As an office, we are thrilled to say that our beloved office manager, Caroline Ruiz, has returned to the office after spending some time in Montreal! While there, her photog boyfriend snapped a few shots of the famed Notre-Dame Basilica, and we’re all still swooning (see above). Montreal is held in reverie of Davignon Martin’s collective. Richard’s family has a long lineage in Quebec and was practically the first to settle in the Richelieu area. Beyond Richard’s family histor

Unless you have been living under a rock or have only recently moved to Calgary, you know by now that Calgary is getting a new library! The New Central Library has already commandeered its integral location adjacent to City Hall and within easy proximity of Calgary’s exciting new talk-of-the-town district: East Village. Steel is up and the building is taking shape (you can even check their live-every-ten-minutes webcam online). The CMLC website boasts that the NCL is “setting

Last month we polled our newsletter readers and our office for questions they wanted answered by our fearless leaders: Richard Davignon and Doris Martin. We have compiled our favorite questions and answers to share with you here: 1. What did you dream of being as a child? An astronaut? A ballerina? Doris: Garbage Man – true answer. When I was about 8 years old, I remember watching the garbage men go by. Back then they didn’t have to wear shirts on a hot summer day and they go

In February’s newsletter, we featured the current Esker Foundation shows exhibiting the works of Jack Bush and contemporary artist Colleen Heslin. Richard, Doris and I attended an artist talk shortly thereafter, during which Ms. Heslin herself led a group of curious patrons through the journey that is this exhibition’s body of work. In a conversation initiated by someone’s inquiry of process and background, Ms. Heslin led an impassioned dialogue about the limitations of insti

Design thinking: A perfect fit where the appeal of the brand synergy is greater than the sum of the appeal of each brand proposition. Brand synergy is about creating and adopting a cooperating vision from common characteristics. The synergetic idea will inspire and guide behaviours and actions, unleash competitive advantage and enhance business performance and deliver growth. It will align and integrate key selected aspects of each brand’s fundamentals and operations to enhan

I recently ran across two seemingly dissimilar, but equally as fascinating anecdotes: something called “place attachment”; and another thing that we call magic. I know what you’re thinking – fascinating, yes, but relevant, no. But I beg, let’s explore. Magicians, through sleight of hand or by cunning delusion, have what most would argue as a sole purpose to incite wonderment and curiosity; they give an appearance of what might “be” by redirecting a person’s attention so succe

What is this wizardry we speak of? We want great partnerships with the construction managers and contractors we work with. Why? Because we all work to the same goal, to deliver value to our customers and to get the most impressive end result possible with the resources available. Just this week, it came up in conversation “We don’t want to get in bed with a contractor on a project and then find out its’ trouble”. You know what we mean. We believe that our contractors are a va

There is something odd going on in Calgary. Specifically in the single family residential redevelopment market. We are noticing that Modern and Contemporary design is often reduced to a handful of tricks and licks. The must-have horizontal window or the odd offset single slope roof, the blocky lines, the flatness of form and veneered substance. We are getting weary and alarmed at all of the wallpapering of aesthetics. Behind these designs there is such a lack of understanding

Just like in fashion, design trends are often seen to be cyclical and are typically born of societal needs and pressures. Trends can often be identified by common catch phrases; we’ve all seen them. Most recently, we’ve seen labels such as “all natural”, “organic” and “green” frequent the advertising vehicles of our food industry, fashion, and in the design world, our building materials. If you’ve been around, or studied the history of design, you will be familiar with past t

Nostalgia and reverence is often what people feel when it comes to older homes and buildings. Not always justified nor does it need to be, there is a complex level of emotional response to the interaction of something from another time and place. These spaces and buildings often embody craftsmanship and manners not promoted or common today. They require that we use our imagination, that we transport ourselves to gain an understanding of what makes them unique and valuable. We

Reviving the sensuality of the 70s I often hear “I love modern, but not if it’s cold or stark”. A very well received solution to this condition is to reference mid-century modern – the use of a lot of walnut to warm up the white walls and some fantastic bright coloured classic pieces. We have all come to know and love the pieces given to us by Charles and Ray Eames, Aero Saarinen and Florence Knoll. In fact, my reverence for the era goes deep. I faithfully paint my toe nails

“Le Parti” [1] comes from the French Prendre parti meaning “to make a decision” [2] often referred to as the big idea, [3] it is the chief organizing thought or decision behind an architect’s design presented in the form of a basic diagram and /or a simple statement Being an integrated Architecture and Interior design firm we are often asked to describe how the two disciplines work together to create the best results. This has always been an interesting question to answer. We

It is interesting how some people talk about modern homes and use descriptors like “boxy”, “plain”, or “flat” – but is it reasonable to characterize all modern design with such over-simplistic descriptors? In many cases, especially in the inner-city where space is at a premium and lot values are high, home owners want to maximize their living space. Often, the most efficient design comes in the form of linear post and beam construction – one of the hallmarks of mid-Century Mo

Recent kudos for Calgary have been many and raving. We were named one of the coolest (The New York Times had us 17th on their 2014 must-see list), the cleanest (Mercer City Financial-#1 in the world), and simply one of the best places to live (Moneysense, #2 in Canada). In less than a decade, we’ve gone from cow-town to cosmopolitan in the eyes of the “who’s who” in the world; a city poised for the future while embracing its past. Calgary’s adventurous, if not rebellious, spi

With the gift giving season upon us, we’ve come up with a list of ten books for archiphiles of all ages. And to make your shopping easier, all can be ordered on line from chapters.indigo.ca 1. Eames: Beautiful Details, by Eames Dimitrious $41.54 This just released coffee table book celebrates the life and work of the husband and wife design duo. 2. Archidoodle: The Architect’s Activity Book, by Steve Bowkett $16.46 An educational book for children of ages that explores everyt

If someone were to tell you that the house you are buying is going to be torn down in 40 or 50 years, you’d think they were crazy. Yet this reality is being played out in countless Calgary communities as many, not-so-old, homes are being replaced by new builds. Think about it, parts of Calgary are currently being redeveloped where the homes were built in the 1960’s or 1970’s – Varsity Estates, Willow Park Estates, University Heights, Collingwood, Canyon Meadows, Lakeview Vill

Collaboration between architects and interior designers is integral to producing a successful project, and in this post we will share how the synergy between architect and interior designer, however simple, influenced and shaped a minimalist retail project. Synergistic relationships in business are often a consequence or a response to a need – as opposed to a core process.  Design synergy, as a core value, is best illustrated as a strategic partnership in service or in fabric

The New York Times – T Magazine recently featured a home in Stockholm, Sweden designed by the Scandinavian architecture firm Claesson Koivisto Rune. Located in a fin de siècle (turn of the 19th century) building, the interior is very modern, with big open spaces and minimal furnishings but at the same time very warm: a kitchen cabinet is clad in brass, and in a nod to the past, chair rail molding is used in the public spaces and ornate trim around the doorways. (Photos courte

In a recent blog post “The Parti and the Bicycle” I shared one of my favorite things about being the principal of an architecture firm – namely figuring out how we work as a studio to create designs with lasting power. I’ve always believed that if your work is done well, that it serves a greater purpose – to show you something that you weren’t aware of. In that blog, I introduced the concept of “le parti;” in this post I will share how “le parti” influenced the design of one

There’s been a lot of buzz lately about fashion brands entering the hospitality business, particularly in Dubai. The Emirate is already home to an Armani Hotel; next spring Palazzo Versace is set to open and Roberto Cavalli and Gucci hotels are in the planning stages. What are we to make of this alliance between popular fashion brands and Five-Star hotels? Is this brand alignment merely a gimmick or is there something profoundly brilliant about the concept? When it comes to f