It’s not easy to make it as an international design star when you’re from Canada. Sad but true. The lucky few who do win global recognition often flee the Great White North at their first taste of success and never look back.
Glenn Pushelberg and George Yabu are the exception. They’re partners in one of the world’s top design teams but remain stubbornly Canadian. Their firm, Yabu Pushelberg, keeps offices in Toronto (and not just for show – there’s a full team working there), and they make a point of giving back within our borders.
“We want to help create a strong Canadian design identity that others can build on and be inspired by,” says Yabu. “There’s so much talent here, but it doesn’t have a voice.”
“You have to respect your roots and where you come from,” says Pushelberg.
This is why, in addition to their immense and obvious talent, Yabu and Pushelberg were honoured at Design Exchange’s (234 Bay, 416-363-6121, dx.org) annual DX Intersection fundraising gala. Unlike some Canadian superstars who don’t bother to show up to accept prestigious awards or nominations (looking at you, The Weeknd and Drake), this eccentric pair gleefully partied the night away at the big bash.
The party was kismet-themed to toast Yabu and Pushelberg’s coincidental meeting. They met during their first year of design school at Ryerson University, then happened to link up a few years later when they were both searching for studio space.
“I had to get out of my parents’ house,” Yabu says, laughing.
They realized their compatibility and shared vision, and Yabu Pushelberg was born on King East. “It wasn’t planned it just worked out really well.”
They consider their Toronto upbringing both a blessing and a bit of a curse. “Certainly, the city’s diversity informs us a lot and opened our eyes and increased our curiosity about the world,” explains Yabu. “But it’s a tough, tough place to start and try to make a mark. Canadian clients are very reticent and modest… they want something that’s been done before. One of the reasons we went to NYC is because they’re more go-getters and want to be first.”
They also soon discovered one of the ironies of being a Canadian creative: you have to make it abroad before anyone takes you seriously at home.
“But it’s a double-edged sword,” Yabu says with a sigh. “Canadian clients are now afraid to hire us because they think we’re too busy and too expensive. But if there’s an interesting project back home, it’s not always based on fees for us.”
“We still hope for more projects in Canada,” adds Pushelberg.
The pair currently have three homegrown projects on the go. The first is the total renovation of Holt Renfrew’s flagship shop in Yorkville. “It’s fantastic, because we’re not doing it in dribs and drabs we’re going to remake the whole thing,” says Yabu. Holt was one of the first big local players to hire them decades ago.
The other is a non-profit project for the Canadian Olympic Committee. They’re designing Canada House, a reception centre for Canadian athletes and their families in Rio de Janeiro for the upcoming 2016 Summer Games.
“There’s no financial advantage for us, but it’s something we really want to do,” says Yabu.
Lastly, they’re designing a shelter for aboriginal LGBTQ teenagers and helping to raise funds for the project.
Despite their induction into the Order of Canada and being toasted by Canada’s design museum, Yabu and Pushelberg remain humble, emphasizing that they have more to give back to the country.
“These awards mean a lot. We’re so lucky to be celebrated by the Design Exchange, but it also puts pressure on us to do more in and for Canada,” says Pushelberg. “When you win something, it’s important to give back to the community.”
