B+H Architects
B+H Architects or BH Architects was founded in 1953 by Sidney Bregman and George Hamann. For over 65 years, B+H Architects has grown into one of the largest architecture firms in the world, with over 450 employees across ten studios in Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Seattle, Los Angeles, Shanghai, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Ho Chi Minh City. Their services range from architectural design, urban planning, organizational design, experience design, research, analysis, brand strategy, and interior design.
B+H is a member of the Surbana Jurong Group.
Firm
Founders
Founders Bregman and Hamann had both studied at the University of Toronto. Hamann had retired from the firm in 1987.Current Principals
The current principals, as of March 2020, are:Headquarters, Toronto, Canada
In October 2019, B+H signed a lease for an office space in a heritage building in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Patrick Fejer is a senior design principal for this renovation for B+H's future office. B+H is redesigning and renovating the interior of the building, while special considerations will be taken to the historic integrity of the existing heritage building. The existing building, the Permanent, is located at 320 Bay Street and was originally designed by Henry Sproatt, in 1931. Current and Past ProjectsPhilosophy
Bold
B+H prides themselves with their proclaimed bold and innovative design strategies. The firm actively participates in entrepreneurial and hands-on approach, to deal with their problem solving and design solutions.Sustainability
B+H have been recognized for their large interest in sustainable practices in their projects. The firm has applied efforts in attaining accredited and certified professionals for various sustainable rating systems all over the world to ensure that their projects will attain a certification as well, and not prose detrimental harm to the environment. The firm also practices preservation in their renovation projects, requiring less demolition, with special consideration with heritage buildings. Sustainability factors that the firm takes into consideration are indoor and outdoor air quality, material waste management, water and energy conservation, user needs, and many others.Projects
Recent Canadian Work
Institutional/Educational
- The York University Archives of Ontario + York Research Tower was completed in 2009, in Toronto, Ontario. B+H provided the architectural design for this project, and was the second runner-up for the Canadian Design Build Institute Design-Build Award of Excellence in 2012.
- B+H worked on the Ed Lumley Centre for Engineering Innovation for the University of Windsor, in 2013.
- In 2016, B+H completed an project with Hariri Pontarini Architects on the Faculty of Law, Jackman Law Building, for the University of Toronto. This renovation and expansion project won a and features a LEED Silver certification.
- B+H provided architectural work for the Humber College Learning Resource Commons, in Etobicoke, Ontario, completed in 2015. The project received a LEED Gold certification.
- The Joyce Centre for Partnership & Innovation at Mohawk College was completed in 2019. Located in Hamilton, Ontario. With sustainability as the main design principle, the JCPI is one of the largest net-zero buildings in Canada, working along with the ZCB Standard. B+H provided architectural services as well as landscaping design services for the JCPI. This project was subjected to several awards regarding its sustainable strategies and dedication, including 2018 Engineering Project of the Year, 2018 Environmental Sustainability Award, 2018 Sustainable Project of the Year, and the 2017 Innovation in Sustainability Award. The Mohawk College project works towards the World Green Building Council and their Advancing Net Zero initiative, ensuring that all buildings, new and existing, are renovated or built to be net-zero carbon, by 2050. The JPCI produces more energy than what it consumes over the course of a year. The project includes an expansive 545-kilowatt solar panel array on the roof, as well as planting areas on the green roof. The technical labs and user spaces have been transformed with highly efficient mechanisms allowing the building to track its energy use, add and subtract power where it requires, and enables the building to be highly functional and efficient. The JPCI also has over twenty geothermal wells, stormwater harvesting, LED lighting controlled by sensor, highly efficient plumbing fixtures, and a set energy use target. The JPCI was the 2019 recipient of the Awards of Excellence Innovation in Architecture from the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada.
Residential
- Completed in 2015, B+H provided architectural and interior design for the Aquilini Centre West, a mixed-use residential tower in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The first 5 floors of the building hosts commercial retail and office space, and the remaining 21 floors host residential suites. This high-rise building attained a LEED Gold certification.
Hospitality
- In 2014, B+H provided interior design services for the ARC Restaurant in Vancouver, British Columbia. The firm used materiality to produce their final design for this hospitality project.
Recreation
- B+H completed the Abilities Centre, in Whitby, Ontario, Canada in 2012, with a LEED Silver certification.
Commercial
- In 2009, B+H completed the Bell Canada Creekbank Campus project, in Mississauga, Ontario. The firm provided architectural, landscape planning and interior design services to the client, Bell Canada. The project is LEED Silver certified.
Retrofits
- In 2019, B+H finished the construction of Humber College's Building NX, as Canada's first certified zero-carbon retrofit, certified by the Canada Green Building Council. After the retrofit, Building NX, originally built in 1989, is set to use 70 percent less energy than before. The project included the re-design of the entire facade, replacing the old panels with high-efficient facade panels, reducing thermal breaks, ensuring an air-tight building. The building's mechanisms were replaces as well, for a higher efficiency air-sourced variable refrigerant flow heat pump system. The building renewal included a photovoltaic array on the roof, feeding over 31,500 kWh per year, where the surplus of energy will be redirected to other buildings on campus. The Building NX would produce more energy than it consumes, making it a zero-carbon building.
Canadian Projects
- While under the name Bregman + Hamann Architects, the firm worked on the Brookfield Place which was completed in 1992 in the financial district of Toronto, Ontario, as an architectural design and renewal project. The project is features a six-storey galleria and it spans east–west along the entire length of the block, from Yonge Street to Bay Street, and extends onto Bay Street to provide a large outdoor canopy. At the other end of the galleria, there resides the Sam Pollock Square, where the Hockey Hall of Fame is located. This space is populated with various other commercial and retail shops, and restaurants. Through the galleria, there is access to the PATH, a series of walkways throughout downtown Toronto. Having the galleria intersect between two buildings allows for the architectural intent to come through, which is to grant public connection to the private domain.
- The firm provided architectural services for the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Toronto, Ontario, completed in 1997.
- B+H worked on architectural services for Michael Cee-Chin Crystal addition the Royal Ontario Museum, 2007. This project won the Toronto Construction Association Best of the Best Award for Project Achievement in 2007.
- First Canadian Place in Toronto, Ontario was originally clad with Carrara marble panels, with significant weight of up to 200 pounds, and up to 275 metres off the ground. B+H took the lead in the recladding of Toronto's tallest office skyscraper, removing the original marble panels and installing new facade panels onto the exterior. The team from B+H helped in the schematic design for the three-storey suspended scaffolding, that allowed the construction to take place while the employees and businesses within the various floors of the building could continue to work. The scaffolding design is comparable to the platform systems used for window-washing tall buildings. All done on the exterior of the building, three floors worth of marble panels were removed and replaced with the new fritted glass panels at one time, lowered to the ground, disposed of, and raised to continue the process. The workers, about 60-70 people at a time, started from the top of the tower and worked their way down. In 2011, B+H received a Finalist Honourable Mention for Innovative Technology, from the
- B+H provided architectural and interior design services for Ripley's Aquarium in Toronto, Ontario. The project was completed in 2013.
Other Canadian Projects
- Birchmount Park Collegiate Institute, Scarborough/Toronto, Ontario. 1964.
- Skylon Tower, Niagara Falls, Ontario. 1965.
- Tribeca Lofts & Forresters Financial, Toronto, Ontario, 1966.
- Toronto Eaton Centre, Toronto, Ontario. 1977.
- Exchange Tower, Toronto, Ontario. 1981.
- CIBC 750 Lawrence, Toronto, Ontario. 1981.
- First Canadian Centre, Calgary, Alberta. 1982.
- Markham Stouffville Hospital, Markham, Ontario. 1990.
- Toronto Dominion Centre , Toronto, Ontario. 1991.
- Canadian Broadcasting Centre, Toronto, Ontario. 1992.
- Vaughn Mills Shopping Centre, Vaughn, Ontario. 2004.
- RBC Centre, Toronto, Ontario. 2009.
Projects in Asia
- Crystal Galleria, Shanghai, China. 2015.
- Changi General Hospital, Singapore. 2014.
- Ordos Airport, Inner Mongolia, China. 2013.
- Microsoft Zizhu Campus, Shanghai, China. 2009.
Project Images
Collaboration Projects
- Toronto Eaton Centre — worked with Eberhard Zeidler 1977–1982
- Royal Ontario Museum — with Daniel Libeskind on Michael Chin-Lee Crystal / Renaissance ROM project 2007–2010
- Toronto-Dominion Centre — worked with Mies van der Rohe 1967–1969
- Brookfield Place — worked with Santiago Calatrava and Skidmore, Owings and Merrill 1990–1991
Awards and Recognition
- B+H has won four BOMA Earth Awards.
- In 2014, B+H ranked among the top 50 architecture firms in the World Architecture Top 100 survey, by British magazine Building Design.
- In 2017, B+H was recognized in the top four for its Markham Stouffville Hospital Redevelopment in the category of Healthcare Design for projects over 25,000 m2.
- In 2020, B+H was noticed in the Top 50 Architecture Firms in Seattle, by , for their Seattle office in the United States of America.