Shirley Blumberg facts for kids

Shirley Blumberg (born February 4, 1952) is a well-known Canadian architect. She is one of the people who started KPMB Architects, a famous architecture firm in Toronto, Canada. In 2013, Shirley Blumberg was given the Order of Canada. This is a very high honor for her work in architecture and for creating buildings that help people feel connected and part of a community. One of her important projects is the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) Campus, which won several awards.

About Shirley Blumberg

Shirley Blumberg was born in Cape Town, South Africa. She studied at the University of Cape Town and finished her degree in 1972. In 1974, she moved to Canada because she did not agree with Apartheid. Apartheid was a system in South Africa that unfairly separated people based on their race. Before coming to Canada, she spent a year in London, England. She continued her studies in Canada, graduating with honors from the University of Toronto School of Architecture in 1976.

Starting Her Own Architecture Firm

In 1977, Shirley Blumberg started working at Barton Myers Associates, Inc. in Toronto. She worked there for 10 years. When the office moved to Los Angeles, Shirley decided to start her own company. In 1987, she teamed up with three other architects: Bruce Kuwabara, Thomas Payne, and Marianne McKenna. Together, they formed Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architects, also known as KPMB.

Designing for Communities

Shirley Blumberg loves to design buildings that help society. She has led many projects that focus on bringing people together, providing housing, and building strong communities. Some of her projects include the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre in Don Mills, Ontario. She also worked on housing projects for Toronto Community Housing and the Fort York Branch Library.

Her current projects include the Global Centre for Pluralism in Ottawa. She is also working on the Lawrence Heights Redevelopment in Toronto. Shirley Blumberg has also been in charge of designing art galleries, like the Remai Modern Art Gallery of Saskatchewan. She has also worked on buildings for universities, such as the University of Pennsylvania and Princeton University.

Shirley's Role in Design Review

Shirley Blumberg is a member of the Toronto Community Housing Design Review Panel. She has also served on the City of Toronto Design Review Panel. These panels help review and approve designs for new buildings in the city. In 2014, Shirley was part of a group that reviewed designs for a memorial in Ottawa. She had concerns about the memorial's proposed location and its estimated cost.

The Design Exchange Project

Shirley Blumberg led an important project called the Design Exchange. This project involved combining different building styles into one unique space. The building included parts from the 1930s, 1960s, and 1990s. KPMB Architects won the job in 1988, beating many other design firms. Shirley paid great attention to every detail of the project. She used different materials in creative ways to show what was possible. She believes that design is a team effort, involving many people like designers, builders, and suppliers.

Selected Projects

Shirley Blumberg has worked on many different buildings and projects. Here are some of them:

• 1994: The Design Exchange, Toronto, Ontario
• 2003: James Stewart Centre for Mathematics, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario
• 2004: Centennial College Applied Research and Innovation Centre, Scarborough, Ontario
• 2005: Canada's National Ballet School, Toronto, Ontario
• 2006: Gardiner Museum, Toronto, Ontario
• 2008: Japanese Canadian Cultural Center, Toronto, Ontario
• 2010: TIFF Bell Lightbox and Festival Tower, Toronto, Ontario
• 2011: Vaughan City Hall, Vaughan, Ontario
• 2011: Centre for International Governance Innovation, CIGI Campus, Waterloo, Ontario
• 2012: Block 32, Toronto Community Housing Corporation, Toronto, Ontario
• 2013: Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario, Toronto, Ontario
• 2014: Fort York Branch Library, Toronto, Ontario
• 2015: Robert H. Lee Alumni Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia
• 2017: Global Center for Pluralism, Ottawa, Ontario
• 2017: Remai Modern Art Gallery of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
• 2018: Ronald O. Perelman Center for Political Science and Economics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania