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?

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.

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.