Professional Development Opportunities

The 2025 Spring Post-Disaster Building Assessment (PDBA) Training Workshop is taking place virtually on May 21 and 28, 2025.

AIBC Registrants, architectural students, and those with building construction expertise who are interested in participating in Post-Disaster Building Assessment are required to take training that aligns with the provincial and international protocols and standards. Upon completion of the course, participants will be eligible to register with BC Housing as a post-disaster building assessor.

PDBA Training Workshop Overview

Taking place over two half-days, the workshop will prepare participants to perform rapid post-disaster building assessments. Workshop content includes an overview of the following:

• Earthquake hazards, building types, and common forms of construction in British Columbia
• Structural basics, in the context of post-disaster building assessments, with a focus on seismic risk
• Different levels of response, including the regional context of the Lower Mainland
• The ATC-20 and BC Housing Field Guides

Attendees will also learn about relevant case studies and hear from field experts about their experiences with PDBA. Representatives from BC Housing and City of Vancouver will provide updates on preparedness initiatives and anticipated response strategies.

A series of exercises will be part of the training to help participants apply the concepts to case studies and prepare for their role as a PDBA assessor. Be prepared to share and contribute your thoughts, have your cameras and mics on when needed, and collaborate with others during group work. Registration cost includes hard copies of the ATC-20 and ATC-45 manuals.

Register by May 13, 2025

Date: Wednesday, May 21 and 28, 2025
Time: 8:30 a.m.– 1 p.m.
Location: Online via Zoom
Cost: $375 + GST
Learning Units: 8 Core
Registration: Register online by May 13, 2025

This session will be presented by members of Read Jones Christoffersen Ltd: Dennis Gam, M.Eng. P.Eng. Principal; Adam Lubell, PhD, P.Eng., Struct.Eng., Associate; and James Munro, P.Eng., Struct.Eng., PE (CA), Principal.

Additional presenters include Robyn Fenton Architect AIBC, AIBC Post-Disaster Liaison; Kelly Anderson, P.Eng., CP, Manager, Operational Readiness, Vancouver Emergency Management Agency; Saul Schwebs Architect AIBC, CBO and Director of Building Policy, Inspections & Bylaw Services of the City of Vancouver; and Pat Cullen, Security and Emergency Services Coordinator, BC Housing.

Cancellation, Registration and Learning Unit Policy

No refunds will be issued for a withdrawal within seven (7) days of the first workshop date. If a request is received to withdraw from a course more than seven (7) days before the course date, refunds will be subject to a $60 administration fee plus applicable taxes. Full refunds (i.e., not subject to an administrative fee) will only be given in case of emergencies, at the AIBC’s entire discretion. An emergency refund form may be required to be completed.

Transferring registrations between individuals is not permitted.

The AIBC reserves the right to cancel this workshop. If the AIBC cancels the workshop, full refunds will be issued.

Should you have any questions or concerns about your registration, please contact Krista Sutherland at ksutherland@aibc.ca.

This is an AIBC-Delivered event. Learning Units (LUs) are only recorded for AIBC CES Participants who have registered and paid for the event. No self-reports are accepted from individuals who have not registered and paid. LUs will be adjusted to reflect the actual time attended for each session.

Recording Policy

The Post-Disaster Building Assessment Training Workshop is a live streamed event. By participating, you agree not to record any presentation using a personal device or external program.

The AIBC will not be recording this seminar.

NOVEMBER 29 UPDATE: The 2025 CP Course is now sold out. Please email cp@aibc.ca to be notified when registration for the 2026 course offering opens. 

The 2025 Certified Professional (CP) Course is based on the 2024 BC Building Code and the 2019 Vancouver Building By-law. The CP Course is held online, with the CP Exams and site visit taking place in-person. Registration closes on December 1, 2024, or when all spots are filled. Early registration is advised, as capacity is usually reached well before the December deadline.

Partial grant funding for the courses is available through the WorkBC BC Employer Training Grant for those who are eligible. To learn more, visit the Government of BC’s Workforce Training Stream webpage.

Please note that while there are no specific prerequisites to register, these are advanced courses and having BC Building Code or Vancouver Building Bylaw knowledge is recommended.

Certified Professional Program Overview

The CP Program is an alternative to the conventional building permit and inspection process adopted by Vancouver, Surrey, Abbotsford, Burnaby, West Vancouver, University Endowment Lands, Nanaimo, District of Squamish, Tsleil-Waututh Nation, and Squamish Nation (Sen̓áḵw). Through the program, participating Authorities Having Jurisdiction can issue building permits on the assurances of a CP.

Although anyone may take the CP Course, only registered architects (Architects AIBC) and professional engineers (P.Eng.) may practice as CPs. Intern Architects AIBC and engineers-in-training (EIT) who meet all CP Course requirements and pass the CP Exams will be able to practice as CPs when they become registered as architects or engineers.

2025 Certified Professional Course Schedule

The CP Course schedule consists of 12 full-day sessions on Wednesdays from January 15 to April 16, 2025. There are no classes on March 5, 2025 (CP Course break) and March 26, 2025 (Spring Break). There is one half-day tutorial on April 23, 2025. The CP Course concludes with 2 full-day exams April 30 and May 7, 2025. The site tours, mid-term and final exams will be conducted in-person in Vancouver.

• Cost: $5,700+GST.
• Learning Units: 74.75 Core LUs
• Registration: Registration for the CP Course closes on December 1, 2024 (SOLD OUT).

The 2024 BC Building Code Update Course focuses on updates to Parts 1, 2 and 3 of the BC Building Code. The 2024 BCBC includes most of the 2020 National Building code updates, but there are some British Columbia-specific Code changes.

Course instructors include:

• Alan Brown Architect AIBC, CP, Alan Brown Architect
• Allison Chen P.Eng., Engineers and Geoscientists BC
• Anja Slusarzick-Seibt Architect AIBC, CP, Architectural Institute of BC
• Barry Thorson P.Eng., CP, Thorson Consulting
• Jack Hui P.Eng., CP, Pontem Group
• Kai Mikkelsen P.Eng., CP, Thorson Consulting
• Maura Gatensby Architect AIBC, CP, Architectural Institute of BC
• Ron Bijok Architect AIBC CP, Radiant City Architecture

The course takes approximately 6.5 hours to complete.

Please also be advised that the 2024 BC Building Code Update Course is not a substitute or replacement of the mandatory Internship in Architecture Program BC Building Code course.

• Cost
  $450+GST
  $360+GST (Subsidized pricing for Intern Architects AIBC and Engineers-in-Training – please email professionaldevelopment@aibc.ca for the pricing code)
• Learning Units
  6.5 Core LUs
• Registration
  AIBC Online Course Portal (under “Other PD Courses” tab in top menu)

Access to Courses & Course Materials

You will have access to the course for three (3) months from the date of purchase. All course materials will be available to download through each course. Remember to download and save the materials if you would like to keep them beyond the three months.

Cancellation, Registration and Learning Unit Policy

Purchasers may cancel the course registration by emailing Miiro Projects at support-miiro@miiro.ca within 72 hours of the date of purchase. To receive a refund, the first module of the course must not have been viewed in its entirety. The start date of access is the date of purchase. No credit request made after 72 hours from the date of purchase or after completely accessing the first module will be accepted unless extenuating situations exist and will be reviewed by the AIBC for refund eligibility.

Individuals who purchase a session using a pricing code that is not intended for their respective AIBC or EGBC registrant category will be contacted and charged the correct price. Intern Architects AIBC and Engineers-in-Training who purchase the course at the full price, without using the pricing code, will not be refunded. Transferring registrations between individuals is not permitted.

This is an AIBC-Delivered course. Learning Units (LUs) are only recorded for AIBC CES Participants who have registered and paid for the course. No self-reports are accepted from individuals who have not registered and paid. Course completion and LUs will be recorded to all applicable AIBC registrants’ CES transcript. Please do not self-report these courses.

The ACK Course is designed to provide advanced building code knowledge without CP certification. It provides all the content of the CP Course, but excludes exams, projects, and site tours. The ACK Course is taking place online, and is comprised of seven full-day sessions on Wednesdays from January 15 to February 26, 2025.

Registration closes on December 12, 2024, or when all spots are filled. Early registration is advised, as capacity is usually reached well before the December deadline.

• Cost: $3,650+GST.
• Learning Units: 49 Core LUs
• Registration: Registration for the ACK Course closes on December 12, 2024 (or when capacity is reached).

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