Syllabus Bulletin - November 2023

SAVE THE DATE - NOVEMBER 30

• TIME: 12:00 P.M. - 1:30 P.M. PT
• COST: $15.00 members; $25.00 non-members
• SPEAKERS: Graeme Verhulst, Founder, Passive House Accelerator & Dallas Hordichuk, Chief Operating Officer of Energy Code Solutions
• TOPIC: Is the Greenest House the One Already Built?  Real Life Case Studies 
• LENGTH: 1.5 hours 

This webinar has been approved for 1.5 AIBC Core LU.

Description: 

The oft-heard phrase, “the greenest home is the one already built,” emphasizes the importance of embodied over operational carbon. To adequately combat climate change, we must consider both operational carbon emissions together with embodied carbon in buildings. Two of their recent projects offered a unique opportunity to analyze the data. The question Waymark Architecture and Energy Code Solutions focused on is whether, using overall embodied carbon (embodied plus operational) as a measurement, we should keep the existing homes as they are, renovate them, or deconstruct them and replace them with high-performance homes, enabling us to make data-driven decisions for a low-carbon future. 

Registration will close November 28th @ 5pm ET.

The Canadian Architectural Practices Benchmark Report (2023 edition) is now available. 

Published in partnership by the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada and Canadian Architect, the Canadian Architectural Practices Benchmark Report (2023 edition) provides comprehensive data on the current standards for compensation, billings, and other key indicators among Canadian architectural practices.

This 150+ page report provides vital business knowledge for the Canadian context with high quality data that enables practices to compare themselves across a broad spectrum of criteria, providing possibilities to identify areas of strength, challenge and opportunity.

An update from a previous 2011 benchmark report, the Canadian Architectural Practices Benchmark Report (2023 edition) covers 16 key areas, including new sections related to Indigenous themes and reconciliation, climate action, equity and justice, diversity, and inclusion. 

Get your copy today

Publication List Price $350  

RAIC Member Price $250  

We are grateful to all the contributors to this publication, including the hundreds of survey participants (individuals and firms), Bramm Research Inc., and the RAIC committees and volunteer groups that provided input including the Committee on Regenerative Environments, Indigenous Task Force, Truth and Reconciliation Task Force, Promoting Equity and Justice Committee, and Practice Support Committee. 

Questions, please contact benchmark@raic.org

In honour of International Day of People with Disabilities, the RAIC in collaboration with  Rick Hansen Foundation is hosting a webinar. 

DATE: December 4, 2023 
TIME: 10:00 AM PT/1:00 PM ET 
SPEAKER: Darryl Condon, Architect AIBC, AAA, SAA, OAA, NLAA, RIBA, AIA, FRAIC 
COST: Free for RAIC members; Others $15.00 
TOPIC: Removing Barriers: The Cost to Retrofit Existing Buildings to Ensure Meaningful Access. 

Nearly half of Canadian adults have a permanent or temporary physical disability or live with someone who does – a trend that’s only expected to grow as the population ages. Despite an increasing awareness of these issues and efforts to remove barriers in new construction, many existing buildings remain inaccessible. 

Join Darryl Condon, Managing Partner of hcma architecture + design, as he shares key data from a new study that investigated the cost of retrofitting existing buildings to achieve Gold-level certification with the Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification (RHFAC) program. 

Darryl will make the case that ensuring meaningful accessibility through retrofits and upgrades is not as difficult – or costly – as one might think. With thoughtful planning, the right attitude, and a few simple strategies for success, he’ll show how building designers, owners, and operators can ensure a more inclusive future for as many people as possible. 

No matter the cause, each of us will experience disability at some point in our lives and will need our communities to be accessible so that we can continue to participate and live full lives. Be at the forefront of Canada’s growing accessibility movement with the Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification™ Training.  
  
Whether you’re an architect, general contractor, engineer, urban planner, design-builder, or anyone interested in accessibility in the built environment, qualifying for an RHFAC Professional designation will provide you with the knowledge and practical skills needed to rate a building for its overall accessibility under the RHFAC program.   

RAIC members receive a $200.00 discount on this course.  

Register by January 12, 2024 for the next session, which runs from January 22, 2024 - March 31, 2024.

*The discount to RAIC members is applicable only with registration through the RAIC website.  

RAIC Connects is a virtual community where members can share ideas, discuss practice challenges, post questions, read and share blog posts and news articles, learn about fellow RAIC members, and benefit from shared knowledge, resources, and information.  

Syllabus students have access to a Syllabus student-only community on RAIC Connects, where they can share content, ideas, and network. Discussion boards for studio levels have also been added to the community. We encourage students to visit the community and introduce themselves!

Join the latest conversations here: 

USING CCDC MODEL CONTRACT DOCUMENTS

• CCDC model contract documents routinely are, and have been for decades, used by Canadian architects for various projects either recommending them to or at the request of their clients.  This thread is initiated in order for practicing architects to share their experience of using them, discuss questions, problems, concerns or even advice they might have about them. 

  This is intended as an open forum for discussing issues arising from their use as related to the documents' substance and language in their every day use

RACE TO ZERO

• Where is the Built Environment in the UN-led Race to Zero? 
  And where is the Built Environment in Canada in the Race to Zero?

  "Notwithstanding the positive signals of change, currently, the Built Environment sector is not on track to achieve decarbonization by 2050. UNEP's 2022 Buildings Global Status Report shows that while decarbonization efforts have increased since 2015, these efforts are swamped by the growth of the sector globally."

  Addressing this call-to-action will require accelerating 'radical collaboration' across the value chain to drive market transformation. The upcoming 'Buildings Breakthrough,' due for launch ahead of COP28, will provide a forum for driving international collaboration to unlock climate action on buildings."

Access free Syllabus resource webinars at your convenience

RAIC Syllabus Moodle Tutorial

RAIC Syllabus Work Experience Webinar

RAIC Syllabus Thesis Proposal Webinar

RAIC Syllabus Senior Student Webinar

RAIC Syllabus Webinar

Athabasca registration

The registration deadline is the 10th of each month for history, theory, and technical courses with our educational service provider, Athabasca University. Courses will start on the 1st of the following month. 
 
Remember to register on the Syllabus Student Portal as well. Our systems are not linked with Athabasca University, so this does not register you twice or result in any fees. This simply allows us to maintain the student records and transcripts in our own system. 

Portia Ymer Sobel
RAIC Education Administrator