Register Now for Design Strategies Workshop
You are invited to attend the second workshop in the Rivergreen Ecovillage design charrette process, to be held March 6, 2008. Registration is limited to 75 and pre-registration is required.
Prairie Ecovillage Development Corporation (PEDCO) has initiated the design charrette process for the Rivergreen Ecovillage to provides a mechanism through which a stakeholder group can participate in the planning and design activities for Rivergreen.
The process is being facilitated by Elisa Campbell, Director, Design Centre for Sustainability, University of British Columbia and is funded through the generous support of Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.
Our process includes two workshops that precede the main design event in April, an intensive three-day charrette that will be limited to a smaller design team.
Sixty-five people attended the goal setting workshop on February 20. The design strategies workshop will be held Thursday, March 6 from 7:00 - 9:30 pm in Michelangelo A at the Radisson Hotel, 405 20th St E. At this workshop, participants will collaborate to identify the design strategies that will help to achieve the priority goals identified in Workshop 1. Input from the two workshops will contribute to a design brief that will be used at the intensive design charrette in April.
Participation in the second preparatory workshop is limited to 75. There is no cost to attend. We invite you to register for the workshop on March 6 as soon as possible at https://www.picatic.com/ticket/event22197
(Please set ticket counter at 1 before clicking purchase.)
For further information please contact Paul Hanley at 978-4797 or Rick Olmstead at 230-6750, email pedco@prairie-ecovillage.org.
Register for Goal Setting Workshop for Rivergreen Ecovillage
People interested in contributing to the design charrette process for the Rivergreen Ecovillage are asked to register for the first goal setting workshop on February 20. The charrette process provides a mechanism through which a broad stakeholder group can participate in the planning and design activities for Rivergreen.
The process will be facilitated by Elisa Campbell, Director, Design Centre for Sustainability, University of British Columbia and is funded through the generous support of Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.
The process includes two workshops that precede a main design event (an intensive three-day charrette that will be limited to a smaller design team.) These workshops provide a way to engage a broader stakeholder group in defining priority goals and targets for the Rivergreen Ecovillage. The priority goals and targets that result from the workshops become key ingredients of the design brief that guides the charrette. The net result is that the eventual design reflects the input of a broader group of participants.
A goal-setting workshop, to be held Wednesday, February 20 from 7:00 - 9:30 pm in Michelangelo A at the Radisson Hotel, 405 20th St E, involves participants in a conversation about what the priority goals for the Rivergreen Ecovillage development should be. A set of possible goals is provided from a broad range of sustainability themes. The potential goals are drawn from existing vision and policy, current decisions and directions, and best practices information. The participant group prioritizes these goals, resulting in a concise set of goals that will drive the planning and design process as it moves forward.
A second target-setting workshop, to be held Thursday, March 6 from 7:00 - 9:30 pm at the Radisson, asks participants to identify quantitative performance measures that should be achieved for each goal. The idea here is to increase the specificity of information that is given to the design team in terms of what the project should achieve. A range of possible performance numbers are given to the participant group for each priority goal, again drawn from existing performance data, current directions, and best practice information. The intent of the workshop is to have participants clearly specify the desired range of performance for Rivergreen.
The intensive design charrette will follow in April and will be limited to the actual design team. Participation in the two preparatory workshops is limited to 125. There is no cost to attend. Register for the first workshop on February 20 as soon as possible at http://www.picatic.com/ticket/event13197/index.php.
Registration information for the second workshop will be available here in the coming weeks.
PEDCO Launches Design Charrette Process for Rivergreen Ecovillage
Although 40 people had registered, 80 crowded into the Picasso Room at Saskatoon’s Radisson Hotel on January 23rd for a presentation on design charrettes.
Prairie Ecovillage Development Corporation (PEDCO) sponsored the presentation by Elisa Campbell, Director of the Design Centre for Sustainability, School of Architecture and Landscape at the University of British Columbia. The purpose of the meeting was to introduce PEDCO members and the community to the principles and processes of design charrettes.
PEDCO will launch a design charrette process over the next three months to seek input from stakeholders into the design of Rivergreen Ecovillage, to be built at River Landing Phase 2. By the end of this process in mid-April, a visual, conceptual design will be complete, to be fleshed out in the following months by Rivergreen architects Rajani Blaser Mannix Architecture.
Elisa Campbell’s talk focused on the charrette processes itself; what it is, the key attributes for success and why these attributes make a charrette an ideal tool for sustainable project design. Case studies demonstrated how successful charrettes produce outstanding sustainable projects. The event provided a unique opportunity to learn more about charrettes and sustainable design, and to meet Elisa, who answered questions following her presentation.
Elisa was in Saskatoon to participate in planning meetings for the upcoming Rivergreen charrette, which she will facilitate. Also attending the meeting was Shawn Dolan of Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, which will be co-sponsoring the charrette. To learn more about the Rivergreen project go to www.rivergreen.ca.
The Rivergreen charrette will involve two public workshops, on the evenings of February 20 and March 6. These will contribute to a design brief that will be used by the design team during an intensive three-day session April 14-16. During this period, two open houses will be held to present the results of the charette and get stakeholder feedback.
For more information contact Paul Hanley (978-4797) or Rick Olmstead (230-6750).
UPCOMING DESIGN CHARRATTE
Prairie Ecovillage Development Corporation is currently planning a design charrette for RiverGreen Ecovillage, with a tentative date in April 2008. The charrette will bring together a range of stakeholders, from prospective residents and community representatives to the project design team and sustainable building experts. Together, the participants will create a project concept that the design team can develop into a full project design.
A charrette is an opportunity to involve all stakeholders in creating a project that meets their needs. It provides opportunities to resolve problems and reduce costs. For example, municipal regulatory authorities can be involved to raise and sesolve zoning or permit issues in advance. Contractors can contribute ideas to avoid problems that might come from design ideas and ultimately reduce costs of construction.
Watch for updates on the process on this site.
PRAIRIE ECOVILLAGE wins unanimous support from city council and administration
On November 5, 2007 Saskatoon City Council voted unanimously to instruct the City's administration to negotiate a direct sale of Parcel A at River Landing Phase 2 with the Prairie Ecovillage Development Corporation.
PEDCO appreciates this support from City Council, which comes up on the recommendation of the City Manager. City Council rarely makes a direct sale of land, preferring to put lands sales to tender. It can engage in a direct sale when there is some special purpose, such as providing affordable, which warrants this approach.
This motion is a result of a two-year process of gaining support for an ecovillage project, first from the public and PEDCO members, and then from the Mayor and City Councilors.
