Experience

The Arts and Public Spaces

As a UVIC visual arts graduate, I am passionate about the arts and currently advise as a board director on the not-for-profit board of Dance Victoria. With a love of public spaces for all ages, I have led the design and implementation of several public space projects including;

• Cook Street Village Boulevard Park – Kitchen Garden @ Big Wheel Burger
• A naturalized playground at Margaret Jenkins
• Broad Street public gathering space: tangram inspired movable seating w Cascadia Architects
• Pemberton park public seating: community meeting space for the Gonzales neighbourhood
• H20: a public art and music collaboration through UVIC at Bastion Square
• Art in Vacant Storefronts: throughout downtown Victoria

Committee Work

• Oak Bay Advisory Planning Commission
• Oak Bay Climate Action Working Group
• Community Association of Oak Bay
• Fairfield Gonzales Zoning and Planning Committee
• City of Victoria Advisory Design Panel
• Bastion Square Revitalization Committee
• Downtown Victoria 2020 Public Spaces Working Group

Advocacy Work

My advocacy work includes chairing the BC Chapter and Victoria Network of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, where I implemented an architects in schools program, leading youth in making the change they want to see in their communities.

Climate Action

I advocated to both SD 61 and the Municipality of Oak Bay to declare a climate emergency.

I have advocated for increased transit in Oak Bay, and specifically succeeded by petition to increase transit service to Harling Point.

I am an avid cyclist and promote the benefits of cycling: mental and physical health and climate friendly transportation.

I liaised with local businesses for donations and the City of Victoria to realize the reopening of the Chandler Gonzales Pathway and to provide a safe route to school for our local children.

I was on the Advisory Planning Commission for three years and the Climate Action Working Group, where I advocated for active transportation, legalizing duplexes and implementing the official community plan.

I volunteer whenever possible on architectural advisory and focus groups, including for Oak Bay’s infill housing.

I design sustainable architecture. Our family home was the first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum house in Victoria under the LEED for Homes program. I also worked on Rainbow Hill (with D’Ambrosio architecture and urbanism), a LEED for neighbourhood design project, and I worked (with D’Ambrosio architecture and urbanism) on the LEED Gold Atrium building downtown at Yates and Blanshard.

I am trained in passive house design and have experience with the living building challenge standard.

Education

Bachelor of Architecture, Professional Degree, University of Waterloo

Bachelor of Environmental Studies in Pre-Professional Architecture, U of W

Bachelor of Fine Arts, Honours in Visual Arts, University of Victoria

Work Experience

My passion for the arts and community led me to a career in architecture where I am grateful to design and develop architectural projects in the community. Firms I have worked with include:

• Cascadia Architects Inc
• Hillel Architecture Inc
• Waymark Architecture
• Moore Architecture Inc
• D’Ambrosio architecture and urbanism 

Please keep in touch:

Carrie Smart, Oak Bay Councillor

csmart@oakbay.ca