A LITTLE BIT ABOUT US
MPA, or Martin Pykalo Architect inc., is an established architectural practice that leverages over 100 years of professional experience. Our philosophy and approach to projects can be described as ‘transparent and efficient’. We focus our efforts on addressing our client needs while also assuring compliance with applicable standards and legislative requirements. Our remote business model allows us to leverage reduced overhead costs and pass substantial savings on to our clients.
Since inception, our primary focus has been on Social Housing and Public Sector projects. We have extensive experience working with organizations such as BC Housing, City of Vancouver, City of Richmond, Bowen Island Municipality, Town of Gibsons, City of Maple Ridge and the Kwantlen FN on challenging and unique projects.
Examples of our work include:
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Our ongoing role as prime consultant Architects on numerous social housing projects.
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Widespread experience with City of Vancouver owned shelters and social housing developments.
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We are retained as Consultant Inspectors for BC Housing tasked with CI duties throughout BC.
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Extensive involvement in the development of the City of Vancouver Housing design and Technical Guidelines.
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Assisting BC Housing and the CMHC in coordinating their co-funding documents.
OUR RECENT PROJECTS
BC HOUSING HOPE B.C. SUPPORTIVE HOUSING AND SHELTER
A 56 unit supportive housing and shelter modular construction building.
This project is currently proceeding through regulatory rezoning and development approvals
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BC HOUSING AND PEMBINA - REFRAMED INITIATIVE
DANY GUINCHER PLACE, VANCOUVER
The Reframed Initiative is an integrated venture whereby the Province of British Columbia (through BC Housing), the Metro Vancouver Housing Corporation, the City of Vancouver, the BC Non-Profit Housing Association, and the Pembina Institute are collaborating on shifting current retrofit approaches to residential buildings in order to demonstrate the technical and economic feasibility of deep retrofits across the affordable housing and rental market sectors; with the objective of advancing healthier, more comfortable and resilient low-carbon homes. This initiative will commission parallel deep retrofits of six existing low-rise multi-unit residential buildings which will serve as demonstration projects.
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BOWEN ISLAND HOUSING DEVELOPMENT - COMPLETED IN 2022
A 27 unit mixed use rental and commercial use building . It is designed in conformance with BC Energy Step Code and CMHC performance requirements. This project is currently under construction. This project was completed in March 2022.
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BC HOUSING GIBSONS MODULAR HOUSING - COMPLETED IN 2021
A three storey, 40 single occupancy studio unit, permanent modular construction building. It is designed in conformance with step 3 of the BC Energy Step Code as well as BC Housing’s technical requirements. This project was completed in March 2021.
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CURRENT BC HOUSING PROJECT TECHNICAL CONSULTANT PROJECTS
MPA is retained by BC Housing to perform ongoing detail peer reviews of numerous development projects. Our mandate is to verify the work of consultant teams for compliance with BC Housing's standards, the building code, and best industry practices. We review project documents and specifications at SD, DD and CD phases and on-site during construction.
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BC HOUSING + FERNIE FAMILY HOUSING - CURRENTLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION
35 unit rental building and 14 rental single family townhouse units. This development will offer new housing options for families, singles, seniors, and people with disabilities of various income levels. This is a joint venture project between MPA and Zeidler Architecture's Calgary office. It is currently under construction, scheduled for occupancy in late 2021.
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HALLMARK HOTEL - BROADWAY / OAK, VANCOUVER - UNDER REZONING REVIEW
12 storey hotel tower in the centre of the Broadway corridor, this project is intender to address the current shortage of hotel spaces in the city. MPA is currently working along Zeidler Architecture on the zoning application. We anticipate submission in Q4 2020.
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BC HOUSING + SALVATION ARMY RICHMOND EMERGENCY SHELTER - COMPLETED 2019
60 space supportive housing shelter and a 50 space emergency winter refuge facility. A very complex project due to the requirement by the building owner (City of Richmond) to retain the exterior appearance of the existing tilt-up concrete warehouse structure. This shelter facility provides comfortable bright living dorms and abundant interior and exterior common space for its residents. As an early pilot project for the province’s Step Code regime, it achieved step 2.
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BC HOUSING MAPLE RIDGE HOUSING AND SHELTER - ABANDONED AT REZONING
30 space emergency shelter at ground level and 55 private permanent supportive housing units on the three upper levels. This project is designed to utilize modular construction. It was intended to be a permanent housing development on the BC Housing owned site in central Maple Ridge.
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BC HOUSING PARKSVILLE KINGSLEY MANOR HOUSING - COMPLETED 2019
MPA was the Project Technical Consultant for BC Housing on this project. This building provides 28 one-bedroom suites and offers affordable housing units for low-income seniors and people with disabilities. This project was designed in compliance with BC Housing’s technical standards and early draft versions of the BC Energy Step Code. Occupancy was achieved in January 2018.
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BC HOUSING WILSON'S WALK VICTORIA - COMPLETED 2018
MPA was the Project Technical Consultant for BC Housing on this project. Our team worked with the Pacifica Housing, the consultant team and the contractor to assure that the project satisfied all BC Housing development requirements. Our involvement spanned the entire course of design and construction where we provided CI construction contract administration assistance.
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CITY OF VANCOUVER HOUSING DESIGN AND TECHNICAL GUIDELINES
Martin Pykalo Architect was tasked by the City of Vancouver to co-develop the latest iteration of the City of Vancouver Housing Design and Technical Guidelines. Martin Pykalo Architect was engaged as the intermediary between the city’s Housing division and its Facilities Planning department. The mandate was to assure that interdepartmental content was verified against BC Housing’s content and issues that were outstanding were incorporated into the city’s document.
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COORDINATION OF BC HOUSING DESIGN GUIDELINES AND TECHNICAL STANDARDS AND CMHC CSA STANDARDS FOR FUTURE PROJECT CO FUNDING OPTIONS
BC Housing tasked MPA with a technical analysis that assisted BC Housing and the CMHC determine differences between their standard reference documents. Namely the BC Housing Design Guidelines and Technical Standards, the CSA B651 standards and the CMHC’s PATH standards. The aim being the eventual alignment of these standards in the next iteration of the BC Housing document for co-funding purposes.
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OTHER NOTABLE PAST PROJECTS
The projects listed here were completed while Martin was practicing his profession employed by other firms, including: Zeidler Architects in London UK and Toronto, JBA Toronto, BBB Architects Toronto, Atelier Pacific Architecture Vancouver, and ABBARCH Architecture Vancouver.
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Abu Dhabi Souq, Abu Dhabi, UAE –1997
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Canadian Hospital in Hong Kong –1998, ZRPA
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Toronto Sick Children’s Hospital, 1997-2000
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Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, DC – 1998
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Miramar Business Centre, Havana, Cuba – 1998-99
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Knightsbridge Green Development, London, UK – 1997-99
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Shell Centre Redevelopment, London, UK – 1998-2001
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The Bishop Strachan School, Junior School Wing Addition, Toronto, Ontario – 2001-04
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Martyrs Shrine Orientation Centre, Midland, Ontario – 2004
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Schulich School of Business, York University, Toronto, Ontario – 2000-01
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Rogers Centre Renovations (Skydome), Toronto, Ontario – 2004-06
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Moscow Performance Hall and Galleria, Moscow, Russia – 2005-06
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Madison Square Garden Entrance Facade and Interior Renovations, New York, NY - 2003-05
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ROM Residential Tower Proposals, Toronto, Ontario – 2006
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Watermark Mixed Use Residential Development, Sechelt, BC – 2006-07
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Brighton Place Condominium Tower, Surrey, BC – 2007-08
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Exclusive Private Residence, West Vancouver, BC – 2007-08
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540 Granville St Retail, Vancouver, BC – 2008-09
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RBC Office Tennant Improvements, Vancouver, BC - 2008-14
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Guilford High Performance Centre, Surrey, BC -2008-09
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Pacific Centre Renovations, Vancouver, BC – 2008-14
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Architectural Office TI, Shanghai, China - 2010
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Westbank Office Building, Westbank, BC – 2008
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LDS Calgary Temple – 2008-12
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RBC Office Renovations, Various Locations in Vancouver, BC – 2008-13
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Kwantlen FN Community Centre – 2011-12
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UBC Wesbrook Laboratories Renovations – 2011-12
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CIBC Squamish – 2012-13
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Former Sears (Nordstrom) Redevelopment, Vancouver, BC – 2012-15
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LDS Winnipeg Temple – 2013-15
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Cherry Lane Shopping Centre, Penticton, BC – 2014-15
ABOUT OUR TEAM
ALISON BROWN
BA., B.E.D.S., Senior Project Manager
BRYAN YOUNG
B.E.S. (PREPROFESSIONAL ARCHITECTURE) AND B.ARCH., Project Technical Lead
BRANDON SPEIGHT
Our team will provide consistently responsive services throughout the course of your project. Martin Pykalo will act as the prime contact for the project and we commit to responding to inquiries or issues in as quickly as possible.
To ensure proper stakeholder engagement, access to information and knowledge will be assured through our team's best communication practices. Establishing these modes of project operation will be established before any work begins. Regularly scheduled presentations, review meetings and efficient cloud based tools will ensure the timely decimation of information and open communication. This will include web browser screen share meetings as well as cloud file storage that will remain consistently accessible to all project stakeholders.
Architect AIBC, Project Architect
Martin is an accomplished Architect with an extensive portfolio of projects spanning over 25 years of both design and technical practice. This includes a long history of concept design, technical development, specifications writing and construction administration on projects ranging from small additions and renovations to complete major buildings. He is an accomplished designer as well as project manager and technical architect. His experience includes that of Senior Project Manager for the City of Vancouver where he oversaw numerous municipal projects, many of them similar to this one. He is also an active ember of the Bowen Island Municipality Infrastructure Advisory Committee and the Bowen Island Planning Commission.
MARTIN PYKALO
ALISON BROWN
BA., B.E.D.S., Senior Project Manager
Alison is an architectural Project Manager with over 20 years extensive technical experience in British Columbia and 5 additional years in Ontario. Her projects have included large institutional, small scale commercial and residential buildings with budgets ranging from $135,000 to $70 million. Alison is involved in all project phases from inception to closeout, and has the technical skills to analyze complex building systems, and negotiate bureaucratic regulatory requirements. In addition she chaired several non profit heritage initiatives.
Bryan is a seasoned professional with nearly 30 years local experience developing numerous multi-family residential projects. He is highly experienced in the coordination and technical development of projects through all phases. His particular skills include detailing and code/regulatory compliance. He is skilled in the preparation of ASHRAE 90.1 documentation and project team coordination.
Construction Contract Administrator
Brandon is a very skilled and professional site construction contract administrator. Brandon effectively reviews and monitors the contractor’s performance in maintaining the standards or quality of construction. He also fulfils performance standards of general review as required by the client-architect agreement, Authorities Having Jurisdiction, and provincial or territorial associations of architects.
DIEGO HERNANDEZ AGUIÑAGA
Project Technologist, Licensed Architect Mexico
Diego is a very skilled and talented architect and project technologist who is a key member of our team. His current focus is creating development and working drawings as well as 3d models, and he makes sure that his work meets all applicable regulatory regulations.