Happitecture Podcast

This episode explores some key “out of the box” thinking when considering workplace design post pandemic. ‘What if the office was a club with a specific purpose and mission that we all share in? If your office was a club, and it was a blank slate, what would you do? What kind of activities would you have?’ Would we be happier, more innovative, more creative and yes, even more productive? Join me as I chat with Samantha Sannella, Managing Director of Cushman Wakefield, as we continue the conversation of this exciting paradigm shift.

In recognition of Open Education Week, we welcome Rajiv Jhangiani, associate president of Kwantlen Polytechnic University in British Columbia. He's also the co founder of the Open Pedagogy Notebook that serves in the BC Open Education Advisory Committee. Rajiv has written and/ or co-edited a number of books, including "Open: The Philosophy and Practices That Are Revolutionizing Education and Science," and also co-edited "Open at the Margins."  We hope you enjoy this chat with Rajiv as we delve into the Open Education movement and its promise to democratise learning.

This fascinating chat with Dr. June Francis explores what it means to "belong"; an historical context of Hogan's Alley; and being Black in Canada.  Join our conversation as we explore the potential of decolonization to build happy, inclusive and resilient spaces and communities.  (this episode was unfortunately cut short due to technical difficulties. But we promise to have Dr. Francis back to continue this important and exciting conversation. If you want to hear more, send us your thoughts)

I'm delighted to chat with my dear friend, mentor, bridge builder and change maker Amil Reddy. Amil has worked with organization such as Mountain Equipment Co-op to help them navigate and align their values with Equity, Inclusivity and Diversity. Join me on this wonderful journey of self identification, shifting perspectives and how we can become change leaders and bridge builders in our own communities and kitchen tables.

This month's episode is part 2 of 2 of a conversation with architect Derek Lee at the Olympic Village - one of his most popular projects. Derek is a principal at PWL Partnership and a LEED® Accredited Landscape Architect with over twenty years of experience across North America, Asia, the United Kingdom, and the Middle East. Serving as the creative lead on design teams at PWL, Derek focuses on innovative placemaking and urban design with a view to improving people’s overall health and quality of life. Derek’s infectious passion for innovation is grounded by his experience and ingenuity that is evident in all scales of work, from large-scale master plans and urban waterfront developments to custom details that celebrate a site’s unique character. Derek’s ability to quickly translate conceptual ideas into graphic form effectively bring ideas to life.

This month's episode is part 1 of 2 of a conversation with architect Derek Lee at the Olympic Village - one of his most popular projects. Derek is a principal at PWL Partnership and a LEED® Accredited Landscape Architect with over twenty years of experience across North America, Asia, the United Kingdom, and the Middle East. Serving as the creative lead on design teams at PWL, Derek focuses on innovative placemaking and urban design with a view to improving people’s overall health and quality of life. Derek’s infectious passion for innovation is grounded by his experience and ingenuity that is evident in all scales of work, from large-scale master plans and urban waterfront developments to custom details that celebrate a site’s unique character. Derek’s ability to quickly translate conceptual ideas into graphic form effectively bring ideas to life.

In this episode, I sit down with Vancouver’s premier Feng Shui Master and Teacher Marlyna Los to discuss how Feng Shui can play an important role in how we plan communities and cities. Marlyna describes the energies of the City of Vancouver based on its particular geography. We discuss the principles one can employ when designing healthy, resilient communities as an approach to combating the attitude of lack when designing communal and individual spaces.

In this episode, I sit down with facilitator and convener Jocelyn Macdougall to talk about how we engage organizations and communities to examine the systems we take for granted. How these systems, often designed to marginalize large groups in our community, can be challenged for the betterment of everyone. Jocelyn has worked with organizations and communities to develop a new paradigm for how we think about liberation from the systems that inhibit collective wellbeing, and how we can build movements towards a more inclusive, engaged society.

In this very first episode of Happitecture, I discuss city planning initiatives with Senior Public Space Planner at the City of Vancouver – Danielle Wiley. We chat about the city’s mandate to design inclusive public spaces to advance healthy and inclusive public life. Happitecture is a podcast that explores our unique cities and what it takes to build resilient and thriving communities that are inclusive, supportive, and promote well-being and happiness. Join me, Michelle Fenton, as I chat with some of Vancouver’s brightest minds in planning and urban design, community facilitation, design, social sciences, and community activists. We will cover ideas on how to plan and design vibrant, happy built environments, as well as our roles as policy makers, influencers, community facilitators and designers in to promoting ‘collective happiness’ for a resilient and sustainable society.

This episode hits at the heart of what inclusion really means – dignity for all. I sit down with Brad McCannell, Vice President of the Rick Hansen Foundation to get at the root of it. His life and journey to making spaces accessible for all. From exploring physical and mental barriers to access to how the best accessible design is invisible. Brad’s perspective is deep, thoughtful and resonates at the soul of what it means to be human first. For more information on this, or any other episodes of the Happitecture Podcast, you can find us at happitecture.com. Thanks to our sponsor Khora Architecture + Interiors.