Coquitlam is gathering professionals from around the world to share ideas on innovation in recreation facility planning.
COQUITLAM, B.C., May 14, 2021 – Coquitlam is gathering professionals from around the world to share ideas on innovation in recreation facility planning.
The City is inviting facility planning and design professionals and others to view its upcoming four-part online lecture series in June, which will bring together a dozen local and international architects, planners and designers to discuss trends and innovation in public recreation facilities. More information and a link to register is available at www.coquitlam.ca/reclectures.
The intent of the series is to facilitate collaboration and idea-sharing for the benefit of all participants while inspiring new and creative approaches in Coquitlam’s future facilities.
Local and International Panelists in Four Lectures
The lectures will be taking place on June 2, 9, 16 and 23 from 8 to 9 a.m. PDT via Zoom webinar and will include sign language interpreters. Session topics will include:
- Aquatics - Wednesday, June 2. Panelists will include Darryl Condon, HCMA Architecture (Vancouver); Ernst-Ulrich Tillmanns, 4A Architekten GmbH (Stuttgart); and Mike Hall, FaulknerBrowns (Newcastle upon Tyne).
- Sports – Wednesday, June 9. Panelists will include Colleen McKenna, CannonDesign (Boston); Esben Danielsen, City of Copenhagen; and Harald Fux, Raumkunst ZT LLC (Vienna).
- Ice Arenas - Wednesday, June 16. Panelists will include James McLaughlin, City of Calgary; Jim Kalvelage, Opsis Architecture (Portland); and Viktors Jaunkalns, MJMA Architects (Toronto).
- Seniors and Youth - Wednesday, June 23. Panelists will include John Martinez, City and County of Denver; Katie Barnes, Barker Rinker Seacat Architecture (Denver); and Laura Kristine, Bjerre Munch Realdania (Copenhagen).
Video of each lecture in the series will be posted afterward at www.coquitlam.ca/reclectures.
Lively Panel Discussions Anticipated
Panel participants have been selected for their specialized expertise in designing transformative facilities for aquatics, sports, ice arenas, and seniors and youth in B.C. and other parts of Canada and the world.
Series facilitators Conrad Boychuk, board member of the International Association for Sports and Leisure Facilities (IAKS) and Tiina Mack, Coquitlam’s Manager of Recreation & Culture Facility Planning will pose questions intended to promote lively discussion as participants share their unique perspectives, ideas and visions for the future.
The wide-ranging conversations will cover ground such as trends, changing user expectations and needs, championing diverse and inclusive participation, social and environmental sustainability, and what will constitute success in the future of recreation.
Building Innovation into Facility Projects in Coquitlam
Last July, Coquitlam began to develop a Major Recreation and Cultural Facilities Road Map – a user-friendly document that distils and maps out the complex process of funding, designing, constructing and operating a dozen major facility projects coming up in the next 10 to 15 years. These projects include the new Northeast Community Centre, improvements to Spani Outdoor Pool, Southwest Arts and Heritage facilities and upgrades to the Innovation Centre.
Coquitlam staff developed the concept for the lecture series while investigating opportunities for innovation in facility planning and construction. While the City has significant in-house depth of expertise and experience in planning major facilities, it is continually seeking opportunities for professional development and improvement, and saw value in sharing this knowledge with professionals within the field.
More information about the Major Recreation and Cultural Facilities Road Map is available at www.coquitlam.ca/mrcfr.
Media contact:
Tiina Mack
Manager, Recreation & Culture Facility Planning
City of Coquitlam
604-927-3590
tmack@coquitlam.ca