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

Vancouver Near Top of List of Cities Threatened by Rising Sea Levels

By Dene Moore, Globe and Mail
August 20, 2013

Coastal flooding could cost the global economy $1-trillion a year a few short decades from now because of the rise in sea levels caused by global warming if action is not taken now to stem the flow and Vancouver is one of the cities most at-risk for losses, says a new study. The article, published Tuesday in the journal Nature Climate Change, is part of an ongoing project by the Organization for Economic Co-operation. More …