Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/549108
Karis Place – housing for homeless and homeless-at-risk individuals. V ancouver-based NSDA is a firm where egos are left at the door and diversity is embedded into its very core. For the five partners at NSDA Architects, archi- tecture is about more than bricks and mortar; it is about people, making a difference in their lives and in the community. NSDA believes in going beyond the conventional to develop solutions that are practical and functional, yet spirited and creative. In 1976 NSDA's founder Derek Neale started the company in Yaletown, B.C. back when the now hip area of the city was zoned for heavy industry. British-born Neale had found he was influenced by West Coast modern architecture and the type of wood frame houses that were being built in West Vancouver, with all their inherent design freedoms. He also saw something else in the city, and he wasn't alone in his vision. It was almost serendipitous that he should meet Polish-born Tom Staniszkis, another visionary, who worked with Neale as a developer and in 1984 became a partner in the firm. "Initially when we came to Vancouver, the city's zoning was very formulaic and had to meet certain criteria," explains Staniszkis. "Then in the mid 1970s the city saw the need to introduce discretionary zoning, now applied in most areas, in response to public concern about the impact of new projects on already built up neighbourhoods. This required a new approach and Derek and I saw the opportu- nity to start developing small apartment projects and to offer design services to other developers." Driving Diversity NSDA develops spirited, creative, yet functional design solutions by natalie Bruckner-Menchelli