’14, Alumni Chair, Construction and Finishing Carpenter, Nestworks Construction Ltd
Sasha Knight grew up in Mannheim, Ontario where he lived in a heritage stone house designated under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act. He learned at an early age how to restore and maintain the building’s architectural features and took a natural interest into carpentry and masonry. After completing an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Archaeology at Wilfrid Laurier University and working in the archaeological consulting field for five years, he stumbled upon Willowbank’s diploma program and decided to refocus his career into carpentry and the restoration of older buildings. His tutelage under Julian Smith and Paul Jacobsen completely changed his perspective around the concept of ‘heritage’ with the realization that cultural places are prone to evolve as their uses and the way people value them change over time. After graduating from Willowbank in 2014, he spent time working on a variety of heritage projects across England, Southwestern Ontario and British Columbia.
He is a Red Seal carpenter working in Vancouver where he engages much of his skill in renovation and newbuild construction projects within the Point Grey and Kitsilano areas. He has taken an interest in learning about sustainable and energy efficient construction methods and how they can be applied to heritage buildings while also navigating the complicated realm of current building codes and by-laws.