The Canada Council for the Arts, the country’s national arts funder, has awarded the $50,000 Prix de Rome prize to Halifax-based Omar Gandhi Architect Inc. The annual prize is presented to a young architect or architectural firm to improve skills and work with specialists around the world.

“We are honoured by the support of our peers and grateful to the Canada Council for this contribution,” says Gandhi. “With the Prix de Rome as our foundation, we can evolve our methodology and integrate a culture of research and experimentation into our practice to create architecture that responds to, and engages within its environment.”

Gandhi’s project explores the relationship between buildings and extreme weather. The architect and his company hope to develop strategies for designing properties located in high precipitation regions.

The prize offers Gandhi the opportunity to travel across three continents to learn from specialists. His areas of study will include biomimicry, 3D modelling, rainwater recovery and sustainable strategies, and manufacturing techniques.