Brique par brique builds infrastructure for social change.
By nurturing grassroots leadership, amplifying cultural wealth and cultivating solidarity, we are building a home for freedom to grow, brick by brick, in and beyond Parc-Extension.
About us
Brique par brique is a nonprofit organization founded in 2016 by community organizers and professionals of colour in order to respond innovatively and from a social justice perspective to the need for affordable housing in the gentrifying and multicultural Parc-Extension neighborhood.
In addition to the development of affordable housing, our cultural centre is a place where we cultivate solidarity and leverage community assets with the goal of improving the living conditions of diverse low-income residents, notably newcomers, asylum seekers and other immigrants facing discrimination. Through our community activities and cultural programs, we facilitate a welcoming and accessible space for expression, with the aim of building bridges between people and organizations, and nurturing the talents and aspirations of people in and beyond Parc-Extension.
Community Economic Development
Working in close collaboration with strategic partners and community members to nurture solidarity and grassroots leadership, activities and initiatives that can drive local developments directly benefiting residents facing systemic barriers.
Community Housing and Spaces
Developing a stock of affordable, quality, and secure community housing and spaces in Parc-Extension that host a range of empowering activities and services by and for the members of our community.
Community Research
Facilitating, participating in and disseminating research that supports our social mission and impact. Recent research projects we led or participated in pertained to social finance, systemic racism, and the digital divide in Parc-Extension.
Learn more
Follow the links below to learn more about the organization and our projects.
Meet the team
We are a team of staff and affiliate community organizers with backgrounds in real estate, project management, cultural and community organizing, and public health. Our steering and advisory committee, comprising board members, staff and community members, is our main governing body.
-
—Founder & Director
Faiz' mission is to nurture creative energy in diverse communities. Having studied International Development at McGill, followed by 20 years of experience in the community sector and in both private and public real estate, Faiz appreciates the challenges and opportunities that arise from de-commodifying the city and making it about people and their communities.
-
—General coordinator, Organizational development & Operations
Amanda is a cultural organizer and organizational development consultant invested in uplifting community economies and co-creating emancipatory spaces. She co-founded Navel, a resource centre for cultural workers in Los Angeles, where she created a peer-learning program called Assemblies. She is also an affiliate facilitator with COCo (the Centre for Community Organizations). She holds a graduate diploma in community economic development, an MFA in Visual and Media Arts and a BBA in Strategic Design and Management.
-
—Board member
I've gravitated towards organizations such as Divest Concordia in connection with the environment; UTILE in connection with the housing crisis; SEIZE in connection with power sharing; Action Prévention in connection with youth employment and mediation solutions. I hope to build bridges together between separations to support solutions to the multiple problems the Park-x community experiences such as language barriers, food insecurity, housing, community and mental health.
-
Currently on leave
—Parc-Exchange lead coordinator & founder of Connections
Masoon is a community organizer and volunteer translator for the South Asian immigrants living in Parc-Extension. At Brique par brique, she coordinates Parc-Exchange and facilitates Connections, a support group for refugee women she founded in 2022. She has written and presented about her personal experience of domestic violence with several nonprofit organizations, notably “Pin Drop Silence” and “Does This Really Happens!”, a collaboration with Teesri Dunyia for the Improvisation Festival in 2022. Masoon is passionnate about using storytelling and other art-based approaches to amplify the voices of women who have been silenced.
-
—Parc-Exchange digital coordinator
Originally from Pakistan, Arman is carving his path in Montreal's world of creative technology. His studies in Computation Arts at Concordia University fueled his drive to blend various technical and software-based skills to envision new solutions to problems and experiences. Collaboration is at his core, believing that diverse collective efforts lead to unparalleled innovations.
-
—Cultural centre and activities coordinator
Amber Goveas is a community organizer and wandering artist. She is at her best when connecting people and spaces to build resilient communities rooted in mutual care.
-
—Strategic development for housing & community centre projects
developpement@briqueparbrique.com
Catherine holds a master’s degree in architecture from the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne. She is motivated by collaborative processes and civic practices aimed at creating a just and resilient city. As part of the rebuiLT student project, she helped federate over 400 local actors around the construction of a community pavilion using reused materials. Previously, she also studied art at Concordia University and worked for several years in cultural programming of public spaces on the South Shore.
-
—Communications & Storytelling Intern
communications@briqueparbrique.com
Haaziq is a marketing graduate and current design student at Concordia University. At Brique par Brique he combines his skills as the Communications Intern to tell the world about the amazing work done within the organization. He believes that good design is rooted in humanity and is never achieved in a vacuum.
-
—Parc-Exchange coordination assistant
As Parc-Exchange Coordination Assistant, Raminder supports the exchanges of services between participants. Alongside this internship, she is pursuing a BComm in Accountancy with an anticipated graduation in 2025. She also worked as a Finance Administrator at Project 10 where she helped streamline financial processes, ensuring transparency and efficiency in the organization's financial operations.
-
—Coordinator of cultural & placemaking initiatives
Asad is a architect and multidisciplinary artist. He founded Cinema 73, a community cinema project in a garage in Parkistan exploring ideas of resistance and appropriation of the city. He holds two MAs, one in Architecture and one in Urban design.
-
—Place-caring & Administration assistant
admin@briqueparbrique.comMary is currently pursuing an undergraduate degree at Concordia University in Sociology. As an administrative and human resources assistant of brique par brique, Mary is dedicated to improving the organization's efficiency while supporting her team members in advancing and promoting Brique par brique’s mission to help those in the community. She finds great fulfillment in contributing to initiatives that create a meaningful, positive impact and takes pride in helping bring that vision to life.
Sydney wants to be that spider that breaks the ice, connects people together, that tells those stories about our common humanity.
-
—Steering member
Simone is a community organizer in Parc-Extension since 2019, where she coordinates an urban gleaning project of fruit trees. She is the coordinator of the collective Les Fruits Défendus, an organization that promotes fruit trees through citizen mobilization in order to ensure the harvesting and sharing of fruit with residents of Montreal neighborhoods. Since 2020, she is also a member of the Parc-Ex anti-eviction mapping project. Originally from Los Angeles, Simone has been living in Montreal since 2015, where she obtained a Bachelor's degree from McGill University's School of the Environment.
-
—Community Bond Campaign Intern
coordination@briqueparbrique.comAs a community worker with diverse experiences in both frontline and coordination work, Yuan is passionate about community organizing rooted in principles of solidarity, democracy, accessibility, and education. Yuan holds a Bachelor's of Social Work from McGill University and is currently completing their graduate diploma at Concordia in Community Economic Development.
-
—Communications Coordinator
communications@briqueparbrique.com
Hiba Arfaoui is a communications coordinator at Brique par Brique, bringing her expertise in digital marketing to amplify the organization’s vision and mission. Originally from Tunisia, Hiba holds a master’s degree in digital marketing and has a passion for creating impactful and strategic communication that resonates with diverse audiences.At Brique par Brique, Hiba is dedicated to showcasing the transformative work done by the organization and fostering meaningful connections within the community. Her work is rooted in the belief that effective communication can drive social change and build stronger, more inclusive communities.
-
—Operations Coordinator
operations@briqueparbrique.com
Leyla is a cultural worker living on the territory of the Lkwungen People, also known as Victoria, British Columbia. She spent her formative years in Montreal participating in the student movement and completing her degree in Theatre and Development at Concordia University. She has worked in arts service organizations and venues in Montreal and Victoria, and is passionate about nurturing and sustaining community spaces that cultivate ease and connection. Her skills lie in non-profit leadership, system design, digital infrastructure and grant writing. She is also an avid potter and roller derby player.
Other Steering Members:
iftekhar ahmed, shahista hussein, Kwabena amoateng, sorraya guembhyt, iyan hayadi, Sophie Le-Phat Ho.
Join the team!
We are always looking to grow and strengthen our team. We seek people who are ambitious, creative, resourceful, spiritually connected, and apt at turning challenges into opportunities.
Our collaborators
Our Partners
Get in touch
For general inquiries, fill the form and we will be in touch as soon as possible.