Extreme Climates:

Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architects

And Manitoba Hydro Place

Kevin Henriques
997735018
November 25th 2010
Shay Gibson
 Extreme Climates:
KPMB and Manitoba Hydro Place

The exhibition for Extreme Climates: Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg

Architects and Manitoba Hydro Place is installed at the University Of Toronto’s Eric

Arthur Gallery. The gallery is situated in the University’s Daniels Faculty of

Architecture, Landscape, and Design building. The project presented in the

exhibition is of the design and design process of Manitoba’s new Manitoba Hydro

Place. The exhibition consists of two detailed models, a film excerpt, an installation,

and large informational graphics with accompanying readings. The works are

presented in a manner that presents the content of the design clearly despite the

relatively small gallery space provided.

The gallery is committed to the presentation of the main design features and

practical applications of the project. On the gallery’s eastern wall a large graphic

consumes a majority of wall space, inserted into the flow of the arrangement is a

monitor that hosts interviews with those involved with the project. The design that

covers the wall is indicative of contemporary graphics, which is a result of its layout

and form. The text is composed in a variety of sizes and boldness, encompassing

bubbles with bright highlights emphasize headings and contribute to the visual

composure. The composition is further broken up by coloured graphics depicting

the content of their related headings. These graphics consist of architectural

drawings, diagrams, illustrations, and charts; this helps to ease the understanding of

the graphics content. The graphic strays from the traditional presentation of

information and presents it in manner that is visually pleasing and easy to

understand and navigate. The space also includes a detailed chart of the Manitoba

Hydro Place’s Building Management System or BMS. The chart does well to further

emphasize the innovation presented in the project that is represented in the

informational graphic. Aside from informational aides, the exhibition also includes

three scaled installations pertaining to the Manitoba Hydro Place. One being a scaled

representation of a six story Wintergarden with its waterfall detail, constructed with

MDF, styrene, stainless steel, and wood. The model is presented in high detail and

complements the daylight testing model that accompanies. The use of simple

materials and emphasis on detail gives the impression of the modernist design that

they represent. The major detail in the gallery is the testing model of the waterfall

detail. In Manitoba Hydro Place the waterfall will stretch six stories, as a result

testing was needed to achieve the long string like flows that form the waterfall. The

modeled waterfall provides a dynamic experience to the exhibition. It interrupts the

monotony of the presented information with the dynamics and intrigue of its

combination of nature and structure, a theme consistent with that of the project.

However, the waterfall also ties in nicely with the presentation of the Building

Management System and theme of the ideas presented, contributing to the balance

of the exhibition.

The design of Manitoba Hydro Place was executed by KPMB who were

selected winners of a design competition. The design in innovative both in structure

and concept considering it came to fruition in 2002, just before the increase in

awareness of environmental issues. The project features some major design

installations and innovations, including a waterfall detail, functional façade, and

Wintergarden. These features come as a result of an extensive planning process,

where meticulous texting and reconfiguration determined the finalization of the

structure. With a renewed building cost plan, the building’s planners were able to

generate goals for cost and energy consumption. The Building Management System

is the outcome of these goals and the contrasting theme of the highly technical being

used to embrace the natural. Undoubtedly the a central goal, the designers wanted

to embrace the landscape while exploiting the climate in order to create a

innovative means of cutting cost while remaining environmentally friendly. Daylight

and wind energy became a critical piece of the design, combined they account for

savings in heating and lighting as well as energy consumption. The double façade

scheme allows for light to provide heat and replace artificial light sources. The

façade also includes an integrated ventilation system that provides fresh air

constantly; this is in addition to the Wintergardens that provides filtrated clean air.

Also considered in the exhibition is the population and employees who are expected

to work in the building. The integration with nature is meant to also serve as a

pleasing experience for those that the building accommodates. They consider deeply

the opinion of the public and the experience within in the building, which in part

contributed to the projects realization.

The Manitoba Hydro Places is a very inspiring project, as its features and

structure are unique and all encompassing. The consideration for the environment

is befitting of current trends in environmentally friendly architecture, and it

highlights trends that may become evident in the future. The exhibition does a good

job of presenting the project with its strong points, and providing an educated
insight on the workings behind a project of this scale. It takes a considerable amount

of information and condenses it into a reasonable presentation, which is visually

appealing. Both the project and exhibition are contemporary in style and idea, and

therefore excitingly interesting.

Graphic on East wall of the Eric Arthur Gallery

Above: detail on wall graphic. Below: 6 Story Model with waterfall
Daylight Testing Model