Text version

News


Expanded Leadership for Group2


Edmonton, Red Deer, Calgary, October 26, 2009 - Group2 Architecture Engineering Ltd. is pleased to announce a new Principal in our Edmonton Studio. The new Principal further augments the depth of our organization and service to our current and future clients.

Douglas Ramsey is assuming the role of Principal in the Edmonton Studio. Douglas joined Group2 in 2007 with over 20 years of experience in the design of public buildings in both the private and public sectors with a particular focus on educational facilities. During the past two years with Group2 he has continued to focus on collaborative institutional projects delivered with a commitment to client service.

Group2 is also pleased to announce three new Associates to the Red Deer and Calgary studios.



Stacy Christensen, as an Associate and Senior Architect, is returning to the company in the Calgary Studio. Here, Stacy will continue her pursuit of well-considered design solutions with a respect for environmental impact. Stacy champions sustainable research and design study both in a professional and volunteer capacity. She presently chairs the 2030 Challenge Committee for the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada.

Jon Gulayets is assuming the role of Associate, Senior Architectural Technologist in the Red Deer Studio. Jon was a member of Group2 for seven years before leaving in 2006. Prior to re-joining Group2 in 2009, Jon spent time in the construction industry managing a range of projects, including multi-million dollar shipping/receiving facilities, auto dealership and service facilities, and various other commercial / light industrial projects.

Ray Rogers assumes the role of Associate, in the Calgary Studio. As a Senior Project Manager, Ray brings over 35 years of experience to the Group2 team. Ray’s prior role with Group2 enabled him to play a vital part in the successful construction of numerous projects during his ten years of previous service. His experience in project management encompasses an extensive variety of new construction and renovation in the educational, business, recreational, and health care fields throughout Alberta, Saskatchewan and the Caribbean.

Barry Johns will continue to bring his knowledge and expertise to Group2 projects across the province as Executive Director of Design. Group2 merged with Barry Johns (Architecture) Ltd. in 2007 at which time the Edmonton Studio became known as Johns Group2. Moving forward the Edmonton studio will be called Group2 Architecture Engineering Ltd.

Established in 1985, Group2 has three studios located in Red Deer, Edmonton and Calgary, with a team of over 70 staff. Group2 has developed a solid reputation for collaborative design and a focus on clients with a diverse body of work in the educational, municipal, cultural, health care, recreational, financial, commercial and industrial sectors across the province.



Hot Firm 2009

Red Deer, July 27, 2009 For the second year in a row Group2 is one of the Hot Firm Winners in 2009. Every year since 2000, The Zweig Letter has recognized the 200 fastest-growing architecture, engineering, and environmental consulting firms on the basis of percentage growth and dollar growth. This year Group2 is #94! The full ranking will be announced at the The Zweig Letter Hot Firm 2009 Conference, October 28-30, 2009 in Las Vegas. Congratulations to the whole firm.
For more information on The Zweig Letter 2009 Hot Firm Award here.



Grand Opening: RDC Centre for Trades & Technology

Red Deer, June 18, 2009

Red Deer College is ready for the future with four new state-of-the-art centres of learning. About 250 people toured the Centres for Trades and Technology, Innovation in Manufacturing, Corporate Training and Visual Arts at the official grand opening on Thursday. Group2 principals Dave Cheetham, Pat Romerman, and Nancy Vruwink together with Glenna Armitage, Isaac Martinez, Ian Douglas, Randy Klassen, Milo Bersani, and Jarrett Laramee attended the Ceremony.

Housed in the same building on the east side of the campus, the proximity of the programs is expected to promote collaboration and innovation. Alberta Minister of Infrastructure Jack Hayden said he looks forward to graduates from the new facility continuing the province’s lead in innovative construction and other trades. “(Red Deer College) is a college for all Alberta and we as Albertans benefit greatly from the learning that people get here and the skills and talents they take throughout our province,” said Hayden about the $80-million facility known as Phase 1 of the college’s Building Communities Through Learning expansion project.

Construction began on the 200,000-square-foot facility in 2006 and the project is targeting LEED® Silver Certification with the Canadian Green Building Council.



Triffo Hall gets GOLD!

On May 26 Triffo Hall received LEED® Gold Certification with 39 points! The client - the University of Alberta, and the user groups - the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research and the Graduate Students’ Association are delighted with the final result. “Just in case you need reminding, we LOVE this place. Even those who were hesitant at first have warmed up and love to hear the compliments we get from visitors.”

Triffo Hall represents the rebirth of South Lab, one of the oldest buildings at the University of Alberta, originally constructed in 1915. The historic two storey structure is composed of two bays with a unique saw-tooth roof configuration including clerestories. Sustainable design strategies include reuse of an existing historic structure, maximal use of daylighting, minimal application of additional materials, capture and re-use of rainwater, and high performance heating & cooling strategies. Triffo Hall is both the first project and first major renovation at the University registered with LEED®.

Congratulations to the whole team!



More publicity for Triffo Hall

Triffo Hall (University of Alberta) is one of six projects selected as a winner of the 2009 SAB (Sustainable Architecture & Building) Canadian Green Building Awards! As part of the awards recognition, the project was presented at the Canada Green Building Council National Summit in June in Montreal and will also be published in the special awards edition of the magazine in July/August.

Group2 Winner of the Steel Design Awards

Edmonton, March 26, 2009 - Group2 is excited to have been awarded the Sustainability Award for Triffo Hall at the Steel Design Awards hosted by the CISC (Canadian Institute of Steel Construction) Alberta Region. This year’s theme “Advantage Steel: Strength in Innovation + Sustainability” launched a highly coveted award for Sustainability, making it an even greater honour to receive.

Winner of the 2009 Sustainability Award recognizes steel structures in which steel has been used or re-used as part of a sustainable development project that aims to improve environmental impact of the structure by using established and innovative design, standards and technologies. “We knew from the start we would approach the project from a sustainability standpoint,” says Project Architect Laura Plosz, Associate with Group2 Architecture Engineering.

All 34 projects submitted for the awards were considered for this special category, while only two were revealed as finalists - Group2’s Triffo Hall at the University of Alberta being one of them.

The team on hand to accept the award included Laura Plosz, Troy Smith, Eugene Gyorfi and Pat Romerman, supported by Nicole Howard and Doug Ramsey, who were also in attendance. Barry Johns, the Principal-in-Charge of the project during design and construction was unable to attend. The rest of the project team in attendance included ecstatic representatives from the University of Alberta and Read Jones Christofferson, the structural consultant. Congratulations on a job well done!


________________________________________________________________________________

CLC Fine Arts and Multi Media Centre Grand Opening

Olds - February 26 , 2009 - Community Learning Campus (CLC) - Fine Arts and Multi Media Centre Grand Opening

The grand opening of the Fine Arts & Multi Media Centre on Thursday, February 26, marked a lively celebration of community talent and collaboration with nearly 200 people participating in the Community Arts Showcase. The $8.9 million facility is the second building completed on the Community Learning Campus (CLC) in Olds, serving a multitude of functions for Olds High School and College students as well as the strong arts community of Central Alberta. A major highlight of the event was TransCanada Corporation’s investment of $500,000 into the Fine Arts & Multi Media Centre. In addition, the Honourable Lindsay Blackett (Minister of Culture and Community Spirit), Superintendent of the Chinook’s Edge School Division and CLC Vice-Chair, Jim Gibbons, were in attendance and both had rave reviews of the event. Craig Webber, Principal-in-Charge of the CLC project exclaims, „It was a remarkable event! The grand opening ceremony was well organized and exceptional. The facility is already living up to our team’s greatest aspirations.“ The local and surrounding community came together to create a wonderful playbill including bands, choirs and professional entertainers. The underlining feature was a scene from the Olds High School play, Beauty and the Beast. They wowed the audience with their intricate set designs, beautiful singing and wonderful acting where everyone experienced the amazing acoustics and lighting within the theatre space.

Craig Webber (4th from left), Deanna Shewchuk, and Art Willard among other guests during the unveiling of the grand opening plaque.

________________________________________________________________________________

Local Architecture Firm Recognized Internationally

Local Architecture Firm Recognized Internationally For Revenue Growth


Red Deer, November 6, 2008 - Group2 Architecture Engineering Ltd. (Group2) has been named in the Zweig Letter Hot Firm 2008 List for its revenue growth over the past three years. Group2 is listed 78th out of 200 among the United States and Canada’s fastest growing architecture, engineering, and environmental consulting firms. Group2 is among three Canadian firms to earn a spot on a ranking that has long been dominated by U.S.-based firms. This list, complied annually by the management consulting and research firm Zweig White Information Services, features the design and environmental firms that have outperformed the economy and competitors to become industry leaders.

Group2 Principal Architect David Cheetham accepted the 2008 Hot Firm award on behalf of Group2 at a conference held in Chicago, Illinois, USA October 27-29, 2008. “It is exciting for Group2 to be a part of the 2008 Zweig Letter Hot Firm List. It was with extreme pride that I accepted the award on behalf of the incredible team at Group2. This award not only signifies our success as a design firm, but also our success as a business. This achievement is a tribute to the quality of our work and the loyalty of our clients.”

Click on photo to enlarge

From Left to Right: John Doehring, Senior Vice President, ZweigWhite; Dave Cheetham; Ian Rusk, CEO & President, ZweigWhite

Click picture to enlarge in a new window

About ZweigWhite

ZweigWhite is a leading source of management consulting, information, and education for the design and construction industry. The Zweig Letter Hot Firm 2008 List is based equally on percentage growth and dollar growth in gross revenue from fiscal year 2004 to fiscal year 2007. The list is limited to firms based in the U.S. and Canada deriving the majority of their revenue from the practice of architecture, engineering, planning, environmental consulting, design and construction, or allied disciplines. Only firms that were in business as of January 1, 2004, and had to have 2004 gross revenue of at least $1 million or greater, were eligible. Further information is available at www.thezweigletter.com.




For photos and/or additional information, contact:
Kerstin Heuer
Marketing Coordinator
E: kerstinh@group2.ab.ca
T: 403.340.2200