Ray was recently interviewed on the Construction Record Podcast for a special feature by naturally:wood, British Columbia’s information centre about sustainable forestry, tree species, green building and design.
The Construction Record Podcast features Ray Wolfe, partner and architect at Thinkspace, discussing Design Options for three- and four-story wood options for schools in British Columbia. The podcast explores the latest research by Thinkspace and Fast Epp that was prepared for Wood Works! BC. The podcast discusses mass timber trends, what clients are looking for, balancing budgets, the building code and how to achieve healthy environments for students.
The BC Cancer PET/CT Imaging Suite Addition in Kelowna was completed last summer. It is the fourth publicly-funded PET/CT unit in B.C. and the first in the Interior.
The new state-of-the-art scanner suite is expected to provide more than 2,000 scans per year, providing better care services, closer to home, for cancer patients in the Interior. Read more about the project on the BC Cancer Foundation site.
The new Douglas Elementary School opened to staff, students and the community at the end of November. The new two-storey elementary school in the growing Surrey community can accommodate 605 students, has project, media and technology spaces, and a Neighbourhood Learning Centre (NLC) with enhanced gymnasium facilities, gathering space and two additional classrooms.
For the grand opening, a unique celebration was planned. From Douglas Elementary takes new students under its wing on the Surrey School District news page:
“To celebrate the new school, the staff successfully planned Wings Around Douglas, an outdoor activity that involved all 355 students at the school standing six feet apart from each other. The students stayed in their cohorts and circled the entire school, wearing wings to ensure appropriate distance was maintained. The inspiration came from the school mascot, the eagle, and staff decided to get wearable wings printed for students that would also allow them to maintain their “wingspan” from each other.”
With the fortunate weather that we experienced last week, Chilliwack Volkswagen is progressing nicely. A majority of the slab was successfully poured, and now the team can keep pushing ahead. The staff next door are getting excited to be able to see the progress on their new store and are counting down until their move!
We are pleased to announce that Veronica Burch will fill the role of Interior Design Lead on our Thinkspace team in Surrey.
Veronica advocates for projects to elevate the human spirit with designs that enhance workflow, social interaction, and community engagement while preserving the natural environment.
Veronica champions social justice by sensitively addressing the client’s practical, cultural and demographic challenges, and designing environments where people feel welcome, included, and socially supported.
She examines a project from multiple viewpoints to create inventive yet common-sense solutions to complex problems and site conditions.
Her approach with clients is to synthesize their needs, vision and ethos to design experientially rich spaces, mindful of budgets and program requirements.
“Thoughtfulness, empathy and common sense drive my design approach,” explains Veronica. “I would like my clients to feel that I conduct myself in a friendly, professional and authentic manner and that they collaborated in a design process that was inclusive, creative and yielded superb results.”
Veronica studied architecture at the University of Waterloo School of Architecture and holds a Bachelor Degree of Environmental Design and Architecture.
She has worked on projects in London, Helsinki, Toronto and Vancouver and collaborated with Disney Industrial Light and Magic, Splunk, Greenpeace, Avigilon and the University of Waterloo School of Architecture. This gave Veronica the rich experience that has enhanced her technical knowledge and offered fresh perspectives and insights.
The result is a work portfolio that is diverse, including residential, workplace, cultural and educational environments.
When Veronica is not working, her time is focused on her husband and their two lovely children, as well as enjoying yoga, reading and hiking. Her other creative outlet is celebrating the culinary spectrum of different cultures.
