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Globe: TO's Design Panel pilot project set

wyliepoon

wyliepoon

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Architecture panel set

JENNIFER LEWINGTON

In its bid to raise the bar on high-quality architecture in Toronto, the city has turned to a 12-member panel of experts to review new developments under a pilot project over the next two years.

The design-review panel is to provide independent advice to city planners as they evaluate proposals from developers for projects across the city. Vancouver already includes such panels as an integral part of its approval process for new buildings.

The outside experts will offer professional advice on the height, location and materials of a building, including its relationship to the street, parks and public realm.

Toronto's pilot project will help determine whether a design-review panel should be established on a permanent basis. In a statement, Mayor David Miller called the test "another step toward building a dynamic, vital and beautiful city."


Panel members

The first public meeting of the panel to review applications is slated for this summer.

Architects

Gordon Stratford, HOK Canada

(panel chairman)

Shirley Blumberg, KPMB

Ralph Giannone, Giannone

Associates

Michael Leckman, Diamond and Schmitt

David Pontarini, Hariri Pontarini

Sol Wassermuhl, Page and Steele

Landscape Architects

Robert Allsopp, du Toit Allsopp Hillier

Paul Ferris, Ferris Associates

Janet Rosenberg, Janet Rosenberg Associates

Planners

Daniel Leeming, The Planning Partnership

Eric Turcotte, Urban Strategies

Engineer

Peter Halsall, Halsall Associates
 
Canadian Architect

Link to article

City Council approves panel members for Design Review Panel Pilot Project

Toronto City Council has approved a 12-member advisory panel launching the two-year Design Review Panel Pilot Project. They will provide independent advice during the development approvals process for public and municipal development in selected areas across the city, with the goal of helping to ensure a high level of urban design that fits well into the cityscape. The panel includes six architects, three landscape architects, two urban designers and one engineer with a broad range of experience and a high calibre of design expertise. The pilot project will help determine the feasibility of a city-wide design review panel.

The six architects on the panel are: Gordon Stratford, Panel Chair, Architect, Senior Vice President, Director of Design, HOK Canada, OAA, MRAIC; Shirley Blumberg, Architect, Principal, KPMB, OAA, RAIC, AIA; Ralph Giannone, Architect, Principal, Giannone Associates, OAA, RAIC; Michael Leckman, Architect, Principal, Diamond and Schmitt, RAIC; David Pontarini, Architect, Principal, Hariri Pontarini, OAA, RAIC; and Sol Wassermuhl, Architect, President, Page and Steele, OAA, SRAIC. Representing landscape architects on the panel are: Robert Allsopp, Landscape Architect, Planner, Architect, Principal, du Toit Allsop Hillier, OALA, CSLA, MALA, OPPI, CIP, RTPI, RIBA; Paul Ferris, Landscape Architect, Principal, Ferris Associates, OALA, CSLA; and Janet Rosenberg, Landscape Architect, Principal, Janet Rosenberg Associates, OALA,CSLA, ASLA, IFLA. The planning profession is represented by: Daniel Leeming, Planner, Partner, The Planning Partnership, CIP; and Eric Turcotte, Planner, Architect, Associate, Urban Strategies, OAA, CIP. Rounding out the panel is Peter Halsall, Engineer, President, Halsall Associates, PEO.

“Toronto is home to some of the world’s leading architects, planners and designers and we are extremely hounoured to have 12 of these professionals on the City’s first design review panel,†said Mayor David Miller. “Council’s approval confirms the City’s commitment to high-quality design of buildings and public spaces and is another step toward building a dynamic, vital and beautiful city.â€

Design review panels have been successfully used in other Canadian and international cities to improve the design quality of the public realm. Panels provide professional, objective advice on design issues including buildings, streets, parks, open spaces and new urban design policy.

“The design review panel will help to implement a key goal of the Official Plan and City Council’s Clean and Beautiful City Initiative to achieve high-quality architecture, landscape architecture and urban design that improves the public realm,†said Ted Tyndorf, Toronto’s Chief Planner. “The members participating on the panel are highly experienced professionals who will make a significant contribution to the application process.â€

The 12-member volunteer panel will begin training to review regulatory frameworks and procedures. The first public meeting of the panel to review applications is scheduled for summer 2007. For more information on panel members and the Design Review Panel Pilot Project please visit www.toronto.ca/planning.

Toronto is Canada's largest city and sixth largest government, and home to a diverse population of about 2.6 million people. It is the economic engine of Canada and one of the greenest and most creative cities in North America. In the past three years Toronto has won more than 50 awards for quality and innovation in delivering public services. Toronto's government is dedicated to prosperity, opportunity and liveability for all its residents.
 
Let's hope this panel is more helpful than the Project Symphony one...though it does appear quite a few of the same firms are involved.
 
Was anyone else underwhelmed by the selection of the architects involved? It's so pedestrian and corporate. Like honestly, having someone from Page + Steele sit on the panel after Nth mediocre, urbanistically questionable tower from the said firm?

AoD
 
i hope it works out and has a real effect. local BIA's and community activists (not nimbys) should also have the ability to input into the process and make suggestions.
 
AlvinofDiaspar said:
Was anyone else underwhelmed by the selection of the architects involved? It's so pedestrian and corporate. Like honestly, having someone from Page + Steele sit on the panel after Nth mediocre, urbanistically questionable tower from the said firm?

AoD
Click to expand...

I agree, though I would imagine that they might be tougher on other architects' work than they are on their own. The big problem with having a design panel with a bunch of local, corporate architects is that they're bound to have severe jealousy issues with successful international architects. I hope that it doesn't affect their decisions.
 
"The big problem with having a design panel with a bunch of local, corporate architects is that they're bound to have severe jealousy issues with successful international architects. I hope that it doesn't affect their decisions."

Good point, that's something I had never considered. I'm hoping the panel will serve primarily to avoid poor quality buildings rather than supress create efforts that are out of the ordinary or somewhat extravagant in design.
 
I wonder if during the selection of the panel members whether there was thought given to balancing the KPMB/Hariri Pontarini/Diamond Schmitt 'Toronto style' types with a Wassermuhl. While occassionally prone to Cheddington excesses, at least Wassermuhl's Page and Steele has also created some of the best of the fancy-schmancy historicist stuff around town, like the Prince Arthur and its terrific vaulted porte cochere on Avenue Road. They're moving into 'Toronto style' glass box now too with MuseumHouse.

I didn't know Giannone before, but now that I've been to their website, I am happy to report that they created the tres cool interior of the Church Street Il Fornello amongst other things that look promising. They're a small firm - not too corporate.

Conversely, HOK is the biggest firm represented here. Can you get bigger actually? These guys build around the world, so it's rather interesting to have HOK input too I think. Their current high profile project in this town is 77 Charles West, which I like (but not everyone here does).

In regards to the landscape architects, I'm not really familiar with Ferris, I like du Toit Allsopp Hiller, and it's great to see Janet Rosenberg on board.

In the planning realm, having someone from locally-grown but world-renowned Urban Strategies is great. I am not familiar with The Planning Partnership's work.

Regarding the engineering... I'll just assume that nothing of Halsall's has fallen down.

For the first two years of this panel, I'm not concerned about the makeup of the membership. It will be very interesting to see how it functions, and I do hope we get to read some concrete descriptions of the influence they have over the design process.

And please please please may they be involved with the design process for Aura at College Park! I hope it's not too late on that one...

42
 
The main function of a review panel should be to prevent disasterous eye sore projects like Torch.
 
Builders will hopefully have to be more specific about the exact design and cladding of the building before it goes up. No surprises where what looked like stone turns out to be precast.
 
Prevention

I agree with G in that I would like to see a design panel that is there primarily to enhance the city's ability to avoid the most egregioius mistakes. I don't know how anyone could not observe that Vancouver has rather too much of the same thing in its core, with buildings that overwhelmingly feel the same.

I also hope the design panel concentrates most of its effort at ground level.
 
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