About Ron Wickman

Ron Wickman was born in Edmonton, Alberta, and in 1991 received his Master of Architecture at the Technical University of Nova Scotia. He set up his own Edmonton based practice in January 1995.

Ron's interest and expertise is in barrier-free design, that is accommodating the needs of individuals with disabilities; he also has a special interest in multi-family housing and urban and community planning. His master's thesis, titled "Beyond the Ramp" investigated issues beyond the removal of physical barriers to accessibility for persons with disabilities; it concluded that community planning, the design of individual buildings, and barrier-free design must be considered as working interdependently to create a total environment better equipped to integrate a greater number of citizens into the mainstream of society.  He specializes in providing consulting services for persons with disabilities and for projects focused on affording individuals with disabilities greater choices for independent movement.

He is responsible for over 50 new house or home renovation projects designed to accommodate residents with disabilities. He is also committed to providing affordable, accessible and adaptable housing and has won several housing competitions. Two built projects include the Affordable Housing Demonstration Project, built in 1996 and initiated by the City of Edmonton Planning and Development Department and the Innovative Housing Committee; and the CMHC FlexHouse - Habitat for Humanity Project built in 1997. 

Ron has experience as an expert witness in cases involving persons with disabilities, and he has also been a guest speaker and participant in numerous sessions involving Barrier-Free Design, innovative housing and urban and community planning.