Architect Taymoore Raouf Balbaa has passed away on September 29, 2023, at the age of 46.
Balbaa, who was born in Burlington, Ont., co-founded AXIA Design Associates in 2010, where his portfolio included cultural centers, educational facilities, places of worship, infill housing, and social housing projects.
He also led the design of The Diwan, a jewel-like pavilion that completed the world’s northernmost Islamic-inspired garden, just outside of Edmonton, Alberta.
Balbaa completed his Master of Architecture degree at the University of Waterloo, and earned the 2004 RAIC Medal for his graduate thesis. He was the recipient of the the Canada Council for the Arts’ Prix de Rome for Emerging Practitioners and the RAIC’s Young Architect Award.
Before founding AXIA Design Associates, Balbaa gained experience at architectural firms including Menis Arquitectos in Tenerife, Spain, KPMB Architects in Toronto, Ont., Massimiliano Fuksas in Rome, Italy, and HLW International in New York, NY. He contributed to the Parthenon Restoration Project in Athens, Greece, in 1998.
He also shared his knowledge as an educator, teaching at the University of Waterloo School of Architecture, the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design at the University of Toronto, and Toronto Metropolitan University’s Department of Architectural Science.
A celebration of his life was held on October 1, 2023.