Travelling through Europe studying early 20th century modern architecture imbued in Gordon a love of modern design and functionalism. He was especially influenced by the interpretation of the modern idiom by Scandinavian designers and the way they humanized modern design through their minimalism, the thoughtful selection of native materials and the importance they placed on building configuration and its sensitivity to the local context.

Gordon is responsible for overseeing all aspects of each project from the initial concept, through planning, documentation, construction and completion.

Gordon Pape received the degrees of Bachelor of Environmental Studies in 1983 and Bachelor of Architecture in 1985 from the University of Waterloo, Canada. Following graduation, he worked for Boigon and Armstrong Architects, Jerome Markson Architects, Peter Hamilton Architects and Quadrangle Architects Limited. Gordon founded Gordon M. Pape Architect in 1996 in Toronto, Canada.