Darryl Condon is a partner in Vancouver architecture firm Hughes Condon Marler Architects (HCMA). Condon opened his talk by telling the audience that he is a "glass half full guy." But he had to admit that our efforts in North America can often be a drop in the bucket of global sustainability.
 

Darryl Condon/Photo by Mathew Smith

In North America, we've become very good at green architecture, with the certification bodies  (LEED, Green Globes, Energy Star, etc.) leading the way. However, Condon paired this optimistic statement with one that tempered it: all of the energy that has been saved by LEED certified buildings in Canada have been completely offset by the number of new cars being put on the road in India — and that's just one example.

Condon also wanted to make clear that "sustainability" is made up of three areas: environmental, social, and economic. The work done at HCMA focuses on social sustainability. Condon noted that over time, city dwellers have given up public space to the private sector. We've turned the town square into the shopping mall. Condon would like to see a shift towards inclusive, democratic spaces where people can gather — an example of social sustainability.

Condon said that we "need living, diverse, democratic, inclusive, healthy, and celebration spaces". These are the points that HCMA aims to achieve with each new community centre, recreation centre or library they design. And for a building to be truly sustainable, it must be accessible to all types of needs and abilities.

Condon wanted everyone in the audience to think about how they can go beyond simply meeting codes and requirements to make something "green" or "accessible," and strive towards the complete meaning of the word sustainability in all the work that we do.

For more photos from the session, click here.
 

Robert L. Peters is a graphic designer and principal of Circle Design Incorporated, an award-winning design consultancy he founded in 1976 in Winnipeg, Canada. He is also an educator, a former Icograda president (2001-2003), a foreign feature correspondent for Communication Arts magazine, author of the book Worldwide Identity, and a Fellow of the Society of Graphic Designers of Canada. A humanist and lifelong environmentalist, Robert remains active internationally as a design consultant, strategist, policy advisor, writer, juror, lecturer, and expert speaker. He was raised and schooled in Germany, Switzerland, and England, and has worked and traveled extensively (more than 60 countries).

Thursday May 03, 2012 at 7:30pm at The Ironworks.

Using scientific proof and state-of-the-art multimedia techniques, Aaron James Draplin of the Draplin Design Co. delivers a suckerpunch of a talk that aims to provide bonafide proof of work, the highs and lows of a ferociously independent existence and a couple tall tales from his so-called career in the cutthroat world of contemporary graphic design. Just a regular guy with a trajectory a little dirtier than yours, his talk is open to all oncomers brave enough to show up. If you are a youngster, you may find yourself inspired to attack your design future in a different way. If you are established, you may just leave feeling grateful you don't have anything to do with him. Hard to say. One night only, Vancouver!