Aspiring Architecture: A Family Business

Taking the long view comes naturally to Syd Dumaresq of SP Dumaresq Architect: he represents the fourth of five generations of architects operating in and around Halifax—a legacy that began in the 1860s. This rich family history gives him a perspective on the future as well. “I’m very attuned to think of the historical aspect,” Dumaresq says. “I’m sure there are others, but my approach is informed by this continuity. I can walk all over town and say, ‘My father did that; my grandfather did that; my great-grandfather did that.’ And whether as a result of this or not, I’m also very attuned to community input—as well as the effect of my buildings on the community, and their respect for the environment.”

Dumaresq goes so far as to say that every architect serves three clients. “We have the client, obviously, who’s paying the bills,” he says. “We also have the day-to-day users of the building; they need a happy, comfortable space, full of daylight, with appropriate scale and materials and so on. And finally, we have the third client, which is the municipality—the rest of the world that’s going to drive or walk by this building, and be affected by how it reacts with the city.”

The most important outcome of architecture done well, says Dumaresq, is happiness. “If a building is properly oriented on its site and filled with sunshine, built to the right scale…you just walk into that building and feel happy. If you’re living or working there, you feel better about life. That’s what architects bring to the table.”