[4] She began her post secondary education at the University of Waterloo, graduating with a degree in environmental studies in 1981.
Between 1981 and 1987, Shim worked in the offices of Arthur Erickson and Baird Sampson Neuert Architects, before launching her academic career in 1988, accepting a teaching position at the University of Toronto.
[7] That same year, Shim and Sutcliffe completed their first notable built project, Garden Pavilion and Reflecting Pool, a concrete and steel structure located in Toronto’s Don Mills neighbourhood.
[8] Shim joined the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design, University of Toronto in 1988, where she remains a tenured professor.
[17] Beyond the awards earned by Shim-Sutcliffe Architects as a firm, Shim herself has been honoured with several accolades that recognize her work in the field of architecture and design over the course of her career.