Heritage Building Restoration
The most rewarding part about working on heritage buildings is having the opportunity learning the history of each place. First constructed between 1863 and 1865 by and for the Six Nations Confederacy Council, the Old Council House in Ohsweken, Ontario has been witness to a politically fraught and tumultuous 160 years. The building served as … Continued
Read MoreTHE INHERITED GATE: A CASE STUDY IN MICRO-CONSERVATION.
Making decisions about heritage buildings is rarely easy – especially when the building is your own. It involves balancing seemingly endless competing factors. A few years ago, a curious adventure in micro-heritage unfolded on me. Dealing with it illuminates, at a very fundamental level, the quandaries that face decision-makers dealing with bigger projects. Through the … Continued
Read MoreWhat About Colour?
What about colour in architecture? Look around, and the long history of muted colours in Canadian architecture becomes apparent. This means that, collectively and individually, we have accepted such buildings as the norm, while, over the decades, we have experimented with interior colours. There is sound logic why this has unfolded in this way, but … Continued
Read MoreSUSTAINABILITY – Part 2: SOME BASICS ABOUT BUILDINGS
This is Part Two of a series of articles on Sustainability that will consider how a prudent decision-maker working in the built environment might improve his/her insights and capabilities. They will appear periodically on Quartek’s website and will contain both reflections, and guides to the use of basic analytical tools. Decision-making is a key factor … Continued
Read MoreTHE FACILITATION OF PROJECTS
This is one of a series of articles exploring and explaining issues in designing, creating and managing projects. The Quartek Group keeps informed on such matters to assist clients in their initiatives to create successful buildings and infrastructure. What do architects and engineers actually do? In the past, it was largely a matter of designing … Continued
Read MoreEMBODIED CARBON CONSIDERED
This is one of a series of articles exploring and explaining issues in creating and managing successful and sustainable buildings. The Quartek Group keeps informed on such matters to assist clients in their various initiatives. Embodied carbon is a concept that has emerged over the past couple of decades. “Embodied carbon is, to some extent, … Continued
Read MoreSUSTAINABILITY – Part 1: THE QUEST
This is Part One of a series of articles on Sustainability that will consider how a prudent decision-maker working in the built environment might improve his/her insights and capabilities. They will appear periodically on Quartek’s website and will contain both reflections and guides to the use of basic analytical tools. While perhaps the dominant theme … Continued
Read MoreWoodland Cultural Centre Restoration
“The Mohawk Institute Indian Residential School operated in Brantford, Ontario from 1828 to 1970. It served as a boarding school for First Nations children from Six Nations, as well as other communities throughout Ontario and Quebec. It served as a key tool in the effort to assimilate First Nations children into European Christian society, and … Continued
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