In the workplace today, it is important that we are known to others, and to ensure that others are aware of our resourcefulness. Networking can be one of the most powerful and productive activities an individual can do to launch and manage their career. BEAT MIX at the Steelcase WorkLife Centre will be a platform to develop a series of relationships across Toronto’s Architecture and Design communities.
BEAT MIX will include five invited Featured Guests who are stationed in five specific Zones. The Featured Guests will comprise of Partners and Principals from local design firms of various sizes, along with leaders in adjacent professions. Participants will have the opportunity to interact with the Featured Guests and meet a succession of individuals in small groups throughout the evening.
BEAT encourages Interns, emerging practitioners and seasoned professional to join this interconnected community to share information, advice and opportunities.
Beverages and light refreshments will be provided. All guests are required to be 19 years of age or older. Limited space available.
ANA-FRANCISCA DE LA MORA, OAA ARQ. MRAIC, LEED AP BD+C
Associate Director - Practice Lead, Architecture | IBI GROUP
As an Associate Director, Practice Lead of Architecture at IBI Group, Ana-Francisca has built an extensive portfolio focused on Transit projects and Transit Oriented Development (TOD) in Canada, Mexico and the Middle East. She has been responsible for the successful design and execution of transit facilities that include subway, LRT, BRT, buses and ancillary facilities. Her work is characterized by its innovative, high quality architectural design with a deep commitment to making healthy places that are accessible and inclusive. Her experience spans all project phases from Conceptual to Construction documents and various forms of project delivery. She has a deep understanding on best practices for transit and the application of transit agencies’ and industry standards on to the architectural design. Ana-Francisca is currently leading the design of the London, Ontario BRT, the preliminary design of the Richmond Hill Terminal of the Yonge Subway extension in Toronto and the design and construction of the Eglinton Crosstown LRT’s Keelesdale Station and the Easier Access of Summerhill Station. She currently serves as an Executive Member of the Toronto Society of Architects.
IBI Group Inc. is a globally integrated architecture, planning, engineering, and technology firm with over 2,600 professionals around the world. For more than 40 years, its dedicated professionals have helped clients create livable, sustainable, and advanced urban environments. IBI Group believes that cities must be designed with intelligent systems, sustainable buildings, efficient infrastructure, and a human touch.
From high-rises to industrial buildings, schools to state-of-the-art hospitals, transit stations to highways, airports to toll systems, bike lanes to parks, we design every aspect of truly integrated cities. Our collaborative approach focuses on future-forward solutions. We’re bridging the gap between design and technology, unlocking new potential in data-driven environments.
ANDREW MUFFITT, BES, B.Arch, OAA, LEED AP
Partner | Kohn Partnership Architects Inc.
As a Partner at Kohn Partnership Architects Inc., Andrew Muffitt has taken the lead on many of the firm’s most successful projects. Known for his technical approach, Andrew’s continual pursuit of exceptional project delivery has set a clear example for staff within the practice and gained the respect of clients, consultants, and municipal officials. He plays an active role in overseeing the drawing production and has a great deal of experience navigating many aspects of building constructability. Andrew is an exceptionally engaged Partner with a strong focus on mentorship and leadership. He has fostered great connections with clients and takes pride in leading them towards success. Andrew holds a Bachelor of Architecture and a Bachelor of Environmental Studies from University of Waterloo. He is a member of OAA and is a LEED AP.
Kohn Partnership Architects Inc. is an architectural firm with a wide range of experience in both residential and commercial projects. We are dedicated to the delivery of projects to our clients that reflect a high quality of design, bringing aesthetic appeal, technical innovation and sustainable principles to each project. Experienced in working with numerous developers and private sector clients, Kohn has developed a reputation for being “intelligently creative”– delivering projects of exceptional value.
ANYA MORYOUSSEF, BES M.Arch OAA MRAIC
Director | AM_A
A registered architect with over 15 years of experience, Anya has a broad portfolio of published and award-winning designs.
Anya founded her practice in 2014. Prior to that, she was the first named Associate at superkül, one of Canada’s leading design practices, where she was project architect on several internationally recognized and award-winning projects, including Steelcase Worklife and Compass House. Anya also spent several formative years at Sarah Wigglesworth Architects (London, UK), where she was a key member of the design team for the RIBA award-winning Sandal Magna Primary School.
Anya’s work is driven by a strong interest in the reinvention of typology and the poetics of space. This approach, enacted in earlier lighting and installation projects, was crystallized in her Master of Architecture thesis, which earned her the prestigious Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) Medal. These interests have also been explored in many projects since, whether it’s working through texture and material, light and reflection, or in related fields such as literary fiction (with the publication of two short stories on architecture by non-architects) or archival research.
Since 2014, Anya has been on faculty at the University of Waterloo School of Architecture, her alma mater, and previously taught design studio (with Sarah Wigglesworth) at the Bergen School of Architecture in Norway. She is a regular guest critic at the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture and Design at the University of Toronto and the Ryerson School of Interior Design, and is a mentor to OAA Intern Architects.
CAROL PHILLIPS, B.E.S., B.Arch., OAA (BCDS), AAA, AIBC, NSAA, FRAIC, LEED AP, SCUP
Partner | Moriyama & Teshima Architects
Carol is a Partner at Moriyama & Teshima Architects, having led some of the firm’s most valued civic, cultural and educational buildings. A Fellow of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, Carol’s passionate drive for powerful and graceful architectural solutions has been honed over a span of 20 years working in Canada and abroad. Known for her ability to transform and serve diverse communities with grace, Carol’s designs accommodate inclusivity and intercultural understanding — underlying principles that inform all of her projects. Carol’s projects reinforce principles of generous, regenerative and inspiring spaces that not only serve their communities, but also address their historical and urban contexts. Her projects include the U of T Multi-Faith Centre, Goldring Student Centre, and UTM Innovation Complex. Most recently, Carol completed the Ryerson Centre for Urban Innovation and UBCO Teaching and Learning Centre in Kelowna, BC. Currently, she is working alongside Acton Ostry Architects on the landmark, mass timber ‘The Arbour,’ George Brown Tall Wood Building, which will feature Net Zero, low carbon building solutions and be the first of its kind in Ontario.
Moriyama & Teshima Architects (MTA) is a team of architects, planners and designers collaborating with visionary clients to build inspiring and enduring spaces that transform communities and reinforce civic identity. The firm believes that context underlies the spirit of every project, and has delivered high-quality, sustainable and award-winning design services for 60 years. MTA’s extensive portfolio of national and international projects has received over 200 awards and includes museums and art galleries, post-secondary buildings, schools, corporate and government headquarters, recreational facilities, libraries, restoration projects, renovation projects, and urban/campus planning.
MTA’s collaborative studio is made up of individuals who reflect the cultural diversity that defines our country: a combination of industry leaders and young designers working together to design and deliver exceptional projects. MTA’s projects express a deep respect for natural, urban and social conditions, meeting the needs and aspirations of the individuals and institutions they serve. Whether designing buildings that delight the human spirit, developing urban strategies that generate active healthy cities, or supporting clients’ objectives with sound problem-solving business sense, MTA strives to maintain a sense of delight and curiosity in our built surroundings.
NAOMI KRISS, BA MA
Principal | Kriss Communications
Naomi Kriss is a passionate authority on public relations for the architecture and design industries. She founded Kriss Communications in 2006 with the aim to broaden awareness of quality contemporary design in Canada and expand recognition of work by Canadian designers abroad.
Representing architects, interior designers, schools of architecture, design hotels and restaurants, as well as noteworthy cultural projects and institutions coast to coast, Naomi helps her clients to understand what makes them unique from their often similarly perceived competitors, to find ways to present their stories beyond a press release, and to become regular participants in a global dialogue about innovative design.
Raised in Toronto, Paris, London, Oxford and Jerusalem, Naomi presents a broad vision and an international perspective. For over 20 years she has applied strategic thinking and creativity to help architectural practices transform their communications and drive new business.
Naomi graduated with a bachelor’s degree in the history of art from the Courtauld Institute of Art, University of London and a master’s degree in post-war and contemporary art from Sotheby’s Institute, University of Manchester.
Tickets are $20 and will be available through the above link as of September 11th at noon. All guests are required to be 19 years of age or older. Limited space available.