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B.C. is moving ahead with plans to build what is expected to be the tallest wood building in North America and possibly the world, Jobs Minister Pat Bell said Wednesday. The proposed 10-storey Wood Innovation and Design Centre in Prince George will become a test case for creating a value-added forest products industry around tall wood building construction methods that would differ radically from the way traditional mid-rise and even highrise buildings are constructed ... »»»
B.C.'s construction industry is honing a skill of turning this old structural material into new exciting shapes and forms. Known as architectural concrete, it is being used to express different colors, finishes, building shapes and sustainability objectives. “In Vancouver, during the 60s, 70 and into the 80s, a lot more was done,” said Roland Haebler, president of Haebler Construction, which is known for working on challenging projects that involve architectural concrete ... »»»
Why should tree metaphors appeal to architects? Tree metaphors refer to the experience of living in a body on earth. Trees are static, stable objects. Someone connected to a community is “rooted” there; a psychologically sturdy friend’s feet are firmly “planted” on the ground. We use trees to describe human bodies and souls: the area from our neck to pelvis is our “trunk”; someone reliable is “solid as an oak”; someone exploring a new area of inquiry is “branching out.” ... »»»
The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) has released a study on the world's 20 tallest buildings projected to be built by 2020. The Council introduced the term 'megatall' to describe buildings over 600 meters (1,968 feet) tall, which is twice the height of the previous superlative 'supertall' buildings. Buildings that have been stalled and do not have a predictable completion date have been excluded from the study ... »»»
This is what I see when I gaze into my crystal ball at the future of health-care design: a free-flowing Canadian hospital tuned into the needs of women, with a luminous pavilion marking its front entrance; a rehabilitation centre in Europe set in the quiet of a forest; and in Africa, magnetic neighbourhood centres of wellness to help stem the onslaught of chronic disease. In fact, I'm not dreaming, it's here ... »»»
Just because you are old and you leak a little, it doesn't mean you should be put down. I am also referring to buildings. Most architects have heard "the greenest building is the one that already exists." Consider how much energy it takes to create a new building. It takes approximately 65 years for a green, energy-efficient new office building to recover the energy lost in demolition. Most new buildings in Canada are certainly not designed to last anywhere near that long ... »»»
Today, after the customary few decades of slow growth, it would seem Winnipeg has again entered an era of prosperity that will leave a similar architectural legacy on its urban form. In time we may look back on today as the beginning of a third golden era of Winnipeg architecture. A time, as they did a century ago when local designers reached out to the world for inspiration and global architects found their way here to add a dramatic new chapter to Winnipeg's distinct architectural narrative ... »»»
A rounded form is just one of the many unique features in the University of Calgary's eco-house, an entry in the United States Department of Energy's Solar Decathlon 2011. The 1,000-square-foot structure was a collaborative effort by University of Calgary students from various faculties, such as environmental design, engineering and Treaty 7 First Nations of Southern Alberta, to build a durable net-zero solar powered home that addresses issues in Aboriginal housing ... »»»
Top-tier buildings have been redesigned to prevent that kind of collapse. These skyscrapers have steel connections capable of redirecting the path of the upper floors’ load downward through other structural members if one should fail. And sprinkler supply lines have been located within an impact-resistant core--a major difference from the Twin Towers. Both innovations are now part of New York City building codes ... »»»
The emergence of China on the global economic stage has been discussed at nauseum in myriad publications. But this emergence has had an impact on the world of architecture, providing a testing ground where architects can experiment with new ideas about sustainability and urban growth. These new ideas have been realized in recently completed structures, and more are just beginning construction or have been proposed for the future. More on these new buildings after the break ... »»»