TRADING SPACES
Architect Cameron Gillies has brought
his talents back to Calgary

by James Keller

For Cameron Gillies, the key to creating successful communities—or building upon already existing ones—is understanding them. And the key to understanding them, he explains, is recognizing them as multifaceted and complex, with many different factors to consider.

“The architect has to be constantly aware that architecture in itself [doesn't build communities], and that every problem we face, particularly urban problems, is multidisciplinary,” says Gillies, who holds an urban studies degree from the U of C and bachelor and master's of architecture degrees from Dalhousie University in Halifax. “So when working with a community [it's important] to remember that no one-dimensioned solution can be a solution in and of itself.”

It is this attitude—originally seeded in his urban studies degree—that leads Gillies, both in his professional and in his community life. Not surprisingly, these two aspects of his life often come together, as he works for Sturgess Architecture and is very active with his own Beltline community association.

At Sturgess, he was heavily involved in the Connaught–West Victoria special study, working with the city and two communities in the downtown's Beltline district on plans to improve and redevelop the area. The result was this summer's release of the Beltline Initiative. It urged higher density development and building upward in the inner city rather than outward in Calgary 's suburbs.

Where Gillies has lived also informs his design philosophy. Growing up in the suburbs of both Calgary and Sydney , Australia , and more recently living in Canada 's Maritimes, he has many different visual cues from which to draw. Despite the differences among each of his former homes, Gillies says this diverse background allows him to notice techniques and elements that are universal.