Award

DECEMBER 2018 | 7 IBI Group "Technology is disrupting the entire ecosystem of cities, and traditional pro- cesses cannot keep up with our current rate of change. There is both a need and an opportunity to create new ways to enhance the operations and the experiences of cities. Rather than being limited by the laws of man, we need to fully realize the benefits of Moore's law, of expanding the boundaries of today, reaching for the stars and adapting accordingly to create smart cities of the future, today," says Scott Stewart, CEO. This idea of using technology to advance, whether that's technology that has been in existence for years or disruptive technology, is not new to IBI. In fact, technology has been a vital component of the business since it opened its doors almost 45 years ago, and in fact what attracted Stewart to the company in the first place back in the late 70s. "IBI appealed to me as it just had this incredible holistic approach to urban chal- lenges and opportunities. My background was in engineering and transportation, but I had an interest in architecture, the built form, and strategic planning, and IBI was the only firm that I saw that blended all those capabilities, and created a multi- disciplinary approach to solutions. I was at the bottom of the totem pole when I joined, but IBI allowed me to pursue areas of personal interest within the business realm. The company was always technology focused and looked to improve efficiencies and change the way we do things for the better," says Stewart. Like any successful company, IBI of course has had its challenges and learned from its mistakes. In fact, Stewart was involved in the company's first pivot that led it down the path to success. "We had to make some hard decisions at the beginning as to how we do projects, and it highlighted to us the vital need for information that we didn't have in place. We put ourselves into a more normal banking arrangement, because in truth we were probably two weeks away from insolvency. We put together a mod- est and achievable plan based on three percent growth, which actually resulted in eight percent, and we achieved the plan in three years instead of five. We really turned things around. We had new branding, open communication, both internally and externally, and understood that our business was about urbaniza- tion and that we design all the facilities and infrastructure that support all those activities, be it transportation, power or pipe services," says Stewart. President of IBI Group, David Thom, has a similar story to Stewart as to what attracted him to IBI, which could very well explain why the company has attracted such unique talent over the years. "I had been working in London, England, for architect Richard Rogers when he advised me to go back, finish my degree and then return to work for him. I went back to Toronto and during that time I met and fell in love with a girl. This new firm IBI was getting started and I liked how the company approached the broader picture of urbanization and how it was evolving, and the emergence of technology, transportation, and how it was changing cities. I was intrigued," explains Thom, who soon after joining moved out to Western Canada where he built a practice in Alberta and eventually ended up in Vancouver. IBI's growth is undoubtedly a reflection of the very talent it has attracted over the years, directly, and indirectly. Mansoor Kazerouni, global director, buildings in Toronto, is another great example. In 2008/2009 Kazerouni was a partner at Page + Steele when it was acquired by IBI. As an architect, he brought with him thoughtfulness, design excellence, and attention to detail that resulted in him leading design teams on some of the firm's most prestigious residential, hotel, office, institutional, and complex mixed-use projects. Among those projects, and perhaps one that demonstrates IBI's involvement in the birth and transformation of entire communities, is the Railway Lands in the south core of Toronto, which is bounded by Front Street, Yonge Street, Gardiner Expressway, and Bathurst Street. "That project eptimomises IBI as it started more than 30 years ago, when we were originally hired by Canadian National Railway Co. [CN] and Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. [CP] together with the provincial government to figure out how to reroute all the freight lines out of downtown Toronto and figure out how good movement happened across the GTA," says Thom. "It's a classic case study of what IBI is about. The interesting anecdote about that project is that when we were getting approval the City didn't want to put residential downtown. But we kept pestering, and eventually they gave in and approved it. Today it is a major mixed- use project and has changed how people live downtown." IBI's fingerprint can be seen all over this development, from the transit and master planning, to the buildings, and has resulted in the company receiving global recognition for the transformation of this area. [Far left] John St. Roundhouse Park; [left] CN Tower Plaza; [below] Railway Lands, Toronto, ON.

• Cover