Work Experience
My first internship took place in a small Montreal firm, where I was introduced to Autocad, zoning regulations, and the photocopier. Living in Baie D’urfé, (about an hour from Montreal by bus) meant that I had my evenings free, a time which I dedicated to learn Rhino3D, software that was recommended for my second internship at Massimiliano Fuksas Architects Paris office. Having built a foundation I extended myself to learn rhino-script and grasshopper during this second internship, all the while model building, photoshoping competition documents, and 3d modelling. This experience was not only invaluable from a technical/digital point of view, but also from an architectural one. I was lucky to be interning in a hardworking(weekends optional) but genial atmosphere, and under a young project manager that allowed me the opportunity to take part in meetings with consultants, and to work on various large scale projects at different stages of the design and construction process.

Back at Carleton University to finish my undergrad, I decided to expand my interests by taking courses in programming, engineering, and the game design stream, the latter of which led to multiple summers of employment as a member of a research team working under Dr. Ali Arya. During this employment, I took on a leadership role in the conception phase of Carleton’s University’s Online Quad: an online meeting space for Carleton’s international business students which is currently up and running. It was an opportunity to learn more about 3dpipelines, polymodeling, game engines and also an opportunity to compare and contrast the challenges of building 3d models for digital avatars and 3d models for “real life” purposes. Again, I was lucky enough to work in a team of dedicated people, interested in making an immersive alternate Carleton that would complement the original space.

Masters
My Masters of Architecture introduced me to various professors from around the world. None more important than Roger Connah, Carleton’s Graduate Director and my thesis adviser, who not only taught the rigors of mapping and diagramming, but also set out to reinvent Carleton’s Masters program. The critical and practical interests that I had nurtured in my first year of thesis coalesced within an unexpectedly humble space: the playground. I therefore set out to build a case against the current playstructure and a historical argument for playgrounds as a space deserving of anthropological and architectural merit. (The book, There’s more to Playgrounds than Swings and Slides, can be downloaded on my website.) I also sought a potential “real-world” project, which I found at Académie de la Capitale, a small private school in need of a playground. The latter part of my thesis records the design of said playground, with their staff, students, parents and the city. (I graduated with distinction and was nominated for a university medal.)

Post-Grad
Having gone into my Masters right after completing fourth year (graduating with High Distinction and All Canadian), I took time after graduate school to explore other avenues of design and urbanism, and take advantage of the opportunities that my previous experience and my masters had set-up before me. I incorporated under the name Studio Mousse , took the time to put a sleeker version of my thesis on the bookshelves of local bookstores and then went to work on these various projects. Though the Académie de la Capitale playground has yet to be built, (budgets!) the relationship I garnered with this school presented me some marketing and branding opportunities. What I learned by observing my thesis adviser build-up the grad program at Carleton – the travails of framing, displaying and publishing student work so as to create an enviable workspace – was a large part of this project. I garnered work under contract at 3DVC, a small game design studio run by the same people that had run Carleton’s online avatar projects. Most recently, and most importantly perhaps, I also designed a residential home in its entirety for a local developer, (for which we will hopefully gain the permit before 2014) as well as pursued various freelance 3d visualizations and print projects – all the while briefly sitting on the board of Ottawa Urbanism a local advocacy group of 100 or so members. This time has, and continues to be, indispensable as it has allowed me to better my rapport with clients, and introduced me to the challenges of book-keeping, finding clients, and managing my own time. It has also impressed upon me the benefits of working in a team, and the benefits that accrue from being around like-minded people. As such, I am currently seeking employment in an innovative architecture firm.

Currently
I am seeking a position in a dynamic environment, and can bring many of digital, creative, and critical skills to bear in the pursuit of efficient time management, good design, and my architectural license. If you’ve red up to this point, it would be a waste of your time not to contact me or take a glance at my CV, or my work.

613-883-4276
jf@studiomousse.com