Imagination could give Arlington bridge new life
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By Brent Bellamy, Creative Director and Architect
Republished with permission courtesy of the Winnipeg Free Press.
The three graceful arches of the old Arlington Bridge have cast their curving shadows on Winnipeg’s central rail yards for 105 years. It’s become a quintessentially Winnipeg experience to ascend the bridge’s steep ramp and cross its narrow deck as the rhythm of steel girders ticks by.
Image: Brent Bellamy
Winnipeg could follow the lead of other cities and turn the old Arlington Bridge (above) into an innovative public space. One such city is Washington, D.C., which reimagined its decommissioned 11th Street Bridge (left) as a multi-functional community space.
Project shows diagonal parking works
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By Brent Bellamy, Creative Director and Architect
Republished with permission courtesy of the Winnipeg Free Press.
There’s something counterintuitive about adding cars to a street to make it a better place for pedestrians, but that’s what happened in downtown Winnipeg when an old idea recently became new.
Image: Diagonal parking instructions eased drivers into the pilot project. (Supplied)
Strong fire-safety measures critical
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By Brent Bellamy, Creative Director and Architect
Republished with permission courtesy of the Winnipeg Free Press.
In June, the world watched in disbelief as soaring flames and columns of thick smoke ravaged Grenfell Tower in London. Dramatic images and heartbreaking reports of desperate residents trapped inside streamed across social media. So far, at least 80 people are believed to have lost their lives in the tragedy.
The source of the fire appears to have been a refrigerator inside one of the units on the fourth floor. From there, the flames spread rapidly, and within half an hour, the fire was out of control.
Image: (Natalie Oxford) Grenfell Tower burning in the early morning hours.
Time for feds to help preserve heritage buildings
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By Brent Bellamy, Creative Director and Architect
Republished with permission courtesy of the Winnipeg Free Press.
For several decades after the Second World War, many Canadians considered the old buildings in their cities to be symbols of decline, representing a lack of progress. Many cities, throughout the 1960s and ’70s, developed grand plans to replace historic downtown neighbourhoods with freeways, parking lots and mega-projects. In one generation, more than one-fifth of Canada’s historic buildings were demolished.
Image: (Brent Bellamy) Historic buildings that survived the Modernist demolition craze, such as Winnipeg’s popular Exchange District, are highly valued.
Examining five pillars of a big-picture plan
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By Brent Bellamy, Creative Director and Architect
Republished with permission courtesy of the Winnipeg Free Press.
The recent release of Canada’s 2016 census was like catnip for us statistics nerds. Across the country, we slouched at our computers into the early hours, poring over everything from aggregate dissemination areas to census agglomerations.
Image: (Brent Bellamy) The capital region’s sprawling growth is encroaching on important farmland and affecting other natural resources.
Number TEN Blog
Number TEN Inspired! captures the knowledge, passion and ideas of our award winning architects, interior designers and supporting staff, as they navigate through the complexities of the modern design landscape. We are creative problem solvers, advocates for better ways of doing things, and observers of all that is interesting and noteworthy in our field. This blog is our effort to share our knowledge and ideas in a way that resonates with everyone. Whether you work in the industry as an architect, interior designer, building manager, property developer, or are just someone with an interest in creativity and new ways of doing things, this blog has something for you.
