Teresa Coady facts for kids

Teresa Coady (born July 1956) is a Canadian architect. She is known for designing buildings that are good for the environment. She was a founding partner of an architecture firm called B+H BuntingCoady. This company is now part of B+H Architects.

Teresa Coady is also a member of important groups. These include the Canadian Chapter of the International Initiative for a Sustainable Built Environment. She is also on the United Nations Environment Programme Advisory Board. She wrote a book called Rebuilding Earth: Designing Ecoconscious Habitats for Humans.

Meet Teresa Coady: An Architect for Our Planet

Teresa Coady was born in July 1956. She earned her degree in architecture in 1983. This was from the University of British Columbia. She is famous for her work in sustainable and energy-efficient design. This means she designs buildings that use less energy. They are also better for the planet.

In 1993, Teresa Coady and Tom Bunting started Bunting Coady Architects. The company's name changed in 2010 to B+H BuntingCoady Architects Inc. Before studying architecture, Coady spent two years studying engineering. She also earned a bachelor's degree in fine arts.

What are "Living, Breathing Buildings"?

Teresa Coady is known for her idea of "Living, Breathing Buildings." This phrase is even a trademark of B+H BuntingCoady. This idea came from her master's thesis. Her thesis was also called "The Living Breathing Building."

Coady says her thesis helped her understand her architectural values. At first, her thesis was not accepted. People thought it was "not architectural." But the ideas behind "Living, Breathing Buildings" became very important. They became the main values for Bunting Coady Architects.

Coady believes that architecture shows our cultural values. It can also help us get ready for the future. She thinks that how we build can greatly affect our planet. She once said:

And if we do it well, we’ll succeed as a species. But if we continue to create mechanistic horrors around the planet, we’ll condemn ourselves to a very constrained future.

For Coady, "Living, Breathing Building" means something important. It means buildings should not be like machines. Instead, they should be like nature. This idea is called biomimetics. It means using nature's ideas to design buildings. A "Living, Breathing Building" copies nature. It also makes the environment better.

How B+H BuntingCoady Designs Buildings

Teresa Coady also helped create a special building method. It is used by B+H BuntingCoady. This method is called the "integrated design process" (IDP). Coady says this process works for "any kind of building."

The IDP has several steps. These steps help make buildings that are good for the environment. They include:

• Orientation and Massing (how the building faces the sun)
• Site Design and Water (how the building fits its land and uses water)
• Envelope (the building's outer shell)
• Ventilation (how air moves through the building)
• Lighting and Power (how the building uses light and electricity)
• Heating and Cooling (how the building stays warm or cool)
• Materials (what the building is made of)
• Life-cycle costing (looking at the cost over the building's whole life)
• Quality Assurance (making sure everything is done well)

Awards and Recognition

Teresa Coady has received many awards for her work. In 2008, she won the "Bell Trailblazer" category. This was part of the RBC Canadian Woman Entrepreneur Awards. She won for her great leadership. Her work was praised for finding new ways to design buildings. These designs use nature's "intelligence" for energy efficiency.

In 1999, Coady received the YWCA Woman of Distinction Award. This award honors women who help their community. She was also on the Profit W100 list in 2008. This list names Canada's Top Women Entrepreneurs.

Working with the United Nations

In May 2011, Coady joined the UNEP-SBCI Advocacy Committee. UNEP stands for United Nations Environment Programme. SBCI means Sustainable Buildings and Climate Initiative. She attended a meeting in Germany in May 2011. This meeting was about sustainable buildings.

Other Activities

Besides architecture, Coady is involved in other activities. She helps with the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival. This festival celebrates the beautiful cherry trees in Vancouver. It encourages people from all over the world to visit.

See also

• B+H Architects
• Biomimetics
• Sustainable architecture