SAI was established in 1976 by founding principal, Jim Strasman. Building on his 10+ years as an Associate and Design Principal at the Toronto Office of Arthur Erickson Architects, Jim quickly grew the new firm of Strasman Architects Inc. into a recognized and respected firm with projects across Ontario, throughout Canada, and internationally.
The Canadian Architect Award of Excellence for Manufacturing Facility in 1980 and the Governor General’s Award Gold Medal in 1983 got the new firm off to a winning start.
SAI’s reputation as an innovative and collaborative design partner continued to grow, along with our award-winning portfolio, and over the last fifteen years Principals Shawn Strasman, Richard Shaw, and Liz Soo-Strasman joined Jim in leading the firm.
Today SAI is a recognized Canadian leader in the design for Transit and specialists in Design/Build projects. We focus on technically complex projects across all sectors, including transit, industrial, municipal, academic, healthcare, and multi-unit residential.
Our team incorporates both experience and energy. We are creativity nimble and agile in our project delivery and take a collective approach to design – sharing inspiration, innovative thinking, and lessons learned across all projects in an open studio environment.
Land Acknowledgement
We wish to acknowledge this land on which Strasman Architects Inc. (SAI) operates. For thousands of years, it has been the traditional land of the Huron-Wendat, Haudenosaunee and Anishinabek Nations, and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. Today, this meeting place is still the home to many Indigenous people from across Turtle Island and we are grateful to have the opportunity to live and work on this land.