Innovative Saint John Architecture Firm Expands To Halifax
HALIFAX — A Saint John architecture firm known for designing some of that city’s most unique buildings has expanded to Halifax.
Acre Architects has set up an office in Halifax, hoping to further its goal of creating 100 transformational projects by 2030.
Stephen Kopp is one of Acre’s founding partners. A decade ago, he and his partner, native Saint Johner Monica Adair, moved home from New York and started their own firm.
Kopp says one of Acre’s big goals is to help foster more sustainable communities in Canada and around the world. Expanding the team to Halifax, he says, was the next step toward achieving that goal.
“We can’t do everything we want in southern New Brunswick. We need to be out there looking for great opportunities everywhere,” he said.
Saint John residents are familiar with Acre projects, big and small, in the region. It’s the firm that designed the uptown mixed-income apartment complex now under construction that’s replacing the “jellybean houses” on Waterloo Row. The firm also designed the Picaroons General Store in uptown Saint John and several innovative single-family homes in the region.
Acre was also part of a group shortlisted in last year’s competition to design the next Art Gallery of Nova Scotia.
Kopp says that project, as well as other major Halifax projects like the Halifax Central Library, are an inspiration and example of what bold architectural ideas can accomplish.
But he says projects don’t necessarily have to be major to have an impact.
“We’re really interested in a lot of the rural architecture in Nova Scotia: the historic elements and the way [in] the fishing villages people have built over time. Craft is important and that’s something we love about the outside of the city,” he says.
Kopp says Acre hopes to be able to make its own positive changes in the city through its work. Part of the way the firm hopes to do that is through its 100 transformational stories pledge.
Kopp says those projects can come in all shapes and sizes.
“It could be a community-based story, it could be around innovation, it could be anything. We’re keeping it open [and] looking for those opportunities and projects that go beyond just creating a nice-looking building,” he says.
“It doesn’t have to be a football stadium size. It can be a small project that can have an impact on one street.”
Kopp says Acre’s expansion into Halifax will help the firm pursue more of those projects. Not only will the firm benefit from the talent coming out of Dalhousie school of architecture, being in Halifax will help them more easily foster relationships in the city.
“One thing that I think is different in the Maritimes, that sets it apart from the rest of the country, is that it’s all about relationships,” Kopp said.
“Everywhere else I’ve lived, whoever you’re dealing with it can be very transactional. I like that in the Maritimes if you treat people well they treat you well. We want to be a good neighbour in Halifax and in doing projects and in Nova Scotia [we want to] help bring out whatever the place wherever we are… That’s really what’s exciting. It’s just broadening who we are not into silos of geography.”