As President, Bill Birdsell, B.E.S., B.Arch., OAA, MRAIC is committed to encouraging a greater awareness of the value of architectural services and providing a platform for the more than 5,000 members of the Ontario Association of Architects (OAA) across the province to impact change beyond the built environment in areas such as business, health, culture and environmental sustainability.
“Architects are innovators, city builders, and progressive agents for change,” he says.
Since joining OAA Council in 2009, he has participated on several committees and served as Senior Vice President and Treasurer for the past two years. Always with an eye to the bottom line, Birdsell is not just a proponent of sustainability in the built environment, but also advocates for the long-term sustainability of the architectural profession.
Birdsell is the principal of J. William Birdsell Architect in Guelph, Ontario, a full-service architectural firm with a portfolio spanning a wide range of projects including residential, commercial, industrial and institutional. He is particularly passionate about the environmental impact of buildings and the adaptive reuse of existing structures.
After receiving his Bachelor of Environmental Studies from the University of Waterloo in 1982, he completed his Bachelor of Architecture in 1984. In 1987, he joined the OAA and opened his own practice. Three years later he merged with William R Jarrett to form Jarrett + Birdsell Architects Inc.
On top of his volunteer commitments to the OAA, Birdsell is an active member of City of Guelph, Committee of Adjustment. He has also served on the board of the Pro-Demnity Insurance Company and the OAAAS Board of Representatives. He is invited as a guest speaker at numerous engagements and contributes to several publications, including the Guelph Mercury.
The Ontario Association of Architects is a self-regulating organization governed by the Architects Act, which is a statute of the Government of Ontario. The OAA’s mission is to represent, regulate, support and promote the profession of architecture in the interest of all Ontarians, and to lead the design and delivery of built form in the Province of Ontario.
For more information, please visit www.oaa.on.ca.