Save the Date: 2011 AFBC Golf Tournament

The 11th Annual Architectural Foundation of British Columbia Golf Tournament takes place Friday, September 2, 2011 at the University Golf Course in Vancouver. Join friends and colleagues for a fun afternoon on the links, and help raise funds to support the AFBC’s efforts to build awareness and appreciation of the province’s built environment. Register as a foursome or individually, and take advantage of a range of sponsorship opportunities. Those interested in sponsorship can get in touch with Margo Johnston (604-904-0406; golfsponsorship@architecturefoundationbc.ca). To register for the tournament or donate prizes, contact Jeanette Horwood (778-882-7654; golfregistration@architecturefoundationbc.ca). Earlybird pricing expires August 1, 2011.

Forms:

AFBC 11th Annual Golf Tournament Registration

AFBC 11th Annual Golf Tournament Sponsorship

Bing Thom: Social Architect

The Dirt

July 28, 2011

Bing Thom is the subject of a new full-color book by Princeton Architectural Press. Prominently featured in the collection is his new Arena Stage, which has helped catalyze redevelopment in southwest Washington, D.C. The book, however, also goes way beyond his recent critically-acclaimed D.C. work and explores his earlier large-scale cultural projects in his native Vancouver along with his serene residential projects. For anyone inspired by nature, Thom’s biophilic, environmentally-sustainable, and socially-conscious built sculptures are worth delving into… (More…)

2010-2011 Mandatory Continuing Education System Final Transcripts

The end of the Continuing Education System reporting period was June 30, 2011.  Architects, architectural technologists, building designers and residential designers with a registration date prior to July 1, 2010 were required to report  a minimum of 18 learning units (LUs) of which at least 8 were required to be core LUs. Thanks to all who have diligently reported their learning activities.

The final transcript for the reporting period ending June 30, 2011 has been sent by e-mail.  Should you not receive your transcript within the next couple of days please contact Aleta Cho, Professional Development Coordinator acho@aibc.ca. or Linda Nielsen, Professional Development Coordinator for Catherine Bolter cbolter@aibc.ca.

Maura Gatensby MAIBC

Director of Professional Services

Heritage Vancouver Society – My Grandview: A Walking Tour

Join Heritage Vancouver’s first President Michael Kluckner for a unique look at Vancouver’s Grandview neighbourhood. You will roam over the blocks between Pender and Victoria Drive and First Avenue east of Commercial Drive, examining rows of builders’ houses, the scattered mansions of a century ago, surviving corner stores, apartment buildings and the Franciscan monastery – all in all one of the most diverse neighbourhoods in Vancouver. It happens on Saturday, August 27, 2011, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. The tour will begin and end at the corner of Pender and Victoria Drive. For registration, please visit: http://www.heritagevancouver.org/walkingtours.html#grandview

2.0 Core LUs

Ecological Health Action Plan: Working Towards a Sustainable Region – Open House and Webinar

Over the past decade Metro Vancouver has been working towards expanding and aligning regional efforts to improve our quality of life while supporting the integrity of our natural environment. The wide range of services Metro Vancouver provides the region and its related investment in public infrastructure and lands creates a unique opportunity for us to promote and support actions that improve our ecological health. The draft Ecological Health Action Plan is a pragmatic next step based on short-term actions clearly within Metro Vancouver’s mandate. The document describes how Metro Vancouver has incorporated ecological health into our regional plans and strategies, four areas of opportunity for improving ecological health and 15 initial projects.

There will be an open house on August 9th, 2011, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. (presentation starts at 6:30 p.m.) at the Metro Vancouver Head Office Information Centre (4330 Kingsway, Burnaby, BC). A webinar (https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/416756816) is also available on August 11, 2011 at 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.

For those who cannot attend either of these events, please provide comments by August 15th, 2011 by emailing ecologicalhealth@metrovancouver.org, by fax at 604-436-6970, or by mail at Ecological Health, 10th Floor, 4330 Kingsway, Burnaby, B.C. V5H 4G8. For further information, please visit www.metrovancouver.org.

Simon Fraser University City Program – Surrey Transportation Lecture Program

This course is a comprehensive introduction to transportation in the Lower Mainland with a particular focus on Surrey. You will learn about a range of transportation issues, including roadway planning, the relationship between transportation and land use, and the operation and management of our transportation systems. The Program extends over 11 sessions (10 weeks), with classes occurring once a week for three hours in the evening, from September 14 to November 16, 2011. Course fee is $300; a sponsorship of $250 by the City of Surrey will be available (given that minimum requirements for course completion are met). For complete course details and draft outline, visit: http://www.surrey.ca/city-services/7097.aspx . Application form is available Here. Please note application deadline is August 15, 2011.

 

Call For Presenters – Banff Session 2012

The Alberta Association of Architects invites proposals for the presentation of professional development sessions to its members during the 2012 Banff Session conference. Application deadline is 5:00 p.m., August 5, 2011.

Since 1952, an architectural conference known as the Banff Session has taken place in the beautiful Canadian Rocky Mountain setting of Banff, Alberta, Canada. The session provides an opportunity for those involved in the field of architecture to discuss their work, ideas, beliefs, and attitudes in an arena of open dialogue, in a unique context unencumbered by the everyday pressures and activities of the workplace. The two day session has historically been attended by a full house of approximately 450 architects, interior designers, academics, and students from all parts of Canada. The conference focuses on a combination of keynote speakers, professional development sessions and a conference tradeshow. The 2012 Session is being held on April 27 and 28, 2012 at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel. This conference is designed to provide architects and interior designers from across Canada with top-notch professional development sessions, both core and self-directed.

Download Application Form

Developer of Destroyed Richmond Building Backs Tougher Fire Safety Standards

By Tracy Sherlock, Vancouver Sun

July 21, 2011

The developer of the six-storey, wood-frame building in Richmond that burned to the ground in a massive fire in May says he will implement the fire safety recommendations put forth by Surrey’s fire chief when he rebuilds the project. Len Garis, Surrey’s fire chief and president of the Fire Chiefs’ Association of B.C., called for safety measures such as the earlier installation and activation of sprinklers and fire doors to prevent construction fires in large wooden buildings, such as the Remy project in Richmond, or the similar Quattro fire in Surrey in 2008. More … 

Architecture Firm Sues Over Payment For Work on Downtown Casino Plans

By Keith Fraser, The Province

July 21, 2011

The company that saw its plans for a new $500-million casino-hotel complex go down to defeat at Vancouver city council earlier this year is being sued for nearly $700,000 by a B.C. architectural firm. IBI/HB Architects says that in April 2010 it entered into an agreement with Paragon Holdings (Smithe Street) ULC to provide design work for the project that was to be attached to BC Place Stadium. More … 

Revit Architecture Conceptual Design & Visualization

Using Revit Architecture’s powerful Building Information Modeling (BIM) engine, this course will cover tools for creating mass elements that can be modified into many shapes. Students will then apply walls, roofs, and floors to the mass elements. The course also addressess space planning tools for setting up areas for rooms, and applying colors to show the connections. Participants will also learn to  render perspective views and create walkthroughs and solar studies for presentations and analysis. Fundamental topics include:

• Creating In-place conceptual mass elements and families;
• Creating building elements from massing studies;
• Using rooms and areas for space planning and analysis;
• Creating perspectives, walkthroughs, and solar studies; and
• Understanding the concepts of rendering and lighting.

Those who enroll in this course should be comfortable with the fundamentals of Revit as taught in the Revit Architecture Fundamentals course. Knowledge of basic techniques – such as creating walls and roofs, copying and moving objects, creating and working with views, etc. –  is assumed. This one-day course takes place Thursday, August 18, 2011 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Register at http://rww.force.com/training/RWW_VFCourseDetail_New?id=a0N700000088LZTEA2

6.5 Core LUs

Revit Architecture Collaboration Tools

The objective of this course is to enable students who have a basic knowledge of Revit to increase their productivity while working as part of a team, either within the same firm or with another firm, and while working with Revit documents or other CAD files. Fundamental topics include:

• Setting up project phasing;
• Creating and displaying a variety of design options;
• Using groups;
• Linking Revit files;
• Importing and exporting files, including exporting for energy analysis;
• Understanding, using, and setting up worksets; and
• Using multi-discipline coordination.

Participants should be comfortable with the fundamentals of Revit as taught in the Revit Architecture Fundamentals class. Knowledge of basic techniques – such as creating walls and roofs, copying and moving objects, creating and working with views, etc. –  is assumed. This one-day course will be held on Wednesday, Aug 17, 2011 from 8:30 a.m. to  4:30 p.m. For more information and to register, visit http://rww.force.com/training/RWW_VFCourseDetail_New?id=a0N700000088LlnEAE.

6.5 Core LUs

Revit Architecture BIM Management

The objective of the Revit Architecture BIM Management course is to enable those who have worked with Revit to expand their knowledge in setting up office standards with templates that include annotation styles, preset views, sheets and schedules, as well as creating custom element types and families. Fundamental topics include:

• Creating custom templates with annotation styles, title blocks, and custom element styles;
• Creating schedules including material takeoff schedules with formulas;
• Creating custom wall, roof, and floor types;
• Setting up a family file;
• Creating family geometry;
• Creating family types; and
• Creating specific families, including custom doors and windows, in-place families, profiles, railings, and shared parameters.

Those enrolled in this course should be comfortable with the fundamentals of Revit as taught in the Revit Architecture Fundamentals course. Knowledge of basic techniques – such as creating walls and roofs, copying and moving objects, creating and working with views, etc. –  is assumed. This one-day course takes place Tuesday, August 16, 2011 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Register at http://rww.force.com/training/RWW_VFCourseDetail_New?id=a0N700000088LlTEAU. For more information, contact Michael Blanchard at mblanchard@rand.com or (604) 270-7660.

6.5 Core LUs

2011 Canadian Architect Awards of Excellence

Submissions are invited for the 2011 Canadian Architect Awards of Excellence. Sponsored by Canadian Architect magazine, this awards program is open to all architects registered in Canada as well as Canadian architectural graduates for buildings designed in Canada and abroad. Foreign architects are permitted to submit, provided they have partnered with a Canadian-registered architect. Projects must be in the design stage, scheduled for construction or under construction but not substantially complete by September 15, 2011. All building types and concisely presented urban design schemes are eligible, and all projects must be commissioned by a client with the intention to build the submitted proposal. The awards are given for architectural design excellence. Jurors will consider the scheme’s response to the client’s program, site, as well as geographic and social context. They will also evaluate its physical organization, form, structure, materials and environmental features. This year’s jury consists of Walter Francl MAIBC (Walter Francl Architecture Inc, Vancouver), Diarmuid Nash (Moriyama & Teshima Architects, Toronto) and Peter Sampson (Peter Sampson Architecture Studio, Winnipeg). Project submissions will be accepted after August 11, 2011, and must be received by Thursday, September 15, 2011.  For more information and to download the entry form, visit http://www.canadianarchitect.com/awards/pdfs/2011_canadian_architect_awards_of_excellence_entry_form.pdf.

BC Building Code Survey

The province’s Building & Safety Standards Branch invites AIBC registrants to take part in a province-wide web-based survey for users of the BC Building Code. The intent is to gather information on the level of code compliance as well as information on the efficiency of the building regulatory system. This short survey requires 5 and 10 minutes to complete. Your input would be valuable, and certainly appreciated. To access the online survey, visit http://csd.cogix.com/ViewsFlash/servlet/viewsflash?cmd=page&pollid=MEM_BSS!BSSB_2011_CodeSurvey. Thank you in advance for your participation.

Experts Warned B.C. of Fire Risks Before Taller Wood Buildings Allowed: Documents

By Tracy Sherlock, Vancouver Sun

July 19, 2011

The Architectural Institute of British Columbia has ongoing serious concerns with fire safety in six-storey wood-frame buildings. The institute first expressed its view in a letter submitted to the provincial government before the building code was changed in 2009 to allow taller wood-frame buildings. The letter, obtained by The Vancouver Sun through Freedom of Information, formed part of the consultation process before the changes were made. More …