Ottawa Eco-Logical Competition
March 2 - 4, 2012 | Ottawa
Biographies
Keynote
2012 Coordinators in Alphabetical Order
- Bara Al-Obaidy
- Richard Briginshaw
- Jean Carrière
- Vince Catalli
- Darrell de Grandmont
- Dan Dicaire
- Crystal Finnigan
- Marnie Fletcher
- Ghislaine Johnson
- Rachelle LeBlanc
- Christopher Moise
Elizabeth May
Elizabeth May is an environmentalist, writer, activist, lawyer, leader of the Green Party of Canada, and Member of Parliament for Saanich-Gulf Islands. Elizabeth became active in the environmental movement in the 1970s. Elizabeth is the author of seven books, including her most recent Losing Confidence: Power, Politics and the Crisis in Canadian Democracy. She became an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2005, was elected Leader of the Green Party in 2006, and in May 2011 became the first Canadian Green Party candidate elected to office. Elizabeth’s home is in Sidney, British Columbia.
Bara Al-Obaidy, B.Eng.
Bara Al-Obaidy studied at Concordia University, where he received his bachelors of engineering in Building Engineering. His professional interests are in building science and he is currently working for Cleland Jardine Engineering on building restoration and building audits. His interest in sustainable design and IDP was initiated during his involvement with the Solar Decathlon Competition. Some of Bara's other interests include music, camping, and traveling.
Richard Briginshaw, B. Arch, OAA, MRAIC, LEED AP, Algonquin College
Richard (Rick) Briginshaw is an Architect and full time professor at Algonquin College, where he teaches in the Green Architecture and Architectural Technology programs. His focus is on sustainable design projects, strategies, methods and materials. In 2010, several of Rick's students successfully participated in the CaGBC Eco-Logical competition for a new Museum of Science and Technology, collaborating with others from various colleges and universities. From this very positive experience, he has joined the organizing committee for the 2011 competition. Rick is also on the Advisory Board for the Home Sweet Home Student Challenge competition, organized by Ontario GreenSpec. He is also principal of Richard Briginshaw Architect, which specializes in consulting to Federal Government departments on a variety of short and long term projects. In the early 1990's, he was lead architectural designer for a sustainable renovation pilot project at the headquarters of Natural Resources Canada. He has recently completed several projects with the National Research Council and Public Works and Government Services Canada. Rick enjoys sports, music and is an avid traveler who is always interested in exploring new places and cultures.
Jean Carrière, Arch. Tech. Dipl., LEED Green Associate
Jean holds two roles during the week, the primary role as Green Building Technologist for a federal government department, Communications Research Center. His task at hand is to guide the Shirley's Bay campus to a sustainable future, through utility management and green building retrofits. Twice during the week, he is teaching Building Information Modelling to the architecture students as a part-time professor at Algonquin College in Ottawa.
His interest are to keep up with leading edge technology and using their benefits to leverage sustainable design through visualization, analysis and strategy. Jean is also part of a soccer league and enjoys yoga, swimming and mountain biking.
Vince Catalli, B. Arch. LEED AP BD+C
Vince is a Senior Sustainability Advisor with MHPM Project Managers. Since 1994, he has been specializing in the area of Sustainable Development related to design, construction and building management. In 2002 he helped start the National Capital Green Building Association that is now known as the CaGBC ORC. Vince is Vice Chair of a CSA Committee on Green Buildings that has recently published a guideline on Design for Disassembly and Adaptability in Buildings (Z782-06). Over his career he has work with many organizations including the Mountain Equipment Coop, Canadian Tire, Canada Post, Alberta Environment, Greater Vancouver Regional District, Nova Scotia Transportation and Public Works, Department of National Defence, Environment Canada and Canadian War Museum to name a few. His focus has been to advance sustainable innovations within the built environment including rain water catchment systems, deconstruction (3Rs demolitions), green specifications, tenant involvement programs, healthy building programs, etc. His interests include the fine arts, theatre, community involvement, challenging the status quo, business reading and keeping physically active.
Darrell de Grandmont, B.Arch.,OAA, LEED® AP
Darrell de Grandmont is an award winning architect and associate with HOK Architects Corporation. He has 13 years of experience on a range of commercial, institutional and LEED® certified projects of varying scope and scale. Some of his current projects include the Carleton University Residence Commons Building, Environment Canada Landscape Ecology Laboratory, Ottawa Police Services West Division Patrol Facility, the Canadian Space Agency David Florida Laboratory Addition and Windmill Developments Cathedral Hill Project. Darrell's other interest include pursuing environmental education which has led him to study the process of biomimetic design with the Biomimicry Guild and its co-founder Dayna Baumeister at Biosphere.
Last year he completed the Chicago Marathon and is looking forward to doing the same this spring in Ottawa.
Dan Dicaire, M.A.Sc.
As a participant in the 2010 Eco-logical, Dan has joined the organization team to bring insight into the competition from the student's point of view with a focus on recruitment and education. Dan is a chemical engineering graduate from uOttawa where he did a Masters in solar energy and thermal storage. He currently works for Ottawa Community Housing, Ottawa's largest social housing provider with over 15,000 units, where he is responsible improving the energy efficiency and sustainability of the entire portfolio. His work touches on everything from water conservation, to building envelop improvements, to mechanical systems efficiency and he is currently coordinating 31 solar installation projects which will bring more then 300 kW of solar PV electricity generation and 200 kW of solar thermal generation to social housing in Ottawa. In his spare time, Dan is Artisitc Director for a local improve troupe called Insensitivity Training which performs Sundays at Yuk Yuk's on Elgin.
Crystal Finnigan, LEED Green Assoc.
Crystal Finnigan is currently working at the Canada Green Building Council. Crystal is responsible for administering the CaGBC Higher Education program. She is committed to ensuring that students, are provided with the necessary green building knowledge and skills to help them build healthier and better performing buildings and communities across Canada. On the Eco-logical committee she will be responsible for selecting our judging panel, the on-site green building experts and the on-site volunteers. Among some of her interests are: biking, skiing, good food and wine and exploring the world.
Marnie Fletcher, B.Eng
Marnie Fletcher works as a Jr. LEED Technical Coordinator for the Canada Green Building Council assisting in LEED Certifications. Marnie is a graduate of McGill University in Civil Engineering. She has always enjoyed the vibrancy and diversity of cities living in Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa. Sustainable design and green building have been an excellent fit professionally after working in other environmental niches. Her personal interests include art, TIFF and the Montreal Canadiens.
Ghislaine Johnson, B.Sc. B.Eng LEED AP
Ghislaine is currently working with the Canada Green Building Council as a LEED Technical Coordinator on secondment from Halsall Associates LTD. Ghislaine understands that Green building design requires input from a holistic set of stakeholders using a collaborative approach to best acheive innovative, high-performing building design. Ghislaine believes that students need to understand and get first hand experience with the Integrated Design Process during their University and/or College Education to best prepare them for their career in Green Building. As such, Ghislaine along with the help of three other professionals, founded the Ecological Ottawa Student Design Competition held in Ottawa March 2010. Ghislaine has worked with the design teams for both the new construction at La Cite Collegiale and Algonquin College providing project support, technical assistance, monthly construction reviews and compiling LEED NC application material for submittal to the CaGBC. Presently, Ghislaine is coordinating the third party review of green building projects across Canada pursuing LEED Certification.
Ghislaine's other interests include urban agriculture, yoga (including being a yoga instructor) and exploring the fine arts that Ottawa has to offer.
Rachelle LeBlanc, MES, LEED AP
Rachelle LeBlanc is currently working as LEED Technical Coordinator at the Canada Green Building Council. Originally from Nova Scotia, Rachelle studied at Université de Moncton, where she received her master's of environmental studies in industrial ecology. She is committed to green building practices and sustainable community development and planning. In her first year as a coordinator of the Ottawa Eco-logical competition, she is responsible for the translation of all competition materials. Rachelle's other interests include running, yoga, cooking and enjoying activities in the great outdoors.
Christopher Moise, OAA M.Arch BES BA MRAIC LEED AP
Christopher is an Ottawa based Architect currently working with bbb architects. He is presently the Design Architect for the new 911 Institute/Institut Des Services D'Urgences at La Cité Collegiale in Ottawa which is anticipating a LEED Silver rating. He has a passion for design innovation through an integrated process, always striving to define the meaning of sustainability in the built environment. Christopher is on the editorial committee for the OAA Perspectives magazine.
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