They aimed for silver, will likely get gold – and in the process, ended up with a prestigious Innovation in Architecture Award from the Royal Architecture Institute of Canada.
That’s a quick summary of the accomplishments Manasc Isaac Architects Ltd. of Edmonton chalked up through its work on the $28-million Greenstone government of Canada building in Yellowknife, N.W.T.
Designed in its geographic context and reflecting the city’s mining heritage, the building is touted as the first structure north of the 60th parallel to achieve gold status via the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program established by the Canada Green Building Council.
With that certification process not quite complete, partner Richard Isaac stops short of saying the gold standard is in the bag. But he will say the firm surpassed its initial aim of silver certification – and has more than enough “points” for gold status.
Isaac also admits that a booming economy means the firm, well-known for its focus on energy-efficient designs and healthy workplaces, is “so busy that we actually don’t take on projects anymore with clients that don’t have an interest in sustainability.”
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After much anticipation, designEX , Australasia’s forum for contemporary design and architecture, will open next Thursday 19 April at 9am with a champagne breakfast hosted by Jamie Durie, with official proceedings by The Honourable John Brumby, MP, Victorian Treasurer and Minister for Innovation with responsibility for design.
The event, which runs until Saturday 21 April, will see Australia’s top design-related experts meet for three days to see the new design and innovative products and speak to industry leaders about upcoming trends and launches from around the world. Co-located with designEX is Form & Function, the leading event for the building and construction industries. (more…)
Zaha Hadid’s fantastical building designs, both on paper and in concrete, have made her the world’s most famous woman architect.
ONCE upon a time, Zaha Hadid was called the “paper architect”. In the 1970s and 1980s, her designs, soaring fantastically and bristling with energy, won critical acclaim and architectural prizes. But they rarely got built.
Spooked by their radical aesthetics and challenging engineering requirements, developers often turned tail and ran. But all that has changed. (more…)
