Location: Place des Arts, La Grande Salle

1.5 ConEd Learning Hours
1.5 AIA LU
2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Many of us grew up studying the great modernists such as Wright and Le Corbusier, and more recently have seen the emergence of Starchitects like Zaha and Gehry. While there is little question design leadership is required in architecture, we postulate we are in the early stages of a new era of design collaboration that recognizes the importance of many voices and multiple inputs on something as complicated and societally important as architecture.

From the early hand sketches to the detailing phase to the rigour applied during construction; architecture is a highly collaborative effort. To recognize and reward it as the work of a single voice is disingenuous, especially in this new era of decolonization and modern complexity.

In parallel, we have seen client groups grow in their sophistication and desire to recognize multiple voices within their own teams, as well as within the communities their buildings will serve. This evolution should be met with an equally collaborative process with the design team.

Place des Arts in Sudbury is made up of multiple and varied voices of its seven Franco-Ontarian arts organizations. The speakers discuss how these seven client voices were met with an equally collaborative design process employed by the joint venture of Moriyama Teshima Architects and Yallowega Bélanger Salach Architecture (now known as Bélanger Salach Architecture) for the design of the project. Speakers outline the roles and responsibilities of the various team members—client and design team—and unfurl the design, detailing, and construction process for this new cultural facility in the heart of downtown Sudbury.

Learning Objectives
1. Explore design collaboration between multiple architects.
2. Understand the design process: program, compromise, and right-sizing.
3. Hear a case study about Place des Arts.
4. Learn about re-examining design authorship.

Brian Rudy, B.E.S., B.Arch, OAA, NSAA, AAA, AIBC, FRAIC, is a partner at Moriyama Teshima Architects. His combination of passion about the poetry of architecture and practicality for how projects get realized has made Brian one of the leaders of his practice’s cultural portfolio for the last 20 years. Brian’s strong design leadership searches out meaningful and right-sized solutions that place sustainability and cultural sensitivity at the very heart of the design. In addition to work on Place des Arts in Sudbury, he has a wide breadth of experience in educational, performing arts, and transportation projects, ranging from the Governor General’s award-winning Canadian War Museum in Ottawa to the Etihad Museum in Dubai, and the multi-billion-dollar P3 Gordie Howe International Bridge. A strong believer in the sustainable practice of adaptive reuse, Brian has also led several innovative projects including Discovery Centre in Halifax, which is repurposed from a pre-existing power plant turbine hall, and the Humber College Building G project, a heritage-designated administration building of the former Lakeshore Psychiatric Hospital.

Amber Salach, Architect, B.A.S, M.Arch, OAA, MRAIC, is a principal at Bélanger Salach Architecture, Chairs the Northern Ontario Society of Architects (NOSA), and sits on the advisory panel of Building Equality in Architecture North (BEA[N]), where she devotes her time to organizing continuing education events, promoting local architecture and dialogue amongst architects and the community at large. She is part of the fourth generation of architects to lead a firm established in 1964 that has created legacy projects throughout Sudbury and the North. She was appointed partner in 2015 and is the first female architect and partner of the firm, as well as the first licensed and practising female architect in Sudbury. Amber has led a number of community initiative projects, as one of the main design and project architects for recent projects such as Place des Arts, Laurentian University Student Centre, Manitoulin Secondary School Revitalization, St. David Catholic Elementary School, and the redevelopment of the Rainbow District School Board Offices.

Jason Philippe, Architect, OAA, OAQ, is director of architecture for Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) with the federal government of Canada, where he advocates for the value of collaboration between clients and designers as catalyst for synergy and success. A Franco-Ontarian from Norther Ontario, he studied at Carleton University and the Bauhaus in Germany. Jason completed his internship with Larocque Elder Architects (LEA) of North Bay and practised as a design architect with Moriyama Teshima Architects (MTA) in Toronto.

Louis Bélanger, Architect, B.E.S., B.Arch, OAA, MRAIC, is a founding partner of the architectural firm of Bélanger Salach Architecture. Fluently bilingual, Louis has developed relationships with the Francophone community and his unique combination of skills and experience in a wide variety of projects has contributed to the diversity of the firm’s portfolio. Louis’ experience with leading large-scale community projects in Greater Sudbury is unparalleled. With 33 years of in-depth, hands-on, local experience, he brings strong leadership to the firm’s institutional design team. He has been the lead architect and project manager on many community-minded projects such as Place des Arts, Health Sciences North phase 1 revitalization project, South End Community Library, the Northern Water Sports Centre, Countryside Arena, Pioneer Manor, Elgin Street Greenway and St. Joseph Parking Lot Redevelopment at Bell Park.