We’re delighted to announce Antonio Gómez-Palacio as the new DIALOG Chair. A Partner since 2004, Antonio takes on a leading role in DIALOG’s purpose-driven practice, rooted in design excellence, sustainability and community wellbeing. He succeeds Jim Anderson, who has served as Chair since 2015. Jim will return to practice as a DIALOG Partner, focusing on key and strategic projects with a special emphasis on carbon neutral retrofits and adaptive re-use of our existing building stock.

An internationally acclaimed practitioner, Antonio’s professional experience has focused on the intersection — and integration — of design disciplines. A leading presence in the design community, he has worked with cities, universities, public institutions, transit agencies, developers, and communities from coast-to-coast and internationally, to meaningfully improve the wellbeing of people and ecosystems, through the design of the built environment. He has acted as chair of the Toronto Society of Architects, and Vaughan’s Design Review Panel, and has lent his voice to a variety of advocacy organizations across North America.

“Antonio is a voice for making a difference,” says Jim Anderson. “His passion and his ability to enthusiastically and clearly articulate ideas — and to listen to the ideas of others — embodies what DIALOG is all about. I’m excited for the next step in our journey.”

“DIALOG is a collection of creative, innovative thought leaders, who are constantly rising up to meet the challenges of the day, from climate change and equity to social wellbeing,” says Antonio Gómez-Palacio. “I’m honoured to build on the stewardship that Jim has exemplified. At DIALOG, leadership is not about personalities or individuals, it’s fundamentally a collaborative and purpose-driven endeavour.”

For DIALOG, an ethos of building stronger communities — and a healthier planet — begins in the workplace. Consistently named one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies and Top Employers for Young People, DIALOG is currently pursuing B-Corp certification, meeting the highest standards of social and environmental performance.

A core commitment to equitable, inclusive design is reflected in DIALOG’s history of award-winning projects. From early days with Vancouver’s landmark Granville Island Redevelopment in 1982 to the recently completed net zero MacKimmie Complex at the University of Calgary and the nearly completed Calgary Cancer Center, DIALOG’s dedication to community wellbeing and social cohesion is embedded into the built environment. In Toronto, the Centennial College A-Block expansion — set to be completed in 2023 — is poised to become the first net-zero carbon, mass timber, LEED® Gold higher education facility in Ontario. And DIALOG continues to look ahead. Named one of Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas, the firm’s Zero Carbon Hybrid Timber Supertall Prototype re-imagines high-rise construction to radically decarbonize urban density.

Across our five studios, our team of over 600 DIALOGers is committed to changing the world through great design.