GESAMTKUNSTWERK

Westbank has built a practice around long-term commitments to artistry, sustainability and city-building. These commitments underlie an orientation towards projects like Woodwards, Vancouver House, Mirvish Village, Telus Garden and Oakridge – catalysts for larger change that go beyond the borders of the projects themselves. We are here to create. To provoke. To ignite. We are the vehicle for a new movement of cultural expression.

As the practice matures, we have become more ambitious. With every new project reflecting our commitment to the philosophy behind Gesamkunstwerk, or in our recent work the Japanese philosophy behind layering, the net effect is that our work becomes much more complex and far-reaching.

The core of Westbank’s mission is to create a body of work with a high degree of artistry that helps foster more equitable and beautiful cities. Westbank is active across Canada and in the United States, with projects including luxury residential, Five Star hotels, retail, office, rental, district energy systems, affordable housing initiatives and public art. Established in 1992, we are one of North America’s leading developers, with offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Seattle, Shanghai, Beijing, Taiwan, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Shenzhen and over 25 billion dollars of projects completed or under development.

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May 07, 2014

Westbank Salon Series: Andy Yan

On Sunday May 11, 2014, Andy Yan will be our sixth guest speaker of the Westbank Salon Series.

Born and raised in Vancouver, Andy Yan is a Senior Urban Planner with Bing Thom Architects and a researcher with BTAworks, the firm’s research and development division. BTAworks research projects have included studies of ownership, occupancy, prices and “empty condo” patterns in Downtown Vancouver, and the effects of rising sea levels on Metro. He has worked in the non-profit and private urban planning sectors in Vancouver, San Francisco, New York City, Los Angeles, and New Orleans. His research interests include urban regeneration, applied demographics, mapping, neighborhood development, public outreach, social media, and quantitative research.

Andy holds a Masters degree in Urban Planning from the University of California – Los Angeles and Bachelor of Arts First Class Honours degree in Geography and Political Science from Simon Fraser University. He is a member of the Canadian Institute of Planners and an Adjunct Professor at the University of British Columbia’s School of Community and Regional Planning.

The salon on May 11 begins at 4pm. RSVP here!

Don’t forget to tweet your city-building and design questions at @gwerkca with the hashtag #gwerksalon to win an evening of conversation with Andy, exhibition curator Trevor Boddy and guests at ORU after the salon.

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