Category: Event

UBC SALA Modern House Series: Copp House

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On October 26th, we hosted the launch of the latest in the SALA Modern House Series, Copp House by Adele Weder with photography by Michael Perlmutter.

In 1950, a young Vancouver architectural apprentice was handed a small house project that his boss was too busy to take on. The apprentice, Ron Thom, took the simple plan and rectangular foundation that had been roughed in, and transformed it into a groundbreaking work of architecture that gained national fame. Inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright and Richard Neutra, but using local wood and paying careful attention to its verdant oceanside setting, Thom created a landmark for the new architectural movement known as West Coast Modernism. The client, Dr. Harold Copp, was himself a trailblazer, the first head of the physiology department in the University of British Columbia’s new Faculty of Medicine and a research pioneer. Generously illustrated with both vintage and contemporary architectural photography, line drawings, and photographs of the architect and residents, the Copp House is the story of a cultural landmark on the shores of Vancouver.

The Little Book of Lykke

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By now we’re all familiar with hygge, the Danish concept of cosiness that has become an international phenomenon in the past few years, largely thanks to Meik’s book on the topic.

But what is lykke? Pronounced luu-kah, it’s the Danish word for happiness. Danes have been shown to be the happiest people in the world, and Meik definitely fits that bill, as the CEO of The Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen. In this witty and informative book, Meik goes beyond the woolly socks and warm beverages of hygge to get at what really makes Danes so happy, and what the rest of the world can learn from them. He also travels across the globe on a quest to uncover the secrets of the very happiest people from Dubai to Rio de Janeiro, taking back to his native country their tips, tricks, and unique approaches to a fulfilled life. Here is Meik sharing a little insight into what he does and how he does it with our clients in our 50 Water St showroom.

Carpet Diem with cc-tapis

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Born in France. Designed in Milan. Produced in Nepal. cc-tapis is an Italian company which produces contemporary hand-knotted rugs created in Nepal by expert Tibetan artisans. The company was founded by Nelcya and Fabrizio Cantoni who have been producing hand-knotted rugs in Nepal for over 17 years. A strong respect for the materials and for the culture of this ancient craft is reflected in the company’s eco-friendly approach to every step of production, ranging from the hand spinning of the softest Himalayan wool to the use of purified rainwater for the washing of the final products, making each one of cc-tapis’ rugs unique.

Far from mass production, cc-tapis aims to offer a tailored service to those who understand and enjoy a high-end product, where a three month production time contains a story of ageless culture.

Fabrizio and Daniele introduced their new collection titled Inventory, designed by Faye Toogood. cc-tapis works with a wide array of designers, such as Patricia Urquiola, Chiara Andreatti, Martino Gamper, Parisotto + Formenton, Alex Proba, and Mae Engelgeer.

Kaikado

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We were honoured to host master craftsman Taka from the legendary Japanese manufacturer Kaikado.

Kaikado was established in 1875, shortly after Japan opened its doors to the rest of the world. With welcoming outside civilizations came the import of tinplate from England. Tin was used for the plating of steel, and was considered a fashionable foreign-made item at that time.

In the Edo era, canisters made from tin became commonplace means of storage for tea, as were jars made from china or earthenware. It was the company’s founder, Kiyosuke, who first designed the tin tea caddy and made it into a commercially available item, the very same caddies that they still make today.

The following day after Taka’s talk, he held a workshop with a lucky few in the craft of fabricating one of their small plates.

Arigato Taka-san!

UBC SALA Modern House Series

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Merrick House is a documentation of one of the jewels of West Coast Modern architecture, a home that, as a young architect, Merrick built by hand on the steep wooded slopes of West Vancouver, BC in the early 1970s. The photographs by Michael Perlmutter bring out the wonders of the architectural space and materiality, and the text by Tony Robins explores Merrick’s influences, the many spatial moves he employed and the changes made over time with successive renovations.

 
 
 

 
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Capture Photography Festival Speaker Series

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Brussels-based Canadian artist Alex Morrison discusses Brand New Era Social Club (2017), his major public art commission on the facade of the Dal Grauer Substation on Burrard Street, and other aspects of his diverse practice, in conversation with photographer Christos Dikeakos.

 
 


 
We mostly know famous architecture not through direct experience, but through images made by architectural photographers like Ema Peter. In conversation with Mark Busse of HCMA Architecture + Design, Peter discusses the constructed nature of architectural photos, the symbiotic relationship between buildings and photography, and how image capture affects design. She also shares technical insights and experiences from her award-winning career.

 
 
 


 
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Patricia Urquiola Luncheon

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Watch full screen with music

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We, the Inform Interiors Kitchens & Bath department, were given an opportunity to introduce Patricia Urquiola to a few select members of the Vancouver design community over lunch in our B&B Italia/Boffi showroom during her recent visit. Guests were greeted with a glass of Manciant Cremant de Bourgogne at the Boffi Salinas island in our front window, designed by none other than Patricia.

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Space Oddity

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Some designers are tame in practice and personality. Others have edge, strive to be unique and make impressions on whomever they meet. You’ll find Tom Dixon somewhere in-between, comfortably poised in no-man’s land. When you find him there, he’ll make you second guess the preconceptions. He is humble while proud, boisterous but timid, chaotic yet well defined – somehow there isn’t any contradiction. To say that Tom Dixon is a paradox is probably the most accurate description that one could give to him though it’s still far from actuality. He occupies a finite space where intellect and passion are paramount and few external factors hold any creative weight. You have to meet him… did you? He was just here.

Tom flew in on the Thursday before last and went straight to work, not stopping until he flew to LA and did it all over again, two days later. Most highly sought-after personalities might head to their hotel to wash, rest, and go out for an overpriced meal with those that they deemed fit. Not Tom. Tom wanted to go to the scrap-yard and dig through objects long forgotten and like the mad scientist that he is, bring the dead back to life, striving to leave Vancouver a little better than how he found it. This is after all what he attributes as the cause of his rise to fame. __

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