FT3 ARCHITECTURE LANDSCAPE INTERIOR DESIGN - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Architectural Technologist
Emerson Gonzales grew up in the Philippines and worked for ten years in Singapore as an architectural draftsman and designer before moving to Canada. During that time, he developed a deep appreciation for architectural technology, considering it a vital part of the architecture industry.
Since joining the ft3 team as an architectural technologist, Emerson has continued to explore the profession's role in the design process. He enjoys contributing to construction methods and discovering how those methods impact the environment and the end user's wellbeing.
While Emerson has previous experience working on projects within residential, commercial and hospitality, he's now added health and wellness and post-secondary institutions projects to his portfolio at ft3, including the Elkhorn Resort Spa Expansion, Ronald McDonald House of Charity and the St. Boniface Hospital New Emergency Department. Emerson possesses expertise in detailing and assembling building parts, and has worked alongside architects, professional interior designers and landscape architects.
Job Titles:
- Senior Architectural Technologist
Guy Préfontaine serves as Senior Advisor to ft3, assisting in providing design, programming, and process direction to various of our projects including Roman Catholic Liturgical design. Prior to ft3, Guy was a partner at Gaboury Préfontaine Perry Architects and acquired his Master of Architecture from the University of Manitoba.
To Guy, working with a close-knit, open, and collaborative team who are all dedicated to the betterment of a project is the best part of his role. Guys speaks his native language French, English, and some Spanish and Slovenian.
Jennifer Atherton has always loved the built and natural environment, especially its non-human inhabitants. As the impacts of pollution, global warming and climate change became more felt, sustainability emerged as a path forward for Jennifer. Within this field, she could help solve the environmental crisis rather than contribute to it, protecting the critical environments where humans (and non-humans) live, work and play.
After receiving her Bachelor of Environmental Design and Environmental Science, Jennifer took her knowledge to ft3, where she became the sustainability expert and advocate. She has been instrumental in helping the firm's projects secure LEED, Green Globes and BOMA BEST certifications across several different sectors, including healthcare, education and housing.
Jennifer also conducts research, develops case studies and post-occupancy surveys, tracks ft3's progress in the 2030 challenge, and educates staff and clients on sustainability strategies, technologies, materials, and potential financial incentives that can help projects save energy and maintain a low-carbon footprint. She hopes to see provincial and national policy evolve to prioritize regenerative design principles such as resiliency, low-water and energy use, and zero-carbon building that will move the industry towards a sustainable and eventually regenerative built environment.
Jerald Peters has always possessed an affinity for architecture. As a child, he relished watching his father build houses, seeing how good design can elevate people's lives. Jerald completed his Bachelor of Environmental Studies and Master of Architecture at the University of Manitoba, initially joining ft3 as a student and then as an architectural intern. Now Jerald fills the principal role, providing leadership and technical expertise on Health and Wellness projects.
Healthcare design is a passion for Jerald that began with his graduate thesis on seniors and long-term care homes more than two decades ago. With over 25 years of experience in these environments, Jerald's contributions to revolutionizing long-term care homes, such as Rest Haven in Steinbach, Man., and Boyne Lodge in Carman, Man., have shifted the philosophy from sustaining lives to enhancing them.
Jerald believes thoughtful healthcare architecture can transform the lives of residents by reducing segregation and deficiencies and increasing efficiency and communication. With a working knowledge of all related CSA requirements, his primary focus is long-term, acute, and clinical care. Jerald is also a regular attendee and presenter at healthcare conferences and contributes to white papers relating to seniors and long-term care.
As ft3's accounting manager, Patty Sadowski doesn't just have a way with numbers-she also speaks three languages: English, German, and French. Patty's parents were German immigrants who came to Montreal, Que., where she spent nearly the first three decades of her life in the province.
With strength and interest in numbers, Patty received her certificate in Finance from the Champlain Regional College in St. Lambert, Que. Even though she didn't actively pursue a career in the design and architecture industry, it indeed found her.
Patty is a welcomed source of information on the firm's internal operations and policies. Her helpful and knowledgeable disposition ensures new and current staff feel empowered and invested in their future at ft3. Of course, Patty finds this aspect of her job easy, citing the culture and people who continually make it a great place to work.
Robby is a meticulous designer with responsibilities that span design, working drawings preparation, and team and consultant coordination. He specializes in the firm's Multi-Family Housing practice area but has also participated in projects across Health and Wellness and Corporate Office. His notable projects with ft3 include The Strand at 300 Waterfront Dr. and the high-rise residential building at 300 Assiniboine Ave.
Rock Jerome grew up in Flin Flon, Man., where he developed an interest in construction from helping his grandfather build log houses. However, once he graduated from Red River College's Design and Drafting Technology program and spent time in the industry, Rock realized he preferred managing construction and all aspects of the building process.
After overseeing housing projects in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories, Rock joined ft3 as a contract administrator in 1998. He continued to hone his skillset in this area by completing the Certified Construction Contract Administrator designation and many other relevant and industry-recognized programs and certifications. Rock quickly grew into a principal role, and with over 20 years of leading the contract administration department, he's become a formidable expert in construction contracts, law, management, means and methods.
While Rock sees architecture as a solution for all social and environmental issues, he wants to see more urgency in how the industry addresses homelessness. One of his favourite projects at ft3 (and why he enjoys working at the firm) was converting a chapel into 26 suites for low-income mothers, which realized an essential housing need in the community that was affordable, secure, and safe.