Ja Architecture Studio
Ja Architecture Studio is a Canadian practice based in Toronto and lead by a Iranian-Canadian duo, an architect and a landscape designe, that combines the rootedness of a local architecture firm with the broad interests of an international design studio. From small to medium sized buildings that confront detail-level building constraints to ambitious international competitions that draw upon the collective repertoire of the discipline, the trajectory of the practice is based on a method of simultaneously working at the opposing ends of the professional spectrum. Taken as a whole, the studio’s work invests in larger questions of the discipline--namely how iconographic, geometric, formal, and tectonic pursuits relate to broader contexts such as contemporary art, politics, construction, landscape, and urbanism.
By engaging in thoughtful design conversations ranging from the role of public art internationally with curators, to the wood joinery of a three legged chair with local furniture makers, and the virtues of renaturalizing urban plots with neighbours, the studio aims to investigate the core of architecture by operating at numerous points around its periphery, connecting the themes and interests within the studio with those of the world at large. This approach was not chosen for its assurance of success but as a means for investigating the merit and relevance of Ja’s ideas across a wide variety of scales and contexts.
Ja’s work has been published widely and exhibited both nationally and internationally.
NIMA JAVIDI | Architect OAA, MArch, MUD, LEED AP
Partner
Nima Javidi is a registered architect in Toronto and the 2021 Gwathmey Professor of Design at the Cooper Union, Erwin Chanin School of Architecture, where he teaches and coordinates core design studios. Nima’s interest is in the intersections of geometry, structure, and typology in architecture.
Nima is a founding principal at Ja Architecture Studio, a Toronto-based practice that combines the rootedness of a local architecture firm with the broad interests of an international design studio. The firms work has been recognized and awarded in a range of international competitions; from Guggenheim Helsinki Museum, Bauhaus Museum in Dessau, and a Progressive Architecture Award to four Canadian Architects Awards of Excellence and a two time finalists for the Canadian Pavilion at Venice Architecture Biennale.
Nima’s built work operates at the threshold of architecture and urbanism, where geometric reconfiguration of building typology is triggered by the conditions of urban morphology. The firm has introduced a series of architectural interventions of different scales and uses along urban voids within West Queen West neighborhood in Toronto.
He has a Master of Architecture degree from University of Tehran and a Master of Urban Design from University of Toronto. Prior to joining the Cooper Union Nima has taught architecture design studios at the University of Toronto Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design.
BEHNAZ ASSADI | MLA, BFA
Partner
Behnaz Assadi is a Landscape designer and a founding partner at Ja Architecture Studio. She is currently an Assistant Professor at the John H Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design at the University of Toronto.
Behnaz is interested in the unpredictability and open-ended-ness of landscape processes, large scale interconnected ecological systems, and multi-scalar resilient design approaches that aim to mitigate the effect of climate change. Her work explores the agency of landscape architecture beyond disciplinary confines. Her current multi-disciplinary practice, professional experience at offices such as OMA, and her educational background provides her with a level of versatility and comfort in crossing traditional disciplinary boundaries to teach and practice in both landscape architecture and architecture.
At Ja, Behnaz situates the studio’s architectural interest in iconography, geometry, form, and tectonic pursuits within the broader context of landscape, ecology, and climate change. The studio has achieved a repertoire of built works, research projects, and award-winning competition entries. The latter includes Bauhaus Museum in Dessau (2015); Guggenheim in Helsinki (2015), Kaunas Concert Center (2017); three Canadian Architects Awards (2015, 2018, 2020, and 2021) and most recently a winner in the 68th Annual Progressive Architecture Awards (2021). Ja’s work has been published widely and exhibited both nationally and internationally.
Behnaz holds a Master of Landscape Architecture from University of Toronto and a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from University of Tehran.
KYLE O'BRIEN | MArch, BFA
Associate
Kyle is a registered intern architect and an Associate at Ja Architecture Studio. Since joining the studio in 2015, Kyle has contributed to both the studio’s built work and a number of internationally recognized competitions (Bauhaus Museum Dessau, Stanley Cup Monument, Pachacamac Park) and three Canadian Architect award-winning projects (Wardell, The Octagon, 111)
Team
Larissa Ho, Reilly Walker, Quping Li, Tianyu Zhang, Shamim Khedri, Ece Ulusoy, Rosa Newman, Yuhao Zhang, Liam Thornewell, Kaveh Taherizadeh, Dipra Shetty, Meghna Mudaliar, Zirong Liu, Raymond Garrioch, Avi Odenheimer, Jacquelin (Bobbi) Bortolussi, Graham Oglend, Jiaxin Shi, Mariano Martellacci, Christine Song, Alireza Partavi, Moonjoo lee, Nicholas Beloso, Thomas Mustel, Sarah Hunter, Joe Tang, Sally Kassar, Irina Rouby Apelbaum, Yang (Calvin) Yue, Phat Le, Arittro Noor.
We are always looking for Architecture students who are competent in Rhinoceros, Adobe Suite and AutoCAD. Applicants should be motivated and tuned with the studio culture. Please review the website to see if your interest is aligned with what we do.
To apply; please e-mail your C.V. along with a few work samples to:
Info@jastudioinc.com
Please note that given the large volume of applicants we receive, we would not be able to reply to all the e-mails we receive. However, should we decide to set up an interview we will contact you within two weeks of receiving the e-mail.
Photo Credit Riley Snelling
