Yvonne Ip
Founding Director
Architect OAA
MArch, BFA, BA
(she/her)
Yvonne has enjoyed a career in architectural practice for over two decades. She has been involved in a wide range of project types and is well-versed in all phases of practice. Beyond her architectural work, Yvonne is an accomplished artist, with her artwork featured in exhibitions across Canada and the United States, residing in public and private collections.
Yvonne’s dedication to the societal and cultural dimensions of architecture is reflected in her active community engagement. She has contributed to initiatives such as the City of Kitchener Public Art Working Group, Queen’s Green Community Garden, and the Waterloo Region Food System Roundtable. She has also held leadership roles in organizations, including the Trillium Waldorf School and the Grand Valley Society of Architects (GVSA), where she has served in various capacities over the past decade. Yvonne currently serves as the coordinator for continuing education at the GVSA.
Yvonne has extensive experience in leading government-funded and regulated projects and has a track record for successfully guiding novel developments through planning approvals, including the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT, formerly OMB and LPAT).
Yvonne proudly holds several memberships in co-operatives with single-digit membership numbers.
Paniz Moayeri
Director
Architect OAA, MRAIC
MArch, BArch Studies (Hons.)
(she/her)
Paniz is a licensed architect with a career bridging practice, research, and advocacy, with a focus on the social, ethical, and cultural dimensions of built spaces and design. She has over seven years of professional experience across offices in Toronto, Dubai, Victoria, New York, and Kitchener, working on a wide range of building types, delivery models, and design stages. Skilled in community consultation and multi-stakeholder engagement, Paniz is a strong advocate for participatory, community-led design.
Paniz’s award-winning thesis, Your Passport Doesn’t Work Here, explores the intersection of architecture, identity, and Iranian queer heritage. Her writing appears in Canadian Architect, JSSAC, and The Signs That Define Toronto. She has taught design studio at Laurentian University, assisted courses at Waterloo Architecture, and served as a guest lecturer and critic at TMU and Carleton.
As a co-founder of Treaty Lands, Global Stories, Paniz has advocated for recognizing Canada’s Indigenous heritage and broadening architectural education beyond Western paradigms since 2016. She is a former Advisory Board Member to Waterloo Architecture’s Racial Equity and Environmental Justice Task Force, and an active member of the Architecture Lobby, where she advocates for equity and improved working conditions in the profession. Paniz is the current secretary for the Grand River Society of Architects’ Executive Committee.
Former Team Members
Crystal Hopwood
Former Director and Architect
Danielle Gignac
Founding Director and Architect
Founder and owner of J. David McAuley Architect Inc. (later transformed to Arise Architects Co-operative)
Founding Director and Architect at Arise Architects Co-operative
David McAuley
Logan Carragher
Former Co-op Student
Sadaf Muqeem
Former Co-op Student