FORM Architecture & Engineering: a New Beginning
by Scott A. Sumner
www.thunderbaybusiness.ca
For many, the name of Kuch, Stephenson, Gibson and Malo, has been well known for years as a leading architecture firm in Northwestern Ontario. The firm was the result of the merger (formerly) Kuch, Stephenson and GW Plus firms and now, after the addition of long time
associate, Cory Stechyshyn to the firm, it was time to create a new identity. Collectively, the combination of these partners set the stage for the future growth of this already dynamic company. There are now 6 partners of FORM Architecture Engineering, John Stephenson,
Walter Kuch, Cory Stechyshyn, Michelle Gibson, Ian McEachern and Jim Malo, all hold equal voting and consider this aspect, an interesting form of democracy. The interesting history and the enlightening growth of this firm has been a long evolution well worth the time and
orchestration. It was very informative talking with four of the partners about the evolution of this firm, their personal experiences within the development of the company and the future direction, which is a unified focus, that they will take together, will only personify the expertise they already possess as a great team in architectural and engineering design and development.
“We knew everybody for some time and discovered there was a common interest in pursuing architecture in a certain methodology. When considering large projects, we could better realize greater accomplishments as a team, as opposed to remaining separate. This way of working together, reinforced the old adage ‘There is strength in numbers!’ and we realized the sum of the parts would be to the advantage. It was the natural thing to have Cory involved which lead
to creating FORM Architecture Engineering. The name represents our beliefs and philosophies and how we had come together to create something.” said Michelle Gibson, Partner of FORM.
“The motivation on rebranding FORM was to build a solid foundation for future growth. We were moving towards a multi-generational group and the challenge was to create a new identity.” said John Stephenson partner of FORM.
The work of an architect can sometimes be seen as a very creative job by many of us. This is true but not exactly as you might think in reality. “Ninety percent (90 %) of what we do is just sheer hard work and tedious and ten percent (10%) is very creative. Our documents are extremely detailed and tell the contractor and sub trades how to piece together a building that is technically sound, performs well and has the atheistic and qualities that the client wants. Even on an existing structure, you start from scratch. There can be a written section of the plans that can be as big as a phone book or greater to describe the materials and methodology,” said John Stephenson. “Buildings are incredibly complex and there can be thousands, if not tens of thousands of decisions that we have to make. They cover the whole gamut, from paint colour, to wire size. The skills and trades involved are incredibly diverse, but they must all be brought together for everyone on the project. We have structural engineering, interior designers,
electrical engineers, civil engineers, landscape architects, cost consultants, project managers and people with computer technicians. As architects, one of our skills, not often understood, is, we are the team leader, the facilitator or the orchestrator of the project. We provide the general contractor with the tools to complete the building. During the construction, we are the monitors of the work project, reporting to our client, the owner of the building and interpreter of
the construction contract. There is a tremendous amount of contact between the contractor and everyone, especially all the trades, to make sure the design solution and its construction is absolutely right.”
“Often the design process and technical drawing process can take longer than it actually takes to build the building.” said Cory Stechyshyn, Partner of FORM.
“The goal of all participants is to achieve the best we can achieve and at times, there are opportunities to offer alternate options or substitutes to make the project even better.” said Michelle Gibson. 
“Today, with the amazing advancements in computer technology and its applications, we can now show graphically and dimensionally, state of the art concepts in architectural and engineering design, for example, how we designed the new REACH at Confederation College. We are leading in this technology in Ontario and probably Canada. It is all about modeling and simulating their construction as opposed to drawing buildings. We actually build them in the digital world first which is a great tool for our clients and allows us to visually get inside the
building and test things as well. It also allows the client to participate fully in the design process.”
“An amazing part of what we do is called ‘change management’. Clients may request change and new suggestions can come forward during the build process. Ninety-nine point five percent (99.5%) of the design decisions are made during the design process and that is what usually gets built, but there are always things that come up during the construction. The goal is to make sure that when all those pieces are brought together that the form that is given meets or exceeds the ambition of the client. Our goal is to create a synergy that allows the whole to produce an effect greater than the sum of their individual parts. The finishing of the building is to be uplifting, creative, surprising, functional and vibrant in ways that we may not have anticipated.” said John Stephenson.
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FORM Architecture & Engineering currently has 24 people in the office, and will be going to experience another expansion process. They collaborate extensively with other firms around the world as well. The new name FORM, has taken a year to come forward.
“Designing better places for people to live and work in is what best describes what our focus is and what we do. FORM can be a verb,a process of forming spaces and/or the form of a building. It can mean a lot and allows us to not limit what we tackle in the future. We worked
with Korkola Design to create the firm’s new name. Architecture and Engineering, those are the two things we want the public to realize when it comes to the main attributes of our company!” said Walter Kuch, Partner FORM. “The engineers are just as much a part of the design to
create the spaces. Having engineering integral to architecture is very important.”
“We enjoy the work and have always tried to challenge ourselves and have asked our clients to go along with us in that adventure. We have been fortunate to have great clients as they are essential to the mix.This has resulted in some very interesting projects. Because we have
spent such a long time in this community, it is important that we look at the work we have done with pride. The form of a building is driven by the client,” said John Stephenson. “We are giving unprecedented form to buildings and landscapes befitting of the plan, but we still
have to be within the constraints of the budget. It is a delicate balance without experiments, at the expense of the client. The building must perform over the years, keep the water out, the heat in and effectively function to the specification expected of them in their design.”
“The success is using the materials we chose that are durable, have longevity and are expressive of the region as well as connect people. What is most critical is what goes on inside the building. We have some of Canada’s best performing buildings here. ‘Better Places for
People’ is our tag line. The most fun that you can have is when people come in and you have no idea who they are or what they want, but they are enthusiastic and it is most infectious. A fresh page, and the possibilities are endless,” smiles Walter Kuch. “You can have up to
$100 million dollars of blank pages on some of our large projects and that is pretty cool. All the things you can do and what will you select is interesting.”
“To follow through and build a technical team like we have here is amazing. I will put up our team against anyone in the world. We have some top-notch people here. Then to go through that construction of building and have people live and work in it is great. At all stages
of the project you can get a lot of feedback and satisfaction. If you like pleasing people, it is a great profession to be in.” said Walter Kuch.
The offices of FORM, located at 131 Court Street North, are as unique as the firm itself. They have taken a historic building and added additional space, at the same time maintaining the integrity of the look. “We had walls and offices but took them all out and we now work on an equal basis in an open area with work stations. There is a dynamic and energy level when you have 4 or 5 people working on a project together. You could not do so it if you were segregated,” said Cory Stechyshyn. “Our building is part of the community. It is a historic building. We want people to enjoy the buildings long after we are gone and take to care of them like we took care of this building. Creating those throwaway cardboard buildings is not part of our culture.”
“Maximizing the benefits is one of the fundamental challenges we have as architects. Learning to get more from less is important; using what is already there. Clients are open to reducing costs by say,reducing space for example. We have recycled and reclaimed part of
our own office space. People are slowly recognizing what we have to offer.” said Walter Kuch.
According to the FORM team, the economy is performing well inThunder Bay. “It is very stable here. We had some recent set backs in forestry but it hasn’t had a tremendous impact on Thunder Bay. We are at the forefront of new things like ICR iscovery, the TBRHSC, LU
and Confederation College. There is a whole shift to medical research, which is growing exponentially and creating many new opportunities for jobs and projects for us. I can see long-term growth,” said Walter Kuch. “This is one sector but there are others. The energy that I see
in the city is we are forming a firm platform. The people who are moving here say the lifestyle is amazing and forgotten in larger centers. There are many things here that is being rediscovered, what we took for granted in the past. We are emerging as the new gem and
people are enjoying coming here. New people are teaching us to see Thunder Bay through a new set of eyes.”
“This is a technological revolution that is liberating Thunder Bay from its remoteness. We do so much collaborative work with experts from all over the world that is very easy to do now. People realize they can do their work here and still have the great lifestyle. The community is renewing. We are very upbeat about the future.” said John Stephenson.
In this ever-changing world of architectural design, FORM is at the top in their profession. If you can dream it, FORM can design it!
