FACTION PROJECTS INCREASES ITS DESIGN CAPABILITIES
Acquisition of GDG Architectural Group also expands geographic footprint
Neil Holmes and Tim Mclennan have been friends since kindergarten in Vermillion. Both went on to study architecture at NAIT; Mclennan became a registered architect while Holmes is an architectural technologist. Both secured employment in the profession in Calgary.
Mclennan relocated to Kelowna, B.C., and, with business partner Michael Hoffman, founded Faction Projects (FPI) in 2013. Recognized as one of Canada’s fastest growing companies, it has acquired GDG Architectural Group (GDG), a well-established Calgary architectural practice led by Holmes and Ed Zukowski.
Faction Projects focuses on real estate development and the provision of integrated development management, architecture and planning, and construction
management services throughout Western Canada.
It offers leadership in all phases of the development process, from project advisory and feasibility planning through to closeout in office, retail, industrial, hospitality and residential properties.
Its current projects include being a member of the team developing student housing in Winnipeg, and it is developing another student housing project in Prince George, B.C.
The $20-million, six-storey wood-frame building will provide 200 self-contained microunits on a downtown location across from the public library.
Although FPI’S work is spread across the four western provinces, the majority has been in its home province of British Columbia. Among its featured projects are the Eagle Pass Heli Lodge at Revelstoke, and a Westbank First Nations housing development of member-owned and affordable rental units supporting a larger network of facilities and programs across the lake from Kelowna.
Its acquisition of GDG will broaden and deepen FPI’S services geographically and, in particular, strengthen its design capabilities.
“We have always envisioned our market as Western Canada, and to that end, have acquired third-party clients and our own land holdings across all provinces,” says Mclennan. “Bringing GDG on board will enhance our ability to deliver our services throughout the region with boots on the ground in Calgary.”
What has been known as GDG traces its history to 1984 when Gowling & Gibb Architects — perhaps best known for its design of Gasoline Alley and buildings around the plaza at Heritage
Park — was established by Barry Gowling and Mike Gibb. GDG was formed to complement its services, with a major portion of its work in providing architectural services for the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Alberta.
With the retirement of the founders, the partnership of Gowling and Gibb was dissolved and longtime associates of the firm, Zukowski and Holmes, took over and continued the work under GDG Architectural Group.
They have specialized in commercial and institutional buildings, and as consultants to a number of infrastructure projects. GDG has been called upon as members of consulting teams on several bridge projects, including the Three Sisters overpass that used its design of coal miners’ lamps to form a historical relationship with the town of Canmore. And it was responsible for the concrete relief design of bison on the Crowchild/shaganappi Trail bridge in the city.
Now under the name of Faction Projects, the Calgary office continues to be managed by Holmes, as regional director of operations, and Zukowski, the regional director of design. The new relationship is a big plus for the Calgary staff, says Holmes.
“The office dynamic and interaction of ideas is welcome and generates some momentum for the firm. We believe it is critical that our practice is based on both public and private sectors to mitigate economic shifts, as well as being equipped with a graded bench of support to handle differing tasks.”
Notes:
Sad to see that Frank Dabbs
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died last week. Our relationship goes back to when we both worked at the former Albertan before Frank went on to be a recognized national writer and author, including his respected biographies of Preston Manning and Ralph Klein.
Matt Blanchfield, managing
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director of Ceili’s Group, and his staff sat down to brainstorm what they could do to support frontline workers and those in need. The unanimous decision was to reopen the kitchen and give away thousands of pizzas. People only have to self-declare their eligibility for a free pizza with an employee and then pick up their order at the 17th Avenue location from Wednesday to Saturday until May
30. Co-owner and philanthropist Brett Wilson says, ‘Our message is simple: The Calgary community has supported us for the past 20 years, so now it’s our time to support them.”