Whether he’s designing a lakeside home or cottage, James’s philosophy to work with the “spirit of the site” results in one-of-a-kind structures that appear to organically emerge from the land because they seamlessly follow a property’s contours and elevations. Each design takes inspiration from elemental sources like water, rock and forest, and effectively blurs the lines between indoors and out.
James is a Registered Architect in Ontario and Alberta. He graduated from the University of Toronto School of Architecture in 1995 as its top student. He was awarded the Gold Medal in Architecture and nominated for the School’s Governor General Silver Medal. The Royal Architecture Institute of Canada named him the student most likely to be an Architect of Distinction.
A four-year internship in Alberta ignited James’s passion for timber frame homes and cottages, kicking off an extraordinary journey that embraces a contemporary approach to this distinctive and time-honoured style of building construction. James completed his architecture internship in Ontario and in 2004 purchased Smith Architect Inc., (renamed Lakeside Architecture Inc.) a Muskoka-based residential architecture firm.
James calls the Beach neighbourhood of Toronto home and enjoys walking his black flat coat retriever, Molly, along the shores of Lake Ontario and through Toronto’s many ravines. James is also an avid cottager, fly fisherman and birder. His family had a cottage in Bala, Muskoka for many years and he, his wife and their kids enjoy building memories at their cottage in Huntsville.
“As the Property Manager (former) for the Deerhurst Resort, I have worked closely with James Pitropov and his staff at Lakeside Architecture Inc. for several years on various Deerhurst projects. The staff at Lakeside has provided detailed, personal client-oriented service with creative flair and good construction documentation and costing. Lakeside has worked closely with me to develop the following projects: Deerhurst Lodge and Meeting Rooms; ESPN Sports Pavilion; Deerhurst Spa Renovation; and Deerhurst Sports Villas. On these projects, Lakeside met with me at my office and provided me with 3D design visualizations, sourced and priced alternatives, made changes as I requested, worked with me and Deerhurst’s consultants, prepared workings drawings and performed General Review during construction. The 3D visualization has helped us engage in an interactive design process that has included Deerhurst staff, the general contractor, our interior designer, the staff at Lakeside and James himself. Lakeside Architecture Inc. will be my Consultant on projects that require attention to design, detail and high quality presentations.”