Architecture and design play key roles in human wellness: Charles

‘Boa’ from Page 17 out of the “long-lasting” isolation and start letting people know more about her self and her firm.

Post-pandemic, she said things are starting to move forward. “Thus far I’ve been pretty blessed, and there has been a lot of work with women in business. Some of the contacts were because I was local and some because I was a woman running her own company.”

Charles grew up in North York where she went to high school at Cardinal Carter Academy of the Arts. After that she took architecture at Carleton University for her undergrad, and then her masters at the University at Buffalo.

Charles said she decided to study architecture in university after seriously considering the pursuit of a career as an artist and attending the Ontario College of Art and Design (OCAD).

“There is a lot of art in architecture, though not all architects consider themselves artists. Not every architect has that creative edge,” she said. “I was at a bit of a crossroads at the end of high school as I loved architecture but I also considered going to OCAD. It was a tough de- cision for an 18 year old, but I felt I wanted to make an impact on the world and I could do that through architecture. I love space and looking at space through architecture, and I wanted to use my skills as an architect and really light that fuse.”

Charles said there’s a saying that architecture is civilization since it has such a profound impact on how people live. “It shapes civilizations and it shapes cultures too,” she said.

“I’m always considering light and colour and the effects it has on psychology in spaces. Colour is a big, big thing for me as it inspires a space and its function. As architects we need to consider the aesthetics of space and how it all works together for human wellness,” said Charles.

A resident of the Beach since 2012, Charles said she loves living in the community as a single mother to a five-year-old son who she coparents with his father who also lives locally.

She had lived downtown before moving east to the Beach.

“I didn’t really see myself then as wanting to live in any particular neighbourhood,” said Charles of mak- ing the Beach home. “I liked it downtown before I moved, but I’ve come to love it here. The beauty and creativity of the area has really grown on me. There’s nature and green spaces, and the beach and the water. It’s a beautiful place to live in the city. There’s so much creative energy and it’s a great place to raise a child.”

She said she also appreciates the family nature of the Beach community. “There’s a strong mom base here and I just love the neighbourhood. There’s so many parks and so much greenery and it’s inspiring to be out in nature.”

Along with her work as an architect and designer, Charles is also the founder of the Beachers for Black Lives Facebook group (which began in 2020 when the death of George Floyd who was killed by a Minnesota police officer brought issues of racism to the forefront) and is a member of Friends of the Beach Parks, a group of residents dedicated to enhancing and animating parks in the area.

For more information on Charles and her firm, please go to www.thearchitecturerevolution.com/

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