Toronto, ON – Settimo Vilardi has been named new President of the Council of the Ontario Association of Architects (OAA), regulating body for the province’s architecture profession. A Windsor, Ont.-based architect, he was acclaimed to the one-year position at the first OAA Council meeting of 2023, which took place on January 19.
“I am eager to contribute in new ways as OAA President to help promote this very important profession and ensure it continues to serve the public interest,” Vilardi says. “I’m excited to see projects and initiatives I have been a part of reach their successful conclusion.”
Previously the chair of the Windsor Region Society of Architects (WRSA), Vilardi served last year as the OAA’s Senior Vice President & Treasurer, and has been a key participant on various Association committees relating to practice, government outreach, and finance. He has also been outspoken about the need for better education among architects in determining fair and reasonable fees.
As a member of the Governance Committee, Vilardi played an integral role in the final development of the Association’s new five-year strategic plan, which includes a commitment to using both Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion as well as Climate Action as lenses through which the OAA carries out its work. The strategic plan also reconfirms the Association’s commitment to its primary objective as a regulatory body.
“The OAA must continue to be a ‘blue-chip regulator’ in the province of Ontario. I want to support the initiatives we have in place, and ensure we stay relevant and useful to both the public we serve and the architecture profession,” Vilardi says. “The OAA will continue to be a proactive force, ensuring continued engagement with the membership and the public, while also advancing our work with the provincial government, offering our insight into public safety as well as other areas like the housing affordability and long-term care crises.”
The principal and co-owner of Archon Architects Incorporated, Vilardi has more than 25 years of experience leading a variety of residential, institutional, commercial, industrial, and civic projects. He graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree (Visual Arts) from the University of Windsor and received his Master of Architecture Degree from the University of Toronto.
“The most significant thing for me was becoming an owner of my own architectural firm and having success with it. I’ve never been one that felt winning awards was important—my focus is on doing a good job, providing a good service to our clients, and creating spaces that that are well thought out, durable, and timeless,” he explains.
Joining Vilardi are Immediate Past-President Susan Speigel, Senior Vice President & Treasurer Ted Wilson, and Vice Presidents Kristiana Schuhmann and Christina Karney. Together, they help lead the Association’s governing Council for 2023.
Further Information
OAA President Settimo Vilardi, or other members of OAA Council, may be available for interviews. Higher-resolutions images are also available.
Media Contact
Erik Missio, Communications Manager
416-449-6898, ext. 241
erikm@oaa.on.ca
About the Ontario Association of Architects
The Ontario Association of Architects is a self-regulating organization under the Architects Act, a statute of the Government of Ontario. It is dedicated to promoting and increasing the knowledge, skill, and proficiency of its members, and administering the Act, in order that the public interest may be served and protected. For more information, visit www.oaa.on.ca.