MIKE BARKER OALA, CSLA mbarker@shiftland.com
Mike Barker is the founding principal of SHIFT landscape architecture. Growing up and living on farms as well as in urban environments has given Mike a deep respect for the land and living systems as well as an inherent understanding of the energy and complexity of cities. He has twelve years experience in design and project management. Project experience includes, private landscapes in rural and urban environments, campus master planning, community design, streetscape design, institutional facilities, design guidelines and public landscapes. He has trained with builders, landscape architects, planners and urban designers.
Mike’s education includes ecology at Seneca College, a Bachelor in Landscape Architecture from the University of Guelph and a Master of Landscape Architecture from the University of Toronto. Mike has been a sessional professor at the University of Guelph in the Landscape Architecture program and a member of the Urban Design Peer Review Panel in the City of London. Previously Mike has been a sessional professor in Urban Design at the University of Waterloo; has served as a studio critic at the University of Waterloo and the University of Guelph and been an invited critic at both schools.
SARA BELLAIRE OALA, CSLA sbellaire@shiftland.com
Sara is a Landscape Architect at SHIFT. She has 10 years experience in design and project management both as an employee and as an educator. Her project experience includes; urban planning and development, landscape architecture, land reclamation, environmental planning, construction administration, stakeholder engagement and public consultation.
Sara's experience is diverse and includes working for a family-owned nursery and design/build company along with small and large consulting firms and provincial and municipal governments. As a result, she is comfortable working on a broad spectrum of projects. Within SHIFT, Sara is a planting specialist and lends her expertise of green infrastructure techniques and the needs of plants to projects.
As well as being a Landscape Architect for SHIFT, Sara is also a professor at Fanshawe College teaching in the Landscape Design Diploma and Environmental Design & Planning Degree programs. She instructs a variety of design studio courses along with courses in ecology, landscape inventory and analysis, landscape construction, and the completion of working documents.
DAVID DUHAN OALA, CSLA dduhan@shiftland.com
David is a landscape architect at SHIFT who works closely with Senior designers developing concepts, detailed design, contract documents and providing project administration. He is a passionate, confident and driven landscape architect with 6+ years of public and private experience in project management, consultation, review and implementation. He successfully coordinated a high volume of development projects in Canada’s largest school board as well as one of North America’s fastest growing municipalities. David aims to merge design and strong knowledge in ecology to develop solutions where human land use and natural systems can intersect and thrive. He is a thoughtful strategist with an appreciation for process and collaboration with the aim of achieving meaningful, innovative and successful outcomes.
As well as being a landscape architect at SHIFT, David is a Sessional Professor at the University of Guelph, in the Landscape Architecture program, where he teaches a 2nd year course in Site Inventory and Analysis. He is also a member of the OALA Examining Board reviewing new applications to the Association and making recommendations to council.
CHRISTIAN STEWART BLA, MLA cstewart@shiftland.com
Christian is a landscape and urban designer at SHIFT Landscape Architecture. His experience includes site and archival research, concept development, and graphics production. In addition to this, his graduate thesis experience allowed him to look at and discuss the concept of place in relation to large urban pedestrian infrastructures.
Christian's education in photography allows him to capture the qualities of a site and document this information for informative and clear presentation. At SHIFT, Christian works closely with senior designers to produce graphics, technical drawings and presentation deliverables.
MACKENZIE FANTINI BLA mfantini@shiftland.com
Mackenzie Fantini is a landscape designer at SHIFT Landscape Architecture. She is a recent graduate of the BLA program at the University of Guelph. Mackenzie takes a strong interest in the environmental psychology of landscape architecture and completed her final year thesis on enhancing palliative care through landscape design. She was a participant in the Ontario Stone, Sand and Gravel Association quarry rehabilitation design competition and the DX Boundless Design Competition. Mackenzie is soon to undergo her licensing exams.