Event Details 

• Date: Thursday, November 27th, 2025 

• Time: 7:00pm PT 

• Cost: $20.00 members / $30.00 non-members / $15.00 General Audience or by donation – cash payment at the door 

• Location: Wentworth Villa – Architectural Heritage Museum, 1156 Fort St, Victoria, BC V8V 3K8 

• This event has been approved for 1.5 AIBC Core Learning Unit Credits. 

Register

Learning Objectives 

1. To understand at a general level the rules and regulations in place to protect heritage-designated buildings in Victoria 
   

2. To become familiar with the process followed in an application for a permit to make alterations to a designated heritage property 
   

3. To appreciate the design approach taken in one particular project proposal and how it met the standards and requirements 

Join The Honourable Catherine McKenna, Canada’s former Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, and author of Run Like a Girl: A Memoir of Ambition, Resilience, and Fighting for Change, for an engaging conversation on climate leadership, courage, and what it takes to turn ambition into action. This student-focused event features an inspiring talk and fireside chat with audience Q&A, where McKenna shares stories from her time in public office and her journey as a global advocate for climate action and women’s leadership. This event is open to UBC students, staff, and faculty. Read more and request to register.

Changing climates: Navigating the future of climate action in the built environment

November 21, 20255 p.m. reception, 6 p.m. talk

UBC Robson Square

This year’s Garden Design Lecture features Andreas Kipar, Founder and Principal of LAND. Member of the World Economic Forum Taskforce for Nature-Positive Cities. BDLA, AIAPP, IFLA Member. Professor of Landscape and Public Space Design at Politecnico di Milano.

The talk is part of our Changing climates: Navigating the future of climate action in the built environment series.

This event is free, register here.

Join WIA and AIBC for an insightful journey into the world of architecture through the eyes of inspiring women who shape our cities. Career Paths offers personal stories and experiences shared by leading professionals. You'll gain valuable insights and explore diverse career opportunities within architecture.

This event embodies Women in Architecture Vancouver’s dedication to fostering mentorship and building a thriving community. Whether you're starting out or looking for new directions, you're welcome here. Reserve your spot and be part of a supportive and empowering network.

Tickets available here.

Session 3 | Toward a Relationship-Based Approach to Design in Indigenous Communities

This session is eligible for credit towards the AIBC’s Indigenous Peoples Learning requirement.

Have you ever wondered how community-led, emergent process happens? In an Indigenous context, how a project is realized is just as important, if not more important, than the final product. This session will explore how community vision and values translate into design in our practices. Scott Kemp will provide insights from the perspective of the Architect, and Alanna Quock will share the perspective of an Indigenous process designer, facilitator, and owner’s representative. Alanna will also share how values are carried forward into every decision through project-specific principles. The principles act as anchors—holding space for culture and community voice, while also providing practical direction for the consultant and construction teams. They are the connective tissue between vision and implementation. Just as each person in the community brings a unique gift to the project, so too does each member of the technical team. A central part of this conversation is how to recognize those gifts – knowing when to step forward, when to step back, and how to create conditions for buildings that dismantle injustice and nurture thriving communities.

Date & Time: Friday, November 14 from 12 – 1 p.m.
Location: Online via Zoom
Cost: $35 (AIBC-subsidized pricing for all attendees)
Learning Units (LUs): 1 Core
Registration: Register by 12 p.m. on Wednesday, November 12, 2025
Presenter: Alanna Quock Intern Architect AIBC and Scott Kemp Architect AIBC

This session is eligible for credit towards the AIBC’s Indigenous Peoples Learning requirement.

Have you ever wondered how community-led, emergent process happens? In an Indigenous context, how a project is realized is as important, if not more important, than the final product. We’ll explore how community vision and values translate into design in our practices, with Scott from the perspective of the Architect, and Alanna as the perspective of an Indigenous process designer, facilitator and owner’s representative. Alanna will share how values are carried forward into every decision through project-specific principles. The principles act as anchors—holding space for culture and community voice while also providing practical direction for the consultant and construction teams. They are the connective tissue between vision and implementation. Just as each person in the community has a gift to bring to the project, so too does each member of the technical team. A very important part of the conversation we’d like to have is about how recognize those gifts, know when to step forward and when to step back, and how to create conditions for buildings that dismantle injustice and nurture thriving communities.

Presenter: Alanna Quock Intern Architect AIBC and Scott Kemp Architect AIBC

Date: Friday, November 14, 2025 Time: 12 – 1 p.m. Location: Online via Zoom

Cost: $35 

Learning Units (LUs): 1 Core Registration: Register by 12 p.m. on Wednesday, November 12, 2025

The AIBC is pleased to subsidize the ticket price for this session. The session cost is the same for all AIBC Registrant categories.

https://site.pheedloop.com/event/Fall2025PDSERIES/register#start

The Island Design Excellence Awards (IDEA) spotlights the creative forces shaping Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands by highlighting the products, projects and people whose excellence is achieved through design. 

From design thinking to visual design, the awards celebrate the role design plays in shaping successful places, products, experiences, and interactions.

A panel of judges has now narrowed the field to five finalists in each category.

From interiors to products to community design — the shortlist highlights the best of Island creativity and innovation. Congratulations to all the finalists who are raising the bar for design excellence in our region.

For shortlists, tickets and more info, see the Design Victoria Website.

Session 2 | A Camel is a Horse Designed by a Committee: The Case for Open Source Architecture

What is meant by the phrase “a camel is a horse designed by a committee”? Is this true? Or is a camel really just a creature of an entirely other nature – an expression of function over form that evolved from a different set of circumstances?

This session will present a rationale for open source architecture; explore notions of a democratic design process; review examples of participatory design in architecture; and the manner in which standardization for off-site manufacturing can inform architectural design. Lastly, the session will illustrate the application of these ideas/principles through a review of the Standardized Housing Designs Catalogue published by the British Columbia Ministry of Housing in fall 2024, and discuss whether the project has had any identifiable impact on the housing crisis in British Columbia over the past year.

Date & Time: Wednesday, November 5 from 12–1 p.m.
Location: Online via Zoom
Cost: $50 (Architect AIBC & Architectural Technologist AIBC); $40 (Intern Architect AIBC & Retired Architect AIBC)
Learning Units (LUs): 1 Core
Registration: Register by 12 p.m. on Monday, November 3, 2025
Presenters: Michael Leckie Architect AIBC

Join us on November 4, from 5-7pm for a talk on middle housing, organized by Smallworks. Hear Jake Fry, Marianne Amodio, Shirley Shen and Michael Leckie talk about the realities, philosophies, implications, and possibilities of soft density and small-scale developments.

Plot the Lot: Incremental, Communal, Citizen Developers

The frontier of housing is middle. This talk takes on the state of the urban middle in our local context and explores how new middle housing typologies act as manifestos for how we live now and together.

Structured in four parts—The Original Solution, Social Density, Contextual Density, and Open-Source Housing—we interpret the role of the Citizen Developers, and consider how participatory housing might reshape the narrative of the housing crisis into one about commons, not commodities.

The nature of housing is incremental: from the ground up, and in all of our hands.

Speakers: 

Jake Fry, Smallworks
Marianne Amodio, MA+HG
Shirley Shen, Haeccity Studio Architecture
Michael Leckie, Leckie Studio Architecture + Design


Moderated by:

Uytae Lee, About Here

Drinks and snacks at 5pm; talk begins at 6pm.

Register here.

Hear from a dynamic group of industry leaders riff off the winning ideas from the Decoding Timber Towers competition—unpacking their real-world feasibility and what it take's to scale mass timber projects in today’s construction landscape.

Moderated by: Brenda Knights, CEO, BC Indigenous Housing Society

Panelists:

Natalie Telewiak, Partner at Michael Green Architecture [architect perspective]

Andrew Harmsworth, Principal, GHL Consultants [fire engineer perspective]

Robert Jackson, Partner Fast & Epp [structural engineer perspective]

Devon Parkinson, Senior Project Manager, Kalesnikoff [manufacturer perspective]

Kenny Dempsey, Project Director, Kindred Construction [builder perspective]

5:30-6:00PM Reception

6:30-7:15PM Panel

7:15-8:30PM Networking

Bar and catering. Those with Halloween spirit encouraged but not expected.

Register here.

Head to Inform on Tuesday, October 28, from 5–7 PM to celebrate Christian Woo and the launch of his new window installation at the 50 Water Street showroom.

RVSP here.

We’re hosting our awards night on October 27th at the Vancouver Club this year!

Updates to come.

Climate change, the built environment, and the post-2025 world order

Panelists

Joe Dahmen
Sara Jacobs
Zahra Teshnizi
John Wall

Moderator

Adam Rysanek

Part of the Changing climates: Navigating the future of climate action in the built environment series.

Event is free, register here.

Changing climates: Navigating the future of climate action in the built environment

This year’s Paul Sangha Lecture features Pamela Conrad, founder and executive director of Climate Positive Design.

Event is free, RSVP here.

Cosentino, ADFF & AFBC are partnering to present an exclusive film screening at Cosentino!

Get tickets here.

Join us for a Networking Event at the Interiors Design Show in Vancouver on Friday, September 26. In conjunction with the Architecture Foundation of British Columbia and the Field Collective, this is RIBA's first membership event in British Columbia, Canada.

Our architecture take over of the Interior Design show is taking place during the Trade Day, hosted at the central bar from 5:00 to 5:30 PM. AFBC, RIBA and FC members featured, but event is open to all. Mingling will be encouraged through a small bingo card game, with opportunity to win small prizes.here.

Attendees must have tickets to the IDS Trade Show day to present at the convention centre. Feel free to come earlier in the day to check out the booths and installations! Conventiohere.n Centre is open 9am - 6pm that day.

Link to register for trade day. Use promo code RIBA25, AFBC25 or FieldCollective25 to enjoy 20% off your tickets

Sign up to our AFBC x RIBA x FC Eventbrite to let us know you're coming and to be part of our mailing list.

Register for our networking session here.

Join us for Bread & Butter, an evening to connect with the design community and kick off IDS weekend in good taste.

Hosted by &Daughters and Lock & Mortice, the night features an immersive edible art installation by Lina Caschetto — a striking tablescape of bread and butter sculpted into modular architectural forms. As the evening unfolds, the geometric installation evolves into something beautifully organic, inviting guests to engage, interact and indulge.

Expect sparkling drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic), great conversation, and a celebration of craft and creativity in Lock and Mortice's beautiful Arcade Showroom.

Tickets here.

AFBC is pleased to announce a new upcoming event, AFBC Model Exhibition: Contemporary Craft. ⁠ ⁠ This 3 day cross-disciplinary exhibition will showcase a curated selection of architectural models alongside the evocative pottery and clay pieces of internationally celebrated artist Janaki Larsen and work of other local artists. ⁠ ⁠

Participants and attendees are asked to reflect on the exhibition's theme of Contemporary Craft: where do traditional techniques of building and making appear in the work and process within today’s highly digitized industry?⁠

Submissions open for all until September 19th.

Exhibit opening and duration from October 17th-19th.

See here for submission information.

From the WIA website:

In recognition of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Join us Wednesday, September 17th, for a special presentation and dialogue session.

We are honoured to welcome Ginger Gosnell-Myers and Kamala Todd, leading voices in Indigenous urban policy and planning. Drawing on extensive experience, Ginger and Kamala have transformed how cities engage with Indigenous rights, knowledge, and reconciliation. This session will explore how colonial systems have shaped the built environment, architectural practices, and how decolonial approaches, rooted in Indigenous knowledge, worldviews, and protocols can lead to more just and informed design.

The event will feature a brief presentation followed by a dialogue session focused on lived experience, engagement practices, and systemic change in policy and design. Presenters are:

Ginger Gosnell-Myers: From the Nisga’a and Kwakwak’awakw First Nations, Ginger is a recognized thought leader advancing Indigenous rights, knowledge, and reconciliation through urban policy and planning. With over 20 years of experience, she transforms public and institutional processes to meaningfully centre Indigenous knowledge - moving beyond tokenism to systemic change. As Vancouver’s first Indigenous Relations Manager, she led the city’s emergence as the world’s first City of Reconciliation. Her award-winning work includes leading the Environics Urban Aboriginal Peoples Study, which influenced national policy and public opinion. She is the first Indigenous Fellow at SFU’s Centre for Dialogue, focusing on Decolonization and Urban Indigenous Policy and Planning. A published writer, TEDx speaker, and frequent media commentator on BC politics, Ginger has been named one of BC’s most influential business leaders and one of Vancouver’s most powerful people. She chairs Greenpeace Canada’s Board and continues to embed Indigenous worldviews into planning, policy, and placemaking.

Kamala Todd is a Métis-Cree mother, Indigenous planner, filmmaker, curator, and educator born and raised in the beautiful lands of the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ and Skwxwú7mesh-speaking people, aka Vancouver. She has a Master’s degree in urban Geography from UBC and she is Associate Professor of Professional Practice at SFU Urban Studies. Kamala was the City of Vancouver’s first Aboriginal Social Planner and first Indigenous Arts and Culture Planner. She was proud to be part of the team who created the Vancouver UNDRIP Strategy in 2022. Kamala's media production company is Indigenous City Media and some of her film credits include Indigenous Plant Diva, Cedar and Bamboo, and RELAW: Living Indigenous Laws. She is the author of the Vancouver Park Board's seminal report, Truth-Telling: Indigenous perspectives on working with municipal governments and other works dedicated to healing and transforming how we live in the city.

Anticipated Schedule:

6:00 PM – 6:25 PM | Food & Drinks

6:25 PM – 6:30 PM | WIA Introduction

6:30 PM – 7:20 PM | Presentations

7:20 PM – 7:40 PM | Q&A

7:40 PM – 7:45 PM | Closing Remarks

7:45 PM – 8:15 PM | Social & Networking

Please be sure to arrive by 6:25PM before presentations start.

When: September 17, 2025, 6-8PM

Where: Acton Ostry Architects 111 E 8 Avenue, Vancouver, BC V5T 1R8.

AIBC Learning Unit: Approved for 1 Core Indigenous Peoples Learning LU

Admission:

$10 Entrance fee In-Person

$5 Entrance fee Online

We kindly ask for solid commitments upon registration. If you register and can no longer attend, please let us know so we can reallocate your spot. Please note that refund requests within 48 hours of the event will not be accommodated.

Tickets here.

UBC School of Architecture + Landscape Architecture (SALA) and the Arthur Erickson Foundation (AEF) are partnering to present a day looking into the work and influence of Architect Arthur Erickson. This event is part of the year-long Centennial celebration. Join speakers Wyn Bielaska, Barry Johns, Michael Kubo, Eva Matsuzaki, Nick Milkovich, Michael Prokopow, Brigitte Shim, Adele Weder. All events are free but require you to book a spot.

Reserve your spot here.

The Ismaili Centre
4010 Canada Way, Burnaby
Celebrate 40 remarkable years of the Ismaili Centre Vancouver - a landmark of dialogue, diversity, and community - and a welcoming space for spiritual reflection, intellectual engagement, and cultural exchange since 1985. This milestone celebration will feature a fireside Chat at 1 p.m. with Bruno Freschi, the visionary architect behind the Centre. Read more.

The Architecture Foundation of British Columbia (AFBC) is excited to announce the launch of a walking tour program through Vancouver's downtown, highlighting key infrastructure that makes Vancouver what it is today, and discussing the role architects and planners have on building a good city.

The AFBC has been working on revamping and modernizing tours that were once hosted through the Architecture Institute of British Columbia (AIBC). We ran a small pilot program during Design Vancouver Festival 2024 and have been working diligently to build it into a full summer program.

Each tour is roughly two-hours in length, beginning at the Street Light sculpture at the roundabout on Marinaside Cresent and will end at the Vancouver Public Library. Look for the AFBC Banner and two tour guides waiting for you!

Get Tickets Here!

The Architecture Foundation of British Columbia (AFBC) is excited to announce the launch of a walking tour program through Vancouver's downtown, highlighting key infrastructure that makes Vancouver what it is today, and discussing the role architects and planners have on building a good city.

The AFBC has been working on revamping and modernizing tours that were once hosted through the Architecture Institute of British Columbia (AIBC). We ran a small pilot program during Design Vancouver Festival 2024 and have been working diligently to build it into a full summer program.

Each tour is roughly two-hours in length, beginning at the Street Light sculpture at the roundabout on Marinaside Cresent and will end at the Vancouver Public Library. Look for the AFBC Banner and two tour guides waiting for you!

Get Tickets Here!

The Architecture Foundation of British Columbia (AFBC) is excited to announce the launch of a walking tour program through Vancouver's downtown, highlighting key infrastructure that makes Vancouver what it is today, and discussing the role architects and planners have on building a good city.

The AFBC has been working on revamping and modernizing tours that were once hosted through the Architecture Institute of British Columbia (AIBC). We ran a small pilot program during Design Vancouver Festival 2024 and have been working diligently to build it into a full summer program.

Each tour is roughly two-hours in length, beginning at the Street Light sculpture at the roundabout on Marinaside Cresent and will end at the Vancouver Public Library. Look for the AFBC Banner and two tour guides waiting for you!

Get Tickets Here!

The Architecture Foundation of British Columbia (AFBC) is excited to announce the launch of a walking tour program through Vancouver's downtown, highlighting key infrastructure that makes Vancouver what it is today, and discussing the role architects and planners have on building a good city.

The AFBC has been working on revamping and modernizing tours that were once hosted through the Architecture Institute of British Columbia (AIBC). We ran a small pilot program during Design Vancouver Festival 2024 and have been working diligently to build it into a full summer program.

Each tour is roughly two-hours in length, beginning at the Street Light sculpture at the roundabout on Marinaside Cresent and will end at the Vancouver Public Library. Look for the AFBC Banner and two tour guides waiting for you!

Get Tickets Here!

The Architecture Foundation of British Columbia (AFBC) is excited to announce the launch of a walking tour program through Vancouver's downtown, highlighting key infrastructure that makes Vancouver what it is today, and discussing the role architects and planners have on building a good city.

The AFBC has been working on revamping and modernizing tours that were once hosted through the Architecture Institute of British Columbia (AIBC). We ran a small pilot program during Design Vancouver Festival 2024 and have been working diligently to build it into a full summer program.

Each tour is roughly two-hours in length, beginning at the Street Light sculpture at the roundabout on Marinaside Cresent and will end at the Vancouver Public Library. Look for the AFBC Banner and two tour guides waiting for you!

Please note:

• Please arrive 15 minutes before the start of the tour.

• There will be extended walking and standing for the full duration of the tour

• We ask you leave your pets and strollers at home

• Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult

• The tour will be offered rain or shine! If we do get some liquid sunshine, rain jackets are preferred to umbrellas due to group size and navigating the sidewalks

** We will be releasing tickets one month at a time, please check back the last week of the month for the release of the next months tickets!

If you have any questions, please reach out to tours@architecturefoundationbc.ca.

TICKETS HERE.