Stephanie Yeung is the newest partner at GGA Architecture
Of the many problems facing businesses, succession planning is often ignored until too late. It is a vital process in passing on leadership roles to ensure a company continues to run smoothly without interruption, for the benefit of its well-being, its clients and employees.
GGA Architecture is a fine example of how succession planning should be conducted. The company was founded in 1983 by two young architects, Wade Gibbs and Doug Gage, as Gibbs Gage Architects. Both have retired, yet by laying out appropriate groundwork for its future over its more than 40 years of growth, they planned appropriately for the time when they would not be around. And they were successful in building out leadership talent from within.
In 1990, partnerships were offered to long-serving architects Vince Dods, Stephen Mahler and the late Rick Lewis, and seven years ago Chito Pabustan and David Wittman — who had both been with the firm 18 years — became partners. Jonny Hehr joined the leadership team two years ago, and now the talents of Stephanie Yeung have been recognized in offering her a partnership.
Yeung joined GGA Architecture in 2006 as a designer but left to article with another firm before rejoining GGA five years ago, and was soon invited to join the management team as managing director of design.
Notable milestones in her career with GGA include being an integral member of the project team responsible for the Enmax District Energy building. She says she enjoys working on large scale public and institutional projects, proud of her contributions to Mathison Hall at the Haskayne School of Business, Rundle Academy and the under-construction Airdrie Library that she helped win and will oversee to completion in 2025.
The firm’s first female partner, Yeung has led many initiatives to promote women within the industry.
Succession planning continues with the appointment of new managers Meghan Larway, Aaron McCracken and Luke Pollio, as well as new studio lead NeiLei Man.
GGA Architecture has been responsible for many large projects that have resulted in significant changes to the Calgary skyline over the past four decades, and current projects continue to keep the new executive team busy.
One of the exciting developments on the books is the WinSport Day Lodge, a transformative expansion and major renovation that revitalizes a legacy and sets a new standard for community engagement, inclusivity and environmental stewardship.
Originally constructed for the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics, the almost 40-year-old facility is poised to begin a new chapter as a modern hub for its more than two million annual visitors. GGA designed it with a keen focus on accessibility, inclusion and net-zero carbon design. Barry Heck, president and CEO of WinSport, said at the recent groundbreaking ceremony: “We’re not just constructing a building — we’re laying the foundation for a future when every visitor can pursue their sporting dreams.”
With the city’s dire need for more homes, GGA is currently involved in the design of a number of residential towers. The second tower of Centron’s 863-unit The Oliver complex on 10th Avenue S.W. is ready to welcome tenants. In the Beltline District, GGA has designed a 36-storey residential tower on the former TransAlta property to accommodate 335 units; Western Securities is building 272 rental units called 4th Street Lofts; and for Homes by Avi, GGA has designed Sovereign on 17th, a mid-rise 13-storey, 155-unit condominium project fronting onto Rouleauville Square.
In the northeast, for Royop Development, it has designed the new North Hill Co-op as a mixed-use retail/residential development that will offer 192 new homes in a 29-storey tower.
Another creative challenge is the renovation and major addition to the original Centennial Planetarium, continuing to transform it into a new Cultural Gallery for Contemporary Art. Add three downtown office-to-residential conversions and GGA Architecture will be keeping its 100-plus Calgary staff busy for quite some time.
Notes:
Last year, Olds College of Agriculture & Technology was named fourth in Canada’s Top 50 Research Colleges. Recognized for its high-tech, hands-on agricultural education and innovative applied research that lays the foundation for solving real-world problems in farming, food and land, it has received $1.5 million from the federal government to support research into the development and testing of smart agriculture technology.
David Parker appears regularly in the Herald. Read his columns online at calgaryherald.com/business. He can be reached at 403-830-4622.