John MacDonald Architect Inc. has won the Ontario Association of Architects 2005 good design is good business award for a project that achieved his clients’ business and architectural goals through effective collaboration.
staff writer
John MacDonald Architect Inc. has won the Ontario Association of Architects 2005 good design is good business award for a project that achieved his clients’ business and architectural goals through effective collaboration.
The 10-year-old Kitchener firm worked closely with Summerco Properties and the Independent Living Centre of Waterloo Region on the 10,000-square-foot renovation of a building on Victoria Street in Kitchener’s warehouse district.
The former shoe factory was constructed in two stages at the turn of the 19th century.
Renovation of the two-storey wood and masonry building was undertaken to support leasing of the vacant second floor.
Contractor was Rick Forler Construction of Kitchener.
MacDonald said the most challenging aspect was to remain committed to the character of the original building in the face of building code and cost constraints “and the need to ensure that the landlord and tenant weren’t digging themselves into an economic hole.
“Design has to respond to the realities of the marketplace and we feel we’ve achieved that here.”
The renovation was completed last year.
At the project’s start, the building housed a retail store on the ground floor.
Owner Summerco Properties’ business plan was to find a suitable tenant for the unused second-storey space to provide additional income.
MacDonald, who graduated from the University of Waterloo’s school of architecture in 1985 and became a licensed architect in the province in 1992, introduced Summerco to the eventual tenant — the Independent Living Centre.
The centre had been seeking a more central and accessible location for its offices for some time.
“We could perceive how both entities would be well served by joining forces in the renewal of the building,” MacDonald said. “We presented our design vision and made the business case to them both separately and together.”
Upgrades included “complete” renewal of building systems and of the second-floor building envelope. Life-safety improvements included construction of exits and upgrades to the fire separation and sprinkler systems.
Landlord improvements included construction of a new building entrance and a multi-storey, open lobby and staircase as well as installation of what is believed to be the first fully automatic LULA elevator in Canada.
MacDonald said incorporation of energy-efficient features reduced operating costs.
Construction costs were kept to a minimum through control of the project management process and innovative re-use of materials, he said.
The cost of the building renewal in preparation for leasehold improvements was approximately $450,000. The cost of the interior fit-up of the 4,200 square feet of tenant space was approximately $140,000 or a “very economical” $33 per square foot.
MacDonald said Summerco was able to offer the Independent Living Centre a long-term lease at an affordable cost.
The award was scheduled to be presented this morning during the OAA’s celebration of excellence in Toronto.
“This is the best award we could win,” said MacDonald, whose firm currently has a staff of seven. “It salutes a practical design that meets our clients’ goals and is not simply a design concept.
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