Blaine Lepp to co-deliver architecture keynote at BUILDEX Alberta

October 14, 2026

Associate Blaine Lepp will co-deliver BUILDEX Alberta’s architecture keynote in Calgary on Thursday, October 22.

“The Art and Impact of Adaptive Reuse” will bring together Blaine, Kaz Bremner of Perkins&Will, and Kyle Auch of DIALOG to present recent work in adaptive reuse.

Blaine will discuss one of the most significant cultural projects currently underway in Calgary: the conversion of the Centennial Planetarium into the future home of Contemporary Calgary.

A Brutalist landmark, the Centennial Planetarium was designed by McMillan Long & Associates in 1967. The renovation and expansion by KPMB and GGA-Architecture is reimagining the building as a destination for contemporary art and a civic anchor for Calgary’s west end, while improving building performance, addressing longstanding accessibility issues, and better connecting the building to its surroundings.

In August, Contemporary Calgary received an Honorable Mention in the International Architecture Awards from The Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies. In 2025, the Canadian Architect Awards recognized the project with an Award of Merit.

An associate at KPMB, Blaine has significant experience across commercial and cultural projects. Before joining KPMB, he worked on educational, residential, and hospitality buildings at several practices, including Shim-Sutcliffe Architects, where he was a project architect for The Ace Hotel Toronto.

Event details

Event: BUILDEX Alberta 2026
Keynote: The Art and Impact of Adaptive Reuse
Date & Time: October 22, 10:30–11:30 AM (MDT)
Location: BMO Centre at Stampede Park, 1912 Flores LaDue Parade SE, Calgary, Alberta

Register at BUILDEX Alberta.