Anastasia Piskunova

Hailing from a small town on Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula, with over 100 volcanoes stretching to the ocean, Anastasia was surrounded by the beauty and power of nature from a young age. Taking inspiration from the landscapes around her, Anastasia learned to channel her creative energies through drawing and sketching. With the help of her technical drafting teacher, she would later come to discover that her true passion was in drafting – a discovery that would lead her down the path to becoming an architectural technologist many years later.

Anastasia was first introduced to RVA during a career fair at Seneca College, where she earned her Ontario College Advanced Diploma in civil engineering technology. After approaching the people at the RVA booth, she received a call for a summer position in our structural group soon after. Eventually, her manager saw a visionary spark in her and suggested she try her hand at architecture. Fast forward three years later, Anastasia is our Architectural Technologist, overseeing everything from drawing production, 3D visualization, CAD and BIM standards, reports, and site visits on architectural, structural, municipal, water and wastewater projects.

More than just creating beams and columns, architecture for Anastasia is about creating a space, an environment, and a feeling that connects with people. Working with the team at RVA Architecture, Anastasia strives to bring that same joy of her work being inextricably tied to the end-user – always envisioning what people think and feel when they enter a building.

Anastasia’s favourite thing about working at RVA? The people. While coming to Canada was exciting, it was hard leaving family behind and acclimating to a new culture. It was the perceptiveness, kindness, and hospitality of the people that made her feel like part of a family, and part of a team where everyone is a mentor and a friend.

Outside the office, Anastasia is always searching for a new hobby. Stagnation is the ultimate foe. One day she’ll be at the oven baking delicious chocolate brownies; the next, she’ll be drawing plants on her tablet. Her present interests include learning new languages and running. Whatever she might be doing, Anastasia is continually growing her skills, pushing outside her comfort zone, and drawing inspiration from anything and everything around her.