Jun Gu is Now an Associate

Jun has a broad experience in managing a wide variety of projects at ATA Architects, including residential, commercial, and institutional construction. Combining creativity and technology skills, he has provided ATA clients with quick high-quality design options. His problem-solving skills well suit the variety of challenging design projects the firm undertakes. Jun is a LEED Accredited Professional and dedicates his efforts to creating for clients innovative, energy efficient, and environmentally friendly buildings.

In his spare time, he enjoys painting and exploring three dimensional forms using computer modelling of geometric shapes. Given the opportunity, he wants ATA to be ready to continue to push the envelope and remain at the leading edge of technology in the architectural field.

National Trust Presentation

In October of 2018, our intern architect Ryan Lee had the opportunity to present at the National Trust Conference held in Fredericton, New Brunswick. The conference theme was “Opportunity Knocks: Heritage as a Social, Economic and Placemaking Force”. While urban architecture is constantly being built, erased, and rebuilt again, there is opportunity for the traces left behind to be read and re-used in future designs. Today’s new designs disregard these traces of the past, or ‘palimpsest’.

Ryan’s presentation focused on palimpsest as an alternative method to preservation and its use in architectural practice. His intention was to explore not only how to preserve existing historic layers, but how to encourage the transformation of new layers in the future. The presentation aimed to address questions such as ‘Which layers should we preserve/forget?’ and ‘What is the nature and role of historic sites in cities today?’.

The preservation and renewal of historic buildings may be seen as an obstacle to the future of the city, however these buildings hold great meaning for residents. Preservation in architecture often fails to consider the palimpsest that exists. By finding ways to preserve existing traces of the past, not as time capsules but as palimpsests, new layers of meaning can be added to architecture.

The St. Marks Centre

Located at 115 Hunter Street West in the heart of the City of Hamilton is the historic St. Mark’s Church. Built as an Anglican church in 1877, St. Mark’s was declared redundant in 1989 and then sold to the City in 1994. This publicly-owned heritage building has remained vacant for over 30 years. It will be born again as a vibrant community space to be used by a variety of organizations.

ATA has been commissioned by the City of Hamilton to be the prime architect in the adaptive re-use of this designated heritage jewel. Phase 1, which has been completed, focused on the structural stabilization of the existing church, upgrades to the mechanical, electrical and civil systems, and the heritage restoration of the exterior brick walls and stain glass windows.

In phase 2, a new addition will be created on the west side of the church that recounts the footprint of the original structure demolished in 2011. The new addition is sympathetic to the church’s design and will house the various support facilities thus leaving the Heritage Hall as an open, pristine clear space. This space will be used for meetings, conferences, banquets, performances and other local events and celebrations. The exterior landscape will be utilized as community gardens and place of peaceful repose.

ATA has coordinated all aspects of this project. It has become a labour of love for all members of the team led by City of Hamilton, Project Manager Carolyn Samko. It is expected Phase 2 construction will start summer/fall of 2019.

St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church

ATA has been commissioned to design a new Catholic church for the Diocese of Hamilton. The Church will be located at 620 Rymal Road East and will see the uniting of two existing parishes – Our Lady of Lourdes & Corpus Christi. The new church will be sited on a 3.3 hectare (8 acre) property that is currently used as farmland. The development will comprise of both the Church and its Rectory.

The church is designed to accommodate 800 parishioners with additional space for a pastoral centre, an administration centre, meeting rooms, choir rehearsal space, an Adoration Chapel and a Bell Tower. The uses are organized into three identifiable building components with the Church and Sanctuary central to the arrangement, that is punctuated by the soaring Bell Tower. The church has been located central to the site on axis with an exterior pedestrian boulevard and holy shrine. The Rectory is sited to the south-western edge of the property and will front the future extension of Wagner Drive.

The overall architectural composition and form of the church strives to be simple and timeless. The entire church is united by three basic elements: a base, a middle band and roof. The base of the church is natural limestone that will be textured and patterned to pay homage to the name sake Cathedral in Siena, Italy. The middle band encircles and brings continuity to the overall form. The roof sits on the latter piece and frames the glazed gables that will bring natural light into the space.

Construction is scheduled to begin Summer/Fall of 2019.

Sustainability

In December, Construction Magazine published another article by Mark Dredger titled, “The Next Generation of Passive Solar for Cold Climates.” The article can be read here. Mark is an architect in the pursuit of energy conservation with the goal of having a zero carbon footprint. He continues to set the benchmark for the firm in the methodologies employed and in the materiality of ATA’s solutions.

Never satisfied by the status quo, ATA is now employing our Revit expertise to virtual reality. It is allowing our clients to fully experience their building.