Winners Announced: Warming Huts – An Art + Architecture Competition on Ice

The Warming Huts v.2014: An Art + Architecture Competition on Ice has once again been a huge success. This competition, endorsed by the Manitoba Association of Architects, invited architects from all over the world to submit proposals for warming huts online at www.warminghuts.com.

After receiving over 190 entries the “blind” jury chose three submissions that best “push the envelope of design, craft and art.” This year the three winners are Canadian, with two of the winning entries coming from Toronto and one from Vancouver. In addition to the three winning open submissions, there will also be one hut from a separate University of Manitoba competition, one from the local invited architect Étienne Gaboury, and one hut from Kelvin High School’s drafting program.

Every year the architects push the boundaries in terms of inspiration, design, and materials used. There was no theme for this year’s competition which produced a diverse set of winning warming huts. Click here to view the winning projects.

The industrial window makes a comeback in residential design

Alex Bozikovic, The Globe and Mail
November 27, 2013

Over the past decade, residential design has been undergoing an industrial revolution. The sewing stool, the weathered workbench, exposed concrete floors – these features have showed up everywhere, not just in converted lofts, but also in new condos and suburban houses.

Now architects and designers are employing a new tool: the industrial window. Framed in black steel, divided into a grid of rectangular lights, such windows are borrowed from the factories of the early 20th century. And now, as that era fades into history, some of us are choosing to recall it in the design of our homes.

In an age of laptops, spreadsheets and telecommuting, the idea of real work – the kind of work our grandfathers did, with tools and hot steel and hunks of wood, the kind that today’s professionals have never done – has an attractive tang of nostalgia. More…

New Orleans architecture: a blueprint for an eclectic history

By Shelley Fralic, Vancouver Sun
November 29, 2013

From shotgun houses to plantations, cultural influences run deep in the south

The homes that we live in – whether in a remote village in Nepal or a concrete jungle in North America – are perhaps the first, and often the best, clue to the history of that place.

Are the dwellings large or small? Plain or ornate? Built of wood, mud or brick? Are they open-air for ventilation or thickly insulated against the cold? Are the ceilings high or low? Are they built on basements or stilts? Are there porches, dormers, turrets, chimneys? Is it possible to look at a house and know instantly what city you are in?

In Vancouver, for instance, it’s clear that ours is a young city that grew from a rainforest. Houses are mostly crafted from local wood and are rarely older than a century. There are British influences such as Edwardian and Queen Anne, but newer builds – like the Vancouver Special and post and beam – are modern in style.

In New Orleans, with 300 years of building as part of its pedigree, it’s a completely different story. More…

Knock knock. Who’s there? It’s Vancouver killing off the doorknob

Andrew Ryan, The Globe and Mail
November 22, 2013

Alas, the lowly doorknob will soon be a thing of the past, at least in the city of Vancouver.

CTV News reports that doorknobs are now officially passé in Vancouver following city council’s recent decision to usher in Canada’s first adaptable housing bylaw.

Starting in early 2014, all new housing units constructed in Vancouver will be forced to include several new accessibility features, including wider stairways, higher electrical outlets and a bathroom located on the main floor.

But what really has people talking is the total banishment of doorknobs in lieu of new lever handles. More…

Vancouver-based architect Bing Thom awarded Margolese prize

By Brian Morton, Vancouver Sun
November 28, 2013

Vancouver-based architect and urban designer Bing Thom has been named the winner of the second annual $50,000 Margolese National Design for Living Prize.

The prize, awarded by the University of B.C.’s School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture, is given to a Canadian who makes outstanding contributions to the development or improvement of living environments for Canadians.

“It is a great honour to have the community building and placemaking aspects of my work recognized as they have always been core to the values of my practice,” Thom said of receiving the prize, which was created through an estate gift to UBC by Leonard Herbert Margolese. “Architecture has a huge potential to change our world for the better when it authentically engages the community in which it is placed.”

As part of the award, Thom will be invited to give a public lecture on his work. More…

Bing Thom Architects selected for University of Chicago Center in Hong Kong

UChicagoNews
November 15, 2013

Internationally renowned Bing Thom Architects has been chosen to lead the design of the University of Chicago’s Center in Hong Kong, which will be the home of the relocated Chicago Booth Asia Executive MBA Program and other University programs.

With offices in Hong Kong and Vancouver, Bing Thom Architects was selected from an international pool of 12 firms. The Architect Selection Committee—led by Chicago Booth Dean Sunil Kumar and including trustees, faculty and University officials—cited the firm’s international experience, sensitivity to heritage, familiarity with Hong Kong and commitment to supporting the University’s academic programs.

“We are delighted to have in Bing Thom a highly celebrated and visionary architect to design our center at Mount Davis, the new home for the Chicago Booth Asia Executive MBA Program,” Kumar said. “With a breadth of experience in designing award-winning cultural and institutional projects worldwide, including Hong Kong, Bing Thom has a particular understanding of the local culture and history of the site. We are confident that Bing Thom will design a world-class, iconic and truly functional building.” More…

Update: New Canada / U.S.A. Mutual Recognition Agreement

The AIBC is pleased to confirm that the new Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) between the Canadian Architectural Licensing Authorities (CALA) and the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) will officially be in place on January 1, 2014.  The MRA was dependent on at least 51% of individual U.S. state boards and 51% of Canadian jurisdictions becoming formal signatories to the agreement. That majority has been met; all 11 Canadian jurisdictions and 28 of 54 American jurisdictions have now signed on and we hope to see others sign on shortly.  Once the new MRA comes into effect, the existing Canada/US Inter-Recognition Agreement will no longer apply.

The agreement is based on an individual registration’s being in good standing in their home jurisdiction, along with one year’s post-registration experience. Most importantly, through this new agreement, architects who have completed either the NCARB Architectural Registration Examination (ARE) or the Examination for Architects in Canada (ExAC) during their internships will be eligible for Canada/U.S.A. inter-recognition.

To view the new MRA, please click here. To also view the pertinent CALA bulletin, please click here. If you have any queries regarding this matter, please feel free to contact the AIBC at registration@aibc.ca.

The confirmed U.S.A. signatories are:
Alabama
Arkansas
Delaware
District of Columbia
Guam
Indiana
Iowa
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maryland
Massachusetts
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
New Hampshire
New Mexico
North Carolina
Ohio
Oregon
Puerto Rico
Rhode Island
South Carolina
Texas
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wyoming

Call for Nominations: 10th Annual Wood WORKS! BC Wood Design Awards

Wood WORKS! is a national industry-led initiative of the Canadian Wood Council, with a goal to support innovation and provide leadership on the use of wood and wood products. The annual Wood Design Awards event in BC aims to honour excellence in  wood-based projects and to recognize the people and organizations pioneering and achieving this objective. The 2014 Wood Design Awards will be opening their call for nominations December 6, 2013.  The 2014 Wood Design Awards ceremony will be taking place Monday, March 3, 2014 at the Vancouver Convention Centre (West).  For more information on how to submit your nomination visit  www.wood-works.ca or e-mail zcaul@wood-works.ca. Click here to view their flyer.

BC Recreation and Parks Association Annual Symposium & Tradeshow

The British Columbia Recreation and Parks Association has now opened exhibitor registration to their Annual Symposium and Tradeshow taking place, April 24, 2014 at the Delta Grand Okanagan Resort and Conference Centre. As an exhibitor you will receive access to over 400 key influencers and decision makers including: Local Government Elected Officials; Parks and Recreation Department Directors, Senior Managers and Facilitators; Parks and Facilities Managers; Recreation Programmers; Fitness Professionals; Corporations – BCRPA Members, as well as, Commercial, Educational and Non-Profit Affiliates; Post-secondary Educators, Students and Volunteers. Exhibitor booths and sponsorship opportunities are available. Please contact Matt Anderson at corpsales@bcrpa.bc.ca to learn more.

Welcome to the new AIBC website

We are pleased to announce the launch of the AIBC’s new website www.aibc.ca. The website has been completely redesigned with simplicity, ease of use and a strong focus on content delivery in mind. Our commitment to a widespread refresh of the website means users will benefit from the comprehensive content updates as well as the refined look and feel.

The new website is part of the AIBC’s concerted effort to improve user experience as we believe a great website is never truly finished.

We encourage you to take a peek and explore the new website and share any comments or feedback you may have with communications@aibc.ca

2014 IESBC IES Illumination Awards – Call for Submissions

IESBC is now accepting project submissions for the 2014 IES Illumination Awards. These awards showcase projects which demonstrate an exceptional use of lighting to effectively illuminate interior and exterior projects. Projects with a lighting component, constructed within last two years are eligible for consideration. Award categories include:

• Best Interior
• Best Exterior
• Best Residential
• Best Energy Efficiency
• BC Section Awards

Please note: a project can be submitted for judging in multiple award categories.
Completion:  Projects must be constructed between Jan. 2012 – Dec. 2013

Opens:  Wed., Jan 1, 2014

Closes:  Fri., Feb. 14, 2014 @ 11:59 PM EST

Fee:  $100 / entry per award category
Photos:  Up to 10 JPEG images, min. 1024 x 768 pixel
Narrative:  each image can include a description; max. 300 words in total
Optional Video:  max. 1 minute in .MOV, .M4V or .MP4 format (CANNOT contain narrative or music)

To view the detailed Procedures & Rules, click here.
Submit online at http://awards.ies.org
To learn more, go to: http://www.iesbc.org/content/local-section-vision-awards or click here.

For questions on completing the online submission, or to receive advice on photos and narratives, please contact Qiu Li, IESBC Illumination Awards Chair, at awards@iesbc.org or by telephone at 604-696-8364.