Vincent J. Santamaura, B. Arch, MOAA, MRAIC
Architect / President
Vincent brings close to 25 years of experience in the Construction Industry to SRN Architects Inc. A creative designer, familiar with a variety of Building systems, and the Building and Approvals process, he applies his knowledge to solving the building needs of his clients.
Trained and registered as an Architect, Vincent graduated from the University of Toronto. He has been active in the Greater Toronto Area – from downtown infill housing to new communities to historic renovations, adaptive re-use to highrise. Vincent has worked for award winning architectural firms and has run his own practice. He has recently worked for a large land developer/home builder as Staff Architect and Community Planner where he was responsible for designing new communities, lotting modules and commercial and residential unit forms. Fully versed in the grand picture, Vincent applies his knowledge and experience back into the urban and architectural design field.
Familiar with a variety of building systems, Vincent is comfortable designing in steel frame, cast-in place concrete or wood or light gauge steel framing. His design solutions balance urban concerns, client needs, and budget demands. Sustainability has always been an interest of Vincent’s since his university days having been involved in passive energy design since the first oil crisis, and this has led to an interest in building envelope systems and an exploration of the new techniques. Fundamentally, though, it is the satisfaction of the client’s needs that drives the building design solution, and the delivery of it on time and on budget.
Vincent derives some of his design inspiration from our Ontario Heritage. He’s been the Chair of the Uxbridge LACAC, and has been active in the preservation efforts of the Foster Memorial and the Lucy Maud Montgomery House, both in Leaskdale. He designed the York/Durham Heritage Railway/Go Train Station in Stouffville, and renovations to the Goodwood Town Hall (1875) and the Uxbridge Music Hall (1901). With these works, Vincent has developed strong interpersonal skills interacting with various communities, committees and municipal governments. This sensitivity to the existing built (and social) environment ensures that any design intervention will respect its neighbours.
Keenly aware of the complex issues and interests in building communities, Vincent uses his design skills, his consensus building skills and his experience to arrive at a balanced solution to any design challenge.
Summary
Education:
Ongoing – Materials and Practice seminars and courses
2001 – 07 OAA Professional Development Continuing Education Course Certificate
1988 – Registered Architect, Ontario Association of Architects
1986-9 – AutoCad Certificate Courses, Ontario CADD/CAM Centre, Cambridge
1985 – Construction Specifications Course, CSC, Toronto
1983 – Bachelor of Architecture, University of Toronto
Memberships:
Professional:
1981 to present – Member, Ontario Association of Architects, Registered 1988
1983 to present – Member, Royal Architectural Institute of Canada
Community:
1991 to 2001 – Member/Chair, Committee of Adjustment,
City of York/Toronto York
1993 to 2002 – Member, Friends of the Foster Memorial,
Uxbridge
1994 to 2002 – Member, York/Durham Heritage Railway
Association
1995 to 1998 – Member, Celebration of the Arts
Committee, Uxbridge
1993 to 1996 – Member/Chairman, Heritage
Uxbridge/LACAC, Town of Uxbridge
1977 to present – University of Toronto Schools Alumni
Association
Selected Personal Professional Experience:
Selected Client List:
Villa Campo D’Amour Non-Profit Inc.
The Corporation of the Town of Ajax
The Corporation of the Town of Uxbridge
The Corporation of the Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville
Bramalea Limited
Ford Motor Company Canada/Brandon Ford
Qunto Recycling Inc.
Rogers Inc.
Shoppers Drug Mart Inc.
Sonterlan Group
Toronto Sun Publishing Corp.
Professional Testimony
Ontario Municipal Board Testimony
Expert Witness Heritage Testimony for Ballantry Homes Appeal of the Town of Markham By-Law no. 2006-78
Expert Witness in the Toronto Home Builders Association’s Appeal of the
City of North York By-Laws nos. 89111, 89112, 89113, known as the “Monster Home By-Law”.
Committee of Adjustments:
Acted as the Agent of the Owner on over 75 applications for minor variances and land severances to the Committees of Adjustment in the cities of Toronto, (Toronto, North York, Etobicoke) Markham, Richmond Hill Oakville, and Stouffville including meetings, presentations, and negotiations with Politicians, Municipal Planners, Ratepayers and Neighbours.
Urban Design and Planning:
1996 - “Cornell” Community, Markham:
Directed planning and engineering consultants in developing North America’s largest neo-traditional community including draft plan & zoning by-law development, urban design and architectural control guidelines, and home design.
1996- “Cranberry Resort Properties”, Collingwood:
Ongoing master planning, community design and product design of a multi-faceted residential and vacation property development on the shores of Georgian Bay.
Architectural Control Documents:
Client: Country Homes
Site Name: Alcona by the Lake, Innisfil
Client: Eden Oak
Site Name: Lakeside Pointe, Richmond Hill
Client: Eden Oak/Sunfield Homes
Site Name: Spring Creek, Waterdown
Large Scale Residential:
99 Vaughan Road, City of York:
Project Architect responsible for construction drawings for an 11 storey, 106 unit co-operative housing project for the Jourdan Group .
Riverside Condominium and Senior’s Recreation Centre, Guelph:
Associate Project Architect and production team manager for a 26 storey, 144 unit condominium and 23,00 sf senior’s recreation centre.
Castle Hill, Toronto:
Associate Project Architect for a SAM Award winning luxury 99 unit townhome development which rejuvenated a city block and a half, former dairy property at foot of Casa Loma.
11 Woodlawn Avenue, Toronto:
Project Architect for a structurally complicated conversion of a church building into condominium suites. The existing 4,000 sf building had another 8,000 sf of building area inserted into its envelope to create six luxury 2-storey units.
Institutional:
Waterfront Pavilion, Rotary Park, Ajax:
Architect for a waterfront facility for the recreational activities for the Town of Ajax.Go Transit & Heritage Railway Station, Stouffville:
Go Transit & Heritage Railway Station, Stouffville:
Architect for the Town operated end of the line Go Transit Station and the York Durham Heritage Railway.
Restorations and Renovations, The Music Hall, Uxbridge:
Architect for the renovation of the cultural centre of the thriving artistic life of Uxbridge since 1901. The facilities of the Music Hall were updated and restored.
Commerical:
Commerical Plaza, Toronto
Architect for an 11,00 sf strip mall with Shoppers’ Drug Mart and Rogers’ Video as tenants.
Brandon Ford Mercury, Uxbridge:
Architect where a fifteen year old dealership received a 3,600 sf addition and a renovation of the existing 6,000 sf of space to re-do the company image and prepare for the future.