Naomi Kriss is a communications strategist and connector whose behind-the-scenes influence has helped shape how contemporary Canadian architecture is seen, understood, and celebrated. Through her Toronto-based firm, Kriss Communications—founded in 2006 as Canada’s first consultancy dedicated exclusively to the promotion of architecture and design—she has elevated the work of both iconic and emerging practices, helping to define the public narrative around design excellence across Canada and the around the globe.
Naomi was raised in Toronto, Paris, Oxford, London and Jerusalem, and earned degrees in History of Art and Contemporary Art from the Courtauld Institute, University of London and Sotheby’s Institute, University of Manchester in London, UK. She returned to Toronto, and from 2000-2005 she led communications and business development for Hariri Pontarini Architects. Her self-initiated goal was ambitious: to have the firm’s work published somewhere in the world each month. Her philosophy was that global recognition would solidify a national reputation. When HPA won the commission for the Bahá’í Temple for South America, Naomi spearheaded a press campaign that resulted in hundreds of international publications and lasting relationships with editors and journalists around the world. That experience laid the groundwork for Kriss Communications, which she founded to broaden awareness of high-quality Canadian design, to advocate for contemporary architecture, and to help local practices engage meaningfully in global architectural dialogue.
She set new objectives: to meet and support the most talented design practices coast-to-coast, and to “get on a plane” and befriend editors, curators and organizations that had a platform for her clients’ engagement. Since the beginning, Naomi’s client roster has reflected the breadth of Canadian architectural excellence. She has helped advance the reputations of leading firms such as Shim-Sutcliffe, Patkau Architects, MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple, and Moriyama Teshima Architects, while also championing a generation of now-established practices including 5468796 Architecture, office of mcfarlane biggar, RDHA, gh3, Giannone Petricone Associates, LGA Architectural Partners, Agathom, AKB, and Dubbeldam Architecture + Design. Her scope has extended beyond simply practices, to support architecturally significant institutions and initiatives including Canada’s entry to the Venice Biennale, the Daniels Faculty at the University of Toronto, UBC’s Margolese Prize, the Architecture & Design Film Festival in Toronto, and The Bentway, to name a few. Her connections have garnered not only media engagements, but also talks, exhibitions, collaborations and commissions.
In addition to her strategic work, Naomi has contributed to the profession as a speaker and educator. She has lectured widely across Canada on the role of communications in architecture, presenting at RAIC, OAA, and AAA conferences, Pop Can Crit, and leading architecture schools such as the University of Toronto and Dalhousie University. Her talks explore the nuances of media relations, photography, and social media as they specifically relate to architecture, empowering both emerging designers and established firms to communicate their work with clarity, confidence, and resonance.
Naomi believes in promoting practices, not just projects. She uses her clients’ work as a lens to articulate who they are, what they value, and how they contribute to the built environment. In doing so, her campaigns have not only elevated individual firms but also deepened public understanding of architecture’s role in Canadian life and amplified recognition of Canadian design excellence. By showcasing everything from compact housing to major civic buildings, she has highlighted the power of design to respond to pressing social and environmental issues. Her efforts have brought national attention to topics such as green roofs, mass timber construction, multiplex housing, and small-footprint urban living—subjects that now sit at the centre of Canada’s architectural discourse.
Known for her discretion, insight, and generosity, Naomi’s influence is felt not only in the visibility she brings to Canadian design, but also in the confidence and clarity she helps architects cultivate. She is a tireless champion of thoughtful design, a bridge between practitioners and the public, and a trusted ally in amplifying architecture’s vital role in civic and cultural life.