Tomasz Sztuk of Sztuk Architecture explains why focus on long-term sustainability, efficiency and good detailing pays off
Tomasz Sztuk is owner of Sztuk Architecture. Tell me about you and your company. Sztuk: I’ve been practising architecture in Canada since 1991. Before starting my own firm, Sztuk Architecture Inc., in 2013, I worked in Calgary in capacities ranging from junior architect, to director of design, to principal. In addition to running my own…
Ford and Agility Robotics have teamed up to reimagine the package delivery business
If the thought of getting your latest online purchase – particularly large, heavy ones – delivered by a drone makes you feel uneasy, how about having a robot deliver it after arriving in a self-driven car? Autonomous delivery testing isn’t new. In 2017, Ford Motor Co. partnered with Domino's in the U.S. to test self-driving…
For years, farmers have tried to tell their stories through social media and elsewhere – and too often failed
For years, farmers have tried to convey their message and explain the agriculture and rural lifestyle to the broader Canadian populace. They’ve taken to social media with touching stories and countless messages, telling Canadians what things are like on the farm. Some have called this “agvocacy.” But the new Canada’s Food Guide and recent policy…
We need a larger internal market that would create economies of scale and further economic productivity growth
Former prime minister William Lyon Mackenzie King once quipped, “If some countries have too much history, we have too much geography.” This has always been evidenced in Canada’s low national population density, estimated at about four people per square kilometre. Nevertheless, we’re still a highly urbanized country with more than 80 per cent of our…
New survey rates Calgary behind only Vienna, Melbourne and Osaka. Vancouver and Toronto also made it into the top 10
A new report suggests that Calgary is one of the most livable cities in the world. The Global Liveability Index 2018, a report by The Economist Intelligence Unit, rated Calgary fourth overall in the world – behind Vienna, which topped the ranking, followed by Melbourne and Osaka. The rest of the top 10 in descending…
We need to follow the example set by New Zealand, which gave the Māori the help they needed, while allowing them to preserve their culture
In 2013, the people of the small outport community of Little Bay Islands, N.L., had to make a very emotional decision. The local economy had completely dried up. The crab processing plant had closed and the community was far away from government public services. Looking at its bleak prospects, the people of the small community…
Human history can be viewed as one long trek toward the inside. Why go outside and ignore all the comforts of progress?
As spring finally shows signs of settling in, I’ve been told on a few occasions that I should “go outside.” The other day, a co-worker asked me if I had “gone outside” on a recent beautiful Sunday. When I told him I had not, his face fell and he comforted me as though I had…
The project is supported by thorough research into what works best to create a green city, a large injection of funds and the participation of lots of volunteers
By Natalia Pryadilina, Roy Damary and Allan Bonner The green city movement has given environmentalism new energy and purpose. Large urban populations offer economies of scale and walkability, and bring businesses closer to each other, their customers and their suppliers. But all of this comes with costs: pollution and waste. Understanding the greening of cities is…
Outdoor furniture and art are essential parts of a healthy urban environment
By Natalia Pryadilina, Roy Damary and Allan Bonner Most of us upgrade our furniture over time. We progress from a student’s bookcase made of bricks and planks, through second-hand furniture, to better and newer items. The same is true of green cities, where outdoor furniture is a key component. If citizens are to be encouraged to…
It's a matter of sanitation, hygiene, health and aesthetics, and mental well-being, among other things
By Natalia Pryadilina, Roy Damary and Allan Bonner Just as forests are the lungs of the planet, urban woodland provides the green lungs of cities. But just how do trees absorb pollution and what becomes of it? The green city project underway in the Russian industrial city of Ekaterinburg provides some answers. The leaves of trees…
Tomasz Sztuk is owner of Sztuk Architecture. Tell me about you and your company. Sztuk: I’ve been practising architecture in Canada since 1991. Before starting my own firm, Sztuk Architecture Inc., in 2013, I worked in Calgary in capacities ranging from junior architect, to director of design, to principal. In addition to running my own…
