Forrec

Last updated
FORREC Ltd
Company typePrivate company
IndustryEntertainment Design
Headquarters
Toronto, Ontario
,
Canada
Number of employees
c. 120
Website www.forrec.com

FORREC Ltd. (customarily styled FORREC) designs and plans theme parks, water parks, resorts, retail and mixed use developments and visitor attractions around the world. FORREC's clients include Universal Studios, LEGOLAND, [1] Nickelodeon, BBC Worldwide and Six Flags as well as international companies like China's Wanda Group and Chimelong Group, Dubai Holdings, Dubai Parks & Resorts, Meraas Leisure and Entertainment LLC, Singapore Tourism Board and Khazanah Nasional Berhad. FORREC began as a landscape architecture firm in Canada in 1984 and has since added architecture, interior design and graphics disciplines. [2] [3]

Contents

Company history

Pre-FORREC

1961-1965: Sasaki, Strong & Associates

Japanese-American landscape architect, Hideo Sasaki partnered with Richard Strong to form the Toronto-based firm Sasaki, Stong and Associates in 1961. Working mainly in Canada, they master planned Toronto's Queen's Park Complex [4] [5] and designed Nathan Phillips Square. [6]

1965-1970: Richard Strong Associates Ltd.

Richard Strong founded Richard Strong Associates in 1965, but continued to partner with Hideo Sasaki on numerous projects. [7] Together they designed La Ronde, the amusement park for Expo 67 in Montreal. [8]

1970-1973: Merged to form Strong Moorhead Sigsby, Ltd.

Merging with Australian landscape architecture professor, Donald Guy Sigsby, [9] and Toronto-based landscape architect Steven Moorhead, Richard Strong became president of Strong Moorhead Sigsby, Ltd. The firm expanded, with offices in Toronto and Sydney, Australia. As Strong Moorhead Sigsby Limited the group published numerous academic articles and studies, as well as the following books: [10]

1973-1977: Name Change to Richard Strong - Steven Moorhead

Upon Sigsby's departure to start his own firm in Australia, [11] a partnership formed between Strong and Moorhead. Most of the work from these 5 years was based in Ontario. During this time the company focused on urban renewal, recreational land planning, and landscape design for urban parks, like Devonian Square [12] in downtown Toronto. One of their largest projects was The Thunder Bay Waterfront Park Study plan. This 28-page report was well received and was used as the basis of development for years to come. [13] The pair continued to produce industry related books and articles, including:

  • Ryerson Polytechnical Institute: Landscape Development (1975) [14]

1977-1984: Moorhead Fleming Corban Inc. then Moorhead, Fleming, Corban, and McCarthy

Strong moved to Calgary, Alberta in 1977 and established his practice there as Richard Strong Associates. [15] A series of employee promotions and company mergers adjusted the name and management make-up of the company for almost a decade. [16] In 1978, the firm designed Canada's Wonderland, the country's first major theme park and later, in 1981, the World Water Park at West Edmonton Mall. [17] [18]

As FORREC

The increase of theme park and water park focused work led to the company's final name change in 1985 to FORREC, a shortened version of "For recreation". [17] [19] The company's business model also became a private limited with share capital. [20] To keep ownership fluid, a policy was created that required shareholders to begin selling their shares at age 60. [21]

1985-1992: A North-American focus

FORREC were hired by USAA Real Estate Company, a subsidiary of the USAA insurance company, and Gaylord Entertainment Company, a company which owned Opryland USA, to assist in the design of a theme park in San Antonio, at the time known as Fiesta Texas. [22] Soon after, Universal Studios hired FORREC to design their theme park in Florida, which opened in 1990. [23]

1992-2013: Global projects

FORREC began doing more international work. [24] They were hired to transform the Beijing National Aquatics Center from the 2008 summer Olympics into a family water park called the Happy Magic Watercube. [25] BBC Worldwide asked FORREC to create a series of prototypes for four of their most famous brands – Top Gear, CBeebies, BBC Earth and Walking with Dinosaurs . [26]

2013-Present: Continued growth and mergers

In 2013, Tim Scott and Nolan Natale of Natale and Scott Architects (NASA), joined FORREC, along with their entire team. This addition makes FORREC a fully licensed architectural practice in Ontario. [27]

FORREC merged with Scott Torrance Landscape Architect Inc (STLA) in 2016 to extend local expertise in landscape architecture. [28]

Sansei Technologies, Inc. (KK:6357) purchased a 70% stake in FORREC Ltd.’s parent company.

Selected Projects

Theme parks

Water parks

Mixed use developments

Other

Awards

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

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References

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  5. ↑ Leblanc, Dave (August 22, 2008). "A magnet for architects". The Globe and Mail.
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  9. ↑ Architecture: 1985 Faculty Handbook. Kensington, New South Wales, Australia: The University of New South Wales. 1985. ISSN   0811-7594.
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  13. ↑ "Thunder Bay Waterfront Park Study 1975". www.thunderbay.ca. Retrieved 2016-08-12.
  14. ↑ Ryerson Polytechnical Institute: Landscape Development. Richard Strong-Steven Moorhead Limited. 1975-01-01.
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  48. ↑ "Rs 10,000 crore Wave City Center to pump up realty in Noida". Archived from the original on August 19, 2013. Retrieved 2016-08-17.
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  50. ↑ "Theme park retirement". 14 April 2016. Retrieved 2016-08-05.
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