Free Guide for Seismic Design

In light of impending changes to the Part 9 of the BC Building Code, the Homeowners Protection Office has produced an Illustrated Guide for Seismic Design of Houses. This 28-page resource will assist house designers and builders with new lateral bracing requirements for the code changes effective December 20, 2012. It features:

  • a helpful step-by-step process;
  • full colour, 3-D illustrated graphics;
  • a flow chart and helpful checklist of design requirements; and
  • information on exceptions and trade-offs for greater design flexibility and construction

It is free and available online at http://www.hpo.bc.ca/seismic-design-guide.

Update: New 2012 BC Building Code and 2012 BC Fire Code

The 2012 BC Building Code and 2012 BC Fire Code will come into effect December 20, 2012. With that in mind, a working group with representation from the AIBC, the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of BC, the Building Officials Association of BC, the Plumbing Officials Association of BC and the BC Building & Safety Standards Branch will be presenting a series of 10 seminars throughout the province to introduce and highlight the significant changes found in the 2012 British Columbia Building Code. These one-day seminars will include a general administrative overview of the building code, changes to Part 3 and Part 9, as well as Part 7 (plumbing) changes. Sessions are scheduled from 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. at the following locations:

Richmond                           November 22 -23, 2012, Vancouver Marriott Hotel *

Nanaimo                                November 27, 2012, Vancouver Island Conference Center

Victoria                                  November 29, 2012, Marriott Victoria Inner Harbour

Burnaby                                 November 30, 2012, City of Burnaby, Council Chambers

Kelowna                                December 4, 2012, Delta Grand Okanagan

Kamloops                              December 5, 2012, Best Western

Prince George                     December 10, 2012, Coast Inn of the North

Nelson                                    December 12, 2012, The Prestige Lakeside Resort

Abbotsford                           December 14, 2012, Matsqui Centennial Auditorium

Cranbrook                             December 17, 2012, Heritage Inn

* The Richmond session is part of a two-day BOABC Education Seminar with additional Friday programming that includes:

  • Standards for Windows Referenced in the 2012 BC Building Code, presented by the Window and Door Manufacturers Association of British Columbia;
  • 2013 British Columbia Energy Regulations, presented by theEnergy Efficiency Branch of the BC Ministry of Energy, Mines and Natural Gas;
  • Alternate Solutions Panel, a discussion of the intent, requirements and liability (or lack thereof), associated with alternate solutions in B.C.;
  • Criteria for Building Department Accreditation in British Columbia, as explained by BOABC representatives.

Online registration for these seminars is now available at www.boabc.org. They are expected to fill up quickly, so it is advisable to register early. Registration for the Richmond Education Seminar has already reached 75% capacity. In addition, the Burnaby event on November 30, 2012 is 90% full. If you are planning to attend either of these locations, please fax (604-270-9488) or e-mail (jennifer@boabc.org) your completed registration form as soon as possible to reserve a spot.

Note: printed presentation material will not be provided at these seminars, as was done in 2006. However, the Powerpoint presentations to be used will be available for viewing and downloading from the BOABC website by November 16, 2012. Participants are encouraged to bring a copy of these presentations to the seminar or download the information to your laptop. Also, The Illustrated Guide for Seismic Design of Houses  – BCBC 2012 is now available through both the BOABC website and the Homeowners Protection Office website (www.hpo.bc.ca). Participants are advised to study this reference document prior to attending a code change seminar.

While copies of the 2012 BC Building Code and 2012 BC Fire Code are not yet available through the Queen’s Printer, keen practitioners can contact www.bccodes.ca to be put on a notification list for when they are available. Online access is expected prior to the printed version. Note: the 2012 BC Building Code will not include major changes in parts 5, 9 or 10 with respect to resource conservation (energy and water); however, further revisions in these areas is expected for 2013.

7 Core Lus

Update: Consensual Resolution Bylaw

AIBC Council and the Bylaw Review Committee held a joint workshop on October 30 to review in detail the latest draft of bylaws that would revive the institute’s consensual resolution process, dormant since late 2009. Members may recall that the Architects Act was amended in March 2012 to enshrine consensual resolution of disciplinary matters into legislation.  Those amendments provided for the details of the process to be established through bylaws, voted on by the AIBC’s members. AIBC Council will formally consider a motion to advance the draft bylaws to the members for information and consultation at its November 13 meeting, and members should expect a substantive update on the bylaws in mid-November.  In the meantime, questions may be directed to Bylaw Review Committee Chair Janet Lutz Architect AIBC (janet.lutz@lutzarch.com) or AIBC Council Vice-President Paula Grossman Architect AIBC (paula.grossman@shaw.ca).

New Registered Educational Provider: CSMPS

The Canadian Society for Marketing Professional Services is a non-profit society providing professional service providers and their marketers with opportunities for professional growth, education and networking. CSMPS has a broad membership drawn from such areas as architecture, engineering, law, accounting, financial services and management consulting. To learn more about all AIBC Registered Educational Providers, go to http://www.aibc.ca/member_resources/professional_dev/CurrentREP.html.

Deadline Extended: Pre-season Lift Tickets

The deadline for the following deal has been extended until November 19, 2012:

SAVE on pre-season lift tickets for the 2012 / 2013 season.

– Whistler Blackcomb: Save up to 25% on Lift Tickets and up to 40% on Rentals

– Sun Peaks Resort: Save 15% on Lift Tickets

– Silver Star Resort: Save 15% on Lift Tickets

– Big White Ski Resort: Save 15% on Lift Tickets

This deal is now available to AIBC members and other registrants. Go to www.aibc.intrd.com to learn more about this and other available offers. Also, purchase 10 or more tickets before Nov 19, 2012 and be automatically entered to win 1 of 2 Ski Prize Packs – valued at over $350 each.

Perkins+Will Collects IDIBC Awards

The Interior Design Institute of British Columbia has selected the Vancouver office of Perkins+Will for two of its Awards of Excellence. The firm was recognized in the Workplace Total category for its design of the new Cobalt Engineering offices in Vancouver. It also received an Award of Merit in the Sustainability category for the same project. IDIBC’s awards program celebrates excellence in interior design throughout the province.