Re-inventing School
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By Greg Hasiuk, Partner + Practice Leader
The digitization of our world has led many to question whether we really need physical schools to teach and learn. For them, the rapid evolution of remote communication, visualization and augmented reality will spell the end of schools as we know them. An all-inclusive world of virtual teaching and learning is an inevitable future for us all.
However, the pandemic lock-down of 2020 has made it obvious that our schools are not dead yet!
If anything, 2020 has reaffirmed the need for our schools. It has confirmed that a 21st Century education is much more than the core curriculum. It is more than simply conveying information to students. This is something any good teacher will tell you.
Image: École Sage Creek School, Winnipeg, MB
Be our Guest! Dining and Design during COVID-19
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By Caroline Grimes, Interior Designer
Dining out, something that was once a regular occurrence, something that was never really second guessed, is now something that everyone hesitates to do. Pre COVID-19 quarantine, going out for a bite to eat, ordering pizza because you didn’t feel like cooking, or even something as rudimentary as meeting someone at a restaurant for a date was a something out of everyday life.
Photo: The Forks Market with social distancing implemented (Brent Bellamy).
5 Reasons Why P2 is More Important than Ever
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By Marnie Gartrell, Architect
I’m a mom to a demanding three-year-old. Our opposing views on everything from bedtime to potty breaks, result in time-consuming negotiations full of tears (her) and a roller coaster ride of emotions (me) – usually, ending in a “time out” for everyone. This test of wills can play out ten times before breakfast. So, recently, sensing a new debate on the horizon, I blurted out “Because I said so, and I’m the Mom”. This moment got me thinking -- how decisions get made by decision-makers is actually more important than what’s decided. Exercising raw power isn’t the way to achieve long term cohesion in a family – or in an organization.
Plain Bicycle Part 6 – Bike Boom 2020
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By Erin Riediger, Architectural Intern
‘This is not a bike shop, this is a culture bomb’
Plain Bicycle is a 6-part podcast mini-series that asks the question; can bicycle culture be imported?
The podcast follows a group of Canadians who travel to the Netherlands to fill a shipping container with second hand Dutch bicycles to bring home to Canada. Over the course of the podcast I speak to the Plain Bicycle Project team about developing the idea for the project and their experience collecting the bicycles and preparing them to meet their new owners. Herbert Tiemens, senior advisor on pedestrian and cycling policy for the province of Utrecht speaks about his role in the project and Dutch cycling culture. Modacity’s Melissa Bruntlett and Chris Bruntlett, Authors of Building The Cycling City: The Dutch Blueprint for Urban Vitality discuss their experiences moving from Vancouver to Delft and why we should look to the Dutch to build cities that encourage and support everyday cycling.
From the Netherlands to cyclists here in Winnipeg
A Snapshot of life Without the Automobile
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By Kendra Friesen, Architectural Technician
I have often thought how neat it would have been to create a time lapse during the pandemic. Same street corner, same time of day, all the way through the depths of this unique time. I would be curious to see how our city’s patterns have changed and what the emptiness and the ebb and flow of humanity truly looks like.
As many took refuge in their own homes, our city became quiet. One could cross Portage and Main as a pedestrian or cycle down Bannatyne Avenue towards Waterfront Drive without encountering a single vehicle. The streets became barren. Although it was shockingly different at first, it became the new normal almost overnight.
Images: Early on in the pandemic, downtown Winnipeg often times felt like a different city during the middle of the day with a lack of vehicle and pedestrian traffic. These images were both taken during usual busy hours. (Photos: Mike Pratt)
Number TEN Blog
Number TEN Inspired! captures the knowledge, passion and ideas of our award winning architects, interior designers and supporting staff, as they navigate through the complexities of the modern design landscape. We are creative problem solvers, advocates for better ways of doing things, and observers of all that is interesting and noteworthy in our field. This blog is our effort to share our knowledge and ideas in a way that resonates with everyone. Whether you work in the industry as an architect, interior designer, building manager, property developer, or are just someone with an interest in creativity and new ways of doing things, this blog has something for you.
