On November 29, 2018, renowned architect Dewey Thorbeck was the latest guest in the CVRD’s Place-Making Vancouver Island Speaker Series.
Professor Dewey Thorbeck is a practicing architect, emeritus adjunct professor of architecture at the University of Minnesota, emeritus founder and director of the Centre for Rural Design, and now a senior research fellow in the Minnesota Design Centre. He believes the spirit of a place exists in the feelings that people generate about it and that a beautiful building can evoke an emotional, even poetic response when it is part of the natural landscape. He uses design as a process to find solutions to address climate change, food security, water resources, renewable energy and wellness for sustainable and resilient futures in rural areas.
His standing room only discussion at Vancouver Island University Cowichan Campus, shed light on the importance of preserving and enhancing rural character through design-oriented thinking. Professor Thorbeck acknowledged that rural development has an important relationship to urban development because it embraces community heritage, diversity and contributes to the spirit of place. He cited examples of entire neighborhoods and communities designed around agricultural or value-added agricultural use and showed how we can apply these principles in the Cowichan region.
Corporate sponsors for the event included the CVRD, Vancouver Island University, the Real Estate Foundation of BC and Social Planning Cowichan.
The Vancouver Island Speaker Series has been ongoing since September 2017. With nearly 10 events featuring local and international guest speakers it has created a movement of community awareness and empowerment by encouraging Cowichan residents and businesses to help shape, preserve and enhance what is great within our communities.
Stay tuned for 2019 Speaker Series event announcements!
