VANCOUVER BC – A demolition on the corner of Hornby Street & Helmcken Street (map) almost turned into a murderous scene with this building demolition. The former William Davis Centre for Acting is right around the corner from St. Paul’s Hospital and the Sheridan Wall Centre. Where the hell is the hording to protect us? How long with the incompetence in the building industry continue?

As we Vancouverites head into the Olympics next week, some of you are really getting into the spirit inside and outside your homes and workplaces. The city is being visually slaughtered by Olympic advertising, temporary venues, mascots, country flags, and each of us react in our own way. Some of us embrace it, some of us are miffed by the expence while the cities real problems remain, some of us are happy to see some design focused ideas come to reality.

The 2010 Olympics have brought forth a huge influx in construction, so much so that the activity housing slump and poor economy was outside the protection of the Olympic bubble. One such fantastic venue is the Fairmont Pacific Rim.

Developer Ian Gillespie inside the lobby of pre-opened Fairmont Pacific Rim, Image credit: Darryl Dyck for the Globe & Mail

Poetry wraps facade of the hotel. Image credit: Vancouver Sun

It’s not all peaches and roses, take the Canada Pavilion at Georgia and Beatty Streets for example. It’s an ugly white tent. It’s ugly, opening late, and apparently “looks great“, so says Heritage Minister James Moore [Globe & Mail]. Oh, by the way, did I mention it cost $10M of taxpayer money, build by non-Canadian Chicago-based company, and it’s ugly? I wonder if Mayor Greggor will keep it open as a temporary shelter…

Image credit: Ric Ernst PNG for Global BC

“Something happened. It’s embarrassing,” says Bing Thom, ”This is a world event. As Canadians, we all want to put on a good show, and architecture can help. But from the outside, this pavilion is completely uninspiring.” [Globe & Mail]

“This is a missed opportunity for Canada to demonstrate to the world what the country represents,” says Vancouver architect Wayne De Angelis, Regional director of Royal Architectural Institute of Canada. “If we are going to be represented by just a white box that looks like something you can buy online, that’s fine, but other pavilions are doing much more than that. It’s sad.” [Globe & Mail]

 How did this happen? How did such an ugly thing and a beautiful thing get built?

Ok, so you know when there is something wrong with the building industry when a concept home can’t be built for the 2010 International Building Show in Las Vegas, NA. I guess it’s too late to re-think the problem?

Builder’s Concept Home 2010: A Home for the New Economy

The concept home will be a virtual tour on the Builder website, citing adjusting to new realities. The concept home is a miss on the sutainbility front and reduction of the carbon footprint is a plethora of mis-guided paths in it’s smarter, efficent, classically detailed, 1,700-square-foot, two storey, four bedroom, three and a half bathroom.

“Our goal this year is to respect and reflect what’s going on in the industry right now and present what we believe is the model for the future,” says Builder’s editorial director Boyce Thompson.

Really. The average home has 2.5 people in it and 1,700-square-feet is WAY TOO MUCH! Who needs that much space? Classically detailed? Um. Ew. Oh and also, where is the sustainability in 3.5 bathrooms? What a joke.

IBS, please hire me because you have no clue what’s going on in the industry.

Compact kitchens are kinda cool. They’ve a small footprint for a small space. What any consumer needs to remember is that there needs to be the right amount of space to do your cooking business. Nothing drives me to drink more than a tiny kitchen with no where to put anything or do anything and thankfully, wine is produced in abundance. How the HECK are you expected to take that roast turkey out of the oven and put it… um… IN THE SINK? Inadequate landing areas are absolutely infuriating! Don’t buy this.

280 Kitchen Island by Alpex Inox

Features: Corian countertop, gas burners, double sink, faucet, electric oven and dishwasher