Canadian mid-rise rental housing is being celebrated on the global stage as Pumphouse, designed by 5468796 Architecture, has been named one of the top five buildings in the Americas by the Mies Crown Hall Americas Prize (MCHAP.)
“We are absolutely thrilled to see Pumphouse recognized as an MCHAP finalist,” said Sasa Radulovic, co-founder of 5468796 Architecture. “It’s an honour to be named alongside such extraordinary projects, and to have multifamily residential project highlighted in a program that champions architecture’s power to shape cities, communities, and culture in meaningful ways.”
A bold reinvention of Winnipeg’s historic James Avenue Pumping Station, Pumphouse overcame challenges of budget constraints and a site that had seen 14 failed redevelopment attempts. 5468796 Architecture turned an industrial landmark into a dynamic, mixed-use hub which embraces the site’s industrial past and integrates two striking mid-rise rental housing buildings that float on slender columns, framing the historic early 20th-century pumphouse. The project’s 93 light-filled, dual aspect rental units together with public spaces they create contribute to Winnipeg’s evolving urban fabric, offering a model for sustainable, adaptive reuse.
“What is most exciting about the Pumphouse nomination is the recognition from the international design community that purpose-built rental housing can still be seen as capital A architecture,” said Radulovic. “It is immensely encouraging both to our studio and to the practice of constructing housing in Canada that Canadian multi-family housing can be celebrated alongside museums, ecological preserves and exquisite commercial spaces as driving the practice of design.” 5468796 Architecture are currently working on housing in Halifax, Toronto, Guelph, Edmonton, Calgary, Surrey, Victoria and Winnipeg.