Vancouver Team Named Highly Commended Team of the Year by World Architecture News Female Frontiers Awards

WAN Female Frontiers Awards have chosen the Vancouver project, “Housing for women, by women” as a Highly Commended entry in the Team of the Year category.

The housing project is developed, designed, and delivered by an entirely female team. Soroptimist International of Vancouver, a non-profit organization focused on the economic empowerment of women and girls, partnered with Vancouver-based developer Purpose Driven Development to bring 135 affordable rental homes to workforce women, senior women, and women-led families. GBL Architects (GBL) was brought on board to assemble a team that includes experienced female leads in 14 different disciplines including structural, electric, and mechanical engineers, building code, and sustainability consultants.

“Every aspect of this project has been incredibly rewarding. The purpose of the project in and of itself does so much to empower and support women,” shares RJC Engineers Principal Meredith Anderson, who is leading the structural design. “Working with the all-female design team has been refreshing, with an especially collaborative atmosphere.”

With a team of highly-qualified women across all disciplines, this case study demonstrates the outstanding leadership of women. The team brings a unique perspective to design and development, delivering a project tailored to the users’ needs and the client’s vision and inspiring female leadership in a primarily male dominated industry. GBL Partner, Amela Brudar, was attracted to the initiative because of Soroptomist’s vision and being a “global voice for women” since 1921. Through its bold, unique vision for women’s housing, the team was able to overcome the challenges faced by the site’s constraints and obtained unanimous City Council approval that maximizes opportunities for critically needed affordable homes.

The Female Frontier Awards: Powered by World Architecture News recognize remarkable, talented and visionary women of all ages, at every level across Architecture. The awards champion best practice, support new and established talent and celebrate the firms who are supporting women in their roles. The Team of the Year category recognizes the skills and abilities of an all-female or female-led team working on a built environment project either finished within the last 24 months or an ongoing (non-conceptual) project.

Design team members include:

• Amela Brudar, GBL Architects
• Barbara Ibba, GBL Architects
• Stacy Ma, GBL Architects
• Meredith Anderson, RJC Engineers
• Emily Farquharson, RJC Engineers
• Svetlana Uranova, RJC Engineers
• Winda Banjuradja, RJC Engineers
• Joyce Fang, RJC Engineers
• Shari Zhang, RJC Engineers
• Carla Guerrera, Purpose Driven
• Jayce Chen, Integral Group
• Julia Garcia Goncalves, PFS Studio
• Kelty Kelty McKinnon, PFS Studio
• Christina Radvak, Light House Sustainability Society
• Brenda Martens, Light House Sustainability Society
• Wendy Morrison, GHL Consultants
• Karen Spoelstra, MCW Consultants
• Karen Savage, Horizon Engineering
• Diane Meehan, Horizon Engineering
• Paula Andrea Silva, Integral Group
• Katrina Scherebnyj, BKL Consultants
• Catherine Lemieux, RDH
• Emily Vance, RDH
• Jennifer Webster, Binnie
• Yulia Liem, Bunt & Associates