John Ota M.S., B.Arch., B.A., brings writing skills, an academic background in contemporary architecture and historic preservation, house design and curatorial experience to his writing projects. His goal has been to write about architecture in an engaging manner that is understandable to all readers and to promote good design.
Architecture and design have been John’s life since 1978 and he has worked in architecture offices in Toronto, New York and Vancouver. He was awarded a Master of Science degree from the School of Architecture, Planning and Historic Preservation at Columbia University and a Bachelor of Architecture degree from the University of British Columbia. He served as a Board Member on the Toronto Historical Board providing advice on municipal heritage issues and has worked at the Ontario Ministry of Culture on culture and architecture projects. In 2004, he was the lead curator on an exhibition called “Living Spaces, 21 contemporary Canadian houses” that toured Canada. Since 2000, he has written freelance articles on architecture and design for the Toronto Star, Globe and Mail, AZURE magazine, Canadian House and Home magazine and Canadian Architect. He has been a guest critic at the School of Architecture at Ryerson University and he is an advisor to the Architecture Gallery at Harbourfront Centre.