the Green Good Design Award, in categories that range from architectural and urban design, to sustainability, to the best use of structural steel.
photograph by Robert Lemermeyer

About The Water Centre: Designed in conjunction with Manasc Isaac Architects (Edmonton), The Water Centre is the first phase of the urban redevelopment of the City of Calgary industrial yards into a civic operational and administrative centre. The 16,000 m2 building combines the Water Resources and Water Services departments, consisting of 460 administrative staff and 360 operational staff. Calgary is the first Canadian city to mandate that all their new buildings meet a minimum LEED Silver standard, and the Water Centre is the first municipal building to meet this mandate.

Founded in Chicago in 1950 by Eero Saarinen and Charles and Ray Eames, GOOD DESIGN remains the oldest and most established awards program for the most innovative and visionary new product design worldwide. For almost 60 years now, the Award has been given to everything and anything from a NASA space ship to a paper clip. In 2009 and on the eve of the 60-year anniversary of GOOD DESIGN, The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies (based in Dublin, Ireland) initiated a special edition of GREEN GOOD DESIGN to focus on the most important new international products and buildings and construction and planning projects that are leading the global way to a design that is fully sustainable and compatible with the highest standards of good environment.

The 108 awarded buildings and products for 2009 were exhibited at The European Centre’s Contemporary Space Athens July 8-August 31, 2009 and form a traveling exhibition in Europe and The United States through 2010. The European Centre will publish the results in a special catalogue available in fall. More information is available on line at The European Centre’s website: www.europeanarch.eu