Forrec

FORREC Ltd
Private company
Industry Entertainment Design
Headquarters Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Number of employees
 Approx. 120
Website FORREC.COM

Forrec Ltd. (customarily styled FORREC) is a Toronto-based entertainment design firm that designs and plans theme parks, water parks, resorts, leisure destinations, and museums.[1] They work with clients all around the world including high-profile brands like Universal Studios, LEGOLAND, Nickelodeon, BBC Worldwide and Six Flags, as well as Chinese brands Wanda Group and Chimelong Group.[2] Projects that FORREC designed have been built in 20 countries on six continents over three decades.[3]

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 Philips 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 was 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 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 that took years to complete. The 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:

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] The choice to incorporate FORREC was unusual for a design firm, where partnerships are more the norm. 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

During this time, FORREC’s projects were mostly in Canada but they attracted a lot of international attention. They 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]

1992-2015: Global projects

FORREC was soon consulting with companies all around the world with 90% of their work coming from outside of Canada.[1] Among many other global projects, FORREC was hired to transform the Beijing National Aquatics Center from the 2008 summer Olympics into a family water park called the Happy Magic Watercube.[24]

2015-Present: Continued growth

In 2015, 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.[25] FORREC has also worked on attractions themed around World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE)

Selected Projects

Theme parks

Water parks

Mixed use developments

Other

Awards

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

External links

References

  1. 1 2 "Thinking local, acting global | Toronto Star". thestar.com. Retrieved 2016-08-05.
  2. ↑ "Toronto design firm gets Lego up in German park". Retrieved 2016-08-11.
  3. ↑ "The services industry: Canada's secret economic playground? - Macleans.ca". 2015-04-01. Retrieved 2016-08-11.
  4. ↑ "Sasaki Strong Associates | Toronto Modern". robertmoffatt115.wordpress.com. Retrieved 2016-08-05.
  5. ↑ Leblanc, Dave (August 22, 2008). "A magnet for architects". The Globe and Mail.
  6. ↑ "Richard Strong | The Cultural Landscape Foundation". tclf.org. Retrieved 2016-08-05.
  7. ↑ "Richard Strong - University of Calgary". Canadian Architectural Archives. 1980.
  8. ↑ Valois, Nicole (2013). "Expo 67: A Watershed for Canadian Landscape Architecture" (PDF). Landscapes (Fall 2013).
  9. ↑ Architecture: 1985 Faculty Handbook. Kensington, New South Wales, Australia: The University of New South Wales. 1985. ISSN 0811-7594.
  10. ↑ "Most Widely Held Works by Strong Moorhead Sigsby". OCLC WorldCat Identities.
  11. ↑ "State Library New South Wales". Donald Sigsby Associates. Research and Collections. 1973.
  12. ↑ "Devonian Square | The Cultural Landscape Foundation". tclf.org. Retrieved 2016-08-12.
  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.
  15. ↑ "Biographies | Basic page". asc.ucalgary.ca. Retrieved 2016-08-12.
  16. ↑ "Conference Speaker Bios 2014: Landscape Ontario Congress". locongress.com. Retrieved 2016-08-12.
  17. 1 2 "Building Dreams | Business In Focus". www.businessinfocusmagazine.com. Retrieved 2016-08-05.
  18. ↑ "Design Interview With Ron Holbrook". Retrieved 2016-08-12.
  19. ↑ "It's Realty: Forrec entertaining all". Retrieved 2016-08-05.
  20. ↑ "Moorhead Fleming Corban & Partners Limited | DueDil". www.duedil.com. Retrieved 2016-08-12.
  21. ↑ "I engineered my own ousting. Here's why". Retrieved 2016-08-12.
  22. ↑ "Theme Park Development Case Study - Fiesta Texas / Economics Research Associates / 1999". www.hotel-online.com. Retrieved 2016-08-12.
  23. ↑ "The services industry: Canada's secret economic playground? - Macleans.ca". 2015-04-01. Retrieved 2016-08-05.
  24. ↑ "Happy Magic Watercube". Sports Management Magazine. 16. Q2 2012. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  25. ↑ "Exclusive: Forrec planning Top Gear, CBeebies attractions for BBC Worldwide". Retrieved 2016-08-05.
  26. ↑ "Building Dreams | Business In Focus". www.businessinfocusmagazine.com. Retrieved 2016-08-16.
  27. ↑ "Attractions Management". Retrieved 2016-08-16.
  28. ↑ "Canadian Tourism Marketing | Steve Rhys". www.bigpictureconferences.ca. Retrieved 2016-08-16.
  29. ↑ "MOI Park Entertaintment Center | BRN Mimarlık". 2015-05-01. Retrieved 2016-08-16.
  30. ↑ "$120-million plan to turn Playland into 'world class theme park' heads back to council". 2016-06-09. Retrieved 2016-08-05.
  31. ↑ "FORREC Lead Design Consultant for Six Flags Dubai". www.blooloop.com. Retrieved 2016-08-05.
  32. ↑ "FORREC Design Wanda Nanchang Outdoor Theme Park". www.blooloop.com. Retrieved 2016-08-16.
  33. ↑ Teng, Corinne (January 2016). "Thrills and Chills Keep The Customers Happy". SPLASH (103).
  34. ↑ "New generation Center Parcs planned for France". Retrieved 2016-08-16.
  35. ↑ "Universal Mediterranea near completion". Retrieved 2016-08-16.
  36. ↑ "Product Focus". Spa Business. Retrieved 2016-08-16.
  37. ↑ "Wanda Xishuangbanna Water Park - FORREC". Retrieved 2016-08-16.
  38. ↑ "Retail & Mixed-use Building & Shopping Centre Architects - FORREC". Retrieved 2016-08-17.
  39. ↑ "Dreamland & Investors | Dreamland Golf Club". www.dreamlandgolfclub.com. Retrieved 2016-08-17.
  40. ↑ "Multi-billion dollar Dubai theme park taking shape". 2014-09-18. Retrieved 2016-08-17.
  41. ↑ "Full text of "Leisure Line (1996-03)(Leisure & Allied Industries)(AU)"". archive.org. Retrieved 2016-08-17.
  42. ↑ "Projekt Thanh Xuan Park : Hanoi, Vietnam - archimania.pl – architektura, architekci – świat nowoczesnej architektury.". Retrieved 2016-08-17.
  43. ↑ "Rs 10,000 crore Wave City Center to pump up realty in Noida". Retrieved 2016-08-17.
  44. ↑ "Theme park retirement". Retrieved 2016-08-05.
  45. ↑ "31st Annual Architecture in Perspective Competition | Architectural Illustration | Architectural Rendering". www.asai.org. Retrieved 2016-08-17.
  46. ↑ "American Society of Architectural Illustrators recognizes Canadian talent - Canadian Architect". 2016-04-28. Retrieved 2016-08-17.
  47. ↑ "Web exclusive: Architectural Illustrators' Conference - Canadian Architect". Retrieved 2016-08-17.
  48. ↑ "Order of da Vinci Members | Ontario Association of Architects". www.oaa.on.ca. Retrieved 2016-08-10.
  49. 1 2 "Press & Events - FORREC". Retrieved 2016-08-10.
  50. ↑ "Happy Magic Watercube Receives 2013 Dream Design Honor". 2013-07-01. Retrieved 2016-08-10.
  51. ↑ "AIP 28 - Selected Entries". www.asai.org. Retrieved 2016-08-17.
  52. ↑ "2011 NY Upstate APA Chapter Award Winners : New York Upstate Chapter APA". nyupstateplanning.org. Retrieved 2016-08-10.
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