Welcome to the Archello Podcast, architecture’s most visual podcast series. Listen as Archello's Paris-based Editor-in-Chief, Collin Anderson, sits down with architects to discuss their careers and projects. Each audio episode is accompanied by a rich visual storyboard which listeners can use to follow the discussion.
Introducing Omar Gandhi, founder of Omar Gandhi Architects
In this episode, Archello is in Paris with Canada-based architect Omar Gandhi. Gandhi was born in Toronto and studied architecture in Nova Scotia. He started his own design studio in 2010, which is today based in Toronto and Halifax. In addition to his practice, he often teaches and lectures and has held appointments such as the Louis Kahn Visiting Assistant Professor at the Yale School of Architecture.
Gandhi and his studio have garnered significant recognition for his projects both in Canada and abroad. The studio earned among other honors, the Governor General's Medal in Architecture, one of Canada's most important achievements for built projects.
Listen and scroll as we discuss Gandhi's background, his design process, and a number of his projects which are known for being site specific and for their clever use of natural materials.
On his practice and background in Canada
Gandhi grew up in Brampton, a suburb of Toronto, as a first-generation Canadian after his family moved to Toronto and Montreal in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Although he has since relocated to Halifax on Canada’s east coast, he maintains a deep connection to Toronto, where has witnessed the city’s remarkable growth into a major international hub.
Gandhi's practice currently has projects spanning seven Canadian provinces, as well as work in the United States and the Caribbean. He notes that clients tend to find him, rather than the other way around, due to his studio's unique, discovery-driven process, which prioritizes exploration and surprise. He prefers working with those comfortable with uncertainty, keeping his studio intentionally small to stay selective.
"Our palette has always been one of natural materials. Our projects sort of emerge from the context, by using materials that are both local and natural. It speaks to a place but in a really kind of unfamiliar, quirky way. I refer to our work as being in the same family as the things that surround it, but sort of being the weird kid in the family."
On teaching
Gandhi has taught in a number of schools, and was invited to teach at the Yale School of Architecture during the 2018-19 academic year. He describes the experience as both thrilling and intimidating. While balancing his practices in Toronto and Halifax, Gandhi commuted frequently between Canada and Connecticut.
The term project which he worked on with his students focused on the site of his then-ongoing project Rabbit Snare Gorge Cabin, and he led his students on a trip to Nova Scotia, which was a first-time experience in Canada for many.
On designing a restaurant for a star chef in Toronto
Prime Seafood Palace is a project designed for celebrity chef Matty Matheson, who approached Gandhi's team to create his first high-end restaurant in Toronto. The project has received numerous awards such as the Cafe/Restaurant of the Year by the inaugural Archello Awards.
The project concept focused on the contrast between an unassuming exterior and a "stunning" interior. By clearing out structural columns, the design team achieved a clear-span space that feels expansive despite the building’s compact footprint.
A key challenge was sacrificing potential seating space for unique architectural features, like a vaulted bathroom ceiling open to the sky, creating unexpected, almost spiritual experiences. This was possible due to Matheson's willingness to prioritize design over maximizing revenue.
The interior draws on Scandinavian and Japanese influences, using natural wood and fine craftsmanship to create warmth and complexity, despite the simplicity of the materials.
"It was about this narrative of walking by a ubiquitous, sort of ordinary building and going in through this entrance that looks almost like you would take the garbage out from there. But then walking in and just being greeted with this 'golden egg' on the inside that takes you into a different world."
Craftsmanship was central to the project, with Gandhi’s team focusing on using locally sourced maple to create rich textures and warmth. The commitment to using real, untreated materials brought a tactile and acoustic quality to the space. Gandhi explains that their approach often involves taking ordinary materials and elevating them through craftsmanship, creating beauty through repetition and attention to detail.
"I think that our best work, and maybe the backbone of our work, is trying to do extraordinary things through craft using really ordinary materials."
For the wood selection, Gandhi's team chose species like cedar and white oak for their tonal qualities and local availability, emphasizing a palette that would blend with the Ontario environment while allowing room for experimentation.
The kind of unique textures and patterns on each piece of wood that's in there, the kind of quality that they provide acoustically, the kind of warmth that they provide—I think that every time you go in there, you're going to feel something else.
On designing a residence on a windy seaside site
The Lookout at Broad Cove Marsh is a long, flat structure situated on a tree-lined road with dramatic ocean cliffs, utilizing a series of open spaces interspersed with smaller "pods" which serve as the bedrooms. According to Gandhi, the property was initially considered undesirable due to its narrowness, but those constraints ultimately inspired a distinctive and innovative design.
"Winds come howling over the hill behind the house during certain parts of the year. The roof shape isn’t flat but gently slopes toward the water—almost the reverse of what you’d typically do for a view like this. It acts like a visor, allowing the wind to barrel over the top in an aerodynamic way."
The clients were fully supportive of the linear layout, which focused on maximizing the breathtaking views of the water while accommodating the dramatic cliff drop. Inside, the design ensures that the exterior pods are perceptible, creating a variety of spatial experiences.
"On the inside, the bedrooms, marked by those pods—you feel those pods internally too. They break up that long linear mass, creating a focus and hierarchy of spaces, so whether you’re in the full-height main area or the intimate bedrooms, the views are at different focal lengths."
Gandhi notes the use of raw materials such as exposed concrete and board-clad millwork. The team initially used painted wood on the exterior but learned from experience that the harsh coastal environment required frequent maintenance. Over time, they came to appreciate the wisdom behind traditional material choices, understanding that durability is key in such relentless conditions.
Logistical challenges on remote sites, Gandhi adds, further necessitate using local materials and relying on the expertise of local builders. These craftspeople often have the best understanding of where to source durable and suitable materials, allowing the design to adapt intelligently to the site’s specific conditions.
On designing Rabbit Snare Gorge Cabin
The cabin in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, is a project on three levels: bedrooms on the ground floor, kitchen and dining on the second, and a living area with a lookout on the third. Its design maximizes views of both the ocean and surrounding woodlands, creating a strong connection to the landscape.
The cabin in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, is a project on three levels: bedrooms on the ground floor, kitchen and dining on the second, and a living area with a lookout on the third. Its design maximizes views of both the ocean and surrounding woodlands, creating a strong connection to the landscape.
The client, originally from New Jersey, sought a retreat in this area known for its rugged beauty and rich history, including past ties to artist Richard Serra. The land, previously owned by a family for centuries, was historically used for rabbit snaring by children, lending the site its name.
The design features a prominent Cor-Ten steel windbreak that acts as both a functional and aesthetic element. This two-story steel slot gives the building a distinct, almost whimsical character, evoking a sense of playfulness and visual appeal.
"It was really a vernacular response that we drew from these plywood shelters that you see attached to the most ordinary buildings everywhere—a real place to kind of break the wind so that the door doesn't slam open and shut, and a place to stand to get away from the rain."
Structurally, the cabin’s vertical form, supported by strategic engineering, defies expectations for the windy landscape. Gandhi emphasizes that building vertically not only minimized the footprint but also optimized views, demonstrating how design choices aligned with both budget and site constraints.
"I think I understand why that project has become so popular for us—it just makes you smile. There's a childlike kind of appeal to it. It's so primary in some way but then so oversized in another way."
On designing his own home
Gandhi shares insights into designing his own urban home, OG House, a three-story cedar-clad house in Halifax’s north end. The block form features textured cedar cladding that distinguishes it from neighboring buildings. Originally planned to include a studio on the ground floor, it eventually became his personal workspace and a community meeting space.
"You see architects designing their own homes, and it would be quite reasonable to imagine it’s easy to start spinning in circles. All of a sudden, you don't have constraints, other than budget maybe....But right off the bat, there was a set of constraints due to the size of the property, which is quite narrow, with the setbacks giving this kind of rectangular volume."
Gandhi described the house as a comforting “bunker,” with a design focused on privacy and inward-looking light. Despite appearing solid and enclosed from the outside, the interior is filled with natural light from above and through carefully placed openings. The home’s design reflects his introverted nature, focusing on creating a warm, intimate atmosphere.
"The itself really speaks to me. It feels like a bunker. It feels like a real tight hug. I love going home because it just has this kind of warm, sort of compressed feeling."
The project allowed experimentation beyond typical client constraints, pushing minimalism and material use to new levels. The house balances privacy with openness through strategic use of glass and screening. Other unique design choices, such as a kitchen island without seating, cater to Gandhi's preference for cooking uninterrupted.
"There was a real push towards a kind of severity in terms of the amount of material or the extent of the minimalism or the light...I was able to push things beyond what we've achieved through our client base."
On bookmaking
Gandhi discussed his ongoing book project, which is in its early stages. It will be his studio's second publication. Unlike the first, which focused on the studio's beginnings and was more reflective, this book will include contributions from various team members, highlighting the collaborative nature of their practice.
"It’s fun to take a step back. The book is not meant to be overly academic in any way, but a way to catalog the work that we’ve produced through the last fifteen years."
Gandhi shares his passion for graphic design and bookmaking, noting the personal satisfaction of involving friends and inspiring collaborators. This approach, he notes, makes the process deeply personal and enjoyable.
"It’s exciting to revisit these things that were so important to us. Especially with the residential projects, you become so attached. But when the project is over, that’s kind of the end of your relationship with it….What’s nice is that through photos (in a book), you get to see a project the way you want to remember it. It’s like raising a child and then sending it out into the world—there’s only so much more you can do."
