TSA CONNECT 2025: Career Paths

An OAA registered Architect, with vast and varied experience across every phase of the architectural process, having meaningfully contributed to projects around the world while working at award-winning practices in Dubai, Toronto and Vancouver. An advocate for climate-resilient regenerative design, he Co-chairs the Steering Committee for Carbon Leadership Forum Toronto and has also been a guest lecturer, advisor and design critic on this topic at UofT’s Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape & Design, UofTs Mass Timber Institute, UBCs School of Architecture & Landscape Architecture, TMUs Timberfever Competition, and George Brown’s Brookfield Sustainability Institute.

Alistair is currently bringing a strong personal sense of stewardship to the various campuses as a Senior Planner at the University of Toronto. He is engaged in developing several proactive projects and initiatives ranging from deep carbon retrofits, adaptive reuse and renovations, additions, and facility renewal master plans to larger urban-scale assignments. As a champion of interdisciplinary applied research, his role at UofT has enabled him to engage in several decarbonization-focused courses often using the Campus as a Living Lab. Last term, Alistair co-taught a research seminar at the Daniels faculty on the climate adaptation of existing buildings.

Evan Saskin is a licensed and practicing architect and also the President of Blue Lion Building, a leader in high-quality small-scale residential developments in Toronto since 2011. With 14 years in construction and development, Evan’s career shows some of the many ways to apply an architecture degree. He’s worked in everything from general contracting and construction management to real estate development alongside more conventional architectural, urban planning and interior design roles. Evan encourages recent grads to explore non-traditional paths where they can still make a big impact in the built environment. The skills acquired in architecture school—design thinking, problem-solving at multiple interrelated scales, teamwork, visual communication and critical thinking about the built environment are central to Blue Lion’s process and successes.

Headshot by Sara Kardooni Portraits.

ASQUITH Architecture is led by Canadian architect, Heather Asquith – a skilled designer with an exceptional eye for detail and context.  She received her Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Waterloo School of Architecture in 1996 following several internships both locally in the Toronto area, and abroad in Helsinki, Finland. She became a licensed architect in 2008. Following many years of experience in several award-winning Toronto based firms, Heather established her ASQUITH Architecture to actively pursue meaningful modern, residential projects.

Jennifer Adams Peffer, AIA, RAIC, LEED AP is an architect and urban designer specializing in planning, design and construction in the Higher Education sector.  With 25+ years of experience, Jennifer brings to her work a passion for excellence in design and place making that incorporates best practices in health & wellness, accessibility, environmental and social sustainability.  As Campus Architect for the University of Toronto Scarborough, Jennifer leads a team of professionals in the pursuit of these goals through the renovation and improvement of campus spaces, and provides leadership toward the planning and design of new capital projects and campus master plans.

Jennifer has  held volunteer roles with The Society for College and University Planning (SCUP) Academy Council and North Central Regional Council, as guest editor for the inaugural 2020 Canadian Trends in Higher Education and most recently serves as a Board Director, and past Board Chair.

John is a city builder and licensed architect with a career spanning real estate development, asset management, and architecture. As an architect, he practiced in Toronto, New York, and Tokyo, with a focus on innovative models for urban housing. John is dedicated to applying his experience across the development spectrum to create thoughtful and impactful buildings that resonate with their context.

John Plumpton is the Principal of RevelHouse Architecture. RevelHouse is a boutique firm that focusses on what they call “Social Architecture”. Their work includes entertainment centres, recreational facilities, restaurants, retail environments and a mix of residential projects. 

Canadian work has included the development of the Rec Room and Playdium concepts for Cineplex, the re-imagined the Mega Parc in Quebec City, Little Canada, Pickleplex Social Clubs, Splitsville Bowling Centres and restaurants throughout the GTA.

Current international work includes entertainment centres in the Dominican Republic, Brazil and Carlisle Pennsylvania.

John has a B.E.S and B.Arch from Waterloo.

Kaari is a landscape architect and urban designer. She is a graduate of the Masters of Landscape Architecture program at the University of Toronto and has a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from the University of Eastern Africa, Baraton in Kenya.

Kaari currently works for the City of Toronto as an Urban Designer in the City Planning Department. Her work involves reviewing development applications, conducting planning studies and developing urban design guidelines.  Kaari is also a sessional lecturer at the University of Toronto John H Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design. Prior to moving to Canada, she run her own landscape company, Refuge Gardens Ltd., for 14 years in Kenya. Her company had a range of projects of different scales and scope in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Djibouti. Her clients included Deloitte, Kenya Airways, East Africa Community Parliament, Daystar University and Enashipai Spa and Resort.

Kaari is passionate about increasing diversity in the design profession. In 2022 received LACF Grant to further her outreach to students through her YouTube Channel Careers Unboxed with Kaari.  

Mania is a leader, key contributor, and valued team member of the DIALOG Toronto studio. With over 20 years of experience in architecture and urban design, Mania has gained extensive skills through her investment in pre-design through occupancy of commercial, institutional, healthcare, residential, and urban design projects. She approaches projects holistically and believes that each typology offers methods and solutions to inform the innovation of others. Mania works closely with her clients to create long and lasting relationships with them, which she begins with the foundation of a clear and open dialogue.

By leading with empathy, advocacy, and compassion, Mania enables design teams to discover new opportunities that give people the spaces and resources they need to thrive, while bringing a client’s vision to life. Most notably, Mania has been Project Manager for the 160,000-square-foot retail redevelopment of Union Station and 95,000-square-foot redevelopment of Fairview Mall in Toronto. She is currently leading an integrated DIALOG design team for the 90,000-square-foot Don Valley North Lexus project in Markham.

Within DIALOG, Mania is a member of the Project Management Roundtable. She is passionate about staying true to DIALOG’s Community Wellbeing Framework, and the practice’s ambitions to improve our built environment by contributing to community wellbeing in every project.

Maria Nikolova is a project architect practicing at GHD Design, where she is currently the lead architect for several industrial projects. Most notable is Convertus York AD, Canada’s largest biofuel’s project in history, an over 4,000sq.m organic material processing facility which will produce just shy of 500,000GJ/year of renewable natural gas (enough to power 12 800 homes per year). It’s currently in the permitting review stage with some site pre-construction activities underway.

An alumni of the University of Waterloo’s, Undergraduate of Architecture she earned her Masters Degree from McGill University, where she studied under Ricardo Castro and Alberto Pérez-Goméz and completed her thesis on the phenomenology of Water in Contemporary Architecture, with a focused exploration of Montreal’s Lachine Canal.

Over the last 15 years she has held various positions in the public and private sectors, in and around the Greater Toronto Area, focusing on design and delivery of transit infrastructure and industrial facilities projects. As a design architect at the Toronto Transit Commission Engineering Department, Maria worked on the multiple Transit Station Modernization projects throughout Toronto, including the recently opened Donlands Second Exist and Elevator. Her contribution involved the design and construction management of the projects as well as involving the neighborhood communities through public consultations. In 2020 she joined Metrolinx as a facilities project manager for the Yonge North Subway Extension where she worked on the designs for the Cummer, Clarkson and Royal Orchard Stations. In 2023 she joined GHD, where she has expanded her portfolio to include RFP Station design in Alberta including the new Twin Brooks and Heritage Park Stations of the Capital Line South Extension for the Edmonton Light Rail Transit.

As an architect her interest is focused on the building of city-scale infrastructure, and architecture’s opportunity to inspire, and responsibility to shape and connect us with our physical environment.

Megan has extensive industry experience and is responsible for the preparation of Building Code and Fire Code assessments for architects, engineers, designers, developers, and building owners.

This includes analyses of fire protection, life safety, and barrier-free designs of new and existing buildings. She is proficient in all scales of commercial, residential, infrastructure, transit and public sector projects, both in Canada and internationally.

With a background in Architecture, Megan assists her clients with the development of Code compliant approaches that are specifically tailored to meet clients objectives, while still maintaining the desired architectural vision.

Megan is also an active participant in the development of numerous fire and life safety standards and is often a guest speaker / presenter at industry events. Megan also offers in-house training to many of her clients and is a subject matter expert for OAA students undertaking the admissions course through the University of Toronto.

Natasha has been a part of the industry for seven years with an architectural design background, of which her current role is Specification Writer at Adamson Associates Architects (AAA). She is the current Chapter Professional Development Officer for the Construction Specifications Canada (CSC). Natasha has been involved in extensive research concerning environmental products, their systems, and quality control procedures for large scale projects. She has diverse project experience in her portfolio from educational, institutional and large-scale commercial buildings. Natasha has been involved with the development of project manuals and documentation to focus on the reduction of risk, limiting unforeseen challenges and writing with clarity. 

Norm Li is the founder of Normandthegang, a leading studio in the visualization for architecture, design, and real estate in Canada.  For over 20 years, they have helped architects and designers communicate their vision to stakeholders at all stages of a project. 

Nyasha Harper-Michon is an ‘Archtivist’ dedicated to raising awareness, empowering others, and uncovering actionable solutions to accelerate the transition towards equitable, just, resilient, and regenerative cities and communities. She currently serves as the Director of Programs at CP Planning, a Toronto-based non-profit focused on affordable housing and equitable land use for marginalized communities. Her expertise spans sustainable land use, strategic development, relationship building, and thought leadership namely as a LinkedIn Top Voice Green.

Phil Silverstein is a seasoned Architectural Project Manager, Contract Administrator, Designer, and Mass Timber Specialist with over two decades of experience delivering innovative, sustainable, and technically complex projects. Renowned for his exceptional project management skills, Phil has successfully led some of MTA’s most challenging and fast-tracked, multi-phase renovation and expansion initiatives since joining the firm in 2001. His collaborative approach and results-driven mindset have been pivotal in the successful completion of landmark projects such as Toronto Metropolitan University Centre for Urban Innovation, the University of Toronto Mississauga’s Innovation Complex, and Victoria University’s Goldring Student Centre. A passionate advocate for sustainable design and low-carbon construction, Phil specializes in mass timber buildings and environmentally conscious solutions. His portfolio features cutting-edge projects, including the Limberlost Place at George Brown College Tall Wood Building and the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation Multi-Tenant Commercial Building. Both exemplify Phil’s commitment to achieving LEED Platinum certification and Net Zero energy targets, pushing the boundaries of sustainable architecture.

Rob Shostak (BA, MArch) is a design professional and multidisciplinary artist responsible for driving SvN’s operations and marketing strategies. As part of his creative practice, Rob’s expertise in design and communications enables him to advance city-building and design thinking creatively and holistically to reach a broad audience while promoting SvN’s portfolio of work and cultural impact. Beyond a background in architectural design, his work extends across multiple disciplines, including product and graphic design, exhibitions and the culinary arts. The results of Rob’s cross-pollination comprise work published in numerous design magazines and installations in multiple art galleries and public venues. He received his Master of Architecture degree from the University of Toronto and has gained work experience in architecture and design firms in Toronto, Vancouver, New York and Los Angeles.

As an internationally experienced architect with an ocular disability, Roman brings over 15 years of lived and professional experience to his role as Director, Accessibility Advisory Services at the Rick Hansen Foundation. He oversees RHF’s social enterprise, where he is responsible for providing a range of advisory services, designed to support multi-site and large-scale public and private organizations on their journey towards increased accessibility and inclusion, in the built environment and beyond.

Roman is sessional faculty at OCAD University, where he teaches architectural and inclusive design studios and seminars in the Environmental Design program. Beyond OCADU, Roman has taught the Rick Hansen Foundation’s both professional certification course as well as RHF’s Accessibility Fundamentals course at Laurentian University, George Brown College, University of Alberta and Southern Alberta Institute of Technology. He holds a Master of Architecture degree from the University of Toronto, and a Bachelor of Design degree from OCAD University.

Inspired by the profound impact that the built environment has on people, community, and society, Roxane Bejjany was drawn to pursue architecture and received her master’s degree from the University of Toronto. Roxane joined KPMB in 2019, bringing valuable experience in civic, academic, and residential project typologies in a range of scales that also include custom projects. Previously, she worked at Shim-Sutcliffe Architects and Izen Architecture.

After joining KPMB, Roxane worked on a competition for a courthouse, where her discernment for details and material choices demonstrated her ability to create a tailored environment for this project, one that represents truth and honesty. Her exceptional ability to centre a project’s ambitions and vision, manage the day-to-day details, and motivate her team members is evident in her current leadership role in Project Horizon for The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids). For SickKids, she is driven by the firm’s dedication to pushing the boundaries of healthcare design to elevate the experience of care. 

Scott Norsworthy is an architectural photographer and architect based in Toronto. He is a graduate of the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design at the University of Toronto, and the Peter Guo-hua Fu School of Architecture at McGill University. Scott has photographed award-winning projects for distinguished architecture and design firms across North America. His creative and professional work is published internationally, and has been included in numerous exhibitions, such as “Italy Under Construction,” at the Italian Cultural Institute, Toronto (2017); the “Daniels 125 Exhibition,” Toronto (2015); “CONTACT Darkroom 4.0,” Toronto (winner, Best Landscape, 2015); and “Urban Fabric: Portraits of a City,” at the Textile Museum of Canada, Toronto (2014-2015).

Scott Weir, OAA, AAA, AIBC, NSAA, RAIC, LEED AP, CAHP is a registered Architect and Principal at ERA Architects. Scott has been with the firm since 2000 and specializes in heritage conservation, adaptive reuse, new design and heritage planning. He has a particular interest in design for hospitality and leisure, and the custom design and renovation of residences and cottages. Scott brings an ability to maximize the value of existing buildings within a redevelopment scheme’s design, and the ability to minimize risk while integrating diverse but specialized programmatic requirements into the constraints of an old building or repurposed site.

An avid photographer, bibliophile, and writer, Scott’s interest in cultural theory and North American urbanism has led to his work being published in a variety of architectural periodicals. He has been formally trained in Canada, Italy, and the U.K, and he regularly guest lectures for various programs at the University of Toronto, York University, Toronto Metropolitan University, and Carleton University.