Collaboration
Based in Nelson BC, Cover Architectural Collaborative Inc. was created by three design professionals in 2013. Collectively the firm’s Principals have over 50 years of architectural experience and our growing team of Architects, Intern Architects and Architectural Technologists bring their education and experience from across Canada.
Our team collaborates with consultants, clients and stakeholders throughout every phase of a project.
Sustainability
Cover Architecture is committed to energy conservation and sustainable design. They have completed both Certified PassiveHouse and Energy Step Code projects, and believe that every project offers an opportunity to build better. Sustainability is integrated into our work from the initiation of the project through the end of the construction period.
Advanced Technology
Our team utilizes Building information modeling (BIM) software, which allows for 3-D visualization of the project. This is a valuable tool for communicating with clients and stakeholders, and allows a deep understanding of the building before moving forward with construction.
Our Team
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Graeme Leadbeater
Graeme Leadbeater has been practicing for over 30 years. His work has focused on medium and large scale healthcare, educational, cultural and municipal infrastructural buildings. He brings extensive experience in all aspects of stakeholder consultation and building design, strong business management and leadership skills, and a deep knowledge of construction practices, construction management and client representation. His previous firm, Group 2 Architecture and Engineering, has offices in Edmonton, Red Deer and Calgary.
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Robert Stacey
Robert Stacey has experience in a wide range of building types and enjoys community engagement. Having been involved in projects ranging from community health centres, libraries to high end boutique residential projects, Rob has cultivated a broad understanding of design and technical issues. Beyond this, Rob believes in a strong involvement in the community and has been extensively involved in local non-profit, charitable and volunteer organizations.
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Joanie Madore
Joanie moved to Nelson after working for three years as a project manager in the Construction and Renovation Department of the Ministry of Justice (Quebec). As such, she has a sophisticated base of experience assessing and renovating legal buildings and other government office spaces. This background gives her an enlarged vision of architecture and multiple skills such as an ability for participative design and management of complex projects. Since she joined Cover, she has worked on many projects including residential, health care, commercial, industrial, cultural, and public construction.
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Narelle Sookorukoff
Narelle completed her Master of Architecture at the University of British Columbia, where she won the Thesis Prize and the AIBC Medal for Excellence and Ingenuity in Architecture. Her previous studies in the sciences, summers as a wildland firefighter, and global travel have provided her with a varied and unique perspective to design. She has been a team member on a diverse range of project types; focusing on healthcare, education, and commercial construction. Narelle is detail-oriented and enjoys working with clients to thoughtfully integrate the smallest spatial requirements within the overall project vision.
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Anna Wynne
Anna moved to Nelson from Scotland where she is a UK registered Architect. Originally from a construction background, she completed her Masters in London via a year in Vancouver, working on a diverse range of technical projects, before moving to rural Scotland in 2010 to renovate a 200-year-old farm steading, and start her own practice. Anna brings together experience in design using modern sustainable construction methods, and a practical understanding of construction detailing to produce thoughtful and carefully designed spaces.
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Adam Brady
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Aysia Lowell-Guy
Aysia is an inspired, community-minded Intern Architect with a strong need to be of service in representing excluded narratives in our built environment. Originally from Yellowknife, NT and living between the NT, BC, NS, and Spain, her work experience ranges from advocacy and peer support at a woman’s shelter in Yellowknife, NT to MAAS (mobility-as-a-service) research for transportation infrastructure in Vancouver, BC, and architectural work in the health and healing, cultural, education, commercial, and residential sectors – all of which inform her human-centred architectural solutions. She presently serves as the Wellness and Social Committee chair at Cover.
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Kelsy Whitten
Kelsy is an Architect AIBC with an M.Arch from the University of British Columbia; she moved to Nelson after living and working as a designer in Vancouver. Her experience is primarily in recreation and community projects, where she enjoys collaborating with clients and team members to create thoughtful, engaging, and inclusive design. Kelsy also has an interest in public art and visual representation, and completed a Bachelor degree in Fine Arts. She is always looking for opportunities to bring her diverse educational, work, and personal experiences to any design process.
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Max Vos Coupal
As a passionate and conscientious designer, Max has always been driven to create fundamentally unique and beautiful spaces for the whole of society to inhabit. He first joined Cover after moving to Nelson in 2019, while achieving both his Master of Architecture and Bachelor of Architectural Studies degrees. During his education at the McEwen School of Architecture, he was critically involved in numerous design-build projects, as well as working closely with Indigenous design methodologies. His culminating thesis work focused on Nelson itself to reimagine heritage industrial sites in the city, promoting public inhabitation of monumental architecture. In his professional work at Cover he advocates strongly for a thorough design process while working on a variety of residential, commercial, and institutional projects.
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Lindsay Fischer
Lindsay grew up in the Kootenays and her education coupled with employment has led her to live in many cities across Canada. She is a flexible problem solver with experience across a range of fields including architecture, interior and landscape design. Since joining Cover, Lindsay has worked on a variety of projects including commercial, institutional and industrial. She is skilled in building information modeling, visualizations and renderings and enjoys communicating design through these avenues.
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Shannon Kitley
Shannon is an Intern Architect who approaches architecture from an intersection of disciplines. Her thesis research drew heavily from feminist, post-colonial, and critical race theory to consider the concept of safety at the scale of the city. Shannon joined Cover after completing her degree and has since been involved in a variety of projects including, health care, commercial, medium density residential, and institutional. Shannon is skilled in building information modeling and graphic visualization and is passionate about inclusive design.
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Jeremy De Wit
Jeremy’s early work as a carpenter consisted of constructing residential, commercial, and industrial buildings. After receiving his Red Seal, his passion for better understanding the unity of construction and design led him to furthering his education at BCIT in Burnaby. There, he received his Diploma of Technology and bachelor’s degree in Architectural Science, a part of which, he completed in Ferrara, Italy. His knowledge of construction practices is exemplified in his production of detailed and cohesive designs for residential, care, assembly, and business occupancies. As a strong advocate in a wide spectrum of roles, Jeremy ensures all parties are satisfied from conceptual planning to post-occupancy.
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Tyler Bouw
Tyler is interested in analyzing buildings during the design phase to obtain a design that is functional and efficient. An advocate for sustainability, he is always seeking the best products for a project that will help the users and the environment. Tyler’s experience lies in multi-use buildings and affordable housing, incorporating strict design guidelines while assuring the users will benefit from the decisions made in the design phase. A strong communicator between client and consultants, he is effective at managing people and meeting deadlines. Tyler is passionate about ensuring all stakeholders are satisfied at every phase of the project.
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Sean Higgins
Sean completed his Diploma in Architecture and Engineering Technology at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, BC. He is excited to be back in his home town and to have joined Cover after developing his drafting skills on Vancouver Island. He looks forward to working with a company that supports professional development as he works towards achieving the designation of Applied Science Technologist through ASTTBC.
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Rafe Rawlins
New to Canada, Rafe was drawn to Cover and Nelson by its culture, natural setting, and passive design approach. With a Bachelor of Architecture (Honours) from QUT and a Diploma of Building Design and Technology from TAFE QLD, Rafe brings a passion for design and architecture along with a background in luxury housing, government social housing, multi residential and commercial projects.
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Kat Fair
Kat brings her 35 plus years of experience to the team and oversees all of Cover’s accounting, finance and payroll needs. She has lived, worked and volunteered in our community since the mid 1980’s and has always been passionate about housing. That passion brought her to volunteer with Habitat for Humanity for a dozen years and sit on the City of Nelson Housing Committee for many of those. She is thrilled and proud to be working for a company and team that share her values and are contributing to our community’s growth and sustainability in a positive way.
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Shanna Abrey