According to a new report, Canadian construction will see a downturn in residential building, but stable private investments in non-residential and commercial building will keep project numbers up.

The BTY Group also analyzed current industry trends to project energy, mining, and commercial sectors will maintain a high workload nationally. In addition to these industries, the redevelopment of international companies within Canada, such as Target and Topshop, has contributed to the growth of office and retail facility projects.

Last week, architectural/engineering/planning firm NORR presented the discussion, “Vertical Living Design Challenges in the 21st Century” at Calgary’s Epcor Centre.

The gathering, led by the firm’s vice-president and design director, Yahya Jan, focused on the future impacts of “vertical living” and how these types of buildings integrate with the environment, economic atmosphere, changing technologies, and cultural issues.

A new art sculpture designed by Jaume Plensa has been unveiled outside of The Bow building in downtown Calgary.

The 59-storey tower is the tallest office building in Western Canada and houses the headquarters for the country’s energy corporations. The sculpture, dubbed “Wonderland,” is a bent-wire portrait of a young girl’s head, and stands 12 m (39 ft) high.

At a ceremony in Ottawa on February 1, Canada’s Governor General, David Johnston, honoured recently built projects by the country’s top architects.

The Governor General’s Medals in Architecture program is administered by the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) and Canada Council for the Arts every two years. Its goal is to increase the exposure of the importance of architecture to Canadian culture.

International Concrete Repair Institute (ICRI) has named its winners for the 2012 Project Awards Program, honouring concrete repair projects around the world.

Two Canadian projects were among the 22 winners. Award distinctions include Awards of Merit, Awards of Excellence, and new to the program, Awards of Sustainability.

The Alberta construction industry will have to wait until next month to find out what provincial infrastructure projects will be affected by a reduced budget.

Premier Alison Redford informed residents of an estimated $6-billion decrease in oil revenue, which will result in various budget cuts.

The Ontario government has re-launched a revised Small Feed-in Tariff (FIT) program in the province in a bid for increased renewable, clean energy.

In 2009, Premier Dalton McGuinty announced the Small FIT program in an effort to make it easier for ‘green’ energy producers to sell power back to the provincial grid.

Standards organization ASTM International has launched its Leadership Connection initiative, offering its members access to resources and information on educational opportunities.

The program emphasizes the benefits of ASTM membership in terms of opportunities available for career growth.

Workers’ compensation insurance is now required for virtually everyone in the Ontario construction industry—not only workers but also business owners, independent operators, and sole proprietors.

This change in the province’s legislation, initiated by the Ministry of Labour, now affects those not previously covered by Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) coverage but, there are some exceptions, explains the organization’s Christine Arnott.

The Ontario General Contractors Association’s (OGCA’s) Ontario Builder Awards have been given for non-residential projects in the province.

This year, 48 submissions were received, which is an increase from the program’s first time around in 2009.