cv
— i’m dennis rijkhoff; an architect and former engineer/farmer living in manhattan.
i design great places, spaces, and buildings.
dennis.rijkhoff
I’m an architect who aims to design great places for people.
Great places are social: they support equity and inclusivity; they are connective and operate with an awareness and responsibility toward their impact.
Great places are ecological: they reinforce climate stability and ecosystem health.
credentials
Architect | OAA, AIA, MRAIC, NCARB, LEED AP
Master of Architecture | University of Toronto | 2009
Universidad de Palermo, Buenos Aires | Study Abroad | Summer 2008
Bachelor of Civil + Structural Engineering | The University of Western Ontario | 2005
professional experience
SvN Architects & Planners | senior associate | 2022-present
Project Manager + Architect: various projects
Strategy:
regenerative practice: tactics for embedding social + environmental goals in project delivery
knowledge sharing + design excellence: weekly design workshop
Research, advocacy, design frameworks:
shared spaces: inclusivity, interactivity, generosity—Kingston Road
people-focused streets—Living Streets
diversity in multi-res built form—Mid-rise Manual w/ Environmental Defence
Bio-based materials in architecture: founding member of the Toronto Bio-build Collective
d.r | freelance + contract positions | New York City + Amsterdam | 2019-2022
Architecture, landscape architecture, urban design
Coen + Partners, DELVA Landscape + Urbanism, WOMO Architects, DOOR Architecten
Parsons School of Design | Instructor, MFA Interior Design | New York, USA | Fall 2019-Spring 2020
Snøhetta | project manager + project architect | New York, USA | 2013-2019
Harvard HouseZero | 3 yrs | project manager + project architect, SD to completion
Calgary Central Library | 5 yrs | project architect, SD to completion
TMU Student Learning Center | 4.5 yrs | project architect, SD to completion
Ford Motor Company Campus Transformation | 0.5 yr | project manager, masterplan
Zeidler Partnership Architects w/ Snøhetta | project architect | Toronto, CA | 2010-2013
TMU Student Learning Center w/ Snohetta
MHKW Architects | designer | Toronto, CA | 2009-2010
Elementary school design, Toronto Catholic District School Board
Bureau E.A.S.T. | designer | Toronto, CA | 2009
Revitalization of the Fez River | winning competition
Kearns Mancini Architects | Toronto, CA | summer internships, 2006-2008
Ireland Park | Designer
George Brown College, The Chef’s House | Designer
Don Mount Court | Designer
R.Ritz Architect | Stratford, CA | summer internship, 2005
UWO Structural Engineering Lab | London, CA | 2004
research fellow, seismic engineering
major projects overview
Living Streets, Living Room, Space for Living in Our Cities
Museum of Toronto | For the Love of Toronto | 03/2025
Daniels Faculty of Architecture | How the Climate Crisis is Changing Architectural Practice | 03/2025
The Evergreen Conference 2024: Placemaking | 10/2024
Interior Design Show (IDS) | 01/2024
Health + Materials in Design
Parsons Healthy Materials Lab | 10/2018, 05/2023
Harvard HouseZero
AIA-NY, New York Center for Architecture, hosted by the Danish Cleantech Hub | 10/2018
Parsons School of Design, Masters of Environmental Design | 04/2019, 11/2019, 04/2021
Ryerson Student Learning Center
MIT - Architectural Technology Conference | 03/2018
Calgary Central Library
Alberta Association of Architects National Conference, Banff | 05/2016
notable public lectures
teaching + academics
Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design, UofT | Spring 2025
Critic, Advisor | M.Arch, How the Climate Crisis is Changing Architectural Practice, Alex Lukachko
Parsons School of Design | New York, USA | 2019-2020
Instructor + Critic | Architecture + Interior Design + Sustainability
People, Place, and Perception: An introduction the principles of design through methods of mental + emotional + physical/sensory engagement.
Atmospheres: A critical look at the concepts and approaches of sustainability using strategies of light + sound + air + temperature.
Guest Critic
Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design, UofT | Fall 2023, Spring 2024
Bio-Based Materials, Sam Dufaux
Columbia GSAPP | Spring 2022
Healthier Building Materials Course, Catherine Murphy, Parsons Healthy Materials Lab
Pratt Institute School of Architecture | Fall 2021
Master of Architecture Studio, Sustainability + Adaptive Re-use, Jing Liu | SO-IL
Parsons School of Design | various courses, 2017-2022
Ryerson University | Fall 2013
Course Design
CAHDCO Toolbox, Blueprint Sessions in Affordable Housing | Concept Design | 2023-24
Parsons School of Design | People, Place, and Perception | 2019-20
Parsons School of Design | Atmospheres | 2019-20
Ontario Association of Colleges | Architectural Technology | 2013-14
Student Politics
University of Toronto | Daniels | Graduate Architecture, Landscape & Design Student Union
President | 2007-08
Treasurer | 2006-07
University of Western Ontario | Western Society of Civil Engineering
President | 2004-05
selected project awards
w/ Snøhetta | Calgary Central Library
AIANY Design Award | Best in Architecture | 2020
AIA / ALA Library Building Awards | Best New Library | 2019
Fast Company, Top 50 Most Innovative Companies | 2018
w/ Snøhetta | Ryerson Student Learning Center
Toronto Urban Design Award, Best Public Building in Context | 2017
AIA / ALA Library Building Awards | Best New Library | 2016
AIANY Design Award - Honor Award | 2016
w/ Bureau EAST | Revitalization of the Fez River
American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) Honor Award | 2010
Holcim Global Gold Award in Sustainability | 2009
w/ Kearns Mancini Architects | Ireland Park
Community Heritage Award | 2018
OAA Design Excellence Award | 2009
City of Toronto Urban Design Award (Honorable Mention) | 2009