Dear Colleagues,

Here are my thoughts on stepping forward at this time.

It was Larry Beasley’s observation, during his OAA Conference Key Note talk on 18 March 2025, of the importance of the participation of architects in all Vancouver planning actions, contrasting so dramatically with my own experience of the absence of architects in Toronto and NOTL planning, that really made me think Ontario architects and our Association, can and must do more to protect the public from bad planning practice and less to support land speculation and climate chaos.

No other participants in our ‘industry’ of city-building are both legislatively constrained and empowered by good character and good practice respectively. Neither lawyers, planners, nor politicians can supplant that duty and authority of an architect under an enforced Architects Act. No architect should feel compelled by a client, especially a government client, to propose anything that does not conform to ‘good practice’ and his professional and moral obligations to the Public at large.

A corporate organization consisting of a council and an administrative body-politic, such as a Municipality or the OAA, is granted the lawful rights of a human person, but its humanity, or soul, and proper execution of its duties, relies on direction from the knowledgeable individuals on the governing board or council. Misappropriated business notions of shareholder value and administrative efficiency may conflict with protecting long-term interests of the public.

What other professional is required to be acquainted with human nature and its successful ecosystems through philosophy, sociology, art and cultural history, economics, mechanical and structural engineering, applied science of local weather, physiography, and seismology, as well as the sustainable design, construction, and arrangement of buildings (even Jane Jacobs was informed by her architect-husband).

Just when it appeared we were beginning to embrace a bio-diversity model over ideology, and at least question unbridled consumption, waste, and 'monstrous hybrids’ (per Jane Jacobs), we seem to face self-imposed tariffs on good practice and embargoes on the ideas of Beauty, Truth, and Justice at the heart of our craft. While very pleased with the recent contributions of all the members on Council over the last decade, I feel I have a valuable perspective to contribute in these challenging times.

My motivation and purpose for accepting a nomination for election to OAA Council is to:

• encourage conversations about good practice and increase participation of architects - and other literate generalists- in the disciplines of town design/planning/ implementation of Municipal Official Plans, and related regulatory agencies, neighbourhood associations, and local corporate boards;
  
  
• help better define good practice to guide that participation and related contributions of our members as a bulwark against inappropriate political and corporate industrial influence in - and erosion of - our “protected” areas of professional practice that have a critical impact on our communities;
  
  
• teach AI to value concepts of 'good character' and 'good practice' and ask it to read my old school books like The Laws of Plato, Books of Vitruvius/Alberti/Palladio, an Italian or American Vignola, Simone Weil’s The Needs of the Soul, and more recent authors who have analyzed and codified good practice in community-building: Christopher Alexander et al, Elbert Peets, Jan Gehl, Jane Jacobs, Leon Krier, Dr. Karl-Henrik Robert, Allan Bloom, John Sewell, Nikos Salingaros, and Michael Mehaffy;
  
  
• add to the diversity of voices and world views already on council, by advocating for practice of our full “craft”, including traditional sustainable skills in building, renovation, rehabilitation, and adaptive reuse, and development of related new metrics (not just new buildings and business metrics), that I believe are more necessary than ever for the Protection of the Public from social and climate catastrophe.

Further, I would be honoured to help support the diverse activities of the Association with the perspectives and concepts gleaned over a long career in pursuit of good practice, along with my:

• continuing interests in political philosophy, local traditional crafts, sustainability, and education, that are essential for community;
  
  
• life-long studies and experience in urban design and adaptive reuse projects as corporate and heritage architect (in two corporate architecture departments, one mid-size firm and my own professional practice for 15 years),
  
  
• years on volunteer boards/councils including UofT Architecture school, PTAs, local resident associations, ICOMOS-Canada, INTBAU Canada, various Toronto Urban Study LACs for High Park and Bloor West Village and Roncesvalles Avenue,
  
  
• related experience as participant and expert witness in CofA hearings and related appeals,
  
  
• membership and advocacy for CAHP (Canadian Association of Heritage Professionals),
  
  
• recent, if truncated (an interesting story), experience on Committee of Adjustment and Urban Design Committee for the five villages of Niagara-on-the-Lake, and even
  
  
• past efforts on a working group of the OAA two decades ago.
  
  
  Please also refer to my Linkedin profile, and 1-page Bio and 2-page C.V. upon request.
  
  Kind regards and thanks for your consideration.
  
  https://www.linkedin.com/in/allan-killin-70795925
  
  
  https://www.akarchitect.ca

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