ISLANDS TRUST: why the tax increase?
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THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 2019
OH THE DRAMA
VOL. 45, NO. 10
BIUndercurrent
BowUndercurrent www.bowenislandundercurrent.com
Photos from closing night of Much Ado About Nothing PAGE 7
Cove architect recognized PUB, COVE COMMONS ARCHITECT WINS B.C. WOOD DESIGN AWARD
BRONWYN BEAIRSTO Editor@bowenislandundercurrent.com
BRONWYN BEAIRSTO, PHOTO
BUILDING UP THE COVE FRONT: Bowen architect James Tuer poses outside of FIrst Credit Union, one
of three Snug Cove buildings he’s designed over the past few years. In the reflection behind Tuer is the peak of the new Bowen pub, another one of Tuer’s designs. The islander received the 2019 Wood Desgin Architect Award this week.
No matter where you live on Bowen, if you don’t know his name, you definitely know his work. James Tuer, architect of Cove Commons, the Bowen Island Pub, the First Credit Union-Ruddy Potato expansion and the Buddhist International Society Retreat (if you’ve circumnavigated Bowen you’ll have seen its swooping cedar outline) received the Wood Design Awards in B.C. 2019 Architect Award Monday evening. The award recognized his career portfolio of wooden buildings, many of them on Bowen, where Tuer’s lived since 2004. “The jury was impressed with the portfolio of wood buildings, both residential and nonresidential, that have inspired other designers to take advantage of BC’s extensive and beautiful wood resources,” read out presenter Hardy Wentzel, CEO of Structurlam, at the awards gala at the Vancouver Convention Centre. “I didn’t think I was going to get it, I’m a small firm and I’m doing smaller projects and the work is just so beautiful there,” said Tuer, who runs a one-man firm, JWT Architecture and Planning, based on the island. “The Wood Design Awards is really the preeminent design awards that we have in B.C. now,” said Tuer. “And there’s just so many people entering it. There’s such amazing work.” This is Tuer’s third Wood Design Award. He received the Western Red Cedar award in 2016 for his design of the Buddhist International Society retreat and the Interior Beauty of Wood in 2014 for his design of a Bowen home. A dozen other awards and accolades for the architect include 2015 Eco Designer of the Year for Western Living and the 2009 AIBC Emerging Firm Award. Tuer’s first professional award was in 2005, for another home on Bowen. It was an excellence in concrete design award at the now defunct Connies. But these days, Tuer’s focus is on wood and strategic use of concrete. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2
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