For over 40 years, hcma has designed public buildings across Canada to connect local communities. But these projects span years and for many clients, the process can be overwhelming.

Faced with the same questions on each project — and witnessing clients make the same expensive mistakes — hcma wanted to guide them through the process, help them avoid the common tripping hazards, and promote the importance of social value.

A helping hand, not a pointing finger

Designed to be as accessible and engaging as the buildings it inspires, How to Create Community Buildings with Impact offers advice to civic leaders on every stage of a project, from budgets and site planning to community engagement, accessible design, the climate crisis, and measuring impact.

Delivered while part of hcma's in-house team, I worked closely with their leadership and clients on every part of the book, developing its structure, editing contributions, moderating interviews, and turning their thinking into the content on its pages. 

Built for life

Rather than feeling like a traditional coffee table architecture book, we wanted people to treat it like a working manual. Keep it on their desk, take it to site, or thumb through when they're on a project and stuck on a problem.

The design, led by Nicole Bonnie Retief (Warm Fuzzy Cool), is inspired by old mechanical manuals, able to handle years of wear and tear, and get people scribbling notes in the margins.

"This book truly captures the unique process that’s defined hcma as leaders in the public building design. It’s such a clear, effective format and reflects why we love working with your team so much."

— Chris Phillips, principal, PFS Studio

The book’s exposed spine metaphorically represents the design process, while the tactile canvas cover evokes the nostalgia of machinery manuals and will wear with use. Handwritten annotations — reminiscent of architectural red-lining — highlight important advice and insights.

Going beyond the brief

The result is a down-to-earth guide that makes an incredibly complex subject easy to understand, and easier to navigate.

While we created the book for local government staff, it's equally useful for the next generation of architects. With that broader audience in mind, we then turned the book into an online course, taught by hcma's key leadership team.

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