Founded in 2004 by three intern architects -Maurice Martel, Maxime Moreau and Darrel Ronald- Open Form Architecture seeks to stimulate innovation between technology, design and architecture. The three designers are currently finishing off professional registration with the Ordre des architectes du Québec in Canada.
The office is characterized by the excellence of it’s profile and accomplishments in the domains of architecture and urbanism, as well as photography and writing. The members -partners- have been awarded many prestigious prizes and scholarships such as the Royal Architecture Institute of Canada Gold Medal, Excellence prizes for their Master’s projects as well as numerous scholarships. In 2008 OFA has received the high-profile Type B Research and Creation Grant from the Québec Council of Arts and Letters. Before founding Open Form Architecture, Martel, Moreau and Ronald have collaborated with a number of recognized international practices such as Zaha Hadid (UK), Servo (SE), NL Architects (NL), Veech Media Architecture (AT), Maxwan a+u (NL), OMA/AMO (NL), Hal Ingberg Architect and Callas-Shortridge (US). Since their start, OFA has continued to receive prized in Canada, the US and in Europe on compeitions such as the Musée de la Nation Huronne-Wendat, ACSA/STI Millennium Park Design and the City of Skyscrapers.
Open Form Architecture has worked on innovative projects in many countries which has given the team broad experiences, intelligent perspectives and a high level of criticism in contemporary architecture. The office work is strongly influenced by questions concerning the evolution of cities, social interaction and new technologies. Through collaborating in international studios with Stephen Wolfram (A New Kind of Science) the office has been able to develop new links between research and social/architectural applications. Further, OFA persues an expertise in the use of powerful softwares (such as Mathematica) to discover new architectural forms that can respond to contemporary culture, economics and industry. OFA seeks a process of open thinking and creating in order to respond to the questions and challenges for the evolution of architecture and urbanism in our society.
Open Form as a game
Open Form as a desire to learn
Open Form as a social function.
Open Form as the act or power of anticipating that may come to be: transgressing the traditional codes, the figure of architecture and conventional town planning.
[The Vertical Urbanism Of Generative Networks, Image by Darrel Ronald]
Open Form as the image of diversity,
Open Form as the image of Nature which evolves and gradually penetrates our contemporary society.
Open Form as a labyrinth which clarifies a social chaos, a perforated space.
Open Form as both simple and random.
Our architecture emerges from a research of the imperfection and accident.