NORR STEPS UP FOR NON- PROFITS
Architects love to be engaged in designing big- budget buildings that allow them to show off their creative skills.
Norr Architects Engineers Planners earns its share of those jobs, though Bruce McKenzie, the firm’s vice- president business development for Western Canada, says his staff really gets a kick out of working on projects for not- for- profit organizations that require not only good design but extra care to get the most economic packages from its list of trusted trades who are also inspired to chip in for a good cause.
There are many such projects to be found in its portfolio of work; jobs where it has given back part of the fees.
A recent example is the new secure services building at Hull Services’ southwest Calgary campus. It was designed as a large, prairie- style house; a nonthreatening environment that blended into the community. The project was done in collaboration with Centron Group as another example of that company’s new division, called Centron Cares.
Norr was the architect for Centron’s splendid Centre 10 office building on 10th Avenue S. W., and also contributed to its Lion’s Village, a 92- unit affordable housing project for seniors at Crowchild Trail and Kensington Road N. W.
McKenzie is a member of the Lion’s Club committee that puts on the colourful Festival of Lights each Christmas season along 14th Street N. W.
Norr is again working with Centron Cares, this time on the design of a new, 10,000- squarefoot facility in Mayland Heights N. E. for the Even-Start for Children Foundation of Calgary that will serve about 100 children.
Ron Poon, Norr’s executive vice- president Western Canada, has served for many years as a board member of Silvera for Seniors, the charity providing affordable housing for more than 1,500 low- income seniors.
There are many affordable housing projects it has been awarded, including five buildings for the city’s Office of Land Services & Housing in Crescent Heights, Kingsland, Wildwood and Bridgeland, and Norr continues its work with Bishop O’Byrne Housing for Seniors.
Poon and McKenzie were given their new titles recently, along with other Calgary office staffer Don Surphlis, who was named vice- president operations Western Canada, in recognition of the firm’s successes in the Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver offices.
Norr has a number of exciting projects underway in the city, including a 28- storey, 220- unit rental apartment project in East Village for Cidex Development at 5th Street and 7th Avenue S. E.; the second Aura rental tower on 12th Avenue S. W.; two Marriott hotels in Seton and the redevelopment of the former Stampede Pontiac site on 9th Avenue S. W.
It’s also making an impression far away from our municipal boundaries.
McKenzie is in China working on a second project to be designed by Calgary staff. The first was a 25- acre development with three levels of underground parking and retail shops below a massive open air park in Jinan. Now, in Qing Dao, he is working with an exciting new yacht club and marina development.
David Parker appears Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Read his columns online at calgaryherald. com/ business. He can be reached at 403- 830- 4622 or by email at info@ davidparker. ca