Renaissance Man Reproduced with permission from the Summer 2019 issue of The Scrivener magazine, published by the BC Notaries Association. This interview in conversation with Val Wilson was recorded in June 2019. Michael is the keynote speaker for the 115th Annual ABCLS General Meeting and Continuing Professional Development Days. Michael Geller is a Vancouver-based architect, planner, real estate consultant, and property developer with 4 decades’ experience in the public, private, and institutional sectors. He serves on the Adjunct Faculty of Simon Fraser University, is a regular contributor to the Vancouver Courier and Vancouver Sun, and a frequent commentator on urban issues across Canada. He is President of The Geller Group that specializes in planning and real estate consulting for a variety of large- and small-scale residential and mixed-use projects. He also undertakes small property developments on his own or in partnership with others. Michael has been honoured as a Fellow of the Canadian Institute of Planners and is a Life Member of the Architectural Institute of BC.
The Scrivener: What took you to study architecture? Michael: In Canada, young boys and girls played with mini bricks to build houses. In England, it was a system called Bayco. My parents bought me a set when I was 4 years old, and that was the beginning of my interest in designing and building houses. The Scrivener: What university did you attend? Michael: The University of Toronto. Following my 4th year, I won a CMHC Travelling Scholarship and toured across America, looking at modular housing and mobile home communities. As a result, I did my thesis on relocatable modular housing that ultimately led to the modular housing that is now being built for the homeless around Vancouver and the province. After a brief stint with a private architectural firm in Toronto, I joined CMHC where I subsequently spent 10 years in Ottawa, Vancouver, and Toronto. the LINK | December 2019
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