Robert Mellin wins 2014 Newfoundland and Labrador Lieutenant Governor's Award in Architecture
Last week (January 26 to 30, 2015), the Honourable Frank Fagan, Lieutenant-Governor of Newfoundland and Labrador, presented the 2014 Lieutenant Governor鈥檚 Awards in Architecture to architects Robert Mellin, Peter C. Blackie and Ron Fougere of Fougere Menchenton Architecture. This is the inaugural presentation of what will be a triennial event, celebrating outstanding contribution to the field of architecture and the built environment of Newfoundland and Labrador, and to recognize the important role architects and architecture have in building communities across the province. A jury of five respected members of the community were tasked with adjudicating the impressive submissions and included professionals from architecture, planning and the visual arts.
The Texmo-Storey Residence in St. Philips by Architect Robert Mellin was completed early 2013. The challenge of this project was to reconcile passive solar orientation with the view to the west of Conception Bay and Bell Island. The house was recognized for its superior accommodation of the program within the sensitive context of its environment. The configuration of the glazing maximized the available light and the impressive views. Upper level rooms were configured around a deck that acts as a wind-protected alcove, oriented to the late morning and afternoon sun. The geometry of the exterior form of the house permits views from the upper floor study and bedroom to the dining and living areas. Entering the foyer on the east side on the upper level, there is a view through the house of Conception Bay that becomes more dramatic as you progress further into the house. The sloped ceiling is lower in the entrance foyer, gradually rising to a storey and a half by the living room to the west. This enhances the view of the bay and orients the house towards the view. The exterior detailing is modern, but relates to the way traditional painted wooden clapboards and trim boards were once used on historic houses in a spare and understated manner.
The jury was comprised of Dawn Boutilier, MCIP, land-use planner; Peter Wilkins, multimedia artist; Dr. Ted Cavanagh, architect and professor at Dalhousie University鈥檚 Faculty of Architecture and Planning; Gilles Saucier, architect and cofounder of Saucier + Perrotte architectes; and Richard Moody, NLAA, retired architect.
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