TAYLORSMYTH ARCHITECTS - Key Persons
The new offices for Harley-Davidson Canada occupy a newly constructed building in Vaughan. The reinforcement of the Harley-Davidson brand, and the celebration of the experiences of both the riders and the dealers was a driving inspiration for all aspects of the design.
The project offered the opportunity to transform the way the staff work with the creation of an open workspace environment, augmented by a variety of open and closed meeting and collaboration spaces, and to create a facility that speaks to who they are and to their pride in what they do, and balance opportunities for both quiet individual work and collaborative interaction. Adjustable height workstations provide the ergonomic flexibility for staff to work both sitting and standing.
The reception area design was inspired by the iconic image of the original rustic wood manufacturing shed of 1903, reinterpreted in a contemporary way with the incorporation of wood slats on the walls and ceiling. Randomly interspersed among the slats are images of Harley-Davidson riders - portraits of men and women on the Canadian open road. Below the slats, the blackened steel wall panels break free of the wall to become the front of the reception desk, the curves inspired by the sinuous shapes of the motorcycles themselves. An actual motorcycle stands in front of a corrugated metal wall, a reference to the corrugated metal within the Harley-Davidson museum in Milwaukee.
The café has been designed as a multi-purpose space that can accommodate gatherings of the whole staff, along with a variety of spaces to eat, meet and work. Hoteling for visitors is provided by a 24 foot long wired counter along the window. A custom wall sculpture over the black vinyl banquet is fabricated out of Harley-Davidson Handle bar grips to spell out LET'S RIDE.
Job Titles:
- Director of Marketing and Communications
Job Titles:
- Founding Partner
- Partner - in - Charge and Principal Designer
Michael Taylor has been partner-in-charge and principal designer of many of the firm's high profile projects that include custom residences, schools, community centres and workplace environments. Each of these has benefited from his hands-on approach and careful attention to detail and materiality.
His approach to design is founded on creating a partnership with his clients to craft thoughtful, and enduring spaces. His work has received 25 awards for design excellence, including 3 Ontario Association of Architects awards, one of which also received the People's Choice award, as well as a Toronto Urban Design Award for the Market Street Redevelopment.
A registered architect since 1993, Michael cofounded Taylor Smyth Architects in 2000 with Robert Smyth. Over the past 22 years, he has completed 20 custom residences, numerous projects for the Toronto District School Board, the $10 million Centennial Community Center, and many workplace projects. He recently completed the commercial redevelopment of the full block along Market Street opposite the St. Lawrence Market, which included renovation and retrofit of a number of heritage buildings, along with the design of a new building to complete the block.
Education
1983
Graduate School of Design, Harvard University, Master of Architecture
1979
University of Chicago, Bachelor of Arts
Job Titles:
- Founding Partner
- Founding Partner of Taylor Smyth Architects
A founding partner of Taylor Smyth Architects, Robert has designed many of the firm's public sector, educational, recreational and university projects. With over thirty years experience, he is recognized for his expertise designing a variety of imaginative community projects, and his collaborative client centred approach.
Robert believes well designed community projects that embody a strong urban form, a careful attention to detail, and the inventive use of materials, are vital to the creation of a rich and enduring public realm. This belief guides much of his work, including recent additions to three public schools - Cedarvale Community School, JR Wilcox Community School, and Highfield Junior School. He was the partner-in-charge for a major capital project for the Toronto District School Board; an addition to Swansea Junior and Senior Public School, and is contributing to a new build $32 million Lawrence and Midland High School in Scarborough, Ontario.
Robert's post secondary academic projects, include numerous projects for York University including the School of Social Work, Finance Department Offices, Nadal Management Centre, Glendon College Welcome Centre, and Osgoode Hall Law School renovations. He has also completed projects for the University of Guelph and George Brown College, as well as the City of Toronto.
Sustainable design is central to Robert's design approach. He has completed two LEED projects to date, the Canadian Union of Public Employees, Ontario Regional Headquarters, and Taylor Smyth Architect's own office. Other sustainable projects of note include the Highfield Junior School addition, featuring a storm water wetland meadow, and the Nadal Management Centre.
Robert has guest lectured at the University of Toronto, and has been a guest critic at the Ryerson Department of Architectural Science. He also served as president, and a board member for two childcare centres and served as both a member and chair of the Ontario Association of Architect's - Experience Requirements Committee.
Education
1987
University of Waterloo, Bachelor of Architecture
1982
University of Manitoba, Bachelor of Environmental Studies