Now on the air 98.3 FM!

On Thursday I had the opportunity to participate in the launch of a new radio station. Roundhouse Radio began broadcasting live on October 15th, 2015. At a time when media outlets are cutting back or folding, a group of brave people have decided to invest in a new station. I do wish them luck.

(NOTE: Sadly my best wishes didn't help. Roundhouse went off the air this year!)  But read on!

I learned about Roundhouse Radio a couple of months ago when some people approached me to see if I would be interested in appearing on their shows. Of course I said yes! Kirk LaPointe (yes that Kirk LaPointe) will be doing the morning show from 6am to 9am each weekday morning. Joannah Connolly of the Real Estate Weekly REW.ca will be doing a real estate show on Saturday mornings. I look forward to appearing on Kirk's show from time to time, but hopefully not before 7 am. I also look forward to joining Joannah on Saturday mornings, whenever it's not raining, since Saturday morning is usually golf. I need the exercise.
This past Thursday the station had a party to celebrate its beginning. As I drove to the studio I listened to a very engaging interview with Andrea Reimer, The party was taking place in the studio, which, I might add, was much more impressive than I expected.
At 6pm I joined Marty Strong who will be hosting a daily 'indie' show from 6pm to 9pm. This time I was joined by Tyee journalist David P Ball. We talked about housing and real estate and the art gallery and viaducts. Hopefully it was of some interest to whoever was listening.

In future, Marty will be followed at 9pm by Rhona Raskin, who I once listened to religiously. Her show is called Love + Lust. The only way I'll get on that show is to talk about a book from my library, Sex and Real Estate! You can see the full weekly schedule here.
http://www.roundhouseradio.com/Schedule.aspx
There are a lot of familiar radio and media personalities at Roundhouse Radio including a few who escaped from CKNW. The goal of the station is to be very local, and give a voice to Vancouver personalities.

Not knowing a lot about the station's history I decided to look it up on Wikipedia. CIRH-FM (98.3 FM) is described as a new urban talk radio station with music doing business as Roundhouse Radio. The idea for the station came in 2012. Don Shafer, his partner Yvonne and a few friends were discussing what they would do if they owned a radio station and wrote the ideas on the back of a napkin from the Alibi Room. Their idea was to create a radio station that was very local and inclusive, different than traditional talk radio stations and more like CBC, NPR and the BBC.

CIRH was licensed on August 6, 2014 by the CRTC which described the station format as “niche spoken word” targeting adults aged 25 to 64 in Vancouver. Control of the station is exercised by Pushor Family Holding Corp., Okanagan Valley Business Consulting Ltd., Daudrich 2007 Family Trust and Craig and Candace Cameron, Don Shafer and Yvonne Evans, collectively Roundhouse Radio. The station broadcasts on FM 98.3, a low-power station covering the city of Vancouver. The studios and offices are located in Railtown at 714 Alexander at Heatley.

This is not a non-profit venture. They hope to make some money, and will be depending on advertising. As someone who listens to a lot of radio, I suggested to Craig and Candace that it will be important for them to have clever and entertaining commercials, as well as entertaining content, ....since often crass or annoying commercials can be a real turn-off. They are certainly one of the reasons why I often turn off CKNW. Although I must confess, now that Bill Good is gone, I listen to it much less than I used to. I'm told I am not alone.

In writing this post, I hope you will consider making 98.3 FM one of your car radio favourite stations and listen for a while; and I won't be too upset if you change the station if you hear my voice.

Best wishes for success Roundhouse Radio 98.3!

A weekend at Predator Ridge and Sparkling Hill Resort

A couple of years ago we were given at a Vancouver charity gala, a complimentary night stay at the upscale Sparkling Hill Spa Resort near Vernon . We never used it.  But many of our friends did, and raved about the place. So last weekend, we decided to check it out and also see how our electric car would perform on a longer trip.
With a range of 420 km, the car could not make it all the way on a single charge, but the dashboard advised us to stop at the Tesla supercharging station in Hope. Yes, Hope. And it all worked out just fine...although I was a bit perturbed when driving along the Coquihalla at a fairly aggressive speed, a small message often appeared saying "Slow down to reach your destination". So I did.

The Sparkling Hill Resort is very impressive, and I can highly recommend it to anyone who wants a relatively nearby get away for a special weekend.... especially if you would like to experience a European-inspired health spa, and/or great golf. The resort is located on the grounds of the Predator Ridge community, now owned by Wesbild. I was told to look out for Randy Zion, since he's often around, although he wasn't around this weekend. However, on Paul Rosenau's suggestion (Paul was involved in the concept planning and approvals) I did meet up with Hans-Peter Mayr, the General Manager & CEO of Sparkling Hill Resort, an elegant Austrian gentleman who is extremely proud of what his facility has to offer. You can learn about the resort here  http://www.sparklinghill.com/

We arrived after dark and there were a lot of sparkles in the room, although I was confused by the hinged mirror above the TV. That's a free standing bathtub in the corner.

The early morning view from our room

You can have a choice of room sizes and views...either overlooking the lake, which most prefer, or overlooking the golf courses (which suited us just fine). The rooms are very well appointed, although I couldn't figure out why there was a hinged mirror on the wall above the TV. The large bathroom is beautifully designed with a two sided walk-through shower from which you have a beautiful view. There's also a free-standing bathtub.  What distinguishes the room, and the entire resort for that matter, are the Swarovski crystals that are everywhere...millions of dollars worth!

There are lots of delightful details around the resort, including this washroom sign.

The spa comprises 40,000 sq.ft. and the website claims it is the largest in Canada. While we did not take full advantage of the facility, we did use the indoor and outdoor pools, whirlpool, and many steam rooms and saunas (The steam rooms and saunas are European-style from 9 to 10 in the evening.  If you don't know what that means, I suggest you find out!)

The outdoor pool was very warm and lovely for an early morning swim.

The resort prides itself on its food. I must say the buffet breakfast that was included in the price of the room was excellent. However, we had mixed experiences in the dining room, and the more casual bar/lounge/cafe. Having had a late lunch in Hope while charging the car, we decided to go to the bar/lounge the first evening. While the wine list is good, the menu is much too limited. Everyone with whom we spoke had a similar complaint. The next night we ate in the main dining room which is lovely and elegant. The menu offers broader choices but we were disappointed with our starters and one of the desserts. The beef dishes we had for our main course were very good, and the service was excellent.

On the golf course we met up with a delightful couple from Vancouver who complained that they found the food too salty, something you would not expect in a resort that focuses on healthy living. (Coincidentally, we had exactly the same complaint when we ate at the restaurant at Predator Ridge.)
I did check comments on TripAdvisor, which were very mixed. I attribute this in part to the broad range of clientele that the resort attracts. Notwithstanding some criticisms, I think the resort is well worth a visit. While it is not as beautiful when viewed from the distance as it might be, it is very attractive inside, with beautiful detailing, such as the large European-style sliding glass window wall.

The view from our Predator Ridge unit

The last night we stayed at the Predator Ridge resort. It is much more like a Whistler resort with more conventional but well-appointed studio and one bedroom suites. However, it was very comfortable and it was nice to look out over the golf course.
This was my first visit to Predator Ridge in many years and since I was there they have added the Ridge Course. The two courses are surprisingly different, with the Predator Course much more like a dessert course, while the Ridge Course takes you through the trees and around some lakes. Both are very good, and extremely good value this time of year. Here are some pictures.

New fractional ownership units at Predator Ridge...note the separate garage for golf carts

It's not often I come across a turtle on a golf course fairway, but you'll find some at Predator Ridge

Some of the many condominium units overlooking the Ridge Course

Lessons from St. Petersburg, Russia Vancouver Sun October 3, 2015

City could take a cue from Vancouver on sustainability, but its planning is worth a look


St. Petersburg is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Often referred to as Venice of the North, the city has more than 400 bridges and a historic city centre that has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

I recently spent a week in St. Petersburg, participating in a conference entitled Cities and Territories of Tomorrow: Tools for Positive Change. Organized under the auspices of the Moscow Urban Forum, it aimed to share international strategic planning experiences to find solutions for improving the quality of life in Russian cities.

I was invited to speak on two panels: one looked at how to encourage the private sector to invest in the renovation of heritage properties, and the other looked at how to best prepare a master plan for the city.

Ironically, while I was there, two debates were taking place in Vancouver on similar topics; namely, the appropriateness of designating Shaughnessy a heritage conservation area; and whether Vancouver should have an overall city plan to guide future planning and development, and prevent what many see as ad hoc zoning decisions.

While listening to the conference deliberations, I realized there is much Vancouver can teach Russian cities like St. Petersburg about planning and development. However, their planners and developers may also have lessons for us.

Vancouver is striving to become the most sustainable city in the world by 2020. We are transforming from a typical North American car-dominated city to one where people walk, cycle, and increasingly use public transit. Many younger residents join car-share programs, rather than own cars.

By European standards, St. Petersburg is not a sustainable city. (Indeed, my translator had a difficult time translating the word.) While Uber is popular, car-sharing is unheard of. Cycling and bike-sharing are gaining popularity, although it can be dangerous to cycle, especially in the city centre.
However, St. Petersburg has an excellent public transit system, which includes buses, trams and the Metro subway system. The Metro transports 2.2 million people every day, equal to approximately 45 per cent of the population. A trip costs 31 rubles, or about 60 cents, regardless of distance travelled.

The Metro has been operating since 1955. The stations are deep, and feature magnificent designs and artwork. My station, Admiralteyskaya, was 86 metres, or approximately 30 storeys, below ground.
When it comes to development and heritage preservation, I noted that while Vancouver architects are good at designing “green” buildings, the most sustainable building is often one that already exists, one that can be reused, rather than be demolished.

The audience was interested in the measures Vancouver has created to encourage the private sector to protect and preserve heritage buildings.

I described our heritage revitalization agreements, which are negotiated between the city and heritage property owners to protect and renovate properties in return for development incentives. These can include granting additional or bonus density which can be used on site, or transferred to other sites around the city. If a developer cannot use the bonus density, he can sometimes “bank” it to be sold to another developer at a later date. I did note, however, that this clever program has been less successful than initially hoped.

While in the past, most Vancouver developers avoided heritage properties, the density bonus programs have become successful and some now seek to restore heritage buildings for the additional density.

We discussed how best to deal with St. Petersburg’s historic city centre. Many local activists now want to freeze development, so that the area will look the same forever. They do not want to see any building additions, even within the 40-metre height restriction, or other exterior changes.

While I understood their concerns, I suggested this attitude will likely prevent essential renovations to portions of the buildings away from public view, including the “door” or typical courtyard, and building interiors, many of which are in serious disrepair.

I reported that a similar problem may be developing in Vancouver, where zoning regulations prevent the redevelopment or alteration of older rental buildings. While this protects the low-income tenants, as is the case in Russia, many fear that over time, some of these buildings could also become uninhabitable.

On the topic of city master planning, their government officials and planners were interested in knowing what they might learn from Vancouver. Unfortunately, I had to tell them that the city of Vancouver does not have an overall master plan.

Shortly after my return, in a speech to the development industry and various media interviews, Vancouver’s outgoing general manager of planning and development repeatedly argued against the need for an overall plan, noting there is a plethora of policies and neighbourhood plans already in place.

This was certainly not the sentiment of government officials and planners in St. Petersburg. They thought it important to establish an overall planning framework that includes physical, social and economic planning considerations, such as green space standards and where future parks should be located.

They wanted to know how best to determine school classroom and child care provisions to meet a growing population. I had to respond that in Metro Vancouver, we generally build schools and daycare only after a population of children moves in.

On the related topic of housing design, while many of St. Petersburg’s new suburban tower blocks appear much too large, many of the smaller renovated and new apartment developments are attractive.
Two features they often offer are structural designs that allow a high degree of interior layout flexibility, and opportunities for a purchaser to buy an unfinished shell space, which can then be customized to an owner’s tastes.

These are just two St. Petersburg ideas that could appeal to many Vancouver homebuyers. In future columns, I will offer more.

Michael Geller is a Vancouver architect, planner, real estate consultant, developer and adjunct professor at the SFU Centre for Sustainable Community Development. He can be reached at geller@sfu.ca


Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/business/geller+lessons+from+petersburg+russia/

Opinion: Vancouver Art Gallery building needs redesign Vancouver Courier September 30, 2015

While I didn’t know what to expect, it was definitely not what I was expecting!

This was my initial thought when I first saw a drawing of the wood clad pagoda-type structure proposed by the Swiss architectural firm Herzog & de Meuron for the new Vancouver Art Gallery. As a former VAG trustee and a member of its Expansion Committee, I had been eagerly awaiting the plans. While I previously went on record as preferring an expansion on the existing site, I accepted that this was no longer the game plan.

Having left the Board of Trustees a decade ago, I had not been involved in the subsequent planning, nor the architect selection process. However, I was not a fan of the firm chosen, having recently visited their very unusual and over-budget philharmonic hall in Hamburg, and austere Tate Modern gallery in London.

Nonetheless, many of my friends are great supporters of the VAG and as a city resident, I want to see the new gallery project succeed. As Board Chair Bruce Munro Wright said at the unveiling, we must all be positive.
There are a number of aspects of the plans that please me. I am happy the architects have not designed a contrived geometric shape that would be expensive to build and difficult to use. I am also pleased to see a large, public outdoor space, although I do not like how the building design cuts off this plaza from all the surrounding streets.

More importantly, I do not like the massing and appearance of the building as viewed along Georgia Street, nor the unrelenting exterior wood cladding. 

I love wood, especially when it is new, or like my outdoor deck, allowed to gracefully turn silver (before turning dirty and black). Travelling around Europe I have seen wood used on a number of large, new buildings. However, when it is not properly maintained, it fades and looks quite unpleasant.

Architects are increasingly using wood, and wood-like products on new buildings around Vancouver quite successfully. However, the new art gallery has 12 storeys of wood cladding, with a lot more wood inside. I worry how it will wear over time.

I attended the architect’s presentation at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre last Tuesday evening and left feeling disappointed. The senior partner, Christine Binswanger (sadly neither of the firms founding principals thought it important enough to attend) seemed rather vague as to how the wood cladding would be detailed, noting that in the past it had been burned or painted. Surely neither would be contemplated here.

Following the unveiling, as the design was debated on social media, one of my former colleagues now living in London UK, offered some interesting observations. He noted it is difficult to design an art gallery that fits well with its surroundings since it is by its very nature an internally-focused structure. However, in evaluating this proposal one might ask some questions: Does the building honour its urban context? Does it do an outstanding job of integrating ground floor uses and connecting them to the life of our streets? What will it feel like to be there at all hours of the day and night? How will the building age? Does it reflect our West Coast design culture? And does it approach the excellence of some of our other gallery-like buildings such as Arthur Erickson's Museum of Anthropology?

Having viewed the detailed plans, I believe aspects of the gallery layout could be very successful both day and night, including the many covered outdoor spaces. However, while the architects said the building design was inspired by its context and the city, I do not think it honours Vancouver. Nor do I think it will age well.

More importantly, I do not think this is a beautiful public building, like the one that was universally admired when first unveiled in the early 1980s-the first Vancouver Trade & Convention Centre with its ship-like design and sails. It belongs here. If this building is built, and I worry the design will not help raise the necessary funds as many hope, the building will need considerable redesign.

Otherwise, it will never meet my expectations.

Michael Geller

NOTE: since writing this column, a couple of comments have appeared on the Courier website that I thought were worth reprinting here:

Lysenko's Nemesis • 20 hours ago

As a member of the VAG I am very disappointed but I'm not surprised. Herzog & de Meuron adapted the Tate Modern. It was already there, they designed the reno., yet even that has a streetscape that is completely unfriendly - just walls. As is their de Yong museum in San Francisco, with stark rusted steel walls all around and a tiny dark and utterly dismal entrance. In Barcelona their Forum is surrounded by impenetrable metal and panel walls and is unlike just about the entire rest of Barcelona, it is devoid of people because it's completely unwelcoming.
All these are 'destination' buildings. They stand alone and blatantly do not blend in to their surroundings.
The streetscapes of all of them are ice cold and people avoid them. I don't think this is what Vancouver needs or wants.
As for the stacked wooden boxes; they look like a silly cliché. Irregular boxes are currently trendy in architecture but this will pass. Wood exteriors do not age gracefully and require expensive maintenance to upkeep in acceptable condition.
I'd like to be positive but I am completely underwhelmed and fear for the cold streetscape this designer repeats on building.

Constance Rite • 2 days ago

I'm 100% in agreement. This looks very tacky. I feel as though contemporary designers have fallen into incorporating cliches into their art gallery design. Maybe the design will grow on me, it's hard to know, but my first instinct when looking at this is to shake my head in disappointment.