Over the past two years, OHBA has conducted an annual housing tour outside of Ontario with specific educational objectives. An NYC tour in 2014 focused on new housing and the public realm while a Vancouver tour in 2015 focused on six-storey wood following a building code amendment allowing this type of construction in Ontario.
This year OHBA and EnerQuality are excited to announce our plans to travel further afield with a small group of members to “The Land of Fire and Ice.”
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Escaping definition, Iceland is home to the largest glaciers in Europe, as well as some of the world’s most active volcanoes – it is also the land of light and darkness. OHBA is pleased to offer a once in a lifetime opportunity for a small group of members to participate in an educational housing study tour to Iceland’s rapidly transforming capital city of Reykjavík.
The educational tour will focus on housing and architecture as well as energy in this Nordic state that runs almost completely on renewable energy. The two day tour (four days including travel) will feature local guides, a planning/architectural city walking tour, a development tour, a site visit to either the Nesjavellir or Hellisheiði geothermal plant as well as a half-day sightseeing trip outside of Reykjavík to enjoy the stunning natural scenery of the Golden Circle.
OHBA has arranged a room block in the city centre at the Alda Hotel Reykjavík for two nights. OHBA is not arranging airfare as they anticipate a number of members will prefer to arrive a couple days early or remain in Iceland for the weekend following the tour (Iceland is a beautiful country – so we certainly encourage members to take advantage of the opportunity to explore for a few extra days). Icelandair also has very attractive rates to continue from Reykjavík to Britain or other European destinations should members wish to extend their trip over the North Atlantic.
So buckle up and get ready for this incredible opportunity to visit one of the most unique and remote corners of the planet to learn about a Nordic approach to housing design and harnessing of renewable energy resources!
Preliminary itinerary details follow (subject to change), which form a package featuring tremendous value. Registration will be taken on a first-come, first-served basis up to a maximum of 22 members. OHBA would provide two nights accommodations at the Alda (May 17-18) and cover the local transportation costs and the general itinerary which will include two lunches, two dinners and three breakfasts. Lastly, some attractive sponsorship opportunities are available –please contact Sajida Jiwani (sjiwani@ohba.ca) for details.
