3 must-see stops during Vancouver Design Week(end)

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      With more than 45 studios and sites of interest to explore around the city, plus various tastings and speaker events, Vancouver Design Week(end) offers the average citizen a myriad of ways to engage with the fascinating world of design.

      To help you plan your weekend of workspace drop-ins during the event’s signature Open Studios and Open Buildings series, we’re highlighting three must-see stops to add to your list.

       

      Burnkit

      Burnkit

      (Saturday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 784 Powell Street)

      If you’ve ever wondered how a successful graphic-design firm operates, now’s your chance. Burnkit has produced brand-development work for Ballet BC, Reigning Champ, and Bocci, among others, will be opening the doors to its Railtown studio, where you’ll rub shoulders with some of the most inventive minds in the industry while learning how the studio’s layout encourages creativity and collaboration. Refreshments and samples of Burnkit’s past work will also be on hand.

       

      Martha Sturdy Gallery

      Martha Sturdy Gallery

      (Saturday, 1 to 4 p.m. at 12 West 5th Avenue)

      From steel and brass to salvaged cedar, Martha Sturdy’s designers are informed by nature with a distinct West Coast flair. Visit her Mount Pleasant studio and you’ll find triangular resin stools, giant orbs shaped like Saturn, and tabletop pieces like oversized bowls and platters that are as sculptural as they are functional. Sturdy will be on hand to share insight from her 40-plus years of experience in the design biz.

       

      D'Arcy Jones Architecture

      430 House by D’Arcy Jones Architecture

      (Sunday, 1 to 4 p.m. at 430 East 20th Avenue)

      Architect D’Arcy Jones reimagines the Vancouver Special with the 430 House, a renovated and supremely modern iteration of the iconic, ’80s-era structure. Outside, the gently sloping roof hints at the building’s past life but a fresh, open-concept layout, unconventionally placed windows and skylights, and a pared-down palette of white and wood render the residence unrecognizable. Tour the space alongside Jones and sip kombucha outside on the patio furnished by local design-and-furnishings shop (who else?) Vancouver Special. Tickets are $10 at the Vancouver Design Week website.

      Follow Lucy Lau on Twitter @lucylau.

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