Woodwards Building is destroyed September 30, 2006 and only the facade remains. Image source

Vancouver has an addition problem, and I’m not talking about our poorest postal code. It’s addicted to destroying everything that is old and vibrant about this city and building a new multi-residence in it’s place. Property values in Vancouver are so high that most buildings that go up for sale are scooped up by developers for a quick build and multi-billion dollar sale. Every block that once was filled with Mom & Pop shops are being forced out and leased to Starbucks, Tim Hortons, Subway, Quiznos, Cobs Bread, and McDonalds.

What’s left in the wake of the “Excessive Improvement” problem are neighborhoods that are completely transformed and no longer once what they were; and, in the developers hopes, that their efforts will attract the yuppie, the hipster, or the urban professional. But what we’re really loosing here are relationships with our neighbors, our local businesses, and, ultimately, our environment.

Landlords are the epitome of the issue. Property owners are selling their land to bigger corporations, whom evict tenants, replace cabinetry in the exiting footprint, slap on some paint, and charge double. How much longer can this city and it’s environmental people sustain the constant destruction?

You don’t believe me? Take a look at the before and afters. It’s a sickness.

Big breath in, and exhale it all out.

Back around December 20, 2009 I had just pulled down my Grad Show from the College and I was beat. Maybe if I had listed to my father back in high school and gone into Architecture for Interior Design instead of Art School I wouldn’t have had to take it again at age 30, but life is funny that way. Sometimes creative types are doubly talented and it just comes down to time and place. But rewind 4 years ago when I decided to go back to school part-time for Interior Design, I didn’t know that it would lead me here. Sure, I would l have loved to go back and gone for a masters in Winnipeg, but really, who needs that.

So post 12-20, I felt a bit of anxiety and loneliness for the constant hustle and bustle of working and learning. I really had no time for anything and suddenly I was left with time for anything.

Christmas came and went, and it was calm and cool with friends. Then Jason’s birthday (my guy of the past 11 years, who lovingly waited for me to finish school while working full-time – bless him) came and I woke up the next morning with the biggest sugar high. As I stood on my bathroom scale, close to tears are the extra 35 pounds of junk I accumulated, I saw that I needed to change something, but mostly I saw that I was changed, different somehow than the Corey 4 years before. I had to act. But how?

I started with yoga. Everyday for as long as possible, seeing no end in sight, a daily practice to get out some the junk I had collected. I’ve done 40 days before, a half-marathon, cleanses and such but never had I attempted something so revolutionary. I made new mantras like, “I am a great designer.” “I deserve a design job.” “I am strong.” “I am relaxed.” “I am receptive.” If you’ve never picked a mantra, you really should. It can help you get thru some pretty wicked stuff.

I lost some feeling in my arms, suddenly, coupled with intense pain. It kind of freaked me out, but with the help of the best chiropractor in the world I am still on my way to full motion. 90% there.

My brother contacted me after a year of silence. Still working thru that one.

I layered in a job search by appling for those hard to reach jobs, and I did, not receiving a reply. Oddly enough, they’re still posted and vacant… ego is attached to so many things, including designers thoughts on qualified educational institutions… whatever.

Book that exam, Corey, I said. Write that AKBD. So I will on March 26, 2010 in San Francisco.

I was called for Jury Duty. During my exam, so, thankfully, I’ve been excused.

I landed a job in the design industry and just where I wanted to be too.

As a result of the above, I bought a car, insured and registered it in under 3 hours. It’s no fancy car, but it was in 1988. Cute little VW Cabriolet, baby blue of course. But then I had to remember how to drive. I’ll miss Transit Tom driving me around everywhere, but won’t miss the crowded buses and smelly hot summer days because I’ll be jetting around with the top down.

Also as a result of the the new job I had to quit my cushy, uncomfortable, well benefited, and free cellphone providing job. That day was so awesome, let me tell you, because I had dreamed about it. But I’ll truly miss some of the awesome people I worked with over the last 7 years.

Not having a free cellphone anymore, I had to get a new one of THOSE things – flipping from a BlackBerry to an iPhone was the best thing I did for myself, and it hasn’t been a week yet.

And then there’s the whole Passport Canada mix-up. But keep you head up and it works itself out. And, now I’m a bit down on funds and yoga-studio-less… but I have amazing teacher friends and have returned to running after a 2 year hiatus. Where would I be without you all!

You know, this is only my stuff. Jason too has been shifting and moving stuff around. All of this could be a lot to take for some, but you know, if you’re open to change, keep positive, and do more yoga. Yoga. Yoga. Yoga. It has absolutely kept me sane and so grounded thru this whole process. Why not do it all, I’ve go another 60 years or so of life in me yet.

Peace.

Image courtesty stayingLEVELvia Flickr

In the last 7 years, there has been a major increase in renovation and construction in Vancouver, BC and when Wall Street was dealing with the sub-prime mortgage fiasco, Vancouverites generally didn’t blink an eye. Some larger corporations were affected, and they laid off workforce that worked satellite out of Vancouver (some of these people are still looking for work) but generally the economy dialed up in VanCity. Everyone is still renovating, and they’re always doing the kitchen first. But it’s not all roses, sunshine (HA!), and unicorns in this bubble of a Rainy City and the grass may be green in the coldest of months, but it’s has me wondering if it is greener.

Mayor Gregor has made his promises to become the Green City Capital. He also wants to change major traffic routes, increase public transportation funding, and reward urban density and sustainable developments. We’ve recently been granted Laneway Housing, which basically means you can tear down your garage and build a smaller slab-on-grade home. But the Millennium Water (Athletes Village) has been plagued with construction problems and the city had to downgrade their credit rating and fund the additional $150Mil in budget shortfall. For those who don’t know, Vancouver proper has no where to go but up – just like Manhattan – and there are very few vacant lots or character homes to purchase. This all formulates to a building frenzy and as an Interior Designer in this special market, I can’t help but wonder what happens after the post-Olympic exodus.

Image courtesy luv and revolution via Flickr.

“[T]he victory may be short-lived, with experts predicting the bubble will pop when the harmonized sales tax kicks in on July 1.” writes Raphael Alexander for the Vancouver Sun (February 22, 2010) “Homebuyers will likely advance their demand for houses before the HST is implemented, meaning fewer purchases in late 2010 and early 2011.”

But Paul Jenkins, Senior Deputy Governor for the Bank of Canada, has a different opinion. “I would certainly not say we are looking at a housing bubble,” says Jenkins (Mordant, Reuters, February 22, 2010)

I thought I needed to look at some more concrete economic data and remembered that I sat thru a presentation by Bernie Magnan, Chief Economist at the Vancouver Board of Trade, about a month back, and he’s predicting a reasonable GDP increase over 2010, especially in construction and lumber. The Economist ranks Vancouver the most livable city in the world. It appears that rental vacancies will be going up after the Olympics as a migrant workforce returns home so it looks like they will level off, but real estate sales are increasing steadily. I have a good source in the rental placement industry, and landlords are scrambling this month without monthly tenacy rate reductions. For example, $1,050 for a 450 square foot 1 Bedroom apartment or $5,995 for a 3Bedroom penthouse seem a bit on the steep side for what you’re really getting.

So there may be a vacuum in Vancouver (VAN-cuum, HA!), but I guess there’s really only one conclusion, kitchen and bath sales can only go up from here. So I say, let’s pimp those kitchens and bathrooms like there’s no tomorrow!

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?

Dawn agains North Shore, Broadway @ Cambie

Today is day 9 of my 100 days of yoga and this is an apt reminder of how the universe works with you if you are open to receiving it. Last night Jason made canard á la orange, well, a Jason-twist on it. Beautiful organic duck seasoned with oranges. Its his love duck recipe.