For Manpreet Singh, architecture was never far from home. He grew up in a family where construction was part of everyday life: his grandfather was a builder, followed by his father, brother, and uncle. For Piyush Verma, the attraction was different - it was the creative side of architecture that drew him in: the idea that something that begins as a drawing on paper can eventually become a real place where people live, work, and gather.
Two different paths, but a shared fascination with what is possible when design, creativity, and practicality come together. Today, the two are Co-founders and Principal Architects at ParaMorph Architecture Inc., a Surrey-based firm carrying forward four decades of architectural experience while bringing a distinctly contemporary perspective to the way buildings are imagined.
The name itself reflects this philosophy. ParaMorph combines “parametric” and “morphing”—an approach that uses parameters - data, values, constraints to shape and evolve architectural form—representing morphing. For Manpreet and Piyush, however, it is more than a name; it represents their way of thinking. “We always strive to bring creativity and fresh thinking to every building we design, and the name ParaMorph holds us to that commitment,” says Manpreet.
That creative thinking is grounded by an equally strong sense of responsibility. The architects are conscious that the buildings they design are not simply structures to look at. They are places where people will spend years of their lives. Before putting pen to paper, the team looks at the bigger picture: the neighborhood, pedestrian movement, traffic, how people approach the building, how it connects to the street and, ultimately, how it will function once people move in. “Architecture is never a one-person thing,” Piyush says. Ideas are discussed, challenged, and developed within a collaborative team of 26 members, with both experience and younger perspectives contributing to the final design.
That intergenerational approach is particularly meaningful given the firm's history. ParaMorph emerged from a partnership with David Eaton Architect Inc., a respected Vancouver architectural practice with a 40-year legacy. For Manpreet and Piyush, taking that legacy forward is both an opportunity and a responsibility. “We are really fortunate to have David with us,” says Piyush. “We have a lot of respect for that foundation.”
The goal is not simply to preserve what came before, but to build upon it through new ideas, emerging technologies, and a fresh approach to design. This philosophy is already evident across ParaMorph’s growing portfolio of more than 200 projects throughout British Columbia, spanning a diverse range of building types and uses. One of the firm’s most recent projects, Sector One28 in Surrey, brings together retail, dining, office and event spaces within a five-building mixed-use campus. The buildings are organized around a vibrant pedestrian piazza designed to enhance user experience and encourage activity throughout the site. Sculpted forms, expansive glazing, integrated landscaping and articulated rooflines come together to give the development a strong and distinctive identity.
In Chilliwack, the Williams Street Apartments demonstrate how relatively simple design interventions can make a significant visual difference. Offset balcony modules create rhythm, depth and shadow across the façade without adding unnecessary construction complexity. Similarly, the Pollard Street Townhouses take a different direction, drawing on traditional residential details such as gables, stone chimneys and bay windows while giving them a contemporary expression.
And at Garden Street Highrise, parametric thinking comes into its own. A repeated balcony module is varied and arranged across the tower to create a sculptural façade - proof that repetition does not have to mean monotony.
These are just a handful of projects ParaMorph has undertaken and delivered. Their work extends well beyond residential development. Its portfolio includes multifamily housing, townhomes, commercial complexes, business parks, mixed-use developments, childcare facilities, and private schools. “We are not developing only one building,” Piyush explains. “We are developing a whole community.”
It is a perspective that feels particularly relevant as Surrey continues to grow and transform. And with ParaMorph now expanding its work into Alberta, the firm is taking that philosophy with it.
For Manpreet and Piyush, the future of architecture is evolving quickly. Their answer to it is not to chase trends, but to keep learning, questioning, and designing with purpose.
Because ultimately, ParaMorph's idea of architecture is fairly simple: make it beautiful, make it work, and make it matter to the people who will use it.
Contact: 604-608-0161
Email: info@paramorph.com
Address: 308, 9639 137A Street, Surrey, BC V3T 0M1
