Cubellis closing its doors

The holiday season is upon us and as 2009 dwindles to an end, so does the prominent architecture and design firm; Cubellis Associates Inc.

Caught in a ripple effect of these tough economic times, Cubellis- founded by Lenord G. Cubellis, has over 23 years experience creating environments locally and internationally. With a large and varied portfolio, the firm specializes in academic institutions, workplaces, retail spaces and hospitality havens, to name a few.  As Contract Magazine stated, the closing of this Boston staple, has left 170 people in 12 offices worldwide—including 70 in the Boston office—out of work.

A surprising and unfortunate end for yet another A&D firm in 2009.

2009 Favorite things….spaces from Toronto to Boston

It’s holiday time and that means lists…

We all make them, perhaps yours is full of wishes for Santa or simply a ‘to do‘ list during this hectic time of year.  Even Oprah has been known to make them, her most famous being her list of favorite things.

Feeling inspired by Lady O, this year I’ve decided to make a list of my own…of my favorite structures.  If you read my blog regularly, you will know that I am a Torontonian living in Boston, so it seems fit for me to make one list for each city. So here it goes….

Top 5 favourite A&D masterpieces in Toronto:

1. SHARP CENTRE OF DESIGN ~ONTARIO COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN by Alsop Architects

2. ROYAL ONTARIO MUSEUM by Daniel Libeskind

3. ART GALLERY OF ONTARIO by Frank Gehry

4. ABSOLUTE CONDO by MAD Studio & Burka Architects

5. CN Tower by Canadian National Railway

Top 5 places of greatness in Boston:

1. Christian Science Center by I.M. Pei

2. Boston Public Library by McKim, Mead & White

3. Hancock Place by I.M. Pei

4. Carpenter Center by Le Corbusier

5. Stata Center by Frank Gehry

Happy Holidays!

Moshe Safdie to develop Toronto’s East Waterfront

Who can forget Habitat 67. 

Born out of a thesis project at Montreal’s McGill University, Moshe Safdie put himself on the map.  In fact, he helped establish Montreal as a design forward province, putting it on the map as well. Love it or hate it, 40+ years later, people still flock to see the affordable housing complex that was constructed for Expo ‘67.

Concepts of affordable housing, sense of community, private outdoor space, natural light and modular design embody Habitat 67 and since everything old is new again these days, who wouldn’t want a home with all of these things?

Well, homebuyers get ready, because legendary architect Moshe Safdie is at is again. This time, he is helping to refresh the map of Toronto with a 540,000 sq. ft. mixed use development. The project is located East of Queens Quay, in a lack luster part of town. Close to the downtown core, and with views of Lake Ontario, the project includes a residential tower, office space and a retail space with a 6 storey foyer.

In collaboration with Moshe Safdie and Associates are local geniuses; Quadrangle Architects, Cecconi Simone and Janet Rosenberg all of whom are committed to creating a sustainable “garden in the sky.”  As illustrated below, the 36 storey limestone, glass, and concrete residential tower will have a stepped profile carved out by a series of balconies. The balconies will not only allow for private outdoor space, but will also help maximize natural light filtration into the units while maintaining energy efficiency. With no direct water access, the views will play a large role in selling these units. Having  individual, landscaped outdoor areas will surely help.

With a projected $200 million budget, the development team plans to give Toronto a LEED Gold certified jewel, raising the bar for new developments province wide and even nation wide.  The development will be one of Canada’s first LEED ND Gold projects and is already making great stride to make this a reality.

However, all the glitz and green aside, The Parkside won’t be just another condo tower shooting up amongst the seemingly hundreds in the city. It will be destination that connects individuals to their neighbors and community. It will raise the value of the neighborhood, Sherborne Park and surrounding areas making it a desirable place to work, live and socialize.

Clients from Hell…we all know them

Just about every design professional has at least one horror story about clients from hell.  As frustrating as these clients can be, hearing other peoples stories can be amusing, as well as consoling.

For an abundance of comfort, check out these hilarious, anonymously contributed stories at  Clients from Hell.

“Well, I have worked with a lot of designers in my day and I am of the opinion that if you are confident in your abilities to meet my expectations then being paid at the end would be fine with you. Ultimately you are paid for the end result, right? I shouldn’t have to pay you for ‘making the effort’.”

“I’m not sure about the colour that you’ve used for the background, I guess it looks OK on screen but when I print it on our office printer it kinda reminds me of a pair of corduroys I had as a child.”

If these snipits made you laugh or reminded you of a particular client, make sure to send in your favorite horror story to Clients from Hell story submission for the rest of us to enjoy.

A hint of Cologne

Everyone gets excited for something during the holidays. For some it’s getting together with family & friends, others enjoy the food, decorations, & vacations, and almost all of us look forward to sales at the mall. The holidays are such a wonderful time of year.

However, come January reality hits. All of the warmth and cheer turns gray, and seasonal affective disorders (SAD) start to kick in.

Well, if you’re looking to avoid the new year blahs, book your ticket to IMM Cologne now! This furniture design fair is sure to cure your SAD, and put you in the know. In addition to schmoozing with young, fresh talent at the Cologne Design Week party, you’ll get to see first hand the furniture trends of 2010. Plus you can experience architectural tours of Cologne and attend the Interior Innovation Awards.

Vidafine is oh so fine!

Thanks to the internet it’s easy to learn about hotspots and cool stuff in various cities. But how do you know if internet guides really are any good? Yes, you search and read potentially unreliable reviews, but if you’d rather not waste hours check out Vidafine.

Another fabulous find out of Toronto and courtesy of coolboom.

Vidafine is a visually-driven store guide featuring only the coolest independent boutique stores in their respective category—apparel & accessories, cafe & eatery, home & furniture, gifts & gadgets. They promise to check and double check reviews, ensuring accurate information.

Sleep in Style. Ames Hotel Boston.

Forget sex in the city, it’s all about sleeping in the city.

Bringing their latest creation to downtown Boston; the Morgans Hotel Group, has just expanded their portfolio with the upcoming grand opening of  The Ames Hotel Boston.

This 115 room boutique hotel is sure to become an instant hit, nestled between the Financial District and Downtown Crossing.  Interiors were designed by the Rockwell Group in combination with Cambridge Seven Associates. Both of whom assisted in the restoration of the beautiful, mosaic tile, barrel vaulted entry ceiling, brass staircase and stone exterior, all to the tune of $40 + million.

Aside from the intriguing interiors, the hotel is located close to major transit, historical destinations and is surrounded by a variety hip restaurants and vibrant night spots. However with noted chef Mark Goldberg (of Mistral and Top of the Hub fame) working his magic in the house restaurant; Woodward, you may decide to eat in.  

Jonathan Adler adds style to Boston

Jonathan Adler.

Those two words are akin to happy chic, barbie and whimsy. All of which ooze from his newly opened retail store on Newbury St.

The tiny store is filled with lots of luxurious throws & pillows, comfortable furniture, lamps gallore, shiny wall art, playful knick knacks and walls adorned with quirky quotes like  “exude exuberance”  and exquisite wallpaper.

Adler, a graduate of Brown,  also known for his pottery can be characterized by so many of his achievements. Notable projects/products include- The Parker Palm Springs, Barbie Malibu Dream House and of course his kitschy needlepoint and lovely lacquer work.

Over the years, Adler has morphed from art history major to potter, turned furniture designer which went hand in hand with interior designer. Today, he is a decor and style guru, not to mention a successful retail proprietor.

Not even one week old and the Newbury St. store is already adding to the landscape, bringing  flirtatious style and desirable decor to Boston…finally!

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IIDEX/NeoCon Canada 2009 in review

Last month I attended IIDEX/NeoCon Canada. The highly anticipated (even if only in Toronto!) show is always an exciting opportunity to see what’s new in the industry.

This year was a little bit different, the troubled economy was felt in the downsized booths and limited exhibitors. However, the show did appear to be full of curious A&D professionals and was very well attended by the student population. Overall, the mood on the floor was light and postive as vendors tried to sell their new and revamped producted lines.

Of all the booths, this was one of my favorites;  DIRTT- environmentally friendly, modular solutions for corporate and healthcare spaces. Yes, just about everyone is trying to do something environmentally friendly these days, but what I like about  DIRTT, is their abilty to marry functionality (most surfaces are dry erase safe & can contain concealed power/data) with aesthetics (everything looked beautiful).

Too gushy? Perhaps, but picture this…you’re in your office, brainstorming with colleagues. Everyone starts blurting out ideas and scribbling them on your piano finished zebra wood wall. Crazy? No. Just a DIRTT wall system.

All kidding aside, their products come in a variety of finishes and can be configured in a number of combinations and if that doesn’t sell you, maybe their own 3D software ICE will.

Island Foods. A must for all foodies in Toronto.

Caribbean cravings?

For some it’s the jerk, others enjoy the sides, but for me it’s the roti.

Yes, there are a ton of places that you could go to get your fix, but (I think that) there are only a handful -at best, of places to go to get a delicious Caribbean meal in Toronto. One such place is Island Foods, a staple on King St. West, known by all foodies not just for the tasty food, but for their friendly service and family style environment.

Stop by for a quick lunch, or dinner after work, or even on a weekend when you can linger in the sunny, colorful, sit-down restaurant.  They have a large, varied menu and assemble the food right in front of you, allowing for a truly customized meal.   If you’re not up for a roti, their chicken dinners with rice & peas and vegetables are also really good. Add a little hot sauce and you’ll really feel like you’re in the Islands!