Congratulations to our Principal Lara Presber, the new President of the Canadian Chapter of the American Institute of Architects. Lara previously served in the role as Vice President for 2 years and moved into her new role in January 2022. The Chapter established in 2017, brings AIA members residing in Canada together to continue advancement and development in the profession. AIA Canada operates as a not-for-profit, professional association representing and delivering programs and services to more than 400 architects and associate members. They maintain a broader involvement with the 6 other international Chapters of the AIA collaborating on events and continuing education programs around the globe.
We are pleased to announce that Lara Presber has also achieved the credential of WELL Accredited Professional (WELL AP™) through The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI).
WELL is a performance-based system for measuring, certifying and monitoring features of the built environment that impact human health and has a profound impact on corporate performance indicators – including productivity, engagement and resilience. More than ever before, these elements play a critical role in demonstrating value in the work environment.
Please reach out if you would like to learn more about how the WELL building standard can be applied to your new or existing office space.
Our Principal, Lara Presber, moderated a webinar for the AIA International‘s Spring 2021 Conference featuring Darryl Condon, Managing Principal, HCMA Architecture + Design. Darryl discusses the architectural community’s quest for a more responsible design culture is at a critical stage. It is time to expand our focus to include a much more serious attempt at understanding and improving the conditions of social sustainability and through this the social impact of our work.
The course for 1.0 LU/ HSW for AIA Members can be found here; the video is open for viewing to all.
We are proud to announce that Kyla Martin has achieved the credential of WELL Accredited Professional (WELL AP™) through The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI).
WELL is a performance-based system for measuring, certifying and monitoring features of the built environment that impact human health and well-being, through air, water, nourishment, light, fitness, comfort and mind. It marries best practices in design and construction with evidence-based medical and scientific research – harnessing the built environment as a vehicle to support human health and wellbeing.
Passive house is a voluntary standard for energy efficiency in a building, which reduces the building’s ecological footprint. It results in ultra-low energy buildings that require little energy for space heating or cooling. It was established by the Passivhaus Institute in Darmstadt, Germany in 1996, and is one of the pioneering concepts for building low-energy houses and is today a leading building standard for both residential and commercial projects.
A building must meet several criteria to achieve the passive house standard including Space Heating energy demand maximums, Primary Energy limits, Airtightness and Thermal comfort of occupants year round.
Studio Presber Principal Lara Presber achieved her Passive House certification earlier this year thorough Passive House Canada and is able to help you through the process whether for a new building or renovation to optimize an existing one.
Our Principal, Lara Presber, moderated a webinar for the AIA International‘s Fall 2020 Conference featuring Calgary’s Matt Grace, Managing Principal of Integral Group. The Canada Green Building Council has recommended that all provinces will need to prioritize recommissioning for large buildings (between 2500 and 20,000 m2) and deep retrofits for older buildings (over 35 years old) in order to meet the target. In this session, Matt helps us navigate how the objectives of the 2030 Commitment can begin to be met as they are applied to our existing building stock.
The course for 1.0 LU/ HSW for AIA Members can be found here; the video is open for viewing to all.
Fitwel is a commercial building rating system that provides guidelines on how to design and operate healthier buildings. The Fitwel Scorecards include 55+ evidence-based design and operational strategies that enhance buildings by addressing a broad range of health behaviors and risks.Each strategy is associated with unique point allocations, based on the strength of associated evidence and the demonstrated impact on occupant health. This means that strategies with stronger, multi-faceted impacts receive more points.
Studio Presber is certified to help you through the entire certification process or help you integrate some of the criteria if you’re looking to hone in on some key items to increase wellness in your workspace. Reach out to learn more via our Contact page.
