Meet our diverse, knowledgeable, and talented speakers who will be conducting sessions at the Conference. They will definitely be sure to inspire, captivate, educate and motivate you.
Aaron St. Pierre
Aaron St Pierre is Anishinaabe from Moose Deer Point First Nation and has a wide range of experience working in the non-profit and post-secondary sectors. Aaron is currently Vice President of the Board of Directors for the Native People of Sudbury Development Corporation and is currently employed as the Director of the Four Directions Indigenous Student Centre at Queen’s University. Aaron also serves on the Urban and Rural Indigenous Housing Advisory Committee for the Ontario Non-Profit Housing Association, the City of Kingston’s Planning Advisory Committee, and the North Bay Indigenous Friendship Centre. Aaron has worked with Indigenous and non-Indigenous housing and social service providers across the province, advocating for affordable housing solutions and ways to address the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis that continues to disproportionately impact Indigenous communities in both urban and rural centres.
Session:
Right to Housing: A discussion on homelessness in Sudbury
Adam Feldmann
Partner (a–A) Project Director, B Arch., B ES, OAA, AAA
Adam Feldmann is a seasoned architect and project manager with 25 years’ experience in the design and management of mixed-use developments, academic buildings, mid- and high-rise residential projects, and waterfront public spaces in cities across Canada and the US. A founding member of the a–A studio, Adam uses intelligent and sustainable design to improve the quality of individual buildings and the urban fabric, and to meet the needs of users and the greater community. Adam was Design Team Leader for the 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games Athletes’ Village, a $514 million, 14.3 hectare project completed for Infrastructure Ontario, Waterfront Toronto and the City of Toronto. Adam is currently leading the University of Toronto’s Harbord Residence through concurrent approvals and value engineering processes, working closely with architectural collaborator Michael Maltzan Architect and with the University, City planners and local stakeholders to square the University’s strategic requirements, local sensitivities regarding the integration of new architecture into a well-established urban campus, the needs of the graduate student body, and the exigencies of a volatile construction economy. Adam is a graduate of the University of Waterloo, and serves as a Guest Critic at Waterloo and at the University of Toronto Faculty of Landscape Architecture and Design.
Session:
Qualifications-Based Selection (QBS)
Ailsa Craigen
ARCHITECT, OAA
Originally from Ottawa, Ailsa obtained her B. Arch. Sci. from Ryerson University in Toronto, and MSc. Arch from the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands. Ailsa has worked on projects that address the unique design challenges that come with designing for multiple age groups and varying physical and cognitive abilities. She has worked on projects designing for children and youth’s treatment centres, as well as childcare spaces within seniors’ facilities. Ailsa engages with clients in the early design phases through user engagement meetings, workshops and community engagement events to establish project goals. Excellent at functional programming, Ailsa’s research skills bring latest trends and best practices for collaborative consideration.
Session:
Children’s Treatment Centres and School in Ontario
Alex Singbush
MCIP, RPP
Alex currently serves as the manager of development approvals for the City of Greater Sudbury. A graduate of the University of Waterloo’s School of Urban and Regional Planning, he has worked in planning and design review for over 30 years in roles in Sudbury, Phoenix, Arizona, and the GTA. Born and raised in the Sudbury area, Alex is passionate about local history and the unique nature of company towns. Currently a Copper Cliff resident, he has explored mining townsites in the Sudbury area and other company and military towns in Canada, Arizona, Germany, Guatemala, Honduras, and Venezuela.
Session:
Copper Cliff, A Company Town: Case Study
Aliki Economides
Aliki Economides is an assistant professor at the McEwen School of Architecture at Laurentian University; she serves as M.Arch thesis Coordinator, and has also taught graduate seminars and undergraduate studios, including coordinating the fourth-year integrated design studio. Aliki holds a professional B.Arch (University of Toronto), a post-professional M.Arch in architectural history and theory (McGill University), an MA in the history of science (Harvard University), and a PhD in architectural and urban history (Harvard University). Her research focuses primarily on: the roles played by the built and natural environment in the construction of identity; the profound and mutually reinforcing relationships between social and spatial injustices; and the history, theory, and contemporary practice of ornament in architecture. With filmmaker Paul Carvalho, she collaborated on a documentary film for Radio-Canada titled, Une Tour sur la montagne : l’architecture d’Ernest Cormier et sa vie avec Clorinthe Perron. Current projects include the book manuscript, Constructing Identity: Ernest Cormier and the Project of Modernity, a publication on the architecture of jurisprudence, and co-editing the Urban History Review’s special issue on capital cities.
Session:
MSoA M.Arch Thesis Work: Toward a Healthier Sudbury
Amanda Robinson
Amanda Robinson is the vice president of architecture for Aerocoustics Engineering Limited, specializing in building and room acoustics. She is a professionally qualified mechanical engineer who has focused in acoustics since graduating with honours from Adelaide University in 1996. Amanda has had extensive experience working with multidisciplinary practices in Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom. Amanda was previously co-CEO at Marshall Day Acoustics (Melbourne), with shared responsibility for the Australasian business development and management, bottom line results as well as the daily management of the company, including recruitment, retention, development of employees, and staff engagement. Amanda is associated with the Victorian division of the Australian Acoustical Society and held the position of secretary for four years. Prior to that, she was secretary for the Association of Noise Consultants in the UK. She has undertaken numerous presentations, including the Talking Spaces Symposium held by the University of Melbourne. She is part of the International WELL Sound Advisory Committee to assist in the next iteration of the WELL rating tool, and is an accredited WELL Professional.
Session:
Andotan Listen for it; Wait to hear it: An acoustic design narrative around Indigenous Spaces
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Amber Salach
Architect OAA, B.A.S., M.Arch., MRAIC
Amber Salach is a principal at Bélanger Salach Architecture, Chairs the Northern Ontario Society of Architects (NOSA), and sits on the advisory panel of Building Equality in Architecture North (BEA[N]), where she devotes her time to organizing continuing education events, promoting local architecture and dialogue amongst architects and the community at large. She is part of the fourth generation of architects to lead a firm established in 1964 that has created legacy projects throughout Sudbury and the North. She was appointed partner in 2015 and is the first female architect and partner of the firm, as well as the first licensed and practising female architect in Sudbury. Amber has led a number of community initiative projects, as one of the main design and project architects for recent projects such as Place des Arts, Laurentian University Student Centre, Manitoulin Secondary School Revitalization, St. David Catholic Elementary School, and the redevelopment of the Rainbow District School Board Offices.
Sessions:
Place des Arts Building Case Study: An Urban and Cultural Response
Place des Arts: Design Collaboration at the Twilight of the Master Builder Era
Building Equality(ies) in Architecture - BEA(N): Building Coalitions
Angèle Dmytruk
Angèle Dmytruk is a partner / architect at 3RDLINE STUDIO and Polestar CM Inc. She is the first female francophone architect and partner practising in Sudbury. Angèle’s roots are in Sudbury, but she has travelled widely, living and working in Europe and the United States for a number of years. Her wide range of experiences both culturally and professionally play a significant role in her approach to design. She has led a number of significant education projects in recent years, including the sequential transformation and renewal of educational facilities. With more than 16 years of experience, Angèle’s focus continues to be developing meaningful spaces for her clients. She is well-versed in design and construction documentation, interior design, cost analysis, contract administration, and project management across the institutional, commercial, residential and industrial sectors. As a leader of projects and the practice leadership, Angèle strives to encourage young women to develop professional skills through mentorship both in the community and workplace.
Session:
Building Equality(ies) in Architecture - BEA(N): Building Coalitions
Ashley LaRose
Ashley LaRose is the CEO of Science North, Canada’s second largest science centre and Northern Ontario’s most popular tourist attraction. She received her honour’s degree in biology from the University of Waterloo and completed her master’s of science at Laurentian University. Ashley is a passionate scientist who spent the earlier part of her career working as a research scientist in cities across North America, including bringing cutting-edge genomic techniques to world-renowned freshwater research. The recipient of Greater Sudbury’s 40 under 40 Award in 2019, she has also served on numerous boards and committees, including Cambrian College’s International Business Advisory Committee, Themed Entertainment Association North American Board, City of Sudbury Development Committee, and the Northern Ontario School of Medicine’s Board of Directors.
Session:
Science North Expansion Kenora and Thunder Bay
Bill Lett
OAA, FRAIC
Bill Lett, OAA, FRAIC, is a managing principal at Lett Architects Inc. With more than two decades of practice, he has been involved in the design of major municipal, cultural, healthcare, and institutional projects across the province of Ontario. Bill sits as a board member of the Integrated Project Delivery Alliance, which supports emergent approaches demonstrating enhanced project outcomes for owners, consultants, and contractors. He believes in strong collaboration in design and construction, as evidenced by his firm’s participation in four Ontario IPD projects—two completed, two currently underway. Through his practice, he has participated in the development of Canada’s first Guide to Social Procurement in Construction with Buy Social Canada, become the highest ranked B Corp certified architecture practice in Canada, as well as holding memberships in Green Economy Canada, Arts Consultants of Canada, the Canadian Green Building Council, and the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business.
Session:
IPD and the Architect: Challenges and Opportunities
Braeden Martel
Braeden Martel is a recent Master of Architecture graduate at the McEwen School of Architecture Master where his studies focused on cultural and environmental sustainability. During his studies, he developed a deep understanding of the work and process of Arthur Townend through extensive archival research along with first-person research documenting, through literature and mixed media, the architectural impact of Arthur Townend.
Session:
Architectural Tour of Works by Arthur Townend
Brett Walter
Brett Walter is a recent graduate of Laurentian University’s McEwen School of Architecture M.Arch program. He has served as a graduate teaching assistant for the fourth-year integrated design studio for two years, and been the recipient of a number of other school and community awards and scholarships, including the Rob and Cheryl McEwen Graduate Scholarship for excellence in design. Brett holds a B.Sc. Kin (Queen's University) and worked for several years as a licensed kinesiologist in the province of Ontario before beginning his architectural education at McEwen. His research focuses primarily on the relationship between the built environment and human health. Specifically, he explores how designers might better leverage the vast body of research in the medical, neuroscience, and environmental-psychology fields to inform designs at a variety of scales—both architectural and urban—to elicit healthier lifestyle choices and improve community health. Developing a new architectural framework, his thesis then proposes a series of design interventions for improved community health in Sudbury.
Session:
MSoA M.Arch Thesis Work: Toward a Healthier Sudbury
Brian Porter
Principal Architect, Two Row Architect
Brian hails from Six Nations of the Grand River. He has been a business leader for many years, designing and overseeing the construction of projects for First Nation communities across Canada and the United States. He has demonstrated success in designing culturally appropriate projects for these communities and has worked to maximize the participation of First Nation skills and trades. Two Row Architect promotes meshing traditional symbols into current building technology while actively promoting the creative and environmentally conscious use of building materials.
Sessions:
Creating Dignified Indigenous Presence in Ontario
A Culturally Integrated Approach to Panelized Construction
Brian Rudy
B.E.S., B.Arch., OAA, NSAA, AAA, AIBC, FRAIC
Brian Rudy is a partner at Moriyama Teshima Architects. His combination of passion about the poetry of architecture and practicality for how projects get realized has made Brian one of the leaders of his practice’s cultural portfolio for the last 20 years. Brian’s strong design leadership searches out meaningful and right-sized solutions that place sustainability and cultural sensitivity at the very heart of the design. In addition to work on Place des Arts in Sudbury, he has a wide breadth of experience in educational, performing arts, and transportation projects, ranging from the Governor General’s award-winning Canadian War Museum in Ottawa to the Etihad Museum in Dubai, and the multi-billion-dollar P3 Gordie Howe International Bridge. A strong believer in the sustainable practice of adaptive reuse, Brian has also led several innovative projects including Discovery Centre in Halifax, which is repurposed from a pre-existing power plant turbine hall, and the Humber College Building G project, a heritage-designated administration building of the former Lakeshore Psychiatric Hospital.
Sessions:
Place des Arts Building Case Study: An Urban and Cultural Response
Place des Arts: Design Collaboration at the Twilight of the Master Builder Era
Brynne Campbell
PhD
Brynne Campbell earned her doctorate in architecture from the Azrieli School of Architecture & Urbanism, Carleton University, in Ottawa. Her dissertation, Marketing Architecture in Canada: Exploring the Architecture Profession’s Understanding and Use of Marketing: 1955–1985 to Present, focuses on the Canadian architecture profession’s historical use and understanding of marketing, as discussed through professional journals and resources. She has presented papers on marketing in architecture and the architect’s image. Brynne was the co-organizer of POP // CAN // CRIT, a national architecture symposium that served as a resource, educational tool, and opportunity to share experiences and ideas related to architecture within a Canadian context. She is the marketing director of a medium-sized architecture firm. Passionate about architectural storytelling through text and images, she strives to find innovative ways to help architects showcase their work and communicate their unique value.
Session:
Marketing Architecture in Canada
Catherine Daigle
Catherine Daigle is a recent graduate of Laurentian University's McEwen School of Architecture M.Arch program, where they also completed their bachelor of architectural studies (BAS) with a minor in ancient studies. They have served as a graduate teaching assistant for the Architectural Communications course, the MSoA Fabrication Lab, the MSoA Website and Communications, Building Systems 2, and Design Studio 1, in addition to teaching as a part-time professor at Collège Boréal (Rédaction de rapport technique). They are the recipient of various scholarly awards, and their thesis has been supported in part by funding from the Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) program. Their research focuses on the relationship between the built environment and ecological succession, integrating non-human species into the forefront of architectural design.
Session:
MSoA M.Arch Thesis Work: Toward a Healthier Sudbury
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Dr. Charles Gillott
Dr. Charles Gillott is a researcher of circular economy in the built environment at The University of Sheffield, England. His work addresses multiple aspects of circularity across various spatial scales, including the reuse of buildings, components, and materials at the neighbourhood, city, and national level. Charles is currently working with Toronto Metropolitan University as part of an international research project aiming to understand circular economy policy and its influence on construction-sector practice in different international contexts.
Session:
From Policy to Practice: Understanding the Transition to a Circular Economy in the Built Environment
Chris Baziw
Chris Baziw moved to Sudbury in 2014 to attend the McEwen School of Architecture and while working toward his Bachelors degree in architecture, Chris volunteered at the Elgin Street Mission Downtown. Chris received federal funding through a SSHRC Grant to study homelessness in northern Ontario and specifically Sudbury for his M.Arch thesis, where he proposed a mixed-use supportive housing and social services hub in the downtown that addressed homelessness through inclusive design principles. His thesis won the McEwen School of Architecture’s social engagement award and was publicized in the local media. These accolades led to a series of outreach presentations throughout the community to discuss design as a tool to address homelessness and reshape policy. In 2020, Chris joined Centreline Architecture to being his internship and has been able to work on several affordable housing proposals, including a 38-unit modular CLT building in downtown Sudbury that has received provincial funding and is currently seeking federal funding. He continues his advocacy and outreach by staying involved in the community and reaching out through invited speaking engagements and sessional teaching/reviewing at the McEwen School of Architecture.
Session:
Right to Housing: A discussion on homelessness in Sudbury
Dr. Claudia Salgado
PhD, OAA, MRAIC, LEED AP
Claudia Salgado has been providing leadership to design and construction teams for more than 15 years, focusing on developing premium senior living residences throughout North America and the United Kingdom. She holds multiple architecture degrees including a bachelor of architecture professional degree and post-graduate degree in design from Lawrence Institute of Technology, as well as a master’s degree in dementia studies from the University of Stirling in Scotland, where she is now concluding a PhD aimed at advancing knowledge on the relationship of architecture and dementia care environments. She has received prestigious academic and professional awards, such as being named Minuoro Yamasaki Scholar and appointed to the Lambda Iota Tau Honour Society. As a licensed architect, she is a member of the OAA, a member of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC), a LEED Accredited Professional, and a member of RAIC’s Canada's Age Friendly Housing Options Task Force.
Session:
Designing Dignified Senior Care Environments
David Constable
David Constable co-leads Kindred Works, which is a leading partner for reimagining rental housing in Canada by creating a nation-wide portfolio of rental housing focusing on a balance between environmental, social, and financial sustainability. He practiced architecture for over 20 years, most recently as a Principal of KPMB Architects in Toronto and brings international experience leading and managing projects in the US, Canada and Ireland including a series of complex projects across the sectors of culture, education, commercial office and residential development. His design and project management approach prioritizes the integration of low carbon solutions with high standards of design excellence and functionality. In parallel to project work, David has advanced his expertise in the integration of intelligent sustainable design and engineering strategies to propose net zero design solutions that contribute to reversing the effects of the building industry on the planet. David became a Certified Passivehouse Designer (CPHD) in 2019.
Session:
A Culturally Integrated Approach to Panelized Construction
Dr. David Pearson
Dr. David Pearson is an OAA Honorary Member and Emeritus Professor in the Faculty of Natural Sciences at Laurentian University in Sudbury where he taught geology, climate change, and science communication, interrupted by a six-year spell as project director and then science director of Science North in Sudbury. He left the Geology Department 20 years ago as co-founder of the collaborative Laurentian University–Science North graduate program in Science Communication and at the same time became involved provincially and federally in early initiatives to promote adaptation to the impacts of climate change. David began travelling as far as Hudson Bay to many communities of northern Ontario First Nations in 2009, with an eye to learning from Elders and Knowledge Holders about how changing climate is affecting the well-being of Indigenous people in the north. He has been learning ever since and now leads a small group, Up North on Climate, that is collaborating with six northern Councils in co-developing resources and building local capacity for community-based, Indigenous led, climate change adaptation planning. The collaboration has become the Partnership for Indigenous Climate Change Adaptation.
Session:
Science North: Case Study
Denis Ouimette
Denis Ouimette is a professor at Collège Boréal for its Architectural Technologist program and has worked on the Tiny Home project with the City of Sudbury. An architect and teacher specialized in building sciences, high-performing envelopes, and envelope testing of wood construction, he was licensed with l’Ordre des architects du Québec (OAQ) in 1988, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) in 1997, and the OAA in 2016. Prior to joining Collège Boréal, Denis was the principal and owner of an architectural firm from 1991 to 2015 in Wallingford, Connecticut. He also taught at Paier Collège and the University of New Haven and studied in Montréal, London, and New York.
Session:
Collège Boréal: Case Study
Dr. Diana Anderson
MD, M.Arch., ACHA, OAQ
Diana Anderson is triple board-certified: as a healthcare architect, internal medicine physician, and geriatrician. As a “dochitect,” she combines educational and professional experience in both medicine and architecture. She is a co-founder of the Clinicians for Design group, an international network of leaders that inspires and accelerates the design of environments and systems. A past fellow of the Harvard Medical School Center for Bioethics, she is an instructor of neurology at Boston University School of Medicine, a clinical Fellow at VA Boston Healthcare System with both research and clinical responsibilities, and a recent recipient of an Alzheimer's Association Clinician Scientist Fellowship. She is a healthcare principal at Jacobs, contributing her thought leadership at the intersection of design and health.
Session:
Designing Dignified Senior Care Environments
Donald Ardiel
Donald Ardiel is an architect, educator, and generalist. Following 30 years in architectural practice, from 2016 to 2020, Don assumed the positions of Director of Practice Support and the Director of Syllabus at the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC). In addition to architectural practice, Don has been an instructor and workshop leader in project and practice management for over 25 years. Don is a past councillor for the OAA. As an education consultant, he has provided curriculum development and instructional design services to post-secondary institutions and professional associations. He received a Bachelor of Architecture from Carleton University in 1987 and a Master of Distance Education from Athabasca University in 2008. Don continues his commitment to the architectural profession through his volunteer work with the OAA, CACB, and RAIC Syllabus Program.
Sessions:
An Introduction to the Canadian Handbook of Practice for Architects 3rd Edition
Project Risk Management - Political Risks
Eitaro Hirota
Eitaro Hirota is an architect and researcher based in Vancouver. He is principal of Eitaro Hirota Architecture Inc. (EHA), and has more than 15 years of experience designing various forms of housing and commercial projects, with a specialization in seniors housing and age-friendly and dementia-friendly design. While at NSDA Architects, he was the lead architect for “The Village Langley,” a first-of-its kind dementia care community in Canada. Currently, he is engaged in several projects in Canada and the United States, including a multi-generational dementia-friendly community, a culturally sensitive care home for Japanese seniors, and a community-oriented campus of care for seniors. Eitaro is also actively engaged in the community with his research, and through lecturing and giving presentations, and volunteer work at places such as the Robert Nimi Nikkei Seniors Home, which is vital part of his creative process; to make honest spaces that are empathetic and create delight and enjoyment for the people using and inhabiting them.
Session:
Creating inclusive spaces that delight for an aging population
Eladia Smoke | KaaSheGaaBaaWeak
M.Arch., OAA, OAQ, FRAIC, LEED AP
KaaSheGaaBaaWeak | Eladia Smoke is Anishinaabekwe from Obishikokaang | Lac Seul First Nation, with family roots in Alderville First Nation, Winnipeg, and Toronto. Eladia has worked in architecture since 2002, and founded Smoke Architecture as principal architect in 2014. She is the first Anishinabekwe architect in Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec, as well as the third Indigenous woman licensed as an architect in Canada. She taught as a Master Lecturer at Laurentian’s McEwen School of Architecture from 2016 to 2022. She serves as a founding member of RAIC’s Indigenous Task Force. Eladia represented Canada at the 2018 Venice Biennale Unceded exhibition as part of an international team of Indigenous designers and architects. Current professional work includes community-based and institutional projects working alongside Indigenous stakeholders, collaborating with First Nation communities, and listening closely to our Elders.
Session:
Appropriate or Appropriation: Deep Collaboration with Indigenous Practitioners
Emmanuelle Van Rutten
Emmanuelle Van Rutten is a partner at Moriyama & Teshima Architects and is based in the Ottawa office, which she has overseen since 2014. She has worked on high-profile buildings in Ottawa including the Canadian War Museum, the Delegation of the Ismaili Imamat, Carleton University River Building, and the Visitor Welcome Centre on Parliament Hill; she is the Project Architect for the West Memorial Building Rehabilitation, which will temporarily house the Supreme Court of Canada for eight years. Emmanuelle was Regional Director for Ontario North, East, and Nunavut for the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) from 2016 to 2022. She is a member of the Urban Design Review Panel at the City of Ottawa and continues to be involved with her alma mater, the Carleton University Azrieli School of Architecture where she periodically lectures or is a guest critic. A Fellow of the RAIC, Emmanuelle is recognized for her management skills (obtaining PMP certification), her refined design aesthetic, strong knowledge of construction, and effective communication.
Session:
Building Equality(ies) in Architecture - BEA(N): Building Coalitions
Gail Shillingford
Gail Shillingford, is a principal and the urban and landscape design lead at B+H Planning & Landscape. For over 25 years, she has led the urban design, master planning, and detailed design of diverse projects across scales from city planning to streetscape design. Her background in urban design and landscape architecture allows her to create integrated and balanced built form and open space environments. Gail is passionate about building community and creating compelling public realm spaces that foster socialization, inclusivity, cultural diversity, and wellness. She prioritizes the public realm to create notable destinations, revitalize communities, incorporate sustainability and resilience, and position open spaces as catalysts for social and economic vitality. Gail also leads Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) conversations by creating safe forums for discussion.
Session:
With Dignity: Why Clever Design Isn’t Enough
Gail Spencer
Gail Spencer is the Manager of Housing Stability and Homelessness for the City of Greater Sudbury. She has worked in various roles within the City's Social Services division for nearly 30 years and has overseen the homelessness portfolio since 2008. Gail believes that ending homelessness is possible and that access to housing is a basic human right.
Session:
Right to Housing: A discussion on homelessness in Sudbury
Geza R. Banfai
Geza R. Banfai, counsel at McMillan LLP, is a highly regarded Ontario lawyer, specializing in infrastructure (construction and public procurement matters). He is a frequent presenter and prolific writer on a variety of construction and infrastructure-related issues. In his construction law practice, he has represented participants at every level of the construction pyramid, from negotiating and drafting construction and related contracts (including alliancing and joint venture agreements, P3, and similar lender-driven arrangements) to claims and disputes of many kinds. Geza is a strong supporter of the architectural profession in Ontario, an experienced and knowledgeable critic of the increasingly adversarial qualities that characterize much of the present design and construction process today, and a passionate advocate for more collaborative alternatives, in particular IPD. He sits as the ex-officio legal representative on the Canadian Construction Documents Committee and chaired the CCDC IPD committee which created the CCDC 30- 2018 standard form Canadian IPD contract. He currently chairs the task group considering updates to CCDC 30 to reflect experience gained in the initial five years of use.
Session:
IPD and the Architect: Challenges and Opportunities
Holly Jordan
B.Arch.Eng., M. Arch., OAA, LEED AP BD+C, MRAIC
Holly Jordan is a principal and the global sustainability lead at B+H Planning & Landscape. Over her 20+ year career, she has operated in the nexus between architecture, engineering, and sustainability, with the belief that great architecture reflects a combination of these aspects. Striking a delicate balance between creative exploration and addressing technical complexities, she draws on her background in engineering and architecture to develop thoughtful concepts into high-performance buildings and spaces that serve immediate uses as well as anticipate future needs across all sectors. Holly is a past Vice-Chair of the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) Greater Toronto Chapter Leadership Board, chairing its Toronto-based Advocacy Committee and overseeing its vibrant Emerging Green Professionals group. In the B+H studio and in keeping with her cross-discipline nature, Holly wears many hats as a sustainability and technical advisor, advocate for computational design and parametrics, director of the Toronto studio Maker Space, and champion for the firm’s values-based strategic vision. As B+H’s Global Sustainability Lead, she guides the firm’s environmental, social, and economic ambitions as they apply not only to design projects but also to the firm itself.
Session:
With Dignity: Why Clever Design Isn’t Enough
Howard Rideout
B. Arch., OAA, ASAI
Howard Rideout is the principal at Howard Rideout Architect, a Toronto-based architectural firm specializing in custom homes and cottages, hotels, resort community planning, and cultural facilities throughout Ontario, as well as large-scale resorts, institutional campuses, and master planned communities in Asia. From the intimate details of a custom home to the broad visions of his master plans he utilizes his strength in hand drawing to allow him to convey complex design ideas with ease to both clients as well as his collaborators. His drawings have won numerous awards from the American Society of Architectural Illustrators and have been exhibited in galleries both nationally and internationally.
Session:
Make No Little Plans: Envisioning a Wilderness Park in Central Ontario
Huda Juma
OAA, M. Arch., MRAIC, PMP, Diploma Health facility planning, LEED, Six Sigma Healthcare
Huda Juma has more than 30 years of experience as an accomplished healthcare architect, combining educational and professional experiences in healthcare building planning/design & construction, P3 projects, equipment planning, long-term care facilities, and project management. Huda contributed to various roles working for national and international reputable firms toward the development of high-quality skills. Currently, she is working for the Ministry of Long-term Care in Ontario.
Session:
Designing Dignified Senior Care Environments
Jamie Miller
PhD(Env.Eng.), M.Sc.(Eng.), B.Sc.(Eng.)
Jamie Miller is director of biomimicry and a senior associate at B+H Planning & Landscape. He is also the president of the award-winning sustainability consultancy, Biomimicry Frontiers, and the founder of the Biomimicry Commons, an education and incubator space that Fast Company named a "World-Changing Idea." Jamie holds a PhD in engineering, focusing on urban resilience and systems-based biomimicry and was the co-lead of OCAD University's biomimicry program. He has been working in the field of biomimicry since 2004 and was trained by Janine Benyus and various Indigenous Elders on the deeper principles of nature. He continues to focus on the practical application of this time-tested genius to the built environment and to the shift in our relationship with nature.
Session:
With Dignity: Why Clever Design Isn’t Enough
Jan Knikker
Jan Knikker is a partner and director of strategy & development at MVRDV, where he drives business development and public relations efforts, spearheading a large and dynamic studio that also includes the office’s visualization capacity. Jan further leads the office’s branding efforts, and MVRDV’s expansion into new markets, by supporting the office’s ambition to generate solutions to global challenges through a multifaceted approach to architecture and urbanism. He regularly lectures at international, commercial, and academic venues in Europe, the United Kingdom, Israel, Colombia, and Australia, and has written and contributed to numerous publications and exhibitions. Jan is a member of the HNI Heritage Network, and Gestaltungsbeirat of the City of Wiesbaden; he led the online design magazine Dafne, and was a member of the International Projects commission of the Netherlands’ Architecture Funds.
Session:
Livability, Densification, and Climate Resilience: Rotterdam’s Transformation as an Example for Urban Regeneration
Jeffrey Mitchell
OAA, CPHD
Jeffrey Mitchell infuses environmental design into every aspect of his projects by integrating sustainable technical, cultural, and material considerations that achieve efficient and elegant solutions for users. As Chair of Diamond Schmitt’s Sustainability Committee, his commitment to crafting beautiful and climate-responsive buildings is channeled through innovation, and by empowering teams to set their own action-focused environmental goals. Jeff is a licensed architect and a Certified Passive House Designer. He received his Bachelor of Architectural Science and Master of Architecture from the Toronto Metropolitan University with a focus on architectural systems and their integration through contemporary and innovative building science practice. Joining Diamond Schmitt in 2012, he has led complex institutional projects across Canada, including academic, civic, healthcare, science, and residential buildings. His work includes a leadership roles in the comprehensive integrated user engagement and design for the Cameron Community Centre and Library in Burnaby, the Peter George Centre for Living and Learning building at McMaster University in Hamilton, the Fredericton Playhouse competition, and the Environmental Science and Chemistry Building at the University of Toronto’s Scarborough Campus.
Session:
Embodied Carbon Benchmarking, Policy, and Practice in Ontario
Jeff Laberge
M.Arch., OAA, AIBC, AAA, MAA, NSAA, AAPEI, MRAIC
Jeff Laberge is a senior architect at J.L. Richards & Associates Limited, a 400+ person multidisciplinary firm offering architectural, engineering, and planning services to clients across Ontario. Currently, he is an executive director of the firm as well as the Chief of Buildings, managing a portfolio of projects that represents a third of the firm’s revenues. Over the course of his career, Jeff has contributed to the profession through volunteerism, acting as chair of the Northern Ontario Society of Architects (NOSA), volunteering with the steering committee and board of the McEwen School of Architecture, serving as a member of OAA Council, and currently representing Ontario on the Committee of the Examination for Architects in Canada (CExAC). Born and raised in Sudbury, he has been an active volunteer within the community as a former member of the board of governors of Science North as well as the board of directors of the Art Gallery of Sudbury.
Session:
Vale Living with Lakes Centre: Case Study
Jessie Smith
Principal, CSV Architects, M.Arch., OAA, MRAIC, LEED AP BD+C, GGP
Jessie Smith is a seasoned Architect and Principal at CSV Architects. Drawing on more than 15 years of experience, Jessie has contributed to the design of some of the firm’s most noteworthy and award-winning projects. As a leader in sustainable design, Jessie provides her team with guidance, creative direction, and support to meet client goals and objectives. Jessie is passionate about sustainability as a way to improve occupant comfort and well-being and uses her human instinct to design healthy and inclusive communities that are accessible to all. She is a LEED Accredited Professional and a Green Globes Professional. She has served on the board of the Ottawa Regional Society of Architecture (ORSA) for four years as Vice-Chair.
Session:
Right to Housing: A discussion on homelessness in Sudbury
Dr. Joanie Buckley
DBA, MIB
Dr. Joanie Buckley is an Oneida Nation Tribal Member, bridges Indigenous North American and Western cultures. Her roles have included Division Director of Internal Services at the Oneida Nation in Wisconsin (with leadership responsibilities to the departments of technology, media, tourism, grants, and food systems) as well as Director of Tribal Enterprises/Businesses (including casino, agriculture, construction, C-stores, hotel, and pottery) for the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe in Colorado. She has been engaged with indigenous non-profits and U.S. federal government agencies planning various community development initiatives. Previous to her work with Indigenous Nations, Joanie was engaged in architecture as Vice President Marketing for HOK Architects in its Florida office, focused on corporate and judicial architecture. As a team member of a large judicial project for the Venezuelan government supported by the World Bank, Joanie utilized her native Spanish language for presentations of design criteria, and for a forum on judicial designs. She currently teaches various subjects for University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Business School.
Session:
An Authentic First Nation Design Exercise
Joel Berman
ALA, NCARB
Joel Berman is the founder and president of Berman Architecture, a Chicago design firm specializing in hospitality, adaptive reuse, food production, and residential development. Project work includes an award-winning historic preservation renovation of a 1920s White Castle building, conversion of a 1906 Chicago fire station into a major video production and post edit facility, and design of branded restaurant and retail prototypes with locations around the US. Joel has expertise designing food-focused projects—private event spaces, restaurants, commercial kitchens, commercial bakeries and breweries, and ghost kitchens. He is a registered architect, and a member of the Association of Licensed Architects. Joel has NCARB certification and is designated by the City of Chicago as a Self-Certified Architect. Joel is a licensed architect in multiple U.S. states.
Sessions:
Freehand Sketching in Sudbury
An Authentic First Nation Design Exercise
Johanna Contreras
Johanna Contreras has been working as an accessibility and universal design professional for over 10 years. Johanna is truly passionate about design that promotes accessible environments and end-to-end customer experiences for all. As the Senior Advisor for Universal Design at Metrolinx, Johanna oversees the development and application of design standards for Universal Design for public transit infrastructure in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area. Johanna is accountable for the continual improvement of this corporate Standard, through the integration of a higher quality customer experience and safety considerations. Johanna also sits on several Technical Committees for Standardization, CSA B651 Accessible Design for the Built Environment; ISO/SC 16, 21542 Accessibility and Usability of the Built Environment; and the Design of Public Spaces Standards Development Committee under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA).
Session:
From Reactive to Proactive: Addressing Accessibility in Transit Architecture
John C.A. Hackett
B.Arch., OAA, FRAIC
John C.A. Hackett is the VP Practice Risk Management for Pro-Demnity Insurance Company. Since 2004, he has been the “voice on the phone” and respondent to emails from architects seeking assistance with concerns related to liability and professional liability insurance. John has served as the moderator for many risk education seminars and events sponsored by Pro-Demnity, and has authored several risk management advisories. Before joining Pro-Demnity, he practised architecture for 35 years as a principal at one of Ontario’s larger practices. He is a Fellow of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada.
Session:
IPD and the Architect: Challenges and Opportunities
Joseph Kunkel
Joseph Kunkel is the principal and director of MASS’s Sustainable Native Communities Design Lab in Santa Fe, New Mexico. A citizen of the Northern Cheyenne Nation, he is a community designer and educator, whose work explores how architecture, planning, and construction can be leveraged to positively impact the built and unbuilt environments within “Indian Country.” Joseph’s early work focused on the research of exemplary Native American Indian housing projects and processes nationwide. This research work has developed into emerging best practices, leading to an online Healthy Homes Road Map for affordable tribal housing development, funded by HUD’s Policy, Development, and Research Office. In 2019, Joseph was awarded an Obama Fellowship for his work with Indigenous communities. He also received a 2018 Rauschenberg SEED grant from the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation and a 2019 Creative Capital Award. Joseph is a Fellow of the inaugural class of the Civil Society Fellowship, a partnership of ADL and The Aspen Institute, and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network. Most recently, Joseph was awarded the 2021 inaugural Elaine Johnson Coates Award, by the University of Maryland’s Alumni Association.
Session:
MASS Sustainable Native Communities Lab & One Health Approach
Julian Lum-Smith
Julian Lum-Smith is an accomplished architectural designer with six years of experience, specializing in universal design. He has worked on a wide range of projects, from civic buildings to transit facilities, all while ensuring designs are accessible and inclusive for people of all abilities. Julian's most recent role involved leading universal design efforts for his team. A part-time professor at both Humber and Sheridan Colleges, he teaches architecture and interior design, sharing his expertise with the next generation of architects and designers, helping to equip them with the skills they need to succeed. He is also a frequent presenter at industry conferences, where he shares his insights and best practices with peers and colleagues.
Session:
From Reactive to Proactive: Addressing Accessibility in Transit Architecture
Julie Sawchuk
RHFAC Professional
Julie Sawchuk is the CEO of Sawchuk Accessible Solutions. As a best-selling author, speaker, educator, and accessibility strategist, Julie is committed to forming positive, strong, and responsive relationships that help create accessible spaces. After sustaining a spinal cord injury in 2015, she became aware of the everyday challenges of living in a world not built with accessibility in mind, and so began her journey as an accessibility strategist. Julie earned the Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification and launched Sawchuk Accessible Solutions, where she consults, completes accessibility ratings, and educates folks in the design and construction industry all across Canada. Whether retrofitting an existing building or starting from scratch, Julie speaks to audiences of architects, facilities managers, engineers, and builders to achieve meaningful levels of accessibility for private homes, international airports, and everything in between. Chosen by the Province of Ontario, Julie is the Chair of the Standards Development Committee for the review of the Design of Public Spaces under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). She was also a key member of the CSA B652 Accessible Housing Building Standard Technical Committee and is the Vice Chair of the Huron County Accessibility Advisory Committee.
Session:
From Reactive to Proactive: Addressing Accessibility in Transit Architecture
Justin Leclair
Justin Leclair is an architect with Parkin Architect’s Ottawa office and had been leading design work for the Arctic sector since 2008. His most recent work in the Territory of Nunavut includes three schools where each project presented new opportunities for culturally appropriate design guided by community input. The concept of ‘Qaggiq,’ which means a centralized communal gathering area, continues to be a key design feature in all educational projects. As he engaged in collaborative processes and the design of numerous community projects across Nunavut, Justin expanded his understanding of the important concepts of Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit—that which Inuit have always known to be true. IQ embraces all aspects of traditional Inuit culture, and is one of his guiding principle for the design of education, healthcare, and justice facilities in Nunavut.
Session:
Designing for Dignity in Canada’s Most Remote Communities
Kelly Alvarez Doran
OAA
Kelly Alvarez Doran is senior director of performance and provenance at MASS, where he supports principals and designers to embed environmental objectives into all of the practice’s projects, as well as leads climate-focused research and the training of the entire team. Previously, Kelly led MASS’s Kigali office overseeing the growth of the practice from a team of eight to 80 over a five-year period. He led the design and implementation of several of MASS’s projects across East Africa, notably the award-winning Munini District Hospital and Rwanda Ministry of Health’s Typical Hospital Plans, Nyarugenge District Hospital, headquarters for both One Acre Fund and Andela in Kenya, and the Rwanda Institute for Conservation Agriculture. Kelly holds professorships at the Bartlett and at the University of Toronto where his Ha/f Research Studio is focused on the whole life carbon of the built environment. The outcomes of this research has informed the ongoing development of embodied carbon policy for the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area.
Sessions:
Embodied Carbon Benchmarking, Policy, and Practice in Ontario
MASS Sustainable Native Communities Lab & One Health Approach
Leslie Parker
M.Arch., OAA, MRAIC
Leslie Parker is an experienced architect with extensive knowledge in contract administration and project management of large teams, as well as deep expertise of built environments for healthcare, long-term care homes, and design for seniors. As architectural risk advisor at Pro-Demnity, she monitors new developments in the profession and leverages this knowledge to contribute to the research and development of Pro-Demnity’s risk education material, initiatives and programs, while offering relevant and timely one-on-one risk guidance to architects. She is a licensed Ontario architect, with a BA from St. Thomas University, Fredericton, New Brunswick, as well as a Bachelor of Environmental Design Studies and Master of Architecture from Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Session:
Not in the Plans: Architects, Risk, and Personal Injury Lawsuits
Louis Bélanger
Architect, OAA, B.E.S., B.Arch., MRAIC
Louis Bélanger is a founding partner of the architectural firm of Bélanger Salach Architecture. Fluently bilingual, Louis has developed relationships with the Francophone community and his unique combination of skills and experience in a wide variety of projects has contributed to the diversity of the firm’s portfolio. Louis’ experience with leading large-scale community projects in Greater Sudbury is unparalleled. With 33 years of in-depth, hands-on, local experience, he brings strong leadership to the firm’s institutional design team. He has been the lead architect and project manager on many community-minded projects such as Place des Arts, Health Sciences North phase 1 revitalization project, South End Community Library, the Northern Water Sports Centre, Countryside Arena, Pioneer Manor, Elgin Street Greenway and St. Joseph Parking Lot Redevelopment at Bell Park.
Sessions:
Place des Arts Building Case Study: An Urban and Cultural Response
Place des Arts: Design Collaboration at the Twilight of the Master Builder Era
Architectural Tour of Works by Arthur Townend
Marc Downing
BES, B.Arch., OAA, LEED AP
Marc Downing is a principal at MJMA Architecture and Design. Previous offices include Teeple Architects, Philip Beesley Studio, and Shore Tilbe Irwin. He studied architecture at the University of Waterloo. A licensed architect and a LEED AP, Marc has coordinated design studios in architecture at the University of Waterloo and environmental design and at OCAD University. He has been a guest critic at Daniels, MTU, Dalhousie, Laurier and Boston College. Marc’s projects are typically part of a public precinct, forming relationships to existing buildings at the civic scale. His work is rooted in the idea that assembly space is always malleable; the challenges of multiple program types necessitate hybrid, multi-use design solutions. Marc is currently leading projects for East Gwillimbury, King Township, the City of North Bay, Russell Township, and Seneca College.
Session:
The North Bay Community Centre: Zero Carbon in the North
Maria Zakharova
B.A.S., M.Arch.
Maria Zakharova defended her M.Arch thesis project at the McEwen School of Architecture in 2022 and is now an intern architect at 3rdLine.Studio. Her interests and research focus on gender and design, poverty, and trauma-informed care. From being a first-generation immigrant from Eastern Europe to her academic studies at the McEwen School of Architecture, where she was exposed to work with real community issues, she developed a unique understanding and an open-minded approach to diversity, as well as socially and culturally sustainable architecture.
Session:
Design to Heal: Transitioning Unhoused Women through Gender Lens
Mark Baechler
Mark Baechler is an assistant professor at the McEwen School of Architecture, Laurentian University, where he teaches graduate and undergraduate design studio and architectural drawing courses. He holds a Bachelor of Architectural Studies and a Master of Architecture professional degree from Carleton University in Ottawa. Mark is a registered architect with the OAA.
Session:
Architectural Tour of Works by Arthur Townend
Mike Ladyk
B.Arch., OAA
Mike Ladyk is a partner at 3rd Line Studio, a Sudbury-based architectural practice, where he has worked since 1995. Over his illustrious 22-year career, Mike has successfully completed numerous projects across a range of sectors, including commercial, industrial, institutional, First Nations, and residential. Notably, Mike was involved in the redesign of the Wikwemikong Elders Lodge on Manitoulin Island, where he worked closely with the Wikwemikong First Nation to create a culturally appropriate design that addressed the community’s needs. In addition to his professional work, Mike is also an active member of several boards, including the Greater Sudbury Development Corporation (GSDC), the United Way Capital Campaign, and the Wavy Lake Campers Association, reflecting his strong commitment to community service.
Session:
(Un)Exposed: Co-Creating New Models for Care, Community, Wellness, and Dignity
Nathan Jensen
Nathan Jensen is the president of Mitchell Jensen Architects in North Bay. His practice focuses on community, education, and healthcare projects, as well as serving First Nations and Indigenous organizations. He passionately believes in the power of architecture and design to meaningfully improve the lives of people and the communities he serves, and seeks to find creative, contextually sensitive design solutions that are simple, durable, and sustainable. Nathan holds a master’s degree from Carleton University’s Azrieli School of Architecture and Urbanism.
Session:
The North Bay Community Centre: Zero Carbon in the North
Nicole Peirce
OAA, BES, M.Arch., MRAIC
Nicole Peirce is a University of Waterloo Master of Architecture program graduate who previously worked as an intern architect at HOK and KWC Architects on large-scale public renovation projects. In 2010, she founded the design firm Architecture &c. to foster collaboration and communication between clients and contractors. Nicole’s personal experience as a caregiver for her parents led her to focus on creating environments of care and proposing a Person-Centred Architecture that empowers architects to speak for the value of architecture in the spaces of people’s lives. As a mother navigating home-based learning during the pandemic, Nicole continues to research and write on the role of environment in people’s lives.
Session:
(Un)Exposed: Co-Creating New Models for Care, Community, Wellness, and Dignity
Paul Backewich
Architect, OAA, MRAIC
Paul Backewich is an architect and creative problem solver, who had worked with WZMH Architects, DIALOG, Diamond + Schmitt Architects Inc., Robbie Young + Wright Architects, Adamson Associates Architects, as well as Pellow and Associates Architects Inc. and dkstudio architects inc. He is currently working at Calnitsky + Associates Architects based in Winnipeg, where the practice is focusing on designs for significant First Nations projects. He has worked with some of the most successful development organizations in Canada (Cadillac Fairview, Oxford Properties, DREAM, etc.) as well as community groups including Children’s Aid Society and Woodgreen.
Sessions:
The Lines We Draw Sketching
The Lines We Draw Sketching
Dr. Peter Beckett
Dr. Peter Beckett has spent a lifetime (over 40 years) as a restoration and wetland ecologist at Laurentian University in Sudbury, where he is now an Emeritus Professor and a Senior Fellow at the Vale Living with Lakes Centre. Peter serves as Chair of VETAC, an Advisory Panel to the City of Greater Sudbury that oversees the local landscape restoration. He holds a Noranda Award for "outstanding achievements in reclamation," a Watkin Award for Reclamation from the Canadian Land Reclamation Association, and a Pioneer in Reclamation Award from the American Society of Mining and Reclamation. Peter is an honorary member of the China Land Reclamation Society and has given numerous invited presentations on the Sudbury landscape restoration worldwide.
Sessions:
Re-Greening of Sudbury
Regenerative Design: Re-greening of Sudbury: Case Study
Philip Ghosh
BA, JD
Philip Ghosh is an experienced litigator with a practice dedicated to defending architects against professional liability lawsuits as in-house legal counsel at Pro-Demnity, which he joined in 2020. He has successfully represented clients at all levels of Court in Ontario, as well as at mediations, arbitrations, administrative tribunals and professional colleges. Philip was called to the bar in 2012 after graduating from Queen’s University Law School in 2011. Further, he completed an internship at the Khmer Rouge Tribunal in Cambodia. He is a member in good standing of the Law Society of Ontario, the Ontario Bar Association and Canadian Defence Lawyers.
Sessions:
IPD and the Architect: Challenges and Opportunities
Not in the Plans: Architects, Risk, and Personal Injury Lawsuits
Pitseolak Pfeiffer
Pitseolak Pfeiffer, an Inuk born and raised in Iqaluit, Nunavut, is President and CEO of Inuit Solutions, a management consulting and community engagement company dedicated to improving the social and economic outcomes of Inuit communities through collaborative and inclusive approaches to business, research, and governance. Building on his 20-plus years of middle and senior management expertise advocating for Inuit communities and on his MA in Northern Studies, Pitseolak works toward strengthening the value of Inuit knowledge across sectors of activity and in projects that he hopes inspire others in the service of their communities. He has designed and delivered workshops, lectures, and training seminars with students and Indigenous-focused practitioners. He has authored journal articles and written pieces that encourage readers to pause when considering policies and programs that affect Inuit communities. Pitseolak loves trying out new recipes, being with family, and spending time in Iqaluit.
Session:
Designing for Dignity in Canada’s Most Remote Communities
Raymond M. Landry
Raymond M. Landry has worked as the Coordinator of the Homelessness Network in Sudbury since October of 2016. Throughout his career, Raymond has worked in and with indigenous and francophone communities in rural and urban settings. After 31 years in the field of social services, where he specialized in addictions and mental health, he joined the team at Centre de santé communautaire du Grand Sudbury, the Lead agency in the six-agency partnership that forms the Homelessness Network. There, he leads a team of 22 workers, from various disciplines and agencies, to assist and support those experiencing chronic homelessness find and maintain housing based in a Housing First Model. The “Network” is but one of many service providers linked to the city’s Coordinated Access System to provide housing and housing supports to those in need.
Session:
Right to Housing: A discussion on homelessness in Sudbury
Robert Boyd
B.A.(Hon.), M.Arch., OAA
Robert Boyd is an architect and the senior construction manager, development, for Toronto Community Housing Corporation (TCHC). His role there sees him leading TCHC’s design and construction interests in the revitalization of Regent Park in downtown Toronto, including procuring all design consultants. Prior to joining TCHC in 2019, Robert worked for 23 years at a number of architecture firms, including IBI Group, Diamond Schmitt Architects Inc., and Kohn Shnier Architects. Most recently, Robert was responsible for spearheading TCHC’s corporate-wide adoption of a Qualifications-Based Selection (QBS) process for engaging all of the company’s consulting architects and engineers.
Session:
Qualifications-Based Selection (QBS)
Salvador Knafo
OAA, MRAIC
Salvador Knafo is the lead in-house architect for Pro-Demnity Insurance company, and is involved in many facets of the company, working with leadership, stakeholders, claims, and legal counsel, in and outside the organization. Salvador’s breadth of experience includes having worked on professional liability claims with architects, construction disputes, as well as interacting with insurance underwriters in product development and other initiatives within the Company providing an architect’s perspective. Most importantly, Salvador passionately serves the profession of architecture by providing consultation to its stakeholders on avoiding liability and minimizing risk. During his 30 years at Pro-Demnity, he has defended architects on claims and providing advice on how to avoid getting caught up in one. He passionately advocates for architects and the profession so those “out in the trenches” can strive for excellence while exercising their skills and creativity to the fullest with peace of mind.
Session:
Not in the Plans: Architects, Risk, and Personal Injury Lawsuits
Sanne van der Burgh
Sanne van der Burgh is an architect and an associate director at MVRDV, and head of the practice’s NEXT (New Experimental Technologies) R&D group, which focuses on the development of visionary tools that help cities become more dense, more green, and more resilient. She leads multiple teams within MVRDV, realizing projects of various scales, phases, and across several continents, including the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen Depot, the refurbishment of the Lyon Part Dieu shopping center, and a visionary project for revitalizing New Delhi’s sanitation and infrastructure: Barapullah Springs. Sanne is a versatile architect with demonstrated design achievements. In 2019, Architizer named her as one of 25 young architects to watch. In 2021, she was the winner of a Female Frontier Award for “Innovation in Architecture,” organized by World Architecture News. A dedicated advocate for environmental awareness in architecture, urbanism, and our daily lives, Sanne believes in the capacity of design to inspire and have a positive impact on people and their surroundings.
Session:
Urgencies. Why we need to rethink the way we design and build
Sarah Ives
Architect, OAA, CPHD
As a Design Architect, Sarah is dedicated to creating human-centered spaces that seamlessly blend with their environments. With a diverse portfolio encompassing projects of varying scales, including small kiosks, children and youth's treatment centers, and large-scale developments, Sarah brings a wealth of experience and expertise to her work. Regardless of the project's size, she approaches each endeavor with a deep understanding of the unique needs and aspirations of the end users. By prioritizing inclusivity and navigating complex regulatory frameworks such as Building Codes and AODA Guidelines, Sarah focuses on designing spaces that cater to a wide range of individuals, promoting a sense of belonging and accessibility.
Session:
Children’s Treatment Centres and School in Ontario
Shannon Bassett
MAUD, BARCH, MRAIC
Shannon Bassett is a Canadian-American architectural and urban designer. Her research, teaching, writing, and practice operate at the intersection(s) of architecture, urban design, and landscape ecology. The Advisory Chair and Co-Founder of BEA(N): Building Equality in Architecture North, she was recently awarded the Diversity Achievement Award Honorable mention as part of the 2023 Architectural Education Awards. Her writing on both China’s explosive urbanization and its changing landscape, as well as shrinking cities and the post-industrial landscape in North America, has been published in Topos, Urban Flux, Landscape Architecture Frontiers Magazine (LAF) and Canadian Architect. Her design work and research has been exhibited both nationally, as well as internationally, including at the Hong Kong Shenzhen Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism and Architecture (2012) and was featured in the ensuing book publication, Learning from Tri-ciprocal Cities: The Time, the Place, the People. Shannon’s architectural and urban design practice has included designing an urban design masterplan and study for an urban artist colony on a 42-acre site, the Village of the Arts in Bradenton, Florida, as well as a series of speculative design studies for the City of Tampa’s Riverwalk.
Session:
Building Equality(ies) in Architecture - BEA(N): Building Coalitions
Steph Tzanis
Steph Tzanis studied Chemical Engineering at the University of Toronto and has just completed their MASc in Building Science at Toronto Metropolitan University. Their wide range of professional and academic experiences, along with their passion for environmental sustainability, has brought them to the built environment. Under the supervision of Dr. Mark Gorgolewski, Steph's research is focused on design for disassembly and determining how to attain widespread circular design practices in Ontario/Canada.
Session:
From Policy to Practice: Understanding the Transition to a Circular Economy in the Built Environment
Sydney Sheppard
Sydney Sheppard is a recent graduate of Laurentian University’s McEwen School of Architecture M.Arch Program. Since 2021, she has served as a graduate teaching assistant for numerous undergraduate courses, and has been the recipient of multiple school and community awards and scholarships, including the Rob and Cheryl McEwen Graduate Scholarship for excellence in design and the Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS). She has also served as a graduate research assistant involving a publication with professor Shannon Bassett titled, Recovering the Public Spaces of Shahjahanabad through Participatory Conservation and Ecological Urbanism, and for a SSHRC Partnership Grant titled, Quality in Canada’s Built Environment: Roadmaps to Equity, Social Value and Sustainability. Her research focuses primarily on the role of the built environment in the regeneration of the natural environment. Her thesis takes principles of education, storytelling, and regenerative design to contribute to an overall narrative of ecological remediation through the industrially polluted landscape of Sudbury. Addressing the realms of both environmental and cultural sustainability, her design interests also include biophilia, art, and the intersection of science and building performance.
Session:
MSoA M.Arch Thesis Work: Toward a Healthier Sudbury
Dr. Tamara Daly
PhD
Tamara Daly, is a feminist political economist and health services researcher, and a professor at York University. She is the Director of the York University Centre for Aging Research and Education and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Partnership for Age-Friendly Communities in Communities. Her research focuses on gender and health access and outcomes, improving conditions in long-term residential care, and promoting policies for health equity for older adults and their caregivers. Dr. Daly has authored more than 100 publications and received numerous awards, including the Faculty of Health Dean's Research Award and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and Mental Health Commission of Canada People's Choice Award. She is a frequent media expert on health care topics and speaker at research and policy conferences.
Session:
(Un)Exposed: Co-Creating New Models for Care, Community, Wellness, and Dignity
Dr. Tammy Gaber
Dr. Tammy Gaber is the director and an associate professor at the McEwen School of Architecture, where she teaches architecture design and theory courses. Tammy previously taught at University of Waterloo, American University in Cairo, and the British University in Egypt. She completed an SSHRC-funded research project that led to her forthcoming book, Beyond the Divide: A Century of Canadian Mosque Design and has published on gender and architecture with a chapter in the forthcoming Global Encyclopedia of Women in Architecture. Tammy has also published chapters on vernacular and regional architecture in Habitat: Vernacular Architecture for a Changing Planet and Diversity and Design: Perspectives from the Non-Western World, and has two chapters in the forthcoming The Religious Architecture of Islam. In 2019, she won the Women Who Inspire Award from the Canadian Council of Muslim Women, and was awarded Laurentian University’s Teaching Excellence Award for a Full-time Professor the following year. She was awarded SSHRC funding in 2022 for her research on the sacred spaces designed by the Modernist architects, Alvar, Aino, and Elissa Aalto.
Session:
McEwen School of Architecture: Case Study
Tara Bisharat
B.Arch., MS. Space Arch., OAA
Tara Bisharat is a licensed architect and an Earth and Space Architect with experience in Germany and Canada. Tara’s project experience includes science and research centres, educational campuses, condominiums, and high-rise projects. With a Bachelor of Science in Architecture and a Master of Science in Space Architecture, she has a passion for designing and engineering habitats for extreme and extraterrestrial environments. Tara's field of study and research is in additive construction, both for Earth and beyond, and her work focuses on systems engineering and mission planning for habitats that can be built in-situ using local materials and resources.
Session:
Additive Construction and Vernacular Architecture
Ted Wilson
OAA, LEED AP
Ted Wilson is an architect and master lecturer at the McEwen School of Architecture at Laurentian University, focusing on building environmental performance. He is the Senior Vice President & Treasurer of the OAA. He and his partner Deborah are renovating a heritage home in Haute-Ville just north of the MSoA; they have reduced energy use at the house by 90 per cent. Ted and Deborah also have a daughter enrolled in the M.Arch program who is also working in a co-op placement at an architectural practice in downtown Sudbury.
Session:
McEwen School of Architecture: Case Study
Dr. Terri Peters
PhD, Architect (ARB), WELL AP
Terri Peters is an assistant professor at Toronto Metropolitan University in the Department of Architectural Science where she teaches and supervises graduate students in both the architecture and building science programs. Dr. Peters is a registered architect in the United Kingdom, holds the WELL AP designation, and is a member of the 2021 WELL Concept Advisory for Lighting. Her current research focuses on building performance in health environments, pre- and post-occupancy evaluations, and intersections between architectural quality and inhabitant quality of life in long-term care homes. She is an affiliated researcher at Institut du Savoir Monfort in Ottawa. Dr. Peters has authored and edited numerous publications, including more than 20 peer-reviewed publications about sustainable housing, and her 2021 paper “Biophilic Design Strategies in Long-Term Residential Care Environments for Persons with Dementia” was published in the Journal of Aging and Environment with co-author Dr. Stephen Verderber. She was part of the jury for the OAA’s SHIFT2023 Health and Architecture Challenge.
Session:
(Un)Exposed: Co-Creating New Models for Care, Community, Wellness, and Dignity
Tim Coldwell
Tim Coldwell is a husband, dad, and Mohawk entrepreneur focused on leading by serving, culture, and the monetization of ideas. He serves as president of Chandos, a purpose-driven national technical builder leading change in the Canadian construction industry. The largest B-Corp certified contractor in the world, Chandos is proud to be 100 per cent employee-owned. We believe value is created when leaders combine the power of purpose with existing business models to solve the world’s greatest problems. Under Tim’s leadership, Chandos has forged partnerships with impact organizations across Canada to create opportunity at-risk youth in the construction industry. He is an advisor to San Francisco’s Center for Innovation in the Design & Construction Industry and was the founding board chair of the Integrated Project Delivery Alliance. Tim has been named an Entrepreneur of the Year; he is a recipient of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 and is also an alumnus of the Governor General’s Canadian Leadership Conference.
Session:
A Culturally Integrated Approach to Panelized Construction
Toon Dreessen
OAA, FRAIC, AIA, LEED AP
Toon Dreessen is a graduate of Carleton University and recipient of the Alpha Rho Chi medal. He is a member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and was inducted into the RAIC College of Fellows in 2016 and received the OAA’s Order of da Vinci in 2020. Toon leads Architects DCA, which has roots dating back more than 40 years and is ISO 9001:2015 certified; he is responsible for award-winning projects in infill development, laboratory, research, and industrial sectors. He leads the company’s activism in the role of architecture in social justice, gender equity, fiscal responsibility, and the role of architects in a strategic, visionary, and thoughtful planning. Toon served six years on OAA Council, including two as president, and continues to serve on Association committees. He is a recognized public speaker and published author in local and national media including CBC Radio, the Globe and Mail, and Ottawa Citizen.
Sessions:
Business Structure, Risk Management, Data, and ISO 9001 for Architects
Qualifications-Based Selection (QBS)
Valerie Dawn
Valerie Dawn is a principal architect with Glos Associates. She is an accomplished architect and advocate for community-centred design. With over 15 years of experience, she has led the design of architectural projects in both urban and rural contexts, with particular emphasis on marginalized communities and vulnerable sector work. Valerie is committed to empowering communities to play an active role in shaping their built environments and reclaiming the pre-design process as a tool for creating truly impactful and equitable spaces.
Session:
Power of Pre-Design
Wayne Olson
OAA, LEED AP
Wayne Olson is an architect and owner of Arctic Strategies Consulting, a firm that provides strategic planning and project support for housing and infrastructure investment in northern, remote, and Indigenous communities. He has been privileged to live, travel, explore, and work in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut as a graduate architect based in Yellowknife, as Director of Infrastructure for the Government of Nunavut, and most recently in the role of consultant Project Director for Nunavut Housing Corporation’s $2.7B eight-year partnership to deliver 3,000 new social, affordable, and market housing units across 25 predominantly Inuit communities. He has 30 years of experience in senior roles, supporting the planning, design, and delivery of billions of dollars in public-sector infrastructure, commercial, and institutional facilities, and housing.
Session:
Designing for Dignity in Canada’s Most Remote Communities