This week, The Globe and Mail published Canada’s Top 100 Employers, recognizing Dialog – the only multi-disciplinary building, planning, and design firm on the list – for the third consecutive year.
Says Dialog’s director of human resources, Willemein van der Wal, “The award signifies Dialog’s commitment to creating a unique and engaging employee experience. We’re dedicated to our people and career development, there’s diversity and opportunity in our project work, and we’re passionate about designing thriving and sustainable communities.”
Adds says managing principal Tom Sutherland, “One of the things we’re really dedicated to at Dialog is promoting young talent and giving them room to show us what they’re capable of. The more we understand what people are able to do, the more opportunities we have to mentor and to challenge them in a meaningful way.”
Encouraging creative exploration pays off. One of Dialog’s long-standing initiatives is the Iris Prize – an internal competition that provides two weeks of paid time off and funds up to $7,500 in expenses for employees to pursue research in a field of interest related to the practice of architecture, engineering, landscape architecture, interior design, planning or urban design. The 2013 recipient, Tristan Truyens, recently completed his research on energy simulation for weather extremes. The information gleaned from his research can be directly applied to Dialog’s sustainability practice, providing the firm with valuable tools to design buildings that are more resilient to climate extremes.
More importantly, initiatives such as the Iris Prize demonstrate Dialog’s commitment to advancing the AEC industry and infusing passion in the next generation of designers – a valuable gesture for a young generation in search of authentic, socially and environmentally accountable employers.
“Our people are our greatest asset,” says van der Wal. “We spend a significant amount of time creating an employee experience that is rewarding, engaging, fun, and allows us all to do great work.”
Among Dialog’s latest projects are Granville Island, Calgary’s New Central Library, Edmonton Arena District, and Toronto’s York Region Forest Stewardship and Innovation Centre (pursuing Living Building Status).
For more info, visit http://www.dialogdesign.ca/