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Architecture 49

For over 50 years the PBK Architects name has been synonymous with expertise and passion for creating iconic projects in our community and beyond.
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Lasalle Street Properties.

For over 50 years the PBK Architects name has been synonymous with expertise and passion for creating iconic projects in our community and beyond. PBK Architects is renowned for its collaborative and partnership-focused mindset in its seven offices across Canada. Their portfolio of projects that couple a high level of design and engineering complexity with demanding delivery constraints has secured the firm’s position at the forefront of key civic projects delivered with P3 and Design-Build methodology across North America.

Today, we enter the Architecture 49 era. Our new firm is shaped by the legacy of PBK Architects along with the strength of respected architecture firms - AE Consultants, Arcop Architecture, North 46 Architecture, Smith Carter Architects and Engineers, and WHW Architects.

The six practices that have come together to form Architecture 49 represent some of the most accomplished and respected architectural firms in the country. Together, our vision is to be a national leader in the integrated design and delivery of Canada’s most important buildings and environments. We will be focused on six key areas of expertise: Science and Technology, Security and Defence, Health care, Sports and Entertainment, Transportation, and Hospitality.

Our national sectors will complement our ongoing base of regional work. We are committed to the clients with whom we have always worked and have strong local presence in the following sectors: Commercial, Culture, Education, Historical, Industrial, and Residential. Working in partnership with our broader team members, our clients will benefit from a nationally informed perspective that is delivered in a regionally responsive manner.

We are united in the belief that our communities are enriched by a broader, more enlivened collaboration among clients, builders, architects, engineers, interior designers, landscape architects and urban planners. We believe in the strength of a multi-disciplinary view, and in the opportunity to shape our environment to Canadian principals of honesty, diversity, practicality and regionalism.

Architecture 49 now includes the former offices of PBK Architects Inc. (Vancouver, Toronto, Timmins, Sudbury, Thunder Bay, Cornwall and Ottawa), Smith Carter Architects and Engineers Inc.(Winnipeg, Ottawa), Arcop Architecture Inc.(Montreal, Toronto), WHW Architects Inc. (Halifax), North 46 Architecture Inc. (Charlottetown) and AE Consultants Ltd. (St. John’s).

With offices from coast to coast across Canada, Architecture 49 boasts a history spanning over half a century of profoundly significant contributions to cities and communities. As we merge together from a collective of regional offices, our array of specializations and experiences will continue to be in harmony with the Canadian landscape.

We navigate urban and rural contexts. Some cities enjoy a wealth of heritage properties, and benefit from a mindful approach to blending contemporary glass with 200 year-old stonework. Other regions experience unique weather—high winds, frequent storms, or low winter temperatures—and require local expertise to craft gathering places built to withstand those conditions with longevity and relevance. 

Architecture 49: Philosophy & Approach to Design 

Our philosophy is one of striving for creative solutions while respecting contextual concerns and achieving technical excellence. We seek to be innovative without being trendy, to be responsive to the client and responsible to the community.

Our approach to the design and planning process reflects a commitment to the pragmatic exploration of real issues – of sustain ability and practicability; of functionality and beauty.

We follow these criteria while promoting broad participation in and understanding of the decision-making process and appreciation of the technical feasibility of implementation. To achieve these objectives, Architecture 49 encourages continuous involvement of the various participants through a cyclical creative and decision-making process. The crystallization of ideas demonstrated through a succession of design probes allows even the non-expert to come to grips with the issues and witness their interests in concert with the interests and concerns of the other team members.

In our experience, this design and planning approach has proved very successful in dealing with complex buildings and planning problems. The result is a solution which satisfies client requirements not only at the time of conception, but also long after the execution of the project

At A49, we believe that architecture serves a broader purpose as a social influence, often in very regionally distinct ways. Economic conditions, climate, terrain, and the cultural makeup of an urban or rural setting varies significantly as one moves across Canada and further abroad. We have made a conscious decision to stay firmly engaged in our local communities and are committed to bringing the best solutions to our clients no matter what the location.

This approach allows us to continue to develop the expertise required to design the best environments to support our clients’ objectives.

We are proud to mark this point in our history with the launch of a new identity that represents our commitment to retaining and sharing our collective knowledge.

We will magnify the best qualities of each individual firm by complementing each other’s strengths.

Outwardly, we look different. Inwardly, we are the same.

We will do our best work together.


Timmins Office

New location
823 Birch Street South,

Timmins, ON P4N 7C5
t 1 705-267-6438


Sudbury Office

2565 Kingsway,

Sudbury, ON P3B 2G1

t 1.705.525.0820


Thunder Bay Office

1269 Premier Way,

Thunder Bay, ON P7B 0A3

t 1.807.625.6700


www.architecture 49.com