ACEC – BC Awards

The Association of Consulting Engineering Companies – BC recently handed out its annual Awards for Engineering Excellence. A number of the winning projects were buildings that involved significant contributions by AIBC members. Specifically:

• Lieutenant Governor’s Award & Award of Excellence – Buildings

VanDusen Botanical Gardens Visitors Centre (Vancouver)

Structural Engineer: Fast + Epp

Prime Consultant: Perkins + Will Canada

• Award of Excellence – Municipal

No. 4 Road Drainage Pump Station (Richmond)

Lead Consultant (Civil): Aplin & Martin Consultants

Architectural Consultant: Barnett Dembek Architects Inc.

• Award of Excellence – Natural Resource, Energy & Industry

Capilano Cliffwalk (North Vancouver)

Main Consultant: Morrison Hershfield Limited

• Award of Merit – Buildings

University of British Columbia Biological Sciences Building (Vancouver)

Mechanical/Electrical Consultant: MCW Consulting

Architect/Prime Consultant: Acton Ostry Architects Inc.

Role Call: Regulatory Coordination Committee

The AIBC Regulatory Coordination Committee is seeking new architect members. The committee acts as a resource to the institute’s Professional Services Board as well as the Director of Professional Services for matters related to the provision of architectural expertise and opinion regarding the formulation of building industry regulations, as well as input on Professional Development courses. Areas of activity include the coordination of uniform interpretation and application of building and zoning regulations; a forum for the expression of mutual concerns between regulatory authorities and design professionals; monitoring letters of assurance; the Certified Professional Program; and municipal regulation changes. This committee typically meets at the AIBC offices on the last Wednesday of every month excluding July, August and December. Meetings take place from 12:00 noon to 2:00 p.m. with lunch provided. If you are interested in volunteering for this committee, please contact Practice Coordinator Ryan Dinh at rdinh@aibc.ca or Practice Advisor Maura Gatensby at mgatensby@aibc.ca.

BIG’s Big Plans For Vancouver

by David Dick-Agnew, Azure Magazine

April 18, 2012

Rigid limitations, rather than stifling creativity, can actually stimulate wild adaptations and lead to results that a carte blanche wouldn’t necessarily produce. Look no further than the proposal for a challenging property in Vancouver from a megagroup led by BIG, based in Copenhagen and New York. (Among the team, the developer is Westbank, the architect of record is DIALOG, the local architect is James Cheng, and Phillips Farevaag Smallenberg conceived the landscape and urban design.) The 49-storey Beach and Howe St. tower, which is already being touted as an innovative response to the tower-and-podium architectural style defining Vancouverism, is a feat of ingenious design. More …