Episodes
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Matt Davis, Allen Chan, and Anwar Mekhayech are the three co-founders of DesignAgency, a Toronto-based multidisciplinary studio they launched together in 1998 under the original name Precipice Studios.
Matt grew up in Mount Zion, Ontario, on a twelve-acre hobby farm where he developed an early affinity for building and working with tools. He studied landscape architecture at the University of Toronto, where he met Allen. Allen was born in Hong Kong and immigrated to Toronto at age two, growing up in the west end of the city. He earned his undergraduate degree in landscape architecture and later completed a Master of Architecture at Columbia University, graduating in 2001. Anwar was born in Beirut, Lebanon, and raised in downtown Toronto near the Kensington Market and Chinatown neighbourhoods, where his family operated a restaurant called Kensington Kitchen on Harvard Street. He studied engineering at the University of Western Ontario before taking over his family's restaurant and pivoting toward design and entrepreneurship.
The three came together through the Toronto hospitality and restaurant scene of the late 1990s. Their first major collaborative project was SpaHa, a bistro they designed and opened on the ground floor of the University of Toronto's Graduate House, a building co-designed by Morphosis and Teeple Architects. The firm later hosted seasons of the HGTV Canada series Designer Guys before rebranding as DesignAgency in 2008 to reflect a broader, more holistic design philosophy.
Today DesignAgency operates studios in Toronto, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, and Barcelona, with a global team of more than 125 people across five principals. The firm's portfolio spans hospitality, entertainment, and resort design, with active projects including a resort in Portugal, a Montage property in the Bahamas, and work at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.
DesignAgency
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Kregg Fordyce is a Toronto-based architect, urban planner, and the founder of studioDEEP+, a multidisciplinary practice operating at the intersection of architecture and spatial planning. Born in Sudbury, Ontario, Kregg spent his earliest years in Capreol, a small community about an hour north of Sudbury, before his family relocated to the Niagara region, where he completed his schooling at E.L. Crossley Secondary School in Fonthill. A Rotary exchange to Varkauss, Finland during his final year of high school proved formative, exposing him to intentionally designed Scandinavian spaces and sparking a lasting interest in architecture.
Kregg earned his Bachelor of Environmental Studies in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Waterloo, where the Faculty of Environmental Design brought together planning, architecture, geography, and environmental science under one roof. He went on to complete a Master of Architecture at the Faculty of Environmental Design at the University of Calgary. He holds dual professional designations as a registered architect with the OAA and a Registered Professional Planner.
He founded his practice in 2006, originally under his own name before rebranding to KFA and ultimately to studioDEEP+, a name rooted in his graduate thesis project titled "Deep Architecture." The firm, now 21 people, works across mid-rise and high-rise residential, mixed-use, emergency services facilities, and large-scale community planning. studioDEEP+ is also an active member of the Toronto BioBuild Collective, a collaborative initiative among Toronto architecture firms exploring the integration of biomaterials into building assemblies.
Kregg Fordyce - StudioDEEP
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Gabrielle Kozhukh-Joo is the founder and Chief Visionary Officer of Mindwell Design, a Toronto based interior design studio recognized as the first neuroaesthetic design firm in Canada and the United States. She was born and raised in North York, Ontario, the daughter of Ukrainian immigrant parents who came to Canada in 1990. Her mother ran multiple small businesses, including a home daycare, while her father was working in the bakery business and later transitioned into construction, renovation, and custom building, which later influenced her brother's own move into the construction industry.
Gabrielle competed in gymnastics from age four through nine, then trained competitively in martial arts for over a decade, traveling to national level competitions across the United States. She speaks English, French and Russian.
She studied Environmental Studies with a focus on Urban and Regional Planning at York University, where she shifted her concentration toward green building. During and after her studies she earned her Net Zero certification and her LEED AP for Building Design and Construction. Early in her career she worked in residential solar sales, rising to inside sales manager, then moved into talent acquisition for construction and development executives before launching Mindwell Design.
While on maternity leave with her first child, Gabrielle completed her interior design diploma through the Interior Design Institute of Canada and earned her WELL AP and Science in Design certifications. She also holds a certified coaching credential. Mindwell Design specializes in renovation and full scope residential interiors that blend neuroscience, sustainability and wellness, primarily serving clients across Toronto including Midtown, Etobicoke and Thornhill, with openness to projects across North America. Gabrielle and her team are developing a new applied neuroaesthetics certification for the design and building trades. She frequently speaks at industry conferences and panels, including the Interior Design Show in Toronto.
Gabrielle lives in the Toronto area with her husband Marcus and their two children.
Mindwell Design
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Alex Josephson is a Toronto-born architect and the founder of PARTISANS, an award-winning architecture and design studio incorporated in Toronto in 2013. Growing up with an early affinity for tactile art and drawing, Josephson pursued architecture against the advice of those around him, treating it as a form of rebellion that ultimately gave him direction and purpose.
He studied architecture at the University of Waterloo, one of the most rigorous programs in Canada at the time, and spent five formative years in Rome working at the internationally acclaimed studio of Massimiliano and Doriana Fuksas. That period deepened his understanding of the intersection between architecture, politics, and culture. He later completed graduate studies through the University of Waterloo's Rome program and received the New York Prize Fellowship at the Van Alen Institute, the only Canadian to have received that distinction.
Upon returning to Toronto, Josephson co-founded PARTISANS and built the practice from the ground up, taking on installations, residential projects, and eventually landmark commissions including the Bar Raval interior and design work for Union Station. PARTISANS has since grown into a globally recognized studio. The firm was selected to design the RBC Amphitheatre at Ontario Place in collaboration with Gensler, and recently won the commission to design the Ontario Building Workers Memorial at Queen's Park, unveiled on April 28, 2026, the National Day of Mourning, by the Premier of Ontario.
Josephson is a lecturer at the University of Toronto's Daniels Faculty of Architecture, and a recognized voice on the future of cities, design, and culture.
Partisans
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Rebecca Axler is a Toronto-based interior designer and the founder of RTG Designs, a full-service residential design firm specializing in projects ranging from renovations and new builds to room-by-room transformations.
Born and raised in Toronto, Rebecca grew up in the North York area and attended York Mills Collegiate Institute. A lifelong curiosity about design and space, sparked during her parents' home build when she was in grade six, set her on a clear path early. After completing three years of sociology at Dalhousie University in Halifax and a fourth-year exchange at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, she built the portfolio that would earn her acceptance to Parsons School of Design in New York City. She completed the interior design program in 12 months, graduating in 2007.
Her early career in New York included an internship at Haynes-Roberts, a Manhattan-based high-end residential firm, followed by a junior role at Groves and Co. (then operating as S. Russell Groves), a firm whose work appeared on the Architectural Digest Top 100 list. She later worked with Matthew Robbins Design, contributing to the design and production of high-profile events and weddings.
After returning to Toronto, Rebecca launched RTG Designs and built her client base through word of mouth and Instagram. Her practice has grown steadily into whole-home projects and new builds, with a current roster made up entirely of repeat clients. She approaches each project as both designer and collaborator, often taking on a full project management role alongside the design scope.
Rebecca lives in Toronto with her husband and two children.
RTG Designs
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Steve Euser is a landscape architect and water feature designer based in Toronto, Ontario. Raised in the suburbs of Toronto, he was a creative and outdoors-oriented child, spending summers camping in Ontario's provincial parks, sketching, painting in watercolor, and building things by hand. His early aptitude for art led him to informally co-teach art classes at his school by grade seven, covering color theory, 3D rendering, and perspective drawing.
Euser earned a diploma in Digital Media Arts from Seneca York before completing a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture at the University of Guelph. Between his studies, he spent several months traveling independently through Europe, immersing himself in cities including Paris, Dublin, and Milan, an experience he credits as formative in shaping his understanding of how people inhabit and move through public space.
He launched his professional career at Janet Rosenberg and Studio, the award-winning Toronto landscape architecture practice located on Kenwood Avenue near St. Clair West, before joining his father Dan Euser's firm, DEW Inc. (Dan Euser Waterarchitecture Inc.), in 2010. A full member of both the CSLA and OALA, Steve brings a background in digital animation and fine art to his water feature design work. DEW's portfolio spans continents and scales, from the intimate Eleven Tears memorial at the American Express Tower in Lower Manhattan, which features a single drop of water falling once per minute for each of eleven employees lost on September 11, 2001, to the National September 11 Memorial at the World Trade Center site, one of the largest waterfall installations in the world. Closer to home, DEW's work includes the fountains at Yonge-Dundas Square and Berczy Park in Toronto.
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Vanessa Eckstein is the founder and creative director of Blok Design, a Toronto-based graphic design studio with a global reach. Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Vanessa was immersed in the arts from an early age, studying painting as a child under a celebrated surrealist painter in the La Boca neighbourhood of Buenos Aires. She went on to earn her undergraduate degree in graphic design from the Universidad de Buenos Aires, among the first generations to graduate from the program, before completing her MFA in Intercultural Design at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, among the first cohort to receive a master's degree from that program.
Her early career took her through New York, where she worked at Drental Doyle Partners, a renowned design studio, before relocating to Toronto in 1998 to found Blok. After five years, she moved the studio to Mexico City for nine years before returning to Toronto, where Blok has continued to operate ever since. Named after a political magazine from the era of the Russian Revolution, Blok reflects Vanessa's belief that design is most powerful when it serves society. The studio has maintained a deliberately small and nimble team of five to six people throughout its nearly 27-year history, working across brand identity, editorial, publishing, and exhibit design.
Beyond Blok, Vanessa is the founder of Rhythm Dialogues, a registered nonprofit and mobile artist residency program housed in a restored 1974 Airstream trailer that travels across Canada. Guided by the theme of Emotional Cartography, the program facilitates interdisciplinary exchange among artists across dance, writing, music, film, theatre, and visual art. You can explore her work on Instagram and learn more about the residency at Rhythm Dialogues.
Vanessa Eckstein - BLOK Design
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Nilton Forest is a licensed architect, Passive House consultant (PHIUS), and the founder of osda (Office for Sustainable Design Architecture), based in Saint John, New Brunswick. Raised in Taipei, Taiwan, by his mother, Nilton spent much of his formative years in the company of English neighbours from Carlisle who were visiting academics conducting research at the National Palace Museum. That early immersion shaped both his accent and his outlook in ways that stayed with him well into adulthood.
Nilton studied chemistry at Tunghai University in Taiwan before switching disciplines and earning his degree in architecture from the same institution. Following graduation, he completed an internship with Claus en Kaan Architecten in Amsterdam, a Dutch firm that has since separated into two independent practices, and contributed to the conversion of a historic building into what is now a well known hotel and cultural destination along Amsterdam's waterfront. After fulfilling his mandatory military service in Taiwan, he built experience across multiple firms and countries before relocating to Saint John to be with his partner and put down roots in New Brunswick.
Nilton spent a year as Heritage Architect for the City of Saint John before launching osda, which today stands as the first and only architecture firm in Saint John accredited with the PHIUS passive house consultant credential. In nearly three years of independent practice, he has completed more than 41 projects spanning residential, multi family, heritage conservation, and community development work. He lives outside the city on a 40 acre property with 30 acres of forested trail behind it.
Office of Sustainable Design & Architecture (OSDA)
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Jorge Eckstein is a Buenos Aires-born chemical engineer and entrepreneur whose unlikely second act has become one of Argentina's most celebrated acts of cultural preservation. Raised in Buenos Aires by Hungarian immigrant parents, he built a successful career spanning more than 30 years in the specialty oils and animal fats industry, supplying international companies including Shell, Exxon, Pfizer and Henkel.
In 1985, Eckstein purchased a derelict property in the San Telmo neighbourhood of Buenos Aires, just blocks from the Casa Rosada, intending it as a financial investment. What began as a restoration of an abandoned 1830 mansion evolved into a decades-long archaeological undertaking. Beneath the structure, workers uncovered a network of tunnels and ruins dating to the 1600s, including what would prove to be the first underground waterway switching system of the city. Eckstein spent 25 years excavating, restoring, and preserving the site entirely by hand, training specialized tradespeople where none existed and pioneering the first urban archaeological escrow agreement of its kind in the city.
The result is El Zanjón de Granados, a privately owned museum now welcoming approximately 36,000 visitors annually, among them passengers from international luxury cruise lines. The project has been recognized by Buenos Aires City Council as the most significant urban archaeological undertaking in the city's history. Eckstein is also the father of Vanessa Eckstein, founder and Creative Director of the internationally recognized Toronto-based studio Blok Design.
Images of El Zanjón de Granados are available on the Issued for Construction Instagram.
Jorge Eckstein - El Zanjón
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Monica Adair and Stephen Kopp are the founding partners of Acre Architects, an architectural practice with offices in Saint John, New Brunswick, and Halifax, Nova Scotia. Raised in the prairie town of Morden, Manitoba, Stephen developed an early passion for art and mathematics, earning his undergraduate architecture degree from the University of Manitoba before practicing in Stuttgart, Germany. Monica, a native of Saint John, New Brunswick, grew up in an entrepreneurial family with Mexican and Chinese heritage. Her diverse background includes a year long exchange in Spain, a degree in biology and psychology, and service as a naval officer in the military reserves. She also taught English in Taiwan before pursuing design.
The two met at the University of Toronto during their master of architecture studies. After working at prominent firms in Toronto, they relocated to New York to work for Skidmore, Owings and Merrill. There, they contributed to international projects, collaborated with prominent artists, and earned a feature in Dwell magazine that was recently showcased on Instagram.
In 2010, they returned to Canada to found Acre Architects. Beginning in a Saint John basement, their first breakthrough was a contemporary sidewalk patio for a local wine bar, which altered city bylaws and achieved international publication. Acre Architects has since grown into a nimble eighteen person team. Guided by a mission to complete one hundred transformational projects by 2030, the firm now executes over two hundred and twenty million dollars in construction value through major institutional and residential partnerships, driving meaningful cultural and economic development across Atlantic Canada.
Acre Architects
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Gelanaz Hemati is a Toronto interior designer and founder of Gelanaz and Associates. Raised in Tehran, Iran, as the youngest of three siblings, her interest in construction was sparked by her businessman father, who built the family home and cottage. Though initially discouraged by a teacher, Gelanaz mastered painting step by step, eventually exhibiting her art and studying under the renowned Iranian master Katouzian, where she developed exceptional hand sketching skills.
Driven by a love for math and art, Gelanaz earned her architecture degree with honors. At age 27, she began lecturing weekly at her alma mater on hand sketching and abstract design. Her early career included roles at a large urban design firm, head of design at a boutique studio, and 12 years as a partner with two university peers. Together, they designed numerous commercial and residential projects, including the permit expansion and interior design of an 800,000 square foot shopping mall featuring cinemas and multilevel underground parking.
Inspired by a trip to London, Gelanaz moved to Canada at age 36. After obtaining permanent residency in Montreal, she relocated to Toronto and studied building envelopes at George Brown College to learn wood frame construction. She rebuilt her practice through local residential projects. During the pandemic, an Instagram post about an award ceremony introduced her to the National Kitchen and Bath Association, or NKBA. She joined, won an award within a two week deadline, served as a judge, and is now in her third year on the board.
Today, her firm handles single family residential designs ranging from condos to an 11,000 square foot home. Highly active on site, Gelanaz communicates visually by sketching details directly onto drywall or plywood for tradespeople. Her personal interests include painting, morning reading, fitness, and exploring Ontario via road trips.
Gelanaz & Associates
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Established in 1961 as Webb Zerafa Menkès Housden, WZMH Architects is synonymous with the Canadian built environment and recognized as the architect of record for the iconic CN Tower. Originally defined by towering office developments, the firm diversified across retail, residential, master planning, and high security civic projects. Driven by an entrepreneurial spirit, WZMH recently expanded its geographical footprint to the Middle East and Austin, Texas. At the core of the practice is a deep investment in people through the WZMH Academy, mentorship initiatives, and scholarships that empower architectural talent. The firm challenges industry conventions through two innovation branches. Sparkbird is an internal research and development lab dedicated to physical inventions like modular components. Giraffe Apps is an independent software company engineering digital solutions, such as the Parrot and Aim applications, to streamline design standards.
Raised in Toronto, Zenon Radewych discovered a passion for drafting at Western Technical Commercial School. After graduating from Ryerson University, his career accelerated during two years living on site for the Windsor Casino project. Today, he champions business development and spearheads the Sparkbird lab.
Supreet Barhay grew up in New Delhi, India, earning an architecture degree from Bangalore University. Her early career involved commuting four hours daily on an analog bus, long before the distraction of scrolling Instagram. Following a master degree, she built a robust retail architecture career at Pellow and Associates before merging with WZMH.
Born in Eilat, Israel, Moran Olsha relocated to Canada as a teenager. After studying at Ryerson University, she moved to Budapest, Hungary, managing turnkey real estate projects. Returning to Toronto, she integrated her developmental perspective into WZMH, where she manages major government commissions.
WZMH
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François Roupinian is a globally recognized lighting designer and the founder of Lightemotion. Born and raised in Montreal, Quebec, François discovered his passion for illumination during his youth. His early creative experiments included building custom concrete and metal lamps in his bedroom. Listeners can head over to Instagram this week to view exclusive story photos of these teenage creations.
He refined his craft working in the Montreal club scene and providing lighting for electronic music acts like Daft Punk and The Chemical Brothers at venues such as Metropolis. Seeking to deepen his expertise, François studied at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity and completed a production program at the National Theatre School of Canada before graduating in 1999. Following a major architectural project with racing champion Jacques Villeneuve, he established Lightemotion, officially incorporating the firm in 2002.
Today, Lightemotion operates internationally with a dedicated team across Montreal, Toronto, and Paris. Under his leadership, the practice has designed illuminating experiences for prestigious clients including Louis Vuitton, Dior, Fairmont, Sofitel, the National Arts Centre, and the Asian Civilisations Museum in Singapore. His team is also deeply involved in illuminating the parliamentary precinct in Ottawa. A believer in heart driven business, François places immense value on human connection. Outside of work, he practices daily transcendental meditation and studies classical guitar.
Lightemotion
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Alex Bozikovic is the architecture critic for The Globe and Mail and a leading voice on urban design, city planning, and housing politics in Canada. Born and raised in the North York region of Toronto, he grew up exploring the varied built environments of the city. His early experiences visiting his immigrant grandparents in slab apartment towers across Toronto shaped his deep appreciation for urban life and density.
A lifelong reader with a passion for storytelling, Alex initially studied English at the University of Toronto and pursued graduate studies at the City University of New York. Realizing he did not want to become an English professor, he pivoted to journalism. He began his career cold calling publications and writing book reviews as a freelance writer. His dedication eventually led to a position at the alternative publication eye weekly, followed by a brief stint at the Toronto Star, and finally a permanent role at The Globe and Mail.
At The Globe and Mail, Alex spent nearly a decade refining his craft as a copy editor and assigning editor under the guidance of mentors like Carol Toller. Writing off the side of his desk, he eventually pitched himself to fill the architecture critic role previously held by Lisa Rochon. Today, he combines his literary background with an incisive understanding of civic infrastructure. He advocates for accessible public spaces, zoning reform, and vibrant urban ecosystems. In addition to his journalism, Alex also teaches urban design.
Alex Bozikovic
Impossible Toronto: On The Courtyard
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Jake Olivera is a talented product and industrial designer based in Toronto, Ontario. Born and raised in Cambridge, Ontario, Jake was deeply influenced by his Portuguese heritage and a family environment that encouraged spirited debate, independence, and hands on learning.
He holds a Bachelor of Design from the joint program between York University and Sheridan College. Early in his career, Jake interned in the marketing department at Umbra, which taught him the critical importance of product storytelling. He later honed his technical skills as an industrial designer at a prominent Toronto interior design firm and at Powell and Bonnell. There, he worked closely with local fabricators and mastered the complexities of physical manufacturing.
Following a pandemic related layoff, he launched Jake Olivera Studio. Over the past five years, he has built a reputation for designing highly sculptural, modern pieces. He collaborates extensively with Boyd Lighting in Colorado, producing celebrated lines like the Spire Collection and the complex, blown glass Nest Collection.
Recently, Jake partnered with Jason from Henderson Resource Group to launch Ourse, a furniture brand dedicated to domestic manufacturing. Debuting at the Interior Design Show, Ourse aims to revitalize Canadian fabrication by utilizing local materials and labor, ensuring pieces are built to last for generations.
Jake describes himself as a small scale problem solver who creates distinct, form focused objects for architects and designers. His ultimate design aspirations include creating the Olympic torch and a signature tile collection, as well as collaborating with global pinnacle brands like Vitra and Magis.
Jake Oliveira StudioNext Release:
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Zoë Coombes is an architectural designer and the Executive and Creative Director of the Neptis Foundation. Raised in her hometown of Toronto near Bathurst and Bloor, she was influenced by her father, Tony Coombes, who served as Chief Planner for Central Toronto. She completed a Foundation Year Program at the University of King's College in Halifax, an urban history degree, and a Master of Architecture from Columbia University.
In New York, Coombes cofounded Commonwealth, a Brooklyn design studio and gallery, with her husband David Boira. Commonwealth explored the intersection of digital formalism and physical fabrication, collaborating with artists to host community driven gallery events.
Upon returning to Toronto, Coombes assumed leadership of the Neptis Foundation. Historically focused on regional planning, the charitable foundation has pivoted under her guidance to emphasize the critical role of architects in shaping urban growth. Coombes spearheaded Impossible Toronto, an initiative partnering with local architecture practices to design aspirational building typologies currently unbuildable due to restrictive zoning and building codes.
The inaugural project, On the Courtyard, was developed with Studio VAARO and Gabriel Fain Architects. It explores the viability of European style courtyard blocks in Toronto and outlines a matrix of impossibilities detailing regulatory friction. You can access the On the Courtyard PDF linked in the podcast liner notes.
The Neptis Foundation
Impossible Toronto: On The Courtyard
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Born in Tirana, Albania, Uarda Kellezi is an architectural and interior designer whose professional journey is defined by a blend of European cultural immersion and rigorous technical training. The daughter of a diplomat, Uarda spent her formative years navigating a life between Italy, Albania, and Canada, a transition that fostered her deep appreciation for history, art, and the identity of built environments.
Uarda’s creative foundation began in the performing and visual arts, though she eventually pivoted toward the technical sciences—a shift common in Eastern European education. This duality of creative intuition and mathematical precision led her to the prestigious University of Waterloo’s Architecture program. During her studies, she gained diverse international experience through internships in Amsterdam, Rome, and Tirana, working across various sectors including real estate development and environmental architecture with UNICEF.
In January 2023, at the age of 25, Uarda launched Studio Kellezi in the Vaughan area. Her transition to firm ownership was catalyzed by her rapid ascent at a luxury development firm, where she managed high-rise penthouses and complex construction sites during the global pandemic. This "on-site" baptism by fire allowed her to earn the respect of seasoned trades and master the intricacies of construction management.
Today, Uarda leads a growing team of designers specializing in high-end custom homes and luxury interiors. Known for her "old soul" work ethic and solution-oriented approach, she has built a reputation for deep client trust and a reinforced network of industry collaborators. Her design philosophy remains heavily influenced by the historical grandeur of Italy, where she believes architecture serves as the essence of society. When she is not in the studio, Uarda prioritizes mentorship within her team and seeks inspiration through travel and the quiet resets of the coast.
Studio Kellezi
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Matthew Kennedy and Mark Erickson are the founders of Studio North, an architectural design practice based in Calgary, Alberta.
Matthew was born in Halifax and raised in Calgary. Encouraged by his entrepreneurial parents, he discovered a passion for woodworking early on and trained as a journeyman finishing carpenter. He studied urban design at the University of Calgary before completing his architectural degrees at Dalhousie University, where he focused his thesis on laneway housing. Today, Matthew lives on an acreage with his three children and continues to pursue fine woodworking.
Mark was born and raised in Calgary, with a brief childhood stint in Edmonton where he published a winning comic strip in the Edmonton Journal. As mentioned in the discussion, a photo of this childhood comic may be shared on Instagram stories. Raised by a highly resourceful father and a pioneering neon glassblower mother, Mark developed a strong foundation in art. He studied alongside Matthew at the University of Calgary and Dalhousie. During his schooling, Mark spent six months teaching at the Gambia Technical Training Institute in West Africa. There, he studied multi generational family compounds, which heavily influenced their later residential designs. Mark enjoys spending his free time with his two children at his home shop and family cabin in Windermere.
The duo began collaborating on ambitious student projects, including a camp in Prince Edward Island and a lamella structure at the Ross Creek Centre for the Arts. They officially launched Studio North in 2013. After twelve years of managing design and construction for large scale projects like the Aster housing complex in Banff, they recently refined their focus to operate as a nimble six person design studio. They also run Ark House, a venture dedicated to marketing architecturally designed homes.
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Studio Kellezi
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Diego Burdi and Paul Filek are the cofounders of Burdifilek, a global interior design studio established in 1993.
Diego Burdi, the firm's Creative Director, was born and raised in Scarborough. A first generation Canadian of Italian descent, he attended Wexford Collegiate School for the Arts before studying interior design at Toronto Metropolitan University.
Paul Filek, the managing partner, grew up in Sault Ste. Marie. Raised by entrepreneurial immigrant parents from Italy and Poland, he developed an early fascination with building. He also attended Toronto Metropolitan University.
They started their practice in a small corner office at Berkeley Castle in Toronto. They quickly built a reputation for designing with a global perspective. Early success came from cold calling a bakery, followed by major commissions for Club Monaco and the main floor of the Holt Renfrew flagship on Bloor Street. The Holt Renfrew commission served as a massive catalyst, proving their design capabilities on a global stage.
Today, their Toronto based studio operates with a highly focused team of twenty professionals. They take on diverse global projects, from massive commercial spaces like Park One in Seoul to award winning super yachts that have graced the cover of SuperYacht Times.
Both founders maintain a fearless and entrepreneurial spirit. They actively seek new opportunities, noting that scrolling Instagram can reveal hundreds of new creative directions to explore. Furthermore, they are eager to expand their footprint and expressed interest in taking on projects in South America.
BURDIFILEK
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Born in Georgetown, Guyana, Carol Phillips is a formidable leader in the Canadian architecture industry and a Partner at the renowned firm Moriyama Teshima Architects (MTA). Her design philosophy is deeply rooted in her upbringing in a "Demerara style" wooden home—a traditional structure raised on concrete piers with louvered "hopper" windows—in a country below sea level. This early exposure to tropical biodiversity, natural ventilation, and flood mitigation informs her modern-day advocacy for mass timber construction and sustainable, low-carbon building solutions.
Carol immigrated to Canada in 1977, settling in North York. Her journey into architecture was not linear; she initially pursued physics and literature at the University of Waterloo. However, an elective in iconography—a foundational pillar of Waterloo’s architectural curriculum—ignited a passion for the cultural and spatial narratives of the built environment. After reapplying to the architecture program, she spent years honing her craft through international experiences that shaped her professional identity.
Her formative years included working in Vancouver for Peter Busby, where she embraced high-tech sustainability, and a transformative eight-month stint in Barcelona. Immersed in the neo-minimalism of the post-Franco era, she developed a lifelong conviction for the assertive use of materiality and the phenomenology of space. She later worked in Hong Kong for two years during the 1992 recession, living in a 200-square-foot apartment in Kowloon and later on the outlying island of Cheung Chau before returning to Toronto.
Since joining MTA in 2006, Carol has spearheaded landmark projects such as the award-winning Multifaith Centre at the University of Toronto. She was a central figure in the international competition-winning design for Limberlost Place at George Brown College, a paradigm-shifting, 10-story net-zero carbon mass timber building. A dedicated mentor and sessional instructor at the University of Toronto’s Daniels Faculty, Carol remains committed to creating public spaces that foster social interaction and environmental stewardship.
Moriyama Teshima ArchitectsNext Release:
BURDIFILEK
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