Facilities @ Management

2.4 40 Years of Facility Management

Philip Lo

How It All Began for Me

Facility Management is my second life. My first life was that of an architect. After my graduation from university in the 1970s, I practiced as a professional architect, and even established my small architectural practice in the City of Edmonton in Canada.

As an architect, I have always been fascinated by technology. After my graduation from architectural school, I was fortunate to join an architectural firm in Montreal, Canada, Bobrow & Fieldman, who was a pioneer in the use of CADD Technology. Back in those days (1974), it was a huge investment for a small architectural firm, where they not only had to invest in very expensive hardware and software, but even had to purpose build a specially air conditioned room in the basement of their office, in order to accommodate this new technology. That was my first encounter with CADD, which had a significant impact on my career in Facility Management in later years.

After eight years of practice as a professional architect with my own practice in Edmonton, I decided to move to Vancouver, as it was a much friendlier environment to live in for the family, but definitely not an easy one for a small architectural practice to survive. I would either had to join the ranks of small architectural firms (usually one man outfits, carrying out small residential renovations projects which I did not find challenging), or be part of a large architectural practice (which I would ...