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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August 17, 2023
Doors Open Waterloo Region returns as an in-person event in 2023 on Saturday, September 16 from 10 am to 4 pm, and we're proud to be a part of it. Waterloo Region will have 20 participating sites this year, such as noteworthy buildings, interesting places & heritage sites, many of which are not usually open to the public. The list includes WPL's Eastside Branch, which we designed in joint venture with ward99 architects inc, and the historic Public Utilities Commission building in downtown Kitchener, where our office is located on the second floor. Details about each can be found below.
An interactive map showing the location of all 20 participating sites can be found here. For further information, visit Doors Open Ontario.
The excellent illustratio…
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April 26, 2023
Our staff will once again be participating in Jane's Walk, the annual community-based approach to city building that uses volunteer-led walking tours to encourage people to rediscover the value of walking, and to observe, reflect, share, question and re-imagine the places in which they live, work and play. This year, both John and Scott have Jane's Walks planned for the first full weekend of May (6-7).
Balzer-Manitou Trail: Parkway Potential, with Scott
Take a stroll with Scott Clark of John MacDonald Architect down Schneider Creek into the Balzer Greenway, following the route of a planned active transportation connection. Along the way, we'll look at the history of the Balzer farm, as well as discuss desire lines, local infrast…
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January 11, 2023
A polar bear carved out of snow in Kitchener's Victoria Park neighbourhood
Propinquity was the theme of the 29th annual Celebration of the Festival of Neighbourhoods. So what is propinquity? A standard definition is that it refers to the physical or psychological proximity between people. In the context of neighbourhoods and cities, it describes the likelihood of coming into contact with other people. So, a place that has qualities which encourage opportunities for encounters and interactions between strangers can be said to have propinquity.
Propinquity usually exists as a result of many different factors, especially those related to the built environment. However, an equally important factor is neighbourliness. By being a good neighbour, you can help incre…
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September 01, 2022
John MacDonald Architect is growing. Our forward-thinking studio of ten or so is presently working on a vast range of projects including adaptive re-use of heritage properties, residential care (including emergency shelters, group homes, and supportive housing), and various institutional projects including library exterior / accessibility renovations, public spaces, office renovations, and maintenance facilities, as well as a handful of private residences. If you can bring a unique skillset(s) to our dynamic team and would like to assist us with our expanding project load, we'd like to hear from you.
The successful applicant will be involved with all phases of project development, including client / subconsultant support and will work in person at our downt…
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April 19, 2022
It has become something of an office tradition for our staff to participate in Jane's Walk, the annual community-based approach to city building that uses volunteer-led walking tours to encourage people to rediscover the value of walking, and to observe, reflect, share, question and re-imagine the places in which they live, work and play. With the return to in-person events for 2022, no less than three of our staff members have planned Jane's Walks for the first full weekend of May (7-8).
The Towers Among Us, with John
On Saturday afternoon, John is inviting the community on a walk around downtown to learn about the history of architectural towers and the factors that govern their design. …
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March 22, 2022
Francis Green - Google Earth
Our staff occasionally assemble on Friday afternoons for an office exercise we call Things We Like. Centred around a theme determined earlier in the week, staff are invited to share examples of relevant things they enjoy. Since our first Things We Like in 2016, our staff have participated in 75 of these exercises. Some themes are intended to generate ideas for projects we're working on, while others are simply intended to encourage creativity and generate discussion about things we'd like to see in our community.
Preliminary Sketch of Downtown Kitchener, 1965 - Toronto Star
In May 2018, we met to reenvision Francis Green, the public space located at King and Francis in downtown Kitchener. This prominent corner wh…
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March 03, 2022
John was recently invited to deliver a keynote address to the Southern Ontario Growth Conference, organized by 50 by 2030 Waterloo Region. The focus of the second day, when John spoke, was to help municipalities connect with organizations, experts, academia and other municipalities who have knowledge and resources to help them better incorporate responses to climate change into their official plans.
John's address, titled The middle isn’t missing, it has been misplaced, is now up on YouTube and can be viewed below:
With respect to the planning of our communities, John's keynote advocates for fundamental changes to the planning process, and for transparency in the planners' role, to give us hope for different result…
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August 26, 2021
Enrich your experience of architecture with tips on how to draw from your own perceptions.
Read more ...May 10, 2021
John MacDonald
I’ve been reading an article entitled Why You Should Use an Architect for Your Project, from the 2011 Ontario Association of Architects "Profiles 2011" Membership guide. Although the article is interesting, informative, and mostly on target in the mind of this particular architect, I couldn’t help but wonder how a broader audience receives its message.
The article basically takes the point of view that a professional can help you make informed and important decisions about your project, with your best interests in mind. So far so good. It also points out that your project can benefit from the architect’s perspective on how the project can contribute to the quality of our communities and public interest.
That̵…
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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!
