James K. Bird
HBA, M.Arch., PhD Candidate, MRAIC
Lead Indigenous Architect
jamesbird@mtarch.com
416-559-3354
James is a proud member of the Northwest Territories Métis Nation and affiliated with the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation. James is a Residential school survivor a knowledge keeper and a Chapel Royal Tobacco keeper for Massey College, University of Toronto appointed by Chief and council of the Mississauga’s of the New Credit First Nations.
James holds an Honours B.A. and a Master of Architecture, and is currently a PhD candidate in Architecture, Landscape, and Design at the John H. Daniels faculty of Architecture at the University of Toronto. His current work examines the intersection between Indigenous languages and shape forming as related practice in building code using ideas generated from linguistic theory and cultural vernacular.
James has received several academic and national awards – recently the King Charles III Coronation metal, The Prideaux Award for Science and Architecture, University College Merit Award, the Gordon Cressy Award, the Dr. Lillian McGregor Indigenous Award for Excellence, and the President’s Award. He also recently won the Irving Grossman prize for thesis work and was named the 2022 Clarkson Laureate, an honor given by the former Governor General of Canada, Adrienne Clarkson.
James has been equally active outside academia. He is a Member of The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada’s Indigenous Task Force on Architecture and sits on the Governing Board at Massey College. As well as publishing his first book in exploring Indigenous pedagogy and form making in architecture.
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