Behind the Build

Jessica Nakanishi and Jonathan Sabine are the founders and principals of MSDS Studio, a Toronto based multidisciplinary design practice working across interiors, furniture, lighting, and product design. Jessica grew up in Mississauga, Ontario, and traces her early material curiosity to building alongside her father in millwork settings. She later worked at the skate shop West 49, where assembling skateboards became an early lesson in parts, tolerance, and hands on construction. Jonathan grew up out west in Canada and was drawn early to drawing, making, and the mechanics of how objects come together, interests that later shaped his studio work.

Jon Cummings is a Toronto based architect and educator who grew up in the suburbs of Toronto, Ontario. After early interests in drawing, painting, sculpture, and ceramics, his path toward architecture deepened through travel and close study of the built environment, including formative time in Italy and exposure to historic and contemporary works.

He studied architecture at the University of Waterloo, completing multiple co op terms in Canada and abroad, including work experiences in Peterborough, Boston, New York, Dublin, and Toronto, as well as time in Los Angeles at Morphosis. After a solo backpacking trip across Europe...

Toronto based interior designer Laura Stein grew up in the city and is the founder of Laura Stein Interiors and LSI Workshop, a business she created to mentor and support interior decorators and designers. A lifelong creative, she discovered her love of spaces at twelve when she was allowed to redesign her childhood bedroom, sparking a lasting fascination with textiles, colour, and the way rooms feel.

Laura studied film and communications at McGill University and went on to earn a masters degree in marketing communications from Boston University. She began her career in Boston as an art...

Jason Fung is the founder and principal of Jason Fung Architect, a boutique architecture practice based in Toronto, Canada. He grew up in Markham, Ontario, in a middle income household where his parents encouraged both academic rigor and creative exploration. Alongside strong grounding in math and science at school, he spent weekends in visual art classes and piano lessons, developing early skills in drawing, observation, and proportion that carried through to university.

Fung completed both his undergraduate degree and master’s degree in architecture at Toronto Metropolitan University, then known as Ryerson University. He entered the profession wi...

Marti Gallucci is a Partner and Design Director at Mason Studio, where she has been a key part of the firm’s evolution for over 13 years. She joined the studio as an intern during her fourth year of university, became its first employee, and has grown alongside the practice as it expanded into a multidisciplinary team of approximately 25 people. Her work spans hospitality, restaurants, hotels, private residences, retail, multi unit residential, and self initiated exhibitions and installations, with a strong emphasis on sensory driven, immersive environments.

She lives in Stouffville, Ontario, and was raised primarily in Goodwood, wi...

Nicolas Koff, Uros Novakovic, and Sebastian Bartnicki are the founding partners of Office Ou, a practice shaped as much by lived experience and cultural memory as by formal architectural training. Each arrived at architecture indirectly, carrying with them deep impressions of place, history, and making that would later converge into a shared way of working.

Nico grew up in Paris, fascinated by archaeology, ancient civilizations, and the way history embeds itself in landscapes. Childhood trips to Normandy, where WWII bunkers sat quietly along the coast, taught him to read terrain as a record of human action. After...

Lara Nancy Cupido is a Toronto born interior designer and the founder and principal of LN Studio, a full service firm based in Caledon, Ontario. Raised just north of Toronto in an Italian family with an artistic mother and entrepreneurial father, she grew up with a natural blend of creativity and business sense that now underpins her practice.

Lara discovered design at the University of Toronto, where an introductory architecture course shifted her perspective on how intentionally designed spaces guide how people live and move. She completed an undergraduate degree in architectural theory and fine art history...

Born in Medicine Hat and raised across the Prairies, Kevin Weiss grew up moving from city to city, an experience that shaped his appreciation for stability and place. A competitive 1500-metre runner in his youth, he also spent countless hours drawing, experimenting with printmaking, and silkscreening at home. Those creative roots eventually steered him toward architecture, where mentors like Barry Sampson and Ian MacDonald helped sharpen his eye and discipline.

Kevin’s curiosity for how things are made has followed him since childhood—whether knocking on the door of his first house decades later, building fences during a re...

Jane Lockhart is a Toronto-based interior designer, television personality, author, and colour expert whose career spans nearly three decades. She founded Jane Lockhart Design in 1997, building on technical training, hands-on work, and a formative early career with Benjamin Moore, where she developed deep expertise in colour, materials, and store planning.

Raised in Etobicoke, Toronto, Jane’s passion for design began in childhood as she drew houses, modified dollhouses, and built cardboard homes, influenced by a creative family that included a hat-maker grandmother and a commercial-artist grandfather.

Jane first studied economics and political science at the Un...

The first roundtable series: The Missing Middle, is a candid conversation on how cities can deliver more housing at a scale between single family homes and towers.

The talented panel brings together Naama Blonder of Smart Density, Sue-Jean Chung of Studio JCI, Evan Saskin of Blue Lion Building, and Gabriel Fain of Gabriel Fain Architects.

Together they unpack what the missing middle means, why it has been so hard to build, and how planning policy, approvals, construction methods, and community attitudes all shape what gets built.

The discussion looks at generational affordability, neighbourhood...

Arancha González Bernardo and Michael Fohring are the co-founders of Odami, a Toronto-based architecture and design studio shaped by their international backgrounds and complementary creative perspectives. Arancha, originally from Avilés in Asturias, Spain, grew up surrounded by her family’s fabric and clothing shops, where her early interest in making and material exploration first took form. She studied architecture through Spain’s six-year professional program, graduating in 2012 during the post-crisis recession, a period that pushed her to pursue work abroad. Her move to Graz, Austria exposed her to multi-residential projects, cultural work, and design-driven graphic production, marking her fi...

Murray Legge is an award-winning architect based in Austin, Texas, originally from Whitevale, Ontario, a rural community outside Toronto. Growing up surrounded by farmland while his father worked as an aeronautical engineer and his mother as a nurse, Murray developed an appreciation for craft, structure, and precision early in life.

Initially drawn to art and photography with ambitions of becoming a filmmaker, he studied architecture at the University of Toronto before transferring to The Cooper Union in New York City. There, the experimental and design-driven environment profoundly influenced his approach to space and material. During his studies...

Jeff Cogliati is a Canadian architect and the founder of Bloom Architects, an emerging Toronto-based studio recognized as one of the country’s first fully AI driven architecture practices. Born and raised in Windsor, 1Ontario, Jeff’s early exposure to Detroit’s rich Art Deco skyline shaped his lifelong interest in design. He began his architectural education at St. Clair College and later transferred to Lawrence Technological University in Southfield, Michigan, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Architecture. He went on to complete a Master of Architecture at Toronto Metropolitan University, formerly Ryerson.

Jeff’s career s...

Aleris Rodgers and Francesco Valente-Gorjup are the co-founders of Studio VAARO, a Toronto architecture practice focused on thoughtful, holistic design from concept through construction. They met while completing their Master of Architecture at UCLA and later worked in Europe and Asia, including several years with Herzog & de Meuron. There, Francesco developed deep expertise in façades and building envelopes across large, multidisciplinary teams, and both contributed to the design and construction phases of the M+ museum in Hong Kong before relocating to Canada.

Aleris was born in San Francisco and raised in the United S...

Jason Halter is a Toronto-based designer and founder of Wonder Inc, an interdisciplinary studio known for its explorations in modular and prefabricated construction, small-scale architectural design, and graphic and spatial design. Raised in Winnipeg in a creative family surrounded by books, art, and discussions of building, he developed an early fascination with design while spending time on construction sites with his father. After earning an undergraduate degree in history and art history, he moved to Toronto at twenty-one and studied architecture at the University of Toronto, where he later taught and continues to contribute as an adjunct instructor. After...

Pat Hanson is a founding principal of gh3*, a Toronto-based architecture, landscape, and urban design practice recognized for its clarity, precision, and integration of natural and built form. Raised in a Norwegian-Italian farming community near Regina, Saskatchewan, she developed an early affinity for making and exploring the outdoors before studying fine art and later discovering architecture at the University of Manitoba.

After graduating, Hanson moved to Toronto in the early 1980s and began her career at Jack Diamond’s office, where she advanced to associate before co-founding her first practice. In 2005, she established gh3*, which has since be...

Robert Davidov is the founder and director of Davidov Architects, a Melbourne-based architecture and interiors practice established in 2011. His studio focuses on residential work across metropolitan Melbourne and the Mornington Peninsula, from new homes and multi-residential developments to heritage alterations and additions, applying a pared-back, materially expressive approach.

Raised in Melbourne in a builder–developer family, Davidov’s early exposure to construction informed a career blending design rigor with practical responsibility. He studied Architecture and Construction Management at the University of Melbourne, completing a structured year of industry experience before graduating and registering as an architect.

Be...

For the first time ever, Bruce Kuwabara, Marianne McKenna, and Shirley Blumberg sit down together to share the story of founding KPMB and shaping it into one of Canada’s most influential architectural practices. Established in 1987, KPMB has earned more than 400 awards, including 18 Governor General Medals in Architecture, and completed over 31 million square feet of projects spanning education, health, culture, civic, workplace, hospitality, recreation, and mixed-use development with a team of 132.

What emerges in this rare conversation is a portrait of a studio built on shared values, entrepreneurial grit, and the conviction that every project must count. Fr...

In this episode of Behind the Build, Kelly Alvarez Doran joins, both architect and co-founder of Ha/f Climate Design. Based in London and working internationally, Kelly shares the journey that led him from growing up in Winnipeg, studying at the University of Manitoba and the University of Toronto, to practicing across Africa and Europe before launching his practice.

Ha/f Climate Design emerged from teaching and research at the University of Toronto and early collaborations with the City of Toronto. Kelly explains how the studio helps architects, builders, and policymakers understand the carbon and financial impacts...

Magnus Ström is the founder and Principal Architect of Ström Architects, a UK-based practice internationally recognized for its refined, modernist approach to residential design. Originally from Sweden, Magnus was surrounded by functionalist architecture from an early age—drawn to clean lines and minimalist forms that would later define his work. His parents’ hands-on building projects and honest critiques of his childhood sketches sparked an early and enduring passion for architecture.

Denied entry to Sweden’s architecture programs due to competitive academic thresholds, Magnus pivoted—first trying business and engineering before ultimately finding his path in the UK aft...

Andrew Kline, Principal at Workshop APD, joins Behind the Build to share a career built on craft, risk, and mentorship. Raised in rural Ohio, his creativity was first inspired by his grandfather, a graphic artist, and nurtured by art teacher Lois Bachman, who encouraged him to pursue art school. After studying at Columbus College of Art & Design and completing a master’s at Cranbrook Academy of Art, Andrew developed a practice that merges fine art, interiors, and architecture into a holistic design approach.

His early career began at L Brands, where he gained experience in corporate retail an...

This episode was recorded live at the University of Waterloo before an audience of students, alumni, and colleagues. Four graduates returned to share their journeys: Carol Phillips (Moriyama Teshima Architects), Lisa D’Abbondanza (Arcadis), Robert Kastelic (Atelier Kastelic Buffey—AKB), and Drew Mandel (Drew Mandel Architects—DMA). Together they reflected on choosing Waterloo, the impact of its cultural history curriculum and Co-op program, and graduating into a recession that demanded resilience, initiative, and a willingness to work anywhere.

They revisit formative studio critiques and the Rome term, then trace the thread into practice: Carol’s trajectory into public a...

Katherine Chia, FAIA, is the co-founder and co-principal of Desai | Chia Architecture, a New York City practice she leads with her husband and partner, Arjun Desai.

Her path to architecture began with a childhood immersed in creativity. Inspired by her grandfather’s woodworking and Chinese brush painting, Kathy developed an early love of making. At Amherst College she pursued a liberal arts education—studying art, math, philosophy, anthropology, and more—before spending a formative year in Copenhagen with the Danish International Studies program. That experience led her to the Master of Architecture program at MIT, where she met Ar...

Evan Saskin is an architect, builder, and founder of Blue Lion Building, an architect-led design-build practice in Toronto and now, Halifax, Nova Scotia, dedicated to creating thoughtful infill housing. Raised in a family steeped in construction—his grandfather an engineer and his father a McGill-trained architect and builder—Evan grew up surrounded by drafting tables and construction sites. Childhood visits to his grandparents’ Montreal apartment also left a lasting impression, giving him an early appreciation for urban density, modern design, and the comfort of well-made domestic spaces.

After completing an undergraduate degree, Evan pursued his Master of Archit...

Born and raised in Reno, Nevada, Gordon Magnin discovered his creative spark early through visits to an architect’s studio where renderings and model building captivated his imagination, his interest in art, drawing and technical design guiding him through middle and high school. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Structural Engineering from the University of Nevada, Reno, then practiced as a structural engineer before pursuing architecture. Gordon completed a Master of Architecture at the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc), transitioning from engineering to design while working and studying in Los Angeles. He returned to Reno after the bi...

Bishop McDowell is a design-forward architecture practice based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, co-founded by Matthew Bishop and Lucas McDowell in May 2024. Long-time collaborators, the two met while working at a Halifax-based architecture firm, where they spent years refining their skills on residential projects and developing a mutual respect for each other’s approach to design, detail, and construction. A pivotal shared project—one they visited 3 to 4 times a week—cemented their partnership and led to the organic decision to launch their own studio.

Matthew Bishop, originally from Nova Scotia, followed a nontraditional path into architecture. He studied biolog...

Don Schmitt is a founding partner of Diamond Schmitt Architects, one of Canada’s most respected architectural practices. He was born in South Porcupine, a small mining town in northern Ontario, and grew up surrounded by nature. After moving to Toronto in his teens, he was introduced to the city’s architecture while attending high school near the University of Toronto. A Christmas gift of The Master Builders by Peter Blake, chronicling the lives of Frank Lloyd Wright, Mies van der Rohe, and Le Corbusier, sparked a deep fascination that shaped his future.

Though discouraged by a guid...

Janna Levitt is a founding partner of LGA Architectural Partners and a respected leader in socially conscious architecture in Canada. Raised in a Toronto home filled with artists—her mother a celebrated ceramicist who participated in a short-lived federal program modeled on Japan’s National Treasures—Janna grew up surrounded by creativity, community, and cultural exchange.

She attended Nova Scotia College of Art and Design and then studied Political Science and Cinema at the University of Toronto before shifting into architecture, graduating from U of T’s five-year Bachelor of Architecture program. As one of the few women in...

Shirley Meisels is the founder and creative force behind the Toronto interior design studio M House Inc. With over 20 years of experience, she brings a sharp eye for detail, a deep respect for craftsmanship, and an intuitive understanding of how spaces should reflect the people who live in them.

Her creative journey began early, sketching fashion designs as a child, and later led her to pursue a degree in Fashion Design at Toronto Metropolitan University, formerly Ryerson. Although she began her career as a wardrobe stylist, her passion gradually shifted toward interior spaces. After more than a...

Gene Sandoval’s story is one of vision, resilience, and impact. Born in the Philippines, Gene grew up immersed in the world of craft and creation, watching shipbuilders shape vessels from simple materials in his family’s shipyard. By the time he was a teenager, his artistic instincts and fascination with form had already drawn him to architecture. At just 18, Gene left behind the comforts of home, arriving in the US to study at the University of Oregon. There, he transitioned from mastering the visual language of design to learning how to think critically, communicate ideas, and push boundaries.

Olly Bray is the founder of OB Architecture, an award-winning practice with studios in Winchester, London, and Chamonix. On this episode, Olly traces the personal and professional path that shaped his architectural journey, from childhood drawings in his grandfather’s Munich studio to launching a firm now designing homes and multi-unit developments across the UK and the French Alps.

Olly shares how an early familial nudge toward architecture eventually became his calling, and how formative experiences at the University of Bath and TU Delft sparked a lifelong commitment to balancing structure with creativity. We dive into his pr...

Sacha Lee is the founder and principal architect of Aeon Design, a Toronto based architecture and interiors studio focused on thoughtful, high performing residential and boutique commercial spaces. She grew up near Tillsonburg, Ontario, where a mix of farm work, construction site visits with her master builder grandfather, and an entrepreneurial family culture helped shape her early interest in architecture.

Sacha studied at the University of Waterloo, where she stood out as one of the few students entering with CAD experience. Through the school’s co-op program, she gained practical training across North America and abroad. After gr...

Shane Czypyha is a principal at Parkin Architects and one of the founding forces behind their Vancouver office. A graduate of the University of Waterloo, Shane’s path into architecture began early, shaped by childhood sketching sessions, a basement full of LEGO, and a family of builders in small-town Ontario. That hands-on foundation led him to explore not just the built form but the systems and relationships that make good architecture possible.

Over the last 12 years, Shane has helped Parkin’s West Coast studio grow from five people to nearly 100, building a portfolio rooted in healthcare and comm...

Cori Halpern is the founder and principal designer at Cori Halpern Interiors, a Toronto-based studio known for its unapologetically personal and colour-forward spaces. Her work balances artistry with livability. With a career spanning over 25 years, Cori brings a deep respect for craft and a clear understanding of how to turn creative ideas into built reality. She believes that a home should reflect the people who live in it: layered, collected, and intentional.

Cori’s design education began at Ryerson University’s Interior Design program, where she was one of just 45 students accepted into a rigorous, hands-on curriculum. She...

Amanda Large and Younes Bounhar are the co-founders of Doublespace Photography, a studio recognized internationally for its refined and evocative architectural photography. The pair came to the profession through distinctly different paths. Amanda trained as an architect and practiced for five years before stepping behind the lens. Younes, originally a molecular biologist, discovered his passion for photography after a career in science and federal policy work.

Their shared creative drive and appreciation for design led them to launch Doublespace in 2012. Since then, Amanda and Younes have built a portfolio that spans residential architecture, civic buildings, and global...

Cindy Rendely’s journey into architecture was never a straight line. It began with a science degree in physiology and zoology from the University of Toronto, followed by an unexpected turn into jewelry design and metal arts. After moving to New York City, she immersed herself in its creative energy, eventually returning to Toronto to study goldsmithing at George Brown College. Her early career was spent crafting and selling one-of-a-kind pieces through the Art Gallery of Ontario and luxury fashion retailers. She built a respected name for herself as a metal artist before deciding to pursue architecture more formally.

Judah Mulalu is the founding architect of Ten-2-Four Architecture, a Toronto-based studio guided by a commitment to empathetic and inclusive design. Born in Botswana and initially pursuing a path in science, Judah’s journey shifted dramatically when a Bulgarian architect recognized his innate drafting talent and introduced him to architecture. That serendipitous encounter led him to Canada, where he studied architectural technology at Ryerson University and later completed his Master of Architecture at Dalhousie University. His education brought a rich contextual and anthropological perspective to his work.

Judah’s early career developed through roles in transit infr...

Limor Benmor-Mizrahi’s path to architecture was anything but linear—and that’s what makes her story so compelling. Trained initially in the sciences with aspirations of entering medicine, Limor’s journey took a sharp turn during a revelatory trip through Europe, where she fell in love with the built world. Since then, she’s crossed continents, studied at Tel Aviv’s Bauhaus-inspired Sadna School of Architecture and Pratt Institute in New York, and built a multifaceted career that spans master planning, institutional work, and custom residential design.

Born into a family of Israeli immigrants who built their lives—...

Anne‑Marie Armstrong is an architect, educator and co‑founding principal of AAmp Studio, the cross‑border practice she leads with partner Andrew Ashey from twin studios in Toronto, Ontario, and Portland, Maine.

Raised in Don Mills, Toronto, Armstrong spent childhood afternoons sketching with her painter‑grandmother and solving logic riddles with her mathematician father—an art‑and‑math pairing that still drives her design thinking. She earned an Honours BAS from the University of Waterloo and, as a Fulbright Scholar, a Master of Architecture from Yale University. Before launching AAmp she sharpened her skills in three markedly different contexts...