George Takoudes, AIA, LEED AP

DLR Group appoints George Takoudes, AIA, LEED AP to Principal. His leadership in award-winning healthcare and higher education work, coupled with his expertise in planning and architecture, fosters innovative, client-centered projects. George's contributions to the profession include professional training, education, and development. Formerly a national AIA Young Architect Award winner, George mentors and shares his wisdom to the next generation of young professionals.

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Hamilton Spectator

8 hours ago

• Hamilton Spectator

New report suggests opening churches to the masses as attendance dwindles

When Rev. Kevin George first arrived at St. Paul's Cathedral, congregants accused him of coming to rip out the pews. 'I was like, 'OK, everybody take a breath. I don't have my chainsaw with me,'' he said Friday, a day after welcoming the public into the newly renovated building in downtown London, Ont. It's been 18 months since he started working at the church, and the pews are indeed gone. After much prayer and consideration, the change came with the blessing of the congregation. George is leading the adaptive redevelopment of St. Paul's in an effort to keep the Anglican church building alive in a model not unlike the one endorsed by a new report from the Canadian Urban Institute. It argues churches must change their approach to managing their buildings because declining attendance is putting their longevity at risk. The institute fears the loss of physical buildings could spell the end for the churches' civic function. The non-profit's report says that in addition to their spiritual role, church buildings have long been places where people go for social services, from food pantries to foot clinics and charity bingo to child care. It was that same argument that got members of St. Paul's onside, George said. They asked themselves, 'What are we doing with the space and what does that space do for us to allow us to be the church that we need to be today, tomorrow and for generations to come?' George recalled. 'And when we did that work, the barriers began to fall.' Without the pews, which seated 700, the space can be used in any manner of ways — as a concert venue, a conference hall, and, of course, a space for worship. The renovations, which also included making the space wheelchair accessible and installing much-needed air conditioning, have cost $1.9 million. The congregation and Anglican Diocese of Huron have together raised $1.1 million, and they're now looking to external sources to cover the balance. They're hoping some funds could come from the City of London, which has endorsed the space as a new creative hub. The church will also expand its civic role, George said. 'When I moved downtown in January of 2024, one of the overwhelming narratives about St. Paul's was, 'I can never get in there. The doors are locked,'' he said. 'Well, that's changed dramatically and will continue to change because our attitude now is 'doors open.'' If churches don't adapt, CUI President Mary Rowe said, they face two major threats: development and decay. 'As urban environments kinds of civic spaces that provide this kind of opportunity for informal, casual social interaction, they get encroached upon because the market pressure is such that that building starts to become more desirable for high-end housing,' Rowe said. 'And in small communities where there may not be the same kind of pressure for real estate development, there's no money or resources to shore up the civic functions of these places.' The report contends church spaces, which for decades have benefited from tax exemptions, have a duty to continue offering civic services. But a 2019 study by the National Trust for Canada predicted that one-third of Canada's 27,000 faith buildings, most of which are Christian, would likely close permanently in the next 10 years. 'What we need are new models that get new resources into these places so that you can actually evolve in a way that serves the community around it,' Rowe said. The report attempts to 'unravel the Gordian knot' of how at-risk, faith-built assets like churches should be managed going forward. That's a question Rev. Graham Singh has spent more than a decade working to answer. He's the senior pastor at St. Jax Church in Montreal and CEO of the charity Releven, which works to preserve and repurpose underused churches. St. Jax, formerly called St. James the Apostle Anglican Church, is a sort of prototype for the Releven model. The grand cathedral on Rue Sainte-Catherine ceased operations in 2015. It was in disrepair and maintenance was extremely expensive because of its heritage designation. It reopened the following year under the new name. 'A challenge is the building itself,' Singh said. 'Raising money to repair the roof, which is this heritage-listed slate roof that has to be repaired with like-for-like materials. And then the same thing with the masonry, which is a very expensive 150-year-old stone construction.' But now, the building is home to four separate congregations and a non-religious non-profit, which will soon handle management of the building. Secular tenants of St. Jax include organizations that work in refugee resettlement, food security and youth employment. Meanwhile, the City of Montreal is in the final stages of a process to acquire the green space outside St. Jax with the goal of turning it into a park. Singh also knows about the complexity of working with the municipal government. In order to make all the changes to how the St. Jax building operates, his organization had to prove they had the historic right to change the site's purpose and use. That heritage impact assessment has become part of the Ville-Marie Pilot Project, which opens the door for other churches in the city to share their space with non-religious groups, he said. 'The city has indeed been updating their zoning and urban planning framework to allow more of that to be happening in other locations in the future,' Singh said. Through Releven, he's taking that experience and helping other churches leverage it. The CUI report found one of the barriers for churches looking to change their business model is a lack of knowledge on the part of local leadership. 'There's very few examples of a congregation or a diocese or an owner of a faith building that have been able to do it by themselves because of the complexity of these buildings and the regulatory environment,' said Jennifer Barrett, managing director of programs, planning and policy at CUI. Some churches have partnered with real estate developers. Among them is All Saints' Anglican Church in Winnipeg, whose lands are now home to West Broadway Commons, a 110-unit housing project. Fifty-six of those units are affordable. But in many cases, Barrett said, churches are resistant to that sort of change and fearful of giving up control. 'It is challenging for faith communities to let go of their buildings,' she said. George said that was true for the congregation at St. Paul's. Ultimately, they decided that they should retain ownership of the property. 'We would have become sort of a tenant in our own space, and the Diocesan structure of the Anglican Church doesn't work well for that,' George said. 'We're working on what we believe will be a public-private partnership to administer this going forward because we know we're going to get very busy. I mean, we've only just moved in yesterday, and we're already receiving calls. There's a demand here for a space like this.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 22, 2025.

Yahoo

2 days ago

• Yahoo

AIA Singapore launches inaugural AIA Ultimate FitnessFest to champion healthier lifestyles

With support from HYROX, the AIA Ultimate FitnessFest is a pioneering hybrid fitness event dedicated to advocating healthy lifestyles and championing the need for individuals to be protected. SINGAPORE, June 20, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading health insurance provider AIA Singapore is proud to launch the inaugural AIA Ultimate FitnessFest (AUFF), with support from HYROX. Taking place throughout August, with the finale on 27 September 2025, AUFF features two thrilling editions — the University Edition and the Open Edition, catering to participants across all fitness levels. Building on AIA Singapore's ongoing partnership with HYROX for the AIA HYROX Open Asian Championships 2025[1], AUFF is the first-of-its-kind initiative that provides additional avenues for Gen Zs and people of all ages to "Rethink Healthy" — AIA's regional campaign that seeks to challenge stereotypes and narrow depictions of health in Asia and calls for new definitions of health that will encourage more people to live healthier. With only 2 in 5 (44%)[2] of Gen Zs in Singapore protected against personal accidents, raising awareness and providing access to financial protection for this under-insured group is crucial. AIA aims to champion the need to protect them by launching AIA #GenFit PA plan — an affordable personal accident plan designed to cover not just medical bills but also the active lifestyles of Gen Zs. They can reach out to an AIA consultant or insurance representative to learn more about the plan and the special AIA Vitality offer available with the purchase of AIA #GenFit PA plan in 2025. More information on the plan can be found here "With rising healthcare costs in Singapore and a growing protection gap among Gen Zs, we are taking proactive steps to address this challenge," says Wong Sze Keed, Chief Executive Officer of AIA Singapore. "The AUFF University Edition, with support from HYROX, is more than just a fitness event — it's a meaningful platform to promote healthier, more active lifestyles while driving greater awareness of financial protection among younger Gen Zs. We hope to empower them to build a strong foundation for both physical and financial well-being as they work towards a more secure future." "Additionally, AIA Singapore is deepening our engagement with the community. The AUFF University Edition qualifiers at the finals on 27 September will have the exciting opportunity to compete against Team Strong Silvers, a group of senior citizens in Singapore who are known for challenging age stereotypes and promoting an active lifestyle among seniors in Singapore. Fitness is for everyone, and through AUFF, we want to encourage people of all ages to live healthier, longer, better lives." AUFF – University Edition Available to students from Singapore's local universities[3], the AUFF University Edition begins in August 2025 with the campus qualifiers, followed by the finals in September. The top two teams will win complimentary participation at the AIA HYROX Singapore race in November. The AUFF University Edition invites students to form teams of four and compete in qualifiers across Singapore. These qualifiers will test participants with challenges like rowing and synchronised weighted lunges. The top three teams from each university, based on their overall scores, will advance to the finals. The finals will feature a HYROX-inspired challenge, pushing teams through a high-intensity sequence designed to test their strength, endurance, and teamwork. The workout includes a 1,000-meter run, burpee broad jumps, walking lunges, a 1,000-meter row, hand-release push-ups, and finishes with an intense set of 100 wall balls. In the lead-up to the finals, each qualifying team will be encouraged to participate in the activities and earn bonus points which will be added to their scores at the finals. Designed to promote holistic well-being, these challenges encourage participants to Rethink Healthy through a variety of health-focused activities, including: Rainforest Amazing Race: Teams will race through the newly launched Rainforest Wild ASIA[4] at Mandai Wildlife Reserve's nature-filled, adventure-style challenge that strengthens bonds while reconnecting with the great outdoors. Run with AIA: Teams can organise runs with AIA to build camaraderie while enhancing their endurance and running techniques. Social and Charity: Participants can earn points by posting on their personal social media platforms around rallying supporters to attend the finals or raising awareness and funds for causes like AIA Better Lives Fund. HYROX Inspired Fitness Challenge: AIA HYROX's official gym partner, Fitness First, will be holding training sessions for teams to track their fitness progress. Rankings at these trainings will also earn them bonus points. AUFF – Open Edition The AUFF Open Edition is open to anyone curious about HYROX. Welcoming participants of all ages and fitness levels, it offers a "lite" version of the HYROX experience – designed to be accessible, fun, and inclusive. For more information on AIA Ultimate FitnessFest, visit About AIA AIA Group Limited and its subsidiaries (collectively "AIA" or the "Group") comprise the largest independent publicly listed pan-Asian life insurance group. It has a presence in 18 markets – wholly-owned branches and subsidiaries in Mainland China, Hong Kong SAR[5], Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, Cambodia, Indonesia, Myanmar, New Zealand, the Philippines, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan (China), Vietnam, Brunei and Macau SAR[6], and a 49 per cent joint venture in India. In addition, AIA has a 24.99 per cent shareholding in China Post Life Insurance Co., Ltd. The business that is now AIA was first established in Shanghai more than a century ago in 1919. It is a market leader in Asia (ex-Japan) based on life insurance premiums and holds leading positions across the majority of its markets. It had total assets of US$305 billion as of 31 December 2024. AIA meets the long-term savings and protection needs of individuals by offering a range of products and services including life insurance, accident and health insurance and savings plans. The Group also provides employee benefits, credit life and pension services to corporate clients. Through an extensive network of agents, partners and employees across Asia, AIA serves the holders of more than 43 million individual policies and 16 million participating members of group insurance schemes. AIA Group Limited is listed on the Main Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited under the stock codes "1299" for HKD counter and "81299" for RMB counter with American Depositary Receipts (Level 1) traded on the over-the-counter market under the ticker symbol "AAGIY". [1] 'AIA Singapore and HYROX Singapore team up to offer complimentary insurance at AIA HYROX Open Asian Championships 2025' March 20, 2025. Available at: [2] The seventh wave of the AIA Live Better Study is an independent study that was conducted from 29 November to 9 December 2024 with a sample size of 1,000 representing Singapore's general population. [3] Participating universities include National University of Singapore (NUS), National Technological University (NTU), Singapore Management University (SMU), Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS), Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) and Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD). [4] AIA Singapore has recently partnered with Mandai Wildlife Reserve on their newly opened Rainforest Wild ASIA as the naming sponsor of AIA Vitality Bounce and sponsor of the Tapir habitat. More information available here: [5] Hong Kong SAR refers to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. [6] Macau SAR refers to the Macau Special Administrative Region. View original content: SOURCE AIA Singapore Sign in to access your portfolio

Business Journals

4 days ago

• Business Journals

Domenico Lio, AIA, LEED AP

DLR Group welcomes Senior Associate and Senior Healthcare Leader Domenico F. Lio, AIA, LEED AP. Throughout his 25-plus years as an architect, Dom's user-focused approach leads to creating environments that are human-centered. Leading the firm's healthcare initiatives, he expands regional and national presence. Valuing diversity, inclusion, and creativity, Dom fosters a supportive culture, and mentors others to become industry leaders.