My name is Peg MacDonald, and I live in Vancouver, British Columbia with my husband and our kitten, Fen. I like to cook, knit and do yoga. On a typical day, I leave my apartment and walk two blocks to the Skytrain station where I take a short ride on an elevated train into downtown and make my way to VIA Architecture.
I am an Architect. I, and the teams that I work with, do our best to make the environment better for people now and in the future. We try to improve our communities by doing projects that will allow more people to live better lives and be as environmentally sensitive as they can be. At the moment, I am working on one project that will provide housing for low-income seniors, and one project that will allow people with developmental disabilities to live independently in a safe place for as long as they want to. These buildings are designed to last a long time, be affordable and comfortable for the elderly and people who have trouble moving around.
Buildings and the roads and pipes that support them use an amazing amount of resources. As an architect, I have to be aware of the impact my work has on the environment. The choices I make in how a building looks, how it works, where the carpets and the doorknobs come from all have a cost and a consequence. I choose to be as green as I can in when making those decisions because I want that impact to be as positive as it can be.
To become an architect, I went to college and then to graduate school for a Masters of Architecture degree. It was a lot of hard work, but when I left school I got to see the lines I had drawn become real. It's magic in wood and concrete. During that experience, I completed an Internship program where I learned more about the practical responsibilities of being an Architect. Along the way, I read more, took classes, and talked to people about how we can make buildings better. In my projects, I try to make choices that will take care of the community, the people that live there and allow the natural world to thrive.
If you want to make a positive impact on the world, start by looking around at the place where you live. Look for things that could be changed to make living a greener, more sensitive life easier for you, your family and friends. Be aware of the consequences your choices have, but allow others to make different choices. And do your best.
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William Wood
3/14/2013 01:53:38 am
I was wondering, does an architect use math to design? If so, have you ever met a mathmatician? Do you think that that job has an impact positively to the world, and why? Thank you for your time!!!
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Peg
3/21/2013 10:54:12 am
Hi William!
I use math all the time! Things have to add up, because if there's missing inches the construction team might get confused. Geometry is important too - there are safety rules about the slopes of ramps and driveways, and everyone wants to know about the area a room or building takes up. The engineers I work with use a lot of math - and calculus - to make sure buildings will stand up and have enough air and energy to keep the people inside comfortable.
I know lots of mathematicians - my father and my husband for two! They have ways of making the world more understandable by simplifying complex ideas. Then those ideas can be more easily spread and understood by other people.
Mathematics touches architecture, physics, music, computers - anything, really. There's a lot of power to do good things with math.
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William Wood
3/28/2013 01:32:43 am
Thank you soooo much!!! I really needed that information. 2 more questions: 1) Have you ever created something that is green for the enviroment? What was it? 2) Why do you think a mathmatician would be a green career? I appreciate you very greatly! Thank You!!!
Peg
4/2/2013 02:32:30 pm
Hi William!
(I'm answering you second two questions up here, since the 'Reply' button isn't down there.)
1) I like to think that the buildings I work on are green - and that they help people live better, greener lives!
There's a resort on Vancouver Island that is Carbon Neutral. That means that they reduce their energy consumption as much as possible and support renewable energy generation to offset the rest of the energy they use. I'm proud of that project for following through on the green intentions of the building's design.
The apartment buildings I work on allow more people to live on less land and preserve open land for farming or wildlife. The people who live there can have a greener lifestyle - and 'spread the green'!
2) As a mathematician, you can be as green as you want to be! Math can study and analyze patterns - from the way traffic flows through a city, how plastic moves through ocean currents, or why a spiderweb is the shape it is. Then it can predict what will happen if something changes. It all depends on what questions you ask.
Do you want to know about the best angle for a leaf to catch sunlight, or how to drive across the city using the least amount of gas? Math can help!
If you're asking questions that care about our environment, then any career you choose will be green - even mathematician!
Zac White
3/14/2013 01:56:55 am
Hey, Mrs. Peg!! This is Zac White and I am studying an Agriculture Technician. I love math, and I know that being an architect deals with math! An Agriculture Technician kind of deals with all the details of running a successful farm, from choosing the best crops for a particular type of soil or environment to operating the numerous machines available to make farm jobs a little easier. They also understand the basics of accounting, record keeping, and human resources. While some work directly on farms, many work behind the scenes in agricultural technology facilities. So now that you have an idea of what it is... do you know someone you have worked with to maybe design any machines or building type thing that helps a farm? thx for your time
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Peg
3/21/2013 11:03:03 am
Hi Zac!
Agriculture Technician sounds like an interesting job!
I don't know anyone who has worked as an architect for a full-time farm, but I do know that some of our firm's smaller projects have helped set up community gardens in the city. These little plots will be used by people in the neighbourhood to grow their own vegetables and flowers. Such a small garden doesn't necessarily need the skills of an Agriculture Technician, but it sounds like one could have a really big impact!
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KateNordengreen
3/14/2013 01:57:59 am
Hi! I'm Kate. The job that I choose to research is an aquarist. That is where you help the animals. Such as giving them a home or helping the animals breed so that the speices doesn't go extinct! You are probably like, "How does that have to do with my job?" Well, it doesnt really, but i was wandering if the buildings you have helped to creat ever been to like help animals like the job that I am researching?
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Peg
3/21/2013 11:09:52 am
Hi Kate!
I haven't had the opportunity to work on a project where animals were our primary concern, but it would be a fun thing to do! Aquariums are fascinating buildings because they bring the care and preservation of animals close to the public. They have to mimic natural habitats to take care of their animals and teach people about them at the same time. Have fun with your research!
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Caleb Dworkin
3/28/2013 01:00:48 am
Hello, I was wanting to know if a physicist has ever helped you with a building or some machinery that helps the environment. If so, what was the finished product?
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Peg
4/2/2013 01:29:36 pm
Hi Caleb!
I haven't had a Physicist on a design team yet, if you're thinking of a Theoretical or Particle Physicist. But I work with a lot of engineers who know about physics. (I know a little bit about the basics.) I work with Structural Engineers who know about the physics of making a building stand up and how to keep it standing during an earthquake. And engineers who know about the physics of moving heat from a bathroom and using it to keep another room warm.
The field of Physics covers the interactions of everything in the physical world, so it's used everywhere! (And all kinds of physics help the environment!)
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William Wood
4/4/2013 04:16:41 am
Thank You so much! Thanks to you, i am almost done with my project. Thanks Again!!!
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Patrick Gladden
4/17/2013 10:42:01 pm
Hi I am Patrick. I am studying a Environemental Engineer, have you ever worked with a environemental engineer? If so what are your expereinces?