“We believe in designing buildings that are socially relevant,” Austin says. “As designers, we’re interested in design unseen and formally interesting objects, but as builders, we want to feel capable and productive – so as our experience as designbuilders grows, we strike a balance between the interests and requirements of both disciplines.” “Humanity is facing a lot of challenges,” he adds. “There’s a tonne of work to do. The more we can eliminate work that doesn’t need to be done during the design phase, the more likely we’ll be able to accomplish what does need doing.” f2a was co-founded by architect Florian Maurer – an industry vet who started his career in the 1970s when he left Germany with a degree in architecture and set out to find “the meaning of life” in in Canada’s Yukon Territory. After working for decades as a homesteader, fisherman, bush pilot and tourist guide, he opened his first architectural practice in Whitehorse, where he designed the Tr’ondek Hwech’in Cultural Centre, and adapted buildings to meet the harsh conditions of Canada’s north. Since then, Florian also practiced in Italy before settling down in southern British Columbia. Austin also has international experience. At a young age, he THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA “We believe in designing buildings that are socially relevant,” Austin says. “As designers, we want to design things, and as builders, we want to build things – but that doesn’t mean we should just build anything.”
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