Rendering for Good:
Painting a powerful picture
To us, visualizing projects isn’t just about the built form. It’s about the stories that happen in and around them.
We take very seriously the opportunity to help shape communities in a meaningful way. It’s our job to visualize the future cities we’ll want to someday live in.
National Monument to Canada’s Mission in Afghanistan
In collaboration with Team Stimson (Adrian Stimson Arts, LeuWebb Projects, and The MBTW Group), #normandthegang helped envision Team Stimson’s proposed design for the National Monument to Canada’s Mission in Afghanistan.
“Drawing on elements of healing from the concept of the Medicine Wheel, our design takes the form of a circular, sacred space of safety, a “home base” of reflection, memory, and contemplation…” – Design Intent via Team Stimson
St. Lawrence for the Arts
“Built in 1970, [the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts] is a legacy of the Centennial boom in Canadian culture […] The public agency that runs it wants to tear down the 70,000-square-foot building and replace it. Tura Cousins Wilson […], a partner in the talented young firm SOCA Design, […] thinks the centre deserves to be saved, and came up with a design to renovate and expand it. “Can a contemporary arts institution reimagine itself, without purging the past?” he asks.”
A Different Booklist Cultural Centre (ADBCC)
ADBCC – The People’s Residence is a non-profit hub and destination that provides opportunities to experience the rich culture and legacy of Canadians of African and Caribbean ancestry. The Centre engages the public to learn about these proud stories, develop skills, and connect using literature, music, drama, dance and visual arts.
In 2022, ADBCC is slated to move into their forever home in Toronto’s Annex neighbourhood. As part of their fundraising campaign, our team (in collaboration with Studio Of Contemporary Architecture and Ten-2-Four Architecture) proudly visualized what the future looks like for ADBCC.
[#normandthegang] approached each rendering as collaborators – equally interested in understanding the design intent as they are with strengthening it. More than just creating a beautiful image, they captured the spirit of the future we aim to build.
TURA COUSINS WILSON, CO-FOUNDER & ARCHITECT, SOCA DESIGN