Rod Robbie

Not to be confused withRod Roddy.

Rod Robbie OC
Rod Robbie 2007
Born	(1928-09-15)September 15, 1928 Poole,Dorset,England
Died	January 4, 2012(2012-01-04)(aged 83) Toronto,Ontario,Canada
Occupation	Architect
Awards	Order of Canada
Practice	Robbie Young + Wright /IBI Group Architects
Buildings	Rogers Centre•Canadian Pavilion,Expo 67

Roderick George RobbieOC(September 15, 1928 – January 4, 2012) was a British-born Canadianarchitectand planner. He was known for his design of theCanadian PavilionatExpo 67andToronto'sRogers Centre(SkyDome).

Biography and personal life

Roderick Robbie was born inPoole,Englandon September 15, 1928. He studied architecture and town planning at Regent Street Polytechnic School in London (now known as theUniversity of Westminster).

Robbie served his UK National Service in the42 Engineer Regimentof theRoyal Engineersof theBritish Armyfrom 1947 to 1949 in the United Kingdom and Egypt. He began his professional career withBritish Railwaysin 1951.

He emigrated toOttawa,Canada in 1956 with his wife Enid Robbie (née Wheeler) and infant daughter, and worked initially for thefederal governmentin Public Works.

He left public service just weeks after arrival to enter the private sector with the firm of Belcourt & Blair. In 1959 he became an associate atPeter Dickinson Associatesleading such projects as the New Town at Frobisher Bay (nowIqaluit).

Roderick and Enid Robbie (née Wheeler) participated during the period of 1956 to 1983 actively in the movements to ban the use of atomic weapons (1950s); the setting-up of theNew Party Club,constituency work for theNew Democratic Partyin Ottawa (1960s); constituency work for theLiberal Party(1970s and 1980s) in Toronto.

Since the early 1980s they were politically inactive and concentrated on scholarship. Enid died on their 49th wedding anniversary, December 20, 2001. She was survived by their three daughters and a son.

Career

In the mid-1960s he collaborated in the design of theCanadian Government PavilionatExpo 67inMontreal.The distinctive main building in the complex, a large inverted pyramid called theKatimavik,Inuit word for "Gathering Place", was designed by Robbie andColin Vaughanof the firm Ashworth, Robbie, Vaughan and Williams Architects and Planners; Paul Schoeler of Schoeler, Barkham and Heaton Architects and Planning Consultants; and Matt Stankiewicz of Z. Matthew Stankiewicz Architect, with consulting architects Evans St. Gelais andArthur Erickson.

Expo chief architectÉdouard Fisethad initially insisted the Canadian Pavilion be much smaller, confined to a single acre. Robbie felt strongly that Canada's pavilion had to have the largest site on the fair, demanding 11.5 acres. His vision was ultimately successful thanks to the support of federal ministerMitchell Sharpas well as Canadian Pavilion commissionerH. Leslie Brown.

In the early 1980s Robbie teamed with structural engineer Michael Allen of the firm Adjeleian, Allen Rubeli Ltd. and Bill Neish of NORR Architects and Planners forming the Robbie Adjeleian NORR Consortium (RAN Consortium), to compete for the Ontario Stadium Project, which would later become theSkyDome.Robbie and Allen’s patentedwinning design established the viability of multi-use retractable roofed stadiums worldwide and lead to a renaissance of the idea of the downtown stadium across North America. Now known as the Rogers Centre, the stadium continues to be an icon of the Toronto landscape hosting hundreds of events per year. Their retractable roof design has continued to function as designed, opening and closing under computer control in 20 minutes.

Later prominent projects included theSeymour SchulichBuilding atYork Universitydesigned bySiamak Haririand Robbie/Young & Wright Architects Inc. It was awarded theGovernor General's Medal in Architecturein 2006.

In 2004 work was completed on the Sharp Centre for Design atOCAD University,designed by architectWill Alsop,and Robbie/Young + Wright Architects Inc.The expansion and redevelopment has received numerous awards, including the firstRoyal Institute of British ArchitectsWorldwide Award, the award of excellence in the "Building in Context" category at the Toronto Architecture and Urban Design Awards, and was deemed the most outstanding technical project overall in the 2005 Canadian Consulting Engineering Awards.

Robbie was a founding member of the Construction Industry Development Council of the Government of Canada and spent many years as a member and chairing committees of the Canadian Standards Association on Systems and Industrialised Building and other professional and technical organisations.

Robbie was the Chairman Emeritus of Robbie Young + Wright /IBI GroupArchitects and was Partner-in-Charge on many of the firm’s largest and most complex projects.

Honours

In 1989, he was made a Fellow of theRoyal Architectural Institute of Canada.

In 2001, he was awarded an honorary doctorate fromDalhousie University.

In 2004, he was made an Officer of theOrder of Canadaas "an architect known for his innovation."

Education and professional awards

• Diploma in Architecture - Honours, Regent Street Polytechnic (University of Westminster), London, England, 1950
• Diploma in Town Planning, Regent Street Polytechnic (University of Westminster), London, England, July 1954
• Engineering News Record- Construction Man of The Year, 1969
• Royal Canadian Institutefor the Toronto SkyDome, Life Member, 1989
• Royal Canadian Academy of Artsin the Art of Architecture, Academician, February 13, 1990
• Quaternario 90: International Award for Innovative Technology in Architecture, SkyDome, 1990
• Tau Sigma Delta,Kent State University for Outstanding Professional Achievement in Architecture, Silver Medal Award, March 15, 1993
• Ryerson Polytechnic UniversityFellowship for Exemplary Achievements in Architectural Design, Fellow, June 22, 1995
• Dalhousie University,May 2001, Doctor of Laws honoris causa
• The Order of da Vinci of the Ontario Association of Architects (for exceptional leadership in the profession, education and/ or service to the profession and community), May 10, 2003

Experience

• 2008-2012 - Robbie Young + Wright/ IBI Group Architects, Toronto, ON, Chairman Emeritus
• 2004-2008 - Robbie/ Young + Wright Architects Inc., Toronto, ON, Chairman Emeritus
• 1993-2004 - Robbie/ Sane Architects Inc., Toronto, ON, President
• 1991-1992 - Robbie Sane/ Lambur Scott Architects in Joint Venture, Toronto, ON, Partner
• 1987-2004 - Robbie/ Young + Wright Architects Inc., Toronto, ON, President
• 1987-2008 - RAN International Architects & Engineers, Toronto and Ottawa, ON, President
• 1986-1989 - Robbie Adjeleian NORR Consortium (RAN Consortium), ON, Partner
• 1985-1993 - Robbie Architects Inc., Toronto, ON, President
• 1980-1985 - Robbie Architects Planners, Toronto, ON, President
• 1977-1980 - Robbie Williams Kassum Partnership; Architects and Planners, Toronto, ON, Partner
• 1974-1977 - Robbie Williams Kassum Young Partnership; Architects and Planners, Toronto, ON, Partner
• 1972-1974 - Robbie Williams Partnership; Architects and Planners, Toronto, ON, Partner
• 1965-1972 - Robbie Vaughan & Williams, Toronto, ON, Partner
• 1961-1965 - Ashworth Robbie Vaughan & Williams, Toronto, ON, Partner
• 1959-1961 - Peter Dickinson Associates, Ottawa, ON, Associate
• 1956-1959 - Belcourt & Blair, Architects & Town Planners, Ottawa, ON, Junior Partner
• 1951-1956 - Parnell + Robbie, Chartered Architects, London, England, Partner
• 1950-1956 - British Railways, London, England, Junior to Senior Assistant Architect

Memberships

• Appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada, May 3, 2003
• TheAmerican Institute of Architects- Member, October 8, 2002
• Certified by theNational Council of Architectural Registration Boards- August 5, 1998 (Retired)
• TheUniversity of the State of New York,Licensee, 1996
• Canadian Institute of Planners,Member, May 13, 1974
• SEF: Metropolitan Toronto School Board, Study of Education Facilities, Technical Director, 1966 - 1969
• Royal Architectural Institute of Canada- Fellow, June 23, 1989 (Member September 21, 1962) (Life Member)
• Town Planning Institute of Canada, Member, January 12, 1961
• Ontario Association of Architects - Member, 1957 (Retired Life Member)
• Architects Registration Board (UK) - Registrant, 1951 (Retired)
• Royal Institute of British Architects- Member, July 3, 1951 (Retired Charter Life Member)
• SEF Advisory Committee and SEF Consultant on Systems Building, Past Member
• Construction Industry Development, Council of the Government of Canada Past and Founding Member
• CSA Standards Steering Committee on Industrialized Building Construction, Past Chairman
• CSA Advisory Committee on Systems Building, Past Chairman
• Canadian Construction Industry Research Board, Past Member
• Ontario Professional Planners Institute - Member (Retired), 23 February 1995

Major architectural competitions won and/or built

• Canadian Government Pavilion Expo '67, Montreal, Quebec, Canada with Paul Schoeler and Matthew Stankiewicz (ARVW), 1963
• Metropolitan Toronto School Board's Study of Educational Facilities, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (SEF) (RVW), 1966
• Public Works Canada and Energy, Mines and Resources, National Low Energy Building Design Awards Competition. Large Buildings Category, with Arun Sane. First Prize (RVWKP), Ottawa, Ontario, Canada 1980
• Ontario Stadium Project (SkyDome), Toronto, Ontario, Canada, with Michael Allen (RAN Consortium), 1985
• Industrial Research & Development Institute, Midland, Ontario, Canada (RSA), 1996
• Toronto Island Public/ Natural Science School, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (RSA), 1996
• Taipei City Sports Dome, Taipei, Taiwan (RAN International), 1996
• NY Mets, New Shea Stadium, New York USA (RAN International), 1996
• Weldstation, Frankfurt, Germany (RAN International) 1995
• King Fahd International Stadium, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (RAN International), 1992
• NYC 2008 & 2012 Olympic Stadiums, New York USA (RAN International), 2001 and 2004

Works

• 
  Rogers Centre, Toronto, Ontario
• 
  Expo 67, pavillons Ontario, Canada, Provinces-de-l'Ouest, et le Minirail.
• 
  OCAD University,Toronto, Ontario
• 
  Schulich School of Business- York University

References

• "Canadian Who's Who 1997 entry".RetrievedMarch 13,2006.