RAIC Bulletin Released

The national office of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada released its latest bulletin on March 28. All RAIC members should receive the bulletin by email, however if anyone missed it, here is the link.

Among the information presented in the bulletin is a summary of efforts RAIC President Vivian Manasc, FRAIC to congratulate the federal government for the efforts in its recent federal budget to alleviate skilled labour shortages through improvements to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, and to point out that RAIC recently completed a study to better integrate International Architecture Graduates into the architecture profession here in Canada.

Steel Awards Set New Record

The RAIC Alberta Chapter is pleased to have contributed to the revamped Steel Design Awards hosted by the Alberta Region of the Canadian Institute of Steel Construction (CISC). Due to an outstanding response by the architecture and engineering firms in providing submissions, a total of 29 projects were entered across the four categories – a record for any provincial steel awards program in Canada! The Award winners were announced at the banquet held on March 21st at the Shaw Convention Centre to an audience of over three hundred Architects, Engineers, Owners, Contractors, government representatives and CISC members.

(judges and winners after the jump)

Continue reading Steel Awards Set New Record…

Sam Oboh Appointed Chair

The Royal Architectural institute of Canada (RAIC) Alberta Chapter Executive board have elected Samuel Oboh,Architect, AAA; MRAIC (Edmonton Rep) as the new Chapter Chair for 2007. The RAIC Alberta Chapter, the first provincial chapter in Canada strives to make the architecture profession and voice of architects in Alberta much more effective and stronger. Sam Oboh noted that “the task ahead of the chapter may seem daunting but because we choose not to give in to despair, together we will achieve a lot.”

Also on the board for 2007 / 2008 are:

Laura Plosz, Architect, AAA; MRAIC (Edmonton Rep),

Dave Cheetham, Architect, AAA; MRAIC (Central Alberta Rep)

Christopher Babits, Architect, AAA; MRAIC (South Alberta Rep)

Chad Oberg, MRAIC (Calgary / Communication Exec).

Three Board Rep Positions for Calgary and North Alberta are still available for 2007 / 2008. Nominations and Volunteers are welcome. Send nominations to office@raicalberta.org or soboh@ibigroup.com

We look forward to an eventful year ahead for the new RAIC in Alberta.

Doors Open in Southern Alberta

RAIC Alberta Chapter Representative Christoper Babits has been working on the local level for the RAIC in Southwest Alberta. In addition to chairing a city-wide arts committee to lobby Lethbridge city council to commit new capital investment in arts facilities (visit www.artslethbridge.org), Chris has planned the slate of buildings for DoorsOpen Lethbridge & area, which includes the Beth Israel Synagogue and St. Augustine’s Church, both designed by renowned Lethbridge architect George Watson. He has also lead the development of a full-colour DoorOpen Kid’s activity guide to help raise awareness of architecture in elementary Schools.

As a part of Historic Lethbridge Week, Doors Open Lethbridge will offer free tours of a dozen architecturally significant buildings over two days, Friday May 11 and Saturday May 12 from 10 am – 4 pm. For more information about Historic Lethbridge Week and Doors Open Lethbridge visit www.historiclethbridge.org.

Northern Jube Nominated

As announced on this Government of Alberta Press Release, the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium has received a nomination for “Canadian Performing Arts Venue of the Year.” Nominated alongside seven other facilities, the award will be handed out later this month as a part of Canadian Music Week in Toronto.

Already this year, in an international ranking conducted by Pollstar of the world’s top 100 performance venues, the Jubilee Auditorium was rated 23rd, the highest among all Canadian auditoria.

The facility was featured last November as a part of the RAIC Alberta Architectural Tour Series in an effort to recognize this example of successful architecture in Alberta. Good to know we’re not alone.