Zeidler Partnership Architects' Calgary office has merged with the Calgary-based firm BKDI Architects. The new partnership is Zeidler BKDI Architects.
CALGARY, July 16, 2014 /CNW/ - This merger represents a combination of a shared culture and complementary practice strengths and is a natural transition from Zeidler and BKDI's 15-year history of joint collaboration as a registered collaborative firm working in Alberta. This merger formally recognizes the blend of talents, joint philosophy and experience of a multi-jurisdictional professional practice. At this time, they are working with Cadillac Fairview on the 1.75 million square feet, mixed-use Calgary City Centre development. The principles of designing attractive spaces for people that respond to rapid advances in industry-specific knowledge continue to guide their work. The merger enables the firm to provide a broader set of services to their clients.
The merger is in effect as of July 1, 2014. Zeidler BKDI Architects is a firm of 70 staff in Calgary, and will draw from the resources of Zeidler's offices in Toronto, Victoria, London (UK), Berlin, Beijing, Chengdu, and Abu Dhabi.
Zeidler's senior partners Vaidila Banelis and Tarek El Khatib join Jean Guy Beliveau, Stephen Bugbee, Bill Mitchell and Catherine Richardson, partners at BKDI, to form the new partnership group. Michael Cojocar and Martin Veenhoven join Ross Roy of BKDI as principals and continue in their senior leadership roles.
The pursuit of quality is the foundation of this collaboration. Both firms are proud of their professional staff, quality of their projects, and the quality of their service. Both firms bring years of stability, a history of client satisfaction and are aligned on professional excellence principles: training and development, pro bono work and workforce diversity. The new firm will continue to focus on client values, and provide high-quality service from the existing team.
ABOUT ZEIDLER
Zeidler is a leading Canadian architectural firm based in Toronto with seven offices worldwide. The firm's portfolio covers a range of work: convention and civic centres, academic, healthcare and research centres, performing arts centres, transportation infrastructure, and residential and commercial properties for clients throughout North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle
East. Zeidler's Calgary/Toronto team recently completed The Bow as executive architects with Foster + Partners, recognized as one of Canada's iconic statements and one of the largest Class AAA office towers in the country. Named as Azure magazine's "Top 10 Projects of 2012," the towering skyscraper has been chosen as one of Emporis' most spectacular corporate buildings in the world. Zeidler Calgary continues to work on projects with both the Calgary Board of Education and Golden Hills School Division, early childhood education design with the largest childcare building constructed in Canada post-secondary works with the renovation of the University of Lethbridge recital theatre and the Stadium Shopping Centre Redevelopment Masterplan.
ABOUT BKDI
BKDI is one of the leading architectural firms in western Canada. They have completed many significant and varied projects throughout Calgary, across Canada and internationally. The strength of their work illustrates diversity and innovation in architecture, interior design, landscape architecture, urban design, and graphic design. The firm's portfolio covers work on a range of projects: from the architectural design of large mixed use projects specializing in high rise residential to master planning of commercial shopping centres and institutional work including schools and recreation buildings. Their credits include architectural work on high-rise residential projects such as Princeton, Arriva, Union Square, Stella, Luna, Nova, CALLA, and Drake. Other projects include The Grand Okanagan Resort, Destination Africa at the Calgary Zoo, Renert Centre for Excellence in Education and the Calgary Winter Club. Creatively, work in interior design projects includes BMO, Vermilion Energy, IHS and Norton Rose. They are currently working on numerous major urban commissions like City Centre Saskatoon, Smith, SoBow Phase 3, Westbrook Station Calgary, Central Green in Kelowna, and King's Wharf in Dartmouth Nova Scotia. The enthusiasm, passion and creativity of each individual that has contributed to their firm is reflected in every project they have completed over an impressive 36 year history.
Image with caption: "Calgary City Centre, Zeidler BKDI Architects for Cadillac Fairview (CNW Group/Zeidler Partnership Architects)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20140716_C1241_PHOTO_EN_4304.jpg
Image with caption: "Zeidler BKDI Architects (CNW Group/Zeidler Partnership Architects)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20140716_C1241_PHOTO_EN_4305.jpg
SOURCE: Zeidler Partnership Architects
Share this article