Working at Manasc Isaac
Training & Development | Work Culture | Community | Sustainablility
Opportunities
Interior Designer: Manasc Isaac is looking for a resourceful and skilled interior designer with at least 10 years experience in a design office, experience with sustainable design and sketching with sketchup, hand drawing and other drawing and detailing methods. This is a fast-paced and intensive office and this posting aims to find talented people to add to our successful team. Please send your resumé, in confidence, to [link hidden]
Intern/Graduate Architect: Manasc Isaac is looking for talented Graduate Architect[s] with international experience. LEED® AP is desirable, as is experience in the design and documentation of sustainable buildings, using ArchiCad or Revit. Outstanding visual communication and graphic skills are essential. Architectural graduation and a minimum of three years experience are required. Architectural registration is not required. Canadian Citizenship or Permanent Residency is preferred. If you are energetic, enthusiastic, skilled in leading project teams, working with clients and integrating architectural and engineering team members to achieve extraordinary projects, please send your resumé, in confidence, to [link hidden]
Mechanical Design Engineer: Manasc Isaac is looking for an experienced Mechanical Design Engineer with a passion for sustainable integrated design and a desire to work in fast-pased multi-disciplinary team environment. We are looking for an outgoing, dynamic person with at least 5 years progressivley responsible experience in the design of HVAC systems. Experience in cold-climate engineering is essential, and Canadian construction experience would be valuable.
Please send your resumé and a cover letter, indicating why you feel that you are qualified for the position, in confidence, to Michael Turner.
Award-Winning Workplace
Manasc Isaac is an innovative, award-winning architectural firm and a recognized Canadian leader in sustainable design. In 2012 we were selected as Alberta's best workplace for the Environmentally conscious. In 2009 we were recognized as one of the best Architecture, Engineering and Construction firms to work for in North America by Building Design and Construction magazine. Our vision is to enrich the quality of life through sustainable design, which is rooted in our culture, technology and vision. Each of our team members shares the vision and values needed to enable this vision.
When people join our team...
Manasc Isaac staff are trained through orientation, on-going mentorship and continuous education. We typically have one to three Architectural students in the office, in addition to students and interns in related disciplines.
We recruit largely by word of mouth and by being visible—many good candidates are drawn to our office by virtue of their enthusiasm for our sustainable design goals and underlying values. Students who work with us during a co-op term often return permanently once they have finished their studies.
On their first day new employees receive their orientation from a mentor. This individual can answer any questions about the firm and will assist them to establish professional goals. The mentor plays a crucial role in employee development at Manasc Isaac. Every team member, whether they are a co-op student, a new permanent employee or a founding partner, has a mentor.
A teaching and learning environment..
Manasc Isaac is a teaching and learning office committed to continuing professional education. There is always a rotation of Architecture Co-op students working in the firm and permanent staff are encouraged to continually upgrade their skills. Every staff member receives a learning allowance that can be applied to work or general interest related conferences, courses and workshops. Manasc Isaac pays for up to $750 per year for approved continuing education courses and allows two working days per year to be used in attending these courses.
There are rewards for pursuing achievements; for example, any staff member who passes the LEED® exam is rewarded with a trip to attend the next year's Greenbuild Conference.
Skills are maintained with a yearly staff retreat and technical retreat. Lunch and Learns are held throughout the year on a variety of architectural and technical topics. In 2009 a weekly architectural history seminar was launched. Assistance and study sessions are available for those writing their LEED Accreditation exams.
Manasc Isaac staff have experience in teaching at the college and university level, are familiar with curriculum development and are active in the area of continuing professional education. Vivian Manasc leads our educational initiatives, chairs the Continuing Education Committee of the Canada Green Building Council and is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Architecture at the University of Calgary.
A healthy workplace..
Manasc Isaac employees are provided with a range of benefits after the three-month probationary period. Year end bonuses are provided to staff based on yearly performance and a commitment to profit-sharing. Although these benefits are generous, it is the work culture that makes Manasc Isaac stand out from the others.
Manasc Isaac recognizes that a great work place must also care for its employee's personal well being. Every employee is offered a $30/month fitness subsidy. There is a yoga/fitness room within the office and an instructor that teaches free Yoga classes two days a week. An indoor bike storage and shower facility is well-used by those who commute by bike or exercise at work. The well-equipped music room is often used for downtime and Friday evening jam sessions.
We have flexible work hours and every Friday we end the week with an informal get-together. There are after work group activities scheduled regularly throughout the year. Creativity of all types is encouraged through music, support for community activities and lifelong learning.
Community Involvement..
The staff and leadership at Manasc Isaac architects are engaged in the local community at various levels and capacities. From spurring ideas at local community workshops to influencing policy at the city and provincial government levels, the impact of the firm is remarkable. Initiatives include:
- Annual United Way campaign www.myunitedway.ca/
- Global Visions Film Festival 2008 www.globalvisionsfestival.com/
- Dreamspeakers Festival 2008 www.dreamspeakers.org/
- Founding the Sustainable Buildings Consortium and initiating the Sustainable Buildings Symposium (now in its 13th year) to promote the research and development of green buildings and materials and to advocate for environmental standards.
http://www.cagbc.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Chapters/Alberta/Events/default.htm - Founding the Media, Art and Design Exposed in Edmonton Society, dedicated to promoting art, design and architecture to the public through lectures, workshops, exhibits and competitions. www.madeinedmonton.org/
- Influencing the creation of and co-chairing the Edmonton Design Committee (urban design review panel).
- Influencing public policy by advocating for sustainable building policies, which led to the City of Edmonton adopting a LEED® Silver target for it's new buildings.
- Our office's multifunctional spaces have been loaned out for free as the headquarters of the Media, Art and Design Exposed in Edmonton Society, the Innovative Practice Group on Architecture, the Royal Architecture Institute of Canada's Festival in 2006, and staff member's music bands.
- Manasc Isaac participate in its community, staff and partners are encouraged to be active as individuals as well. Team members can be found as participants and board members of numerous organizations such as Edmonton Economic Development Corporation, Public Art Masterplan Committee, Edmonton Cultural Plan Committee, Edmonton Doors Open Committee, Citizens Committee for Expo 2017 bid, and many more.
Environmentally Conscious
Manasc Isaac is a leader in designing sustainable buildings, but has also created its own environmentally friendly office in a formerly-mothballed federal building. Many of the sustainable features that appear in Manasc Isaac's designs are also in it's home. The office is largely lit by natural daylight, ventilated through the use of operable windows, and powered in part with 100% renewable electricity from Bullfrog Power. The other part of our electricity is generated by a large photovoltaic array configured as solar sunshades on the south face of the office building. The latest project for our office is designing a green roof for the building.
The firm has an aggressive green transportation policy that discourages the use of personal vehicles to get to work. Free bus passes or bonuses are provided to those who use public transit, walk or bike to work. Driving is discouraged through use of a pay-to-park lot. A well-equipped bike storage room and shower facilities serve the self-propelled, and an office Smart car is provided for site visits and errands around town to eliminate the need for staff members to bring their personal vehicles to work.
Manasc Isaac has a Green Team, open to all staff members, that leads the firm's environmental initiatives. Office operations are made as sustainable as possible with green purchasing guidelines. Staff activities often have a green theme, whether it be taking public transit (the train) to our yearly ski trip or having a staff meal prepared in the solar cooker.
New staff members are quick to embrace the sustainable features of the work place and have even adopted some of the features in their own homes. After seeing how easily the office adapted to using worm bins to compost lunch scraps, several staff members started using them in their own homes.
