Mehdi Ghiyaei is fascinated with the narrative of the creative process as much the artifact itself. He sees design as a research method to push the boundaries of our common spatial experience. Before joining Diamond Schmitt in 2013, he worked on a wide range of projects in Asia, Europe and South America for five years.

His expertise and passion for the design process, computational design, and complex geometries helped him excel in performing art typology and made him a key contributor to many projects such as David Geffen Hall in New York, London Symphony Orchestra competition, Den Bosch Theater competition in the Netherlands and Buddy Holly Hall for Performing Arts and Science in Texas. Notable projects also include the Fredericton Performing Arts Centre, the Bozeman Performing Arts Center, and the UVA Center for the Arts.

In addition to his portfolio in performing arts, he has also been involved in many institutional, academic projects and competitions. His interest in the impact of emerging tools and technologies on the way we occupy and utilize physical space has led to multiple interactive public art installations and publications.  Hybrid Globe was included in Toronto’s 2013 Nuit Blanche and Spoon Wall 2.0 was commissioned by the School of Architectural Science at Ryerson University.

Within the firm, he contributes to broader practice initiatives as a member of the Performing Arts Business Development group and the Recruitment committee.

Mehdi studied philosophy and architecture at SBU in Tehran and Ryerson University in Toronto and received his Master of Architecture degree in 2012. He is also a PhD candidate at the Practice and Critical Theory (PACT) program at the European Graduate School.