AIBC Publications
Hot Corner

Hot Corner 69.
by Michael Ernest MAIBC,
AIBC Executive Director

For questions or comments, he can be reached at mernest@aibc.ca or at (604) 683-8588, #304.

Successful building details are often a function of returns, especially at edges, changes in plane, interfaces and … corners. The return of the Hot Corner, with its professional practice orientation, comes hard on the heels of Olympian feats both architectural and avian, Beijing having provided both the instantly-iconic Birds Nest Stadium and the littleknown fact that top-flight shuttlecocks use only feathers from the left wings of geese. The latter is no doubt devoid of political ramification. Still, successful practice cannot avoid the import of political (either upper or lower case) action. Furthermore, staying on the sidelines dooms one to spectator status with no defence against adverse results. Consider the wisdom of Wayne Gretzky, who noted “you always miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” In that spirit, the AIBC regularly chooses to enter the game in an effort to influence the outcome, as the following four developments (coordinated through Professional Practice) show.

Irregular Swimming Pools

B.C.’s swimming pool regulations (c. 1972) suffer from age, obsolescence, conflict and uneven application to the extent that projects, investments and community benefits are at risk. A joint effort among consulting architects and engineers (chaired by Terry Barkley MAIBC along with MAIBCs Bruce Carscadden, Darrell Condon and Steve Hart) produced a critical but constructive communiqué (available for viewing online at www.aibc.ca) to the Ministry of Health and all provincial health authorities, which have since expressed appreciation and empathy for the comprehensive summary of issues. Stay in your lanes as we approach the turn.

Six-story Wood-Frame (ad) Ventures

Instigated in no small measure by the interest of the forestry products industry (for inspiration, see the 2008 AIBC Architectural Awards winning submission from Urban Arts Architecture) and the potential for increased market choice, renewable resource usage and competition, the provincial government is investigating the prospect of six-storey wood frame residential buildings.

Are they permissible under today’s codes? No, and naysayers reflexively protest. There is supportive evidence elsewhere (including California and some European countries), and the early advice is that technical hurdles such as structural capacity, shrinkage and fire ratings can be resolved. However, there are tougher issues: effective, integrated code changes; industry awareness and readiness (especially relating to engineered wood); and systems outside the building such as fire-fighting and water flow capacities. A thoughtful AIBC/APEGBC brainstorming session, co-chaired by Teddy Lai MAIBC with participation from MAIBCs Chris Block, Alan Brown, Steve Hart, Albert Leung and Trudy Rotgans, yielded a combined submission to the province’s Building Policy Branch (available via the AIBC website at www.aibc.ca) that articulates guarded support and caution as to the need for thorough research and well-timed implementation. We anticipate further AIBC participation and will report in greater depth as it unfolds.

Hot Off The Press: BCDC-2 / 2008

The B.C. Documents Committee (which includes MAIBCs Monica Baillie, Gregg Brown, Kerry Magnus and Brett Smaill as well as active representatives from the British Columbia Construction Association; College of New Caledonia; Consulting Engineers of British Columbia; Interior Health Authority; Simon Fraser University; and the provincial government’s Risk Management Branch) has produced a new-and-improved set of standard documents for use on publicly-funded B.C. buildings in conjunction with CCDC-2/2008. Endorsed by the AIBC and BCCA, they supersede their predecessors of March 2004. Their scope covers instructions to bidders, bid forms, supplemental conditions and guidelines for their use. No architectural library is complete without them. They can be found on the Public Construction Council’s web site at www.pccbc.com.

Convoluted Public Procurement Policy
Outlook (C3PO)

The B.C. Provincial Government’s stated operational policy speaks to processes that are fair, equitable and transparent. However, in its 2007 decision involving Tercon Contractors, the British Columbia Court of Appeal gave credence to even the most appallingly inequitable, unfair and opaque “privilege clause” regarding procurement of construction and, by association, consulting services. You can look it up at http://www.courts.gov.bc.ca/jdb-txt/ca/07/05/2007bcca0592.htm. The successful appellant? The B.C. Ministry of Transportation. One byproduct of this decision has been a spate of advice from law firms to owners/clients recommending inclusion of such a clause. Architects are strongly cautioned to watch for, and resist, such language in proposal calls, contracts and bidding documents that would leave them (along with engineers, bidders and builders) exposed to the proverbially tilted playing field.
Specifically: undue business and professional risk, increased costs, and decreased knowledgeable participants will accrue, likely to the detriment of owners and clients as well.

However, in a recent, positive development, Tercon’s legal team (led by William McLean MAIBC) was successful in convincing the Supreme Court of Canada to hear a federal appeal of the case. Most requests of this sort fail; this one succeeded, likely because of the public policy implications. Their leave to appeal was supported by several affidavits including one on behalf of the AIBC (available via the AIBC website at www.aibc.ca). We await sound judgment.

A Little Bedtime Reading

For those of us with offspring still at home (and just when did my son become 12?), here’s a recommendation for shared experience: The Wright Three by Blue Balliett (Scholastic Inc., 2006). This book features young protagonists who solve a mystery in connection with the Frederick C. Robie house (Chicago, Illinois 1910), inspired by its “man in the window” design. The keys to solving the case will be familiar to you: inquisitiveness, pattern recognition, collaboration, and positive action in the face of intimidation. And always remember ... take your best shot.

Michael Ernest, MAIBC
Director of Professional Practice
Architectural Institute of British Columbia
Phone: 604-683-8588, ext. 304
Fax: 604-683-8568
mernest@aibc.ca
www.aibc.ca