BIG IDEAS: Venelin Kokalov of Revery Architects in Conversation with Pantea Haghighi

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Location: West Vancouver Memorial Library

Event Details: 

• Main Hall doors open at 6:30 p.m. 
• Registration is required, and seating is general admission. 
• Please print a copy of your registration confirmation email QR code or show it on your smartphone at the event.

Join acclaimed architect Venelin Kokalov in conversation with curator Pantea Haghighi for an engaging discussion on the formative experiences that shaped Kokalov’s life and career. From studying architecture and growing up in Bulgaria under the guidance of his master builder father to immigrating to Vancouver and spending 14 influential years working alongside Bing Thom, Kokalov reflects on the personal and professional journey that led to the founding of Revery Architects. The conversation will also offer insight into the studio’s creative process, the ideas and inspirations that continue to shape its vision, and the core principles that define its approach to architecture. 

The evening will begin with a Traditional Welcome offered by Chepximiya Siyam’ Chief Dr. Janice George. 

Venelin Kokalov was born and raised in Bulgaria. At age 15, he started architectural school and in 1993 received a master’s degree in structural engineering at the University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy in Sofia. Many summers of jobs on construction sites rounded out his formal education and enriched his technical confidence. After practicing in Sofia for several years and winning an international design competition, he immigrated to Canada in 2002 with his life-and-work partner, Stani Kokalova. He then joined Vancouver-based Bing Thom Architects, where he assumed a leading design role. When Bing Thom died in 2016, Kokalov stepped into the Principal-in-Charge role and changed the name of the firm to Revery Architecture, reflecting its mission to create a balance between creative reverie and technical precision. With a background firmly rooted in art and craftsmanship, Venelin is respected for his distinctive ability to weave together established and emerging technologies in engaging and innovative ways. 

Pantea Haghighi is the Administrator/Curator at the West Vancouver Art Museum and Curator in Residence at the Vancouver Art Gallery in Vancouver, BC. Haghighi is a Doctoral student at Simon Fraser University. Her research focuses on modernism in architecture and visual arts in relation to vernacular politics. Her expertise in contemporary art has supported her contribution to community development in Canadian institutions. Haghighi utilizes her experience collaborating with individuals from various cultural backgrounds to bring communities together, creating spaces that encourage discussion and exchanging ideas.

This lecture is presented in partnership with the West Vancouver Memorial Library.