Practice
Place of Work is a collaborative architecture practice based in Halifax/Kjipuktuk, Nova Scotia and Toronto/Tkaronto, Ontario. Led by Jennifer Esposito, Duncan Patterson, and Will Perkins, we bring together over 35 years of experience working on award-winning projects across North America.
Our work reflects a sense of place. We design contemporary buildings informed by their context and the people who use them.
Principals
Jennifer Esposito
BAS, M.Arch, M.Arch II, OAA, MRAIC
Jennifer is an architect, educator, and advocate with over 15 years in professional practice. She is a registered architect in Ontario and assistant professor at Toronto Metropolitan University’s Department of Architectural Science.
She graduated with a post-professional Master of Architecture II from Harvard University Graduate School of Design and previously earned a Master of Architecture and a Bachelor of Architectural Studies with Highest Distinction from Carleton University where she was named to the RAIC Honour Roll. She is also a recipient of the Canada Council for the Arts JBC Watkins Award.
Jennifer has held positions at renowned architectural firms including Superkül, MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects, Pin/Taylor Architects, Brown + Storey Architects, LUCE et Studio, and William Rawn Associate Architects. She has taught at Harvard GSD, Dalhousie University, and the University of Waterloo. Jennifer is actively engaged with Harvard GSD’s Alumni Council as well as mentorship programs and task forces dedicated to equity and social justice including Building Equality in Architecture Toronto (BEAT) where she is the Chair of the Executive Committee.
As a Toronto native, Jennifer developed a deep appreciation for urban environments. She leveraged her architectural education and professional experiences to explore cities worldwide, spanning South America, North America, Europe, and the Middle East. She brings this internationally informed expertise to her projects marrying ideas with thoughtful practice.
Duncan Patterson
Dipl. Arch. Tech, BEDS, M.Arch, OAA, NSAA, AANB
Duncan is a registered architect in Ontario, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick with over 13 years of professional experience.
He holds a Diploma in Architectural and Building Technologies from Saskatchewan Polytechnic along with undergraduate and graduate degrees in Architecture from Dalhousie University, graduating with distinction and a place on the RAIC Honour Roll.
Prior to founding Place of Work, Duncan served as a Project Architect at MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects and Akb Architects, contributing to diverse and award-winning custom residential and heritage renovation projects across Nova Scotia, Ontario, and the United States.
Alongside his professional roles, Duncan mentors young architects as a guest critic and OAA mentor. He also volunteers as the Planning and Design Coordinator for basketball non-profit Buckets and Borders. Guided by a creative disposition rooted in a lived, agricultural pragmatism, he enjoys developing architecture that bridges the practical and the poetic.
Will Kipping Perkins
BEDS, M.Arch, NSAA, AANB, MRAIC
Will is a registered architect in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Alongside his architectural practice, Will has served as a Sessional Instructor at Dalhousie University since 2020
He holds a Bachelor of Environmental Design Studies and Master of Architecture from Dalhousie University where upon graduation he received the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Henry Adams Medal and a place on the RAIC Honour Roll. Before studying architecture, Will was an award winning lighting designer trained at the National Theatre School of Canada.
With over 10 years of cumulative professional experience, Will apprenticed at KPMB and CVDB Arquitectos and worked as a Project Architect at MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects where he managed custom residential and mixed-use projects across Nova Scotia and the United States. He has also worked with the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre, Eastern Front Theatre, and 2b Theatre.
As an architect, he is curious about how people anchor themselves to a place and how buildings tell the stories of the places that surround us. He is passionate about collaborative work and enjoys working with clients, consultants, and builders who share these values. Will volunteers as a mentor for NSAA intern architects working towards licensure.
Photography by Meghan Tansey Whitton
