Today, meet Jason Dolha, an Associate in our Calgary studio who recently celebrated a milestone 20 years with S2. Congratulations Jason!
What is your role with S2; how long have you been with the firm and what is your favourite part of your job?
I am the Co-Manager of Production and Technical Services and started with the firm in July 2000 as a Junior Technologist (the firm was called SSE at the time). My favourite part of the job is drafting sketches and details for coordination with the consultant team. There are elements of problem solving and collaboration that make every project unique.
What do you like most about design and architecture?
I enjoy analyzing the design from a building code perspective.
How did you come to work at S2?
One of the jobs I had prior to coming to S2 was working as a junior project manager at a manufacturer/distributor of architectural specialties and while it was good experience for me, one of the things I really missed was drafting. At that point I made a concerted effort to find another job as a tech. I started working at a very small architectural firm but wasn’t all that happy there, so I reached out to a senior tech I had worked with briefly at an interior design firm I worked at right out of school. He referred me to Craig Bowd at SSE. (Craig was the technical manager at S2 from +/-1998 to 2013 and was a friend and mentor. He passed away in 2015). I started a couple of weeks after my interview with him and have been at S2 ever since.
What work are you most proud of thus far in your career?
One project that I was happy to be involved with was the Pason Arena Expansion with Scott Builders and the Town of Okotoks. There’s also the Vogue Tower which is the largest project I’ve been involved with and it was very complex. It’s great to be part of a project that adds a great looking feature to the Calgary skyline. On both these projects I was not only the job captain for the construction drawings, but also saw them through to completion during the construction phase – it was great to be involved from start to finish.
What or who inspires your work?
As mentioned above, Craig was my mentor for many years and he instilled in me the importance of taking pride in my work, and his pragmatic approach to tackling design challenges and developing details informs most of what I do to this day.
What is your favourite restaurant in Calgary?
Alloy or Teatro, although it’s been quite a while since I’ve been to either one. The Keg and Joey’s are good standbys.
What do you do in your spare time?
Over the past several years I’ve played in a recreational ice hockey league, I play bass guitar in a rock ‘n roll cover band, and I started cycling occasionally last summer. I’m still trying to improve my golf game, with limited success..
What do you like best about working at S2?
The term ‘office culture’ gets tossed around quite a bit these days, but for me I think it really comes down to a feeling of nostalgia. I have a lot of good memories, particularly from earlier in my career at S2, which is to the credit of the founding partners. They created the kind of atmosphere that made me feel happy to be a part of the firm, even as a junior tech. And now it’s up to me and the other senior staff to do that for the next generation of S2ers.
