GERDA GELDENHUYS

Director of Architecture | Henriquez Partners Architects

Born and raised in South Africa, I earned my BArch from the University of Pretoria in 1997 and worked in South Africa for 2 years before moving to Dublin, Ireland. While working in Ireland, I travelled extensively to visit some of the great architecture of Europe. Three years later, I emigrated to Canada and settled in Vancouver. After arriving in Canada I joined MCMP Architects, one of the largest privately owned firms in the city. Four years later, after having my second child, I started my own firm, working for myself on single family residential projects. Although I learned a great deal from the experience, I was happy to return to the variety and fast pace at MCMP five years later. Upon my return I registered with the AIBC internship program and completed the program within three years, getting licensed as Architect with the AIBC in 2016. Through the years I have gained experience in a variety of project types like retail, commercial and hospitality, but my main area of expertise has always been residential high rise. In recent years I have been managing complex, large scale, mixed-use projects. I had the privilege of contributing to some amazing projects in Victoria, Vancouver and Surrey including Vancouver Center II, 155 Water Street, Escher, Hudson House, King George Hub Phase D and 1133 West Georgia with Arthur Erickson. Over the years, I have immersed myself in the business of architecture, working my way up in management and becoming a Senior Associate at MCMP. This gave me further exposure and experience handling clients, fees, staffing and mentoring. I recently made the move to Henriquez Partners Architects where I currently hold the position of Director of Architecture. I am excited to keep growing and learning and found mentoring to be a very enriching experience as learning tends to be a two way street.

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