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Matt Kennedy M.Arch, BEDS, MRAIC
Partner + Principal
Matt is always looking for opportunity, the spark in an idea that has the potential to become something meaningful, transformative, and lasting. As Partner and Principal at Studio North, he shapes the studio’s direction, setting ambitious goals and leading projects that challenge convention. His work often begins in the early phases of a project, where ideas emerge and take form, balancing broad conceptual thinking with the realities of making it happen. Alongside his role at Studio North, he is also a partner in Part + Parcel, the studio’s sister company focused on development, where he explores new ways to create housing that aligns with the studio’s values.
His education at Dalhousie University reinforced his belief that learning through making is essential to architectural practice. While still a student, he led classmates in designing and constructing the Ross Creek Dining Hall and Cabot Beach Camp, hands-on experiences that continue to shape his approach to design. He sees architecture as an ongoing process that benefits from curiosity, iteration, and a willingness to experiment. Whether sketching ideas, leading early project visioning, or exploring possibilities with clients and collaborators, he brings an optimistic and hands-on energy to every project.
Matt’s work is driven by a desire to create spaces that are engaging, adaptable, and built to last. He has been instrumental in projects like the Sidewalk Citizen Solarium, a gathering space that merges tradition and contemporary craft, and the Withrow House and Laneway, which rethinks urban living through a careful balance of restoration and new construction. As the general contractor and builder of the Aster, a 33-dwelling affordable housing project in Banff, he led a team of carpenters in bringing the vision to life. His hands-on approach extends to projects like Dream Dive, a floating platform and diving deck at his family cottage on Bob’s Lake, designed for stargazing and morning plunges. He also played a key role in Atco Icon, a large-scale installation at ATCO’s Calgary headquarters that blends signage, seating, and lighting, using parametric design to create a shifting visual effect. Whether constructing homes, crafting public spaces, or exploring new ways to build, his work is rooted in curiosity, experimentation, and an ongoing search for better ways to shape the built environment.
When he’s not immersed in a project, Matt is usually tinkering: refining a prototype in his workshop, experimenting with digital fabrication, or working through a new design challenge. He’s always up for a deep dive into the mechanics of how things come together, whether that’s a building detail, a new business venture, or a home improvement project that may or may not have started as a weekend experiment.
