Adele Weder

A family complex in Vancouver shields itself from a busy street while opening up to interior courtyards.

Canadian architect Bing Thom died last week while in Hong Kong, at the height of his renown and with a wealth of architectural commissions underway.

Two striking indoor pools, by Bing Thom and HCMA, use wood in unexpected ways and provide a Vancouver suburb with new landmarks.

It’s an urban oasis, an indoor landscape, and an effective solution to brand a university campus otherwise lost in the chaos of downtown Toronto. Designed by Snøhetta in collaboration with local firm Zeidler Partnership Architects, Ryerson University’s new Student Learning Centre is an audacious bid to redefine the concept of an inner-city student commons. “The program is amazingly open,” says project architect Michael Cotton, of Snøhetta’s New York office. “It’s almost like a 10-story lobby. Sometimes we call it a library without books.” 

A distinctive new building in Winnipeg fosters community and honors the local mood.