Steve McFarlane, principal

Architect AIBC, FRAIC, LEED® AP

Balanced. Methodical. Navigator. 

Steve’s aptitude for design emerged at a young age. His childhood was spent drawing and building forts in the Toronto ravines – his ultimate play haven. Steve transitioned from Toronto to Halifax to Vancouver, where he co-founded omb and became a Fellow of the Royal Architecture Institute of Canada. Steve’s interests are broad, extending far beyond the boundaries of a single project to encompass the entire urban landscape. Steve strives for architecture that endures through the rewards of thoughtfulness and restraint, nurtured by an ethos of honesty and integrity. His design philosophy reflects this: responding to lessons of the past while respecting responsibilities of the future. 

Steve is proud to co-lead omb’s design studio alongside founding principal, Michelle Biggar, and principals Rob Grant and Nick Foster. He orchestrates his design teams with the view that architecture is a team sport, and he maintains an active voice in the sustainable growth of cities and communities by volunteering on local design panels and acting as a mentor to emerging architects. While Steve no longer builds forts in his backyard, his appreciation for the importance of play remains. Steve balances his time in the studio with the joys of skiing the BC backcountry, sailing the Pacific, and mastering the world’s best homemade pizza.  

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