Projects in Place

Editor's Notes

• #6: SubpointThere is a strong multidisciplinary approach to what we do. Our members are (or have been): architects, LAs, Engineers, Planners, Artists, Teachers, etc,.. even people in advertising..Let me read a quote to you from Bryce that really sums up PIP and our community involvement:“When in January, 2009 a few of us began scheming Projects In Place, I don’t think any of us could have imagined the scale of the projects we would attempt and achieve. We started with a belief that small acts can make a big difference. Looking back now at the spaces we've improved; the people we involved and the clients we helped, proved that adage to be true.”I’m now going to introduce 3 very successful projects to you. Please forgive me if I don’t get to technical with saturation weight ratios, statistics, specific plant species, or genus names.
• #7: B. SubpointRoughly 30% of our city’s surface area is covered by roof tops. Green roofs can transform these empty areas into beautiful spaces – and reduce the carbon footprint of buildings in the process. Radha yoga & eatery is one of a growing group of small businesses we have been working with who are planning with ecological development in mind. The building itself is 105 years old, and the rooftop was a standard membrane and rock ballast roof system. After removing the ballast rock and determining that the existing membrane was still in good condition we applied a system which consisted of a black heavy duty plastic sheet, a drainage layer to provide aeration with a filter fabric built in, and a layer of moistureretention fleece designed to retain water during the dry months. It was easy to put into place, going down in layers, like carpet. We used vegetation pods planted with habitat (bird and insect) friendly species as well as edible herbs and berries. We used this system to demonstrate how easy it is to cover an empty space with planting. The entire installation took 2 days. We used social media and traditional media to spread the word about the project and to our pleasure 100 volunteers got involved at varying levels. Every time PiP does a build for a client, a post event is held. Sharing food, explaining the innovation and bringing people together are important aspects of what Projects In Place is trying to achieve. In many ways, this is more important than the build itself. “The media and public response was very positive because the events and ideals we promote are authentic and peoples’ reasons for being involved are genuine.”
• #8: II. Second main pointSubpointKillarney Gardens Housing Co-Op board member, Laura Sleeman first invited Bryce from PIP to her housing co-op to examine her playground, he despaired at the condition it was in. The play structure, more than 20 years old, was in complete disrepair. Looking around at the hard ground; the over-grown and wind-damaged Pine Trees; the dilapidated play structures and broken picnic tables, it was easy to see why the space was seldom used. Thanks to a federal government grant, generous donations from Kaboom.org, Home Depot, and design input from Projects in Place, the kids of KG would soon have a new play area.Bryce started the children off with a drawing exercises to brainstorm ideas for the playground of their dreams. Kaboom provided the plans and the playground structure from the children’s design ideas. Projects In Place focused on the rest of the playground area design, the permit requirements, the purchase of the plants and the demolition of the old playground...We designed raised wooden structures we called “The Jumping Boardwalks” amidst a grove of old pine trees with several habitat-friendly plant species underneath. “The Jumping Boardwalks” can be used in a variety of ways, such as for seating, jumping, playing games or even used as a table. The idea was to integrate activities such as playing, eating, or just sitting in a natural surrounding.100 volunteers from Kaboom!, The Home Depot Foundation, Projects In Place and several other businesses and organizations showed up that day with a mission, transform this area into a very special place. No other project has left us with a more tangible feeling that we really made a difference in the community. After all, what’s better than giving kids a special place to play and to dream.
• #9: SoleFoodLast year a dedicated group of volunteers came together to build a fully functioning urban farm on an abandoned parking lot next to the Astoria Hotel on Hastings Street in the Downtown East Side. Vancouver’s so-called “poorest postal code”. Despite the well-documented evidence of blight and neglect, the area is also a dynamic mix of culture, commerce, industry, and history.SOLEfood is an initiative of United We Can, the acclaimed non-profit, championing economic development opportunities for the area’s poorest residents. The Farm was dubbed SOLEfood, after United We Can’s Save Our Living Environment Initiative. Sean Dorry, Sustainability manager for UWC approached Projects In Place, to help with his vision for the farm. By assisting not just in the design, but also the construction process through volunteer build events, Projects In Place helped to offset considerable costs. Goals for the farm included: Improving the urban environment; providing training & employment opportunities for local residents; giving the community a safe and secure source fresh, healthy and organic produce; and advancing the concept of urban farming in Vancouver.To achieve these goals, volunteers have built a garden shed; cleared and recycled hundreds of pounds of waste that originally littered the abandoned parking lot; built nearly 100 raised wooden planters, 40 compost bins out recycled pallets; and shoveledtones of earth and gravel to cover the pavement surface. The volunteer builds, organized by Projects In Place often included as many hundred people, many of whom were Downtown Eastside Residents. Each one of these builds brought enthusiasm, energy and optimism to the neighborhood. An amazing story and a great success.Today SOLEfood continues to grow. The farm just finished its first year, producing more than 10,000 pounds of food, most of which was sold at farmers’ markets and local businesses.