TSA Connect 2022
Session 2: Volunteering

Tushar Negi is an Architect, registered with the OAA, and currently working as a Manager, Design & Product Development at Marlin Spring, a Toronto-based residential Real Estate Development Company. Originally from New Delhi, India, Tushar completed his Bachelor’s in Architecture (B. Arch) in 2012 and moved to Canada in 2015 to pursue a Graduate Certificate in Construction Project Management from Fanshawe College, London, ON.

With over 12 years of experience in India and Canada, Tushar has managed a diverse range of projects including low/mid/high-rise residential, retail, commercial, and interior fit-outs. Tushar possesses strong project management skills and technical proficiency combined with his knowledge of sustainable design practices that allow him to work effectively with an integrative approach with investors, stakeholders, consultants, vendors and contractors. Prior to switching to the Developer side, Tushar worked with WZMH Architects in Toronto and R&G Architects International in New Delhi, India.

Having experienced the challenges faced by newcomers to Canada in the architecture industry, Tushar co-founded SOSA (Society of South Asian Architects, Canada) in 2021, a not-for-profit organization where he is currently serving as Executive Director. SOSA serves our communities by creating opportunities for mentorship, education, networking, and outreach, and provides guidance to newcomer students and professionals.

SOSA LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/society-of-south-asian-architects-canada/

SOSA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sosa_canada/

SOSA Website: https://sosacanada.ca

Afsaneh is registered with the OAA and has been volunteering since 2013, leading the preparation of OAA’s white paper for the 2014 CACB Validation Conference. She was a founding member of RAIC Emerging Practitioners, Canada’s first Advocacy Group for Interns serving as Director of Knowledge from its inception in 2016 – 2020. She created a series of Webinars on the National Building Code and Contract Administration (ExAC Exam Sections 2 & 4), and participated in the preparation and/or presentation of Con Ed Sessions at RAIC Festivals 2015 – 2020.

In 2021, Afsaneh was a founding member of “Becoming Architects Canada” whose primary focus is advocating and providing support for individuals on the path to licensure. As Director of Knowledge, she has been responsible for preparation of BAC-DAC’s Launch Event Findings Report, the position paper submitted to CACB for the October 2022 Validation Conference, and a webinar on supporting ExAC prep.

Stephanie Mah, CAHP, is a strategist and designer with a diverse background in architectural history and theory, digital media, and environmental and technology studies. She is the Creative Director at Giaimo, a Toronto-based architecture firm that integrates design, conservation, and sustainability, as well as a member of the Canadian Association of Heritage Professionals (CAHP). Her current projects and research focus on community placemaking, cultural heritage, and conservation and circular design in the built environment. Since 2014, Stephanie has been involved with the charitable non-profit Architectural Conservancy of Ontario (ACO) in a variety of volunteer roles, and currently serves as the President of ACO’s Toronto Branch. She also sits on the Board of the Downtown Yonge Business Improvement Area, the Society for the Study of Architecture in Canada (SSAC) Diversity, Equity, Inclusivity, and Sustainability Committee, and is a past member of City of Toronto’s Montgomery’s Inn Museum Art Committee. Her multi-disciplinary background allows her to provide unique insights in architecture, landscape architecture, urbanism, and heritage conservation through research, writing, creative strategy, design thinking, content development, community engagement, programming, and placemaking.

Dana is a Licensed Technologist OAA and Registered Interior Designer ARIDO, NCIDQ with a decade of professional experience, and prior on site experience in construction, nonprofit arts, and hospitality. Dana sat on the Communications Committee and OAAAS Integration Committee with Ontario Association of Architects, the Membership Committee with ARIDO, and was a former Board Member of the Ontario Association for Applied Architectural Sciences (OAAAS) prior to its recent dissolution into the OAA. As both a Licensed Technologist and Interior Designer, she regularly mentors intern members and loves it.

Dana worked in various architectural firms in Toronto over the past decade on deep green residential, commercial, and institutional projects and is now the Director of Campus Planning and Projects at OCAD University.

To learn more about Dana, check out her Linkedin.