How a Calgary architectural gem went from celebrated to abandoned, graffitied and torched

On Nov. 25, 2015, the Design Talks Institute, which works to educate the public on the value and impact of good design, dedicated one of its "d.talks" public events to a small office building on 12th Avenue S.W. in Calgary called Lacey Court.

An "unassuming but cherished building," according to the program, Lacey Court was described as "a rare example [in Calgary] of a West Coast modern style of architecture."

Almost exactly eight years later, on Nov. 29, 2023, the Calgary Fire Department was called to an out-of-control fire at Lacey Court. 

In their report on the fire's cause, CFD investigators wrote that "the building's utilities had been disconnected for some time prior to the incident and there were indications that the location had been frequently occupied by people experiencing homelessness."

In just eight years, Lacey Court had gone from being celebrated to being abandoned, covered in graffiti and torched. 

Many people who care about Calgary's built environment, and many fans of that "unassuming but cherished" building, would like to know how that happened, and whether there's anything in the story of Lacey Court to help us understand why this city seems to struggle so much when it comes to keeping nice things.

Ben Klumper, an architect and co-founder of Modern Office of Design + Architecture (MODA), says that when he moved to Calgary in the late 1990s, Lacey Court was one of the first buildings he noticed.

"I always had my eye on this building and always thought it would be a great building to either work in or buy," he said.

When he and his partner started MODA about 10 years ago, they were based out of an office in the northwest, but Klumper says he still had his sights set on the small, modern Beltline jewel.

"And one morning, one of our staff members came to the office and said, 'Hey, did you guys notice that Lacey Court is up for lease?' And I said, this is amazing, we have to get on that. So I called the landlord right away," he said.

"Within six months, we were in there."

When asked what it was about Lacey Court that attracted him so much, Klumper said, "It's an architect's building."

"It was designed by architects, and I think the first tenants were those architects, back in the '50s. So it was great for us to bring the building full circle again."

They set up their practice in the front space in 2015 after doing an extensive renovation, creating an open-office concept with windows looking out onto both the street and the interior courtyard.