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Last month, while Toronto City Council argued about the Jarvis bicycle lanes (and dumped them), Council quietly adopted a significant measure for valuing design and architecture: the City of Toronto now requires any project over 1,000 sq. m to have the name of the architect prominently displayed.
- Recognition of the Architect of Record, or primary Design Architect of the building be affixed or inscribed on the building at a location near the main entry or prominent façade of the structure. That the lettering for this recognition cover an area of at least 0.2m by 0.3m, or 0.06 square metres.
City Councillor Peter Milczyn, a current member of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, was the proponent behind the new requirement. Milczyn stated, "What has always annoyed me is that during the debates and discussions on various planning applications lawyers, and planners, are often more prominent in the discussion of a project than the architect is. This speaks volumes about how much (little) importance is placed on architecture in many discussions on development at City Hall." Milczyn had already tried to implement the policy four or five years ago, but could not get the support of council. This July he managed to find that support. The new policy is a nice compliment to the “Architecture Matters” campaign by OAA and RAIC.
The 'signing' of buildings will bring attention to good design, while restraining compromise brought about by cost cutting recommendations from engineering, financing, or others. An architect will be more motivated to argue a design point when their name will be on the building. There are very few examples around the city where the architect was allowed to credit their work. Diamond and Schmitt and Hariri Pontarini Architects have managed to do so with the Four Seasons Performing Arts Centre and the Vü development. Residents can look forward to knowing who designed new buildings they love/hate.
David Pontarini of Hariri Pontarini Architects appreciates the new requirement. "It's a nice form of recognition. I think it's a great idea. Given the public debate about the design of buildings and the public realm in general, and the increased awareness that the public has about design in this city, this is another way of adding to the dialogue. Next time someone wants to comment in favour or against a particular building, they can now refer to who the architect is."
The City of Toronto is now unique in the architectural world with this new policy. Firms large, small, famous, and just starting-up will know when they do work in Toronto that they will be recognized. Architects names will no longer just be a seal on a document, archived and concealed from the landscape they designed. Toronto is now - officially - a city that values design.
