Is there a distinctly Canadian architectural style? If there is, the aspects that define the country’s design culture and make it unique on the world stage are diffuse and allusive. After all, Canada prides itself on its social model as a cultural mosaic (as opposed to a melting pot).
One defining characteristic may just be the celebration of collaboration and regionally-focused firms. While many famous foreigners have built showcase pieces from coast to coast — Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Daniel Libeskind, Santiago Calatrava and more — the culture of starchitects has historically burnt less brightly in the North. Of course, Frank Gehry and Moshe Safdie both hold Canadian passports, but both set up camp south of the border long ago, leaving behind a fascinating nation with a diverse architectural scene. While climate is certainly a concern, it is far from a unifying factor in design; the vast and varied landscape gives way to a wide range of architectural solutions.
Walls tell stories, and the built landscape sheds light on Canada’s ever-so-complex history, especially regarding its original occupants — Indigenous communities. With such an unresolved past, society turns to architects and designers to help make sense of Canadian culture. When surveying the built environment of the Great White North, one may not find a clear-cut visual language and, instead, an assemblage of architecture. From iconic urban structures such as the CN tower to lake-front cabins and mountain lodges, Canada is not shy of a diverse landscape, contributing to its constantly evolving cultural mosaic.
With so many architecture firms to choose from, it’s challenging for clients to identify the industry leaders that will be an ideal fit for their project needs. Fortunately, Architizer is able to provide guidance on the top design firms in Canada based on more than a decade of data and industry knowledge.
How are these architecture firms ranked?
The following ranking has been created according to key statistics that demonstrate each firm’s level of architectural excellence. The following metrics have been accumulated to establish each architecture firm’s ranking, in order of priority:
- The number of A+Awards won (2013 to 2023)
- The number of A+Awards finalists (2013 to 2023)
- The number of projects selected as “Project of the Day” (2009 to 2023)
- The number of projects selected as “Featured Project” (2009 to 2023)
- The number of projects uploaded to Architizer (2009 to 2023)
Each of these metrics is explained in more detail at the foot of this article. This ranking list will be updated annually, taking into account new achievements of Canada architecture firms throughout the year.
Without further ado, here are the 30 best architecture firms in Canada:
30. LemayMichaud
Creation, innovation, revitalization, return on investment… These are some of the aspects of the architectural and design scene that have characterized LEMAYMICHAUD’s work since the firm’s creation in 1979. Its reputation, which transcends national boundaries, is founded on the talent and skills of a team of experienced architects, designers, technologists and consultants working together in close synergy. The architects for complex, innovative projects, LEMAYMICHAUD are known as much for the high quality of its projects as for its interior design. The firm has a strong reputation for meeting challenges, respecting constraints (quality control, cost and time management) and finding the right solution. Its extensive experience also gives the firm the flexibility it requires to successfully mesh its expertise with those of other consultants to optimize the project process.
Some of LemayMichaud’s most prominent projects include:
- MAA Condominiums & Penthouses, Montréal, Canada
- Strøm Spa Vieux-Québec, Québec City, Canada
- CNESST Head Office, Québec City, Canada
- Delta Mont-Sainte-Anne, Beaupré, Canada
- LEGERMAIN CALGARY
The following statistics helped LemayMichaud achieve 30th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Canada:
A+Awards Winner | 2 |
A+Awards Finalist | 1 |
Featured Projects | 5 |
Total Projects | 11 |
29. Altius Architecture, Inc.
Altius has continued to move forward towards a complete, holistic and collaborative approach to building. We believe that the best buildings are achieved when architects, engineers, consultants, constructors and clients come together to achieve something greater than the sum of their individual parts. We subscribe to a team approach to building and believe that the confluence of architecture, structure, mechanical systems and building technology must meet at the commencement of the design process in order to successfully meet the needs of our clients, their budgets and respond to our modern times.We have established close relationships and continue to share knowledge with the best consultants available to us in the fields of structural, mechanical and sustainable systems design.
Some of Altius Architecture, Inc.’s most prominent projects include:
- Hewitt Avenue House
- Clearview Residence, Collingwood, Canada
- 360 Winnett, Toronto, Canada
- Ellis Park House, Toronto, Canada
- Beech House, Toronto, Canada
The following statistics helped Altius Architecture, Inc. achieve 29th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Canada:
Featured Projects | 6 |
Total Projects | 24 |
28. PLANT Architect Inc.
PLANT Architect Inc. is an award-winning practice that branches into the domains of architecture, landscape, and design. Our studio operates across spatial scales and disciplinary borders to reveal a site’s potential, distill client-needs into a clear design vision, and create timeless spaces that heighten one’s experience of a site, city, building, or natural landscape.
We specialize in institutional, commercial, and residential architecture and landscape architecture, interiors, urban infrastructure, feasibility studies and master planning. We also offer a broad range of value-added services that include furniture and lighting design, public facilitation and integrated graphics. Our interdisciplinary design approach allows us to build important connections between people, places and ideas, and it remains central to our firm’s ongoing commitment to public engagement.
Some of PLANT Architect Inc.’s most prominent projects include:
- Face to Face | Tête à Tête, Toronto, Canada
- Canadian Firefighters Memorial, Ottawa, Canada
- East Point Park Bird Sanctuary Pavilions, Toronto, Canada
- Walmer Residence, Toronto, Canada
- Chapman Farm, Creemore, Canada
The following statistics helped PLANT Architect Inc. achieve 28th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Canada:
A+Awards Finalist | 3 |
Featured Projects | 4 |
Total Projects | 40 |
27. Evoke International Design
Evoke International Design Inc. is an interdisciplinary design studio based in Vancouver, Canada. Formed in 2000, Evoke has extensive experience in a variety of design disciplines including building and spatial design, interiors and graphic design. These multi-disciplines manifest themselves through our work in corporate office design; restaurant, entertainment and retail design; and single-family residential projects. We approach design from a collaborative point of view, and align ourselves with clients that share our modern aesthetic values and creative process. The resulting project should be a well-integrated design that doesn’t rely on overly trendy concepts: it is about composition and the combination of form, function and innovation to achieve the client-unique design objective.
Some of Evoke International Design’s most prominent projects include:
- Flag House, Whistler, Canada
- Point Grey Residence, Vancouver, Canada
- Mason Residence, Vancouver, Canada
- Gilbert Whistler Residence, Whistler, Canada
- Pixar Canada, Vancouver, Canada
The following statistics helped Evoke International Design achieve 27th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Canada:
A+Awards Winner | 1 |
A+Awards Finalist | 1 |
Featured Projects | 6 |
Total Projects | 20 |
26. Group 2 Architecture Interior Design ltd.
Group2 is committed to connecting people and ideas through design. Our portfolio contains projects at all scales and in all sectors, reflecting our range of service and expertise. For over 35 years, the core architectural, environmental and social values that inform our work have resulted in a reputation of high-quality projects and long-term relationships with clients. We are respected for our responsiveness, ingenuity and collaborative processes.
We provide flexible levels of service, tailored to individual client needs in architecture, interior design, building science and master planning. On every project, our team endeavors to meet user requirements and client aspirations, while remaining economically attainable.
Some of Group 2 Architecture Interior Design ltd.’s most prominent projects include:
- South Haven Center for Remembrance, Edmonton, Canada
- South Haven Centre for Remembrance, Edmonton, Canada
- University of Alberta PAW Centre, Edmonton, Canada
- Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada
- Rosthern Community School, Rosthern, Canada
The following statistics helped Group 2 Architecture Interior Design ltd. achieve 26th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Canada:
A+Awards Winner | 1 |
A+Awards Finalist | 1 |
Featured Projects | 7 |
Total Projects | 20 |
25. Acton Ostry Architects Inc.
Since its inception in 1992, the work of Acton Ostry Architects has demonstrated a continuing commitment to the making of architecture that responds thoughtfully to local topography, climate, culture and history. The values of the practice embody a consideration to regional design that is rooted in a considerate, indigenous modernist idiom that offers sustenance to those that inhabit and experience their projects.
Some of Acton Ostry Architects Inc.’s most prominent projects include:
- Limberlost Place, Toronto, Canada
- The Duke, Vancouver, Canada
- UBC Aquatic Centre, Vancouver, Canada
- York House Senior School, Vancouver, Canada
- UBC Hebb Building, Vancouver, Canada
The following statistics helped Acton Ostry Architects Inc. achieve 25th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Canada:
A+Awards Winner | 1 |
A+Awards Finalist | 1 |
Featured Projects | 7 |
Total Projects | 9 |
24. STGM Architecture
Founded in 2001, STGM architecture strives day after day to improve people’s lives one project at a time, with offices in Québec City, Montreal and Baie-Comeau. For more than 20 years, the firm, which has grown from 12 to more than 150 resources, has developed a generalist practice that affects all spheres of the profession. STGM has a wide variety of expertise and has been involved in major projects throughout Québec. Ranging from cultural projects to public transit and educational institutions, STGM considers that each project is unique and that it must deal with multiple specificities.
Some of STGM Architecture’s most prominent projects include:
- Baie-St-Paul’s Geothermal and Water Plant, Baie-Saint-Paul, Canada
- Voltigeurs de Québec Armoury, Québec City, Canada
- Saint-Roch YMCA Community Center, Québec City, Canada
- St-Laurent Pump Station, Levis, Canada
- Breakeyville Fire Station, Les Chutes-de-la-Chaudière-Est, Lévis, Canada
The following statistics helped STGM Architecture achieve 24th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Canada:
Featured Projects | 7 |
Total Projects | 26 |
23. Agence Spatiale inc.
Agence Spatiale relies on a team of talented spatial creators, for whom the effort put into their work is matched only by the pleasure they have in working together. Our approach relies on the power of transdisciplinary design. We create spaces at all scales and believe that the boundaries between art, design and architecture can and should be crossed. Our working methods simultaneously explore traditional methods and cutting-edge technologies. We constantly seek to create a new experience that redefines the meaning of space. Space design becomes a solution. We liberate mores and support their evolution. We propose a new paradigm of architecture. We deform the formal. We propose a liberating architecture. We are Agence Spatiale.
Some of Agence Spatiale inc.’s most prominent projects include:
- Les classes du versant – Un projet Lab-école, Saguenay, Canada
- Déracinement, Québec City, Canada
- Espace Riopelle
- Préau Parc Nature et Culture, Mauricie, Canada
- Le Studio, Québec City, Canada
The following statistics helped Agence Spatiale inc. achieve 23rd place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Canada:
A+Awards Finalist | 2 |
Featured Projects | 8 |
Total Projects | 15 |
22. hcma
hcma designs buildings, brands and shared experiences that connect people. Because with collective strength, communities can work together to make a difference to the issues that matter. Collective strength empowers our practice too. Driven by relentless curiosity, we work as one to solve complex problems from every angle. Advocating for inclusive, accessible design that embraces everyone, promotes biodiversity and minimizes environmental impact. We’re multi-skilled, but driven by a shared purpose: to maximize positive impact. We achieve it by learning from others. By challenging ourselves. And by applying relentless curiosity to create the lasting change we all want to see in the world.
Some of hcma’s most prominent projects include:
- UBC Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences / CDRD, Vancouver, Canada
- Jasper Place Branch Library, Edmonton, Canada
- Grandview Heights Aquatic Centre, Surrey, Canada
- Grandview Heights Aquatic Centre – HCMA Architecture + Design, Surrey, Canada
- Aquatic Centre at Hillcrest Park, Vancouver, Canada
The following statistics helped hcma achieve 22nd place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Canada:
A+Awards Winner | 1 |
A+Awards Finalist | 3 |
Featured Projects | 5 |
Total Projects | 11 |
21. Moriyama Teshima Architects
Moriyama Teshima Architects (MTA) is a team of architects, planners, and designers, collaborating with visionary clients to build inspiring and enduring spaces that transform communities and reinforce civic identity.
The office offers services in architecture, master planning and urban design, interior design and program development. Our extensive portfolio of Canadian and international projects comprises museums and art galleries, university buildings, schools, corporate and government headquarters, recreational facilities, libraries, restoration and renovation projects, and urban/campus planning.
Under the leadership of Partners Jason Moriyama, Diarmuid Nash, Carol Phillips, Brian Rudy, Ronen Bauer, and Emmanuelle van Rutten, MTA has cultivated a dynamic team of young, innovative designers around a long-standing core of design traditions that continue to define the practice.
Some of Moriyama Teshima Architects’s most prominent projects include:
- Mukwa Waakaa’igan Indigenous Centre of Cultural Excellence, Sault Ste. Marie, Canada
- Limberlost Place, Toronto, Canada
- The Honey Bee Research Centre, University of Guelph, Ontario College of Agriculture, Guelph, Canada
- Ismaili Centre, Toronto, Canada
- Surrey City Hall + Civic Centre, Surrey, Canada
The following statistics helped Moriyama Teshima Architects achieve 21st place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Canada:
A+Awards Winner | 2 |
A+Awards Finalist | 1 |
Featured Projects | 7 |
Total Projects | 21 |
20. Provencher_Roy
Provencher_Roy is an award-winning Canadian architecture practice involved in all forms of the built environment. We champion an integrated approach to design and provide expertise in interior design, urban design, urban planning, landscape architecture, industrial design and sustainable development.
Some of Provencher_Roy’s most prominent projects include:
- Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur-de-Montréal, Montréal, Canada
- Reception Pavilion at Québec’s National Assembly
- Ottawa Train Station and Via Rail Business Lounge, Ottawa, Canada
- Îlot Balmoral, Montréal, Canada
- Tour de Montréal, Montréal, Canada
The following statistics helped Provencher_Roy achieve 20th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Canada:
A+Awards Winner | 1 |
A+Awards Finalist | 5 |
Featured Projects | 9 |
Total Projects | 15 |
19. D’Arcy Jones Architects
Our studio enthusiastically approaches each new project as a chance to create something unique. Playing with materials and form to come up with unexpected results, we work tirelessly to design projects that are innovative, durable and inviting. Tweaking time-tested ways of building, we create buildings and spaces that can be still be built with conventional construction methods.
We are optimists, seeing the past as a continuum to connect with and be inspired by, and seeing the future as something that can be improved incrementally.
Some of D’Arcy Jones Architects’s most prominent projects include:
- Monte Clark Gallery, Vancouver, Canada
- Yan Residence, Vancouver, Canada
- Deep Cove House, North Vancouver, Canada
- Friesen Wong House, Vernon, Canada
- 430 House, Vancouver, Canada
The following statistics helped D'Arcy Jones Architects achieve 19th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Canada:
A+Awards Finalist | 2 |
Featured Projects | 7 |
Total Projects | 11 |
18. APPAREIL Architecture
APPAREIL architecture is a Montreal-based firm whose mission is to design quality residential and commercial environments for its occupants. Our signature style is sleek, contemporary and greatly inspired by our Nordic roots. Our projects demonstrate our commitment to find a balance between tradition and modernity.
Some of APPAREIL Architecture’s most prominent projects include:
- BESIDE habitat, Québec, Canada
- Les classes du versant – Un projet Lab-école, Saguenay, Canada
- De la Cime , Montréal, Canada
- ICEBERG Montréal, Montréal, Canada
- Maison PASTÈQUE (2013), Montréal, Canada
The following statistics helped APPAREIL Architecture achieve 18th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Canada:
A+Awards Winner | 1 |
A+Awards Finalist | 1 |
Featured Projects | 10 |
Total Projects | 31 |
17. Dubbeldam Architecture + Design
DUBBELDAM Architecture + Design is a Toronto based multi-disciplinary design studio recognized for creating innovative and environmentally responsible design solutions that are timeless and uniquely designed for each client and context. Founded by architect Heather Dubbeldam, the studio has grown to include a team of architects and designers from different backgrounds and disciplines. The studio’s design process is characterized by teamwork and intensive collaborative exchange, resulting in projects that reveal a conceptual clarity and are crafted with a meticulous attention to detail.
Completed and current projects range from the design of single and multi-family housing, to commercial and institutional renovations, and includes landscape, furniture and installation design. Each project is considered on a macro and micro scale, from the full extent of the site to the fine details on the interior.
Some of Dubbeldam Architecture + Design’s most prominent projects include:
- Bata Shoe Factory, Astra, Quinte West, Canada
- Westmount Building, Toronto, Canada
- Binary Spectrum, Kitchener, Canada
- Skygarden House, Toronto, Canada
- Contrast House, Toronto, Canada
The following statistics helped Dubbeldam Architecture + Design achieve 17th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Canada:
A+Awards Winner | 4 |
Featured Projects | 9 |
Total Projects | 16 |
16. CCM2 architectes
Established in 1963, CCM2 architects is among Québec City’s largest architecture firms. Experienced professionals and technologists have always formed a solid team that has never shied away from reinventing itself. Today, the company is led by 9 partners, well supported and assisted by a permanent team of skilled designers and technicians.
CCM2 is known for the quality of its work and its ability to provide distinctive and original concepts that respect your budget and deadline. CCM2 is also recognized for its excellent professional services, focused on customer and user satisfaction and on quality architecture. Over the past fifteen years, the team’s energy, creativity and constant search for new ideas has garnered the firm with over thirty awards for the quality of its work.
Some of CCM2 architectes’s most prominent projects include:
- Lebourgneuf Community Center, Québec City, Canada
- Breakeyville Fire Station, Les Chutes-de-la-Chaudière-Est, Lévis, Canada
- Boréal Elementary School, Boischatel, Canada
- Harfang-des-neiges Elementary School, Stoneham-et-Tewkesbury, Canada
- L-House, Fossambault-sur-le-Lac, Canada
The following statistics helped CCM2 architectes achieve 16th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Canada:
Featured Projects | 11 |
Total Projects | 22 |
15. Leckie Studio Architecture + Design
Leckie Studio Architecture + Design is an ambitious inter-disciplinary design studio based in Vancouver, Canada. The studio was founded in 2015 by principal architect Michael Leckie with the goal of pushing the traditional boundaries of architectural practice as a catalyst for cultural change. We engage in the practice of design across a variety of scales and media, including architecture, interiors, installations and product design. We challenge assumptions and seek unexpected outcomes.
The studio’s work has been published internationally, with a client list that includes industry leaders Slack Technologies, Westbank, UBC, and TELUS. Our residential, commercial, and institutional projects are informed by a critical regionalist sensitivity, with an emphasis on scenario-based approaches to program and form and sustainability.
Some of Leckie Studio Architecture + Design’s most prominent projects include:
- Camera House, Pemberton, Canada
- Full House, Vancouver, Canada
- AE.R Skinlab, Vancouver, Canada
- Multi-Family Residence Simon Fraser University
- Social media preview: Backcountry Hut Company
The following statistics helped Leckie Studio Architecture + Design achieve 15th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Canada:
A+Awards Winner | 1 |
A+Awards Finalist | 8 |
Featured Projects | 8 |
Total Projects | 15 |
14. Teeple Architects Inc.
Teeple Architects shapes buildings through an open and collaborative process. Founded in 1989, our practice integrates sustainability and technical expertise with formal exploration to create buildings that are representative of the communities they serve. Our Toronto and Vancouver studios draw on the collective skills and expertise of a diverse and talented team of design professionals.
Under the leadership of Principals Stephen Teeple (Founder), Chris Radigan (Emeritus), Myles Craig, Tomer Diamant, Avery Guthrie, Richard Lai and Wes Wilson, we work with discipline and imaginations to shape ideas into places that bring aspirations to life.
Some of Teeple Architects Inc.’s most prominent projects include:
- Morgan State University Calvin & Tina Tyler Hall, Baltimore, Maryland
- Stanley A. Milner Library Renewal, Edmonton, Canada
- Sherbourne Common Pavilion
- Sisters of St. Joseph Convent
- 60 Richmond Street East, Toronto, Canada
The following statistics helped Teeple Architects Inc. achieve 14th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Canada:
A+Awards Winner | 1 |
Featured Projects | 10 |
Total Projects | 23 |
13. Kariouk Architects
My work focuses upon residential and commercial commissions, involving new construction, interior renovation, additions, landscape and museum installations. I received my professional architectural degree from Columbia University in New York City, and am licensed to practice architecture by the State of New York. I have over twenty years of experience in the profession, and in 2001 moved to Ottawa where I established my own design practice: Kariouk Associates.
Some of Kariouk Architects’s most prominent projects include:
- Cemetery Marker, Pennsylvania, United States
- Stacey-Turley Residence, Ottawa, Canada
- Hill-Maheux Cottage, Val-des-Monts, Canada
- Hurteau-Miller Cottage, Val-des-Monts, Canada
- Chelsea Hill House, Chelsea, Canada
The following statistics helped Kariouk Architects achieve 13th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Canada:
A+Awards Winner | 1 |
A+Awards Finalist | 1 |
Featured Projects | 8 |
Total Projects | 15 |
12. Alain Carle Architecte
Alain Carle has worked in the architecture field in Montreal for twenty years. Based on a pedagogical approach he developed as a teacher and researcher at the School of Architecture of the Université de Montréal, his achievements rely on a critical approach to representation in the design process. The firm’s accomplishments are regularly recognized by the architectural community, especially in the field of residential and commercial architecture.
Some of Alain Carle Architecte’s most prominent projects include:
- NORM Residence, Baie-D’Urfe, Canada
- Screenhouse, Wentworth-Nord, Canada
- The Elves, Morin-Heights, Canada
- The Wetlands, Wentworth-Nord, Canada
- Le Phénix, Sainte-Marguerite-du-Lac-Masson, Canada
The following statistics helped Alain Carle Architecte achieve 12th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Canada:
A+Awards Winner | 1 |
Featured Projects | 12 |
Total Projects | 23 |
11. Diamond Schmitt
Diamond Schmitt is a global architecture firm designing transformative, purpose-driven, and highly sustainable buildings from its four studios located in Toronto, New York, Vancouver and Calgary. Creating innovative design solutions while drawing inspiration from each site’s surrounding community, architectural, and historical contexts, Diamond Schmitt’s visionary designs can be found in more than 50 cities around the world.
Some of Diamond Schmitt’s most prominent projects include:
- United Kingdom Holocaust Memorial – International Design Competition
- Mirvish Village, Toronto, Canada
- Ingenium Centre, Ottawa, Canada
- Independent School Competition
- Buddy Holly Hall, Lubbock, Texas
The following statistics helped Diamond Schmitt achieve 11th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Canada:
A+Awards Winner | 2 |
A+Awards Finalist | 4 |
Featured Projects | 8 |
Total Projects | 34 |
10. Akb Architects
Founded in 2004, Akb Architects is the Toronto-based architecture studio of Robert Kastelic and Kelly Buffey, architects dedicated to the practice and art of building. The quest to capture the poetic and ineffable qualities of space manifests in Akb’s design process, which prioritizes a clarity of vision, attention to detail, and a rigorous commitment to conceptual intent. The work of the studio benefits from Robert and Kelly’s extensive training in both architecture and interior design; a comprehensive strategy results in buildings of exceptional resolution and an uncommon level of refinement.
A unified and holistic approach to interior and exterior space merges building and landscape into a seamless experience, transforming the ephemeral into the tactile. Elements of volume, light, proportion and materiality are orchestrated to resonate and respond to each project’s unique site, context and program.
Some of Akb Architects’s most prominent projects include:
- Story Pod, Newmarket, Canada
- Metrick Cottage and Boathouse, Ontario, Canada
- Whistling Wind Cottage, Pointe au Baril, Canada
- Muskoka Cottage, Canada
- Clearview Chalet, Collingwood, Canada
The following statistics helped Akb Architects achieve 10th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Canada:
A+Awards Winner | 1 |
A+Awards Finalist | 3 |
Featured Projects | 12 |
Total Projects | 16 |
9. Hariri Pontarini Architects
Established in 1994, Hariri Pontarini Architects, is a leading Canadian full-service architectural practice known for creating modern landmarks such as the award-winning Bahá’í Temple for South America, the acclaimed McKinsey & Company headquarters in Toronto, the international competition-winning Ivey School of Business and the Governor General’s Medal-winning Schulich School of Business.
Founded by Siamak Hariri and David Pontarini, the firm has delivered a broad range of institutional, commercial and residential projects, libraries, schools and academic buildings. Hariri Pontarini Architects has become known for designing projects of exceptional quality, with a strong conceptual basis derived from the specific needs and aspirations of each client.
Some of Hariri Pontarini Architects’s most prominent projects include:
- 7 St. Thomas, Toronto, Canada
- Nicol Building, Sprott School of Business, Ottawa, Canada
- The Bahá’í Temple of South America, Santiago, Chile
- Ontario’s Celebration Zone, Toronto, Canada
- Tom Patterson Theatre
The following statistics helped Hariri Pontarini Architects achieve 9th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Canada:
A+Awards Winner | 5 |
A+Awards Finalist | 3 |
Featured Projects | 8 |
Total Projects | 19 |
8. Henriquez Partners Architects
Henriquez Partners Architects is dedicated to working closely with clients to create buildings that are culturally, environmentally and economically sustainable. It is our view that every project is an opportunity to enrich communities by seamlessly integrating ethics and aesthetics. Informed by this credo and an unwavering commitment to design integrity, we have consistently demonstrated the ability to manage projects from design through to construction and the technical expertise to create structures that stand the test of time. Our buildings have received numerous awards for design excellence.
Some of Henriquez Partners Architects’s most prominent projects include:
- TELUS Garden Office Tower, Vancouver, Canada
- Prototype (M5), Vancouver, Canada
- Pendrell, Vancouver, Canada
- Central Presbyterian Church, Vancouver, Canada
- Cardero, Vancouver, Canada
The following statistics helped Henriquez Partners Architects achieve 8th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Canada:
A+Awards Winner | 7 |
A+Awards Finalist | 1 |
Featured Projects | 9 |
Total Projects | 12 |
7. Atelier RZLBD
Atelier RZLBD is a boutique art & architecture practice based in Toronto founded by architect Reza Aliabadi (OAA, MRAIC); whose work extends to designing buildings & objects, curating installations and expositions, and publishing a zine called rzlbdPOST.
The practice is not just an ordinary operation that serves, rather like a positive virus, it contributes, communicates, challenges and adapts itself to the needs of each project and its context. Our work has been distinguished with numerous accolades and exhibited in many venues.
Some of Atelier RZLBD’s most prominent projects include:
- Opposite House, Toronto, Canada
- Shaft House
- 5/6 HOUSE
- Whale House
- The Gallery House, Markham, Canada
The following statistics helped Atelier RZLBD achieve 7th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Canada:
Featured Projects | 14 |
Total Projects | 24 |
6. MJMA Architecture & Design
MJMA is a Toronto, Canada-based design practice of 60+ designers and architects. MJMA has evolved from a 30 year strong legacy of making community buildings, to building communities – in towns and cities, on campuses, within organizations, and across playing fields. Our increasingly diverse portfolio speaks to an innovation culture at MJMA that drives all our designs. This spirit of innovation, cultivated with clients who are enthusiastic about creating meaningful architecture that positively contributes to the built environment, has resulted in more than 75+ national awards.
Some of MJMA Architecture & Design’s most prominent projects include:
- Queen’s University John Deutsch University Centre, Kingston, Canada
- UBC Aquatic Centre, Vancouver, Canada
- Clear Lake House, Parry Sound, Canada
- Chinguacousy Park Redevelopment, Brampton, Canada
- Commonwealth Community Recreation Centre, Edmonton, Canada
The following statistics helped MJMA Architecture & Design achieve 6th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Canada:
A+Awards Winner | 2 |
Featured Projects | 13 |
Total Projects | 34 |
5. Lemay
We create space to grow. Since 1957, Lemay has been imagining new ways to create spaces that engage users and bring people together. Over 400 architects, designers, industry leaders and change-makers work tirelessly to cultivate innovation in their own backyards, as well as in communities around the world. Inspired and strengthened by transdisciplinary creativity, the firm has also developed its very own NET POSITIVE™ approach to guide teams toward sustainable solutions that shape a better future. With the human experience at its heart, Lemay strives to design with empathy and create spaces to grow.
Some of Lemay’s most prominent projects include:
- Pomerleau Offices, Levis, Canada
- Lumenpulse, Longueuil, Canada
- Bellechasse Transport Center, Montréal, Canada
- Grand Théatre de Québec, Québec City, Canada
- Place des Montréalaises, Montréal, Canada
The following statistics helped Lemay achieve 5th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Canada:
A+Awards Winner | 3 |
A+Awards Finalist | 5 |
Featured Projects | 10 |
Total Projects | 37 |
4. KPMB Architects
KPMB Architects is an award winning, internationally recognized Canadian practice. It is notable for its unique hybrid form of architecture and practice, developed to respond to our multi-cultural, dynamically changing world. This is manifested in the diversity of the portfolio for culture, education, healthcare and paradigm shifting climate responsive design. Every project is conceived to support an essential belief in the power of architecture to influence civil and moral conditions. The firm comprises a deep pool of highly talented women and men who together form dynamic integrated design teams to ensure every design solution balances vision and pragmatism, environmentally responsible design and architectural excellence.
Some of KPMB Architects’s most prominent projects include:
- Boston University, Center for Computing & Data Sciences, Boston, Massachusetts
- Featured image: Beaverbrook Art Gallery (Harrison McCain Pavilion), New Brunswick, Canada
- Isttaniokaksini/Science Commons – University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Canada
- Downsview, Toronto, Canada
- Wilson School of Design, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Richmond, Canada
- Top image: Lloyd Hall Renovation, Banff Centre for Art and Creativity, Banff, Canada
The following statistics helped KPMB Architects achieve 4th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Canada:
A+Awards Winner | 1 |
A+Awards Finalist | 4 |
Featured Projects | 19 |
Total Projects | 67 |
3. MGA | MICHAEL GREEN ARCHITECTURE
MGA | MICHAEL GREEN ARCHITECTURE is one of the most internationally recognized architecture firms in Canada. Beyond the four Governor General’s Medals for Architecture and the two Royal Architectural Institute of Canada Awards for Architectural Innovation, we are recognized for our innovation in sustainable architecture and developing carbon-neutral buildings with advanced wood construction.
MGA is a mid-sized architecture firm, and we love to call Vancouver home. Our exceptionally talented and experienced staff work on projects from tiny boutique interiors to large institutional buildings locally and internationally. Our studio houses our architecture, interior design, graphic design, landscape, and model making staff. Our firm was founded to pursue projects we feel passionate about.
Some of MGA | MICHAEL GREEN ARCHITECTURE’s most prominent projects include:
- The Dock Building, Vancouver, Canada
- Oregon State University Forest Science Complex, Corvallis, Oregon
- Catalyst Building, Spokane, Washington
- T3 Minneapolis, Minneapolis, Minnesota
- TED LIONS MARQUEE, Vancouver, Canada
The following statistics helped MGA | MICHAEL GREEN ARCHITECTURE achieve 3rd place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Canada:
A+Awards Winner | 5 |
A+Awards Finalist | 5 |
Featured Projects | 12 |
Total Projects | 22 |
2. ACDF Architecture
At ACDF, we have an uncompromising ambition to be both responsible and inventive, both visionary and generous, to ultimately bring beauty to everyone. Good design can capture the imagination, but great design offers something more generous: it stirs the heart.
Under the direction of Maxime-Alexis Frappier, Joan Renaud and Etienne Laplante Courchesne, the 95-person studio is deeply rooted in solid know-how and a joie de vivre. Our mission is to deliver highly tailored, design-savvy projects at any scale across all typologies. In our architectural atelier, we are energized by constraints (budget, site, material) and craft poetry from pragmatism. With its creative energy and its broad expertise, ACDF designs inspiring spaces in which North American pragmatism meets European flamboyance.
Some of ACDF Architecture’s most prominent projects include:
- Notre-Dame College Gymnasium , Montréal, Canada
- Lightspeed Offices Phase 3, Montréal, Canada
- Flighthub, Saint-Laurent, Montréal, Canada
- Barclay Tower, Vancouver, Canada
- The Pacific by Grosvenor, Vancouver, Canada
The following statistics helped ACDF Architecture achieve 2nd place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Canada:
A+Awards Winner | 1 |
A+Awards Finalist | 8 |
Featured Projects | 17 |
Total Projects | 37 |
1. Omar Gandhi Architects
Omar Gandhi Architect is a Canadian architecture practice with small studios in both Halifax, Nova Scotia and Toronto, Ontario. Specializing in custom, modern design, OG works to connect with each and every client on a personal level, designing with careful consideration for the lives that will be lived within the finished product.
Some of Omar Gandhi Architects’s most prominent projects include:
- OG House, Halifax, Canada
- Prime Seafood Palace, Toronto, Canada
- Black Gables, Sydney, Canada
- Float, Halifax, Canada
- Sluice Point, Yarmouth, Canada
The following statistics helped Omar Gandhi Architects achieve 1st place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Canada:
A+Awards Winner | 2 |
A+Awards Finalist | 1 |
Featured Projects | 25 |
Total Projects | 28 |
Why Should I Trust Architizer’s Ranking?
With more than 30,000 architecture firms and over 130,000 projects within its database, Architizer is proud to host the world’s largest online community of architects and building product manufacturers. Its celebrated A+Awards program is also the largest celebration of architecture and building products, with more than 400 jurors and hundreds of thousands of public votes helping to recognize the world’s best architecture each year.
Architizer also powers firm directories for a number of AIA (American Institute of Architects) Chapters nationwide, including the official directory of architecture firms for AIA New York.
A Guide to Project Awards
The blue “+” badge denotes that a project has won a prestigious A+Award as described above. Hovering over the badge reveals details of the award, including award category, year, and whether the project won the jury or popular choice award.
The orange Project of the Day and yellow Featured Project badges are awarded by Architizer’s Editorial team, and are selected based on a number of factors. The following factors increase a project’s likelihood of being featured or awarded Project of the Day status:
- Project completed within the last 3 years
- A well written, concise project description of at least 3 paragraphs
- Architectural design with a high level of both functional and aesthetic value
- High quality, in focus photographs
- At least 8 photographs of both the interior and exterior of the building
- Inclusion of architectural drawings and renderings
- Inclusion of construction photographs
There are 7 Projects of the Day each week and a further 31 Featured Projects. Each Project of the Day is published on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram Stories, while each Featured Project is published on Facebook. Each Project of the Day also features in Architizer’s Weekly Projects Newsletter and shared with 170,000 subscribers.
We’re constantly look for the world’s best architects to join our community. If you would like to understand more about this ranking list and learn how your firm can achieve a presence on it, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at editorial@architizer.com.