Aboriginal Cultures Inspire Vancouver Architect

By Jenny Lee
Vancouver Sun, Jan 12, 2016

(Image: Architect Nancy Mackin in the Terrace Northwest Community College longhouse she designed. Photo by Leslie Savage)

Nancy Mackin does landscape and building design influenced by her interactions with B.C. First Nations.

Most B.C. architects work in urban centres, but Nancy Mackin works in the northernmost reaches of the province, up past Terrace in the Nass River Valley, up where winters are cold and populations sparse.

“It’s the furthest point on the coast you can go in B.C.,” said Mackin, who specializes in landscape and building design for indigenous people. Read more…

Light House: Bruno Freschi Gives a New Lease of Life to the Staples House

by Hadani Ditmars
Wallpaper, Dec 24, 2015

(Image: Architect Bruno Freschi has updated his seminal modernist masterpiece, The Staples House. Pictured left: Freschi’s changes include transforming upper level balconies into rooms. Right: As well as removing a pond at the front of the house. Courtesy of wallpaper, photo by Kenneth Dyck)

It’s not every day that architects get to renovate their own designs. The clash of the creator’s original vision with that of often well-meaning new owners is all too frequent as buildings age and change hands.

So for septuagenarian Bruno Freschi, updating his 1966 West Coast modernist classic, the Staples House, for its new owners was a unique opportunity not to be missed. Read more…

Architectural Research Opus 33 Years in the Making

by Don Wall
Daily Commercial News, Jan 11, 2016

(Image: The Royal York Hotel, now the Fairmont Royal York, in Toronto was designed by Sproatt and Rolph and by Ross and MacDonald, Architects, 1928-29. Architect Robert Hill says he has a special admiration for its chateau-style building typology. Courtesy of DCN, photo by William Mewes)

A Herculean, if not Sisyphean, effort by Toronto architect Robert Hill to compile information on every important building constructed in Canada between 1800 and 1950, along with biographies of some 2,300 architects from that period, is close to completion after 33 years of work.

The project, titled Biographical Dictionary of Architects in Canada 1800-1950, aims to list “every Canadian building of importance between 1800 and 1950 whose architect can be identified, together with essential information on the date of design, construction, alteration or demolition of the work.” Read more…

Wood WORKS! BC

International Wood Symposium
Exemplary wood design: The future with wood products, systems and logistics. The 2016 International Wood Symposium is a comprehensive one-day event specifically tailored for design and building industry professionals. Join the discussion on the future of wood in a built environment of bigger, taller and more complex buildings. Be inspired and learn about expanding opportunities from six different world-class speakers.

Date: January 22, 2016, 7:30am-5pm
Location: Vancouver Convention Centre West, Level 2
AIBC Learning Units (LU): 6 Core LUs
Cost: $249 plus GST
Register: www.wood-works.ca/bc

City of Vancouver Urban Design Awards

The City of Vancouver is now accepting submissions for the 2016 Urban Design Awards, which celebrate projects that demonstrate excellence in architecture and design and contribute to creating a vibrant, livable city.

Entries are now being accepted in the following categories:

• Residential buildings – small, medium or large scale
• Commercial buildings
• Government and institutional buildings
• Urban elements
• Innovation
• Outstanding sustainable design
• Landscape, public space and infrastructure

To be eligible for the Urban Design Awards, projects must be located within the city of Vancouver; completed (with an occupancy permit) after January 1, 2012; entered by the project owner or a project team member; and not have previously won a City of Vancouver Urban Design Award.

The deadline for entries is February 15, 2016. To submit a project or for more information visit vancouver.ca/design-awards.

The awards will be selected by an independent jury and recipients will be honoured at a ceremony in May 2016.

The Vancouver Urban Design Awards were first presented in 2014, and are presented every other year to recognize entries and winners.

For questions relating to the awards program or your submission please email rsvpawards@vancouver.ca or contact Jane Bateman at 604-873-7936.

Building Smart with New HVAC Code Requirements

Building Smart with New HVAC Code Requirements is a half-day workshop and webinar focussing on how to design and select HVAC systems and equipment, including complying with building codes for home construction in British Columbia. Please join us for an exciting exchange of ideas and learn from the practical experience of our panel of local and national experts.

For more details about the topic, visit the Building Smart Workshop page and register for the in-person session or the online webinar today.

This event is presented by the Homeowner Protection Office (HPO), a branch of BC Housing, in partnership with BC Hydro, Fortis BC, City of Vancouver, and City of New Westminster.

Date: January 20, 2016
Time: 7am-12pm (registration and breakfast start at 7am, the program begins at 8am)
Location: Hilton Vancouver Metrotown – Crystal Ballroom, Burnaby
Register: In-person or webinar

CES participants may self-report educational activities in accordance with the rules in AIBC Bulletin 80, Mandatory Continuing Education System (CES) Rules and Guidelines. Please refer to Bulletin 80 for further information.