Anthony Belcher, B. Arch., O.A.A.

Principal

After receiving a Bachelor of Architecture (Hons) from the University of Toronto in 1984, Anthony Belcher apprenticed with notable architects, including Edward Cullinan in London, England and William Grierson in Toronto. From them, he acquired a passion for conserving and renewing heritage architecture, and also for designing landscapes and gardens. These architects dissolved the barriers between the two disciplines. At the same time, their designs were innovative and met the needs of our own time. They embraced new technologies, and sustainable materials and strategies. From these practitioner/teachers, he learned the importance of proportion, composition, scale, massing, attention to detail, and the careful study of historical precedents.

He established his own practice in 1994, and, through a variety of built projects, he has strived to continue what he learned.

Anthony Belcher has made the occasional foray into the construction process himself. From this, he has acquired great interest in methods of building. Through his knowledge of construction, he has earned the respect of many builders and craftsmen.

“I believe that every building and every site is as individual as its client.  I am not compelled by any personal “style” or “signature.”  I value my ability to listen to my clients—to hear, understand, and ultimately to interpret their expressed and unexpressed needs through the creation of unique, innovative, well-crafted buildings and landscapes. By this process, I hope to create a “sense of place” specific to that building, that landscape, that client, and that climate. I believe that buildings should exist in harmony with their natural environments -- that they should grow out of, rather than dominate, the site they inhabit. While landscapes and cities are in a state of constant evolution, I believe that new development should respect the existing context, and that we should leave the environment in better condition than we found it.”

Anthony Belcher