Looking Back on the Internal Initiative: What 24 Sussex Still Asks of Us
To close this four-part series on 24 Sussex, it is worth returning to the larger question the project raises: how should a nationally significant site evolve when its existing buildings carry memory, material, setting and public meaning, but also have real limits? The future of the site should not be framed as a choice between […]
What the Internal Initiative Tested: Carbon, Character and Contemporary Architecture at 24 Sussex
When we developed our internal proposal for 24 Sussex in 2017, one of the central ambitions was to test whether the property could be reimagined through a net zero carbon lens. At the time, that was still an ambitious framing. Much of the sustainability conversation in architecture remained focused on energy efficiency, operating performance and […]
Inside the Internal Initiative: A Both-And Approach to the Future of 24 Sussex
One of the most useful conservation principles for thinking about 24 Sussex is also one of the most practical. Standard 5 of the Standards and Guidelines for the Conservation of Historic Places in Canada advises project teams to find a use for a historic place that requires minimal or no change to its character-defining elements. […]
From Internal Initiative to Public Question: Rethinking 24 Sussex from the Site Out
24 Sussex Drive has long occupied an unusual place in Canada’s public imagination. It is both a house and a symbol, both a private residence and a national setting, both a domestic place and a backdrop for the work of government. Constructed in 1868 and formally adapted to serve as the official residence of the […]
DOCOMOMO International Conference Wrap Up
I landed in Los Angeles excited to be back for the second time with a localized experience of the City from my previous, albeit short visit. Walking from Little Tokyo, hopping on the subway, and then resurfacing into stretches that feel built almost entirely around cars made the distance between “modernism” as an idea and […]
Global News: Breathing new life into an old structure to be used at Kingston’s Grass Creek Park
Link to article with video here Kingston’s motto is, “Where history and innovation thrive”, and a good example of that is happening at Grass Creek Park in the city’s east end. It’s still very much in the early stages, but when complete, the Highway 2 location will get a new washroom and change room facility. […]
MTBA celebrates Christopher Warden becoming a Principal November 1, 2018!
MTBA Associates is very excited to announce that Christopher Warden, Conservation Architect, became a Principal of the firm on November 1, 2018. Chris started at MTBA as an Associate in 2008. He has over 13 years of experience in the Architecture and Conservation fields. As early as the 6th grade knew that he wanted to be […]
THIS IS BIG! Embodied Carbon is in the News!
Thousands of political and business leaders, scientists, activists and journalists gathered in San Francisco, September 12-14, for Global Climate Action Summit. Mark Thompson Brandt, of MTBA, on behalf of ZNCC, led two key sessions at the summit, during Carbon Smart Building Day and Climate Heritage Mobilization. The event garnered much attention, as leaders stepped up their commitments […]
Livestream Mark Thompson Brandt @ Climate Heritage Mobilization, September 12, 2018
Catch Mark Thompson Brandt live at the Global Climate Action Summit in San Francisco! Mark will be chairing and presenting at the Carbon Mitigation and Cultural Heritage: Historic Preservation Policies & Practices to Get Communities Moving to Net Zero session during at Climate Heritage Mobilization on September 12, 2018 between 10:50-12:20 pm PST (1:50-3:20 pm EST). […]
MTBA Launches Building Resilience Website
MTBA is very excited to announce the launch of our Building Resilience website! Over the next few months we will be updating the beta version of the web site to address technical issues and more importantly upgrade content. Visit Building Resilience Building Resilience: Practical Guidelines for the Retrofit and Rehabilitation of Buildings in Canada serves […]