June 02, 2023
As privately owned public spaces (POPS) increasingly become part of new developments in Waterloo Region and beyond, we thought we'd take a closer look. You may not realize it, but you've likely spent some time in privately owned public spaces. Typically found in denser urban environments, they can take many forms, including front yards, courtyards, enhanced walkways, plazas and gardens.
The term privately owned public space was initially popularized by Harvard professor Jerold S. Kayden through his 2000 book Privately Owned Public Space: The New York City Experience. However, the concept actually dates back to the late fifties, when New York planning officials began offering private developers both additional height and density in exchange for public open space…
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February 09, 2024
With utility costs, pollution, and water consumption on the continuous rise, the task to improve the environment and lower utilities costs is often on the minds of many homeowners. While a net zero home may not be an option for everyone, there are some simple improvements and upgrades you can make to achieve a greener, cheaper home at any price point.
Rainwater Barrels – Collect free water using a rainwater barrel. At an average cost of $100, a barrel will pay for itself in 5 years, saving you about $20 a year on your water and sewer costs, depending on the size you select. Rainwater has many uses including, plant and grass watering, car and window cleaning, and all sorts of other outdoor jobs and cleanups. Many municipalities offer rainwater bar…
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June 28, 2021
Architects are often asked “What is it that you do?” Where other professions may generate straightforward reputations, the nature and value of this thing called “design” is less easy to pin down, and the role of the architect in that design more obscure still.
Architects of course can be grouped in a variety of ways, but the tendency is for division by the “use” to which our offerings are put: the Product of the project, be it hospital, hotel, or office. This creates confusion more than understanding, since architects aren’t retailers of buildings.
We are trained in a Process, a “how do you do”, and offer that process to a variety of projects so that excellent and meaningful solutio…
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April 19, 2021
Natural daylighting is a strategy we attempt to use in every design we undertake. It is a no-brainer in our eyes to light a space with the sun. Daylighting has many benefits including;
sunlight
views to the exterior
electricity savings
The sun has a path that it travels each day throughout the season. The path has two angles that affect how a space can be daylit. There is an angle relative to the building usually indicated by North, South, East, and West. Then there is the angle above the earth. Each direction that the light comes through has a different characteristic.
North light is consistent. The sun never gets close to north in this region, so the light entering a north window is never direct rays but incident light reflected off of …
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February 01, 2021
Because our architectural practice and work is rooted in the physical world and the landscape that our designs affect, it’s important that this blog stay “grounded.” Literally.
Although discussions about design are often abstracted from context, that’s not us. Our work and interest is about making and enhancing particular places.
That’s why we’ve decided that Design and Community has a physical lifeline, which is the particular natural, rural, urban, and suburban mix associated with the Grand River Watershed, where our office and many of our projects are located.
We often think of a watershed as a geographic unit divorced from our built form. It’s not. The t…
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Scott
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August 02, 2023
Thanks Nolan. If you can think of anything to add to the list, we'd be interested to hear from you.
Nolan Bentley
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August 01, 2023
I am going measuring tomorrow so this is a timely reflection :-) thx!
