Vancouver's Omer Arbel of OAO, surrounded by some of the objects he's created, co-designed the 2010 Vancouver Olympic and Paralympic medals. (Omer Arbel)

Vancouver designer Omer Arbel has captured the Ronald J. Thom Award for Early Design Achievement from the Canada Council for the Arts.

The $10,000 prize, handed out every two years, is given to an emerging designer in Canada who demonstrates creative talent as well as a sensitivity to arts and crafts, the decorative arts and architecture. The prize was established in 1990 by colleagues and friends of Thom, a Canadian architect, as a tribute to his life and work.

Arbel was also co-designer of the 2010 Vancouver Olympic and Paralympic medals.

A committee of peers selected the designer for the prize, hailing his "extensive range of objects [designed with] wonderful playfulness" and how he "roots his designs in concept, engages the properties of a broad palette of materials and clearly values engineering."

Arbel's 2.4 Chair is considered a collector's item. (Shannon Loewen)

"I'm honoured to be selected to be part of the legacy of young design and architecture in Canada," Arbel said in an email to CBCNews.ca.

"I'm delighted that the jury was able to see our practice for what it is — a re-proposition of the profession of architecture now combined with industrial design and materials research … and also that the jury picked up and applauded the romantic intentions of our work."

The Israeli-born designer moved to Vancouver as a child and attended the University of Waterloo.

Arbel opened OAO, Omer Arbel Office, in Vancouver in 2005. He's also the creative director of design company Bocci.

He has created lighting and furniture and done some architectural design as well.

His 2.4 Chair is considered a collector's item and his Series 14 Chandelier and Series 22 plug socket have been highly acclaimed.