Practice

Approach

Values influence design. We question the status quo to seek meaningful design solutions and nurture ideation from research to design to construction implementation.

With studios in Toronto and Vancouver, Henriquez excels at complex mixed-use projects that foster inclusive and engaged communities. We believe that architecture has the potential to be a poetic expression of social justice. It is our view that every project is an opportunity to enrich local communities by integrating ethics and aesthetics. Informed by this credo and an unwavering commitment to design integrity, we are committed to managing projects from design through to construction and have the technical expertise to create structures that stand the test of time.

As a mid-sized national practice, we have the dexterity to successfully deliver large-scale projects, while remaining intimate enough to provide high levels of client service.

The Woodward’s Redevelopment in 2004, marked a pivotal point in our culture and studio’s direction and propelled the studio to continue with progressive and community-minded civic projects – sometimes referred to as the “children of Woodward’s” with the goal of creating truly inclusive cities.

Since this time, we have continued to build strong relationships with and amongst developers, non-profits, and various levels of government. Our design philosophy is guided by our values and our intention to harmonize competing interests and challenge convention. As activist Architects, our projects benefit from the latent potential within cross-sector partnerships to achieve meaningful collective objectives. Our early involvement in projects allows us to positively influence the translation of capital towards the achievement of socially valuable goals and enables us to collectively meet the needs of the community’s most vulnerable members, providing affordable housing and community amenities with the aspiration of building more inclusive and accessible communities.

Beyond the built form, we aspire to be catalysts for social change through active participation in causes that align with our values in the communities we serve and humbled to be able to participate in global platforms, such as the ECC Venice Biennale, UNHCR, SFU Public Square and other cultural institutions to encourage meaningful dialogue on social, environmental and economic issues that affect all urban cities.

In 2024, in response to the nationwide housing crisis, we launched Archeology which specializes in development advisory to a growing clientele of institutional, not for profit, private landowners and government clients seeking to seeking to maximize their real estate holdings for future generations through real estate development and the generation of much needed housing for Canadians. Archeology leverages Henriquez’s team and successful track record, of generating over 9,000 housing units and more than 7 times the original density permitted by offering financial, architectural, and planning development advisory services.

Culture

Our studio is a place of learning where we recognize our responsibility to develop our people to become relationship builders and thought leaders in the design community. We believe that education and dialogue are the keys to encourage a new generation of architects towards greater civic engagement.

We actively invest in our people through targeted career pathing, professional development, an Apprentice Program and various in-house curricula such as our Leadership Program. We financially support and encourage licensure through an internal internship process, and are grounded in the belief that individualized support is collectively beneficial. We nurture a collaborative environment where research, design and technology converge. Our digital practice pushes boundaries in areas such as visualization, parametric design, virtual reality simulation and 3D model fabrication that are integral to our design process.

We are engaged in our profession, our communities and in the cultural fabric of our city. By sharing our knowledge, we contribute to more vibrant, community-oriented cities. We are values-driven with a supportive, dynamic studio culture, which has garnered us recognition as one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers and one of Canada’s Best Employers for Recent Graduates for 4 consecutive years. We have also been recognized as a “Design Firm to Watch” on Architizer’s A+ list for 3 years running. Investing in our talent is mutually beneficial. If you are committed to aesthetics and ethics, we invite you to join us.