Sixty years of CSC

This October 20, CSC-DCC celebrates its diamond anniversary—60 years of being “committed to ongoing development and delivery of quality education programs, publications, and services for the betterment of the construction community.” From its beginnings in a Toronto design office in the early 1950s to its current status as a national, bilingual association with more than 1700 members in 15 chapters across Canada…

+ Read More

Message from the president: A value proposition

Last issue, I wrote about how time constraints often leave us expending our efforts to make the work “not wrong,” rather than “right.” At the same time, the people for whom we work often have higher levels of expectation. (Some recent interpretations of specifications by constructors suggest this demand may be close to perfection.)

+ Read More

The hidden value of SectionFormat

A joint publication of CSC and CSI, SectionFormat is now more than 40 years old, but remains the standard for locating information within a technical specification section. It guides the specifier to a uniform and clear arrangement of information, and provides readers of construction documents with a clean, predictable format.

+ Read More

Monumental masonry arches

Masonry arches have been constructed around the world for millennia, from the ancient round arches of Egypt and China, to semi-circular Roman and pointed Gothic ones found in Medieval European cathedrals. The first recorded brick arch is believed to have been constructed in Ur in Mesopotamia circa 1400 BC, making the structural form one of the oldest.

+ Read More

Trees in the Tower: Designing the Surrey Memorial Hospital Critical Care Tower

The Surrey Memorial Hospital Critical Care Tower represents the most significant application to date of structural and non-structural wood products in a B.C. healthcare facility. The use of wood in publicly funded buildings is encouraged by the province’s Wood First Act, but it is also supported by scientific research linking exposure to daylight and views of nature with improved patient recovery times and occupant well-being.

+ Read More

Opening the doors on a new courthouse in Thunder Bay

Courthouses were historically centrepieces of municipal life, both literally and figuratively. Located in the heart of communities, these buildings formed the core of a city’s civic governance, ensuring peace, justice, and good order. This stature was reflected in the buildings, which were commonly impressive stone and wood edifices designed around a ‘live’ acoustical environment allowing judges and participants to hear everything. However, as the years brought modern technology and evolving needs, these once grand spaces often became closed-in rooms with little natural light, where it became increasingly difficult for occupants to hear the proceedings.

+ Read More