Launching a Business in Uncertain Times… …and the successes born from necessity. BRZ Architecture Celebrates Five Years Strong By Mary Savage
Hank Brzezinski and Trevor Floer. Photo by Mary Savage.
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t was during the fall of 2007 when Hank Brzezinski decided to establish BRZ Partnership Architecture Inc. (BRZ), and shortly thereafter Trevor Floer joined him as a principal. The colleagues had worked together for over 12 years at their former firm of Hutchinson Architects, and when they found themselves faced with the implications of a restructuring plan, they felt the time was right for a new venture. They moved into an old refurbished Hudson’s Bay warehouse, located two blocks south of Inglewood’s main street. The economy was strong and prospective projects seemed not only likely, but very attainable. Brzezinski and Floer had a broad scope of contacts and before long they landed their first job at the University of Calgary. Shortly after, they secured a large-scale project with the help of colleague and former business partner, Ken Hutchinson, for the new recreation centre in Grande Cache – phase one of a $20-million expansion and redevelopment project.
Brzezinski and Floer had a broad scope of contacts and before long they landed their first job at the University of Calgary.
Interior renovations and upgrades at the University of Calgary.
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BRZ Keynote Projects
MD of Pincher Creek No. 9 Administration Building Pincher Creek, AB
Grande Prairie Mixed Use office building
Three months later, the economy turned as the stock market crashed. But this was Alberta: business would rebound and the wheels of commerce would start to churn again – or so the partners thought. “We were fortunate that the projects we had on the go were not put on hold … but it was a pretty scary time,” recalls Hank Brzezinski, principal. “We thought the slowdown would last for six to 12 months, not a few years.” As the economy slowed, they found that the traditional method of responding to public proposal calls was not working for them. Other, more established firms had too much experience and name recognition to compete against. So they leaned heavily on former clients, contacts and colleagues.
The old school marketing strategy worked, and as they moved through the early years, they began to land projects in new market sectors – from Grande Prairie to Pincher Creek. The contracts varied from design studies to construction in the public works sector including protective services, education, administrative, recreation and housing for seniors. “Historically, we’ve worked in the public sector specializing in renovating, upgrading or repurposing existing facilities and that’s where our strengths lie as an architectural firm. There’s a certain skill set that’s involved when working with public projects, multiple user-groups and the uncertainties of a complex renovation project,” says Trevor Floer, principal. The nature of this work requires their team to examine the details of a project much more closely.
We salute you, BRZ Partnership Architecture, for 5 years of great design. Halsall is proud of the inspired work we have done together.
CONGRATULATIONS BRZ PARTNERSHIP ARCHITECTURE ON 5 GREAT YEARS IN BUSINESS!
To find out how Halsall can engineer solutions to meet your needs, please contact Patrick Taylor: 403.255.7946 x237
Structural Engineering • Green Buildings • Enclosure Engineering Repair and Renewal • Property Condition Assessments TM
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3405 - 9th Street SE (403) 243-0434 www.amestile.com
BRZ Keynote Projects
Kananaskis Village Centre modernization, Kananaskis Village “Our clients know they need to renovate or expand, but they’re not sure how to implement those changes because they’re not starting with a clean slate – there are existing conditions to deal with and a lot of people don’t know where to begin. We help them establish their needs versus wants, and once we’ve created a concept, then the real dialogue begins,” says Floer. But, it is important to BRZ to have a balance between private and public sector projects, and in recent years, BRZ has branched out to include more and more private sector projects including work in the hospitality sector, commercial offices, multi-family housing and retail facilities. Currently they have two hotels in the design phase along with several commercial office buildings.
Airdrie Koinonia Christian School (AKCS), Airdrie, AB
www.royalwesthomes.com Congratulations to BRZ Partnership Architecture!
Congratulations BRZ Partnership Architecture Inc. on your
Congratulations to BRZ Partnership Architecture Inc. We wish you continued success.
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403.252.4459 www.patmardevelopments.com Scott Construction is proud to have partnered with BRZ on the construction of the Pincher Creek Administration Building. Congratulations on Five Years.
Anniversary!
We wish you many more years of continued success. Scott Construction (Alberta) Ltd. 5716 35 St. SE, Calgary, AB | Phone: 403-279-7280 www.scottconstructiongroup.com
Colliers International 900, 335 8 Avenue SW | Calgary Alberta T2P 1C9 Main +1 403 266 5544 | Fax +1 403 265 6495 www.colliers.com/calgary
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Accelerating success.
BRZ Keynote Projects
Recreational Facility, Grande Cache, Alberta
“Altitude” Multi-family housing project, Edmonton, AB
“We started the firm five years ago with three people. Today we have 15 employees and to our way of thinking, it’s the perfect size. As the principals, we are still involved in every project and at every level,” says Brzezinski. “We are not so small that we can’t compete on larger projects, but we’re not so big that personalized service is lost – we operate more as an architectural studio than a corporation. All of our technical staff have in-depth knowledge of every project in the office and we’ve created a team that’s built on creativity,
Congratulations Congratulations to
BRZ Partnership Architecture Inc. on your
5th Anniversary! We wish you more successes as we continue our relationship on future projects.
“Energy-efficient, Practical and Cost-effective Solutions” Tel: 1-780-702-0613, 1-780-264-8331 • Fax: 1-780-490-4324
Heritage Point Fire Hall, MD Foothills
communication, continuity and collaboration,” he adds. “The people who work on the concept design are the same people who show up to construction meetings.” And being responsive to the client’s needs has been key to BRZ’s success. “When we design a building, it has to reflect the community, the nature of the building and what it’s going to be used for,” remarks Floer. “We design spaces that make people’s lives a bit better,” says Brzezinski. “We improve the user experience by creating an environment that will have a positive effect on people.” BRZ also contributes to the urban and rural landscape in ways that reach beyond bricks and mortar. “With each design, we address regional values, the environment and available resources. It’s the sum total of our knowledge in history, culture, technology, construction and sustainability, and applying all that expertise to each project we take on,” he adds. “Our clients like our integrated team approach and the fact that the owners of the company are involved in every step of the process. That allows us to be very responsive to our clients’ needs,” says Brzezinski. “It’s very important for us to have the face-to-face contact with our clients,” he notes. “The clients hire us for our expertise and we have an excellent team of experts – many of whom have been with us virtually from the up-start. We don’t take on everything that comes along; we are careful not to overload our team, and many clients have come back to us – thanking us for our involvement throughout the entire process.”
www.brzarchitecture.ca | 403.532.5980
www.khanatek.com
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