Team

Jonathan is the Principal-in-Charge and CEO of Kearns Mancini Architects Inc. Born in Ireland, he graduated from the National University School of Architecture in 1974. As the firm’s creative leader, Jonathan has led the firm’s major institutional, community, and award-winning projects including the Canadian Canoe Museum, Fort York Visitor Centre, Senator O’Connor Estate and Coach House, and Ireland Park. In addition to his strong leadership and motivational skills, Jonathan approaches each project with a holistic vision that embraces social, cultural, contextual, functional, economic, and political realities. This allows him to deliver results that are an enlightened architectural form with remarkable attention to detail. Jonathan is also a passionate advocate of the Passive House Standard, the world’s leading standard in energy efficient construction, as well as architecture that integrates seamlessly with its surroundings.

Donna is a Senior Principal at KMAI and has been with the firm for over 30 years. Donna has a wide range of experience but possesses particular expertise in corporate workspace and retail banking. In 2011, KMAI was appointed Chief Consultant for the Bank of Montreal (BMO) and Donna as lead architect. She oversees all aspects of the design and construction of the BMO’s retail bank branches and corporate workspaces. Donna’s talent has allowed her to be immensely successful in executing a cohesive design vision on a project with such varied requirements and unique challenges.

Peter has been with KMAI for 30+ years after graduating from the University of Toronto. He has acted as design project architect for several of the firm’s notable projects including Deloitte Head Office, RBC WaterPark Place III, and George Brown College’s Centre for Hospitality and Culinary Arts and The Chefs’ House Restaurant. Peter’s holistic design approach allows him to develop creative and innovative ways to resolve client programming needs through unique architectural expression. His disciplined and realistic approach to detailing has enabled him to deliver projects within budgetary and schedule constraints without compromising design intent or the programmatic needs of the end users.

Tony Mancini is a founding principal of Kearns Mancini Architects Inc (KMAI). Born in Hamilton, Tony graduated from the University of Waterloo School of Architecture in 1980. Driven by a keen interest in the cultural underpinnings of the built environment, Tony provides vital direction at all levels of the firm’s activities and is responsible for the development of the national retail standards for one of Canada’s “big five” banks. In 2015, Tony was named a Fellow of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC). This honour is bestowed on architects across the country in recognition of outstanding achievement in the field. In September 2018, Tony retired from active practice but continues to be part of the KMAI family.

With over 20 years of experience, Rick has provided leadership in building technology, design production and construction review. He has been involved in a number of KMAI's most technically complex projects including the Knox Presbyterian Church Renewal, as well as several Passive House projects including 3100 Meadowbrook Lane and YWCA Hamilton. Rick comes from a diverse educational background: he attended the Art Fundamentals program from Sheridan College in 1997 and followed with the Architectural Technology Program from George Brown College where he graduated in 2001. His varied experiences have taught him a wide range of techniques and approaches to working and problem solving as well as an appreciation for the multi-disciplinary and all-encompassing nature of architecture and its relation to our everyday lives and our cities.

Frank joined the firm in 2020, bringing over 25 years of experience with a broad spectrum of award-winning cultural, institutional, academic, healthcare and mixed-use experience, both locally and nationally. He brings hands-on leadership, a collaborative approach, and an unwavering commitment to client service. Frank’s expertise lies within his ability to manage complex stakeholder needs and translate those needs into thoughtful designs with enduring value. Always setting a high bar for design excellence, Frank’s passion for design is driven by connecting the social, cultural, and environmental contexts that are unique to each project to create meaningful places and communities.

Niamh is the Director of Finance at Kearns Mancini Architects. Originally from Ireland, Niamh moved to Canada to pursue her career in finance. After working for several prominent Architecture and Engineering firms in finance and office management capacity she joined the team at KMAI. Niamh is responsible for all billing, invoicing, payment, and office management at Kearns Mancini Architects. Niamh is an active member of The Society for Design Administration Canada where she sits on the board of directors. Her knowledge of finance, contracts, and industry standards for administration and payments make her a valuable member of the KMAI team.

Dan has been associated with the firm since 2001 and brings over 40 years of architectural and construction experience regarding all aspects of the practice. Dan’s recent roles at KMAI include local project architect and manager for two award-winning projects, Canadian Canoe Museum and Fort York Visitor Centre. Dan’s project portfolio is extensive and includes elementary schools, colleges, and healthcare. Dan is also the firm's in-house heritage architect, having completed several award-winning heritage projects including the restoration of the John Street Roundhouse, which won a 1996 Toronto Urban Design Award, and the restoration of the Ridpaths Furniture Store, which won the Toronto Annual Heritage Award in 2002. He has been the team leader for several other large heritage projects, notably the stabilization/restoration of the Old Don Jail, Phases 1 and 3 of the Whitney Block and Tower Restoration, and Restorations to the Royal Conservatory of Music and Trinity College.

Irene joined Kearns Mancini in November 2017. She holds a Masters degree in architecture and urbanism from Polytechnic University of Catalonia in Barcelona where she focused on high efficiency architecture and Passive House systems. Irene has completed the PHPP course in Passive House Design and attends the PHPP user group meetings every month in Toronto to further her skills and knowledge. She believes Passive House is the first step to sustainable design but taking full accountability of the overall carbon footprint is the final goal. Irene works on a variety of technically complex projects at Kearns Mancini Architects.

Keith earned his Architectural Technologist Diploma from Humber College and Master of Architecture from the University of Waterloo. Keith split his studies between the Waterloo, Cambridge, and Rome studios while working for various offices, gaining a breadth of experience and knowledge. Keith has been with KMAI since 2006 and brings considerable experience in project management and BIM which has made his expertise highly sought after by the clients of the firm. He focuses on the detail and functional aspects of projects to maintain design intent through-out.

Heather has worked at Kearns Mancini Architects since 2011 and has over 10 years of experience. She completed both her Bachelor’s and Master’s in Architecture at the University of Waterloo, School of Architecture. Her thesis, Supportive Housing for Mental Health Recovery, was a top 10 finalist for 2007’s CMHC Housing Studies Achievement Awards. Heather was an invaluable resource in the design and programming of the Sarah Steele Treatment Facility in Whitehorse, Yukon that was completed by KMAI in 2016. Over the last several years, Heather has worked with one of the firm's longest standing clients, The Bank of Montreal. She has been responsible for overseeing the design and construction of several bank branches across Ontario. Heather is passionate about architecture that serves the vulnerable. She is a member of the Centre for Healthcare Design, which focuses on evidence-based design.

Natalie first joined joined the firm while completing a co-op term. She later joined KMAI after graduating from McGill University with a Master of Architecture degree in 2017. With four years’ experience, Natalie is an integral part of the of the KMAI team working on numerous Passive House Affordable Housing projects including Meadowbrook Lane, a 143,000 sq. ft. unit Passive House designed building in Windsor. She is proficient in digital modelling software. Previously, Natalie worked on a number of tenant fit outs, including Ryerson University English as an Additional Language Institute, Deloitte Toronto Headquarters, and the award winning BMO Bank of Montreal Manulife Branch.

Originally from Ghana, Joshua completed his formal education in South Africa where he earned his Master of Architecture degree from the Nelson Mandela University. He is a South African trained architect with over 6 years’ experience gained from working on various building typologies and project phases. Prior to joining KMAI, Joshua worked at a multi-disciplinary firm in South Africa with a focus on rural community development. He was 1 of 3 Architects working on +200 000 sq. Ft heritage hospital precinct.  His portfolio also includes over 20 completed private residential projects in some of South Africa largest estate developments. He has keen interest adaptive reuse architecture, concept development and detail design. Out of the office, Joshua passion extends into nature, art, and astrophotography.

Thanh is an intern who completed his Bachelor of Architectural Studies and Master of Architecture at the University of Waterloo. In addition to his current degrees, he also holds an Architectural Technologist Diploma from Vanier College in Montreal. During his time in Waterloo, Thanh had the privilege of designing various sustainable solutions to an overlooked flooding problem in different Vietnamese communities. After completing several coop terms at the office, he recently rejoined Kearns Mancini Architects as a full-time employee. With a keen interest in architectural details and construction techniques, Thanh has worked on several technically challenging projects such as Meadowbrook Lane Community Affordable Housing Residence and the Canadian Canoe Museum.

Santiago joined KMAI in November of 2021 after becoming an OAA Intern Architect. Santiago has a bachelor’s degree in architecture from the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogotá Colombia, and has 3 years of experience working in an architectural firm, completing complex commercial, mixed-used and condominium projects. Santiago has a passion for detail and for designing spaces that exceed client standards. Outside of work, he is very interested in sports, particularly soccer, and he loves to chat about anything related to technology. Santiago is excited to bring his skills and teamwork for solving problems in Kearns Mancini Architects.

Susana joined Kearns Mancini in January 2022. Susana has a bachelor’s degree in architecture from the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogotá Colombia and has 5 years of work experience with renowned Colombian architecture firms such as Taller de Arquitectura (arch. Daniel Bonilla) and A.I.A. She has been heavily involved in developing design and construction documents for large-scale commercial, mixed-use, and residential projects. She has interests in BIM and sustainable design, and assures to put into practice all her software and technical skills for the benefit of KMAI.

Monique is a Brazilian Architect who grew up loving the construction industry itching to learn new designing software. During her years studying at UNISINOS, she and her brother opened a company in Brazil which produced and sold MDF furniture for the whole country. She worked there for more than 5 years as an Interior Designer, leading the whole design team from the back end. After graduation, she created her own Architecture studio, working with low-rise buildings, commercial, mixed-use and residential houses. Her thirst for knowledge and sustainability made her seek for new experiences and better construction practices, leading her to come to Toronto and study BIM Management at George Brown College. She believes KMAI works in the way she always appreciated, valuing collaboration and caring about the future of the construction and how it affects the real world. She can’t wait to learn and unite knowledge with the whole team to grow as a professional and as a person.  

Jessie holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Wilfrid Laurier University and is pursuing her APMP certification. Her academic background in business helps her navigate through the marketing world, fostering connections, and bolstering collaborations. Jessie is passionate about learning new things and staying up-to-date on the latest trends and innovations in the marketing and business development fields. She joined KMAI in November 2023 and is a self-motivated and success-driven marketing and business development manager with 5+ years of experience in proposal management at a global A&E firm. Jessie will work to establish and maintain relationships with KMAI’s key clients to ensure customer satisfaction and loyalty.