Petit Architect Teaches Sustainable Design
Maïa Tarassoff, Founder Petit Architect
Maïa moved to Canada in 2013 and obtained her Passive House Designer Certification. She started teaching hands-on after school programs for kids ranging from Kindergarten to Grade Twelve. That’s when Petit Architect was born. Her curriculum focuses on sustainability, social impact, and energy-efficiency.
A Passive House is a building standard for energy efficiency, which reduces the building's ecological footprint.
Passive House originated in Germany in 1988. It results in ultra-low energy buildings that require about 90% less energy for space heating or cooling. Maïa notes that the standard is not confined to residential properties and includes all kinds of buildings. In order to obtain the certification, the design has to be integrated from the very first stage and the building has to go through a series of tests by a third party. Unlike LEAD standards, Passive House is based on actual measuring of the building's performances, after it's built. It's pretty strict. BC's energy step code is implementing this standard to all new buildings by 2032.
Home is where my family lives. It’s in France. It’s here in Vancouver. It’s anywhere we are all together.
I hope to design, build or renovate our forever home in the very near future!
My goal with Petit Architect is to educate, engage & inspire.
Maïa Tarassoff founded Petit Architect in 2017 with the goal of making architecture more accessible to children and youth.
Prior to moving to Vancouver with her husband and two children, she studied at Ecole d’Architecture de Paris La Villette. She earned a Master of Architecture Degree and became registered in France as an Architect. After graduation, she sought out a career in sustainable design and built energy-efficient social housing dwellings and private residences.
I teach what I am passionate about & what I think matters the most.
Sustainability creates a better future.
Maïa teaches with a global approach. We all must look at reducing our carbon footprint and energy consumption in our lives, our homes, our neighbourhoods and our cities. Building eco-neighbourhoods is about creating better environments for people while respecting our planet. People feel healthier and happier, and nature is respected. It's a win-win.
With Petit Architect, Maïa’s goal is to empower the next generations to become involved citizens inspired to design more beautiful, more inviting, and more sustainable urban spaces.
Each kid views their home differently because it IS different from every other kid.
Discovering how other people live is very interesting. Maïa explores other cultures and houses from everywhere in the world. Kids really enjoy to learn and it teaches them about inclusion and respect for all people and cultures.
In her own home, Maïa’s motto is buy less, reduce, reuse and, when no other choice, recycle. Her kids wear second hand clothes and play with used toys. And, it works. They talk about plastic waste and watch kid’s appropriate documentaries about climate change and solutions. Of course, like all parents, her kids challenge their family choices every day. They are often confronted with our consumerism society but Maïa redirects them toward her household values of community, sharing, caring, experiences over things, minimalism and ecology.
Petit Architect is Vancouver’s one and only program solely dedicated to architecture for kids. Maïa’s hands-on workshops and online classes will get your kids thinking like architects and designing for a better future.
Book an in person or online class, an architecture camp, a private event or purchase a DIY kit - your kids will love it.
Click here to view Petit Architect’s class schedule
