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Alternative Ownership Models and Housing for the Homeless
Michael Driedger, Busby Perkins + Will, Vancouver, BC
Brenda Martens, Recollective, Vancouver, BC
Click Here to download the presentations from this session!
How can design and ownership structures be transformed into powerful tools to increase affordability, equity and quality of life? Ancient structures teach us lessons in passive design, while the culture of First Nations provides us the wisdom that no one can own the water in a stream or the wind blowing across a mountain. As building façades become energy sources, so will wind and other forces that can’t be mined or drilled. What will the future hold for our common perception of ownership? Can a “living building” be owned by an individual or will it only be “living” while joined to a community?
Brenda Martens of
Recollective Consulting and Michael Driedger of Busby Perkins+Will
explore alternative forms of ownership and housing the homeless by
discussing issues such as resource sharing, energy policy shifts,
shared wall elements, designing for consideration of behavior, and
improving the quality of life.
Presenter Bios
Michael Driedger
Michael’s diverse work
experience as a trades person, archaeologist, technologist, and
researcher has helped develop his talents in contract administration,
project management, LEED coordination, and report preparation on a
range of projects. Together with work done with the USGBC, Michael
recently prepared a handbook of the Most Sustainable City Policies in North
America for
2008. The survey included 23 questions pertaining to sustainable site
development, materials, energy, indoor air quality, water and operating
policies, and city programs to act as catalysts for those cities that
need to develop progressive policies or programs. The survey instigated
a cross-Canada tour by Peter Busby on behalf of the CaGBC. The
presentation will also draw heavily from living in the Four Sisters
Housing Co-op inVancouver’s
Downtown East Side, where Michael has served on the board of directors
for the past 2 years.
Click here to listen to Michael Driedger's presentation podcast.
Brenda Martens
Brenda is one of the
founding partners of Recollective Consulting, a green building and
sustainable community consulting firm located in the Downtown East
Side, and has over 16 years experience in the building/design industry
working on residential, institutional, commercial and industrial
projects throughout British Columbia. Her experience varies from
design, construction administration, and project management to
integrated design facilitation and LEED Coordination. Brenda's work as a sustainable
building consultant with BC Housing, the
agency responsible for providing housing to those in greatest need
whose mandate is providing LEED Gold, carbon neural housing, has
provided insights into incorporating sustainability into affordable and
"non-market" housing, and conversely lessons on how affordability can
be incorporated into sustainable design. Brenda is deeply involved in
the sustainable development community; she serves on the Board of
Directors for the Cascadia Region Green Building Council, is Faculty for the CaGBC teaching
LEED and IDP workshops, is a member of the CaGBC Technical Advisory
Group (TAG), and participates on the City of Vancouver Green Building Strategy Committee.
Some projects of note are the VANOC (Vancouver Organizing Committee for
the 2010 Olympic Winter Games) Head office, the CaGBC Vancouver office
and theVancouver and Whistler Athletes' Villages.
Click here to listen to Brenda Martens' presentation podcast.
