Cécile Combelle and Antonio Di Bacco, both graduate from the École nationale supérieure d’architecture de Toulouse, France, founded the Montreal-based international architecture and design studio Atelier Barda in 2013. Their multidisciplinary practice is guided by a commitment to fulfilling and even exceeding the design brief by pushing creative boundaries. The designers address spaces in an open, constructive and sensitive manner, giving attention to every detail. For Cécile and Antonio, concepts do not only reflect the singularity of each project and its context, but also the intimate character of the designer. Starting from an intuitive but rigorous manner, they approach each project by paying particular attention to the references born of their personal and common history, as well as the knowledge acquired through experience: matter in constant transformation.
The team composed of passionate members from various backgrounds combines traditional and contemporary vocabularies, freely exploring uses and materials to create clean-lined, timeless spaces and furniture pieces.
In 2017, Atelier Barda expanded into furniture design with its new division Foraine. Whether the team is designing a custom collection or adapting an existing line to a new space, they adopt an integrated approach, working closely with local artisans and manufacturers at every stage. In April 2018, Foraine was part of the exhibition In toto x Montreal a Milano that took place at Archiproducts Milano during the annual Salone del Mobile.
In 2019, the studio was nominated at the Excellence Awards of the Order of Architects of Quebec and was cited among the top ten international designers by Est Magazine. The team won several times the Annual Best of Canada Awards with their architecture projects. In 2018, the studio won the Emerging Architecture Talent Award from the Toronto Design Exchange Museum and was cited by Azure magazine as one of Canada’s 30 avant-garde architectural firms.