Living Density Exhibition at Grace Gallery

LivingDensity

http://afh-vancouver.org/main/?p=70

FORUM—-May 9th, 10am
EXHIBITION—-May 9th-22nd - M,W,F - limited hours - t: 604 839-5780
CLOSING RECEPTION—-May 22nd, 7pm

Location: Grace Gallery, 1898 Main Street, Vancouver

Architecture for Humanity Vancouver presents the LivingDensity Exhibition & Forum, an exploration on how humanity, sociability and density may be achieved through innovations in the interlinked disciplines of architecture, urban planning, industrial design and communication design.

LivingDensity is a response to the City of Vancouver’s EcoDensity Charter, a commitment to make environmental sustainability, housing affordability and livability a primary goal in all city planning decisions. LivingDensity seeks to address how urban densification can promote better communities, sustainability, as well as culturally stimulating experiences.

Laneway competition

Prefab 20*20 Competition

http://afh-vancouver.org/main/?p=296

YOUR CHALLENGE

Your challenge is to propose a free-standing, prefab dwelling unit for a footprint no more than 400sf (37.5sm) in an urban setting anywhere in the world. Fit for two adults, its basic program shall include sleeping, bathing, cooking, living, working/studying, and storage areas. Entrants are free to deviate from the basic program but justification must be included.

PREFAB 20/20 is sponsored by Architecture For Humanity Vancouver, AIBC, IDSwest, and Azure Magazine.

BC Leads Cascadia in Key Quality-of-Life Trends

Key findings for British Columbia from the 2009 Scorecard included:

* BC rises to a new high in health: British Columbia residents live an average of 81.6 years, two years longer than residents of the Northwest states and topping all other North American states and provinces. In fact, if BC were an independent nation, it would have the second longest lifespan in the world, after Japan, and be tied with Iceland. The healthiest jurisdiction in British Columbia is the suburban city of Richmond, BC, where lifespans exceed 84 years.
* Province’s smart-growth lead may be slipping: Within Cascadia, metropolitan Vancouver, BC, has long led the way in smart growth, with more residents in transit- and pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods than in comparable US cities. But the most recent Census held a surprise: Between 2001 and 2006, the pace of smart growth slowed. Compact neighborhoods accounted for just 56 percent of new urban and suburban development, compared with 67 percent during the 1990s. There was, however, impressive growth in pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods in some parts of the metro area during that time.
* BC bests Northwest states in personal energy efficiency: Largely because of the province’s success at creating compact communities that encourage walking and transit use, British Columbians use almost one third less energy per person than the Northwest states (counting highway fuels and electricity in homes and businesses). Per person, British Columbians cut back on gasoline use by nearly a tenth since 1998. But the province still uses about 50 percent more energy per person than world leaders such as Germany.
* Economic progress stalls: In 2006, the last year for which complete data were available, the province marked its fourth consecutive year of improved economic security. Yet the share of residents below the "low-income cutoff" was nearly the same as it was in 1990, while the percentage of children living below the low-income cutoff had grown by more than three percentage points.
* Lowest teen birthrate: Northwest teen birthrates rose in 2006 and again in 2007, a trend that broke a long-standing decline that had been underway since the 1990s. But BC boasts the region’s lowest teen birthrate by far—less than one-third that of the Northwest states.

Sightline’s Williams-Derry said that while British Columbia has performed better than the Northwest states overall, the province’s leaders should pay close attention to the areas where it needs improvement.

100,000 Solar Roofs by 2020

The provincial government announced today it will invest $5 million in a program aimed at boosting solar water heating more than sixfold to 3,000 roofs across the province by 2010.

The announcement was made in Dawson Creek, hailed as a solar community because it has solar water heating at its city hall, police and fire stations and airport.

The SolarBC program is aimed at encouraging more homeowners, schools, social housing projects and first nations communities to install solar water heating systems and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Nitya Harris, executive director of SolarBC, estimates there are fewer than 500 homes and businesses with solar water heating across the province.

The idea is to start slowly, with a goal of equipping 100,000 roofs with solar water heating by 2020.

read the full Vancouver Sun article

visit SolarBC website

The Recyclable House

Chicago Reader | The Recyclable House: If Ken Ortiz has his way, no one in Chicago will ever simply demolish a building again. By Harold Henderson
http://www.chicagoreader.com/features/stories/recyclablehouse/

SBA alumni project showcase

SBA Alumni Showcase and Informational Session

Presenters:

Kathleen O'Brien, NaSBAP Director

Kim Hughes, NaSBAP Board Member

Andrea Lewis, NaSBAP Assistant Program Director

Wrap up your Living Futures experience with a lively and informative ‘edu-tainment’ session featuring alumni from the Sustainable Building Advisor (SBA) Course, and representatives from the National Sustainable Building Advisor Program (NaSBAP).

SBA alumni from the Portland, Seattle, and Bend classes will showcase their final team projects – presented in fun and imaginative ways that offer a fresh new take on case study presentation. You’ll also learn about the SBA Course, a nine-month certificate course designed for working professionals interested in designing, building, and maintaining sustainable buildings.

If Living Future has inspired or further stoked your enthusiasm for green building and you are looking for ways to stand out among within your industry, this session about SBA course opportunities is the perfect conference send-off! This event is open to Living Future conference attendees and the general public – so invite your friends to join!

http://www.cascadiagbc.org/living-future/09

Free Public Lectures at SFU

Admission is free, reservations are required. Email cstudies@sfu.ca or call 778-782.5100.
Venue: SFU at Harbour Centre, 515 West Hastings, Vancouver, unless otherwise noted.


Kitchen Table Sustainability: Transform your community engagement with sustainability
February 5, 7 pm
Wendy Sarkissian


Hong Kong: Cultural Heritage Conservation in a City of Change
February 19, 7 pm
Lynne DiStefano and Dr. Ho Yin Lee, University of Hong Kong


China and the Urbanism of Ambition
March 12, 7 pm
Thomas Campanella, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Co-sponsored by UBC SCARP


The Life and Death of Cities: Accounting for Environmental and Social Sustainability
April 30, 7 pm
Paul James, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University