Meet Zoran Gavran · Founder & Principal Designer
Built on experience.
Guided by understanding.
The person behind ZG Architecture. A practical beginning, a creative mind, and a personal approach to residential design in Ottawa–Gatineau.
Hands-on construction experiance
Commercial & institutional experience
Residential design experiance
01 / My story
Before the studio,
there was the site.
My understanding of a home began with how it is built. Working with foundations, framing, drywall and roofing gave me a direct connection to the materials, the sequence of construction, and the small decisions that matter on site.
That practical beginning still shapes the way I design. I look beyond the image of a finished building to how its parts come together, how people move through it, and how a drawing will be understood by the team bringing it to life.
My architectural career began in 2009. At La Cité Collégiale in Ottawa, I developed the technical foundation in building design and construction that helped connect hands-on experience with a more deliberate design process.
Foundations
Understanding what supports the design.
Framing
Thinking through structure and assembly.
Drywall
Recognising the details behind finished spaces.
Roofing
Connecting form, protection and construction.
02 / Five formative years in Montreal
A wider perspective.
A deeper understanding.
At FSA Architecture in Montreal, I contributed to commercial and institutional projects that broadened my experience beyond residential construction. Working within a larger project team brought a different scale of coordination, documentation and responsibility.
Schools, academic buildings, healthcare environments and public facilities introduced me to different users and complex requirements. Those five formative years strengthened my appreciation for the relationship between a design idea and the careful work needed to make it buildable.
I carry that experience into my practice today: ask better questions, consider the whole building, and give the details the attention they deserve.
Projects I contributed to during my Montreal years
CDC Academic pavilion / St-Jean Garrison / Saint Gérard high school / Montreal Airport / Université du Québec à Montréal / Jewish General Hospital / John Molson School of Business / and many more.
Selected imagery from my Montreal experience. Contributions made as part of a project team at FSA Architecture.
03 / Ottawa–Gatineau · Since 2014
A new chapter.
A more personal practice.
In 2014, I founded ZG Architecture in Gatineau, bringing together a background in construction, experience in architectural practice, and a desire to work more closely with the people who would live in the spaces I designed.
Today, my work focuses on custom homes, renovations and additions across Ottawa–Gatineau. Every property has its own possibilities, and every client brings a different way of living. Understanding both is where the design begins.
My aim is to create contemporary homes that feel considered in everyday use: a comfortable flow between rooms, a thoughtful connection to daylight and the outdoors, and materials appropriate to the building and its local climate.
2006 → 2009
An architectural career begins
Technical studies at La Cité Collégiale
Montreal
Five formative years
Commercial and institutional project experience at FSA Architecture.
2014 → Today
ZG Architecture
Residential design practice serving Ottawa–Gatineau.
04 / The creative side
An eye for art.
A mind for building.
Creativity has always been part of my life. Photography, painting, sculpture and literature have shaped my interest in proportion, texture, light and the way a place can make us feel. Construction gave those interests a practical direction.
Architecture became a way to bring the two together. I enjoy the movement between an early sketch and a resolved detail, between exploring an idea and asking how it can work in the real world.
05 / What that experience brings to your home
Thoughtful design.
Practical decisions.
Listen before drawing
Your routines, priorities and questions give the project its direction. We explore what you need now and how your home might support the years ahead.
Work with the place
Orientation, daylight, views and the character of the property help shape the design. Comfort, energy-conscious choices and local conditions belong in the conversation from the start.
Connect ideas to details
Layouts, materials and construction decisions develop together. Clear drawings and careful coordination help the project team understand the intent as the design progresses.
06 / Working together
Your home.
Your story.
A shared conversation.
Designing a home is personal. You should feel comfortable sharing a rough idea, questioning a layout, or explaining why a small detail matters to you. That exchange is an essential part of how I work.
We begin with your goals, your property and your priorities. From there, we explore options, refine the design and work through the decisions that give it clarity. I bring a practical perspective while keeping your way of living at the centre of the discussion.
Whether you are planning a custom home, rethinking an existing space or considering an addition, the first step is a conversation about what you want to make possible.
Your next chapter
Let’s begin with
a conversation.
Tell me about your ideas, your property and the home you have in mind.
Ottawa–Gatineau · 819.639.9968
ZG ARCHITECTURE · CUSTOM HOME DESIGN