Join the IDIBC for a fabulous night of fun and 5-pin bowling at the 2nd annual Bowlerama! The event proceeds benefit the Tom Park Student Bursary and features a silent auction with additional games and prizes. Cheering tickets are on sale now! Come out to cheer on your peers, or network with interior designers and industry members. Click here for further details and registration information.
Left to right: Sharon Bortolotto (moderator), Alessandro Munge (Munge Leung), Cynthia Penner (Box Interior Design), Vicki Pearson (Porada)
What makes an interior space successful when it comes to hotels, restaurants, bars and clubs? What is there to know about hospitality design? How are top firms designing for today and for the future? Here are my key takeaways from the interior design keynote panel at Buildex Vancouver 2014.
1.
Black and Blue – Alberni St. Vancouver, BC.
Cynthia Penner of Box Interior Design shared the thought process behind the concept of Black and Blue. The restaurant creates a scene with a darker, provocative colour palette. Everything from changing the tenor with materials and design, to the guest experience, adds to the value of the atmosphere, making the venue a place to see and be seen.
Box Design and Inform Interiors came together to create an aesthetically pleasing focal point with Tom Dixon’s etch metallic frames. The light installation features 86 gold shades, located centrally in the restaurant.
The Roof at Black and Blue
2.
1 Oak – Las Vegas, Nevada
Munge Leung, a Toronto based boutique design firm, focuses on luxury condominium developments, restaurants, resorts and nightclubs. 1 Oak, located in the Mirage Resort and Casino in Las Vegas boasts graphic prints, textures and bold colours.
3.
Oak Bay Beach Hotel – Victoria, BC.
Hotels are “no longer a place to sleep until you get to the next place”. Hotels are becoming more of a destination, somewhere to experience and enjoy, with amenities like spas, fitness studios, open rooftops, bars and restaurants. Boardrooms and meeting areas are incorporated into the space plan to accommodate the guest traveling on pleasure, or the guest on business. Lobbies and entrances are viewed as a space to lounge in, often with a major design feature or focal point to break the ice and build up conversation.
Considerations in aspects of hotel design include meeting the needs of the client, while maintaining the brand of the hotel and keeping the design authentic to the location. The design intention can paint a representation of its surroundings to help one location stand out from the rest in its chain. If the space captures elements that make the hotel unique and suited to its area, there should not be a question of: “What city am I in?” – Vicki Pearson, Porada Design Group
In keeping with the times, many firms offer a Comeback Program, where a followup is done with the client to evaluate the space and see what is working and what can be improved. As technology is ever-changing, this is a valuable way to maintain an efficient, current and environmentally sound space.
Hospitality design goes beyond achieving a beautiful space, or showing off an unusual concept. In order to achieve a successful project, many facets of the design must be orchestrated together, as it comes down to the end user and a curated experience.
IDS West is suitably held in the Vancouver Convention Center, showcasing the beauty of design and sustainability. The West building is the first convention center in the world to receive the highest LEED rating with Platinum certification.
IDS West is the home of trade professionals, design enthusiasts and anyone looking for some inspiration. For the duration of the weekend, it provides design savvy individuals with a place to share ideas, network, shop and even learn a thing or two from guest speakers.
Below are some photos from ‘The Party on Opening Night’ and the weekend trade show.
Dinner by Design Installations
Arrive early for best selection and pay a fraction of the retail value!
The Interior Designers Institute of BC is putting together the Habitat for Humanity’s 5th annual garage sale. Hosted by the newest BC ReStore location in North Vancouver, the sale will be anything but average. Including building supplies, furniture, accessories and more, the sale features items donated by industry professionals, ensuring quality and value, without the hefty price tag.
For more information on ReStores, click here
What is a laneway house, who lives in one, where are they built and why? Lately, I have noticed quite a few laneway houses popping up in and around Vancouver. Curiosity got the best of me, so I attended a panel discussion at the Hive with top laneway housing experts to answer a few of my questions.
Section cut – two storey LWH
Panel – From left to right: Kate Allen [Smallworks], Bryn Davidson [Lanefab], Sonia Erichsen [City of Vancouver] and Ellen Pond [Pembina Institute]
A laneway house (LWH) is a one or two storey garage-sized home built on the lot of an existing single-family dwelling. The average LWH is approximately 590 sq ft.
The minimum qualifications for a LWH are as follows: – A 33′ wide lot with lane access, or a double fronting lot
– Fire fighting access
– 16′ clearance to backyard space
– Maintenance of site permeability (green space)
– One off-street parking space, parking pad, or a parking spot inside the LWH
As Vancouver is now the most expensive North American city to live in, laneway houses can lessen the strain of mortgage payments by offering a rental income, as well as additional options for renters. This type of dwelling is typical for the aging population, adult children, caregivers and renters who wish to live in detached housing.
PROS:
– Provides an alternative to renting a basement suite or apartment
– An excellent opportunity for meeting new people and having additional friendships, as many people enter and exit their home via. back entrances
– Adds more security and character to the lane
– Contributes to rental housing in the city, allowing an easier commute for jobs, services and amenities
– LWH’s meet green standards for energy and water efficiency
– Opens doors for creative “lanescaping” in the laneway, such as vertical gardens and plants
CONS:
– Less accessibility for the aging population, as stairs can be seen as a major issue for the elderly to navigate
– Designated parking pads are not always used, creating wasted space
– LWH’s with a second floor can create shadows in alleyways and can also become a privacy issue where neighboring houses and yards can be completely visible
– The process for obtaining a permit to build a LWH is time consuming
– Separate connections are needed for plumbing and electrical
– Only affordable if the property is owned
– LWH’s are generally small when considering square footage
After weighing out the pros and cons of laneway housing, they can definitely work for many. As a low impact way to solve population density in Vancouver, laneway houses can provide the answer, with prices as high as they are.
Net zero solar laneway house by Lanefab, photographed by Dylan Doubt
Eight floors of amazing is what Camenzind Evolution has designed in collaboration with Setter Architects and Studio Yaron Tal.
The Google work environment promotes creativity, collaboration and the sharing of ideas, through the effective design layout, which sets itself apart from the typical office.
Located in the Electra Tower in central Tel Aviv, the office boasts views of the city and sea through full length windows, while allowing in generous amounts of natural light.
Communication is key in this office and it is shown through 50% of the floor plan being open. Perfect for conversation, many areas display a casual demeanor of comfortable lounge seating consisting of banquettes, booths, or benches. The other half of the space is more enclosed, to allow focus and privacy.
Each floor of the 8,000 m2 office is contrasted by aspects of the diversity in Israel, portraying a different theme relating to the building’s surroundings.
The Google cafeteria features three restaurants, each themed differently: Non-kosher, kosher dairy and kosher meat.
Featuring a slide between floors, a Lego room, music room, full gym and a rooftop overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, this office could be enough motivation to make most opt (or lust) for a career change. 
The project is currently awaiting LEED Platinum certification; If granted, this will be the first of its category in Israel.
As Canada is phasing out the penny and it will no longer be distributed from the Royal Canadian Mint, it makes ‘cents’ to put that spare change to a worthy cause.
Ten million pennies, or $100,000 is the cost equivalent for building supplies that the Habitat for Humanity can use to build a safe, affordable home for one family. With the ultimate goal of collecting 690 million pennies, the Habitat can build an additional 69 homes across Canada.
The Greater Vancouver Habitat for Humanity and ReStore locations will be accepting penny donations. Click here for more information on the Habitat, or here, for the location nearest you.
Showcasing innovation in architecture, interior design, construction and property management, Buildex is the place to be, with trade shows, seminars and exhibits.
600 exhibits are found on the trade show floor, ranging from construction materials, design solutions, lighting and green building practices. The following images are of the exhibits that caught my attention during the show.
My first stop in the trade show was a 3D printing booth. The printer used an additive process to print a tea cup and saucer in colour, from a CAD file.
A three-dimensional print of a multi-level commercial building
Green roof material consisting of a living system of soil, compost and vegetation, planted over a waterproofing membrane (This also happens to be the same material that is used on top of the Vancouver Convention Center!). 
LED lighting in an exterior application for parking lots, stadiums, fields and posts
Cutouts produced with a CNC machine used as functional and decorative art panels
A combination living-working zone produced to maximize functionality in a smaller space 
Customized wall treatments produced from photos and artwork
Textured millwork cabinet doors, fabricated from layers of plywood, in various finishes
Buildex 2013 was definitely worthwhile for me, as it’s a great way to keep current with new products and technology in an ever-changing industry.
overthetaupe 
