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Wisdom Magazine: The Man in the Red
Suit Douglas J. Cardinal Architect Ltd.
Alberta Commercial Report - Vol. 10, No. 1 Douglas J. Cardinal Architect Ltd. of Edmonton is, by most measures, a small firm in its field - it is that way by design. But in terms of the aesthetic excellence of its product and the social conscience of the man behind it, the company looms large and is even taking on the trappings of international repute. "Every aspect of your life should have meaning," says Mr. Cardinal, "and when you function in a space, the design of that space should contribute to your well being." Douglas Cardinal is in the business of designing space and he does not deviate one iota from this basic conviction. Douglas Cardinal studied architecture in Texas and his formal training developed the skills to reflect his own very individualistic concepts in design. When he first started his business in Red Deer in 1964 and for a time after moving to Edmonton in 1967, he was working under the pressures of two handicaps. Firstly, the architectural clientele in Alberta was not ready for Douglas Cardinal and secondly, Douglas Cardinal was not ready for the clientele he was trying to reach. Mr. Cardinal is an Indian and a devout follower of the "old ways." It is this dedication that is responsible for the moral rectitude and the social conscience of the man. It also gave rise to his earlier determination to be identified as an Indian while trying to establish his business. He was given to wearing beaded buckskin jackets and long braided hair. Combined with the uniquely different design concepts he wanted to sell, the Cardinal demeanor made the Cardinal package a hard sell. He is still devoted to the "old ways" but he now meets his clients on their own grounds, replete with three-piece suit and styled hair. Mr. Cardinal's most used term in describing his work is that it is "organic" with the appearance of having evolved from the environment. His interiors are typified by the sweeping curve or circle, open but well defined activity areas, and the use of basic materials to provide color and texture. The interior design comes first with him and it evolves around the people, functions and equipment to be housed. The interior design results in undulating exterior walls which gain much in visual appeal from Mr. Cardinal's selection of finish material, sweeping top lines, and strategically placing glass light panels. Mr. Cardinal's work is almost exclusively in the field of institutional and public buildings where he feels the clientele is somewhat more enlightened than in the commercial field. Analysts have tended to classify the Cardinal touch as being Indian with modern technology applied. Perhaps so, but Mr. Cardinal's view is that it is original Canadian. His first major work was the St. Mary's church in red Deer and while the award-winning architecture is tremendously striking, the project was most notable for the innovative construction techniques he employed. The interior and exterior walls of brick masonry were built first and progressively filled with lightweight aggregate concrete to eliminate the need for large arrays of concrete formers and scaffolding. The ceiling was to be a tent like arrangement with its apex off center and following the natural fall that would be produced by the use of cloth. To construct it of steel would have cost $120,000 and wood, $90.000. Douglas cardinal had a better idea and suspended 260 tons of concrete in space for a total cost of $60,000. Here is how: At the planned apex of the ceiling, a huge reinforced concrete tube-like structure was mounted on supports. A myriad of high tensile strength steel cables were then strung from the apex to anchors in the walls so that the 120 foot span took on the appearance of a giant spider web. Steel mesh was then suspended 1.5 inches below the cables and three inches of concrete pumped in from above, embedding the cables. When the concrete had cured, the steel cables were post-tensioned to pull the apex up to its planned height. The structure at the apex now forms a hanging sky-light which directs a shaft of natural light onto the altar area. Other Cardinal designed projects of note include the 130,000 square foot Grande Prairie College, the school and community center at Ile a la Crosse in Saskatchewan, and and new Provincial Building in Ponoka. Each project has its own character, but all bear the distinctive Cardinal touch. One thing Mr. Cardinal readily admits is that his major works tax the skills of contractors to the utmost. "I don't design boxes," he says. A favorite building material for him is brick masonry and he has on occasion had special brick manufactured in Alberta to produce the texture and color he wanted in the finished building. Following the intricacies of the designed curves and sweeps with rectangular brick is no mean feat and one Alberta masonry contractor goes to great lengths and some sacrifice to win such contracts primarily for the challenge and satisfaction that results. And yet, Mr. Cardinal is able to cater to the unskilled worker as well. In an Alberta Housing Corporation project in the northern community of Grouard he designed homes individually for 30 Metis families. They are being built by the people who will live in them and much of the material used is being produced locally. The homes were designed around a circular family living area and are being built chiefly of short logs and mortar. The butt ends of the cut logs form both the interior and exterior walls. In arriving at the unique individual designs, Mr. Cardinal spent many hours in many meetings in the community to determine both the needs and the wants of the families involved. The extensive involvement with clientele in the preliminary stages of design is typical of the way Mr. Cardinal goes about his work. There is also extensive research involved and a greater-than-normal expenditure in time in producing the final working drawings. He used 75 architects, engineers and technologists, for instance, in preparing the drawings for the Grande Prairie College. However, Douglas Cardinal has to meet the same kind of budget as other architects and his buildings cost the client no more than would be the case for a more conventional square structure. The extra efforts he invests is the main reason he will tell you that, "we don't make much money, sometimes we lose a bit". One possible bright spot on the company's horizon is the possibility of overseas commissions. Mr. Cardinal's works have been displayed internationally by the federal government in model and photographic form. It has evoked more than a passing interest especially in the Arab oil producing nations, and Mr. Cardinal has begun to receive correspondence from these areas by telephone and mail. It just may be that he will have to consider expanding a staff that varies now between eight and 15. There is sufficient proof on the Alberta scene to be certain that Douglas Cardinal is for real and that his concepts of design are here to stay. |
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