Discover the future of building

Sustainable Building Technology Diploma Program Student

I was raised on an acreage in the outskirts of a big city. This provided me with the opportunity to constantly connect with nature despite being surrounded by urban areas.

The exposure to the outdoors gave me a creative outlet. One of my first experiences with building and design was constructing a treehouse in the middle of our property. Seeing a big idea come to life in my eight-year-old mind sparked a passion for creating. Throughout the next couple of years, I gained resourceful skills and a strong interest for design. I was constantly reorganizing and moving my room around. I would buy and sell different bedframes, shelves, and furniture to create my perfect bedroom. If there wasn’t an item that matched my vision, I would go to the hardware store down the street and ask for their scrap pallets to build it myself. Everything that I could create myself, I would.

Though I had an appreciation for the rewarding aspects of seeing a vision become reality, I was still indecisive of how to pursue a career that checked off those boxes. I have so many interests in relating topics it felt impossible to choose just one career path. Until this year, I was enrolled in a Business Program. I attended the first week of classes in my second year and overheard my roommates talking about upcoming projects for the SBT program. I felt the same spark of interest that I do when starting a new creative project. I realized I needed to change programs, so the next day I switched into the SBT program. I look forward to learning about all aspects of construction and design, and sustainable ways of doing it. I am excited to learn skills that will help me in my day-to-day life outside of work and utilize them for a genuine passion. 

Sustainable Building Technology Diploma Program Student

Throughout my life I have lived all around B.C, originally born in Alberta, moved to Penticton recently. I have lived in lots of big cities but always found ways to connect to nature.

Throughout high school my favorite class was always woodworking, whether I was learning about architecture or getting to build something I designed. In my later years of high school, I got a job working in sales for homes and buildings. This gave me the opportunity to learn a lot about buildings and renovations which I loved. From there I knew that this was a passion of mine, and I wanted to be more actively involved with building.

After graduating secondary school, I decided to take business for a year but just wasn’t loving it. I found it challenging to sit still all the time and I didn’t like the idea that I would be doing that for the rest of my life. I wanted to pursue something that involved more creativity and innovation in my daily routine.  Following my passion for design, building and innovation, my friend told me about this program. Shortly after my friend, sister and I packed our stuff and moved to Penticton starting a new adventure. As of right now I would like to pursue project management, but I am open to new interests and career paths going through this course.  I have always liked the idea of doing something that allows me to be self-reliant no matter the challenges life presents me with. I am excited to open myself up to this opportunity and see where it takes me! 

Sustainable Building Technology Diploma Program Student

I was raised in a small town called Manchester in the heart of England. I moved to Canada at the ripe age of 12 and have lived in Kelowna ever since.I spent most of my childhood traveling the world seeing all different types of architecture. This ignited my passion for design. 

I have accomplished many things over the years of living here, such as being a part of outdoor education which made my love for nature grow stronger, as well as completing a 74km backpacking trip through Lake Louise. I recently graduated with honours from Okanagan Mission Secondary School in June 2024, preceding my education with Okanagan College in sustainable building technology. After my completion in SBT, I strive to further my education at the University of British Columbia in order to eventually get my master's of architecture.

Sustainable Building Technology Diploma Program Student

I grew up in a rural community fifteen minutes outside of Summerland surrounded by nature and the outdoors, helping me appreciate the earth. My parents loved the old property so much and were adventure guides to the outdoors and all that it has to offer. Not only did they show me an appreciation of nature, but they also taught me the value of hard work through their actions and habits, like my dad’s woodworking skills. 

Once our family moved into the downtown core when I was 13, I gained a new curiosity for how the world and society at large functioned. After learning about climate change at the start of high school, I knew from then on, I wanted my future career to help contribute to fighting climate change. 

With high ambitions for a university education, I was disappointed with how academia operated and did not feel it offered me knowledge and tools to use in the workplace in my future career, leaving me working in the retail sector in New Brunswick for a year. There came a point where I realized that if I wanted to make real change, I would need to have some sort of post-secondary education to enhance my skills and knowledge. 

This led me to find the SBT program and allow me to move back home with a new appreciation for the place I was born and raised. I am looking forward to how this program will lead me to a career to influence actual change. 

Sustainable Building Technology Diploma Program Student

Why did I end up choosing Sustainable Building Technology? It began when I was a child, I used to draw up design plans on how I wanted my room and from there on I had the itch. I continued throughout my childhood, whatever it might be, I enjoyed designing the layout. I’ve changed my plan a few times from hockey, to schooling, to ending up in the construction industry. Which thankfully left me with my fair share of knowledge pertaining to the industry. However, I’ve made the decision to step away from the blue collar-boot strapping-back hurting-unfulfilling work.

I grew up playing hockey and ideally, that was my plan. Unfortunately, plans don’t always work out the way you want. This resulted me in not knowing which direction I wanted to go in life, as my life was purely dedicated to hockey. This led me to a life up until now, of purely trade work which also introduced me to how unsustainable our buildings we erect truly are. Thus, leading me to this program.

Why I chose to enter this program is because, I’ve always had a strong interest in architecture and design. Having the opportunity to incorporate sustainability into it was and is a bonus.

I entered a similar program while living in California and due to Covid- and the riots, it left that program strictly online. Which I found extremely difficult to maintain. I am looking forward to being in class with my classmates, my professors, learning and pursuing each one of our goals. For me I want to make it to the end, to say I accomplished exactly what I wanted and to enter this new chapter of my life I didn’t think I would obtain again. As of right now I am interested in Architectural Technology or Construction Management. As our course goes on, and as my fellow second year students have said, “your ambitions can change throughout the program”.

Whatever my future holds for me I am grateful to have the chance to pursue something that’s bigger than myself. I am excited to move forward with our program and with my classmates, and I’m excited to see where this will take me in the next three years.

Sustainability Technology Diploma Program Student

Growing up in a small town in the Shuswap, and being raised by an extremely inventive and resourceful mother, I was surrounded by a never-ending stream of projects from building new garden beds to redesigning our entire house. I always enjoyed helping with these projects and soon found myself starting design projects of my own by finding run down furniture on Facebook Marketplace and reupholstering it. I had by then decided that I wanted to pursue a career in building and design and spent my free time watching shows on design and real estate, trying to learn everything I could. 

The Sustainable Building Technologies program contained bits of every element I had interest in and I knew I had to make the move to Penticton to pursue this diploma. Although my primary interest is in project management, I am passionate about all aspects of this program from architecture and design, to how a building is constructed start to finish. Many of the courses focus on project management, including Management Principles, Leadership, and Innovation. I believe this program will provide me with all the expertise necessary to prosper in all future career opportunities that are presented. After completing this program, I intend to work and gain experience as a project manager, and eventually start a company of my own. I am eager to see what things transpire from taking this course and how it will shape me and my future. 

Sustainable Building Technology Diploma Program Student

One of my earliest memories is spending time with my grandpa in his workshop, watching him skillfully craft woodwork pieces and stained glass. Watching his creativity come to life sparked my own passion for making things. Growing up, I spent countless hours drawing, diving into crafts projects, and immersing myself in house-building design games. It was when I moved to Penticton a decade ago that my love for nature truly blossomed. I began going on hikes and learned to appreciate the outdoors, reveling in the stunning landscapes and breathtaking views of the Okanagan Valley. From these adventures, I realized I wanted to pursue a career that combined my interest in design with my commitment to improving the built environment.

Discovering the Sustainable Building Technology program inspired me to begin actively working toward my aspirations. I see this program as a crucial first step toward making a meaningful impact on the world and fostering positive change. I am particularly eager to get into my classes on Green Building Principles and Biophilic Design, as I am enthusiastic about creating spaces that are not only resilient but feel like home.

I am excited about the prospect of working in an architectural firm for design or project management and possibly launching my own venture to contribute to initiatives that champion sustainability. As I continue my journey, I am looking forward to enjoying the creativity that comes with it and being able to problem-solve while also having the possibility of making someone’s dreams come true.

Sustainability Building Technology Diploma Program Student

I have dreamed of being an engineer since childhood. Through my efforts and my family’s support, my dream became reality. In fact, I worked as an engineer designing highways ever since I graduated from a university as a civil engineer. 

Last year, however, I decided to turn to a brand-new page of my life and moved to Canada. I have been deeply impressed by the stunning scenery of Okanagan valley and the way Canadians treat nature. The way Canadians acknowledge that they are living on the Indigenous people’s land shows a commitment to cherishing this beautiful place. I was astonished by the scenario of a herd of deer visiting my backyard and eating grass last winter. Humans and wildlife are living so harmoniously here. 

This year, my hometown in China just experienced one of the record-breaking hottest summers. An overpopulated city, huge energy consumption, a hot island effect and a heat dome all contributed to this disaster. There, it’s difficult to find green land for my son to fly a kite in the concrete-built forest. Can you imagine? After taking my son to Kelowna, he has deeply loved leisure life, embracing and feeling nature by hiking, camping and cycling. 

It’s never too late for me to learn new things as a mid-aged man who still has enthusiasm for exploring new areas. Choosing the SBT program, I want to have the opportunity to learn about the advanced theory and technology of sustainable building. I look forward to combining my previous expertise with SBT learnings in the future.