Designing for Accessibility, Adaptability and Aging in Place

Modern multi-storey townhomes and apartments with brick facades, glass balconies and landscaped sidewalks along a residential street.

Course Description

With a rapidly aging population in British Columbia, the demand for age-friendly and accessible housing is rising fast. How can we design homes that meet the needs of seniors and those with disabilities while adapting to trends like climate change, remote work, and multi-generational living?

Join us to explore emerging trends in age- and accessibility-friendly housing design, updates to the 2024 building code, and the changing ways that we are using our homes to live and work. Plus, earn 2.5 Continuing Professional Development (CPD) credits while gaining valuable insights!

What you’ll learn:

The Business Case: Why investing in age-friendly and accessible housing makes sense
Building Code Insights: The technical requirements in the 2024 BC Building Code related to adaptable housing
Lessons from the City of Vancouver: What we’ve learned from the Adaptable Housing Bylaw
Age-friendly & Accessible Design Trends: How climate change, remote working, and multi-generational living shape home design
Practical Tips: How to design living spaces and select fixtures and appliances for accessibility, comfort and safety

Presenters

Annie Boivin

Architect

Annie is a registered architect with over a decade of experience. Having lived all of her life with a physical disability, she investigates through work, design studios, lectures, collaborations, and conference contributions the different ways in which ableist beliefs inform contemporary practice. Most recently, she started a PhD degree at UC Berkeley.

Person seated on a concrete ledge beside an exposed metal pipe installation, wearing a dark jacket, scarf and jeans.

Jane Vorbrodt

AIBC, RHFAC, LEED AP

Jane Vorbrodt, principal of Kuno Architecture Inc., focuses on the interface of accessibility and architecture through advocacy, research, and design. Her collaborative approach combines technical expertise with inclusive thinking. Through direct engagement, she advocates for meaningful collaboration with people who have lived experience with disability to shape a new and improved architectural language.

Head-and-shoulders portrait of a person wearing a high-visibility safety vest and dark jacket, standing outdoors in an urban setting.

Saul Schwebs

Architect AIBC, Chief Building Official

Saul Schwebs has been the City of Vancouver’s chief building official and director of building policy, inspections & bylaw services since 2022. He's an architect with 10 years of public sector experience and over 20 years in private practice.