What is o·vert?

o·vert is an initiative by Omicron, a Canadian design/build firm, to raise awareness about sustainability at the individual and operational levels within the company. Comprised of staff members from all disciplines, o·vert is a “deep green” taskforce led by principal Kevin Hanvey, MAIBC, LEED® AP. The group operates with a mandate to empower and motivate Omicron’s staff and owners to minimize their ecological footprint and effect change within their own lives, the company and the broader community.

How does o·vert operate?

The taskforce focuses on three key areas – internal operations, education and outreach. Each area is managed by a sub-committee that draws on the wider resources within the firm to achieve o·vert’s objectives. The internal operations team looks at company-wide internal practices and habits, coordinates green lunch-and-learns, undertakes research and benchmarking activities and ensures that administrative purchasing decisions are seen through a green lens. The education group is responsible for championing LEED accreditation of staff members across all disciplines within the firm, as well as raising awareness of sustainable design and building practices. The outreach team takes care of marketing, communications and special events geared towards sustainability such as internal activities, external challenges, sponsorships and the o·vert blog.

What does o·vert mean?

The name o·vert was chosen to resemble the word “overt” which means “open and observable”. We’ve made the mark our own by emphasizing the letter “o” to represent Omicron and stressing the word “vert”, the French word for green.

When was o·vert launched?

The taskforce moved from a covert to an “o·vert” operation in February 2008 when it was launched with an exciting day of green activities culminating in a sustainability scavenger hunt throughout the Omicron office.

Continuing its initiative with monthly events including Monitors Off Campaign, Green Site Tours, Green Jeopardy and No-Waste Lunch Day, o·vert makes it fun to go green! The taskforce has proven to be a great resource, inspiration and constant reminder of our individual and collective impact on the planet.

Why o·vert.com?

The launch of Omicron’s green taskforce has resulted in an outpouring of events and ideas, heightened awareness and a collective desire to bring about change. To take this one step further, o·vert decided to develop an online forum to profess love for our planet, express views on all things green, shed light on green building and construction practices and invite the world to join the sustainability dialogue.

Who is Omicron?

Omicron is an integrated design and construction firm providing total building solutions to clients in the commercial, institutional, retail and renewal sectors. Omicron combines the expertise of more than 180 architects, interior designers, engineers, project managers, cost estimators, builders and corporate support staff.

We are a privately held company owned and operated by British Columbians, operating from our LEED® Gold certified head office in beautiful Vancouver, BC and our growing branch office in Calgary, AB. The company was started in 1998 by three individuals who believed that the conventional method of delivering building projects could be greatly improved. Omicron is now owned by twelve partners who are active in all aspects of our day to day business.

Omicron was founded on the philosophy of the “Master Builder” - a single firm with the requisite in-house expertise and experience in its chosen sectors to collaboratively design and build the best possible project for each client. As one of the fastest growing integrated design/build firms in Canada, we are an innovative, sustainable, award-winning organization focused on results for clients and staff alike.

Visit Omicron’s home on the web at www.omicronaec.com to find out more or call us to arrange a tour of our deep green space - we’d love to meet you!