Nadia Tobia, OAA, Principal

With over 30 years of experience, Nadia Tobia has served as designer and project director for a number of large-scale projects requiring the coordination of multi–disciplinary teams of consultants. She is well recognized for producing creative design solutions that meet international design standards while addressing local cultural and environmental needs.

With expertise in health care and significant experience in master planning and design, Nadia has led her teams to complete many award winning projects. She has worked on projects in Canada, USA, Ireland, China, Iraq, UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia and has served as consultant to the United Nations’ UN-Habitat, Iraq Program in Jordan.

Born in Bagdad, Nadia worked as a licensed architect in Iraq with the State Organization for Tourism, Architectural Composition Group and JCCF, a Japanese Consortium of Consulting Firms. During this period, she contributed to “The Integrated Capital Development Plan, ICDP ”, a master plan for Baghdad City. In 1988, she taught at the School of Architecture at the University of Technology in Baghdad. She had the opportunity to be trained at The Architectural Collaborative (TAC) in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. She arrived in Canada in the early 90s.

Nadia Tobia holds a Bachelor of Science in Architecture degree from Baghdad University in Iraq and a Master of Science in Architecture degree from the University College Dublin. She is a licensed architect with the Ontario Association of Architects, Canada.  For a portfolio of Nadia Tobia’s project experience, click here.

Project Experience

Prior to founding Tobia Architects in Toronto, Nadia was a principal with Perkins Eastman / Perkins Eastman Black and partner with Farrow Partnership Architects. She played a key role in the firms’ initiatives in The Middle East and acted as their healthcare leader for Middle East projects.

• Korean Medical Centre, Doha, Qatar
• Imaging Centre Annex Building, KACCLD, King Abdullah Centre for Cancer and Liver Disease, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
• Third Wave Coffee, Toronto, Canada
• InterHealth Hospital, Dubai, UAE
• Health Care Complex, Doha, Qatar
• Riyadh Mixed Use Building, Saudi Arabia
• I & J Female Housing review KFSH +RC Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
• Mega Housing Project review KFSH + RC Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
• Polyclinic and Family Medicine review KFSH + RC, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
• ICU Capacity Kingdom Wide Study, Saudi Arabia
• Design and medical planning review for Al Bawani / Military Medical City, Saudi Arabia
• Kyrgyzstan Embassy and Ambassador Residence to Saudi Arabia

• Integrated Health Center and Workers Hospital, Qatar
• Stand Alone Integrated Health Centre, Qatar
• Joint and Bone Institute, Qatar
• Regional CSSD Central Sterilization Facility, Qatar
• Sherborne School Qatar, Qatar
• Health Promoting Life Style Centres, South Africa
• St. Barsaumo Church, Canada


(Perkins Eastman/ Perkins Eastman Black)
• Al Maktoum Accident and Emergency Hospital, UAE
• Sheikh Khalifa Specialist Hospital, UAE
• Women’s and Children’s Hospital – Sheikh Khalifa Hospital, UAE
• Al Raha Beach Residential Hotel, UAE
• Abu Dhabi Court House Complex ,UAE
• Three Fishing Harbours Development, UAE
• Trillium Health Centre Ambulatory Centre – Queensway Site, Canada
• Trillium Health Centre – Mississauga Site, Canada
• Bridgepoint Health, Toronto, Canada
• New St. Catharines Health Complex, Canada
• Surrey Place Centre, Toronto, Canada
• Casey House, Toronto, Canada
• Toronto 2015 World Expo, Toronto, Canada
• Shanghai International Medical Zone, China
• Tiens Yihai Health Industrial Park, China

Professional Participation

Nadia Tobia is a regular speaker at conferences throughout the globe; she has presented in Canada, Sweden, Germany, Jordan, South Africa, South Korea and Malaysia and has served on the judging panel for the International Academy of Design and Health Awards. She often serves as healthcare advisor to client organizations and has undertaken design reviews of large hospital and development projects.

• “Design Solutions for Health Promoting Environments” presentation at University of Duhok and University of Salahdine in Erbil, Kurdistan Region, 2019

•“Round Table Discussion for the Reconstruction of Mosul City” Vienna, Austria, 2019

• Judge for international Academy of Design and Health Awards for the category of over 40,000 square meters, Vienna 2017.

• Judge for international Academy of Design and Health Awards for the two categories of under 40,000 square meters projects and over 40,000 square meters, Hong Kong 2015.

• Collaborating in Design,( Al Maktoum Hospital) by Nadia Tobia and Dr. Moin Fikree presentation for the Design and Health Congress, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 2012. *

• Achieving Award Winning Results, Client and Architects Collaborative Approach (Al Maktoum Hospital) by Nadia Tobia and Dr Moin Fikree, presentation for the Design and Health conference, Cape Town, South Africa, 2011. *

• Presentation at Hospital Build by Nadia Tobia and Dr. Moin Fikree. Clinical Director, Rashid Hospital UAE. The process of designing and delivering Al Maktoum Hospital, Dubai UAE, 2009.*

• Presentation at Hospital Build The process of designing and delivering, Sheik Khalifa Specialist Hospital in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE 2009. *

• Building Shiekh Khalifa Specialist Hospital by Jonathan Stark and Nadia Tobia, Hospital Build Magazine Issue Two 2009. *

• SIMZ: A Case Study from China, Presentation and Lecture at Yonsei University, Saul, Korea, 2006. *

• Master Plan of Shanghai International Medical Zone. Paper presented at the 4th Design and Health Conference in Frankfurt, Germany, 2005.*

• Member of the Steering Committee for Symposium on Housing and Urban Development in Iraq, 2004. UN – Habitat.

• SIMZ: A Case Study from China. Paper presented at the United Nations Symposium on Housing and Urban Development in Iraq, 2004. UN – Habitat.

• Ambulatory Surgical Center Q Site Trillium Health Centre Toronto, Toronto published in HEALTHCARE Design magazine, 2004.*

• Designing for Dementia. Case Study Cognitive Support unit, Bridgpoint Health Toronto Paper presented in the 2nd Design and Health Congress in Stockholm, Sweden, 2000. *

• Historic Development of Baghdad City. Paper prepared as part of the Integrated Capital Development Plan 1989.

• Plot Allocation Program in Iraq. Paper accepted for presentation in the 16th UIA Congress in Brighton, UK. 1987.

• Attended seminar in Harvard School of Architecture entitled “Public Life in Urban Places” 1985.

• You Tube video of St Barsaumo Church design, 2011. **

• Sheik Khalifa Specialist Hospital, concept site plans published on the cover of Hospital Build Magazine Issue 2, 2009. *

• Building Shiekh Khalifa Specialist Hospital by Jonathan Stark and Nadia Tobia, Hospital Build Magazine Issue 2, 2009. *

• Market Report Middle East: Shiekh Khalifa Specialist Hospital UAE and Al Maktoum Accident and Emergency Hospital, WORLD HEALTH DESIGN, July 2009.*

• Al Raha Beach Hotel & Resort, published in Architectural + / Issue number 16 August 2007.*

• The Betty Wallace Women’s Health Centre Q Site Trillium Health Centre, Toronto, published in HEALTHCARE DESGN magazine 2005 VOL 5 No4.*

• Ambulatory Surgical Center Q Site Trillium Health Centre, Toronto, published in HEALTHCARE Design magazine, 2004. VOL4 NO3. *

• Ambulatory Surgical Center Q Site Trillium Health Centre Toronto, Toronto published in HEALTHCARE Design magazine, 2004.*

• Various locations on line of coverage of Al Maktoum Hospital and Sheikh Khalifa Specialist Hospital.

• Shikekh Kahlifa Specialist Hospital in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE. Project received the 2009 Hospital Build Award Highly Commended in the category of “Best Hospital Design – Future” *

• Al Maktoum Accident and Emergency Hospital, UAE, Project received 2010 Hospital Build First Place Award for the category of “Best Hospital Design”*.


*Projects while with Perkins Eastman / Perkins Eastman Black
** Projects while with Farrow Partnership