Length: 1 CEU
Topic: Sustainability / Climate
Delivery Mode: Online On-Demand
What's Included: Video, Quiz, & Certificate
Registration Fee: Members $50 | Intern $35 | Student $25 | Non-Member $75
This webinar is part of the RAIC 2025 Conference on Architecture!
Upon graduating architecture school, cohorts of intern architects tend to have similar training and skill sets. Navigating the architectural profession and building a career within it can be challenging – how do we stand out and carve our own paths within this field? This session will introduce several women architects who have achieved career successes by developed their skills in specific technical areas of knowledge such as construction detailing, sustainability, heritage architecture and digital tools. During a lightening round, each panelist will present their career arc and how they developed their area of expertise while practicing full-time. The follow-up discussion will dig into the workplace challenges and successes they have encountered as well as the deeper motivations that have propelled them in the profession.
Describe technical skills / fields of knowledge that are available for architects to specialize in.
Discuss the various resources and ways that architects can develop technical specializations while continuing to work in architectural practice.
Explain the benefits of becoming a technical expert as a potential way of counteracting bias in the workplace that can prevent advancement.
Recognize the contribution of women architects within the architectural field who model a range of leadership approaches and paths to success.
Subject Matter Experts:
Jennifer Davis
NSAA, OAA, MRAIC
Architect & Project Manager, Member, RAIC Awards Committee
Jennifer Davis is a licensed architect experienced with residential, commercial and institutional buildings in Ontario and abroad. During her career she has developed a strong understanding of construction detailing for new build and renovations, including various envelope systems such as overcladding for affordable housing. Beyond practice, Jennifer has honed her communication skills to collaborate across disciplines and reach broader audiences with technical content. In 2022, so co-authored a “Education As Prototype: On a Combined Architecture-Engineering Design Tutorial” about the course she instructs at University of Toronto that teams-up engineering and architecture students to develop design solutions. “Recladding for Renewal,” an article for Canadian Consulting Engineer magazine, explains how interdisciplinary teams work together to upgrade aging building facades to improve aesthetics while contributing to decarbonization. In 2019, Jennifer received the Centennial Fund from the RAIC Foundation for her early career contributions to the profession.
Emily Cheng
OAA, CAHP
Emily Cheng is licensed architect specializing in projects that utilize construction techniques with heritage sensitivity. She has worked on numerous heritage sites: Calgary Public Building, Casa Loma, Griffin House, Ancaster Old Town Hall, and the Clark Centre of the Arts. Emily has also written Heritage Impact Assessments for the University of Toronto, Toronto Metropolitan University, and others. She recently contributed to the development of Heritage Conservation District Plans for Cabbagetown Southwest, Teiaiagon-Baby Point, and Port Credit. As Senior Architect at EVOQ, her current projects include the state of good repair at Toronto's Union Station and feasibility studies for the future rehabilitation project at the Ontario Legislative Building and Grounds in Queen's Park. She is on the Board of Directors of the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario’s Toronto branch and a member of the Canadian Association of Heritage Professionals. In 2023, Emily was named a Canadian Centre for Architecture Virtual Fellow.
Kendra Kusick
OAA
Kendra is a Toronto-based architect and associate at Teeple Architects with extensive experience in using cutting-edge digital tools such as Revit, Dynamo, and AI-driven technologies to enhance, rather than replace, her core design practice. She excels at creating highly detailed and efficient building models, optimizing workflows for enhanced collaboration with clients, engineers and contractors. By experimenting with computational design and automating repetitive tasks, she ensures precision and efficiency, while setting projects up for long-term success focusing on optimizing sustainability, performance, and the user experience. Her technical expertise supports her primary role as a designer, where innovation and thoughtful design are paramount. Her approach ensures that technology remains a tool to elevate architecture, and she is passionate about helping new architects develop this balance in their own careers.
Lorrie Rand
CPHD, CPHT
Lorrie Rand is Co-Founder and Design Director of the Recover Initiative, a non-profit Deep Retrofit Accelerator focused on developing and scaling deep retrofit solutions in Atlantic Canada. She is also the co-founder of Habit Studio, an award-winning architectural design practice, specializing in sustainable renovations and custom Passive Houses. Lorrie is a building science specialist and is passionate about integrating Passive House performance and Biophilic Design principles into her work. She is a champion and advocate for high performance buildings across the country, working as an instructor with Passive House Canada, training new Passive House Designers and Tradespeople, and volunteering on the boards of Retrofit Canada and Passive Buildings Canada. Lorrie has a Bachelor of Environmental Design Studies from Dalhousie University and is a Certified Passive House Designer and Tradesperson.
This webinar is in English. Closed captions have been provided in both English and French.
Pricing
Member: $50 / Non-Member: $75
Intern Member: $35 / Intern Non-Member: $75
Student: $25 (must be an RAIC student associate member)