office of mcfarlane biggar architects + designers

omb believes in the importance of place making in all that we do. Every project is an opportunity to create something meaningful. This requires design rigour in a new era of sustainability, in order to achieve simplicity and honesty in the design of spaces and structures that demonstrate thoughtfulness, integrity and restraint. omb thrives on diversity. The thoughtful integration of multiple disciplines is key to our unique success and we strive for this on all projects. Cross pollination of ideas across projects is how we continue to be invigorated by our work. We believe that good design is a team sport and our integrated design process creates a forum for everyone involved in the planning, design, use, construction, operation, and maintenance of a facility. We approach our own team in the same manner, where a thorough understanding of the inter-relationship between disciplines is critical to a project’s success. Our approach is contextual. Each project is an opportunity to define the specific needs and aspirations of its community. Simplicity is the essence of our design approach. It is a philosophy that aligns with good sustainable design practice, good functional planning practice and good business practice. We work hard to do more with less. The diversity of experience and eclectic interests of our staff, their design and artistic talents, stimulate our architectural inspirations and provide the foundation for innovation in our projects. Our team has traveled extensively and has great respect for the world of design beyond Western Canada. While we vigorously seek contextual responses, we also source ideas of evolving approaches from around the world for our work. We are committed to healthy environmental stewardship. We have adopted and implemented LEED Gold requirements on several of projects throughout the history of our firm. We believe that responsible design includes a clear understanding and commitment to sustainable design principles, and is a critical factor for improving the livability of our communities. We exercise this belief in our personal and professional lives and strongly endorse a sustainability vision that balances social, economic and environmental concerns.