As a Partner and CEO of Turner Fleischer Architects Inc. and CanBIM member, Ellen has contributed, on a daily basis, to the advancement of Building Information Modeling and Virtual Design not only in our firm, but industry-wide through her initiatives and dedication to this platform.
Ellen embraces change, new thoughts and, above all, new technology; she is constantly looking for what’s next and challenging the status quo. Her leadership position at Turner Fleischer was instrumental in bringing Revit (BIM software) to the firm in 2005/2006 and her unwavering belief in the efficiencies and opportunities it offers a project has led to its successful implementation as our office standard. With unprecedented success, Ellen’s drive for being at the forefront of architectural technology has led to Turner Fleischer becoming CanBIM’s first certified company, in addition to her personal certification, and that of 80 staff.
Beyond Ellen’s influence in the studio, as a key member of TF’s presentation team, she has helped shape the BIM message to clients, consultants and industry partners. Particularly noteworthy is her leadership in initiatives creating strategic partnerships within academia, at institutions such as George Brown College, where she co-led research grant work. Through her planning and organization of dozens of speaking engagements, at numerous Canadian education institutions, Ellen has shown future leaders the benefits of working in the BIM environment and inspired students to be excited for a workflow using this platform. Ellen’s belief in education driving progress inspired her to setup the internal TF Academy, which offers certified CanBIM courses and BIM guest lectures. Her knowledge is kept current through attendance and support of BIM conferences and industry events, which has allowed for a constant evolution of knowledge in the firm. A testament to the value of her involvement in these events includes her key role in bringing a knowledge sharing platform “Newton” to TF, after she discovered KA Synthesis at Autodesk University. Reviewing the goals of this honourable award, Ellen’s suitability is undeniable. Her professionalism, commitment, enthusiasm and dedication to BIM is highlighted in her role overseeing the BIM Initiatives at TF, including the BIM Team and BIM Committee. This has left Turner Fleischer poised to be the leading BIM-driven architectural firm in Canada for private sector work. She has been key in integrating this transformative design technology into our thinking, workflow and project delivery by investing strategically in skills development, process enhancements and management practices.
Distinguishing Ellen is her non-architectural background; as CEO she sees the benefits beyond the practice of architecture, always aware of where the firm needs to go and how get there. Ellen leads with the confidence that BIM will inform and inspire our clients, consultants and staff, consistently surpassing expectations. With Ellen’s support, BIM is now at the heart of our business; her passion for future generations adopting its forward-thinking philosophy leaves Ellen Bensky as an exceptional candidate for the Professional Achievement Award.
