gh3*
Practice information
Key architectsPat Hanson (Founding Partner and Principal)
Raymond Chow (Principal)
Founded2006
LocationToronto ON. Canada
Significant works and honors
AwardsGovernor General's Medal in Architecture (2008, 2010, 2018, 2020, 2022)

Ontario Association of Architects Design Excellence Award (2006, 2008, 2010, 2020)
RAIC Award of Excellence for Innovation in Architecture (2019)
Canadian Architect Award of Excellence (2011, 2014, 2016, 2018)

City of Toronto Urban Design Award (2007, 2008, 2011, 2013, 2021)

gh3* is a Canadian architecture, urbanism, and landscape design practice based in Toronto, led by founding principal Pat Hanson and Raymond Chow [1]

Employing both architects and landscape designers,[2] gh3* has worked on a variety of projects including private residences, pavilions, public parks, commercial buildings, and civic infrastructure, and is known for the merging of modernist values with sustainable design strategies.[3]

Notable projects

Borden Park Natural Swimming Pool

Replacing the existing public pool at Borden Park in Edmonton, AB, Borden Park Natural Swimming pool is the first chemical-free public outdoor pool in Canada. The project included the creation of a central pool as well as a single-storey building housing changing rooms and bathrooms, and a landscaped area with sandy beaches.[4] The building's exterior is made up of gabion basket walls filled with dark Alberta limestone, and is topped with a flat roof,[5] reinforcing the project's minimalist character.[6] The Borden Park Natural Swimming Pool was awarded the 2014 Canadian Architect Award of Excellence and 2019 RAIC Award of Excellence for Innovation in Architecture.[7][8]

Borden Park Pavilion

Borden Park Pavilion
Borden Park Pavilion | Edmonton AB

Selected by the City of Edmonton after a 2011 design competition,[9] gh3*'s concept for the Borden Park Pavilion sought to reinstate the park as the community destination it has been historically. Recalling the site's history as an amusement park in the early 20th century, as well as its classical layout of curving pathways,[10] gh3* delivered a single-storey cylindrical structure to house the park's amenities. On the exterior, the pavilion is clad with triangular sheets of curtainwall glazing with a highly reflective surface.[10] Inside, the same triangular configuration is expressed by the building's timber frame. Amenities are confined to the core of the pavilion while a promenade continues all the way around, allowing for a complete view of the park.[11] The project was awarded the Governor General's Medal in Architecture in 2018.[11]

Boathouse Studio

In 2010, gh3* completed Boathouse Studio.[12] Located on Stoney Lake, in Southern Ontario, the studio is a transparent glass cube on the edge of the water. Designed as a photography studio, the floor-to-ceiling glass walls fill the interior with abundant natural light. The building uses a deep water exchange system for low energy heating and cooling year round.[13] Boathouse Studio earned gh3* its second Governor General's Medal in Architecture (2010).[14]

Stormwater Facility

The Stormwater Facility, aligning Toronto's Lakeshore Boulevard in the West Don Lands area, was commissioned by Waterfront Toronto and Toronto Water.[15] Completed in 2020,[16] the facility includes a stormwater reservoir, a treatment plant, and a landscape of channels and gutters linking the two.[17] The bold, geometric building is constructed from exposed, cast-in-place concrete.[17] It was designed to reflect both the state–of–the–art handling and treatment of stormwater, and the clients' desire for the building to be more than a piece of infrastructure.[15] The landmark building invites passersby to take an interest in both the water purification process and civic architecture.

Kathleen Andrews Transit Garage

Kathleen Andrews Transit Garage is a bus maintenance and storage facility for Edmonton Transit Services.[18] The expansive scale of its 540,000 sf bulk[19] is broken up by five skylit stairways that rise above the roof and are topped by topographic installations by German artist, Thorsten Goldberg.[20] The building's unusual corrugated stainless steel exterior is actually freezer panels, normally used for cold storage facilities.[18] Its reflective surface interacts with Edmonton's bright Prairie sun.

Windermere Fire Station #31

The defining feature of gh3*'s design for Windermere Fire Station in Edmonton is a pitched roof, with a subtle curve. The large fire truck doors, and solid load-bearing also allude to the traditions of firehall design.[21] Adhering to the City of Edmonton's sustainability commitments,[22] the station is powered by a rooftop solar array and features geothermal heating and cooling, making it the first net-zero emissions building in Edmonton.[23]

Canadian Museum of Inuit Art
Canadian Museum of Inuit Art | Toronto ON
Trinity College Quadrangle
Trinity College Quadrangle | Toronto ON

References

  1. ↑ "gh3* architects". Metalocus. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  2. ↑ Bozikovic, Alex (25 August 2019). "Edmonton's natural pool has fresh water and high architecture". Globe and Mail. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
  3. ↑ "Firm Profile". gh3*. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
  4. ↑ Jewell, Nicole (13 September 2019). "Canada unveils its first chemical-free public outdoor pool and it's gorgeous". InHabitat. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
  5. ↑ Okamoto, Katie (15 August 2019). "This Minimalist Public Pool Creates Its Own Water-Filtering Ecosystem". Metropolis. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
  6. ↑ "Borden Park Natural Swimming Pool". Canadian Architect. 64 (10): 20–21. October 2019.
  7. ↑ "RAIC Awards of Excellence 2019 Recipient". raic.org. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
  8. ↑ "Borden Park Natural Swimming Experience". Canadian Architect. 1 December 2014. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
  9. ↑ "Borden Park Pavilion / gh3*". ArchDaily. 29 September 2014. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
  10. 1 2 "Governor General's Medal Winner: Borden Park Pavilion". Canadian Architect. 22 May 2018. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
  11. 1 2 "Borden Park Pavilion". Canadian Architect. 63 (5): 60–62. May 2018.
  12. ↑ "Boathouse Studio". gh3*.ca. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  13. ↑ "Photographer's Studio Over a Boat House". Canadian Architect. 1 May 2010. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  14. ↑ gh3* Architects. "Selected Awards". gh3*.ca. Retrieved 19 December 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  15. 1 2 Megson, Kim (24 November 2021). "Toronto's Sculptural Stormwater Treatment Plant Sparks an Interest in Infrastructure". Metropolis. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
  16. ↑ gh3* Architects. "Stormwater Facility". gh3*.ca. Retrieved 20 December 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  17. 1 2 Maciel, Sean (30 November 2021). "In Toronto, gh3*'s stormwater treatment plant is a monument to infrastructure". The Architect's Newspaper. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
  18. 1 2 Boddy, Trevor (1 November 2021). "A Workplace Shines: Kathleen Andrews Transit Garage, Edmonton, Alberta". Canadian Architect. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
  19. ↑ Bozikovic, Alex (1 January 2023). "In Edmonton, a bus garage becomes high art". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
  20. ↑ Dreith, Ben (3 June 2022). "GH3 outfits Alberta bus garage with stainless steel and sculptural details". Dezeen. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
  21. ↑ Whistance-Smith, Greg (3 October 2023). "Solar Flair: Windermere Fire Station No. 31, Edmonton, Alberta". Canadian Architect. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  22. ↑ "Windermere Fire Station 31". Canadian Architect. 7 April 2019. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  23. ↑ "Windermere Fire Station #31 is Edmonton's first net-zero energy facility". Global News. 4 November 2022. Retrieved 19 December 2023.


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