Place and Occasion

Toronto-based practice Montgomery Sisam Architects has a commitment to design quality that is rooted in the belief that buildings and their environs must play a dignified and lasting role for their occupants and the surrounding community. Implicit in this approach is the desire to createplaces that make a positive contribution to the occupants' physical and mental wellbeing. The practice combines a considered, intellectual and highly collaborative approach to design and the composition of space with an intuitive understanding of daylight to produce buildings that engage with the outdoors and strengthen the beneficial relationship between design, health and wellbeing.Organised under four key themes, the wide range of project types and scales include healthcare, infrastructure, educational, recreational and residential projects. Projects presented in this monograph include Ronald McDonald House in Toronto offering a 'home away from home' for out-of-town families with seriously ill children, and the Convent for the Sisterhood of St. John the Divine, creating a suitable home and a place for quiet contemplation for its users while at the same time providing accommodation for the more public functions carried out by the Sisterhood. The chapel is the heart of the complex with its high vaulted ceiling and high north-facing window.Beautifully illustrated with full-colour photographs alongside drawings, plans and supporting texts, Place and Occasion is the first comprehensive examination of the work of this Canadian practice.