We are one of two UBC Civil Engineering groups collaborating with City Studio Vancouver in a sustainability initiative to divert demolition and construction waste from landfills.  Over the next three months, we will work to develop the proposal for a Deconstruction Hub facility that will 1) demonstrate how municipalities can address large-scale waste diversion and materials reuse, and 2) invest in green jobs for local communities.

City Studio Vancouver, as described on their website, is an “innovative inter-institutional and collaborative relationship between six post-secondary institutions and the City of Vancouver, emphasizing sustainability leadership, social enterprise, education, and development of green business”.

We all know about Mayor Gregor Robertson’s ambition for Vancouver to become the greenest city in the world by 2020.   But the challenge of urban ecological sustainability is too big for just one institution.  Everybody needs to be on board, and universities can play a leading role.

City Studio wants to see the city become a classroom: an environment where students can work on long-term real-world projects and challenges, and where community groups, local businesses, citizens and students can pool their energies and mobilize to reach our common goals.

Here’s where we come in.  The Hub is currently in its conceptualization phase and research and analysis is required in multiple areas. We need to understand the type of waste that comes from construction and demolition, and different ways it can be sorted, categorized, and utilized.  We also need to carry out an economic cost and benefit analysis for all the services the Hub will offer, including deconstruction, salvage, reuse, recycling, retailing, as well as job training and employment support.

For this exciting challenge, we have a solid crew of six brilliant individuals:

Jason Yu

Jason comes from Chilliwack, BC.  He is very excited because this project sheds light on something he believes is very important: shiny, pretty buildings aren’t always what they seem.  He says, “I think it’s very easy for the public eye to be stolen by a new, shiny building, but maybe not see the waste –the wasted waste– hauled away on trucks into a distant landfill. But as a hub, we not only provide the facilities to dispose or reuse this waste more sustainably, but we make it a community centre for educating and training the public about these growing issues.”

Noah Wong

Noah has come all the way from Taiwan and has lived in Surrey since 2007.  Before studying to become an Engineer, Noah played basketball as well as the piano in his high school jazz band. Now he scores goals for his team in the Ultimate Frisbee League.  Noah is excited for the opportunity to learn as much as he can and make a real difference for the local community.

Ben Stevens

Originally from Alberta, Ben completed an Engineering Transfer program, taking classes at both UFV and TWU in Abbotsford and Langley respectively. UBC Civil Engineering was his first choice and he is thrilled to be part of the program. The greybeard on the team, Ben has been involved in construction, in one capacity or another, since 2001. He began framing houses in high school, and has more recently worked in industrial construction throughout Northern Alberta and BC. Ben was intrigued by the City Studio project because it’s a big picture solution to a very real problem. He is excited to play a part in the development of a significant facility for the City of Vancouver.

Alex Janzen

Alex has lived in the Lower Mainland his entire life and always wanted to study engineering at UBC.  He is a member of the UBC Rowing team and is always trying to strike a balance between academics and athletics.  Alex has expressed his desire to begin work on the project and brings to the team 4 years worth of renovation and construction experience.  When asked why he chose this particular project Alex responded saying, “I chose this project because I have seen firsthand the volume of re-useable waste on construction projects and often wonder if there is an alternative to disposing of the waste in the landfill.”

Cliff Huang

Cliff comes from Burnaby, BC.  He enjoys building plastic models and playing video games as a pastime.  Being in the Lower Mainland for most of his life, he is very excited to be able to work on a city project in Vancouver.  Having seen the Vancouver’s development over the years, Cliff is eager to be part of this team to help reduce waste in the city.

Emma Gerard

Emma comes from Edmonton, AB.  She has future prospects for working in waste management as well as urban planning.  She has been immersed in the discussion about sustainability for most of her life, and knows that waste reduction is one of biggest issues facing the world today. Having experienced first-hand the progressive city-wide recycling program in Edmonton, she is very excited to see what can be done here in Vancouver.

The tentative team roles will be as follows:

Jason – client liaison

Noah – person in charge of collecting project documentation

Ben – leader/organizer

Alex – secretary

Cliff – instructor and mentor liaison person

Emma – blogger

The team initially met to discuss team roles and general project expectations. So far, we know we will be working with CityStudio Coordinator Lena Soots,  as well as Joyleene Yu, who will guide us as our mentor.  We are looking forward to getting together with the organization over the next week to clarify the project goals and deliverables.