SHAPE Architecture is excited to announce the promotion of Loretta Kong and David Guenter to the position of Senior Associate, and Alex Russell to the position of Associate. These team members have played crucial roles in shaping the design culture of the office, delivering projects which address many of the societal and environmental design challenges facing our profession today.
Since joining SHAPE Architecture in October of 2009, Loretta has amassed experience in realizing a number of award-winning aquatics and community recreation projects, including AFBC (AIBC) Lieutenant-Governor Medal for Architecture awards for the Guildford Aquatic Centre and the Columbia Valley Centre. She has delivered multiple mixed-use community facilities for municipal and post-secondary clients including the University of British Columbia, the City of Vancouver, the City of Burnaby, and the City of Surrey. In addition, Loretta, with co-Senior Associate David Guenter, will lead the project management team at SHAPE Architecture in continuing to deliver low-carbon, high performance buildings for public and private clients across Western Canada.
David joined SHAPE Architecture in 2010 and as a key member of the design and project management team, he has contributed his expertise to several award-winning projects including the AFBC (AIBC) Lieutenant-Governor Medal for Architecture for the Guildford Aquatic Centre. He has considerable experience working with industry to deliver economically viable design solutions for a multitude of project types. David was the project architect for the addition to the West Vancouver Memorial Library and most recently, was project architect for the Vancouver Masonic Centre mixed use affordable housing project. He has taken a leadership role mentoring architects within the practice and ensuring quality assurance and a level of design excellence across all projects delivered within the studio. David joins Loretta as a senior member of the management team at SHAPE Architecture.
Alex joined the practice four years ago after working in the UK and completing his architectural training at the University of Bath and the University of Westminster. Since joining SHAPE Architecture in 2019, Alex has focused his design and project management acumen in developing a number of complex multi-family residential rezoning and development projects in the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island. He is currently leading the Innisfail Aquatic Centre in Edmonton and the Bowling Green Community Centre in Richmond. Alex brings a refined design problem-solving approach in applying straight-forward solutions to complex design problems.