The Ontario Association of Architects’ (OAA) first vice-president of education probably couldn’t have chosen a more challenging time to propose the creation of the position—and then to accept it when it was offered to her.

Founding principal of Hamilton-based Assembled Light Inc., a small architecture and design studio that focuses on sustainable single-family homes and multi-residential design, Agata Mancini took on the role in January of last year. Two months later the COVID-19 induced province-wide lockdown went into effect and, as a result, the OAA had to swiftly transfer its educational courses, seminars, conferences, and other programs to a virtual format.