b'PEOPLE POWER: Q&A PEOPLE POWER:Q&A with Maureen ConnellyBy Kelly ParkerM aureen Connelly is thetransmission and noise buildup in urbancame that I was interested in going into Director of the Britishareas. She is a past recipient of the BCITacademics, I joined the BCIT building tech-Columbia Institute ofApplied Research Award and the Green Roofnology department and very quickly had an Technology (BCIT) CentreWall Research Award of Excellence. opportunity to explore adapting a research for Architectural Ecologyprogram in green roofs, so that sort of and a faculty member in theBCBEC Elements: What drew you intobecame the second part of my careerI BCIT Building Science Graduate Programs,developed a fairly full research program in and she founded BCITs Living Architecturethe study of building acoustics andgreen roof and living architectural technolo-and Acoustics Research labs. Connelly has agreen roofs? gies. That actually facilitated my being able bachelors degree in Environmental DesignMaureen Connelly: My first focus wasto go back and utilize my interest and expe-Studies as well as a Master of Architecturein architectural design, and I was quiterience in acoustics, before moving forward from Dalhousie University, and a PhD infortunate to work in some amazing offices,again to focus on the acoustical character-Interdisciplinary Studies (Architecture,whether it was in Arthur Ericksons officeizations of living architecture. I eventually Green Roofs, Ecology, Acoustics) from thehere in Canada or working for a few yearsgot a PhD in that area, and now here I am, University of British Columbia (UBC). abroad. During that period, I was able tohaving a tremendous time with two labs in Connellys chief areas of research have beenbring my mathematics background forward,the Centre for Architectural Ecology.green roofs, including architectural and plan- and I was always put out there to work ning impact of green roofs and the acousticalon projects that had any sort of acous- BE: What would you consider to be your capacity for green roofs to reduce soundtical requirements. Then, when the timeproudest accomplishment?6 BCBEC ELEMENTSA BCBEC PUBLICATION'