Vancouver Modern Home Tour

Enjoy a self-guided driving-tour of seven architecturally-progressive and contemporary Vancouver- area that homes. This first-time tour is your chance to explore, inside and out, select architecturally-designed homes that exemplify modern living. A number of architects will be participating, and comfirmed stopping points include:

• The eco-conscious Narrow Passive House, built by One SEED Architecture + Interiors;
• The visually impressive Geometric House, considered a perfect example of a true west coast modern home;
• An FNDA Architecture Inc. renovation of a 1960s post-and-beam West Vancouver home;
• A wonderfully modern and innovative Point Grey residence;
• A prototype home for Vancouver’s ubiquitous RS-1 zoning;
• A modestly-sized new home that makes optimal use of open spaces; and
• an early 20th Century Yaletown condominium transformed into the ultimate bachelor pad.

It takes place Saturday, September 14. Participating homes will open their doors to tour-goers from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. For more details and to register, click here to visit the tour’s website.

Letter From Canada

By Alex Bozikovic, Wallpaper
August 23, 2013

It is difficult to reduce Canadian architecture to a singular theme: the country’s great size and variety mean that its designs are shaped by regional climates and cultures from the cold North Atlantic to the the lush Pacific coast. This has led to great work – from that of Arthur Erickson on the west coast to Mackay-Lyons Sweetapple on the East today – that is firmly in dialogue with the landscape and rural vernaculars. But Canadians are mostly – and increasingly – urban people; today architects across the country are coping with the challenges of urban centres that are quickly growing larger and denser. More …

Call for Submissions: Sea Change: Architecture on the Crest A Digital Exhibition

The AIBC invites submissions for its upcoming exhibition entitled Sea Change: Architecture on the Crest. This entirely digital exhibition will build upon the theme of the 2013 Conference. Entry is open to all AIBC- and AIA-registered Architects and Intern Architects. Students enrolled in post-secondary architectural programs are also invited to participate.

Deadline for submissions is September 13, 2013 at 12 noon. More info here…

Vancouver The Most Livable City In North America: Economist

The Huffington Post
August 28, 2013

Vancouver may be the best place to live in North America, but it has yet to recover from a Vancouver Island highway closure that dropped it to third in the world in 2011. The West Coast city ranked below Melbourne, Australia and Vienna, Austria in the Economist Intelligence Unit’s livability survey, which assigns cities a score out of 100 based on factors such as stability, health care, culture and environment. More …

National Charrette Institute

NCI Certificate Training

This training session offers participants the opportunity to earn the basic and advanced NCI certificates. Participants will learn project planning and management skills, using a charrette as the transformational moment. It includes a half-day intensive in public meeting facilitation skills. This course will also feature a combination of Canadian and American case studies. It takes place Monday to Wednesday, October 7-9, 2013 at the Oceanic Plaza, 1032 West Pender Street, Vancouver. To learn more and to register, click here.

18 Core LUs

New Registered Educational Provider: National Charrette Institute

This non-profit organization provides training and coaching in the NCI Charrette System™ while advancing the fields of community planning and public involvement through research and publications. Course content can include project planning and management as well as public meeting facilitation skills. To learn more, click here.

Developers Build-in a Community Voice

By Hadani Ditmars, Globe and mail
August 23, 2013

For many architects, the community planning process can be a daunting one. The idea of design by committee, where hundreds of residents contribute their two-cents worth on new projects, can often produce dubious aesthetic results. But for Vancouver architects Mark Ostry and Russell Acton, whose firm Acton/Ostry had to accommodate neighbourhood input on the proposed Rize Alliance project at Kingsway and Broadway in Mount Pleasant, the process was a unique kind of “crystallization” of community needs and concerns. More …

Architects Who Improvise And Innovate

A trend among young architects to take matters into their own hands
By Edwin Heathcote, Financial Times
August 23, 2013 

Architecture is the most contingent of the arts. A painter or a poet, a musician or a novelist can, with even the most meagre of means, begin to create. Buildings need clients and sites, they need planning permission and approval from neighbours, they need engineers and construction crews. And, most of all, they need money. Architecture is consequently more intimately involved in the economic cycle than any of the other arts. But there is also a curious paradox. Much of the worst architecture emerges from a boom (think of Dubai) when there is too much work and not enough reflection. Similarly, the moments of real inspiration often emerge from economic crisis. Modernism was formed in the maelstrom of the Russian Revolution (the early masterpieces were built of timber offcuts and scrap) and the instability of the Weimar Republic. More …

Western Living Awards

Western Living magazine has announced its Designers of the Year selections for 2013. They include:

• Architecture: Cedric Burgers Architect AIBC, Burgers Architecture Inc. (West Vancouver)
• Eco: CEI Architecture Planning Interiors (Kelowna)
• Ones to Watch: One SEED Architecture + Interiors Inc. (Vancouver); JWT Architecture and Planning (Bowen Island)

Update: Bulletin 65: Advisory Design Panels

The third revision of Bulletin 65 – Advisory Design Panels-Standards for Procedures and Conduct is now in effect. This revision replaces its June 2010 predecessor. It emphasizes that the Architects Act, bylaws and AIBC policies apply to the conduct and practice of architects. It also replaces the word “municipality” with “jurisdiction” to reinforce the concept that not all authorities having jurisdiction are municipalities.

Early Bird Deadline: Passive House North 2013 Conference

Friday, August 23 is your last opportunity to take advantage of early bird pricing for the North American Passive House conference, taking place September 27-28 at the Westin Bayshore in Vancouver. Hosted by the Canadian Passive House Institute, this two-day gathering of industry leaders will examine cost-effective strategies for reducing building energy in cool climates. Titled Passive House North 2013: Affordable Energy Efficiency for a Changing Climate, the  program includes sessions on affordability, cold climate challenges, large wood structures, multi-family housing, prefab construction, high-performance window design, heat recovery ventilation, air tightness testing and a consideration of the Passive House standard as a pathway to Net Zero Energy. Registration includes full access to conference sessions, trade exhibition and daytime meals. Admission to the banquet and pre-conference workshops are extra. To access the reduced registration cost, AIBC members (non-CanPHI members) should enter promotional code “AIBC@phn2013.” For more information and to register, click here.

Core LUs available for many conference sessions.

Integral Group

Urban Sustainability Presentation

Should green building legislation be prescriptively based on existing industry measures, or simply focus on achieving performance-based targets? This question often comes up when determining the best approach for setting new regulations to achieve stringent energy goals. Provincial and local governments are currently working towards achieving significant net zero building presence by 2030. Achieving this goal has brought the debate to the forefront, and requires buy-in from all interested parties. With audience participation, Dave Ramslie, MSc, LEED AP, Principal will present both sides of this argument in an interactive and lively discussion. This free event takes place September 10, 2013 from 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. at the Integral Group Office (Suite #180 – 200 Granville St., Vancouver). Refreshments, appetizers and networking are included before and after the presentation. Click here to register online.

1 Core LU

BC Wood Specialties Group

Wood First Forum – Global Buyers Mission^TM

The 10th Annual Global Buyers Mission^TM takes place September 5 – 7, 2013 in Whistler. This three-day “invitation only” networking event / educational forum / tradeshow is designed to bring together pre-qualified international buyers, architects, designers, engineers, and contractors of wood products with Canadian manufacturers of products that include finished materials, building supplies, and remanufacturing products. Seminar highlights include:

• Analysis of Public Buildings Where Wood is an Essential Component;
• BC Wood Arenas – Design and construction of Wood Recreational Facilities;
• Passive Energy Efficient Building Systems in Commercial Applications;
• New Structural Developments in Connections, Long Span Structures and Multi-storey buildings in New Zealand;
• Design of Durable Modern Timber Bridges in Europe;
• Application of Massive Timber Systems in Low to Mid Rise Construction – Case study analysis: Ronald McDonald House;
• The Construction Industry With Import/Export Trade Considerations; and
• Timber Framing in Commercial Construction

There will also be an exhibitor mini-seminar program featuring 15-minute presentations on a variety of timely topics and issues. It take places at the Whistler Conference Centre, 4010 Whistler Way. For more information, click here.

Thursday: 4 Core / 1 Non-Core LU’s
Friday: 2 core LU’s
Saturday: 1 Core LU

Simon Fraser University City Program

Fall 2013 Urban Design Courses: Financing Urban Growth – The Use of Development Cost Charges and Community Amenity Contributions (Nanaimo)

Take part in a comprehensive, detailed, and practical examination of the economic, legal, planning, and political dimensions of development levies, negotiated community contributions, and density bonusing as means of creating community amenities and infrastructure. The instructors are Bill Buholzer from Young Anderson and Jay Wollenberg of Coriolis Consulting Corporation. This one-day course, co-sponsored by the Planning Institute of British Columbia’s Vancouver Island North Chapter, costs $330 + GST. It takes place Monday, November 4, 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. at the Coast Bastion Inn, 11 Bastion Street, Nanaimo. For details and to register, click here.

6.5 Non-core LUs

Simon Fraser University City Program

Fall 2013 Sustainable Community Development Courses: Foundation in Sustainable Community Development

This course will set the stage for other offerings in the Sustainable Community Development Certificate program. Take advantage of this opportunity to connect with other sustainability leaders and professionals and gain insights that will help address pressing sustainability challenges in your own community. Learn about sustainable community development, what it means, and several key concepts. You’ll explore the range of sustainability issues facing communities as well as some of the solutions. You’ll also compare sustainability frameworks and approaches, and discover the leadership styles and tools necessary to effect change. The cost for this three-day course is $950. It takes place Thursday to Saturday, September 12-14, 2013 at SFU Harbour Centre, 515 West Hastings Street, Vancouver. For additional information and to register, click here.

21 Non-core LUs