JWT Architecture and Planning, a Bowen based design firm, has garnered a prestigious planning award for design excellence from the Planning Institute of BC for its village design work on Cedar Village, a historic townsite located on the Old Island Highway on Vancouver Island.
The award will be presented at the planning institute's annual conference later this month. The honourable mention was one of only two awards given out for planning projects serving communities less than 50,000 people in population.
The project included a visioning workshop on alternative forms of affordable housing; creating a pedestrian oriented main street; and creating a European style village square (out of what is now an asphalt parking lot) adjacent to an 120 year old Anglican church. Much of JWT's work in this project focused on ways to improve local water quality, creating a policy framework for economic development, planning for a lighter carbon footprint and creating a compact and complete community.
Village design is a market niche for JWT. James Tuer, principal of JWT, got his start in designing for rural communities by picking up the assignment in 1991 to master plan Sun Peaks while senior designer for Ecosign Mountain Resort Planners in Whistler BC.
Tuer has, in the past few years, crafted village plans for projects on Andros Island (the Bahamas); at Hotham Mountain in Victoria National Park (Australia); and in Lebanon on a 100 square-kilometre-site near Beirut. Another recent project in Costa Rica, Reserva Conchal, is now complete (2006-2009 construction period) and winning many accolades for its commitment to sustainability and the environment. JWT's work on Snug Cove has allowed the firm to broaden its project base here in BC.
JWT also received an Ovation Award this month (for design excellence and construction), handed out by the Greater Vancouver Home Builders Association for a house and laneway house located in Kitsilano.
This project took top prize for its category, best custom home in the Greater Vancouver region with a cost less than $750K. The project was built by Tobias Puga of Vision Built construction, a long time Bowen resident now residing in Vancouver.
