David joined the Toronto Electrical team at DIALOG in 2016. He dedicates the creativity of his design contributions to the cross-disciplinary work at DIALOG, which allows him to closely collaborate with high caliber professionals of diverse mindsets and skill sets. David’s first project at DIALOG was The Ramsay Wright Building Renewal project for the University of Toronto’s biological sciences department, which set the tone for his transformations of existing buildings into state-of-the-art facilities. He continues to work on the rehabilitation of the Lester B. Pearson Building into a sustainable addition to Ottawa, which prioritises accessibility and wellbeing, as well as Markdale Hospital in Ontario and Toronto Western Hospital. His recent award-winning projects include the Ryerson Student Learning Centre, The Burlington Performing Arts Centre, and the AstraZeneca Canadian Business Centre.
David’s diverse technical background and breadth of experience leading electrical, telecommunications and security work allow him to serve as a mentor and role model to electrical team members across all DIALOG studios. He participates in practice-wide sharing of his knowledge and advances DIALOG’s expertise through his engagement in the broader industry community. David has been the recipient of numerous lighting design awards and has worked on various international projects, including work in Russia, Morocco, and Dubai. He is a member of the IESNA Toronto Chapter, a member of OACETT, Lighting Certified with the NCQLP and the Registered Communication Distribution Designer with BICSI.
What’s your favourite DIALOG project? Why?
The Lester B. Pearson Building Rehabilitation project in Ottawa has got to be my favourite at this point. The chance to design a new base building luminaire stands out as one of the most rewarding components of this project. I was able to collaborate closely with our Interiors groups, our Sustainability group, the local Heritage architects, and the client group which in included project managers, building operators, and the owner’s electrical experts. This process merited extensive discussions on the base building lighting options, vetting of the best manufacturers, review of working samples—all of which was done in a collaborative and iterative process.
What is an emerging design technology or trend that has you excited?
Smart Building design has been around for a while, but each year seems to bring innovation from the industry and acceptance and endorsement from our client groups. There is much to learn in this field as it spans electrical, telecommunications, mechanical and controls disciplines.
How do you hope your work positively impacts our communities and environment?
My aim is to always improve the overall power consumption of the spaces we have the privilege to work on while also enhancing the user experience with comfortable lighting, better controls, and longer product life leading to easier maintenance.
I look forward to each and every day at DIALOG. I feel privileged to work with so many creative and inspired design professionals on projects that vary from small to large, simple to complex, single discipline to a fully integrated team.
Business Management Fundamentals
University of Toronto
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George Brown College