Heather Dubbeldam
Principal & Creative Director
OAA, FRAIC, LEED AP, WELL AP
Heather Dubbeldam is a fourth-generation architect and founding principal of Dubbeldam Architecture + Design, an award-winning studio committed to creating crafted, innovative projects grounded in sustainable approaches. Her forward-thinking design approach, commitment to environmental and social sustainability, and belief in architecture and advocacy as tools for change have established her as a leading voice in Canadian architecture.
With 30 years of professional experience, Heather is a registered architect with the Ontario Association of Architects (OAA), a Fellow of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (FRAIC), and both a LEED and WELL Accredited Professional.
Heather is known for her creativity, boundless energy, integrity, and leadership within the profession. Her work is grounded in the belief that well-designed environments can positively shape people’s lives. She has been recognized by The Globe & Mail as one of Canada’s leading architects, named by Azure Magazine as one of 30 “must-know” women architects worldwide, and featured in Architektur & Wohnen (Germany) as one of nine leading female architects shaping diverse living spaces worldwide. In 2023, her studio’s work was featured at the Venice Architecture Biennale alongside eight other internationally recognized women-led architecture practices from around the world.
An active speaker, Heather has delivered lectures and participated in panels across Canada and abroad, from Miami to Scotland, Venice to Singapore. She has also served on national and international design juries, including the World Architecture Festival, Architizer A+Awards, FRAME Awards, and the Canada Green Building Awards.
Her studio has been widely published and received more than 130 national and international awards, including the Ontario Association of Architects Best Emerging Practice Award in her studio’s early years, the Canada Council for the Arts Professional Prix de Rome in Architecture in 2016, the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada’s Architectural Practice Award in 2024 – among the country’s most significant honours for architectural practice. More recently, the studio received the international Architizer A+ Award for Best Small Firm in 2025.
Beyond practice, Heather is recognized for her leadership and advocacy within the profession. She is committed to advancing equity, sustainability, and emerging voices in architecture through curatorial and advocacy initiatives. She plays leadership roles on several boards and is active with many advocacy groups, including former Chair of the advisory board of BEAT (Building Equality in Architecture Toronto); the Director of Twenty + Change, a national platform dedicated to advancing the innovative work of emerging Canadian architects; Co-founder of Park(ing) Day Toronto; Advisory Board member and past Chair of the Toronto Society of Architects; past Vice-Chair of the Design Industry Advisory Committee, a provincial cross-disciplinary design think tank and research group; among other boards and volunteer organizations. She is the co-editor and author of several architecture publications, including the Toronto Architecture Guide Map and four publications in the Twenty + Change series.
Her contributions to the profession have been recognized through numerous honours, including the RAIC Advocate for Architecture Award in 2013, the OAA G. Randy Roberts Service Award in 2019, the University of Toronto Arbor Award in 2020, and the King Charles III Coronation Medal in 2024.