Peter Cardew

Cardew gravitated to Rhone & Iredale Architects after he arrived in Vancouver in 1967. Rhone & Iredale Architects was considered as an innovative architectural firm at that time, and it has incubated the careers of many notable architects, including Richard Henriquez, Peter Busby, Rainer Fassler, and Miller & Hull.[4] During Cardew's tenures with Rhone & Iredale — where he became a partner in 1974 — he contributed to several fine designs, including the Crown Life Building and False Creek Row Houses.[1]

Cardew was the project architect of Crown Life Plaza when he served as a partner for Rhone & Iredale. The project was commissioned by the Regina-based Crown Life Insurance Company. Located on 1500 West Georgia Street, the building serves as a gateway to Vancouver's central downtown area. The triangular 20-storey office building is shaped by its unique site where Vancouver's urban grid meets the harbor-facing street.[6] Characterized by glass cladding and a concrete core, the building rests on a brick plinth, showing the rich materiality of the properties. The plaza features a reflecting pool, a cascading waterfall and one-storey retail pavilion that imitates the triangular footprint of the office tower.[6]

As Rhone & Iredale was closing in 1980, Cardew established his private eponymous practice in Vancouver.[3] He consistently kept his practice small, low-profile, and limited in size and number of projects, so as to remain significantly involved and assure the quality of work. Some notable former employees include Russell Acton, Michael Kothke, Rob Grant, David Scott, and Elizabeth Shotton; many of Cardew's employees have moved on and established their own successful careers.[7]

During a transformative decade in which Vancouver hosted Expo 86, Cardew designed the C.N. (Canadian National) Pavilion to showcase the Canadian National Railways. Cardew aspired to create a socially interactive architecture, in part through providing generous public spaces.[6] Situated along Vancouver's downtown waterfront, the design of the pavilion addressed its intention, context, circulation, and functions well.[8] It was conceived as a fully exposed steel framework wrapping around a cylinder theatre, which could only be entered by a bridge. Because of the poor condition of the site, Cardew designed the main structure as a grand steel canopy suspended by a gantry system with three foundation locations.[9] This structural design not only embraced the surrounding beautiful harbour views, but also provided better accessibility for visitors.[8] This pavilion took cues from 19th century railway terminals and was a counterpoint to the traditional design of exposition pavilions at the time.[9]

This exhibition pavilion received the Canadian Architect Award of Excellence in 1985.[3]

Completed to serve the community of the Chilcotin region in central British Columbia, Stone Band School houses a library, offices, classrooms for kindergarten and grade levels, and a yet unbuilt gymnasium for a second phase.[8] The surrounding topography, kikwilli vernacular cultures, and community lifestyle became the driving forces behind the design. The building appears quite horizontal, responding to the contextual land form. Clusters of classrooms and offices are placed around a central gathering core, illuminated by a glazed conical skylight which is assembled of peeled fir poles.[8]

Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery, Vancouver, 1995 by Peter Cardew Architects

The Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery is configured by the plaza it shares with other arts faculties on the University of British Columbia's campus. The exterior of the art gallery is manipulated carefully to reflect programs, circulation and site conditions. The main entrance faces a tree-lined boulevard, and the other entrance within the shared plaza accommodates a loading dock with a suspended canopy.[8] The open interior arrangement allows administrative offices on the mezzanine floor to overlook gallery space. Cardew also used two pivoting walls to enhance flexibility.[10]

The Belkin Gallery has won multiple awards, including a Royal Architectural Institute of Canada Governor General’s Medal for Architecture in 1999.[11]

Cardew was active in academia and in architectural education. He was an adjunct professor at the University of British Columbia, the University of Calgary, Washington State University, the University of Texas at Austin. He also widely lectured across continents, including North America, Latin America, Asia, and Europe. Cardew was Chairman of the City of Vancouver Urban Design Panel in 1978.[3]

In 1996, the Charles H. Scott Gallery at Emily Carr College of Art and Design in Vancouver held the exhibition Peter Cardew: Ordinary Buildings, which later toured across North America.[3]