By Allan Taylor
Frameworks – Manager of Innovation, SWR
What does it look like when a city doesn’t just adapt to change, but prepares for it? In Vancouver, I saw powerful examples of this mindset in action – not just in policy or infrastructure, but in how people are being trained and supported to build a different future.
In this final post, I want to share some of the standout visits that left me hopeful and energized, including stops at BCIT, UBC, and some inspiring low-carbon buildings. These places aren’t just building better – they’re helping others do the same.
BCIT: Building Skills for a Net-Zero Future
At the BCIT High Performance Building Lab, I met with Alex Hebert, who helped launch the Zero Energy/Emissions Buildings Learning Centre. The Lab is more than a training space – it’s a model for hands-on, practical industry education that evolves alongside changing codes, technologies, and workforce needs.
What stood out to me:
- BCIT was given an old warehouse and a small grant, and transformed it into a powerhouse for net-zero and Passive House training.
- They match course content to industry need: From Passive House trade certification to embodied carbon analysis to heat pump fundamentals.
- Their approach is nimble – blending in-person learning, mock-up construction, and micro-credential modules designed to fit into busy schedules and employer grant frameworks.
There’s a humility and curiosity baked into their model – they don’t position themselves as “the experts,” but rather as facilitators of meaningful, targeted learning that the sector urgently needs.
It was a reminder that training is not just about information, it’s about building confidence, capability, and shared language across trades, designers, and decision-makers.
UBC: A Campus That Acts Like a City
I also had the chance to explore the University of British Columbia, which functions like its own municipality, complete with land use policies, permitting authority, and a governance structure that allows for ambitious climate planning at scale.
Their Climate Action Plan 2030 (CAP2030) has already delivered nearly 60% emissions reductions across campus. Some of their bold moves:
- Retrofitting their former steam district energy system to a low-temperature hot water loop, supported by biomass and planning for electrification.
- A zero-waste strategy and transportation plan that has helped keep the number of people driving to campus constant, even as the campus population has grown.
- Implementation of the REAP building standard, a local LEED-like framework for development on campus lands.
- Clear targets around embodied carbon reductions, included in their Neighbourhood Climate Action Plan.
Their approach blends operational change, policy evolution, and cultural engagement. It’s not perfect – but it’s coordinated, transparent, and ambitious in ways that feel transferable to university campuses and large landowners anywhere.
Brock Commons: Leading by Example
While at UBC, I visited Brock Commons Tallwood House – a now-iconic 18-storey hybrid mass timber building that broke records when it was completed in 2017. More than just a feat of engineering, it was a catalyst for regulatory change and industry learning.
The project’s online learning resources – developed with support from UBC’s Living Labs – continue to support other teams in navigating mass timber construction, safety, approvals, and performance.
The building itself is beautiful, practical, and replicable. It shows what becomes possible when institutions say: Let’s do something new and make sure others can follow.
A Broader Perspective
Of course, every place has its complexities. While Vancouver shines in many ways, it’s also facing a serious housing, addiction, and mental health crisis, with visible impacts throughout the city. It’s a stark reminder that equity, affordability, and social well-being must be embedded in how we design, build, and govern – not just treated as externalities.
But even here, I saw signs of possibility. I learned about buildings like Vienna House, an affordable passive house multi-unit project in development by the City of Vancouver. I spoke with leaders at Lonsdale Energy and False Creek NEU, who are working to align energy systems with affordability and accessibility. These aren’t just technical solutions, they’re values in action.
Bringing It Home
Over the course of these visits – from board rooms to boiler rooms – a few key themes emerged that feel highly relevant to the work we’re pursuing through Frameworks:
- Local knowledge matters. The most effective programs and policies were rooted in a strong understanding of building stock, grid constraints, and community context.
- We need to build pathways, not just projects. From career transitions to retrofit roadmaps, we need structures that support people through change.
- Leadership is collective. The best work I saw wasn’t top-down or grassroots – it was collaborative, cross-sectoral, and responsive.
Looking Ahead
I came to Vancouver to learn, and to see what’s possible. What I saw was not just impressive buildings or systems – but an ecosystem that supports experimentation, partnership, and learning.
That’s the spirit we’re carrying forward through Frameworks. And it’s one I hope more people in our region, and across Canada, will join us in building.
If you’re interested in learning more about any of the projects mentioned, or in joining a future learning trip, reach out and let us know. Let’s keep building forward, together.
