REFLECTING ON A LIFELONG CAREER

Edmonton architect Jan Pierzchajlo retires after over 30 years in the industry

By Shayna Wiwierski

in August 1993 and has been actively involved in the company as project architect, design architect, and partner in charge until his retirement last year.

Pierzchajlo says that when he started at RPK there were around 15 to 18 people working at the firm, which, at the time, was considered large for Edmonton. Over the next 30 years he says that the numbers have gone up and down, with the highest being 22 people working there and the lowest at 15. Although they are considered medium-sized, he says that he has heard people call them a “boutique-sized firm”.

“Big firms now are really big, so it’s something I’ve seen in the industry. It’s harder and harder for the medium- and small-sized firms to compete against the big behemoth firms, but we do and we continue to do that,” says Pierzchajlo. “That’s one of the big changes I’ve seen.”

RPK specializes in health care design, in particular hospitals. He says they typically do replacement facilities for old hospitals in smaller towns in Alberta, which really makes a difference to residents of those communities.

Pierzchajlo says that out of all their specialties, he enjoyed doing seniors accommodations the most, working on humanizing the accommodations they design for the elderly.

Pierzchajlo is a fellow of the Royal Architecture Institute of Canada, as well as past president of the Alberta Association of Architects, of which he is also a volunteer. He is also part of the Edmonton Construction Association (ECA) and mentions that the association allows RPK to have great communications with different owners’ groups, contractor groups, engineering groups, and prime consultants.

“We get together to discuss the issues that are shaping industry and being involved with the ECA allows us to have great communication,” he says. “I think contractors understand what they need from us and sometimes there’s a disconnect, so being able to have those communications that we share and those perspectives on whether its procurement, processes, or contracts, it’s more of an integrated approach.”

Pierzchajlo, who turned 65 at the beginning of the year, sold his remaining shares of the company to his partners in August 2022 and is no longer an owner or employee. He did stay on with the company as a consultant, doing miscellaneous work for the firm such as reviewing contracts and being involved in project work that allows him to work from the sidelines and provide comment or expertise in certain areas.

Although he is technically retired, he still sits on the Alberta Association of Architects’ practice advisory committee and is the external relations member of the Alberta Association of Architects, so he often gets to attend ECA functions and meetings with government. He also sits on the working group with the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) that is dealing with issues in the design and operation of long-term care facilities in Canada.

After over 30 years in the industry, he says that although there are many projects he was honoured to work on, he is also really proud of RPK and the people that he was able to help shape over his career.

As for what he has planned outside of work-related activities, he mentions spending time with his wife and two grown children. He is also a big fan of outdoor activities as they have a home in Canmore and he enjoys doing crosscountry skiing in the winter and kayaking, canoeing, and biking in the summer.

After three decades in the industry, he expects the future of the profession to see revolutions in the way that buildings are built and can’t wait to experience it all from a front-row seat.

“I think that I’m really excited for the future of the profession. It feels like it’s getting harder every day to do the job, but I feel there are huge opportunities for invention and not just how we invent our buildings, but how we deliver them and build them,” says Pierzchajlo. “I’m internally an optimist, so I’m looking forward to how that unfolds.” u