Working with an Advocate Architect on your Theatre Construction or Renovation Project

Theatre construction and renovation projects are complex and expensive. By their nature, they attract big firms looking to build their portfolio along with big promises that don’t necessarily align with available funding. To make things even more difficult, when there are so many interested parties at the table, it’s not always clear to whom the project architects are responsible. Enter the Advocate Architect.

“The role of the Advocate Architect is to provide support for the Owner and user-stakeholders within a complex project when there is no direct relationship between the Owner and the Consulting Architect.” Canadian Handbook of Practice, Appendix D

The Advocate Architect often reports directly to the organization’s CEO/Executive Director and Board Chair and works collaboratively with the organization’s Steering Committee – which can be a combination of senior staff and board volunteers. This presentation will guide participants through the usual stages of a construction project from pre-design, conceptual design, detail design to construction with particular attention to project pitfalls and opportunities for the advocate architect to provide substantial value to your new construction or renovation project. Examples will be illustrated through the Royal Winnipeg Ballet New Student Dormitory and the Gas Station Arts Centre Feasibility projects.

Session's objectives:

• Participants will be introduced to the role of the Advocate Architect during the stages of a construction project including: functional programming, pre-design, conceptual design and detail design including contract drawings and specifications, as well as construction phase services.
• Participants will be introduced to suggested ways to organize their board and staff to best support their construction project.
• Participants will be introduced to typical terminology for a design project including the typical scope for an architect and their design consultancy team.

Presenter: Jason Robbins, Architect MAA, MRAIC, Int’l Assoc AIA, RIBA - JC ROBBINS ARCHITECTURE

Jason Robbins is a licensed architect in Manitoba and President-Elect of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada. He’s the Board President of the Gas Station Arts Centre in Winnipeg and a former member of IATSE Local 63.