Gregory Henriquez
Encyclopedia
Gregory Henriquez is a Canadian architect
, best known for the design of community-based mixed-use, institutional and social housing projects in the Downtown Eastside
of Vancouver
, Canada
. He is the managing partner of Henriquez Partners Architects and has designed many notable projects including the Woodward's
mixed-use redevelopment, TELUS
Garden in Vancouver, Coal Harbour
Community Centre, Lynn Valley
Town Centre and the Bruce Eriksen Place.
, Manitoba
. He graduated with a Bachelor of Architecture from Carleton University
in 1987 and attended the Master of Architecture Program in History and Theory at McGill University in 1988, studying under Alberto Pérez-Gómez
whose ethical approach to architecture had a creative influence on Henriquez. In 1989, he joined his father Richard Henriquez' practice, Henriquez and Partners Architects, as an associate and became a full partner of Henriquez Partners Architects in 1995. He taught at the University of British Columbia
's School of Architecture in 1990 and 1993 and has served as a guest critic in various university architecture schools. His projects have won numerous design awards, including BC Lieutenant Governor's Medals in Architecture for Bruce Eriksen Place in 2000 and Coal Harbour Community Centre in 2001, and a Governor General's Medal in Architecture for the Lore Krill Housing Co-operative in 2004. In 2007, Henriquez was elected as a Fellow of the Architectural Institute of Canada and a member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts and in 2011 awarded both the Design Exchange Gold Medal and the AIBC Special Jury Award for the Woodward's
mixed-use redevelopment.
, activism
and critical commentary within contemporary practice. The book states that Henriquez grapples with its significant themes in his practice: overcoming the collective amnesia
of architecture’s ethical dimension, trusting one’s own experiences and exploring a sense of authentic expression beyond conventional style to ultimately nurture the growth of an inclusive city.
Henriquez has designed several social housing projects including Bruce Eriksen Place and Lore Krill Co-op prior to the mixed-use, mixed-income Woodward’s redevelopment, the centerpiece of a major urban renewal scheme. Downtown Eastside’s collective fear of gentrification had become concentrated on the Woodward’s site, so the project team emphasised public involvement
in the design process, community needs, large-scale diversification of tenants and residents and economic revitalization.
Henriquez draws inspiration from residents' personal stories. He applies Maurice Merleau-Ponty
’s concept of "corporeity" to create architecture that considers the human body in connection to the physical environment.
This is evidenced in his recent proposal for the rapid erection of temporary modular housing communities called Stop Gap Housing. While modular and social housing projects are often large-scale and impersonal, Henriquez designed Stop Gap based on the human scale of the individual. Each Stop Gap unit includes its own bathroom and opens directly to the outdoors under a wood overhang. Eight to 14 units form a dormitory, with dormitories stacked two storeys high. A covered central patio, second storey meeting room, site manager’s office and an entrance that accommodates a meal-delivery van anchor a cluster of dormitories to create a small community.
Symbolic references to the body pervade Henriquez’ work. The central stair in the Woodward’s atrium
is a symbol of the site’s rebirth, emerging from a shallow pool like a giant umbilical cord
. Henriquez took inspiration for the inverted outdoor amphitheatre
at Coal Harbour Community Centre from the rounded belly of his pregnant wife.
order, Henriquez glimpses residues of the former order still lingering, accompanied by a longing for the orientation that would allow people to feel at home in the world.
For Henriquez, the architecture of the Woodward’s redevelopment is not about what it looks like; instead, the social ideas and urban issues were of primary concern in the design process. The building includes a 30’ x 60’ mural depicting the 1971 Gastown Riots
by artist Stan Douglas
, and display cases for sharing stories of both the neighbourhood and the Woodward's
department store. The shift in focus of Henriquez' practice towards the social occurred in the design of Bruce Eriksen Place, in which the provision of housing
was accompanied by a societal
and community
-based approach to issues. Bruce Eriksen Place provides 35 self-contained units for low-income residents of the Downtown Eastside.
to heal a neighbourhood, the regeneration of the Woodward’s site was achieved through new economic partnerships between these groups in a mixed inclusive building model. Developers were permitted more height and density which allowed them to deliver more amenities which then subsidized social housing, community benefits and cultural facilities. A political process embraced by a planning process and supported by the real estate community sustained the necessary political leadership. Henriquez believes the key to affordable housing and ending homelessness
is in hybrid projects where market, rental and affordable housing are merged into the normal fabric of the city.
Woodward’s has gained global attention as a symbol of diversity
and inclusion
in urban renewal
, giving rise to two books, a doctoral thesis and numerous newspaper and periodic articles. Through Woodward’s, Henriquez presents a new model of connected urbanity
where everyone shares a common ground, co-existing on all social and economic planes while at the same time having their own defined spaces to inhabit. Building on a common human desire not for money but for a feeling of connection and community, Henriquez expressed a dream that
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
, best known for the design of community-based mixed-use, institutional and social housing projects in the Downtown Eastside
Downtown Eastside
The Downtown Eastside is one of the oldest neighbourhoods in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and is known as "Canada's poorest postal code"....
of Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. He is the managing partner of Henriquez Partners Architects and has designed many notable projects including the Woodward's
Woodward's building
The Woodward's building was a historic building in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The original portion of the building was constructed in 1903 for the Woodward's Department Store when that area of Cordova Street was the heart of Vancouver's retail shopping district. ...
mixed-use redevelopment, TELUS
TELUS
Telus is a national telecommunications company in Canada that provides a wide range of telecommunications products and services including internet access, voice, entertainment, video, and satellite television. The company is based in Burnaby, British Columbia, part of Greater Vancouver...
Garden in Vancouver, Coal Harbour
Coal Harbour
Coal Harbour is the name for a section of Burrard Inlet lying between Vancouver, Canada's downtown peninsula and the Brockton Peninsula of Stanley Park...
Community Centre, Lynn Valley
Lynn Valley
Lynn Valley is a neighbourhood of North Vancouver, British Columbia. Located at the northern edge of Metro Vancouver, it is nestled between the forested slopes of Mount Fromme and Mount Seymour...
Town Centre and the Bruce Eriksen Place.
Background
Gregory Henriquez was born in 1963 in WinnipegWinnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
, Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
. He graduated with a Bachelor of Architecture from Carleton University
Carleton University
Carleton University is a comprehensive university located in the capital of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario. The enabling legislation is The Carleton University Act, 1952, S.O. 1952. Founded as a small college in 1942, Carleton now offers over 65 programs in a diverse range of disciplines. Carleton has...
in 1987 and attended the Master of Architecture Program in History and Theory at McGill University in 1988, studying under Alberto Pérez-Gómez
Alberto Pérez-Gómez
Alberto Pérez-Gómez is an architectural historian and is also known as a theorist and a promoter of phenomenology. Born December 24, 1949 in Mexico City, Mexico, he graduated as an engineer and architect from the National Polytechnic Institute of Mexico and pursued graduate studies in the history...
whose ethical approach to architecture had a creative influence on Henriquez. In 1989, he joined his father Richard Henriquez' practice, Henriquez and Partners Architects, as an associate and became a full partner of Henriquez Partners Architects in 1995. He taught at the University of British Columbia
University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
's School of Architecture in 1990 and 1993 and has served as a guest critic in various university architecture schools. His projects have won numerous design awards, including BC Lieutenant Governor's Medals in Architecture for Bruce Eriksen Place in 2000 and Coal Harbour Community Centre in 2001, and a Governor General's Medal in Architecture for the Lore Krill Housing Co-operative in 2004. In 2007, Henriquez was elected as a Fellow of the Architectural Institute of Canada and a member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts and in 2011 awarded both the Design Exchange Gold Medal and the AIBC Special Jury Award for the Woodward's
Woodward's building
The Woodward's building was a historic building in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The original portion of the building was constructed in 1903 for the Woodward's Department Store when that area of Cordova Street was the heart of Vancouver's retail shopping district. ...
mixed-use redevelopment.
Themes
Henriquez’ book Towards an Ethical Architecture (2006) discusses the lead role that architects can have in society and the place of ethicsEthics
Ethics, also known as moral philosophy, is a branch of philosophy that addresses questions about morality—that is, concepts such as good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice, justice and crime, etc.Major branches of ethics include:...
, activism
Activism
Activism consists of intentional efforts to bring about social, political, economic, or environmental change. Activism can take a wide range of forms from writing letters to newspapers or politicians, political campaigning, economic activism such as boycotts or preferentially patronizing...
and critical commentary within contemporary practice. The book states that Henriquez grapples with its significant themes in his practice: overcoming the collective amnesia
Amnesia
Amnesia is a condition in which one's memory is lost. The causes of amnesia have traditionally been divided into categories. Memory appears to be stored in several parts of the limbic system of the brain, and any condition that interferes with the function of this system can cause amnesia...
of architecture’s ethical dimension, trusting one’s own experiences and exploring a sense of authentic expression beyond conventional style to ultimately nurture the growth of an inclusive city.
Poetic expression of social justice
Called a “pragmatic utopian,” Henriquez understands both the aesthetic-practical and deeply moral-social dimensions of architecture and strives to integrate them in built space. Through his practice, Henriquez has modeled a leadership role for the architect in the “profane” world of developers, non-profits, municipal governments and politics while resisting societal pressures for the profession to serve as an instrument of private interest.Henriquez has designed several social housing projects including Bruce Eriksen Place and Lore Krill Co-op prior to the mixed-use, mixed-income Woodward’s redevelopment, the centerpiece of a major urban renewal scheme. Downtown Eastside’s collective fear of gentrification had become concentrated on the Woodward’s site, so the project team emphasised public involvement
Public consultation
Public consultation, or simply consultation, is a regulatory process by which the public's input on matters affecting them is sought. Its main goals are in improving the efficiency, transparency and public involvement in large-scale projects or laws and policies...
in the design process, community needs, large-scale diversification of tenants and residents and economic revitalization.
Trusting embodied experience
Maurice Merleau-Ponty
Maurice Merleau-Ponty was a French phenomenological philosopher, strongly influenced by Karl Marx, Edmund Husserl and Martin Heidegger in addition to being closely associated with Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir...
’s concept of "corporeity" to create architecture that considers the human body in connection to the physical environment.
This is evidenced in his recent proposal for the rapid erection of temporary modular housing communities called Stop Gap Housing. While modular and social housing projects are often large-scale and impersonal, Henriquez designed Stop Gap based on the human scale of the individual. Each Stop Gap unit includes its own bathroom and opens directly to the outdoors under a wood overhang. Eight to 14 units form a dormitory, with dormitories stacked two storeys high. A covered central patio, second storey meeting room, site manager’s office and an entrance that accommodates a meal-delivery van anchor a cluster of dormitories to create a small community.
Symbolic references to the body pervade Henriquez’ work. The central stair in the Woodward’s atrium
Atrium (architecture)
In modern architecture, an atrium is a large open space, often several stories high and having a glazed roof and/or large windows, often situated within a larger multistory building and often located immediately beyond the main entrance doors...
is a symbol of the site’s rebirth, emerging from a shallow pool like a giant umbilical cord
Umbilical cord
In placental mammals, the umbilical cord is the connecting cord from the developing embryo or fetus to the placenta...
. Henriquez took inspiration for the inverted outdoor amphitheatre
Amphitheatre
An amphitheatre is an open-air venue used for entertainment and performances.There are two similar, but distinct, types of structure for which the word "amphitheatre" is used: Ancient Roman amphitheatres were large central performance spaces surrounded by ascending seating, and were commonly used...
at Coal Harbour Community Centre from the rounded belly of his pregnant wife.
Authentic expression above conventional style
In society’s absence of awareness and belief in a cosmologicalCosmology (metaphysics)
Cosmology in metaphysics is the reflection on the totality of all phenomena. It contrasts with physical cosmology, the study of the origin of the universe in scientific terms after the Copernican Revolution....
order, Henriquez glimpses residues of the former order still lingering, accompanied by a longing for the orientation that would allow people to feel at home in the world.
For Henriquez, the architecture of the Woodward’s redevelopment is not about what it looks like; instead, the social ideas and urban issues were of primary concern in the design process. The building includes a 30’ x 60’ mural depicting the 1971 Gastown Riots
Gastown Riots
The Gastown Riot, also known as "The Battle of Maple TreeSquare," occurred in Vancouver, Canada, on August 7, 1971.Following weeks of arrests by undercover drug squad members in...
by artist Stan Douglas
Stan Douglas
Stan Douglas is an artist based in Vancouver, British Columbia. He has exhibited internationally, including Documenta IX, 1992, Documenta X, 1997, Documenta XI, 2002 and the Venice Biennale in 1990, 2001 and 2005...
, and display cases for sharing stories of both the neighbourhood and the Woodward's
Woodward's
Woodward's was the name of a department store chain which operated in Alberta and British Columbia, Canada for one hundred years, before its sale to the Hudson's Bay Company .-History:...
department store. The shift in focus of Henriquez' practice towards the social occurred in the design of Bruce Eriksen Place, in which the provision of housing
House
A house is a building or structure that has the ability to be occupied for dwelling by human beings or other creatures. The term house includes many kinds of different dwellings ranging from rudimentary huts of nomadic tribes to free standing individual structures...
was accompanied by a societal
Society
A society, or a human society, is a group of people related to each other through persistent relations, or a large social grouping sharing the same geographical or virtual territory, subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations...
and community
Community
The term community has two distinct meanings:*a group of interacting people, possibly living in close proximity, and often refers to a group that shares some common values, and is attributed with social cohesion within a shared geographical location, generally in social units larger than a household...
-based approach to issues. Bruce Eriksen Place provides 35 self-contained units for low-income residents of the Downtown Eastside.
Inclusive city
Representing a combined effort by the City of Vancouver, the Province of British Columbia, residents, activists and developersReal estate development
Real estate development, or Property Development, is a multifaceted business, encompassing activities that range from the renovation and re-lease of existing buildings to the purchase of raw land and the sale of improved land or parcels to others...
to heal a neighbourhood, the regeneration of the Woodward’s site was achieved through new economic partnerships between these groups in a mixed inclusive building model. Developers were permitted more height and density which allowed them to deliver more amenities which then subsidized social housing, community benefits and cultural facilities. A political process embraced by a planning process and supported by the real estate community sustained the necessary political leadership. Henriquez believes the key to affordable housing and ending homelessness
Homelessness in Canada
Homelessness in Canada has grown in size and complexity in recent years. While historically known as a crisis only of urban centres such as Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, and Montreal, the increasing incidence of homelessness in the suburbs is necessitating new services and resources.The demographic...
is in hybrid projects where market, rental and affordable housing are merged into the normal fabric of the city.
Woodward’s has gained global attention as a symbol of diversity
Diversity (politics)
In the political arena, the term diversity is used to describe political entities with members who have identifiable differences in their backgrounds or lifestyles....
and inclusion
Inclusion (value and practice)
Miller and Katz presents a common definition of an inclusive value system where they say, “Inclusion is a sense of belonging: feeling respected, valued for who you are; feeling a level of supportive energy and commitment from others so than you can do your best work.” Inclusion is a shift in...
in urban renewal
Urban renewal
Urban renewal is a program of land redevelopment in areas of moderate to high density urban land use. Renewal has had both successes and failures. Its modern incarnation began in the late 19th century in developed nations and experienced an intense phase in the late 1940s – under the rubric of...
, giving rise to two books, a doctoral thesis and numerous newspaper and periodic articles. Through Woodward’s, Henriquez presents a new model of connected urbanity
Urbanity
Urbanity refers to the characteristics, personality traits, and viewpoints associated with cities and urban areas. People who can be described as having urbanity are also referred to as citified. The word is related to the Latin urbanitas with connotations of refinement and elegance, the opposite...
where everyone shares a common ground, co-existing on all social and economic planes while at the same time having their own defined spaces to inhabit. Building on a common human desire not for money but for a feeling of connection and community, Henriquez expressed a dream that
all neighbourhoods in Vancouver include a broad section of socio-economic groups housed in beautiful buildings that suit their needs. The Woodward’s redevelopment is a step toward this dream. This vision is of a truly ‘inclusive city.’ In this future city, the most disadvantagedDisadvantagedThe "disadvantaged" is a generic term for individuals or groups of people who:* Face special problems such as physical or mental disability * Lack money or economic support....
are taken care of and housed beside the rest of us.
Notable works
- 9 O'Clock Gun9 O'Clock GunThe 9 O'Clock Gun is a cannon located in Vancouver, British Columbia that is shot every night at 21:00 PT. The crests of King George III and Henry Phipps, 1st Earl of Mulgrave, Master-General of the Ordnance at the time the cannon was cast, are on the barrel.The gun is a 12-pound muzzle-loaded...
, Vancouver, BC (1986) - Bruce Eriksen Place, Vancouver, BC (1997)
- Coal HarbourCoal HarbourCoal Harbour is the name for a section of Burrard Inlet lying between Vancouver, Canada's downtown peninsula and the Brockton Peninsula of Stanley Park...
Community Centre, Vancouver, BC (2000) - Lore Krill Housing Co-op, Vancouver, BC (2002)
- Woodward'sWoodward's buildingThe Woodward's building was a historic building in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The original portion of the building was constructed in 1903 for the Woodward's Department Store when that area of Cordova Street was the heart of Vancouver's retail shopping district. ...
redevelopment, Vancouver, BC (2010)
See also
- Inclusionary zoningInclusionary zoningInclusionary zoning, also known as inclusionary housing, is an American term which refers to municipal and county planning ordinances that require a given share of new construction to be affordable by people with low to moderate incomes...
, local laws requiring a share of new homes to be affordable - Reconciling Poetics and Ethics in Architecture Conference 2007Reconciling Poetics and Ethics in Architecture Conference 2007An international conference hosted by the McGill University School of Architecture and the Canadian Centre for Architecture on September 13 to 15, 2007 in Montreal....
, at which Henriquez was a presenter - Jim Green , Downtown Eastside activist
External links
- Henriquez Partners Architects - official website
- Gregory Henriquez: The Architecture Solution - Globe & Mail
- A Gentler Gentrification: Retaining Culture Within a Revitalization - Article on Woodward's in Architectural Record
- BC Architect Building Toward a Solution for Everyone - Globe & Mail
- 'Stop Gap Housing' Idea Could Make a Big Dent in Homelessness - The Tyee
- An Ethical Plan - Interview with Gregory Henriquez in Canadian Architect magazine, Feb 2007