Small is Big, Old is New

I was intrigued by the invitation I received to contribute to the Evolution Green blog and decided to accept the invitation.

A lot’s been written about the architectural rebirth of Toronto over the past year or so with the Libeskind Crystal, the $500 million transformation of the AGO, the new Four Seasons Centre and home for the COC.  I think all of these projects are important and needed.  I can’t help but wonder two things though. 

First, I can’t help but wonder how these projects will age.  I’m not convinced that all of this modernist and post modernist stuff will age well.  Everyone points to the Mies van der Rohe TD building as this modernist masterpiece and work of art.  The thing is, it’s only some 40 years old.  What will it look like in 100 years?  The question itself is ludicrous because it never will see its 100th birthday. 

But think about the thousands of simple buildings that line old Toronto’s arterial streets.  Many of these are well into their hundredth year and still performing beautifully.  My company, Village Technologies, resides in an environmental retrofit of a 120 year old building on Queen East in South Riverdale.  Our sister company, Live Lightly Developments, undertook a complete gutting of this modest old building, an effort Toronto Star Architecture writer, Christopher Hume, called a “gem”. 

The fact is, a living city needs more than vanity projects; it needs thousands of small, modest, beautifully kept and recycled buildings.  History – and property values – show that the designers of 1850’s Toronto created the best and most liveable neighbouhoods in the city. 

I remain to be convinced of the high-profile mega-projects designed by vanity architects.  I think they’re needed to inspire us as to what is possible but, I would far rather see, on a day to day basis, the development and resurrection of small, scaleable neighbourhoods. 

The New Urbanists are on to something.  Building with an eye to the quarter mile that surrounds people every day – the quarter mile in which they get their groceries, get their coffee and talk to neighbours – doesn’t win global headlines and drive huge retainers but I does make for better cities. 

As this website says, Small is the Big of the future.  But Old is also the new New. 

Gabriel Draven

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