Construction Expected to Lead Growth in British Columbia

By Richard Gilbert, Journal of Commerce
February 25, 2013

The construction industry will expand faster than all other domestic-oriented industries in British Columbia over the next five years, while the overall economy will improve slowly and then shift to stronger growth. “The U.S. is expected to gain speed during 2014 to 2017, which will help lift B.C.’s economy to higher growth rates after 2013,” said Helmut Pastrick, chief economist for Central 1 credit union.  “The (B.C.) housing slowdown this year will reduce residential investment. The mild correction in the housing market will pull down economic growth in 2013 and 2014. Fewer housing starts in 2013 are a near certainty in an environment of declining housing sales and prices.” Pastrick recently produced the B.C. Economic Forecast 2013-2017 which predicts real provincial Gross Domestic Product (GDP) will increase by 2.2 per cent in 2013, before accelerating to 2.7 per cent during 2014. More … http://joc.newspaperdirect.com/epaper/viewer.aspx.

Skills Canada Judges Wanted

The 19^th Annual Skills Canada National Competition takes place June 5-8, 2013 in Vancouver. This national competition, which promotes careers in skilled trades and technologies, will feature more than 40 contest areas ranging from electrical installations and brick masonry to landscape gardening and graphic design. The list also includes architectural technology and design. Skills/Compétences Canada is currently recruiting volunteer judges in many disciplines whose task will be to evaluate the performance of each contestant according to predetermined criteria for each contest. Judges will selected based on their expertise in the contest area for which they are being asked to judge. Those interested are encouraged to contact the provincial office at bc@skillscanada.com. For more on Skills/Compétences Canada and the annual completion, visit www.skillscanada.com.

The Architecture of Necessity

The expression “bio-based society” has grown in use, supported by the notion of increase frugality with limited resources.. But what will it look like? This crucial vision for sustainable society involves science, design and communication. Entries are currently being accepted for The Architecture of Necessity, an international showcase on sustainable society building being held in conjunction with WOOD 2013, Northern Europe’s biggest exhibition on wood and sustainability. This exhibition will present cutting-edge wood architecture from across the world, projects large and small that stand out from the crowd. Organizers are especially interested in those that illustrate the dynamic relationship between construction and design, such as what form a wooden house may take in 40 years’ time, when raw materials are even more scarce. The aim is to present ideas, research and ambitious attempts in the field of organic high-tech with wood as an engineering material. This includes examples of biomimetics; cultured architectural details; houses without metal; bio-based construction and community building; intelligent production processes; buildings cast in fibre; bio-composites; and example of how bio-materials will replace non-renewable resources. Architects, builders, designers, construction firms, government agencies and others are invited to participate. The deadline for submissions is March 22, 2013. For details, visit http://architectureofnecessity.blogspot.se/2012/11/participate-in-architecture-of.html.

New Registered Educational Provider: Kasian Architecture Interior Design and Planning Ltd.

Kasian is one of the leading 100 architecture, interior design and planning firms in the world, with offices in Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Toronto, Abu Dhabi and Shanghai. The firm employs an integrated, collaborative approach to design. Its award-winning projects range from one of the most advanced children’s hospitals in the world to master plans for some of the most densely populated cities on the planet. Learn more about this and all AIBC Registered Educational Providers at http://www.aibc.ca/member_resources/professional_dev/CurrentREP.html.