Notice Board

Architecture & Design NOW series featuring Vedran Škopac
Design Innovation as a Catalyst for Events, Encounters and Action
6 p.m. | Oct. 26
Room L1060, Library building
Free admission, all are welcome to attend.

Design innovation is often associated with invention: new technologies, new materials, new buildings. But what if its greatest potential lies in what is already there?

Drawing on architectural practice, research, and teaching, we will demonstrate how we challenge conventional thinking, exploring resourcefulness, resilience, and imagination that can transform constraints into opportunities.

In a world of diminishing resources and accelerating change, doing more with less is not merely an exercise in efficiency, economy, or carbon reduction. It is an invitation to question assumptions, discover the polyvalent nature of what already exists, and unlock unexpected possibilities.

Through built projects, speculative explorations, and provocative precedents, the talk tests a central thesis: Can design innovation become a mechanism that cultivates the irruption of events, spontaneous social encounters, and opportunities for action?

Vedran Škopac is a European and Canadian architect, educator and public speaker; known for his leadership, team support, innovation, and execution of projects with local and global influence. Working at the intersection of practice and academia, Vedran brings people together to turn challenges into clear, meaningful architectural strategies that strengthen mental health, well-being, and a stronger sense of community.

Vedran earned his Master of Architecture degree from the University of Zagreb in 2003, where he was trained in architecture, urban design, interiors, and building science. After practicing in Croatia for six years, he relocated to Canada in 2009, and started teaching architecture at the University of Calgary, in concert with working with Reimagine Architects where he became a Principal in 2019.

Image: Vedran Škopac. Photo credit: Spencer Gatt