The construction is well underway! Come down to the Metropolis festival in Sir Winston Churchill square between December 31st and February 20th to see the POLAR brewHouse designed by Richard Isaac.

Metropolis - Edmonton International Winter Festival is the first of it's kind in Edmonton. The festival will start with a New Year’s Eve celebration on the 31st of December and run every weekend through the Family Day weekend in mid-February. It will consist of six free-standing, heated temporary structures made from Aluma Systems construction scaffolding covered with white shrink wrap. This technique is based on cold climate construction technology and will offer a sheltered atmosphere suitable for normal winter conditions in the Edmonton Capital Region.

The Morinville Community Cultural Centre is a winner in this month's Alberta Construction Magazine's Top Projects issue! Congratulations go out to our partners PCL Construction Management Inc. who completed the project on schedule and under budget! Vivian was the event speaker at the luncheon last week in Calgary honouring the winners and runners up.

Join Shafraaz at AUMA's meeting of the Provincial Network of Welcoming and Inclusive Commuities on December 1st and 2nd! This forum will delve into the current challenges and strategies facing municipalities in the attraction, retention and integration of newcomers in Alberta municipalities.

Shafraaz will be on a panel to discuss how best to get green building products out to the market!  Shafraaz has been experimenting and using "carbonized" wood at his new home, which he blogs about at ChasingNetZero. Carbonized wood can potentially be a great alternative to pressure-treated wood. But the challenge is how to get the market to buy in. Come hear the discussion!

Next Tuesday, Shafraaz will be presenting at Homeward Trust's Community Summit on Housing. Shafraaz will be on a panel on building innovations for housing. 

Vivian will be the guest speaker at Alberta Construction Magazine's Top Ten luncheon on December 1, 2011 in Calgary.

Have a look !

http://www.albertaconstructionmagazine.com/topprojects.aspx?page=EVENT

Several members of the Manasc Isaac team attended the second annual Infrastructure Partners Conference this week. Vivian participated on two panels: one on Infrastructure Renewal - related to our reimagine initiative, and a second, on Procurement.

Next week, the second Annual Infrastructure Partners Conference takes place at Northlands. This initiative is a partnership between Alberta Infrastructure, the Consulting Architects of Alberta, the Consulting Engineers of Alberta and the Alberta and Edmonton Construction Associations. Premier Allison Redford is invited to make the opening remarks on Moday.  Vivian Manasc is participating on two panels: one on Infrastructure Renewal - related to our reimagine initiative, and a second, on Procurement.

The folks at Manasc Isaac had a great time cooking up their 'Classic Canadiana Log Fire Hot Moose Chili' at the 21st Annual Downtown Business Association's Chili Cook off. Themed around 'Canadiana', they showed off their creative and culinary skills to help raise money for 'The Kids in the Hall Bistro'. The team would like to thank Betty Jo for the donation of the moose meat and Jim from Amber's for the Stout.

From your friends at Manasc Isaac!

As part of Horizon 2067, the plan for Canada's Capital for 2067, our 200th birthday, Vivian Manasc and Shafraaz Kaba participated in leading the NCC's Capital Conversation which took place in Edmonton on November 2nd.

Thank you to those who joined us for our fifth reimagine Tower Renewal Summit. We hope everyone enjoyed hearing Michael Brooks, CEO of REALpac, speak about the insights gained from the results of REALpac's 2010 Energy Benchmarking Report: Performance of the Canadian Office Sector. To download a PDF of the Report or to learn more about REALpac, please visit HERE. We'd like to thank Michael for coming from Toronto to share this valuable information with us.

Architect Shafraaz Kaba was invited to be one of the panelists on Alberta Prime Time on the subject of historic sites and the preservation of buildings. Ideas included how to make the business case for saving buildings, public grants and funding and reimagining structures. Check out the story here.

On July 29th, Premier Ed Stelmach opened the new Academic Research Centre at Athabasca University. http://www2.athabascau.ca/aboutau/news/news_item.php?new&id=85. Manasc Isaac's team boarded a bus and headed north to Athabasca to celebrate the opening of Athabasca University's new ARC Building. For more information on the building, visit here.

Edmonton Journal - Karen Kleiss

EDMONTON - Alberta kids who struggle with mental health issues are one step closer to a new building after a group of Edmonton architects awarded $10,000 in design services to a local not-for-profit agency. Architects at Manasc Isaac awarded the inaugural Blue Sky Architecture Award to the Edmonton-based Child Adolescent and Family Mental Health agency, known as CASA.

The new Academic Research Centre at Athabasca University, designed to achieve a LEED^® Gold rating, will be opening this Friday July 29th, 2011. Join us as Alberta's Premier opens this significant facility at 3 pm in Athabasca.  /projects/athabasca_university_arc

Thanks to the combination of two unique design firms – Sturgess Architecture and Manasc Isaac Architects – Calgary's award winning Water Centre features a striking steel design equipped with long-lasting durability and eco-mindedness.

Sustainable Architecture will be the subject of Vivian Manasc's lecture at the Ion Mincu University of Architecture in Bucharest, Romania.http://www.uauim.ro/en/. Vivian has been invited as a guest critic as part of the international architectural jury for year-end reviews at theUniversity.

Both Shafraaz Kaba and Ian O'Donnell from Manasc Isaac presented at Friday's Pecha Kucha night. If you weren't one of the 400 lucky folks to snag a ticket to the event, you can find more information here.

On Tuesday, June 14th Manasc Isaac joined BOMA Edmonton. "Founded in 1907, BOMA International is the oldest and largest professional association representing the commercial building industry, with 100 Federated Associations in Canada, United States, and around the world. Companies and individuals benefit from the knowledge and experience of BOMA membership 18,500+ strong. BOMA International's members are building owners, managers, developers, leasing professionals, medical office building managers, corporate facility managers, asset managers, and the providers of the products and services needed to operate commercial properties." - BOMAedmonton.org

After several soft openings, including the Morinville and District Chamber of Commerce’s Business After Hours event, the Town of Morinville’s Volunteer Appreciation Night and the Art of Conversation’s Canyon Rose Outfit concert, the Morinville Community Cultural Centre had its official opening over the weekend. A forma gala evening took place Saturday night with a formal dinner, presentations and entertainment. Sunday afternoon saw the official ribbon cutting ceremony and the doors swung wide open to the community at large.

It was a full house in the new Demmitt Hall as people from all over the Peace Country and beyond attended the first Borderline concert on June 11th. A great time by all accounts. CKUA Radio was on site as were many of the volunteers, workers and other supporters of the Demmitt Cultural Society. The new/old  recycled dance floor withstood the test of the boisterous dancers. It was a wonderful indication of the potential of this beautiful building.

On June 11 and 12th, Manasc Isaac's Green Revolution team cycled the 185km trip from Leduc to Camrose and back. Our team this year was made up of some very dedicated Manasc Isaac staff, family and friends raising $6345.00 for the Multiple Sclerosis Society - the most Green Revolution has ever raised! We'd like to thank everyone who supported our efforts and this worthy cause!

Manasc Isaac's studio and amenities has been featured in Officeland, on the Unlimited website! Check it out here!

Manasc Isaac celebrates Partner, Architect Shafraaz Kaba and Associate Ian O'Donnell [Downtown Community Guy] who are both presenting at Pecha Kucha 10 at the Aviation Museum on Kingsway, 7 - 10 pm, Friday June 17, 2011.

Should be a good event  - for more information see..http://www.pecha-kucha.org/night/edmonton/10

Where community has its placeMorinville's Community Cultural Centre ready to open its doors

Most people who stop by the new Morinville Community Cultural Centre to peek at the foyer are in awe of the circular glass-paned wall and sweeping staircase. Built next to Morinville Community High School, it is without a doubt the town’s crown jewel.

Manasc Isaac and Quiet Box Design Studio are happy to announce that the Demmitt Cultural Centre will have its inaugural concert on June 11th!  Maria in the Shower are the first band booked to play in the hall for a public event! If you're anywhere near Grande Prairie next weekend, this is not to be missed! Not to mention, the building is pretty cool too.

The Beverly Heights house will be open to the public today during the Eco Solar Home Tour!

It was a frenzy to get guard rails installed and thanks to some great friends, the PV sunshade array is up too! 

At the Pacific Northwest Regional CEFPI conference (Lake Louise, May 25–27), Manasc Isaac received the Outstanding Design Award for a school building addition/modernization. This design award was presented to Parkland School Division and our firm for Memorial Composite High School, located in Stony Plain, Alberta. We are very proud to have received this award, given that the jury was presented with a number of very strong projects from the Pacific Northwest region.

May 24, 2011

This is all that remains of the Slave Lake Government Center and Library. Our team will be doing whatever we can to help the Town and the Government to resume operations, as the residents start to move back to Slave Lake, after 2 weeks of evacuation.

EDMONTON - On hot summer days, sunshine would flood through the south-facing windows of Edmonton’s Oliver Building and temperatures inside the offices would soar to a sweltering 25 C. But architecture firm and building owner Manasc Isaac has found a cooling solution that doesn’t involve air conditioning.

Thanks to everyone who came out to help us celebrate our new sunshades!

Our thoughts go out to our friends in Slave Lake as fires continue to burn uncontrolled through the east and north sections of the town. Officials have declared a state of emergency and residents of Slave Lake have been forced to evacuate. Manasc Isaac had the pleasure of working with the town and it's residents to create the Town Hall which officially opened the Summer of 2010. Unfortunately, the building which included the Government Centre and Town Library, was engulfed in flames on Sunday evening and could not be salvaged.

At the Pacific Northwest Regional CEFPI conference (Lake Louise, May 25–27), Manasc Isaac received the Outstanding Design Award for a school building addition/modernization. This design award was presented to Parkland School Division and our firm for Memorial Composite High School, located in Stony Plain, Alberta. We are very proud to have received this award, given that the jury was presented with a number of very strong projects from the Pacific Northwest region.

We're celebrating our new sunshades on May 18th. Join us from 5-8 pm at the Oliver Building 10225-100 Avenue Edmonton - to celebrate our new solar sunshades.

We'd like to congratulate our clients, Servus Credit Union, on their two Alberta Venture Best Workplace Awards! They won in the categories for Best Workplace over 750 Employees and Best Workplace for Benefits. All of the winners are published in the May 2011 issue of Alberta Venture and can also be seen here.

April 5, 2011: Atco Electric unveils new energy-efficient operations centre in Lloydminster, at a celebration in the community, attended by the Mayor, Jeff Mulligan, Council members,  Bobbi Lambright, President responsible for Operations at Atco Electric, with her Senior and Regional Management team, along with Manasc Isaac's Vivian Manasc and Garth Crump.http://www.atcoelectric.com/About_Us/news/news.asp

At Manasc Isaac, we’re always looking for ways to reduce the impact our office has on the environment. The latest addition to the Oliver Building (10225 100 Avenue) are photovoltaic (PV) panels that also operate as sunshades. During the warmer months we rely on operable windows, not mechanical air conditioning, to keep us cool while we work inside. The sunshades are installed on the south side of the building which receives a generous amount of sun during the day. 

We are honoured to have received an honourable mention as one of the best workplaces in Alberta for the Environmentally Conscious! Shafraaz Kaba accepted the award at the event hosted by Alberta Venture at Edmonton's Fairmont Hotel Macdonald on April 26th.

The Beverly Heights House [aka Kaba Residence] has been selected for the Solar Energy Society's EcoSolar Home tour this June! Check out the tour details here: http://www.ecosolar.ca/open_houses.html

As seen in today's Edmonton Journal - a story by Todd Babiuk about this month's M.A.D.E. event.

On April 6, more than 50 people were turned away from a sold-out panel discussion about architecture and urban design at the Art Gallery of Alberta. On stage, two architects from Edmonton and two architects from Vancouver talked about designing a downtown.

Less than two weeks left to enter!  

Calling all non-profits!

This award was created to enable Alberta based not-for-profit organizations to move their projects from the idea stage to reality. In support of this goal, Manasc Isaac will donate $10,000 of consulting time to the creation of a Conceptual Design/Feasibility Study. This will enable your organization to use this concept to seek partners, funding, and determine timelines for your project. 

On April 8, Manasc Isaac staff, family and friends headed down to Jasper for our annual ski trip. We were treated to an excellent weekend of great conditions at Marmot and fun with our team, friends and families.

Gary Lamphier of the Edmonton Journal interviewed Vivian Manasc about revitalizing Edmonton's downtown.

Vivian Manasc will be speaking on reimagine: 'Greening existing buildings'..opportunities for the next decade. For more information and to register, follow the link below (expired).

Vancourites Trevor Boddy (Architecture Critic/Curator and Urbanist) and Matthew Soules (Architect/Professor) talk with Manasc Isaac's own Shafraaz Kaba (Architect) about the challenges and opportunities involved in revitalizing a downtown. Hosted by Ryan Jespersen, CityTV. Moderated by Todd Babiak, Edmonton Journal.

March 4th was the official grand opening of Athabasca University's new Science labs. Working within the existing building shell, Manasc Isaac has provided staff and students with a bright, inviting and contemporary space in which to work, study and meet.

Vivian Manasc will once again be speaking at their year's Toronto Green Real Estate Conference on March 9th. http://www.realestateforums.com/greenref/en/program.php

Manasc Isaac has just been shortlisted for Alberta Venture Magazine's 2011 award for Best Workplace for the Environmentally Conscious!

Athabasca University and the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada | Architectue Canada have launched the Graduate Diploma in Architecture at Athabasca University. Presidents of AU and RAIC celebrated the launch at the Art Gallery of Alberta in February of 2011. Manasc Isaac is proud to support the continued development of this program.

Five internationally-acclaimed Architectural teams, are in the final running for the opportunity to plan and design the Edmonton City Centre Airport Lands. This is an extrordinary opportunity to build on Edmonton's strengths, while creating a showplace for urban sustainable living in the 21st century.

ATCO Electric's new Lloydminster Facility is in the air!! 

Manasc Isaac is featured in the December release of the Canadian Architecture Edition highlighting interesting projects from around the Country. The Servus Credit Union Corporate Centre in Edmonton and the Water Centre in Calgary can be found on pages 124 - 133.

As a bit of an office outing, on January 21, Manasc Isaac headed over to take in the annual 'Ice on Whyte' festival. In addition to amazing displays of sculpted ice and snow, this year's theme celebrated Edmonton and Harbin China's 25th anniversary as sister cities. Following the outing we headed over to the nearby 'Next Act' for some warm drinks and office cheer. 

Manasc Isaac has been chosen to design the new Edmonton Crossroads Community Church. This new facility will be constructed at the south east corner of 95 street and 117 avenue, replacing an older facility (photo) that no longer effectively delivers programs to the community.

Ian O'Donnell has been appointed to the City's Subdivision and Development Appeal Board [SDAB] . Ian is starting his role this month, and will be hearing development appeals, as part of the Board, starting in February. In addition to SDAB, he will also be representing the Downtown Edmonton Community League at the 'One Edmonton' forum meetings focussed on accelerating economic growth and diversity in Capital Region.