SALA Spotlight
student Jay Worthing 
Passion for green design brings student back to UBC
UBC Master of Architecture student Jay Worthing is using his educational experience to make a contribution to sustainability and the environment.
Thinking green has always been at the forefront of Jay’s education. A native of B.C., Jay completed his first degree in Geography at UBC in 2002. “Geography Professor John Robinson was an unofficial mentor who inspired me to begin enquiring into environmental thought, which helped shape the direction I have taken, but it was a talk by Architecture Professor Ray Cole that synched it for me in 2002.”
Upon completion of his bachelor’s degree, Jay obtained a Master of Environmental Studies at York University, where he studied membrane architecture and environmental design. Then he enrolled in the Architecture Program at the University of Waterloo.
After two terms at Waterloo, Jay realized that his heart was elsewhere, “I had an epiphany—what is happening in B.C. architecturally is significant in terms of green design and I wanted to play a part in that."
“UBC is uniquely positioned. Geographically, it is this point of convergence of the Pacific Rim; and historically, it has reached its centenary year. Both UBC and B.C. are experiencing these huge growing pains right now, so the decisions that are made in the next few years are going to have repercussions for the next 50 or 100 years. UBC has this huge potential to be an engine of sustainability. It could have a transformative effect on regional development as well as have impact overseas. For me it was the big picture of seeing this institution in a local as well as a global context. I saw this as the place to be!”
Now at UBC, Jay is enthusiastic about his educational experience thus far in the Master of Architecture program. “What I like most about the program is that you have to take your own initiative and become an active participant in the process—and to me that is the best way to learn. The school provides the learning environment and the tools, but not the answers. You must be creative in your problem-solving and come up with your own solutions. The school recognizes that real-world architects are faced with conflicting views and conflicting agendas. Therefore, the projects we are given are not clear cut. No one is going to say here is the parameters cut and dried and now design me something spectacular.”
According to Jay, the school consists of a community of people who are trying to address what architecture is in the 21st century and to take on the challenges that we face. Eager to make his own contribution, in his first year of the program Jay has co-founded the student group UBC Emerging Green Builders (UBC EGB) with Civil Engineering student Ross Richardson and Mechanical Engineering student Natalie Vadeboncoeur. “The idea was to tap into this really amazing cross-campus sustainability network that already exists,” explains Jay. “We felt this was a niche role that we could play as a student group specifically focused on creative design.”
The group’s mission is to engage an interdisciplinary network of students, scholars, professors, practitioners, and administrators concerned with the future of the built environment to provide affordable resources for integrating green design in their studies and practice.
Launched in February 2008, UBC EGB’s noteworthy achievements already include a new website—www.emerginggreenubc.ca—and an impressive turnout for its inaugural guest speaker—Professor Ray Cole, Director of the UBC School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture. Considering the impact that Cole’s 2002 talk had on Jay’s future, it is not surprising that he was the first to be invited to discuss the emergent issues and challenges in the rapidly expanding field of green design. “I credit the standing-room-only attendance of 120 students, professors and industry representatives to Dr. Cole’s impressive 30 years of accomplishments,” notes Jay.
Jay Worthing believes that UBC is playing an important role in changing face of architectural education, industry and practice. It is then no surprise that our institution is producing individuals like Jay, who are actively pursuing new and innovative ways to increase the awareness and practice of green building.
