Johanna Hurme

Johanna Hurme is an architect and cofounder of Winnipeg-based 5468796 Architecture. The firm seeks projects that explore the potential for density, affordability, sustainability achieved through non-traditional means and a dynamic design approach. For the past 15 years, 546 has been pursuing a critical architectural response to contemporary issues in multi-family housing and urban design, grounded in real-life practice-based experience and a tandem investigation into worldwide housing research and built work. In this time, Johanna has discovered that an architect's scope of work stretches deep and wide, necessitating an understanding of how their role in challenging contexts must increasingly intersect with politics, economics, social activism, and other forms of cultural and scholarly research and pragmatic engagement.

Expanding these discoveries to other streams has been essential, and involves changing the lens through which architectural inquiry, advocacy, accountability, and action can positively impact the typology. Participation in civic avenues to engage the housing crisis through social acuity, financial Pro-forma and policy change; various and diverse writing for publication; lectures, panels and juries at festivals, forums and institutions in Canada, the United States, Europe, and Asia; and invitations to educate on the topic of housing [College of Architecture, Illinois Institute of Technology; Daniels Faculty of Architecture, University of Toronto; Faculty of Architecture, Université de Montréal; Faculty of Architecture, University of Manitoba] have together formed the basis of Johanna's interdisciplinary design instruction.

Johanna is a contributor to Cambridge Scholars' 2019 publication, Innovative Solutions for Creating Sustainable Cities, and the author of platform:MIDDLE, Housing for the 99%, to be published in late 2022. The book focuses on the current state of multi-family housing design in North America and the architect's role in shaping its future. The publication includes design tools for students, designers, and architects to support the creation of high-quality housing.

In addition to practice, Johanna is an advocate for progressive modern urban design policy. She is passionate about making the creative sector an integral part of the broader culture by spearheading ventures like Table for 12 + 1200, Chair Your Idea, and Design Quarter Winnipeg, which she leads as CEO. Johanna is past Chair of the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors [2017-2018] and on the National Board of Directors of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada. In 2017, she was shortlisted for the International Moira Gemmill Prize for Emerging Architecture and is a past recipient of the Manitoba Woman Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

Related News

• Johanna Hurme: Practice Ecosystem

Classes (Selected)

• Arch 4509 / 6509
• Arch 4605 / 6605
• Arch 3308 / 6308

Awards, Grants, and Fellowships (Selected)

• 5468796 - DOMUS 2020 Top 50 Architects - Firm Recognition
• OZ Condominiums + OMS Stage - Mies Crown Hall Americas Prize | MCHAP.emerge finalist
• Crossroads Garden Shed - American Architecture Prize | Platinum
• AGGV - World Architecture Festival | Future Project of the Year
• Bond Tower - P/A Award | First Award

Exhibitions and Presentations (Selected)

• Architects not Architecture, March 2022
• Architectural League of New York, February 2021
• Canadian Pavilion | Venice Biennale in Architecture, 2012