Designers of the Year 2021: Introducing our Architecture Judges

The deadline is fast-approaching for our 2021 WL Designers of the Year: the game-changing awards program that shines a spotlight on the best and brightest designers working in Western Canada. This year’s Architecture judging panel features some of the world’s best. Put your work in front of these masters: deadline is April 2!

Anne-Marie Armstrog, AAmp Studio

Anne-Marie Armstrong is Principal and co-founder of AAmp Studio, and is a licensed architect in California, Maine and Ontario. She received a Master of Architecture from Yale University, where she studied on a Fulbright Scholarship, and an Honours Bachelor of Architectural Studies from the University of Waterloo.

Anne-Marie brings an expertise in residential and commercial design. Prior to founding AAmp, she was a designer at Gehry Partners, and a Project Architect at Marmol Radziner and Bestor Architecture in Los Angeles.

Anne-Marie is also an Assistant Professor (Teaching Stream) at University of Toronto's John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design. She is currently a Board Member for People for Education and a Director of Mentorship and Education for BAIDA (Black Architects and Interior Designers Association).

Fan Zhang, AwAwDe

Fan Zhang founded her practice AwAwDe (Awesome Awesome Designs) in 2015. She graduated from the University of Toronto with a bachelor’s in Applied Science and Engineering and a master’s in Architecture. Before starting AwAwDe, Fan worked in numerous architecture offices including HWKN (New York), BIG (Copenhagen), MAD (Beijing), and B+H (Toronto). Her built work ranges from single-family housing to institutional complexes. Through her experience working and living in different countries and cultures, Fan has developed a great passion for the cross-discipline of vernacular architecture and modern social communities.

Omar Gandhi, Omar Gandhi Architect

Omar Gandhi is the Principal of Omar Gandhi Architect, an architectural practice founded in 2010 with small teams in both Halifax and Toronto. The work of its two studios – OG Halifax and OGTO – has garnered much National and International attention in the young practice's short history.

In its early years, the studio was awarded the Canada Council for the Arts Professional Prix de Rome, was included in Wallpaper* Magazine's Architects Directory, and Omar himself was named as one of Monocle Magazine's €˜Most Influential Canadians€™. Omar was chosen as one of the Architectural League of New York's €˜Emerging Voices€™ of 2016 and was appointed as the Louis I. Kahn visiting Assistant Professor in Architectural Design at the Yale School of Architecture for the 2018-19 academic year.

Most recently, Omar Gandhi Architect was the recipient of a 2018 Governor General's Medal in Architecture for its work on Rabbit Snare Gorge, and honored as the only Canadian practice in Architectural Record Magazine's 2018 Design Vanguard.

Michael Green,  MGA | Michael Green Architecture

Michael Green is an award-winning architect known for his research, leadership, and advocacy in promoting the use of wood, new technology, and innovation in the built environment. He lectures internationally on the subject, including his TED talk, €œWhy We Should Build Wooden Skyscrapers.€ Based in Vancouver, Canada, Michael founded MGA to create meaningful and sustainable change in building through innovation in construction sciences and design. He is a Fellow of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada and has been honoured with North America's most prestigious awards, including two RAIC Innovation Awards and four Governor General's Medals.