The Citizen, 2016-11-17, Page 8PAGE 8. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2016.
Prix de Rome-winnin
architect to design CCRC home
Future Site Of...
Grant & Mildred Spading Centre
Home of the Canadian Centre for Rural Creativity
BL1r TSI PUBLIC 5C HOOL
1896
A new beginning
The future site of the Grant and Mildred Sparling Centre, the home of the Canadian Centre for
Rural Creativity, is the former site of Blyth Public School. Heather Dubbeldam, an award-
winning architect, has been brought on to design the project, which those involved hope will
be as green and modern as possible. (Denny Scott photo)
By Denny Scott
The Citizen
The Grant and Mildred Sparling
Centre, home of the Canadian
Centre for Rural Creativity (CCRC),
took its next major step towards
completion with the Blyth Arts and
Cultural Initiative 14/19 Inc.
securing an architect for the site.
Dubbeldam Inc. Architecture +
Design has been brought on to
design the centre, which lead
architect Heather Dubbeldam says
will be a unique experience for her
firm.
Dubbeldam Architecture is an
award winning firm, earning the
2016 Professional Prix de Rome in
Architecture, a centuries-old
prestigious architecture prize, the
Ontario Association of Architects
Best Emerging Practice Award
approximately eight years ago while
Dubbeldam herself has sat on the
Toronto Society of Architects and
the Design Industry Advisory
Committee, groups that further
architecture within the country.
Dubbeldam always has an eye
towards greener projects, she said in
a recent interview with The Citizen,
and her firm is accredited as a
Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design (LEED),
which she hopes will play a role in
the CCRC.
The LEED system is a globally -
recognized green building
certification program that focuses on
using resources efficiently and
Dubbeldam thinks the project will
lend itself well to that model.
As for how she landed the project,
Dubbeldam has had her eye on the
CCRC for several months.
"I received a call from Karen
[Stewart] and Peter [Smith, the
Administrator and Project director
for 14/19, respectively] in August,"
she said. "They had seen an article
about a prize my firm won on
research and sustainable design.
They were interested in talking
about sustainable design and looking
at the CCRC as a very sustainable
building."
Dubbeldam said that, through her
discussions, her interest was
definitely piqued by the project.
"The more I heard about it, the
more interesting it was becoming,"
she said. "The programs at the
facility and the potential to be an
innovative creative centre engaging
a wider community really could be a
paradigm for the rest of the country
to follow."
Dubbeldam said Blyth, already a
cultural hub, could be transformed
into a world-class cultural centre if
the vision that Smith and Stewart
shared with her comes to fruition.
"They want to re -imagine rural
communities for the 21st century,
An annual tradition
The Brussels Legion traditionally hosts a second Remembrance Day ceremony every year at
Huronlea Home for the Aged in the village and the gesture is much appreciated. Here, Jamie
Mitchell and Jo -Ann McDonald help some of the residents pin their poppies to the
Remembrance Day wreath. (Shawn Loughlin photo)
starting with this structure," she said.
From those discussions,
Dubbeldam started researching the
area and talking to friends in Huron
County to look at how the project
might take shape.
"Huron County is a very unique
place with an interesting way of
living that I'm not accustomed to,"
she said. "We talked about how the
project would look and, then [last
week], I was awarded the project."
The design process is in its
infancy, Dubbeldam said, as she is
starting to research and develop an
idea that will meet the needs of the
CCRC programming, which will
include input from community
stakeholders.
"Peter and Karen have given us
names of people in the community
to talk to that they refer to as change
agents," she said. "Change agents
can be defined different ways, but
essentially they are people who are
engaged in the community as well as
people developing programs for the
centre and people who have
expertise in areas that will be
featured at the centre like fashion
and textiles, theatre and new media."
She said the company is currently
drawing up questions and trying to
figure out how all the programs and
elements of the centre will fit
together in the building and how the
spaces will relate and interact with
each other.
Dubbeldam is excited to be a part
of the vision that Smith and Stewart
outlined, saying that, in her
experience, architecture has the
means to transform communities.
"One of our aspirations is to create
something remarkable to inspire
people," she said. "We're really
interested in engaging local
tradespeople as part of the project.
There is a rich tradition of
woodworking, stone masons and
saw mills and we are researching
right now how to engage the
different trades in the building so
everyone can feel connected to it
somehow."
The design of the structure is still
very much up in the air, according to
Dubbeldam, however she hopes to
incorporate many environmentally
friendly construction techniques and
systems in the structure.
"We want to try and harvest
rainwater and gray water, harvest
energy with earth and sun,
geothermal and solar, and use
different systems, either natural or
passive, to add to the building."
While Dubbeldam has been given
some direction to try and make the
structure as environmentally friendly
as possible, beyond that the design
has been left in her hands.
"I've been given total leeway to
make it the best it can be within the
budget constraints," she said. "We
have a sustainable consultant... and
we hope to make the building a
LEED-rated building if we can."
That LEED rating, however, relies
on some factors that aren't possible
in a community like Blyth.
"There are things like public
transport that we can't apply as well,
but generally, we're going to be
focusing on green energy rating and
trying to focus on urban
development," she said. "Wherever
we can apply green techniques, we
will.... It's feasible for the project to
be LEED-rated, but there is a cost
associated with that and we're at a
stage where we are having
conversations about those costs.
"Even if it's not LEED-rated, the
building will be a model of
sustainability," she said.
She said her aspirations for the site
are to make it one of collaboration.
"We want it to be an inspiration
for the community and a place that
people can work together at, and to
help emphasize that we want a
certain amount of transparency in
the building," she said. "It won't be
made of glass, but we want a way of
connecting it to the natural
environment visually."
This isn't Dubbeldam's first rural
project, as she has been involved in
designing single-family residences
in rural areas and has experience
working with projects off the grid,
but the scope of it makes it unique.
As far as timelines, Dubbeldam's
firm has been given until spring of
next year to have construction
drawings done with the goal to start
construction that fall or the
following spring depending on
weather and 14/19 having the
needed funds raised.
As for whether the existing
structure will play a part in the
building, Dubbeldam said that
remains to be seen.
"We're thinking about using the
existing structure, but we haven't
seen the interior yet," she said.
That's one of the initial
conversations we will have as well."
Dubbeldam said the condition of
the building will play into it, as well
as how the centre's programming
will fit into the structure.
"It could be either helpful,
sustainable and cost effective to keep
parts of the original building or it
could result in additional costs, so
that will depend on how we
approach it. We're early in the
process"
She did say that using the existing
building is not a wish that has been
expressed by 14/19.
Perms $57 + tax
Partials M6 + tax
SHEAR TALENT
Hair Design & Tanning
45 West St., Goderich 519-524-6555
Huron County Public Health Professional Day
November 21, 2016
Did you know the Huron County Health Unit has
17 professions working to keep you healthy and safe?
Administration Professional • Communications Specialist
CFA Volunteer Coordinator - Community Developer -
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Public Health Promoter - Plumber - Program Evaluator -
Program Support
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promote wellness, and protect health!
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