At Manasc Isaac we're committed to sustainability, integrated design and community engagement; all of which are hallmarks of our design and construction approach.

We also believe supporting local growers and business is integral to creating a vibrant community in which we all live, play and work. Our holiday gift of locally sourced tea, packaged in recycled bags made here in Canada, is an example of our commitment. 

The Demmitt Cultural Centre is quickly taking shape! Located 30 min. west of Grande Prairie, this straw bale / timberframe / SIPS/ double-stud super-efficient, near netzero structure will be replacing the old quonset hut that was previously used for square dancing, theatre and music festivals. Quietbox Design Studio and Manasc Isaac are excited to see this come together so quickly. And they are already booking gigs for the summer!

The American Chamber of Commerce in Korea (AMCHAM) hosted October 19 an event focusing on energy efficient construction and architecture attended by industry specialists, Korean government officials and private sector representatives. The "Green Building Forum" was the brainchild of Chungha Cha, CEO and Managing Director of Susterra Partners Ltd., a firm that helps finance green projects, and explored the theme of achieving "50 percent energy efficiency at the same construction cost." With the specter of climate change looming over the world, the need for energy efficiency and resource conservation has never been clearer.

EDMONTON: November 9 / CALGARY: November 10 – John Woelfling, from Dattner Architects, New York, brought us insight into managing the Peter W. Rodino Federal Office Building renewal in Newark, New Jersey at today's reimagine summit. 

Todd Babiak of the Edmonton Journal talks with Shafraaz Kaba of Manasc Isaac Architects about re-skinning aging facades.  Read it here!

Vivan Manasc will join the Bullfrog Panel on Best Practices in Developing and Implementing Corporate Sustainability Plans..

November 24, 2010 from 10:30 - 1:30 pm

Have a look!

http://www.bullfrogpower.com/horizons/index_ab.cfm

Our first research tool is now on-line. Su2ds was developed to help Architects model daylight in buildings, seamlessly. Give it a try! /about_us/our_research

Two physical models created by Myron Nebozuk are featured in the exhibition "In the Field," curated by Fat Crow Design. The models include the competition entry for Red Deer City Hall and the proposed Camrose City Hall.

M.A.D.E. in Edmonton celebrates 10 years of success as a non-profit society promoting architecture, art and design in Edmonton!  M.A.D.E. was a seed of an idea born through the encouragement and sponsorship of firms like Manasc Isaac. Edmonton Design Exposed: How a decade is M.A.D.E. is a 10 day long festival that features lectures, exhibitions and parties!  Check out www.madeinedmonton.org for more information! 

Travel Alberta chose a stunning night time photo of "The Nest," the eco-lodge at the Boreal Centre for Bird Conservation for it's cover!  The Boreal Centre for Bird Conservation recently celebrated it's LEED Gold achievement. For their story, 

Vivian spoke on Green Buildings at the AMCHAM Green Building Forum in Seoul Korea. Seoul is lively, with active night markets and busy streets late into the evening. Greening this city will be an interesting challenge.

Read the full story here: http://albertaventure.com/2010/10/green-issues-black-clouds/

On October 2, the team gathered to celebrate the accomplishement of LEED Gold certification for a centre that celebrates birds, their habitat, and their community.

For more information on the Boreal Centre for Bird Conservation, see: http://www.borealbirdcentre.ca/

The EOC, a largely underground building, is coming out of the ground. The circular courtyard is visible in the foreground, and the former EOC, in the background.

Running Side by Side with Diesel in Bus Fleet, CNG Emerges As ...

The Cleaner, Less Costly Choice

The Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 and the Energy Policy Act of 1992 generated interest in cleaner burning, domestically produced alternative motor vehicle fuels.

In response to this legislation, the Central New York Regional Transit Authority (CENTRO) introduced eight natural gas-fueled buses into service in January 1993 in a project sponsored jointly by Niagara Mohawk Gas and CENTRO.

July 29, 2010

New building brings public services together in Slave Lake

Grand opening celebrates partnership between province and town of Slave Lake...

The new Slave Lake Government Centre and Library is officially open, providing residents in the growing community with improved, one-stop access to government services.

“This is a building that works,” said Ray Danyluk, Minister of Infrastructure. “The Slave Lake Government Centre and Library is a first-class, well planned, sustainable building that will support the people who use it and work there by enabling efficient delivery of key services.”

The Water Centre was recognized nationally, with an award of Merit from the Canadian Institute for Steel Construction 

Manasc Isaac and PCL are completing the new Cultural Centre in Morinville. Steel has been erected and the building will be enclosed by the time the snow flies, working toward a March 2011 opening.

Manasc Isaac's Servus Corporate Centre re-imagined, is now occupied!

The new sunshades and high-performance re-cladding create a comfortable and welcoming workspace for Servus staff, who have now moved from various buildings, to their new home. /projects/servus

Roof deck is now installed !

Vivian Manasc will participate on a panel on Placemaking on Saturday September 25, 2010, at the Alberta Museums Association Annual Conference, in Edmonton. For more information on this event see http://www.museums.ab.ca/brochure.aspx

Download full story as a PDF

CBC North : the performance of the Greenstone Government of Canada Building in Yellowknife, designed by Manasc Isaac Architects, is better than expected. After 5 years, the building is looking good,  as well as setting a new Gold Standard for office buildings in the North. Have a look!

 The Stanley Milner Library in downtown Edmonton is in need of a new "coat". This library, located in the heart of the city, on the south side of Churchill Square, creates a viewport of access into the world of books and ideas from around the world. The skin of building could be delightful, enhancing energy performance, appearance and the experience of the interior. Reimagining this significant building should be among Edmonton's top priorities in the next year.

Celebrate Creative Aging! 

Film Screenings at the AGA – June 10^th and 12^th, 2010

The Creative Age Festival is a celebration of creative aging. It encourages seniors to become more involved in arts programs and celebrates the contributions that senior artists have made in the arts field. As part of this festival the AGA is hosting two inspirational film screenings that celebrate creative aging through the arts, organized and sponosred inpart by the AHHM Program at the University of Alberta.

Each screening (Buena Vista Social Club and I Remember Better When I Paint – see below) will be followed by comments offered by our invited panellists, and an interactive audience Q&A.

New Science Labs are being developed at Athabasca University, to accommodate researchers as well as students. While AU is a distance learning institution, there are times when students are invited to the campus in Athabasca to participate in week-long labs. In addition, research in geology, microbiology, chemistry and physics and biology is on-going, and the new facilities will enhance AU's already stellar research capacity. The new labs will be complete early in 2011.

The Associated Engineering Plaza on Jasper Avenue at 109th Street presently looks like this.

Photograph by: Shaughn Butts, The Journal, Edmonton Journal

The Associated Engineering Building is so ugly blind dogs cross the street.

Bats cringe at its radar signature and unpopular men congregate outside to look comparatively Clooney.

Vivian Manasc will be speaking at Buildex in Edmonton. http://www.buildexedmonton.com/. On March 24th, Vivian will moderate a panel with Kevin Hydes and Don Schmidt, exploring the idea of Net-Zero - Fact or Fiction. Later that same day, she will present a "look back" from 2030, inviting participants to imagine the world looking back. Vivian will share some of Manasc Isaac's staff video clips on this topic, and lead a discussion on what we as Architects, Engineers and Builders need to do to make the world in 2030 the world we want to live in.

A client satisfaction survey recently completed by Resinnova show remarkable results. Eighty percent of clients overall said they were satisfied with Manasc Isaac's services in the past five years.

Main reasons that clients chose Manasc Isaac over other firms included that Manasc Isaac had desired experience with LEED and sustainable projects (28%) and satisfaction with previous work completed by the firm (23%).

Our keen and observant Simulation/Research Engineer, Josh Kjenner, spotted a poster featuring the Water Centre on display at Alberta House in Vancouver.

The recently opened Stony Plain Memorial Composite High School made the front page of the City section of the Edmonton Journal! Check out the full story here.

Manasc Isaac has made the shortlist of the 2010 Alberta's Best Workplaces awards in two seperate categories: Best Workplace for the Environmentally Conscious, and Best Overall Workplace for Under 100 Employees.

Each year Alberta Venture recognizes those Alberta-based companies leading the way in corporate culture and human resource development through its Alberta’s Best Workplaces program. Final results for each category will be unveiled on February 25th at a reception for winners and members of the Alberta business commmunity. Selected companies will also be featured in the release of the Alberta’s Best Workplaces cover story, which runs in the March issue of Alberta Venture.

Architect and underground building pioneer died this week, at the age of 83.

Malcolm Wells was an inspiration to many young Architects in the early days on the sustainable buildings movement. With his passion for passive design, ecological integration ,and tucking buildings below the earth, he invited us to imagine a "gentle architecture".

Next Gen is getting ready to host the inaugural Engage: Your City, Your Voice event at the end of January.

The tragedy in Haiti bring the small world we live in, into sharp focus. Manasc Isaac is supporting Architecture for Humanity in their efforts to assist the people and communities devastated by the recent earthquake. http://architectureforhumanity.org/. Much has been written about this tragedy, and the international media is "on the scene". http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/14/world/americas/14construction.html

The Water Centre will be featured in the new book: Modern North : Architecture on the Frozen Edge by Julie Decker , with contributions by Juhani Pallasma & Edwin Crittende. It will be availabe from Princeton Architectural Press in March!