Polish Hall Grand Ballroom Renovation
Edmonton, Alberta
While with KENNEDY Architecture, Planning, Interior Design, Visual Communications
The Polish Hall dates back to 1955 and has operated as one of Edmonton's most well known rental event spaces. Having previously renovated the basement ballrooms and service spaces, KENNEDY was commissioned for this second interior renovation of the entire main floor. This phase 2 renovation focussed on the transformation of the Main floor spaces in a design theme that respected the contemporary scheme in the first renovation while at the same time integrated qualities of the golden age of European Art Deco Glam. The overall spaces were stripped back to the base building, and new finishes, ceilings and domes, lighting and show lighting, Foyer Entry space, bar, coat room, sound system, balcony space, connecting corridors, washrooms, and stage areas were refitted. LED programmable feature lighting was integrated to match the customizable space similar to the basement ballroom renovation. A new service elevator from the basement kitchens to the main floor ballroom was designed as an integrated element against the exterior building brick facade. Backlit laser cut wall panels, imported wall and ceiling coverings, contemporary chandeliers, silver automated window coverings, and new and refurbished wood floors have brought new life to this well known heritage event space. After a year and a half of design and seven months of extensive detailed renovation work the hall is operating with new style and panache. KENNEDY had a number of gifted Interior Designers, Architects and Technologists work on this project at stages over it's two and a half year evolution.
Role: Principal-in-Charge
Quarters Hotel & Condominiums
Edmonton, Alberta
While with KENNEDY Architecture, Planning, Interior Design, Visual Communications
The Quarters Hotel + Condominium development occupies a strategic site along the East End of Jasper Avenue immediately east of the Shaw Conference Centre at the Quarters. It consists of City of Edmonton property (east) and Alldritt Land Corporation property (west). Planning and Design began on this project in 2012 with a number of iterations in both Urban Design and Programming. Significant re-investigation of the projects potential began again in 2014 culminating with a successful re-zoning in 2017. The original program began with luxury Hotel + Condominiums and expanded to include conference space, commercial and amenity, a connection to the Shaw Conference Centre, a refurbished stepped urban park that would tie the Quarters to the downtown Civic Precinct of Edmonton, and to the urban balcony of the Quarters along 96th Avenue, a 500+ car underground parkade and a pedestrian connection to Louis McKinney Park to the south. The project in it's programmatic diversity would support activities as part of the Winter City initiative.
Originally developed as a 55 story tower, the final re-zoning permitted an 80 storey landmark. Over the five year developmental period of this project the firm maintained rigorous design evolution of the project through a significant contingent of talented project staff supported by ongoing research + development.
Role: Senior Project Team Member/Design Architect various phases (see design visualization for early studies)
Hilton Garden Inn
Edmonton, Alberta
While with Kasian Architecture, Interior Design and Planning
The Hilton Garden Inn marks the beginning of redevelopment of The Quarters and is a key signature element to the southerly urban end of The Armature along 96th Street at Jasper Avenue. The Hilton Garden Inn contributes to the revitalization initiatives by reflecting the tenets outlined in the design guidelines for the Quarters generally and specifically for this area of the Armature. This 200 room executive business hotel maintains a sense of the urban grid through its predominantly rectilinear form yet acknowledges the significant streetscapes of 102 Avenue, 96th Street, and Jasper Avenue in the orchestrated articulation and expression of ‘events’ in the architectural facades facing these significant streets. The hotel project is a catalyst and flagship for like quality developer projects in this precinct.
Role: Principal-In-Charge of Design
Alberta Hotel & Lodging Association
Edmonton, Alberta
While with Kasian Architecture, Interior Design and Planning
In 2008 the Alberta Hotel & Lodging Association commissioned Kasian to help define AHLA’s key mission through a new organization owned 15,000 sq.ft office building that would be a living and active symbol of the associations mandate. This new Regional office was to facilitate a range of member activities that were broad in nature and at the same time support and acknowledge the reorganization of AHLA’s tenants in 2005 around “four pillars” of service.
Vaughan led the design team and client group through a series of interactive visioning sessions where the creative opportunities, benchmarking / image profiling of representative facilities, programming, planning, and concept studies began to examine features of AHLA, the nature of lodge and hotel experience, and indeed the very notion and wider experience of ‘hospitality’ in Alberta.
Built on an extremely tight budget of $3M inclusive of IT infrastructure, a key design decision was to create the significant public and communal spaces by making the primary structure of the building an integrated expression of the interior design. A long central double height space creates the entry way, lounge waiting areas, connects meeting and boardroom entrances to the communal space, and staff kitchen and garden.
Role: Principal-In-Charge/Design Lead
Westcoast Hotel + Convention Centre
Vancouver, British Columbia
While with Paul Merrick Architects Ltd
1333 West Georgia Street-West Coast Hotel aimed to radically redefine the traditional form of the urban hotel and it’s presence within the urban landscape.
The project was situated in Vancouver’s ‘golden triangle’ adjacent to the inner harbour waterfront. It claimed a significant address along West Georgia Street, the principle bisecting arterial linking the north to the south end of the city’s core. The project encompassed one entire city block and included integration of the existing West Coast Transmission building.
The program called for a 400 room luxury hotel and complete amenity and support facility, and a ninety unit residential building. A program area of 608,000 sq.ft. was condensed into a usable site area of 62,000 sq.ft. A convention center with commercial support was included in the program along with a significant entry atrium and enclosed gardens.
A contemporary approach to design based on inherent organic qualities created iconic identity to the project that epitomized the natural west coast environment and landscape. The resulting design created abstract contextual qualities from the natural landscape and produce dynamic sculptural form. The client ambition was to make a significant contribution of a landmark to the cityscape and to create public place as part of the architectural program.
Role: Lead Design Architect to the Principal Paul Merrick
