Susan Speigel is president of the Ontario Association of Architects (2021-2022).

Speigel’s career has spanned more than 30 years and five cities, including Sudbury, Ottawa, New York, Neuchâtel, and now Toronto. As a young graduate—aware of the barriers faced by women in the profession—she and four other designers launched an all-women firm, Villa Villa, a group she describes as “brave and creative,” where she cut her teeth in the industry. Speigel then worked with her father-in-law to solidify her architectural education.

Since then, always careful to ensure family life was integrated into her practice, her work has evolved through various iterations, including a brief foray into the tech world—a move that brought a fresh perspective when she eventually returned to architecture reinvigorated.