RAIC Bulletin

February 14, 2018

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RAIC NEWS

CHOP Surveys – We want your input (deadline February 26)

The RAIC and the provincial associations have begun the project to update the Canadian Handbook of Practice for Architects. CHOP Third Edition online and PDF releases are planned for publication in Spring 2019.

We want your input. If you have ideas about contemporary architectural practice and best practices in service delivery, we want to hear from you.

Take the surveys:

• CHOP Third Edition Survey
• CHOP Third Edition In-depth Survey of Overarching Themes

Specific Interest Group Submissions

If your group has a specific interest in the CHOP we invite your participation by providing a written submission. Please contact Donald Ardiel, CHOP Editor-in-Chief, dardiel@raic.org, 613-241-3600, ext. 202 or Amanda Delorey, Program Officer, adelorey@raic.org, 613-241-3600, ext. 203.

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Manitoba architect inducted as 2018 President

Michael J. Cox, FRAIC, an architect from Manitoba who has led numerous organizations and is passionate about the contribution architects can make in their communities, is the 79th President of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC).

Mr. Cox received the President’s Medal of office from the 2017 President Ewa Bieniecka, FRAIC, at a change-of-office ceremony on February 2 in Ottawa. About 40 guests attended, including past presidents and the RAIC Board of Directors, who were in the national capital region for a board meeting. The one-year term began January 1. Mr. Cox has been serving as President since September 2017 when Ms. Bieniecka shortened her term for personal reasons.

“The RAIC needs to focus on the immediate needs of its members at all stages of their careers and in all sizes of practice,” said Mr. Cox, who has been a sole practitioner for nearly 40 years. “This includes delivering relevant and accessible continuing-education programs, helping emerging practitioners, and advocating for architects on practice issues such as procurement reform.”

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Renewal deadline is April 1!

Belonging to the RAIC means amplifying the voice for architecture across Canada and internationally. Renew your membership today to help strengthen excellence in the built environment and architectural practice in Canada.

Renewing is easy! Log in to your account at www.raic.org to request an invoice or pay by credit card.

For help with login or questions about your membership, please contact membership@raic.org or 613-241-3600 ext 200.

Call for Submissions: CaGBC Scholarship for Sustainable Design and Research

Submissions are now open for the Canada Green Building Council’s scholarship, which aims to nurture the next generation of “green” designers by promoting and encouraging sustainable research and design.

Full-time students registered in a Master’s degree program leading to a professional degree in architecture at one of the accredited University schools of architecture in Canada or the RAIC Syllabus are eligible to apply for this $5,000 bursary.

Submissions may be sent by email to foundation@raic.org.

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Festival registration opening soon

Registration for the 2018 Festival of Architecture in Saint John, New Brunswick will be opening in the coming weeks. Check out the website for the schedule, continuing education sessions, tours, travel information, and more!

Keynote speakers include Odile Decq, award-winning French architect, urban planner and academic; Diébédo Francis Kéré, founder of Kéré Architecture in Berlin and winner of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture (2004); and John Leroux, architect, historian, cultural proponent who will serve as emcee of the Presidents' Dinner and Awards Gala.

Watch your inbox for the registration launch announcement!

FESTIVAL WEBSITE

Deadline for nominations is February 26

Members of the College of Fellows are invited to nominate their peers for the position of Dean of the College of Fellows. The term of the current Dean, J. Robert Thibodeau, FIRAC, of Vancouver, ends June 1.

The Dean’s responsibilities include management of regional chapters, committee memberships, and national screening co-ordination.

The Dean will serve a three-year term which begins at the College of Fellows annual meeting in June 2018.

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Practice Support Committee Update

The RAIC welcomes a new member of the Practice Support Committee. Ted DuArte, of Toronto, is a Licensed Technologist OAA. He is a graduate of Ryerson University's program in architectural technology and has extensive experience in practice and committee work.

With our thanks for his effort and commitment, Jim Anderson, of Toronto, has retired from the committee.

The Practice Support Committee is involved in many activities essential to the profession in Canada including developing standard forms of contracts for clients, architects, and consultants, the Fee Guide, and the Canadian Handbook of Practice.

Syllabus SNAC update

The RAIC Syllabus Program is the alternate path to architectural licensure in Canada. The work-study program is built on a practice model and is operated and managed by the RAIC on behalf of the profession. The success of the Syllabus Program is built on a small army of volunteer design studio coordinators and instructors, supervising architects, and mentors as well as the support of Athabasca University in delivering the online theory, history and technical courses.

Following a call for volunteers this past fall, numerous applications were received to join a refreshed Syllabus National Advisory Committee (SNAC).

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UNCEDED brings Indigenous students of architecture on board

The 2018 Venice Architecture Biennale opens on May 24 and this year the Canada Council for the Arts has selected UNCEDED: Voices of the Land to represent Canada. The project is co-curated by Gerald McMaster of the Siksika First Nation and research chair at OCAD, and David Fortin, of the Metis Nation of Ontario and Director of Laurentian University McEwen School of Architecture. The Indigenous team of 17 architects is led by Douglas J. Cardinal, architect, philosopher, and human rights activist.

UNCEDED: Voices of the Land is a celebration of Indigenous architecture that speaks of landscapes of resilience, overcoming unforgiving limitations and serving as a register of hope and pride for Indigenous designers across Turtle Island (Canada and the USA).

A major educational component of the project is the inclusion of Indigenous students of architecture as part of the Biennale. These students would participate in daily programmatic proceedings, such as being present on the site, offering tours, and responding to visitor questions

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Some weeks, it all comes together

By Don Ardiel, MRAIC, Director, Practice Support

The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC), the Association of Consulting Engineering Companies Canada (ACEC) and the Interiors Designers of Canada (IDC) are moving ahead on negotiations with the federal government to change the 90%-10% imbalance in assessing consultants’ RFP responses. Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) has begun the consultation process for its long-awaited plans for the Qualifications-Based Selection pilot project.

The Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates was treated to an impassioned presentation from ACEC’s President and CEO John Gamble in support of Qualifications-Based Selection. And we started the week on a high note, celebrating the commitment of Ottawa architect Deborah Farrow, FRAIC, as she stepped down from her long-standing volunteer commitment as the RAIC’s representative on several government-industry committees.

Public Services and Procurement Canada seeks input on QBS

Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) plans a trial use of Qualifications-Based-Selection (QBS) for procuring architectural and engineering services and has issued a Request-for-Information seeking feedback on QBS from the industry.

The RAIC strongly encourages members to respond to the questionnaire by the March 13 deadline

“The RAIC and its members have long been concerned about the undue influence of fees on selection processes,” says RAIC President Michael Cox, FRAIC. “We see this RFI as an excellent initiative to explore a consultant-selection method that will respect the experience and approach that architects will bring to a project and allow them a fee base to provide their clients with a high quality of response.

House of Commons committee hears why QBS is “better value for taxpayers”

“We’re trying to do timely delivery. We’re trying to do fiscally responsible delivery, and we’re trying to encourage quality and innovation. And at the centre of this is of course the public interest and the tax payers’ dollars.”

This is how John Gamble, President, and CEO of the Association of Consulting Engineering Companies-Canada (ACEC), began his testimony to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimating in Ottawa on February 6.

Mr. Gamble presented a strong, articulate, and passionate argument for the adoption of Qualifications-Based Selection (QBS) in hiring architects and engineers.

RIBA calls for new approach to procurement after Carillion collapse

The collapse of contract giant Carillion shows the need to rethink how to procure and manage public sector contracts, says the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).

In a public statement, RIBA said the current system leads to a reliance on a small group of large companies, reducing the talent pool and concentrating risk in too few hands.

The crash of Carillion, a company that also operated in Canada, has triggered scrutiny of the role of the private sector in public infrastructure – including public-private partnerships and outsourcing contracts for building and running public services. Here’s an article in the Architects’ Journal.

OPPORTUNITIES

Architizer A+Awards now open for entry

The Architizer A+Awards are an awards program celebrating the year’s best architecture, spaces, and products. The Awards’ 6th season brings new categories, a winners’ podcast, and the opportunity to be published in Phaidon’s annual compendium A+Architecture.

Visit awards.architizer.com and enter before March 2nd to take advantage of early entry pricing.

Students, submit your design ideas for a chance to win $5,000!

Marvin Windows of Canada invites Canadian students of architecture to participate in their design competition. Submit your best design featuring their products. Any style of architecture is welcome, and personality and creativity is encouraged. First place is $5,000, second place is $2,500, 3rd place is $1,000.

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MEMBERS IN THE NEWS

RAIC members receive Lieutenant Governor’s Awards in Architecture

On January 25, the Honorable Frank Fagan, Lieutenant‐Governor of Newfoundland and Labrador, presented the 2017 Lieutenant Governor’s Awards in Architecture to architects, Ron Fougere, FRAIC; James Case, FRAIC; Robert Mellin, FRAIC; and Robert Menchenton, MRAIC.

This presentation is a triennial event, celebrating outstanding contribution to the field of architecture and the built environment of Newfoundland and Labrador, and to recognize the important role architects and architecture have in building communities across the Province.

In memoriam: Jerry Glos, FRAIC

RAIC IN THE NEWS

The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada Announces Recipients of 2018 Honorary Fellowships (Arch Daily)

Indigenous architects prepare to bring their work to the world stage (CBC)

Chrysalis of crystal: A Baha’i temple offers a new kind of sacred space (The Gazette)

AFFILIATED NEWS

buildingSMART Canada releases the Canadian Practice Manual for BIM

buildingSMART Canada (bSC) has released a new practice manual to serve the design, construction and operations sectors of the Canadian built environment in the adoption of lifecycle Open Building Information Modeling (BIM).

The Canadian Practice Manual for BIM comes in three volumes designed to provide novice and intermediate BIM users with a framework for developing and adopting company-centric practices to streamline and improve their use of digital information within a Canadian context.

For more advanced organizations, the manuals provide approaches to collaboratively exchange models and information between project participants. These manuals complement existing resources for BIM in Canada, namely the IBC BIM Contract Appendix and the IBC BIM PxP Toolkits.