Anicka Nault Email and Phone Number

Distinguished by their excellence in corporate design, I joined KIVA to help them elevate their retail portfolio and develop a commercial narrative for their design + architecture brand. Operating in a dynamic environment while delivering turnkey services, I've embraced the challenge of acting as a coordination liaison between the client & various trades, professionals, consultants & suppliers.Acknowledging the vast complexities of office planning, I've expanded my design repertoire by studying ways to optimize the user's workplace experience relative to collaboration, productivity, connectivity & wellness, all the while acquiring a basic understanding of AV requirements, smart solutions & security systems. Working with a small team of multi-disciplinary individuals, I was thoroughly involved in a wide range of tasks including site visits/surveys, preliminary test fits, code studies, material selections, concept development, 3D studies, drawing reviews, permit + IFC drawings, deficiency reports & as-built drawings.

Working at this industry leading retail design firm (formerly known as GH+A Design Studios) as an Architectural Technician, I quickly ascended to a Designer position, imparting my strong technical background and complementary design expertise to a team primarily responsible for high-profile projects, such as large scale shopping centers & food courts. Effectively contributing on a full spectrum of tasks, I excelled at delivering holistic and fully integrated concepts, on brand with the company's design philosophy. Catering to premium clients, I collaborated on comprehensive scopes of work involving information gathering, programming, concept design, renderings, presentations, value engineering, technical drawings, millwork detailing, construction supervision, shop drawing review, signage & deficiencies. Conscientious in my approach, I was naturally inclined to take initiative both internally and with clients, ensuring that expectations were diligently met.​Aside from my typical designer obligations, I invested my free time writing Adobe InDesign scripts to increase the functionality of the program's interface, save crucial time building complex design documents & improve the user's productivity. This essentially enabled InDesign users to prepare quality presentation documents, regardless of restricted timelines.​With a wealth of retail experience under my belt, I've participated (in different capacities) on over two dozen mall projects and nearly a dozen food courts.

Chosen among a competitive pool of applicants, this international internship was awarded to me by Les Offices Jeunesse Internationaux du Québec, in the efforts to promote work experience & employment opportunities abroad for young Quebec residents.​In this four month period, I occupied a designer position in Lyon, France, during which I collaborated on hospitality, banking & residential projects. With my career development at the forefront of this short-term apprenticeship, I acquired unique insights on design concept presentations, technical drawing in metric values, 3D rendering techniques, finishes selection, site visits & communication with suppliers. While the basic design principles were similar, the building code, design standards & general European mindset were sources of constant learning & enlightenment.​This rich & independent experience allowed me to cultivate a healthy dose of cultural intelligence by actively embracing change, engaging in unfamiliar practices, striving to tackle new challenges, building foreign relationships & simply appreciating every moment.

Focusing primarily on small scale residential projects, my goal was to provide low-budget improvement solutions during a recovering economic climate. Ranging from minor renovations to major interventions, I provided services in layout planning, rendering, technical drawing & site coordination. With financial setbacks imposing restrictions on my clients' desired visions, researching cost-effective alternatives & proposing design modifications was an arduous task that required a certain level of creativity & finesse. Every space has a story to tell, so I made it my mission to interpret my clients' needs and deliver a viable design.

Upon completion of my Interior Design degree in 2009, I promptly shifted to a junior Designer role where my functions consisted mainly of developing preliminary design concepts, researching inspirational imagery, building sample boards & producing 3D renderings.​Fun fact: This first job started off as a conditional offer of employment, pending proof of professional competence. Given that my education was incomplete & I hadn't yet reached my 20's, my potential employers decided to test my abilities by sending me on a solo site survey. This experience set the tone for my professional aspirations; don't let anything hold you back.​This site survey became the first project I proudly completed from A to Z, which was a Café Suprême in the LaSalle College building.

My humble beginning starts here, just a couple months shy of a degree in Architectural Technologies at Vanier. Eager to integrate the workforce, I acquired a part-time position doing site surveys, drafting various technical drawing packages & preparing roll-outs for American Apparel stores & Café Suprême shops.