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Issued For Construction
Published by Issued For Construction with Jonathan Jacobs
- Arts
- Design
A long-form podcast hosted by Jonathan Jacobs dedicated to the careers and lives of the individuals shaping the built environment.
Listen on Apple PodcastsRecent episodes
- Issued For Construction AD - NYC Series: Adam Yarinky & Kim Yao - Architecture Research Office from Issued For Construction
1 hr 47 min
Kim Yao is a principal of Architecture Research Office, a New York City firm she joined in 1997, later becoming partner. Born in Portland, Oregon, she grew up in nearby Lake Oswego, the youngest of three children of a pediatric neurologist who immigrated from the Philippines and a nurse of Irish descent. She played soccer and basketball and rowed in college before discovering architecture at Columbia University, then earned a Master of Architecture from Princeton. She has taught at Columbia and previously at Barnard and Parsons. Kim is married with two children, cooks as a creative outlet, and is part of a shared land project with friends north of New York City, planting an orchard together. Adam Yarinsky is a founding principal of Architecture Research Office, which he established with Stephen Cassell in 1993. He grew up in a suburb of Albany, New York, the youngest of three children of a research scientist and a mother trained as a fine artist. Interested in architecture since childhood, he interned for a family friend who was an architect, then earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia and a Master of Architecture from Princeton, where he won the SOM Prize, funding months of research travel on civic buildings in Europe. He worked for architect Deborah Berke, then nearly four years at Steven Holl Architects as project architect on the Stretto House in Dallas, before founding his own practice. Adam and his wife, an art historian, built a house outside New York City that he designed, and he recently became a grandfather. The firm's third partner, Stephen Cassell, was unable to join the recording. Cassell met Yarinsky while an undergraduate at Princeton University and later worked at Steven Holl Architects before earning a Master of Architecture at Harvard, where his thesis advisor was Rem Koolhaas. He co-founded Architecture Research Office with Yarinsky in 1993, with Yao joining as partner in 2010/11, and today the three lead the firm together. ARO Next Release: Sheree Stuart Design Sponsors: Caplan's Appliances The Doors To connect with our sponsors, email me: jonathan@issuedforconstruction.ca Issued For Construction
- Issued For Construction ID: Kim Lambert - Kim Lambert Design from Issued For Construction
1 hr 33 min
Born in Toronto and the eldest of three girls, Kim grew up between an orthopaedic surgeon father and an artist mother, a pairing she credits for both her creative instinct and her exacting standards. She earned an honours degree from Queen's University, where she studied politics and wrote a thesis on peacekeeping, then spent nine months travelling and diving through New Zealand, Australia and Southeast Asia. Early roles in finance at Wood Gundy and in account management at Ogilvy and Mather sharpened her understanding of brand before she returned to school at the International Academy of Design in Toronto, funding her studies herself. Her design career began at Yabu Pushelberg, where she spent six years working alongside George Yabu and Glenn Pushelberg on global luxury hospitality and retail, including the Italian fashion label Piazza Sempione and a Taj hotel in Mauritius. She later joined Burdifilek before opening her own practice, which she built from a written business plan and ran single handedly for its first five years. Today Kim leads a team of seven on residential projects across Toronto, Collingwood, Calgary, New York and Florida. Her work has been published in Canada and Europe and in several coffee table books. She is known for restraint, considered materiality, sculptural lighting and a genuine respect for client budgets, and she is currently expanding into furniture design. She has two sons and is a lifelong skier, and traveller. Kim Lambert Design Next Release: Architecture Research Office Sponsors: Caplan's Appliances The Doors Aquanta Pools To connect with our sponsors, email me: jonathan@issuedforconstruction.ca Issued For Construction
- Issued For Construction AD: Chrinstine Lolley - Solares Architecture from Issued For Construction
1 hr 38 min
Christine Lolley is the principal and co-founder of Solares Architecture, a residential architecture practice in Toronto. She grew up in Puslinch Township, south of Guelph, Ontario, the daughter of a family doctor and a father who built a software company for the equipment rental industry. She has an older sister, Sarah, and a younger brother, Peter. Christine studied architecture at the University of Waterloo, earning undergraduate and Master of Architecture degrees, the latter concluding with a graduate thesis on sustainable housing. Through Waterloo's co-op program she gained early experience at firms in Toronto, New York, and London, including a placement at Kohn Pedersen Fox in New York. In 2005, Christine and her husband, architect Tom Knezic, designed and built a home for her parents on a rural property near Gananoque, Ontario. That project became the catalyst for founding Solares Architecture, which grew from a small design build practice into a fully licensed firm known for sustainable, low carbon residential design, including passive solar principles, airtight construction, and all electric homes. Solares has completed projects from kitchen renovations to multi unit residential buildings across Toronto, Prince Edward County, and cottage country. After nearly two decades practicing together, Tom stepped back to found Ecoflats Developments, a company building and operating multiplexes in Toronto. Lolley now leads Solares as principal, overseeing design and business development. Christine lives in Toronto's Roncesvalles neighborhood with Tom and their two children, Hamish and Moira. She enjoys skiing, hiking, singing, and travel. Solares Architecture Next Release: Kim Lambert Design Sponsors: Caplan's Appliances The Doors Aquanta Pools To connect with our sponsors, email me: jonathan@issuedforconstruction.ca Issued For Construction
- Issued For Construction ID: Clarisa Llaneza - Clarisa Llaneza Studio from Issued For Construction
1 hr 39 min
Clarisa Llaneza is the founder and principal designer of Clarisa Llaneza Studio, a Toronto based interior design practice known for high end residential and commercial work. Born and raised in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, in a family of eight siblings, Clarisa grew up immersed in nature and creativity, spending her early years sketching, painting, and building forts on her family's property. Her mother, a trained architect, encouraged her artistic development from a young age. As a teenager, she studied abroad in Switzerland and completed a photography focused program in St. Petersburg, Russia, experiences that deepened her appreciation for architecture and historic spaces. Clarisa earned her undergraduate degree in architecture from Universidad Iberoamericana, UNIBE, in Santo Domingo. She later moved to New York City, interning with architect Rafael Alvarez before completing a Master's degree in Architectural Lighting Design at Parsons School of Design. Following her studies, Clarisa worked in lighting design and sales, including a role with Italian lighting manufacturer Viabizzuno, which brought her to Toronto. She later transitioned into interior design, launching her own studio during the COVID nineteen pandemic with encouragement from friends and mentors. Her first major project, a full home renovation in Toronto's Rosedale neighbourhood, helped establish her portfolio. Since then, Clarisa Llaneza Studio has grown to a team of five to six, taking on residential and commercial projects including retail spaces, a jewelry store, and multiple developments in the Summerhill area of Toronto. Clarisa lives in Toronto with her husband and their two sons. Clarisa Llaneza Studio Next Release: Solares Architecture Sponsors: Caplan's Appliances The Doors Aquanta Pools To connect with our sponsors, email me: jonathan@issuedforconstruction.ca Issued For Construction
- Issued For Construction AD: Theodore Oyama - OYAMA from Issued For Construction
1 hr 34 min
Theodore Oyama, also known as Theo or Ted, is a Montreal based architect and founder of oyama, an architecture and design practice established in early 2021. Born in 1989 and raised in Montreal's West Island suburbs, Theodore studied architecture at McGill University, earning undergraduate and graduate degrees. He spent a semester on exchange in Brussels and traveled through Romania on a school scholarship, visiting the towns where his mother's family had lived before the Second World War. While in school, Theodore spent several years working for a Montreal residential contractor, gaining carpentry experience that continues to inform his design approach. After graduating in 2015, he worked at a large Montreal architecture office, then taught studio courses at McGill. In May 2019, Theodore joined Renzo Piano Building Workshop, splitting time between the firm's New York and Paris offices on a Columbia University project. When RPBW closed its New York office in October 2020, he returned to Montreal and soon launched his own practice. Theodore is a licensed architect in Quebec and a Certified Passive House Designer. He builds passive house principles into his standard approach, favoring materials such as mineral wool and wood fiber over spray foam, and works closely with contractors and clients to balance performance with design. His published work, including the residence Waterhouse, was developed with fellow architect Julia Manaças. He focuses on residential work in Quebec while expanding into commercial projects. Outside of practice, Theodore takes canoe camping trips in Algonquin Park and hikes in the Adirondacks. He lives in Montreal with his partner and family. OYAMA Next Release: Clarisa Llaneza Studio Sponsors: Caplan's Appliances The Doors Aquanta Pools To connect with our sponsors, email me: jonathan@issuedforconstruction.ca Issued For Construction
- Issued For Construction ID: Allen Chan, Anwar Mekhayech, & Matt Davis - DesignAgency Pt.2 from Issued For Construction
1 hr 29 min
Matt Davis, Allen Chan, and Anwar Mekhayech are the founding partners of DesignAgency, a multidisciplinary design studio based in Toronto with additional studios in Barcelona, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C. The firm's European expansion began through a chance meeting in New York between Mekhayech and private equity investor Josh Wyatt, who was launching a hospitality fund in the United Kingdom. That connection led to DesignAgency's first project in Europe, transforming a building next to the old Jameson Brewery in Dublin into what became the first Generator Hostel. The partnership with Wyatt's firm, Patron Capital, expanded into twelve European gateway cities, including London, Hamburg, Barcelona, Venice, and Stockholm. Through former employee Rebecca Mason, the firm later opened a permanent studio in Barcelona, now led by Alessandro and his wife Marina and staffed by nearly twenty designers. In Toronto, DesignAgency has led interior design for Scotiabank Arena as part of a three hundred fifty million dollar reimagination for Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, working alongside BBB Architects. The firm has also expanded into live music venues with Live Nation, including History in Toronto and a forthcoming second History venue opening in Ottawa, and is currently designing a large scale restaurant and live music megaplex in Regina alongside veterans of the House of Blues brand. Most recently, DesignAgency opened a new studio in Singapore after being approached to take over an established regional practice, extending the firm's reach into the Asia Pacific market and securing its first project in the Middle East. DesignAgency Part 2 Next Release: OYAMA Sponsors: Caplan's Appliances The Doors Aquanta Pools To connect with our sponsors, email me: jonathan@issuedforconstruction.ca Issued For Construction
- Issued For Construction AD: Philip Evans - ERA Architects from Issued For Construction
2 hr 5 min
Philip Evans is a Principal at ERA Architects, a Toronto based heritage and adaptive reuse practice with studios across Canada. He was born in Newfoundland, descended from generations of shipbuilders from the Notre Dame Bay and Greenspond areas, and moved with his family to Ontario as a young child, eventually settling in Brampton, where he attended Mayfield Secondary School's visual arts program. Evans studied architecture at the University of Toronto, completing his degree over eight years while working. During his studies he spent summers cataloguing architectural archives, including the work of Moshe Safdie, at McGill University's Blackader Lauterman Library. He also helped organize the Toronto the Good fundraising parties that supported Spacing Magazine in its early years. He joined ERA Architects in 2001, working alongside founders Michael McClelland and Edwin Rowse. In 2005 he married his wife Julie and moved to the United Kingdom, working with CTM Architects in the County of Kent on school redevelopment and adaptive reuse projects before returning to Toronto in 2006 to rejoin ERA as an Associate. He has since become a Principal at the firm, which has grown to roughly 120 people with offices in Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, and Prince Edward County, along with licenses to practice across most Canadian provinces. Evans is the founder of Culture of Outports and Culture of Small, initiatives exploring adaptive reuse and economic renewal in small and rural Canadian communities, and leads ongoing research into the Great Lakes Basin. He competed in wrestling for Team Ontario at the national level as a teenager. Outside of practice, he restores vintage vehicles, collects stamps, and is the father of two teenage sons. Philips Evans - ERA Architects Next Release: DesignAgency Part 2 Sponsors: Caplan's Appliances The Doors Aquanta Pools To connect with our sponsors, email me: jonathan@issuedforconstruction.ca Issued For Construction
- Issued For Construction ID: Allen Chan, Anwar Mekhayech, & Matt Davis - DesignAgency Pt.1 from Issued For Construction
1 hr 43 min
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 Next Release: Philip Evans - ERA Architects Sponsors: Caplan's Appliances The Doors Aquanta Pools To connect with our sponsors, email me: jonathan@issuedforconstruction.ca Issued For Construction
- Issued For Construction AD: Kregg Fordyce - StudioDEEP from Issued For Construction
1 hr 27 min
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 Next Release: DesignAgency Part 1 Sponsors: Caplan's Appliances The Doors Aquanta Pools To connect with our sponsors, email me: jonathan@issuedforconstruction.ca Issued For Construction
- Issued For Construction ID: Gabrielle Kozhukh-Joo - Mindwell Design from Issued For Construction
1 hr 22 min
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 Next Release: Kregg Fordyce - StudioDEEP Sponsors: Caplan's Appliances The Doors Aquanta Pools To connect with our sponsors, email me: jonathan@issuedforconstruction.ca Issued For Construction
- Issued For Construction AD: Alex Josephson - Partisans from Issued For Construction
1 hr 49 min
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 Next Release: Mindwell Design Sponsors: Caplan's Appliances The Doors Aquanta Pools To connect with our sponsors, email me: jonathan@issuedforconstruction.ca Issued For Construction
- Issued For Construction ID: Rebecca Axler - RTG Designs from Issued For Construction
1 hr 21 min
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 Next Release: Alex Josephson - Partisans Sponsors: Caplan's Appliances The Doors Aquanta Pools To connect with our sponsors, email me: jonathan@issuedforconstruction.ca Issued For Construction
- Issued For Construciton AD: Steve Euser - DEW (Dan Euser Waterarchitecture) from Issued For Construction
1 hr 12 min
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. Steve Euser - Dan Euser Waterarchitecture Next Release: Rebecca Axler - RTG Designs Sponsors: Caplan's Appliances The Doors Aquanta Pools To connect with our sponsors, email me: jonathan@issuedforconstruction.ca Issued For Construction
- Issued For Construction ID: Vanessa Eckstein - Blok Design from Issued For Construction
1 hr 39 min
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 Next Release: Steve Euser - Dan Euser Waterarchitecture Sponsors: Caplan's Appliances The Doors Aquanta Pools To connect with our sponsors, email me: jonathan@issuedforconstruction.ca Issued For Construction
- Issued For Construction AD: Nilton Forest - Office of Sustainable Design & Architecture (OSDA) from Issued For Construction
1 hr 18 min
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) Next Release: Vanessa Eckstein - BLOK Design Sponsors: Caplan's Appliances The Doors Aquanta Pools To connect with our sponsors, email me: jonathan@issuedforconstruction.ca Issued For Construction
- Issued For Construciton ID: Jorge Eckstein - El Zanjón from Issued For Construction
1 hr 24 min
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 Next Release: Office of Sustainable Design & Architecture (OSDA) Sponsors: Caplan's Appliances The Doors Aquanta Pools To connect with our sponsors, email me: jonathan@issuedforconstruction.ca Issued For Construction
- Issued For Construction AD: Monica Adair & Stephen Kopp - Acre Architects from Issued For Construction
1 hr 30 min
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 Next Release: Jorge Eckstein - El Zanjon Sponsors: Caplan's Appliances The Doors Aquanta Pools
- Issued For Construction ID: Gelanaz Hemati - Gelanaz & Associates from Issued For Construction
1 hr 0 min
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 Next Release: Acre Architects Sponsors: Caplan's Appliances The Doors Aquanta Pools To connect with our sponsors, email me: jonathan@issuedforconstruction.ca Issued For Construction
- Issued For Construction AD: Moran Olsha, Supreet Barhay, & Zenon Radewych - WZMH Architects from Issued For Construction
1 hr 30 min
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 Next Release: Gelanaz & Associates Sponsors: Caplan's Appliances The Doors Aquanta Pools To connect with our sponsors, email me: jonathan@issuedforconstruction.ca Issued For Construction
- Issued For Construction ID: François Roupinian - Lightemotion from Issued For Construction
1 hr 10 min
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 Next Release: WZMH Sponsors: Caplan's Appliances The Doors Aquanta Pools To connect with our sponsors, email me: jonathan@issuedforconstruction.ca Issued For Construction