North Vancouver firm mcfarlane green biggar architecture + design (mgb) has been honoured with not one, but two, of this year’s six International Interior Design Association awards. Out of nearly 300 projects nominated from around the world, the inventive interiors for Lynn Steven boutique and the design for the Rennie Gallery + Offices at Wing Sang were chosen as winning entries for the 37th Annual Interior Design Competition.
Known for its less-is-more approach to architecture and interiors, mbg often uses reclaimed or repurposed materials and buildings in its work. It was this philosophy that caught the IIDA judges’ eyes when reviewing the interiors for Lynn Steven, a new boutique in Vancouver’s historic Gastown neighbourhood. The modest project utilizes existing heritage interiors as inspiration. The addition of an eye-catching “book column” – made from 5,600 recycled pocket novels with pages faced outwards – mimics the brick wall interior and draws many a passerby into the shop.
In contrast to the modest scale of the Lynn Steven project are the interiors for the Rennie Gallery + Offices at Wing Sang in Vancouver’s historic Chinatown. A multi-million dollar project, the design entailed the fusion of two separate buildings to create a gallery space to house the 1,000+ works in the Rennie private collection.
“We are very honoured, winning two awards, and we’re pleased that our peers have recognized the diversity of scales and types of projects that our firm is known for,” says mgb architectect and principal Michael Green.
Nominees were judged for suitability of design to the project challenge, originality of the design solution, and the successful integration of interior finishes and furnishings. This year’s IIDA winners also include UNStudio, Clive Wilkinson Architects, STUDIOS Architecture, and NBBJ.