From solving the puzzle of a complex project to helping people around him succeed, Brian’s approach to architecture has always started with curiosity.

Fourteen years ago, Brian Massey joined GGA as a Junior Designer. He didn’t arrive with a five- or ten-year plan, or a clear idea that he would one day become a Partner. Instead, he found a place to keep learning, take on responsibility, and grow his career.

Now, Brian is stepping into his next chapter as GGA’s newest Partner.

Brian’s route to GGA started with a summer in Calgary. He first came to Calgary from Ireland in 2006 for a summer job and rugby while in university, then returned home before connections he had made in Calgary eventually brought him back to GGA in 2012. Long before that, his interest in architecture began through woodshops, technical drawing, and construction studies in high school.

Growth as an Architect

As Brian grew as a designer, he actively sought out people across the firm when he had questions, whether it was a code issue or a detailed design challenge. He learned from people with different areas of expertise, then brought that knowledge back to the project and worked through the problem himself. As his career progressed, Stephanie Yeung, David Wittman, and Jonny Hehr became people he could turn to for guidance.

When Brian joined GGA, David Wittman was his Team Lead. He watched David move into management and eventually become a Partner. Later, he watched Jonny Hehr and Stephanie Yeung make the same transition. Seeing their careers progress helped Brian recognize what his own path at GGA could look like.

“By the time Jonny and Steph became partners, I knew that was what I wanted to do”

Brian hadn’t mapped out his future when he joined GGA. At the time, he was focused on settling in and navigating immigration, rather than planning years ahead. “There was progression here for architects.” He could see that people who wanted to build their careers at GGA had a path to do so.

Why GGA?

When asked why he has stayed at GGA for 14 years, Brian’s immediate answer was the people, followed by the work. He quickly saw a connection between his own approach to architecture and the way GGA works: “You work hard, you service the client, and the reward is working on the projects we do and getting them built.”

Coming from a construction background, Brian was drawn to the emphasis on getting projects built. His own interest had always been in the buildings themselves and the work that goes into bringing them to life.

Solving a Puzzle

Ask Brian what he enjoys about architecture, and the answer comes down to problem-solving. Every project presents a different puzzle, whether it’s finding a way to make a 40-storey tower work within budget, fitting a complex recreation program onto a site, or navigating approvals and public engagement. The satisfaction comes from working through those constraints and finding a solution that can actually be built.

The Dorian Hotel was one of the projects where Brian saw that process take shape early in his career. About two and a half years into his time at GGA, he played a significant role in the project’s design. Still relatively new out of school, he saw how a project moves from an idea to a built reality. What makes projects like The Dorian Hotel particularly meaningful to Brian is their connection to the city. He enjoys working on projects in Calgary that he can see and experience in his everyday life. Whether it’s a building he passes on his commute or one he sees being used around the city, he gets to see his work become part of Calgary.

For Brian, that perspective extends beyond landmark projects. Architecture matters because of what happens inside these places: where someone lives, where they work, where they buy their groceries, or where they bring their kids. Every project becomes part of someone’s everyday life.

The puzzle is finding the right balance between all those pieces, and the reward is seeing that solution become a real place where people can live, work, and experience every day.

Leading from Within

Brian’s advice to those earlier in their careers is simple: Always stay curious.

He describes his leadership style as a servant leader. At its core, his approach is about putting the team in a position to succeed. He doesn’t ask people to do something he wouldn’t do himself, and he is willing to step in when the work requires it rather than offloading responsibility onto the team. He focuses on giving people what they need to do their best work.

As a soccer goalie, Brian learned to see the whole picture and help position his teammates. As a rugby captain, he learned to lead from within the team. Both experiences inform the question he brings to leadership now: “What can I do to help everyone else be better?”

He brings the same approach to his role as Partner. Having benefited from the mentorship and opportunities he found at GGA, Brian wants to make the same kind of support available to others.

“We have a lot of great people who deserve to have great careers,” he says. As a Partner, he wants to strengthen collaboration between departments and different areas of expertise, while helping people build those careers at GGA.

Looking ahead

Fourteen years ago, Brian arrived at GGA without knowing exactly where his career would take him. Today, we are happy to have Brian among the people he once looked to for guidance, now in a position to help shape the careers of those coming up behind him.

For Brian, that may be the most natural progression of all.