Climate Adaptation: About the Authors

MARK THOMPSON BRANDT, Senior Conservation Architect& Urbanist, OAA, RAIC, CAHP, FAPT-RP, LEED AP

Mark is sought after as a leading Heritage Architect/Urbanist in the National Capital Region, having led or co-led over a dozen Parliamentary Precinct heritage projects. Mark is a National Leader in Sustainable Rehabilitation, having co-authored Building Resilience: Practical Guidelines for the Sustainable Rehabilitation of Buildings in Canada, the national guidelines document, is currently Co-Chair of the North America-wide Zero Net Carbon Collaboration for Existing and Historic Buildings (ZNCC), and lectures widely on the link between, and the responsibility of, heritage conservation in the effort to reduce carbon emissions. Mark is a sustainability, heritage conservation and existing building specialist with expertise in value assessments, impact assessments and high-value reviews, evaluations for built heritage and cultural landscapes as well as constructing/adapting/intervening in existing structures. He is a stakeholder engagement specialist, with expertise in managing input and gaining consensus through dialogue and project management, including heritage evaluation and intervention reviews, FHBRO presentations and approvals.

EMILY GUY, Research Lead & Project Coordinator, BA (Canadian Studies), MA (History), MEd

Emily is a historian with a degree and graduate degrees in Canadian Studies, History and Education. Emily has experience in the private, public, and academic areas and has worked in different jurisdictions in Canada. At MTBA, she leads Research and Development projects, with a specific focus on Historic Places, Heritage Conservation Districts and Cultural Heritage Impact Statements. Emily’s Professional Development focusses on Heritage Planning courses, including Cultural Resource Management at the University of Victoria. She is a key Project Manager at MTBA and works closely with the Technical team on a variety of heritage conservation and research projects.

Catherine McBain, intern architect & heritage specialist, oaa, raic, apt

Catherine is an Intern Architect with a speciality in heritage conservation. Her interests include Modern Heritage, concrete conservation, heritage documentation, and designing for social impact. Catherine’s graduate thesis explored critical alternatives for the conservation of Canada’s former Indian Residential Schools. Her roles in projects include research, design, contributing to cultural heritage impact statements and heritage consideration reports. Catherine is actively part of MTBA research efforts for various projects and is currently working on a second edition of Building Resilience: Practical Guidelines for the Sustainable Rehabilitation of Buildings in Canada.

Melissa Lengies, research intern, b.arch, leed green associate

Melissa is an architectural researcher with a specialization in heritage conservation and sustainability. Currently working on her Master of Architecture, she has prior experience in both the public and private sectors providing heritage and design services in the National Capital Region and beyond. As a research intern with MTBA through the NSERC CREATE Heritage Engineering program, Melissa is interested in the impact of climate change on built heritage, as well as the role built heritage plays in climate action in various cultural contexts. She plays an active role in MTBA’s research and collaborative initiatives, and is working on the second edition of Building Resilience: Practical Guidelines for the Sustainable Rehabilitation of Buildings in Canada.

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