Spec Golf 2014

Thursday, September 18, 2014

Meadow Gardens Golf and Country Club

Construction Specifications Canada is a multi-disciplinary, non-profit association dedicated to the improvement of communication, contract documentation and technical information in the construction industry. Many of our members are independent business people covering most aspects of the consulting sector of the construction industry. Our local membership includes Architects, Engineers, Specification Writers, Consulting and Design Professionals and (product) Technical Representatives.

The CSC Vancouver Chapter in collaboration with BCBEC is pleased to offer you an opportunity to meet these people by participating in our Spec Golf 2014 Annual Golf Tournament as a Hole Sponsor. Where else can you get this kind of exposure for such a reasonable cost AND Play Golf! This year’s tournament is being held on Thursday, September 18th at Meadow Gardens Golf and Country Club. It will be a Shotgun Start (1pm) with a Texas Scramble format so that we can all have fun and start/finish at the same time.

As a Spec Golf 2014 Premium Sponsor, you will receive the following benefits:

• Signage at a tee-box
• Green fees, golf cart, snack and beverage at the turn and a banquet meal for one golfer
• A business card ad in our Chapter Newsletter (a $225.00 value)
• A special newsletter edition that will recognize all of our Hole Sponsors
• Recognition at the tournament banquet

Premium Sponsorship - $430.00 - EARLY BIRD RATE $410 till July 15, 2014

Includes all above. Please ensure we have a current business card for the ad!

Basic Sponsorship - $330.00 - EARLY BIRD RATE $310 till July 15, 2014

Includes Hole Signage, Golf and Dinner for one golfer . NO BUSINESS CARD AD

Additional Golf & Dinner - $170.00 - EARLY BIRD RATE $145 till July 15, 2014

Total includes GST

REGISTER ONLINE
Online at Karelo by VISA, MasterCard, or Interac Online.

REGISTER BY FAX
The registration form available at vancouver.csc-dcc.ca. Payment can be made at the door by cash, cheque, or VISA only.

Specifier: May 2014

Words from the Chair

By Kimberly J. Tompkins, CTR

Spring has officially arrived, we are smiling quietly to ourselves that we did not have the April that our counterparts had east of us … really, how much snow can Alberta and Ontario really have before enough is enough? Another Chapter year is behind us, the board worked very hard to bring us an educational technical program and they succeeded, no questions!

We are working just as hard this coming year to bring our membership current, relevant and interesting speakers. We are always interested in hearing from you should you have any suggestions on speakers or topics. Please do not hesitate to reach out and let us know. I had the great pleasure of attending the Atlantic Chapter Breakfast meeting while in Halifax on Business. It is just one of the great things I appreciate about CSC, the networking, the ability to connect with my peers across Canada and the fact that if you are feeling just slightly homesick….odds are there is a meeting to attend. Thanks to my Atlantic family for making me feel right at home!

Continued...

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Luncheon Meeting: Site Tour - UBC Student Union Building

Thursday, May 8, 2014 (Updated)

Presented by Bruce Haden, Architect AIBC, Dialog

Members of the architectural team will present the essential ideas of the UBC Student Union Building, designed by Dialog in joint venture with B+H Architects. Following the concept presentation there will be a walking tour on the facility under construction.

The New SUB Building is conceived of a means of shaping flows through space – flows of peoples, of materials, ecologies, energies…and ideas. 4d sustainability depends on both: - a deep understanding of and sensitivity towards the nested scales of flows and flow exchanges through and across the site; and – the exchange of ideas, aspirations and everyday actions towards more sustainable possible futures.

Moveable, reconfigurable, de/reconstructible systems allow flexibility to respond to short-term changes (hours, days, months, etc). Durable materials and non-prescriptive elements allow for adaptation to occur over longer timescales. The skillful combination of the two provides a robust and nimble capacity to respond to the challenges of designing for unknowable futures.

Bruce’s architectural and urban design work has been recognized globally, particularly for the Governor General’s and World Architecture Festival winning design of the Nk’Mip Desert Cultural Centre in Osoyoos, BC. He has extensive experience in institutional, social services, residential, retail and First Nations projects with work ranging widely from wastewater treatment plants to cafes.

NOTE
Participants must bring their own safety glasses, steel toed boots, hard hats, and safety vests. 

LOCATION
Room 206 (Council Chambers), Existing UBC Student Union Building 

AGENDA (Updated)
2:30 am - 3:00 pm - Luncheon (full course self-serve buffet style)
2:45 pm - 3:00 pm - Chapter Business
3:00 pm - 4:30 pm - Guest Speaker Introductory Presentation, then Departing on Building Tour

COST
$32.00 plus GST for pre-registered CSC members / Association Executive Directors
$48.00 plus GST for non-members

PARKING
From Wesbrook Mall: Turn west on Student Union Boulevard to access the North Parkade. www.parking.ubc.ca/find-parking

TRANSIT
From Downtown: Take either the Number 4 UBC or 44 UBC buses. www.translink.ca

REGISTER ONLINE
Online at Karelo by VISA, MasterCard, or Interac Online.

REGISTER BY FAX
The registration form available at vancouver.csc-dcc.ca. Payment can be made at the door by cash, cheque, or VISA only.

PRE-REGISTRATION
Pre-registration ends at 2:00 pm on the Wednesday before the meeting.

LIMITED SPACE
Space is limited to 40 participants. Register soon!

Specifier: April 2014

Words from the Chair

By Kimberly J. Tompkins, CTR

Well, hopefully everyone had a safe and enjoyable St Patrick’s Day and have adjusted to the time change. I am still perplexed as to why we even participate anymore. When I am Prime Minister I am going to abolish the fall back time change and we will stay on this time forever! Nuff said!

Okay, in all seriousness, the expression “It Takes a Village to Raise a Child” also applies to supporting a New Chair early in her role so I would be remiss if I did not take the time to thank my Village (the amazing board) for doing everything they did to keep this association running and growing. I have always had a passion for CSC and have been on the board off and on over the years but this is the first time I have had a leadership role. I wish that I could say that I was the leader that I wanted to be or provided the leadership that has been shown by others that have gone before me. But this board has closed ranks and managed to do an outstanding job on their own. Instead of waiting for me to guide them they have stepped up and carried their portfolios all on their own. There has been a great deal of support for the new board members from the veteran group which goes a long way to ensure the continuity of the board let alone making sure the day to day business is addressed. Thank you to each and every one of you for doing such an outstanding job!

Continued...

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Luncheon Meeting: The Art of a Builders Lien

Thursday, April 10, 2014

Presented by Anna Sekunova, Clark Wilson LLP

Builders liens can be a very effective tool for securing unpaid amounts by various participants in the construction industry. Despite their effectiveness, builders liens are very technical and require meticulous compliance with the applicable legislation - the Builders Lien Act. In this session, Anna Sekunova will discuss how to properly deal with builders lien issues, including:

• whether consultants have lien rights;
• how to properly file a lien;
• how to advance or defend a lien claim;
• how liens can be removed; and
• how to deal with claims against holdback funds.

This is your chance for "free" legal advice!

Anna Sekunova is an associate with the firm of Clark Wilson LLP and a member of the firm’s Business Litigation and Infrastructure, Construction & Procurement Groups.

Anna represents individual and corporate parties in various litigation matters. Her experience includes resolving director and shareholder disputes, real estate issues, commercial lease disputes and all types of contract disputes.

On the construction side, Anna represents clients in all phases of projects, from preparation of construction contracts to the handling and resolution of claims. Anna regularly deals with builders lien issues, delay and deficiency claims, bond claims and other construction-related issues. Anna is committed to using the alternative dispute resolution and cost-effective approaches to resolve the disputes.

LOCATION
Sandman Hotel, 180 West Georgia Street, Vancouver 
Enter Moxie’s Classic Grill escalator entrance. The ballroom is located straight through the restaurant at the back of Moxie’s.

AGENDA
11:30 am - 12:30 pm - Luncheon (full course self-serve buffet style)
12:15 pm - 12:30 pm - Chapter Business
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm - Guest Speaker Presentation

COST
$32.00 plus GST for pre-registered CSC members / Association Executive Directors
$48.00 plus GST for non-members

PARKING
Sandman Hotel Parking: Enter off Cambie Street, pass the Sandman Hotel Breezeway, underground parking to the left, press buzzer to access parkade and take elevator to restaurant level. Cost is $1.25 per 15 minutes.
Easy Park: Across the street on the corner of Georgia and Cambie Streets. Cost is $1.50 per 30 minutes.

SKYTRAIN
Exit at Stadium-Chinatown Station. Walk 2 minutes.

REGISTER ONLINE
Online at Karelo by VISA, MasterCard, or Interac Online.

REGISTER BY FAX
The registration form available at vancouver.csc-dcc.ca. Payment can be made at the door by cash, cheque, or VISA only.

PRE-REGISTRATION
Pre-registration ends at 2:00 pm on the Wednesday before the meeting.

WALK-INS WELCOME
Missed the deadline? Did not pre-register? You may still attend at $50.40 per person, space permitting, BUT please call 604-868-8406 beforehand.  If you pre-register and do not attend, we may invoice you for the cost of the meeting. If you have special dietary (meal) requirements, please notify us at least 24 hours before the event.

Specifier: March 2014

RFP or Invitation to Compete, What's the Difference?

By Bill Preston

Lawyers will answer that an Invitation to Bid is the Judges’ disciplined, fair and equal competitive procurement process, while a Request for Proposals (RFP) is a self-interested negotiation process where both the procurer and the provider can, short of deceit, do and say as they please. So, for authors of procurement documents the choice becomes, what’s your poison? Choose an Invitation to Bid by preparing a prescriptive design spec in the absence of the wisdoms of a quality constructor and hope that the owner can force the low priced bidder to complete quality on time, or choose an RFP and negotiate both a 3P design for the owner’s requirements while hoping that the price is near market values. Obviously, all procurers would prefer the best of each without the risks – a 3P design constructed as quick and inexpensive as a constructor will low ball. To achieve this ideal, for the past 15 years or so spec writers have tried to write hybrid procurement terms which seek to minimize the Courts’ opportunity to intervene, but yet compel the provider of construction services to price compete toward the lowest possible to get the award. And, as you might expect, the parties frequently end up spending time, money and reputation before a Judge fighting the issue: Are their hybrid terms an RFP and thus the Court cannot second guess decisions, or are they a competitive bid where the Court will impose its rules? To give you a feel of when the Judges will jump in, I’ll review two cases, one from Nova Scotia and the other from BC.

Continued...

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Luncheon Meeting: Tile & Stone 09 30 00 Specifications – Spec forSuccess

Thursday, March 13th, 2014

Presented by David Sherley, TTMAC and Custom Building Products

How are your specifications perceived by the trades? Dave Sherley will review examples of typical tile specifications, relay how they’re perceived by the trades, and present an approach that clearly communicates consultants’ intentions for preparation products, setting systems, grouts, sealers and other areas of tile specification.

This approach is founded on the 2012/2014 Specification Guide 09 30 00 Tile Installation Manual, a practical, customizable master specification guide published by the Terrazzo, Tile & Marble Association of Canada (TTMAC). The Specification Guide streamlines the preparation of specifications to describe the installation and performance requirements for ceramic and stone tile installations. It is the most comprehensive up-to-date tile installation standard available in Canada.

The TTMAC was founded in 1944. Its mandate is to develop methods of standardizing terrazzo, tile and marble installation techniques, as well as being a technical resource and liaison for architects, specifiers, designers and engineers.

With 25 years of manufacturing building products experience, David Sherley is recognized as key resource for the trade and builders across Western Canada. David has been a TTMAC member for 16 years, been a committee board member and been responsible for TTMAC training for 16 years.

LOCATION
Sandman Hotel, 180 West Georgia Street, Vancouver 
Enter Moxie’s Classic Grill escalator entrance. The ballroom is located straight through the restaurant at the back of Moxie’s.

AGENDA
11:30 am - 12:30 pm - Luncheon (full course self-serve buffet style)
12:15 pm - 12:30 pm - Chapter Business
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm - Guest Speaker Presentation

COST
$32.00 plus GST for pre-registered CSC members / Association Executive Directors
$48.00 plus GST for non-members

PARKING
Sandman Hotel Parking: Enter off Cambie Street, pass the Sandman Hotel Breezeway, underground parking to the left, press buzzer to access parkade and take elevator to restaurant level. Cost is $1.25 per 15 minutes.
Easy Park: Across the street on the corner of Georgia and Cambie Streets. Cost is $1.50 per 30 minutes.

SKYTRAIN
Exit at Stadium-Chinatown Station. Walk 2 minutes.

REGISTER ONLINE
Online at Karelo by VISA, MasterCard, or Interac Online.

REGISTER BY FAX
The registration form available at vancouver.csc-dcc.ca. Payment can be made at the door by cash, cheque, or VISA only.

PRE-REGISTRATION
Pre-registration ends at 2:00 pm on the Wednesday before the meeting.

WALK-INS WELCOME
Missed the deadline? Did not pre-register? You may still attend at $50.40 per person, space permitting, BUT please call 604-868-8406 beforehand.  If you pre-register and do not attend, we may invoice you for the cost of the meeting. If you have special dietary (meal) requirements, please notify us at least 24 hours before the event.