Old Ottawa East is undergoing an architectural transformation.
People are building new homes in a range of styles. Some are sympathetic to their streetscapes. Others just want to be seen.
In the last 10 years, numerous very large homes have popped up. Their owners have built to the maximum building envelope; that is, as far as the city would allow them to extend a structure up and out.
The new homes are built predominantly in the style I call Ottawa modern vernacular. Many have a facile look: borrowing characteristics from the early modern. But what once had meaning now has become meaningless.
Early modern architecture emerged from the German school of art known as the Bauhaus. The school took a holistic approach to design. It emphasized integration of art, craft and technology. It began as an art school and developed an architectural side in the1930s.
Its ethos was function, technology, and economy. Bauhaus was design through omission, with a strong social consciousness. On top of that, it was considered cosmopolitan, creating an international message of serving the working class.
Corporate North America embraced modernism in the ’50s and ’70s. But we did not do so as much in residential construction. In Canada some of the best examples of modern residential design were in B.C.: high-end single-family homes set upon the rugged coastline overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The architecture capitalized on local materials, spectacular views, and light. The Bauhaus belief of better living through good design for the working class? Well, that was left behind.
Meanwhile, Ottawa remained an architectural backwater. Our residential neighbourhoods were relatively untouched by international trends.
Homes in our community today are made up of a variety of styles, built in a succession of developments, each associated with the fashions of their times. Somehow this eclectic mix of styles has acquired a kind of harmony that supports the general streetscape.
Many new homes however, don’t fit that harmony as well as their predecessors. One of the greatest impacts to our streets and back yards are homes constructed to the maximum allowable envelope: that is, to be as big as possible. Many homes also have fully glazed front and back walls, that is, floor-to-ceiling windows.
This new architecture capitalizes on the smaller scale of surrounding homes. It gives owners unimpeded views over their neighbours properties. The new houses with massive windows infringe on standards of privacy. Glass has become the new go-to material for architects, builders and developers in condos and private homes. It is relatively inexpensive and provides a ‘wow’ factor.
Glass is a wonderful material but it must be used more selectively. The designer should take into consideration what is on either side of a glass envelope – the interior function of a house and its exterior views.
Over the last five years, a plethora of homes have appeared, all with the same must- haves: flat roof, high ceilings, floor-to-ceiling windows, and the use of at least three or four exterior finishes: brick, wood, stone etc. From the outside, we see unmade beds, backs of sofas, dining room table legs and occupants on display 24/7. These homes have become architectural selfies.
Light pollution and poor energy performance of glazed walls are also issues. Typically an insulated exterior wall has an R-12 insulating value. A double-glazed window has an R-2 value, a triple-glazed R-3 to 5. There is also a significant amount of light pollution from such massive windows. Interior light spills out at night illuminating streets and back yards with abandon.
I support modern architecture that is sympathetic to the street and possesses an innate sense of dignity. Houses in urban settings should not be designed as if they have ocean-front views. Architects and their clients have to think beyond homes as objects. They should consider the surroundings. For example, there is nothing wrong with a flat roof but if a home is built to the maximum height of 11 metres a sloped roof line significantly helps reduce the scale of the building, yet maintains its footprint.
We must ask ourselves how new buildings contribute to a street and their community. There are many examples of new developments and single-family homes where architect and client have produced wonderful results.
I encourage readers of this paper as well as architects, designers and builders from the community to step up and provide their views on the direction and quality of development in our neighbourhoods.
