Award

J U N E 2 0 2 4 | 7 Binnie LAB P H OTO G R A P H Y BY B R E T T RYA N S T U D I OS / B R E T T H I TC H I N S P H OTO G R A P H Y BY B R E T T RYA N S T U D I OS / B R E T T H I TC H I N S 1969 and by the 1980s the company had expanded to 20 employees. During that time, the world had witnessed dramatic transformations – from manual survey- ing and typewriters to smartphones and 3D scanning – and Binnie was evolving just as rapidly. "From our humble beginnings to our growth into a multi-disciplinary firm with a team of dedicated professionals, our focus has always been on fostering connected communities across Western Canada, and improving our neighbour- hoods and cities," says Richard Bush, president and CEO. The team at Binnie has indeed always had a passion for problem-solving, "and our staff feel rewarded when they see the tangible outcome of their work – whether it's a small roadway upgrade or a large master-planned community," adds Bush. Today, Binnie comprises a dynamic team of more than 350 staff spread across six offices in B.C. and Alberta. As the company has grown, so has the breadth, scale, and complexity of its projects. It has added more disciplines to its estab- lished surveying and civil engineering teams, including landscape architecture, project management, water resources, highways design, and sustainable infra- structure solutions that consider climate change. "This means we are always evolving in how we use our skills and integrate our various disciplines across the company and offices to create solutions for our clients," says Bush. The advent of the Binnie LAB this year heralds a new chapter, positioning the company as a frontrunner in Canadian sports and recreation design solutions. "Binnie has continued to stay on the leading edge of the sports and recreation design process due to our fully integrated design process between our landscape architects and civil engineers working within a single division, and our design teams cross training on each project. By blurring the design lines between the two traditional disciplines, we can reach aesthetic design solutions backed by strong technical excellence," says Arbuthnot. Indeed, this isn't a new area of expertise for the team; in fact, they have long been renowned for their pioneering sports complexes, meticulously crafted running tracks, dynamic sport courts, enchanting playgrounds, lush parks, and meandering trails. Back in the early 1990s, the team at Binnie was involved with the Burnaby Lake Sports Complex – one of the largest artificial turf facilities in North America at the time. This ultimately led to the development of dozens of turf fields throughout the Greater Vancouver area, significantly increasing the local capacity to support sports and recreation programming through all seasons. There are, of course, all manner of standout projects in this realm that Binnie has been involved in, including the Fen Burdett Stadium, where The City of North Vancouver retained Binnie for the full detailed design of a synthetic turf field, community recreation track, and fitness park. "Our design focused on cre- ating a multi-use facility that emphasized inclusiveness, a feature often absent from sports-oriented complexes. By using created landforms we eliminated ball control fencing, while also creating a sense of enclosure around the field. We also prioritized passive use open space and incorporated hilly jogging trail loops into the complex to link the new fitness stations," says Arbuthnot. In addition to the Fen Burdett Stadium, Binnie was involved in other notable projects such as the Telosky Stadium Synthetic Turf Field Facility, which consists of two full-size soccer/softball synthetic turf fields and associated amenities including bleachers, dugouts, pathways, and a field house. Another noteworthy project is Grant Park, designed with utmost accessibility in mind – the park design includes a wheelchair-friendly synthetic baseball field and a specially designed diamond with synthetic turf that provides a perfect level playing surface. The City of Abbotsford was awarded the BC Recreation and Parks Association Award in Park Design Excellence for this project in May 2022. "From multi-purpose sports fields to playgrounds, parks, and bike paths, we envision, design, and construct vibrant open spaces that not only enhance human interaction but also elevate the quality of life within communities," states Bush. As Binnie celebrates another significant milestone this year, its team maintains an unwavering focus on the core values that have always defined the company: prioritizing the needs of people and communities, regardless of the pace at which the world changes. "It is an exciting time to be in the consulting space and shape the communi- ties we work and live in. The rate of change and advancement in technology will further enhance and improve our ability to collaborate and execute the vast variety of projects we are involved with. Our purpose is creating connected communities that are resilient, safe, and reliable, ranging from roads and utili- ties to parks and public spaces. While technology, work methods, and products continue to change at an accelerated rate, Binnie will always be about people, and the communities that we serve," concludes Bush. A Fen Burdett Stadium, North Vancouver, B.C. Yorkson Community Park, Langley Township, B.C. Telosky Stadium Synthetic Turf Field Facility, Maple Ridge, B.C. Burnaby Lake Sports Complex, Burnaby, B.C.

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