https://www.linkedin.com/in/hugo-arriojas-23418a31/
Provide a brief summary of your practice experience.
My architectural career spans more than 30 years, beginning in Venezuela, where I worked with Inteplan Consult from 1992 to 2002, progressing from Architectural Assistant to Licensed Architect.
After relocating to Canada in 2002, I joined HOK Canada in 2003, where I progressed from Architectural Designer to Associate in 2009 and became a Licensed Architect in Ontario in 2013.
As Client Liaison for HOK's National Accounts, I directed architectural operations and supervised a team of approximately 30 professionals delivering more than 100 CIBC branches across Canada over five years. I also coordinated account leaders serving major financial institutions, including TD, BMO, and National Bank of Canada. This experience provided extensive exposure to differing provincial building codes, multidisciplinary coordination, and the management of complex national programs.
In 2014, I joined HOK's design team for Memorial University's Core Science Facility in Newfoundland.
Following a brief tenure with KAVE Architects, I established Studio Arriojas in 2016, where I serve as Managing Principal and Architect. Since its founding, the practice has completed approximately 184 projects across corporate, hospitality, institutional, residential, and other sectors.
As Principal, I oversee architectural design, professional practice, consultant coordination, and project delivery. Notable experience includes serving as Prime Consultant for the York Regional Police Marine Unit Building, with responsibility for design, multidisciplinary coordination, and construction review.
My experience across international, national, and independent practices has shaped my understanding of professional accountability, regulatory compliance, leadership, and the responsibilities architects hold toward the public.
Provide a brief summary of your previous governance experience (boards, councils, committees, advisory groups, etc.).
From 2017 to 2020, I served as an Architect Representative on the Ontario Association of Architects (OAA) Interns Committee, where I participated in reviewing policies, considering proposed changes, and contributing to recommendations concerning the architectural profession and its future practitioners.
This experience provided valuable insight into the OAA's committee processes, collaborative decision making, and the importance of thoughtful policy development within a professional regulatory organization. It also reinforced my appreciation for professional accountability, confidentiality, and the responsibility to consider different perspectives when evaluating matters affecting the profession.
My commitment to professional service extends to mentorship through the OAA Intern Architect Program, TRIEC, and JVS Toronto Canada InfoNet. Through these initiatives, I have supported internationally trained professionals and intern architects in understanding the licensing process, developing their professional experience, preparing experience records, and navigating architectural practice in Ontario.
While distinct from formal governance appointments, my professional leadership experience has also contributed to my understanding of organizational responsibility. At HOK Canada, I supervised multidisciplinary architectural teams and coordinated leaders responsible for major national accounts. As Managing Principal of Studio Arriojas, I am responsible for professional practice management, project oversight, and coordination with consultants and clients.
Together, these experiences have developed my understanding of professional responsibility, constructive collaboration, and the importance of informed, ethical decision making.
Why are you interested in serving on Council at this time?
I believe that contributing to our profession through volunteer service is both a responsibility and an opportunity to give back to the communities we serve. Having previously served on the OAA Interns Committee and continuing to mentor emerging architects, I believe this is an appropriate time to contribute at the Council level.
My experience spans different professional environments, from international practice to a large multidisciplinary organization and the management of an independent architectural firm. These experiences have given me an appreciation for the diversity of architectural practice, the evolving demands placed on practitioners, and the changing expectations of the public.
I recognize that the interests of individual practitioners, the profession as a whole, and the public will not always align. However, they are interdependent. Effective professional regulation must protect the public while remaining proportionate, practical, and responsive to the realities of architectural practice.
The profession is also undergoing significant technological and economic changes that require thoughtful regulatory oversight. I believe Council has a responsibility to consider these developments carefully, encourage innovation, and ensure that professional competence and accountability are maintained.
I am interested in serving on Council to contribute my experience and perspective to informed, collaborative decision making. My objective is to support regulation that protects the public interest, maintains confidence in the profession, and enables architects to fulfil their professional responsibilities effectively.
What do you believe are the key challenges or priorities for Council over the next one to three years?
I believe one of Council's principal priorities over the next three years should be ensuring that professional regulation continues to evolve alongside architectural practice while maintaining the OAA's fundamental responsibility to protect the public interest.
As automated design tools become increasingly integrated into architectural practice, Council should periodically evaluate whether existing professional guidance and continuing education programs adequately address emerging risks. This assessment should be informed by evidence, professional experience, and feedback from practitioners, with particular attention to professional verification, accountability, and the exercise of independent architectural judgment.
Economic pressures and increasingly compressed project schedules also present challenges to maintaining professional standards. Council should consider how regulatory guidance can reinforce the importance of adequate resources, appropriate professional oversight, and effective quality assurance without interfering with legitimate competition.
Another priority is ensuring that professional competency requirements remain responsive to evolving technical, ethical, and regulatory responsibilities. Continuing education, mentorship, and support for emerging architects, including internationally trained professionals, contribute to a profession capable of meeting these expectations.
Effective governance requires more than identifying emerging challenges. It requires evaluating existing initiatives, identifying gaps, establishing priorities, and assessing whether regulatory measures are achieving their intended objectives.
I would support a Council approach grounded in evidence, collaboration, transparency, and accountability, ensuring that innovation strengthens rather than compromises public protection and confidence in the architectural profession.
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