Melodie Coneybeare

“Beautiful design and sustainable design aren’t mutually exclusive. At Solares, we accomplish both.”

Melodie’s love of art and design, mathematics, and the environment led her to the path of architecture. Throughout her early career, Melodie worked with architecture firms in Vancouver, Toronto, Kitchener, and New York.

Drawn to the company’s unique conviction that sustainability can co-exist with beautiful design, Melodie joined Solares in 2012, shortly after it was founded. As Senior Architect, she has since lead numerous Solares projects through all stages of design and construction.

Melodie is a Registered Licensed Architect with the Ontario Association of Architects and holds a Master’s degree in Architecture from the University of Waterloo.

What do you consider your most important skill to be?
I listen carefully. I’m very diligent in my work. When it comes to moving a project forward, I’m like a dog with a bone; I won’t let anything get in my way.

What is one of your favourite buildings?
The Chichu Art Museum by Tadao Ando
This building is located on an island, but as you approach it by sea it’s not visible. Tadao Ando put the museum underground so that it wouldn’t be a blight on the landscape, and he made it this beautiful light-filled building. The way he uses light to create the space is stunning. You don’t even realize you’re underground.

What has surprised you most about the practice of architecture?
Designing a house can take over a year and requires us to ask nuanced, intimate questions about how clients imagine their perfect life playing out in the space. So, we get to know each other on a very personal level. The relationship with the clients is a huge driver of the success of a project. I’m so pleased at how awesome our Solares clients are. It’s a long and always fruitful relationship.

What are you doing when you’re not at the office?
In the summer I do a lot of camping and hiking with my family. We’re hardly ever inside. I started a pollinator garden at my daughter’s school and I’m very passionate about the idea of furthering the ecosystem by introducing and supporting native species.

416-533-8374 x103
melodie@solares.ca