Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/1054412
IBI Group is using technology to create resilient, connected, smart cities of tomorrow by NATALIE BRUCKNER | photography courtesy IBI GROUP From Imagination To Implementation "T he task of the leader is to get their people from where they are to where they have not been." This statement by Henry Kissinger in many ways embodies one of IBI Group's core values of making the seemingly impos- sible, possible. Today IBI Group is a technology driven global design firm of indus- try leading architects, engineers, planners, designers, and technology professionals who are united by a common desire to create livable, sus- tainable, technologically-advanced urban environments. However, even when it started back in 1974, during the depth of a recession here in Canada, IBI Group's nine origi- nal partners didn't allow convention to dictate the outcome. They under- stood that the built environment as it stood was not sustainable if we wanted to achieve truly integrated cities that were built upon intelligent systems, sustainable buildings, efficient infra- structure, and the human touch. And so IBI Group looked to con- stantly evolve, transform, and innovate – growing from two offices in Toronto and Vancouver with 30 staff to today's 60-plus offices in North America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East with more than 2,500 employees. You could say it's latest strategic plan announced this year is yet another example that IBI is more committed than ever to remain one giant leap ahead – and is using every tool at its disposable, with technology and innovation sitting firmly in its toolbox.