“We are seeing office environments where there is dedicated space for collaboration, for whiteboard sessions, for cafes and for interactive space,” says Toon Dreessen, president of Architects DCA and past-president of the Ontario Association of Architects. “We are now creating spaces where people can come together and solve problems and they are not stuck at …
The old adage says that when one door closes, another one opens. This is very true today as it marks the last Ontario Association of Architects (OAA) Council meeting I will be attending. For six years, I’ve had the honour of serving the architecture profession’s regulatory council. Elected by the members of Eastern Ontario, it …
One year my New Year’s resolution was to pick a charity of choice – an organization that I could contribute to whenever I felt the urge to donate to a worthy cause. There were a couple of reasons why I wanted to do this: I was on so many lists that I was getting a …
It’s been a whirlwind couple of weeks for me, from conferences to speaking engagements and everything in between. Travelling from Ottawa to Toronto and “virtually” sparking conversations with people all over the world via the DCA Twitter account, I’ve been on a mission to help educate and inspire a new way of thinking about architecture, …
Buying better buildings: How governments should hire architects Procurement is the process used by large organizations such as governments to buy goods and services. There is an expectation – and a requirement – that purchasing goods and services in the public sector will be in a competitive, open and transparent environment so that best value …
In Layman’s Terms (A Non-Architect’s Point of View) A Blog by Miranda Paquette I don’t get out much. My family left Europe in the 1600’s and doesn’t go back very often – for several generations, they we didn’t go back at all. So my second trip to Europe was the year I turned 45. I …
Has LEED reached the tipping point? Flipping through the magazines that come into our office we noticed that everyone is claiming to somehow be related to LEED. It’s used as a selling feature for homes and offices alike. From what we see it has become synonymous with “good.” In our human ability to short-phrase complex subjects, …
In Layman’s Terms (A Non-Architect’s Point of View) A Blog by Miranda Paquette Flashback to my teen years – I lived briefly in Orléans, went to Catholic Secondary School Garneau and babysat kids all over town. I cashed my first cheque on St. Joseph Blvd, and with all that cash ($30 or so) took a …
Architects DCA has maintained a Quality Management System and certification under ISO 9001:2008 for over 10 years. On September 18, 2017 we achieved the milestone of an upgraded certification to ISO 9001:2015. We believe it’s an investment in methodology that will help us consistently deliver excellent services to our clients. When it comes to quality, our commitment …
Ontario condo buyers grapple with monthly fees amid slow rollout of new rules When Joe Byer bought a condo in a 24-storey downtown building in 2009, he and his wife were attracted in part by the appealingly low monthly fee: $400 for the two-bedroom unit. After about a year, recalls Mr. Byer, an IT sales …