ODAMI is a Toronto-based design studio offering architectural and interior design services.  The studio was founded in 2017 by Spanish architect Aránzazu González Bernardo and Canadian designer Michael Fohring .  

The merging of Spanish and Canadian design sensibilities and cultures has been the focus of our practice since its inception. We seek to embody and bridge this duality, with work which is bold —  yet elegant; unconventional —  yet rooted in tradition; raw — yet refined; creative — yet grounded; original — yet timeless. Ultimately, guided by these qualities, and a passion for materiality and craft, our aim is to produce unique, one-of-a-kind projects that belong to their place and its story, and are a true reflection of their client.

Yinjispace：How do you combine Spanish culture with Canadian culture in your design? Did it have any influence on the formation of your design style? 

Aránzazu：The combination of Spanish and Canadian cultures has had a huge influence on our work, both for the obvious differences between Canadian and Spanish cultures, but also from the perspective of our very different training. My experience in architecture school in Spain was very focused on an approach which is deeply rooted to the location - to the history of the place, and to regional craft techniques and materials. Michael's training in a Canadian architecture school, on the other hand, was much more loose and creative; more daring in a way. This tension between artfulness and a deep respect for craft and context drives all of our projects.

Yinjispace：Your diversified designs cover a wide range, from interior design, retail projects, material research to furniture design. How do you master various knowledge backgrounds at the same time? Would you mind telling us your growth story?  

Aránzazu：I think we are fundamentally curious and respectful of other people's knowledge; we believe that good design requires a collective effort between all the parties involved. During our design journey we have met many professionals with very different skills and backgrounds that have deeply impacted our work and that have taught us a lot. During the construction of a restaurant that we designed downtown Toronto, for example, we became close to one of the carpenters that was taking care of the millwork. Through this connection, we had the opportunity to design a furniture line built by him, and because we already knew him well we were able to be involved in the entire process, from the felling of the tree through to the fabrication, which ultimately had a major influence on the design. It's this curiosity and desire to explore that's led us to work on many different types of projects. Jumping between scale and type like this allows us to work a bit more artistically at times and more practically at others, and there's a nice overlap between these projects that naturally starts to happen as a result.

Yinjispace：From residential and commercial design to furniture design, how did you complete the transformation of your identity and expand your business territory?

Michael：Keeping a fairly open mind and approach towards every project has helped us evolve and expand the types of work that we do. We like to think that we don't necessarily have a very specific style - each project emerges out of its distinct parameters and quirks, and therefore takes on its own unique character that we hope is a bit unexpected. As much as this arises from the specific parameters of the project, it also comes from not thinking about type too specifically; our residential projects inform our retail and commercial projects and vice versa, just as our furniture pieces influence the thinking of our architectural and interior projects and the other way around. It's all a holistic and ever-evolving project.  

Yinjispace：What do you think of minimalism?

Michael：We think minimalism is very hit or miss. While we appreciate simplicity and a pared-down approach, far too often "minimalism" isn't approached with enough consideration for how assemblies actually come together. The risk with this is spaces which feel flat and lifeless; too abstract. We always try to find a way of achieving simple, striking forms, while still allowing tectonics to have a role in order to make a space feel a bit more human. 

Yinjispace：In your material research works, you use "lazy bricks". What is your concept behind this design? What inspires you? Is there any little story you could share about the overall design?

Michael：Lazy Bricks was exploring the idea of how empathy and material expression come together. Concrete, as a fluid, by nature wants to lie down; it's "lazy" one could say. However, it's very often set in rigid forms which refuses these desires. By casting concrete in fabric sacks, it's instead given the freedom to succumb to gravity. Inspired by brick laying, these concrete-filled sacks were draped over one another. In terms of practicality, this process gives tremendous flexibility to adjust and adapt to site conditions, while aesthetically, it also generates a deep sense of empathy as an expression of material desires and the force of gravity. 

Yinjispace：In your interior design works, each work is very careful in the selection of materials. How do you think about the impact of different materials on space? 

Aránzazu：Materiality is arguably the most integral component of every project for us; it gives it life and atmosphere, through the tones and textures themselves, but also through how they work with the lighting conditions and help express formal ideas. We also like to work with the juxtaposition of fundamentally different materials to create a richness that emphasizes the qualities of both. By playfully mixing natural and man-made materials, glossy and matte, muted and bright, we try to use materials to generate not just an overall atmosphere, but also provide unexpected moments of surprise.

Yinjispace：What is your favorite material? How to create a calm and elegant space atmosphere through materials?

Michael：Choosing just one material is very difficult but we both tend to gravitate towards stone. On one hand, there's a clear connection to nature, which always works to exude a sense of calm. But importantly, it also lends itself to making you feel a sense of weight; of stillness and repose. It's also really fun to play with in terms of how it works with light and touch through the many ways it can be finished and assembled.