Ottawa aspires to be one of the best livable mid-sized cities in North America. A key part of this vision includes vibrant traditional main streets supporting both speciality and everyday items: think of a butcher, bagel shop or bakery that are within a short walk. Add a pharmacy and services such as dentists, doctors and …
How investing in architecture now will set us up for future success. Over the last month, we’ve seen the world respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. In Canada, as in many other parts of the world, we’ve seen the economy shut down while we work from home. As governments provide the much-needed support to people, small businesses …
The Big Story recently did a piece on the impact that the COVID19 pandemic is having on our cities, homes and offices, and discussed with Toon Dreessen whether or not the short term effects we’re seeing will have long term benefits on the future designs of our built environments. Read the article and listen to …
Last fall, the City of Ottawa, like many other cities, declared a #ClimateEmergency. We’ve also declared a #HousingEmergency. We need to restore, conserve, adapt and renovate our existing buildings, including abandoned and derelict ones, to provide more housing. It can take years to get a project through planning approval and construction, so any action we …
Running a small business isn’t easy at the best of times. Payroll comes every two weeks. Rent and utility bills come every month. Tax submissions come every quarter. Today’s pandemic exacerbates the challenges that small businesses face: reserves are often minimal, allowing for, if they’re lucky, a month or two of emergency financial resources. Due …
It’s been a tough few weeks for all of us. Small businesses are struggling and our traditional, walkable main streets are void of the pedestrian traffic that independent stores depend on to stay afloat. Some have closed outright, while others are taking steps to keep their doors open by offering take-out and delivery options for …
I began my employment here at Architects DCA about 8 months ago and I was asked to write my first blog about myself and what I enjoy most. Self-evaluation is always a struggle, so where do I begin? Being a person who loves expansion and all angles of work, I felt the comfortability of the …
If you’re in business, you’re likely already doing this in your line of work. ISO 9001 Certification gives us a framework for making sure that we do this on every project, every time. We are one of a handful of architecture firms in Canada with this unique certification. Getting this certification is more than just …