A Bowen Island bed and breakfast had been operating for years out of a large home situated on a dramatic south facing slope overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The property was stunning, but the floor plan for the house and BnB suites was inefficient and outdated.

We worked closely with the owners to provide a complete reworking of the interior floor plans which would improve their quality of life, the efficiency and profitability of their business, and finally would enhance their customers’ experiences.

Changes included the conversion of a 560 SF carriage house into a self contained studio suite with a private entrance and sun deck. Within the footprint of the existing house we managed to increase the number of suites, all of which were more appealing than the existing ones, and create new amenity spaces like a gym and reading room, a commercial style laundry facility, a larger kitchen for the owners, and improved circulation for the multi-storey building. In addition, a master bedroom suite and guest room were created with architectural interest, and which capitalize on the spectacular location.

A non-profit organization which focuses on teaching life skills to youth at risk acquired an empty commercial location for their offices, training facilities, and retail store.

The design includes a separate retail store, a commercial kitchen for job training, acoustically separated meeting rooms which can be converted to a larger banquet hall, private offices, workstations, secure storage, and a funky and inviting reception area.

Green features include reclaimed donated construction materials such as glass blocks and office workstations, recycled content rubber flooring and rapidly renewable cork flooring, low-emitting paints and finishes, and access to daylight and views for workstations.

A popular West End diner wanted to improve their outdoor dining facilities. We completed a code and bylaw analysis, then designed a 70′ long raised wood patio along the length of the restaurant. We prepared the drawings and documents for permitting, and coordinated the permit approvals with the City.

As a repeat customer, the owner approached One SEED a year later to prepare permit documentation for the conversion of an existing covered breezeway into a 210 SF expansion to their commercial kitchen.

The arboretum project was a competition entry for the McGill Arboretum at McGill’s rural campus in Ste. Anne de Bellevue. The single storey building incorporates offices, a library, a public café and laboratories. The design was completed in consortium with designer Colin Szasz.

Our scheme integrates the building with the site and utilizes the undulating landscape to shape and divide various functions of the building. The exterior walls of the central area are completely collapsible in warm weather so that the public and air can move freely through the building and landscape. This core area opens on to a natural amphitheatre in the rear.

The tree-like structural columns are reminiscent of the forest and keep the subject of study close at mind. Clerestory windows and mono-pitch roofs open to the north providing ample natural light throughout the visitor and research centre.

Green features include natural ventilation and daylighting, minimal mechanical systems, locally sourced materials, sustainably harvested wood products, minimal site disturbance, and finally an outreach program promoting environmental stewardship.

The owner of a successful modern Italian restaurant was contemplating an expansion of his restaurant into the adjacent retail suite.

The design of the new space was already completed by others, however we adjusted the design to comply with local building codes and bylaws. One SEED prepared the drawings and documents necessary for permitting and coordinated an expedited review with the City.

The inspiration for this theoretical project, entitled Bridging the Gap, is the Anishnabe (Algonquin) Seven Fires Prophecy which predicted that the time would come when Indigenous people would rise out of silence to seek again the sacred teachings from their Elders. They would use this knowledge to teach all nations how to attain inner balance and how to live in a harmonious relationship with the Earth.

The architectural design for the retreat included the creation of the program and the careful siting and design of several buildings.

Bridging the Gap provides a healing experience where Anishinabe Elders share their knowledge of healing and sustainability with visitors from all nations. Healing is a holistic practice which balances the four aspects of health: mind, body, spirit and emotion. Because of its holistic nature, healing can be applied to any problem, large or small. It is believed that any imbalances, if not healed, lead to layers of pain which build up within a person. In healing ceremonies a trained healing Elder helps identify the cause of the pain and then works with the individual to remove it. It is a long journey which involves revisiting the teachings to achieve balance. One emerges from the cycle cleansed and refreshed.

The purity of the surrounding environment plays an important role in the healing path. As such, Bridging the Gap spans the mouth of a turbulent river where it falls into the calm of Petit Lac Poigan. Anishinabe healing narratives were used to inform the design and to enhance the healing process. The result is an exercise in cultural and ecological sustainability. The time of the seventh fire is upon us.

The healing space bridges a cultural gap by facilitating an exchange of ideas between the Indigenous people and Westerners. Anishinabe people can learn about their own traditions, while Westerners will be taught to understand harmony between the four elements of health. All people will learn as they undertake the healing journey.

It is to be built and operated by local Indigenous people, lead by the Wawatie family, to encourage the transmission of skills and knowledge across generations. The final bridge occurs in the sharing of western and Indigenous strategies for ecological sustainability.

Just as the Elders teach visitors how to live in balance with the Earth, the buildings themselves must exist in a harmonious relationship with the environment. The project is sited to minimize negative impacts on the environment and to allow for passive design solutions for heating, cooling, lighting and ventilation. The ecological strategies used are derived from Anishinabe teachings and western green building practices. For example, Anishinabe people would traditionally burn fires at the base of a rock cliff, as the wall would store and radiate heat long after the fire died out. Likewise, rammed earth walls which have similar physical properties to sedimentary rock are used in conjunction with a heat source, such as the sun or a high efficiency stove, throughout the project.

Other green features include the resort which is completely off the grid, building materials sourced on site (earth, rock, wood), rammed earth walls, thermal mass and passive solar collectors, low-tech micro-hydro electricity, living gardens for waste treatment, biodegradable construction, composting toilets, indigenous planting, and a green educational program for visitors.

Healing is a journey and as such Bridging the Gap is experienced along a path which connects and moves through architectural interventions on the site. The spatial and experiential relationship between architectural elements on the path is informed by narratives used in the healing process. The physical path is narrow and winds through the forest creating a natural experience where trees and slopes frame the sequence of architectural elements. As Anishinabe teachings are subtle and require continued revisiting to reveal their true depth, the path is structured so that visitors must experience the architectural interventions repeatedly throughout their stay.

Two elements emerge as the primary points of reference: the feast lodge nestled in the hill above the east bank of the river, and the healing lodge, directly west across the river and bridges.

The sun rises in the east and as such, the feast lodge represents beginning and the present. The building flows in and spirals out of the mountain side creating a sense of weight and a relationship to the surrounding forest and slope.

Conversely, the sun sets in the west and as such the healing lodge represents the desired destination of balance and health. The building plunges through layers of the Earth and then spirals upwards which draws focus towards the sky and spiritual world. As a result the ceiling takes on an important role in the narrative. The tangled wood roof structure is reminiscent of the beaver lodge, as the beaver represents the fulfillment of destiny.

The tension between the present and the destination is articulated in the wooden bridges that break through the forest and across the turbulent water to join the two elements. The river is a powerful symbol of transition and helps the visitor recall the journey required to bring healing into their life.

REgeneration is the winning competition entry for the transformation of Storyeum for the 2009 Vancouver Fashion Week’s fashion shows and galas. It was designed in consortium with Natural Habitats Sustainable Design.

The theme of REgeneration is a challenge to change our ‘consume and discard’ culture to one with a more harmonious relationship with the planet. REgeneration draws inspiration from many sources: the beautiful natural environment of the west coast, the fashion world, and Gastown’s history. It provides a stylish and contemporary backdrop for Vancouver Fashion Week.

REgeneration is about sustainability, like nature renewing itself seasonally. As guests arrive at the venue they encounter the first design element: a giant living wall which is a vertical garden of plants and mosses.

The focal point of the main space is a stunning 12’ high wood slat wall made from reclaimed lumber. The complexity of the layers creates a play of light and shadows, and provides a dramatic backdrop for the models. Black and white forest imagery is projected onto the walls adjacent to the stage, creating an illusion of space and drama.

At the opposite end of the large space, our design focuses on the industrial aspects of renewal, where de-construction precedes regeneration. Stacked bricks double as décor and functional cocktail tables. Salvaged vintage lighting fixtures are clustered and rearranged to create a modern lighting arrangement.

The design includes a transformation to a club atmosphere for the high profile evening galas.

One SEED’s studio on the sixth floor of the iconic Seymour Building is infused with our distinctively warm and contemporary design style.  Our colourful space compliments and contrasts the neo-gothic exterior and lobby of the heritage building, while showcasing several exciting green materials and products.

We selected a charmingly small suite with great potential. After suffering through 100 years of renovations, the space was devoid of personality and run-down (check out the ‘before’ picture).  We tore out the drop ceiling to discover 10′ concrete ceilings above! We also demolished the interior walls and doors to create an open concept space that is flooded with natural light and channels a New York artist’s loft.

Here are just a few of the sustainable aspects of our renovation:

• high-efficiency LED luminaire with a sustainably harvested bamboo shade (learn more),
• wall coverings printed with water-based inks on recycled and FSC certified paper (learn more),
• eco-friendly furnishings made from polyurethane-free padding, FSC certified lumber, and low-VOC fabrics and adhesives (learn more),
• recyclable commercial carpet tiles from FLOR with a closed-loop product lifecycle, low VOC Green Label Plus rating, and 100% recycled face fibers for many of the tiles used in our lounge’s custom area rug (learn more),
• custom side table made from a SFI certified and locally produced parallam beam to demonstrate the natural beauty of this eco-friendly alternative to large growth lumber,
• zero-VOC paint in bright colours to bounce and diffuse the natural light throughout the space