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AUGUST 2017 | 7 GBL Architects GBL Architects creates spaces that foster new communities and social structure by NATALIE BRUCKNER-MENCHELLI Emergent Architecture For GBL the fit is as important as experience, and as a result the company has built a successful business based on the philosophy that continued conversation and an open exchange with people from all different walks of life – whether that's the employees or clients – is integral to growth and development. Walk into their open plan office in the heart of the brewery district of Vancouver, and you may wonder if you have walked into the right space. You will be greeted by a linear bar in the reception area with a 25-foot-long reclaimed wood counter that is used throughout the day for informal meetings, lunch crowds and social gather- ings for neighbourhood events. "The office, which we were fortunate to design ourselves four years ago, has a very collaborative, non-corporate studio feel," explains Andrew Emmerson, asso- ciate at GBL who led the design of the office. "This space is complemented by our open plan studio layout that promotes a very social office culture. We have found that a socially active work space helps new employees adapt quickly to their studio environment and familiarize themselves with other staff members' knowledge and expertise." You'll find principals and associates sharing the same space and sitting at the same desks as summer interns. This rather novel management structure inspires greater sharing of ideas, and encourages individuals to take ownership of projects. "We have learned that the only way to create a truly organic culture where the best ideas can come forward is to strip all of the unnecessary structure away; nothing is forced and everyone has a voice," explains Amela Brudar, a principal at GBL. "This simplified management structure helps facilitate a freedom of ideas and liberation of design. With minimal hierarchy the whole becomes much greater than the sum of its parts." In just 35 years, the company has grown organically; not just in size from 12 people to 65, but in experience too. "We started off as a small office focused pri- marily on townhomes and social housing projects that tended to have very mod- est budgets and highly specific user needs," says Paul Goodwin, principal at GBL. "What's interesting about these projects is the unique design challenges they pose; not 'high design' challenges, but rather more tangible issues like functionality, liv- ability and maintenance. They require a true appreciation of the end user as well as an ability to identify opportunities to improve. We became well versed in address- ing these challenges and as more opportunities came along we continually made the most of them." As the company has grown and more opportunities arise, the original principles of GBL remain at the core of its design approach. "We believe that good design is really about identifying the opportunities to improve and then seizing these oppor- tunities to make things better – whether you are designing a 5,000-square-foot lux- ury penthouse or a 325-square-foot social housing unit, the principles remain the same; measuring design success by how it resonates with the end user," explains Emmerson. "That's where we start to talk about design concept. Who is this proj- ect serving? How can it do that best? What can the building convey architecturally about these aspirations? If you start from the belief that every project has a story to tell, you will eventually find it. It's a simple approach, but that really is the key to it; simplicity and clarity are essential to design that serves the end user." When it comes to showcase projects, GBL has a smorgasbord that demonstrates the depth and breadth of their experience. There was the Vancouver Olympic Village project – North America's first LEED Platinum community that consisted of 740

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