Shida Neshat-Behzadi is a registered architect member of the AIBC as well as a member of the Advisory Design Panel at the City of Pitt Meadows, BC, a former Design Review Advisory Committee of the City of Chilliwack, BC, and a former member of the Advisory Design Panel of the City of Maple Ridge, BC. She is also a Certified Sustainable Building Advisor, NASBAP and a LEED accredited professional, CAGBC. Shida has over 19 years of Architectural experience in BC, over eight years of Architectural and Urban planning experience in Iran, two years of accumulated mentorship at the Leadership of Tomorrow program of the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade as well as the Building and Resource Management(BERM) program at the Douglas College in New Westminster, BC, one semester of teaching assistant experience at the School of Environmental Planning at the Azad Islamic University of Iran and one semester of Research Assistant in Post-Occupancy Evaluation in Montreal, Canada .
Shida’s career as an architect started back in 1989 where she received from the Iranian Ministry of Housing and Planning her license to practice architecture.
Shida’s working knowledge and experience extends over many disciplines including different areas of architectural practice, environmental planning, urban planning and design, sustainable building design, interior design, feasibility studies and post-occupancy evaluation.
Her architectural work experience in the Greater Vancouver includes new design, remodeling, renovation and addition of single family houses, conversion/addition of multi-family dwellings with coach house, restoration and addition of multiple family heritage buildings, preparation of permit drawings, construction documents and construction administration for larger projects for other architectural companies. This includes a wide range of building types from low rise condominiums, mixed-use residential/commercial high-rise to institutional, office, community center, recreational, dormitory, healthcare, hospitality, nursing home, interior design, urban design and post-occupancy evaluation.
Shida is a life time learner dedicated to perform her duties with excellence. She is passionate about architecture and other areas of knowledge which are directly related to her field of practice.
Shida received her master’s degree in architecture from Shahid Beheshti University( formerly called Melli university) in Tehran, Iran. She also completed 2 years of Ph.D studies in environmental Management at the faculty of advanced studies and research at the Islamic University of Azad in Tehran, Iran, 2 years of Ph.D. studies at the faculty of Planning and Design at the University of Montreal in Montreal, Qc., and a Full term Advanced Urban Design studio at the School of Community and Regional Panning, SCARP, at the University of British Columbia.
Shida enhanced her technical skills by completing a 2 year program at the British Columbia Institute of Technology and received her associate certificate in building design and architectural CAD in 2001. She also advanced her knowledge in sustainable building Design by completing a full year program at the Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, BC and received her Certificate as Sustainable Building Design Advisor from the National Sustainable building Advisor Program, NASBAP in 2010. Shida acquired as well knowledge of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and received her LEED Accreditation from the Canada Green Building Council CAGBC in LEED Building design and construction which she upgraded every year till present. In 2015 Shida updated her knowledge of BC Building Codes and Vancouver Building Bylaws and building Envelope principles by taking the Certified Professional(CP) and the BEEP Module 1 programs at the AIBC, complemented later with the BEEP course at the AAA and the Passive House Tradesperson and Building Envelope Specialization course at the BCIT in 2019.
In addition to her academic, professional and technical experience and knowledge, Shida has extensive knowledge and experience in Real Estate Development. Before coming to Canada, having the necessary knowledge and design skills, she helped her extended family and their partners to build three condominiums from 4 to 18 units in different areas of the Greater City of Tehran.
In Vancouver, she studied Real estate development and completed many courses in Urban Land Economics at the Sauder School of Business, Real Estate Division at the University of British Columbia. She then started to design and build a new single family house in Vancouver Dunbar area with consultation with Farzin Yadegari Architect. Later she designed and converted an old character multiple family dwelling to three strata units and a coach house in Vancouver Kitsilano area with the consultation and work for Ankenman Marchand Architects. She also prepared design documents for the restoration and addition to a multiple family character dwelling in the same area with consultation and work for Orbis Architecture.
The knowledge Shida has gained during her post-graduate studies and professional experience has enriched her vision toward design, in general, and architecture, in particular. Shida looks at design as a product delivered to suit the requirements of a specific time and place. It starts with a vision which get shaped by passion, refined by skills and curtailed by limitations.
Shida’s endeavor is to support the public and the professional community by sharing her knowledge and expertise in Architecture.
The photo in this section is from Shutterstock, Resume written on an old typewriter concept for job search and recruitment by Brian A Jackson