2015 Certified Professional (CP) Program – Webinar Enrollment Still Available

With a month left to register, interested architects and engineers are reminded to enroll in the Certified Professional (CP) Program. Though the in-person course is sold out, webinar enrolment is still available. If you are interested, we encourage you to register now. A wait list for the in-person course is also being maintained in case of cancellations.

Please see below for full details.

The 2015 CP Program is being offered jointly by the Architectural Institute of B.C. (AIBC) and the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of B.C. (APEGBC). This course, including successful completion of the exams, is required for architects and engineers to become Certified Professionals under the CP Program. This is an alternative to the conventional building permit and inspection process utilized by the City of Vancouver and the City of Surrey, as well as some other municipalities.

This course is intended for architects and engineers with a strong knowledge of Canadian building codes and experience in the building construction industry. Although the course is open to all, only architects and engineers can become CPs.

This course will consist of twelve (12) full-day seminars which are scheduled Wednesdays between September 16 and December 16, 2015 and two (2) 8-hour exams, which are scheduled on Wednesday, January 20 and 27, 2016. Those interested in becoming CPs are required to attend the sessions, complete two projects and pass all exams.

The in-person course is currently full, however, there are still spaces available for the webinar and registration is open. Participants in remote locations are responsible for their internet connections with recommended minimum download and upload speeds of 1 Mbps and 512 Kbps, respectively. Exams will be held only on site at the AIBC.

Date: Wednesdays between September 16 and December 16, 2015, 8:30am – 5:00pm
Location: Online
Learning Units (LUs): 84 Core LUs
To register: http://aibc.memberpro.net/main/body.cfm?menu=events

*Note: Webinar participants will be required to attend in person the two site visits (to be held in Vancouver and/or Surrey) and attend the exams held at the AIBC offices in Vancouver.

If you would like to put your name on a waiting list for the in-person course, or for further information please contact Krista Stripnieks, Professional Development Coordinator at kstripnieks@aibc.ca.

Minimalist Architecture Goes for Drama with Eaton’s in Vancouver

by Frances Bula
The Globe and Mail, July 19, 2015

(Image: Architect James Cheng is pictured at the newly redeveloped Pacific Centre office and retail complex in downtown Vancouver, British Columbia on July 15, 2015. Courtesy of The Globe and Mail, photo by Ben Nelms)

All around the block of a building under construction at Georgia and Granville is the busy jumble of a city: neon signs, old terracotta buildings, black towers of the 1970s, lights, people, food trucks, noise.

But the almost-completed building itself is cool, serene. The glass walls of the top three stories reflect blue sky and clouds.

The rows of metal fins between the silvery windows are a study in linear geometry. Bands of large limestone tiles line the lower floors.

One entrance, angled onto the plaza, is a large, clear box that glows with white light at night.

The absence of colour and texture is exactly what architect James Cheng aimed for when he re-designed the former Eaton’s department store at the city’s main downtown intersection, a building that frequently made the most-reviled list. Read more…

SAFTI First Fire Rated Glazing Solutions

NBC Code Considerations in Fire Rated Glass
Advances in new fire rated glazing and framing technology and performance have made it possible for architects to design clear and innovative spaces like never before. With fire and safety glazing codes changing dramatically over the last few years, there is much confusion on which products are appropriate for certain applications based on current code requirements. This webinar program aims to review NBC and fire test requirements when designing for life safety and explain the relationship of fire safety and human impact safety. It will also clarify the difference between fire protective vs. fire resistive glazing code requirements addressing life safety and provide you with the latest product information.

Date: August 27, 2015, 10am-11am
Location: Webinar
Learning Units (LUs): 1 Core LU
Cost: Free
To register: http://safti.com/aibc-webinar/