Identity area
Type of entity
Person
Authorized form of name
Bemi, George
Parallel form(s) of name
Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules
Other form(s) of name
Identifiers for corporate bodies
Description area
Dates of existence
1926-2023
History
George Bemi was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1926. After returning from serving in the Royal Canadian Navy during World War II, George Bemi attended the University of Manitoba Architecture School. Upon graduation in 1951, George Bemi was employed by Defence Construction Ltd., and was transferred to Ottawa the following year. In 1955 Bemi became the Associate Partner of the Montreal architecture firm, Greenspoon, Freelander & Dunn. It was in 1957 that George Bemi went on to establish his own architecture firm in the national capital region, G.E. Bemi & Associates. Bemi was the sole practitioner of the firm with the exception of 1961 when he partnered with Tim Murray for one year. In 1989 Bemi's son James became a partner. With over fifty years experience, George Bemi has produced over 400 designs and built over 200 public and private sector buildings. Two of the most notable buildings include the main branch of the Ottawa Public Library which won the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) Festival of Architecture Award of Merit in 1979. The other notable building that was designed by George Bemi was the Ottawa Congress Centre. Over the course of his career, George Bemi has been an active member of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC), the Ottawa Regional Society of Architects (ORSA) and the Ontario Association of Architects (OAA). George died on May 22nd, 2023.