At the 2022 Annual General Meeting (AGM) in May, the Association honoured its newest Members of Long Standing—individuals who have reached the milestone of 50 years of membership with the OAA as part of Ontario’s architecture profession. Among the recipients this year was Tõnu Altosaar.


Born in Estonia, Tõnu is an accomplished international architect who graduated from the University of Toronto with a Bachelor of Architecture degree in 1967. He joined Bregman and Hamann (now B+H) 1967 and was appointed as Partner in 1975. Early in his career, Tõnu collaborated with internationally renowned architects and leading developers on major multi-use developments that have transformed Toronto’s skyline, including the First Canadian Place, Brookfield Place (formerly BCE Place), and most recently, 16 York. In 2006, Tõnu was appointed as Senior Partner and Managing Director for the Middle East and relocated to Dubai where he helped significantly expand B+H’s international operations throughout the Middle East and Asia, which included winning tenders for several major projects in Sharjah with Sheikh HH Dr. Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qassimi.


Tõnu also maintains a specialty in interior design, space planning, and ergonomics. This experience culminated in Tõnu being a founding Partner of B+H’s Interior Design studio, which now accounts for a significant portion of the firm’s annual revenue and numerous workplace design contracts with the world’s leading technology clients.


Tõnu’s work has earned him numerous accolades throughout his career, and he has demonstrated his dedication to the community by contributing to several local and international committees related to business and architecture. Tõnu is a member and past Vice-Chair of the RAIC Interiors Committee and was appointed as a Fellow of the Royal Architectural Institute in 2005.


In his spare time, Tõnu enjoys travelling the world with his wife Anne and learning from different cultures, which influence his comprehensive understanding of the many components that combine to create truly memorable spaces and buildings.