renovation of several offices for a multi-national utilities company whose holdings focus on renewable energy. They are also working on developing prototypes for “missing middle” housing for the City of Toronto, with a pilot project anticipated to be built in a Toronto neighbourhood. They also pursue ongoing research. A few years ago, Dubbeldam was retained by Sidewalk Labs, an organization with the goal of introducing moreaffordableandsustainable housing toToronto’sdowntown. Sidewalk was exploring flexible living typologies for their Harbourfront development, and commissioned Dubbeldam to undertake a design study focusing on flexible, microliving in a multi-residential building model. For this research project, Dubbeldam explored a “coliving model of habitation,” Heather says, which they identified as an effective means of resource-sharing and management. As part of that study, they developed numerous floor plate iterations and unit types to demonstrate the potential adaptability of a modular co-living typology. In order to make the spaces more liveable and enjoyable, they incorporated private outdoor spaces along with doubleheight indoor green spaces with community gardens, which they called “breathing rooms.” The study also explored community building and social engagement through the design of various common areas. Going back a few years, in 2016, Dubbeldam Architecture + Design was awarded the Professional Prix de Rome in Architecture from the Canada Council for the Arts, one of the oldest and most prestigious prizes for outstanding achievement in Canadian architecture. That award supported their research project entitled ‘The Next Green – Innovation in Sustainable Housing,’ which entailed travelling to Denmark, Sweden, and Norway to study sustainable housing precedents and cutting-edge research for northern climates. “We were able to see firsthand how Scandinavian architects integrate sustainable systems seamlessly into their projects,” Heather explains. “We travelled there several times, wemet with architects, we toured buildings, and met with green building organizations. In Scandinavia, sustainability is not an addon, it’s an integral part of the design.” Dubbeldam is now recognized as thought leaders in Canada on this subject. Heather is regularly invited to speak about her practice’s research and their work. During COVID, these presentations were done remotely, but prior to that she was travelling across Canada and abroad speaking about her firm’s research and work. That exposure, Heather adds, has helped her practice gain renown and referrals. It has also led to more interesting projects and in turn to their team “having a lot of fun.” “That’s where we are right now,” she concludes. “We’re having fun. We’re small but mighty. We punch way above our weight. We’re taking on some fairly large projects, and they’re all interesting and challenging. We have some room to grow, but we always want to maintain our creativestudioatmosphere, and we never want to compromise on our quality.” APRIL 2022
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