User:Nakataq/rdh architects

'rounthwaite dick & hadley architects inc, ('rdh), is an consulting architecture firm based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

History

rdh architects was originally established in 1919 by Ontario architect Ferdinand Marani to participate on the post World War One housing boom in Toronto. The firm has grown and contracted several times since, but remains an office of architecture, specializing in government and institutional clients.

F.H. Marani
Ferdie Marani had worked on several housing projects and Muskoka cottages. But, in order to expand his client base he partnered with J.E. Paisley and in 1924 the firm became known as Marani and Paisley. Projects involved larger custom houses for well heeled clients, and new private school commissions.
Marani, Lawson and Paisley
In 1926 the firm added Irving Lawson as a third partner. Lawson, a war comrade of Paisley's was a former Chief Architect with the Toronto Transportation Commission. Notable projects in this period include the Medical Arts Buildings in Toronto and Hamilton, Ontario.
Marani, Lawson and Morris Architects
In 1929 Paisley left the firm but was replaced by a new partner Robert (Bill) Schofield Morris. They would go on to produce notable projects in Toronto but it was the Bank of Canada Building in Ottawa built in 1938 that became one of the firms best know projects. The Bank of Canada building helped the firm rise out of the funk of the Great Depression. From 1932 up until 1936 when Marani, Lawson and Morris were awarded the job, the firm scrapped by on small residential projects and renovations.
In 1939 when Canada entered World War Two the partners had volunteered their services and skills to the Canadian Armed Forces in both officer and civilian capacity. It is here that Irving Lawson left the firm to continue civil service with the National Research Council.
Marani and Morris continued through the war, albeit minus the senior partners. Much work was starting to pour in by 1944 as private institutions and the Government of Canada began to plan post-war construction projects. Indeed, the firm benefited and expanded during the post-war boom.
Marani, Morris and Allen Architects
In 1947 the firm added Marvin Allen as partner. One of Allen's first commissions as partner was to replace the burned-down grandstand at the Canadian National Exhibition grounds in 1948. The 1950's in Toronto saw a boom in commercial office construction, particularly with Insurance companies. Because of their past experience Marani, Morris and Allen were poised to benefit greatly and completed high-rise office towers in the Bloor-Jarvis and University Avenue (Toronto) insurance corridors as well as large scale insurance company projects in Ottawa and Winnipeg. In 1958 Bill Morris won the prestigious Royal Gold Medal for Architecture, one of only two Canadians to achieve this honour.
Marani, Rounthwaite and Dick Architects
In 1963 the firm's senior designer Ron Dick was a partner. In 1964 when Marv Allen died suddenly, the firm was still growing but became depleted. The partners agreed that a senior manager was needed. They merged with Rounthwaite and Associates in 1964 and made Fred Rounthwaite a partner.
Rounthwaite, Dick & Hadley Architects
The firm continued to expand through the 1960's to the 1970's. In 1974 Glen R. Hadley was made a senior partner of the firm with the name change 6 years later. In 1979 the firm went back to it's roots coordinating the expansion of the Bank of Canada building in Ottawa. Done with Arthur Erickson the new building was a modern structure that complemented and respected the original.

• The original Medical Arts Building on Bloor Street, Toronto
  The original Medical Arts Building on Bloor Street, Toronto

Present History

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In 1984 Robert M.J. Boyko was made a partner, the next several years were a peak in the firm's size and portfolio. Specializing in Office towers, Sports stadia, Transit infrastructure, Courthouses, Health Care, and complex renovations and restorations. In 1989 the Canadian economy began to slow and by 1991 with private institutions out of cash and credit, and an unprecedented fiscal tightening in Ontario by all levels of government, construction in the region had ground to a halt. The firm had to tighten up as well, going from 120 employees in 1988 to 8 employees by 1995. This recession forced the senior partners to retire and Mr. Boyko had to bring in a new fresh leadership and talent to the firm. In 1997 Robert Goyeche was made partner and the firm had decided to concentrate their focus on projects of their expertise. Institutions, particularly Universities, Colleges, Municipal Governments and Transit Authorities were the core client base. The firm has since grown to 26 full-time staff and has kept the essence of the firm name changing it to rdh architects inc.

In the past decade the firm as produced some notable projects in association with some prominent Canadian architectural design firms. The Academic Resource Centre at the University of Toronto Scarborough campus with MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects then (Brian Mackay-Lyons Architect). At Ryerson University rdh architects had completed The G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education Heaslip House with Lett Architects at the downtown Toronto campus. The Canadian Chancery and Official Residence in Dhaka, Bangladesh also with MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects and The Boulevard Club revitalization in Toronto with Ian Macdonald Architect.

On its own, the firm has also been producing some notable projects: The Bloor/ Gladstone Library for Toronto Public Library, the new LEED^TM Platinum Headquarters for First Leaside Group Financial in Uxbridge, Ontario , the Hamilton Public Library and Farmers Market in downtown Hamilton and the LEED^TM Silver Joint Operations facility for the Town of Newmarket, Ontario.

Notable Projects

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Commercial
Medical Arts Building, Toronto (1930)
Medical Arts Building, Hamilton (1932)
Abitibi and Provincial Paper HQ, Toronto (1932)
Bank of Canada Headquarters, Ottawa (1938)
Crown Life Building, Toronto (1952)
Metropolitan Life Building, Ottawa (1954)
Great West Life Headwuarters, Winnipeg (1955)
Royal Bank Headquarters, Toronto, (1955)
Shell Oil Building, Toronto, (1958)
Women's College Hospital, Toronto (1963)
Bell Telephone Headquarters, Toronto (1964)
Post Secondary
Osgoode Law School, York University (1966)
Laurentian University Campus, Sudbury (1967)
Conestoga College Campus, Kitchener (1971)
Sheridan College Campus, Oakville (1972)
School of Optometry, University of Waterloo (1979)
FedEx Hub Sort Facility, Toronto International Airport (2002)
Sally Horsfall Eaton Centre, Ryerson University (2003)
Academic Resource Centre, University of Toronto Scarborough - with Brian Mackay-Lyons Architect (2003)
Plaza Building, Brock University - with Brian Mackay-Lyons Architect (2006)
Continuing Education Building, Ryerson University - with Lett Architects (2007)
Centre for Social Inovation, Sheridan College - with George Friedmann Architect(2009)
Optometry Building Expansion, University of Waterloo (2009)
Recreation & Municipal
Tomken Twinpad Arena, Mississauga (1991)
Hart House Pool Renovations, University of Toronto (1992)
London Aquatic Centre (1991)
Heron Park Community Centre, Toronto (2000)
Clarkson Community Centre, Mississauga - with Shoalts and Zaback Architects (2001)
Moldmaster Sportsplex, Georgetown (2001)
Cornwall Aquatic Centre (2005)
Centre Wellington Sportsplex, Fergus (2006)
Bloor/ Gladstone Library, Toronto (2009)
Other Institutional
Bank of Canada Support Centre, Ottawa (1992)
Bank of Canada Operations Centre, Mississauga (1995)
Canadian Chancery & Official Residence Bangladesh, Dhaka (2009)

Notable Projects not yet Complete

North Wentworth Twinpad Arena, Hamilton (est. 2010)
Hamilton Public Library & Farmers Market (est. 2010)
Sheridan College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning, Mississauga (est. 2011)
First Leaside Group Headquarters, Uxbridge (2011)
Port Lands Sports Centre, Toronto (est. 2011)
Canadian Chancery Nigeria, Abuja (est. 2012)

External links

• www.rdharch.com