‘Porch Parade’ on Robson Street

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Chicago architecture firm, Design With's winning submission for the 800 block of Robson Street Summer Pedestrian Walkway.

Chicago architecture firm, Design With’s winning submission for the 800 block of Robson Street summer pedestrian walkway.

Cingratulations to Chicago Architecture Firm, Design With , who have won the juried competition for the Summer 2015 pedestrian plaza at the 800 block of Robson Street in Vancouver with their entry ‘Porch Parade’. This marks the first time an international firm has won the competition.

Facing the regal steps of Vancouver’s art gallery, the winning design features a number of brightly coloured, connected porches. We love that the design will be furnished with items obtained from local yard sales and that the porches themselves will be donated to the Vancouver chapter of Habitat for Humanity at summer’s end. The exhibit is meant to showcase how porches sit at the centre of a city and ultimately enhance the connection of the city to people’s personal and leisure lives.

We love this concept and the thoughts that went into it. Front porches are a big part of life in urban places like Chicago and Toronto.  They are another room that you can populate in the summer.  Fostering community, front porches encourage safer neighbourhoods, helping people to get to know each other and watch out for intruders. We excited to see this concept coming to Vancouver and hope to see some of this thinking in neighbourhood planning. Way to go Design With!

Typical Toronto porch where Torontonians like to laze away hot summer days or evenings while chatting with neighbours.

Typical Toronto porch where Torontonians like to laze away hot summer days or evenings while chatting with neighbours.

Dwaina

Author: Dwaina

I am devoted to making people love living in their homes. I have done that with absolute joy for most of my life and as a career for the past 20 years or so... I am a homebody – I do not actively seek adventure but I have had adventures. I believe home is the most sacred and important place in the world. I say I grew up on a farm – but I doubt technically it would qualify as a farm. Five acres – one milk cow – one calf - we ate them when they grew up, lots of chickens and a few pigs – we ate them too… I was that kid who dragged rugs and furniture out to the orchard and set up outdoor rooms. It mixed my two favourite things – outside and comfortable furniture. My friends and I would sleep outside in my “rooms”. It was magical because my ceiling was full of stars. I have lived in small houses, big houses, basement suites, cottages, condos and apartments. I have built and I have renovated houses. For a short time in my young life I was without a home – this changed me. I have lived with pets, wanted and unwanted – rodents are unwanted… I have lived in a house richly full with the raising of my four children. I have had the tremendous joy of my children carrying my grandchildren into my home. I have had my home become an “empty nest” and my life shrunken and shattered with the loss of my beloved husband. Home and my people there have always been my comfort. It does not matter where home is, it only matters that you are in it and that you find comfort there and that is why I do what I do.
Filed under: You
Dwaina

About the Author: Dwaina

I am devoted to making people love living in their homes. I have done that with absolute joy for most of my life and as a career for the past 20 years or so... I am a homebody – I do not actively seek adventure but I have had adventures. I believe home is the most sacred and important place in the world. I say I grew up on a farm – but I doubt technically it would qualify as a farm. Five acres – one milk cow – one calf - we ate them when they grew up, lots of chickens and a few pigs – we ate them too… I was that kid who dragged rugs and furniture out to the orchard and set up outdoor rooms. It mixed my two favourite things – outside and comfortable furniture. My friends and I would sleep outside in my “rooms”. It was magical because my ceiling was full of stars. I have lived in small houses, big houses, basement suites, cottages, condos and apartments. I have built and I have renovated houses. For a short time in my young life I was without a home – this changed me. I have lived with pets, wanted and unwanted – rodents are unwanted… I have lived in a house richly full with the raising of my four children. I have had the tremendous joy of my children carrying my grandchildren into my home. I have had my home become an “empty nest” and my life shrunken and shattered with the loss of my beloved husband. Home and my people there have always been my comfort. It does not matter where home is, it only matters that you are in it and that you find comfort there and that is why I do what I do.