George Torok, B.Tech.(Arch.Sci.), A.Sc.T., BSSO OBEC President, The Beckie The History and Symbolism of the President’s Award of Excellence

The Oscar The “Award of Merit”, bestowed by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, to honour the outstanding achievements of members of the motion picture industry.

An Oscar for B.S.? The building industry did not have a similar award to honour the contribution of its members to the promotion of excellence in the design, construction, and performance of the building envelope.

Why Not? The award should be available to all members of the industry: researchers, academics, consultants, contractors, manufacturers. Recipients should be nominated by their peers (OBEC members). Nominations would be reviewed, debated, and a recipient selected by OBEC Directors.

And a Party, too! The award would be bestowed at an annual gathering of the profession, to be known as the President’s Award Dinner.

The Beckie The award would be known formally as the President’s Award of Excellence, and informally as The Beckie, a name derived from the OBEC acronym.

A certificate! A sculpture! A scroll!

An early Beckie

Symbols & Changes

Pyramid Symbols

Pyramid Snowflakes Symbols

Pyramid Snowflakes Recess Symbols

Pyramid Snowflakes Recess Facetted ball Symbols

Pyramid Snowflakes Recess Facetted ball Red base Symbols

Pyramid Snowflakes Recess Facetted ball Red base Materials Symbols

Pyramid Snowflakes Recess Facetted ball Red base Materials Methods of Construction Symbols

Changes Snowflakes

Changes Snowflakes Facetted ball

The Pyramid Represents one of the oldest of structures, the tent, and of one of the most durable, the pyramids. Made of clear plastic, it symbolizes our desire to let light into our buildings.

The Snowflakes Represents the weather from which we seek shelter in the structures we build. Symbolic of exactness and sophistication to which we aspire in our designs and constructions of the structures we build.

The Recess in the Pyramid Represents the shelter provided by the pyramid.

The Facetted Ball Set into the recess, it represents our need for shelter from the weather. When a strong beam of light is shone upon the ball, the light is refracted by the facets through the recess and into the pyramid, representing our commonality and our diversity.

The Red Base Represents the solid foundation needed for all durable construction. Light reflecting of the base into the pyramid turns it red, symbolizing the warmth provided by the shelter within the pyramid.

The Materials Glass, plastic and adhesives represent modern materials of construction.

The Methods of Construction Assembled by hand, the construction of the Beckie is symbolic of our reliance on the skilled trades to turn our plans into reality.

Changes to the Beckie In 1995, the technique of laser inscription of the snowflakes was lost and could not be recovered. It was not until 2005 that an alternative was developed: an embedded, cast glass snowflake.

Changes to the Beckie The loss of the laser inscription technique and change to an embedded cast glass object added new symbolism: the loss of older methods of construction that occurs over time.

Changes to the Beckie In 1999, manufacture of the cut glass, facetted balls was stopped. They were replaced with cast glass ornaments. This added further symbolism: the changes in materials that occur over time.

The ‘new’ Beckie

Recipients of The Beckie John Timusk Gus Handegord Tony Woods Rick Quirouette Jacques Rousseau The Ontario New Home Warranty Program Robert Drysdale Paul Sandori

Recipients of The Beckie Eric Burnett Mark Bomberg Jerry Genge Joe Lstiburek Robert Platts Alan Dalgliesh Donald Onysko John Straube

George Torok, B.Tech.(Arch.Sci.), A.Sc.T., BSSO OBEC President, The Beckie The History and Symbolism of the President’s Award of Excellence