BEAT is honoured to welcome Omar Gandhi as the first male Dinner Series guest. Omar was born and raised in Brampton, Ontario to parents who were born in India. Omar was profiled within this year’s iteration of 'The A-List', a publication series featuring 49 eminent Indo-Canadians and friends of India. Past recognition has gone to the Minister of Defense Harjit Singh Sajjan, acclaimed film director Deepa Mehta, author Rohinton Mistry and chef Vikram Vij. In 2011, The Globe and Mail published one of the first articles about Omar’s (then fledgling) studio titled, “In Nova Scotia, a man and a woman walk into a house…”. The article speaks to the studio’s collaborative approach and celebrates the diversity of Omar’s design and construction team. Six years later, these points still ring true. Supported by a diverse group of individuals, Omar is a role model for equality in the profession. Omar is actively involved in community organizations including ISANS - Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia and Laing House - a drop-in centre aiming to empower youth living with mental illness through innovative youth engagement and peer support. BEAT is looking forward to having Omar join us for this exciting event!
Omar Gandhi is a Canadian architect raised in Brampton, Ontario and currently practices and resides in both Toronto and Halifax, Nova Scotia.
After studying in the Regional Arts program at Mayfield Secondary School (Caledon), attending the inaugural year of the Architectural Studies Program at the University of Toronto, Omar moved to Halifax, where he earned his Master’s degree from Dalhousie University in 2005. After graduation, Omar worked for Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architects, Young + Wright Architects and more recently for MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects in Halifax. During his early experience, Omar worked on several key projects including Manitoba Hydro, Two Hulls, the John Molson School of Business at Concordia University and the Mike and Ophelia Lazaridis Quantum- Nano Centre at the University of Waterloo. At the age of 30, Gandhi started his own design studio in Halifax and in 2012, Omar Gandhi Architect became a registered architectural practice. In early 2016, Omar opened his second studio which is located in the west end of Toronto.
Omar Gandhi Architect is the recipient of the 2014 Canada Council for the Arts Professional Prix de Rome. In the same year, the firm was listed in Wallpaper Magazine’s Architects Directory – their list of the top 20 Young Architects in the World. In 2016, Omar was named one of Monocle Magazine’s 20 most influential Canadians as well as The Architectural League of New York’s Emerging Voices – recognizing the studio as one with a distinct design “voice” in the discipline of architecture.
As a dedicated member of Canada’s architectural community, Omar has participated in local, national and international awards juries - most recently in both Copenhagen and Berlin for the Velux Student Design Competition, the largest of its kind globally. In addition, Gandhi has been a sessional instructor at Dalhousie University’s School of Architecture and Planning. Gandhi has presented lectures in New York, Toronto, Maine, Minnesota, (Bogota) Colombia, (Aberdeen) Scotland and across Canada.
Omar’s studio takes an active role in both the architectural and broader community. Since 2012, the studio has volunteered with ISANS (Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia) to assist newcomers to Canada in the fields of architecture and engineering to find employment. Omar Gandhi is a member of the Board of Directors at Laing House which is a peer support organization for youth with mental illness in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Gandhi has also been a member of the Board of Directors at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, and is currently on the advisory board for the Toronto Interior Design Show.
As Omar leads his studio into its 8th year, he and his teams continue their efforts to excel by embracing a self-critical mentality and pursuing a direction that explores new ways of integrating program, site and materials using contemporary technology to create critical architecture. Their dedication to outstanding client/architect/builder relationships allows them to keep firm architectural convictions in spatial organization, material palette and landscape integration.
Dinner Menu
Salumi E Formaggi
Artisanal cheeses and charcuterie with accompaniments upon arrival
Antipasti
A selection of hot and cold appetizers
Pasta
Four different pasta dishes
Dolce
One large dessert to share
UPDATE: THIS EVENT IS NOW FULL. PLEASE SIGN UP FOR OUR MAILING LIST TO HEAR ABOUT FUTURE EVENTS.