Green Building Leadership Award For Vancouver

Vancouver took top honours at the World Green Building Council’s Government Leadership Awards, earning the citation for Best Green Building Policy. Held in partnership with the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) and the United Nations’ UN-HABITAT Human Settlements Program, the biennial award program recognizes local government leadership in green building and highlights policies that maximize the opportunity for buildings to mitigate environmental impact. Vancouver was singled out for its Greenest City 2020 Action Plan, which calls for a 20% decrease in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020. Winning cities were chosen by an expert panel of judges representing ICLEI, UN-HABITAT, and the World Green Building Council. The winners were announced at the Warsaw Dialogue on Scaling-Up Local and Subnational Climate Action, held in conjunction with the UN Climate Change Conference in Warsaw, Poland. For more information, click here.

Can We Please Stop Bashing Architects?

By Rory Stott, ArchDaily
November 19, 2013 

If the discussions recently held at the Battle of Ideas are any indication, it seems that we in the architecture community are living a certain crisis of confidence. Not one new utopian vision has been presented in the past 30 years, lamented Theodore Dounas; all these pop-ups popping up are just evidence, said Pedro Bismarck and Alastair Donald, of architecture’s fearful reluctance to tackle  complex problems or act as a legitimate agent for change at all; and then there’s the problem, voiced by Rory Olcayto, of architects being bullied by their clients into executing questionable agendas. These interpretations – of architects as meek, cautious, deferential, afraid of responsibility – are far from the stereotype of the architect as megalomaniac artiste. Yet two recent articles chastise architects for just that: “Why I Left the Architecture Profession” by Christine Outram and “The Fountainhead All Over Again” by Lance Hosey both criticize architects’ out of control egos, absence of common sense, and lack of respect for the people who their designs are supposed to serve. More …

2013 AIBC Volunteer Recognition Ceremony

On the evening of November 21, 2013, members of the AIBC community gathered to celebrate volunteerism and to pay tribute to some of the institute’s most dedicated volunteers. The evening’s gathering, which took place at the VanDusen Botanical Garden, included presentation of the institute’s inaugural AIBC Lifetime Achievement Award. There were two recipients of this award: Richard Henriquez Architect AIBC and the late Kiyoshi Matsuzaki Retired Architect. The newly-introduced honour recognizes current or former members who have made exceptional, sustained, and significant contributions to the profession and its public appreciation in British Columbia through an outstanding, career-long body of work. In addition, a Special Certificate of Recognition was presented to long-time AIBC volunteer Adam Policzer Retired Architect. Also recognized on this evening were outgoing members of the 2012/13 AIBC Council: Robert Chester Architect AIBC; Eszter Csutkai Architect AIBC; Paula Grossman Architect AIBC; Owen Pawson B.Arch LL.B (Lieutenant Governor Appointee); Dr. Richard Peddie Ph.D. (Lieutenant Governor Appointee); Tim Spiegel B.Sc. PQS MRICS (Lieutenant Governor Appointee) and David Yustin Architect AIBC (Past President), along with David Boswell Building Designer AscT (former Building Designer / Residential Designer Liaison) and Jenny Chow Architect AIBC (former Intern Architect Liaison).

Multi-storey Lane Houses Approved For West End

By Jeff Lee, The Province
November 21, 2013

Over the next 30 years, about 10,000 people are expected to move into the West End, the city’s most densely populated neighbourhood. And to prepare for that, Vancouver city council approved Wednesday a new community plan for the area, one designed to avoid wholesale changes to the character of the neighbourhood. The plan will allow multi-storey laneway housing, and changes how property owners can use their land, limiting most future residential development to rental housing only. More …

Metro Communities Struggle to Find Ways to Make Densification Gentler

By Tracy Sherlock, Vancouver Sun
November 21, 2013

Vancouver is wrestling with the issue of housing affordability at the same time as it struggles with a need for more public transportation and how to pay for it. While the city is regularly named as one of the least affordable in the world, it is also often named one of the most livable cities. New figures from the UDI/FortisBC Housing Affordability Index found that less than 11 per cent of the population can afford a single-family home in the city of Vancouver, which would take an annual income of $158,218 to finance. More …

New Plan Could Bring Major Changes to West End

By Jeff Lee, Vancouver Sun
November 21, 2013

Dense, old and full of character, Vancouver’s West End has been locked in planning limbo for years. Eyed eagerly by developers for its older stock of low-density rental housing but fiercely protected by its residents, the neighbourhood on the western third of the city’s downtown peninsula has resisted change as other neighbourhoods have densified. City Hall, wary of reigniting the fights that 20 years ago resulted in a policy restricting the rate of change in the area, left the West End alone while it reviewed other neighbourhood plans. But the West End faces a changing future after council adopted a new 30-year community plan Wednesday, following a public hearing that heard from dozens of people. This is one of the four neighbourhoods for which the city is developing new plans, including the Downtown Eastside, Grandview-Woodland and Marpole. More …

Sustainable Community Breakfast (North Shore)

The Future of the Region Sustainability Dialogues and Sustainability Community Breakfasts are outreach components of Metro Vancouver’s Sustainable Region Initiative (SRI). They involve a series of high-profile debates and discussions intended to help decision makers shape the future of the region by presenting a range of views and stimulating fresh thought on regional issues such as housing, industry, labour and immigration, drugs and crime, regional economy, transportation, energy and agriculture. Please check the web site often to find out about future dialogues in your community.

Managing Food Waste from Food Businesses
In 2015, food scraps will be banned from the garbage throughout the Metro Vancouver region. What does this mean for restaurants and other food businesses? Learn how food businesses are managing food waste, and how good things can happen when it’s diverted from the garbage. Speakers include Stever Harpur, founder and president of Earth Renu; Todd Jeannotte, Director, Catering & Conference Services and Chair, Green Committee – Four Seasons Hotel Vancouver; Stuart Lilley, Manager, Feedstock Supply – Enterra; Jaclyn McPhadden, Sustainability Consultant – RecycleSmart Solutions; and Erin Nichols, Manager – Community Angel Food Runner. The next presentation takes place Wednesday, November 27, 2013, 7:30 – 9:00 a.m. at the Eagles Hall, 170 West 3^rd Street, North Vancouver. Click here to register.

Social Media Baffles Builders, Architects And Designers

By Michael Bleby, Business Review Weekly
November 18, 2013

More businesses in the building, architecture and design trades think social media is important to their livelihood than did a year ago. That’s not surprising. What is more surprising, perhaps is that a greater proportion of those businesses are unsure how to use social media to their benefit than was the case 12 months ago. The results of a survey by industry publisher Infolink paint the picture of businesses that know they need to harness this new medium, but which are throwing their hands up in increasing numbers. More …

AIBC Gallery: 2013 AIBC Architectural Awards

AIBC Gallery: #100 – 440 Cambie Street, Vancouver

Winners and other submissions for the 2013 AIBC Architectural Awards will be available for viewing again from January 14, 2014. The exhibit showcases the best in B.C. architecture, encompassing more than 60 submissions garnered across three award categories: The Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia Awards in Architecture; The AIBC Innovation Award; and the AIBC Special Jury Award. The AIBC Gallery is free and open to the public Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Click here to view this year’s award recipients.

Superkül Completes Canada’s First Active House

BY Diane Chan, Azure
November 13, 2013

In a rural field in Thorold, Ontario, a city on the outskirts of Niagara with a population of roughly 18,000, sits a small row of contemporary prefab houses. This is Rolling Meadows, the beginnings of a subdivision by Toronto developer Great Gulf Group. And its latest addition – the Active House – offers a sustainable twist on the single-family home. Great Gulf invited Toronto eco-firm Superkül to design this model unit based on a concept devised by the Active House Alliance in Brussels, an initiative promoted by Danish window manufacturer Velux. “They liked our single-family homes, which they felt were in line with what they were trying to achieve,” says Superkül principal Andre D’Elia. The firm’s projects, including the +House, similarly bring in lots of natural light, are sustainable, and make a connection with the landscape. More …

Energy Efficiency Courses Full

The Know The Code? Courses on New Energy Efficiency Regulations, being held at the AIBC on November 26 and 27, 2013, have now sold out. However, additional sessions are taking place in early December through the Illuminating Engineering Society of British Columbia (http://www.iesbc.org/event-registration-list?archived=0). Please note that while the AIBC supports these sessions and has made its space available for hosting some of them, the sessions themselves are being offered through the BC Building & Safety Standard Branch. Some AIBC members have enquired as to whether any additional sessions are anticipated for Vancouver Island and the B.C. Interior. At this time there is nothing planned. However, the AIBC has passed along these requests and will keep you advised.

Canadian Society for Marketing Professional Services

What’s Your Value Proposition?

A value proposition is an essential tool that forces you to look both internally and externally in crafting a statement that is actionable by you and your firm, while being credible and compelling to your target audience. In this session, participants will learn how professional service providers can best describe what they do so that the value is highlighted and people want to know more. The seminar takes place Wednesday, November 20,2013, 7:30 – 9:00 a.m. at the Four Seasons Hotel, 791 West Georgia Street, Vancouver. The cost is $85 ($70 for CSMPS members), breakfast included. Pre-registration is required. Go to http://www.csmps.com/eventreg.html.

1.5 Non-core LUs

New Registered Educational Provider: Canadian Precast / Prestressed Concrete Institute

Members of the Canadian Precast / Prestreesed Concrete Institute (CPCI) supply architectural and structural precast concrete elements fabricated and certified in accordance with CSA Standard A23.4 “Precast Concrete Materials and Construction”. CPCI includes 31 members spread across 45 plants throughout Canada. Learn more about this and all AIBC Registered Educational Providers by clicking here.

New Registered Educational Provider: Vitrum Glass Group

Since its inception in 1997, Vitrum has offered a wide selection of architectural glass products. Today, it is the largest glass fabricator in the Pacific Northwest, offering more than 500 glass types and combinations. Learn more about this and all AIBC Registered Educational Providers by clicking here.

Canadian Passive House Institute

Full Course in Passive House Design & Construction (Victoria)

This intensive six-day course is aimed at architects, engineers, contractors, planners, design professionals, advanced students and others who are motivated to learn how to build to the world’s most advanced and ecological construction standard – the Passive House. In addition to the essential principles and criteria for Passive House design, participants will learn about building envelope considerations; construction solutions; thermal bridging; heating, cooling and ventilations systems; and the economics of this advanced construction technique. Case studies will be included. It takes place Thursday to Saturday over two weeks (December 5-7 and December 12-14, 2013) at Victoria City Hall. A registration fee of $1,550 + tax includes all training materials, lunches each day plus coffee and snacks. However, it does not include the PHPP software package, which is required for the course. Organizations registering two or more persons qualify for a 20% discount on the second registration. For more details and to register, click here.

36 Core LUs