Category: sustainability
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An Expanding Role for Babuk Presentations
The relationship enjoyed by Canada and the United States is a model to be envied around the world. While the cross border relationship thrives in many ways, the intertwined nature of both countries’ economies is fascinating: not only are both countries each others’ largest trading partner, but the value of exports from one virtually equals…
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Happy New Decade!
Happy New Year. It’s surprising to see that we’re already a decade into the new century. Previous posts have spoken about vacant storefronts and even vacant buildings, all from the aftermath of the latest economic turn. There is so much vacant space out there that based on current absorption rates, some markets have several years…
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If Buildings Could Walk…
A previous post described “if walls could talk”, but what about if buildings could walk? It’s not that far fetched an idea. Taking cues from the railroad industry, it wasn’t uncommon at the turn of the 20th century to find fixed structures – buildings – with large moving parts. Bridges were prime examples. It took…
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The Vancouver “Laneway” House
Within the last year, the City of Vancouver (British Columbia) recently amended the City’s zoning ordinance to permit coach, or “laneway” houses to be built along back alleys (rear lanes) in certain areas. In a nutshell; in specific single family zoned areas, on lots 33’ (about 10.8 metres) or wider that have a back alley…
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The Idea That Came Around
A freshman design studio professor warned us many times that whatever in-depth design synthesis we went through to invent something original, that we could always find that someone had already come up with it before. Pullman, a neighbourhood on the far south side of Chicago is touted as one of the first ‘planned communities’. It was…
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Sustainability and recent wood technology
It was fascinating to see a recent proposal for the Sears Tower to include all glass ‘look out pods” – a cantilevered glass structure of nothing but glass on five sides including the floor and all supporting structure. No apparent supporting structure – or at least what we would think to be supporting structure, like…