Peter Braithwaite Studio: Natural Forces: Design & Craft of a Nova Scotian Architectural Identity

Working primarily in Nova Scotia, Canada, where proposed projects tend to lack large budgets or extraordinary resources, Peter Braithwaite Studio pursues novel and unique approaches to otherwise ordinary vernacular assemblies and humble material palettes. Acting as both the architects and the builders, Peter Braithwaite Studio draws inspiration from the place in which the work resides and strives to create engaging sensory experiences without the requirement of expensive materials or complicated assembles. The results are beautiful yet familiar forms that both respect the natural landscape and forge new paths within Atlantic Canadian architecture.This first monograph from the firm contains 10 built projects and 10 projects in the development stage that are expressed through sketches, construction images, physical models, and professional images captured by Canada's leading architectural photographer, Ema Peter.

Brian Carter, a registered architect, worked in practice with Arup in Lodnon prior to his appointment as Chair of Architecture at the University of Michigan. He subsequently served as Dean of the School of Architecture and Planning at the University at Buffalo. The author of books on architecture and design he has curated international exhibitions of work by Peter Rice, Albert Kahn, Eero Saarinen and Aires Mateus. Brian Carter is currently Professor of Architecture at the University at Buffalo.Aaron Betsky is a Professor at Virginia Tech. Previously, he was President of the School of Architecture at Taliesin. A critic of art, architecture, and design, Mr. Betsky is the author of over twenty books on those subjects. He writes a once-weekly blog for architectmagazine. com, Beyond Buildings. Trained as an architect and in the humanities at Yale University, Mr. Betsky has served as the Director of the Cincinnati Art Museum (2006-2014) and the Netherlands Architecture Institute (2001-2006), as well as Curator of Architecture and Design at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (1995-2001). In 2008, he also directed the 11th Venice International Biennale of Architecture. His latest books are Fifty Lessons from Frank Lloyd Wright (2021), Making It Modern (2019) and Architecture Matters (2019). His Anarchitecture: The Monster Leviathan will be published by The MIT Press in 2023.Ema Peter is an award-winning Canadian photographer considered to be among the top architecture photographers in the world. Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, she is known for taking a photojournalist approach to capture the relationship between built forms and the people who live and work within them. She has photographed buildings and interiors across North America, designed by such notable architects as BIG, Kengo Kuma, KPF, Luis Vidal Architects and many more. Born in Sofia, Bulgaria, Peter’s interest in photography began at six when she received her first camera from her father. He also taught her how to develop negative film in the family’s kitchen. She regularly travelled with her father, who was a cameraman on film sets, and oftentimes slept in his car full of film gear. Both experiences were formative in developing her observational skills and how to capture light and shadow through a lens. Peter studied photography at the National Academy of Theatre and Film Arts in Sofia, where she earned a Master’s Degree in art and applied photography. She discovered her passion for French photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson and his “decisive moment” concept while an intern at the Magnum Photos agency in Paris. Cartier-Bresson has played a significant role in informing Peter’s work and her inclusion of human elements within the stark beauty of modernist architecture. In 2001, she immigrated to Canada and started working for Expedia, shooting luxury hotels worldwide. Later, she began photographing projects by local architects and eventually took on work by leading firms across North America. Her love for contemporary design stems from “seeing so many drab, grey concrete buildings” in her youth during the Eastern European communist era. “I don’t like conventional. I don’t like old-fashioned,” she has said. “I’ve always aimed for the future, and I think that comes from the fact that I lived in a very past state, and maybe part of me wants to see the future.” Peter’s photography has been featured on the covers of over 50 architecture and design publications. In 2023, she was the recipient of the Créatuers Design Award for Best Project Photographer. She has won the Architizer awards, Dezeen awards, Canadian Architect awards and many more.Yurii Suhov is an architectural and product visualization artist with more than 15 years of experience in the field. Yurii was born and raised in Riga, Latvia, where his early years were spent accompanying his architect father to construction sites, instilling a profound appreciation for the field. After graduating from high school, Yurii embarked on architectural studies. However, in 2009, due to the Great Recession, he decided to broaden his horizons and relocated to Toronto, Canada, where he spent three years working in sales. Upon returning home, Yurii realized his true passion lies in bringing architectural drawings to life through imagery. In 2013, he decided to shift his focus exclusively to architectural visualization. He constantly explores various disciplines to broaden his artistic pursuits, integrating 3D work with photography and digital matte painting. Influenced by a background in architecture and interior design and a keen interest in graphic design, photography, and music, his practice approaches each project with a natural curiosity and a beginner’s mind. Yurii and Peter initiated their collaboration in 2018 following a short email exchange. They have continued to collaborate, successfully completing more than a dozen projects. Among these projects, the most notable, in Yurii’s opinion, is the Attic Cottages. Thanks to the wonders of modern technology, Yurii’s practice is rooted in the places he finds himself. Most recently, he spent two years living, working, and surfing by the Atlantic Ocean in Portugal.James Moore McCown is a Boston-based architectural journalist who writes for numerous design publications including Metropolis, Architect’s Newspaper and AD PRO Architectural Digest. He has collaborated with Oscar Riera Ojeda on several books including the Architecture in Detail series which comprised four volumes: Elements, Materials, Colors and Spaces. McCown studied journalism at Loyola University New Orleans and holds an ALM (Master’s Degree) in the history of art and architecture from Harvard University, where his thesis on modern Brazilian architecture received an Honorable Mention, Dean’s Award, Best ALM Thesis (2007). He lives in Newton, Massachusetts.