Contact
mwbaechler@laurentian.ca
Office: TE-214 - Downtown Sudbury Campus
705 675 1151 #7202
English
Mark Baechler is an architect based in the province of Ontario. He is Assistant Professor at Laurentian University McEwen School of Architecture where he teaches graduate and undergraduate design studio and architectural drawing courses. His research focuses on wood furniture and architecture, as well as the history, theory and contemporary practice of architectural drawing. Mark holds a Bachelor of Architectural Studies and a Master of Architecture professional degree from Carleton University in Ottawa. He is a Registered Architect with the Ontario Association of Architects (OAA) and principal at Mark Baechler Architect.
| 2023 | Make a Wood Stool with a Chisel and a Robot. Workshop on digital and manual fabrication methods (25 undergraduate students) Co-organized with Prof. Steven Beites. Funded by the Business and Higher Education Roundtable (BHER). |
| 2022 | -In Drawing Conference. École de design, Université du Québec à Montréal. September 15-16, 2022. Paper presentation, “Imaginary Sanctuaries.” |
| 2020 | Wood Architecture Institute at the McEwen School of Architecture. Funded by McEwen Gift Agreement. |
| 2020 | The Birch Chair: A Design Exploration of Hardwood Species in Northern Ontario Forests. Wood Furniture and Architecture Design/Build Research. Funded by Laurentian University Research Fund (LURF) |
| 2019 | International Wood Educators Conference. Laurentian University McEwen School of Architecture, Sept 12-13, 2019, Conference Exhibition Organizer, Paper presentation, “Between Furniture and Architecture.” |
| 2019 | Work on Wood Symposium 2019. Laurentian University McEwen School of Architecture, March 17, 2019. Symposium organizer, Paper presentation “The Unfinished Chair.” |
| 2018 | Work on Wood Symposium 2018. Laurentian University McEwen School of Architecture, March 21, 2018. Symposium co-organized with Randall Kober and Patrick Harrop, Paper presentation “Wood Architecture Workshops.” |
| 2018 | Wegner Variations. Wood Furniture and Architecture Design/Build Project. Funded by McEwen Gift Agreement. |
| 2022 – 2023 | Abrahamic Sanctuaries. Graphite on paper (780 x560 mm) The drawing series identifies courtyards within the Abrahamic Architecture No1:1 drawing and explores sanctuary designs for these imaginary places. |
| 2018 – 2020 | Abrahamic Architecture No. 4:1. Graphite on paper, architectural drawing (2540 x 3429 mm). The architectural drawing is part of a series (2013-2020) exploring the architectural intersections among Jewish, Christian and Islamic sanctuaries constructed in the Middle East, Europe and Africa between 970 B.C.E. – 1650 C.E. The drawings collapse time and geography to illustrate the architectural history of the three Abrahamic religions as a collective architectural plan. |
| 2018 | Abrahamic Variations – Christ of the Light Mosque-Church No.1:3. Graphite on paper, architectural drawing (2540 x 3429 mm). The wall drawing illustrates the nine ribbed domes within the Christ of the Light Mosque-Church in Toledo, Spain. |
| 2018 | Wood Drying Pavilion and Sawmill. White and red cedar wood Pavilion (4000 x 4000 x 3500 mm) Exhibited as part of the International Wood Educators Conference, Sudbury, ON Sept 11-14, 2019. |
Mark Baechler Architect is a design practice consisting of two distinct spaces of production, the Workshop and the Drawing Room.
The Workshop examines thinking through making, focusing on the design/fabrication of wood furniture and architecture. The Great Lakes – St. Lawrence forest region in northern Ontario provides a conceptual and material resource for this practice, which includes harvesting trees and processing wood into bespoke works. The Workshop seeks design innovation through the careful study of woodcraft traditions and the invention of custom tools and fabrication jigs utilized in 1:1 scale furniture and architectural investigations.
The Drawing Room concentrates on the contemplative process of exploring architectural thought through drawing. The vast field of diverse architectural drawing types and conventions within the Western tradition are foundational to this investigation. Large sized graphite drawings are produced to re-examine the history and theory of architecture, as well as the representation of architectural phenomena including light and the absence of light. Conventional drawing formats and techniques are re-interpreted toward the development of contemporary architectural imagination.
| 2023 – in progress | Mark Baechler Architect – MB10 Wood Furniture Collection. The Great Lakes – St. Lawrence forest region in northern Ontario provides a conceptual and material resource for this series of 10 works. The design/ fabrication process includes harvesting trees and processing wood into bespoke furniture. The collection includes:
MB10 – Sculpture (500 x 530 x 750 mm) MB11 – Reading Chair (550 x 530 x 750 mm) MB12 – Chair (500 x 530 x 750 mm) MB13 – Ottoman (500 x 300 x 445 mm) |
| 2018 – 2022 | Mark Baechler Architect – MB00 Wood Furniture Collection. The series of 10 works examines thinking through making, focusing on the design/fabrication of furniture made with black walnut harvested and processed from Ontario’s Carolinian forest. The project seeks design innovation through the careful study of Danish and Ontario furniture traditions. The collection includes:
MB00 – Sculpture (425 x 425 x 850 mm) MB 1/2 – Drawing Chair (300 x 300 x 600 mm) MB01 – Drawing Chair (425 x 425 x 850 mm) MB02 – Drawing Table (1200mm x 700 x 750 mm) MB03 – Ottoman (425 x 300 x 445 mm) MB04 – End Table (425 x 300 x 550 mm) MB05 – Drawing Stool (425 x 300 x 445 mm) MB06 – Church Bench (1195 x 425 x 445 mm) MB07 – Church Bench (1195 x 425 x 445 mm) MB08 – Drawing Stool (425 x 300 x 445 mm) |
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| 2020 | Baechler, M. “Abrahamic Architecture.” OnSite 37 (Summer /Fall 2020): 8-9, 36, 39. |
| 2017 | Baechler, M. “Drawing the house of Abraham” Drawing: Research, Theory, Practice, Volume 2, No.1 (2017): 143-155 |
| 2016 | Baechler, M. 2016. “Drawing Abrahamic Architecture.” In proceedings of Design Communication Association Biennial Conference: Communicating Speculative and Creative Thinking, Bozeman, Montana, 2016, 169-175. Bozeman: Design Communication Association |