Behind the Build

• Behind the Build: Arancha González Bernardo & Michael Fohring - Odami

  Arancha González Bernardo and Michael Fohring are the co-founders of Odami, a Toronto-based architecture and design studio shaped by their international backgrounds and complementary creative perspectives. Arancha, originally from Avilés in Asturias, Spain, grew up surrounded by her family’s fabric and clothing shops, where her early interest in making and material exploration first took form. She studied architecture through Spain’s six-year professional program, graduating in 2012 during the post-crisis recession, a period that pushed her to pursue work abroad. Her move to Graz, Austria exposed her to multi-residential projects, cultural work, and design-driven graphic production, marking her first major cultural shift and shaping her adaptability as a designer.Michael, raised in the small town of Ayr, Ontario, spent his youth balancing competitive sports with an intuitive love of drawing and painting. His interest in architecture emerged in early adolescence as a natural extension of his artistic and mathematical strengths. After early setbacks applying to architecture school, he rebuilt his portfolio while working locally and was accepted to McGill University, later completing an influential term in Venice. Michael’s post-graduate year in Austria—where he and Arancha met while working at the same studio—solidified his commitment to design grounded in craft and physicality.After time spent between Spain, Toronto, and Montreal, they settled in Toronto and co-founded Odami. Their first commission—a two-level downtown restaurant—became the catalyst for establishing the practice. Rooted in collaboration rather than personal namesake, Odami reflects their shared values of clarity, material sensitivity, and thoughtful spatial experience. Their work now spans residential, commercial, hospitality, and conceptual design, including their contribution to Impossible Toronto, referenced in the episode’s liner notes. Together, Arancha and Michael bring a layered international perspective and a commitment to human-centered design to every project they lead.Impossible Toronto: https://impossibletoronto.ca/Curated Podcast Sponsors:Caplan's Appliances: https://caplans.ca/The Doors: https://thedoors4u.com/Aquanta Pools: https://aquanta.caTo connect with our sponsors, email me: [email protected] the Build on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/behind_the_build_podcast

  --------  

  1:05:23

  --------

  1:05:23
• Behind the Build: Murray Legge - Murray Legge Architecture

  Murray Legge is an award-winning architect based in Austin, Texas, originally from Whitevale, Ontario, a rural community outside Toronto. Growing up surrounded by farmland while his father worked as an aeronautical engineer and his mother as a nurse, Murray developed an appreciation for craft, structure, and precision early in life.Initially drawn to art and photography with ambitions of becoming a filmmaker, he studied architecture at the University of Toronto before transferring to The Cooper Union in New York City. There, the experimental and design-driven environment profoundly influenced his approach to space and material. During his studies, he gained hands-on experience working for architect Jerry Caldari and later at I.M. Pei & Partners, contributing to residential and civic projects, including work on the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and high-end Park Avenue renovations.After graduation, Murray returned to Ontario, collaborating with builder Don Miller to dismantle and restore historic barns near Shelburne—a formative experience that deepened his connection to material honesty and timber construction. A visit to a friend in Austin in 1998 led to a permanent move, drawn by the city’s creative energy, affordability, and architecture community. He spent several years with LZT Architects before founding Murray Legge Architecture in 2013.His studio maintains a small-scale practice focused on residential, educational, and civic design. Notable work includes the Griffin School addition, numerous bespoke homes, and collaborations with Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates on park pavilions for the City of Austin. In addition, Murray co-leads a public art studio with his wife and sister, whose installations are featured in cities across the U.S.—links to which appear in the show’s liner notes.Outside of practice, he enjoys drawing, playing the violin, and hiking Ontario’s Bruce Trail. His daughter is pursuing a PhD in biology at Syracuse University, researching soils and forest ecology.Legge Lewis Legge (LLL), is an award-winning interdisciplinary collaborative focusing on art and architecture. LLL was founded in 2001 by architect Murray Legge, and cinematographer Deborah Eve Lewis, both based in Austin, Texas, and artist Andrea Legge, based in Ontario, Canada and New York City.http://www.leggelewislegge.com/Curated Podcast Sponsors:Caplan's Appliances: https://caplans.ca/The Doors: https://thedoors4u.com/Aquanta Pools: https://aquanta.caTo connect with our sponsors, email me: [email protected] the Build on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/behind_the_build_podcast

  --------  

  47:32

  --------

  47:32
• Behind the Build: Jeff Cogliati - Bloom Architects

  Jeff Cogliati is a Canadian architect and the founder of Bloom Architects, an emerging Toronto-based studio recognized as one of the country’s first fully AI driven architecture practices. Born and raised in Windsor, 1Ontario, Jeff’s early exposure to Detroit’s rich Art Deco skyline shaped his lifelong interest in design. He began his architectural education at St. Clair College and later transferred to Lawrence Technological University in Southfield, Michigan, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Architecture. He went on to complete a Master of Architecture at Toronto Metropolitan University, formerly Ryerson.Jeff’s career spans two decades across some of Canada’s most respected firms. He began at WZMH Architects, continued with HOK and Audax, and later joined Page + Steele IBI Group, where he spent nearly thirteen years and became a principal. In that role, he led major residential design teams and oversaw projects from feasibility through construction. His work helped shape skylines in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, and Halifax. In 2023, he joined B+H Architects to lead its residential sector before founding Bloom Architects in 2025.At Bloom, Jeff and his partner combine architecture, interior design, and advanced AI tools to deliver projects efficiently while expanding creative potential. Their work ranges from custom homes to multi building residential communities. His practice reflects a belief that technology should enhance human creativity rather than replace it.Outside of architecture, Jeff’s lifelong passion for music mirrors his approach to design. Both disciplines demand rhythm, collaboration, and the pursuit of harmony.Curated Podcast Sponsors:Caplan's Appliances: https://caplans.ca/The Doors: https://thedoors4u.com/Aquanta Pools: https://aquanta.caTo connect with our sponsors, email me: [email protected] the Build on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/behind_the_build_podcast

  --------  

  1:03:57

  --------

  1:03:57
• Behind the Build: Aleris Rodgers & Francesco Valente-Gorjup - Studio Vaaro

  Aleris Rodgers and Francesco Valente-Gorjup are the co-founders of Studio VAARO, a Toronto architecture practice focused on thoughtful, holistic design from concept through construction. They met while completing their Master of Architecture at UCLA and later worked in Europe and Asia, including several years with Herzog & de Meuron. There, Francesco developed deep expertise in façades and building envelopes across large, multidisciplinary teams, and both contributed to the design and construction phases of the M+ museum in Hong Kong before relocating to Canada.Aleris was born in San Francisco and raised in the United States. She earned a BA in Psychology from Harvard and an MArch from UCLA. She is licensed in New York State and serves as an Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream, at the University of Toronto’s Daniels Faculty. Francesco grew up in Toronto, studied English and architecture at the University of Toronto, and later returned to KPMB, where he contributed to major projects and obtained OAA licensure.Founded formally in 2022, Studio VAARO’s work ranges from full-gut residential transformations to new builds, often integrating interiors, custom detailing, and rigorous coordination. Their Rathnelly House renovation exemplifies the studio’s approach, re-structuring a century home within its original roofline while introducing generous ceiling heights, monolithic concrete elements, and inventive fixtures such as a recessed triangular powder-room sink. The practice also pursues research, most recently coauthoring Impossible Toronto: On the Courtyard with Gabriel Fain Architects, a Neptis Foundation–supported study that visualizes how European-style courtyard blocks could enrich Toronto’s housing landscape.Impossible Toronto: On The Courtyard By: Studio VAARO & Gabriel Fain Architects, for the Neptis Foundationhttps://impossibletoronto.ca/Globe and Mail: Opinion by Alex Bozikovichttps://www.theglobeandmail.com/culture/art-and-architecture/article-a-dense-urban-canada-its-possible/Curated Podcast Sponsors:Caplan's Appliances: https://caplans.ca/The Doors: https://thedoors4u.com/Aquanta Pools: https://aquanta.caTo connect with our sponsors, email me: [email protected] the Build on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/behind_the_build_podcast

  --------  

  1:17:13

  --------

  1:17:13
• Behind the Build: Jason Halter - Wonder Inc.

  Jason Halter is a Toronto-based designer and founder of Wonder Inc, an interdisciplinary studio known for its explorations in modular and prefabricated construction, small-scale architectural design, and graphic and spatial design. Raised in Winnipeg in a creative family surrounded by books, art, and discussions of building, he developed an early fascination with design while spending time on construction sites with his father. After earning an undergraduate degree in history and art history, he moved to Toronto at twenty-one and studied architecture at the University of Toronto, where he later taught and continues to contribute as an adjunct instructor. After U of T, Jason received a graduate Fellowship from Syracuse University in Renaissance History.Halter’s career bridges making, teaching, and collaboration. He has designed and built furniture, worked as a carpenter, and maintained a long interest in container and modular building since the late 2000s, completing projects across North America and abroad. His practice focuses on attainable, resilient construction using regional materials such as Douglas fir, western red cedar, and eastern white pine, with an emphasis on sustainable sourcing and long-life detailing. Through Wonder Inc, he collaborates frequently with design partner, Anita Matusevics, on projects that merge architectural design, visual communication, and publication work—including book design for leading architects.Guided by a deep respect for nature and craftsmanship, Halter describes himself not as an architect but as a maker—someone who learns through iteration and collaboration with builders, trades, and clients. His work and teaching continue to examine how material intelligence, modular systems, and careful stewardship of resources can shape a more sustainable built environment.Curated Podcast Sponsors:Caplan's Appliances: https://caplans.ca/The Doors: https://thedoors4u.com/Aquanta Pools: https://aquanta.caHenry Rotberg SteelTo connect with our sponsors, email me: [email protected] the Build on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/behind_the_build_podcast

  --------  

  1:06:02

  --------

  1:06:02

Más podcasts de Arte

Podcasts a la moda de Arte

Acerca de Behind the Build