Melissa Wakefield

Background

About Melissa Wakefield

Melissa is a Senior Design Architect with strong creative instincts and a practical range of professional experience honed over the course of her 14-year career working for some of Canada’s most celebrated architectural practices including Mackay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects, Acre Architects, and HoK. She is a dedicated professional who takes great care and pride in her projects which she demonstrates daily through her attention to detail, craftsmanship and resourcefulness. Over the course of her career, Melissa has been instrumental in the design, detailing, and construction of numerous, award winning projects throughout Eastern and Atlantic Canada. Her professional experience ranges from project managing large budget, high-touch residential projects, to larger-scale undertakings; including projects such as the interior renovation of the Imperial Theatre, Saint John Theatre Company expansion and the Fundy National Park Bath House Rehabilitation. Additionally, she has been on project teams for urban infills projects, educational facilities, urban concept visioning, as well as a multi-million square foot fit-up. Melissa’s design education and professional pedigree, the depth of her creativity, along with her ability to keep design ideas in focus over the course of a project make her a great asset to all her projects. Her primary areas of focus include Indigenous-led project, heritage conservation and cultural/ community oriented projects. In 2018, Melissa was awarded a scholarship from the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) to attend Marmomacc Stone Academy: Designing with Natural Stone Course in Verona, Italy; one of 6 handed out to architecture professionals across Canada. Melissa is also an avid volunteer and a dedicated contributor the growth and development of Saint John; she has proudly served on the City of Saint John’s Heritage Development Board for 6 years, the last 2 of which she has also been Vice Chair. Melissa’s projects have garnered media publication and awards from around the world. Most recently being awarded the City of Saint John 2022 Heritage Award for the façade rehabilitation of the historic Saint John High School. Additionally, the SJTC Sydney Street Courthouse Theatre project recently received an honorable mention by the jury of the 2022 installment of the Canadian Architect Awards.