Queen Elizabeth Theatre Vancouver View of Lobby

Raymond Tait (Ray) Affleck (20 November 1922 – 16 March 1989) was a Canadian architect. He was born on 20 November 1922 in

Penticton Penticton ( ) is a city in the Okanagan Valley of the Southern Interior of British Columbia, Canada, situated between Okanagan and Skaha lakes. In the 2016 Canadian Census, its population was 33,761, while its census agglomeration The ce ...

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

. He died in Montreal on 16 March 1989."Raymond Tait Affleck"
Canadian Encyclopedia, 2014. Retrieved 6 August 2014 One of the founders of

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple ...

-based architectural firm

Arcop Arcop (also ARCOP) was an architectural firm based in Montreal, renowned for designing many major projects in Canada including Place Bonaventure, Place Ville-Marie and Maison Alcan. The firm was originally formed as a partnership under the name Af ...

, he also taught at leading universities in Canada and the United States.

Academic career

Raymond Affleck attended

McGill University McGill University (french: link=no, Université McGill) is an English-language public research university located in Montreal, Quebec Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous ...

, receiving a Bachelor of Architecture degree in 1947, and in 1948 undertook postgraduate studies at the Federal Technical Institute in Zurich. He later taught at prominent universities including

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...

University of Manitoba The University of Manitoba (U of M, UManitoba, or UM) is a Canadian public research university in the province of Manitoba.University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public university, public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park (Toronto), Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 ...

and

Technical University of Nova Scotia The Technical University of Nova Scotia (TUNS) was a Canadian university located in Halifax, Nova Scotia. TUNS was officially founded as the Nova Scotia Technical College on 25 April 1907. On 1 April 1997 it was merged into Dalhousie Universit ...

. He was a Fellow in the

Royal Architectural Institute of Canada The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) is a not-for-profit, national organization that has represented architects and architecture for over 100 years, in existence since 1907. The RAIC is the leading voice for excellence in the built ...

(1965) and an Academician in the Royal Academy of Arts (1967).

Business career

He opened the R.T. Affleck independent architectural practice in 1952, and in 1955 participated in the creation of an architecture firm together with Guy Desbarats, Dimitri Dimakopoulos, Fred Lebensold and

Hazen Sise Hazen E. Sise (1906–1974) was a Canadian architect, educator, and humanitarian. Early life and education Sise was born in 1906 in Montreal, Quebec. His father was president of the Northern Electric Company, and his uncle president of the Bel ...

. This firm changed its name to Arcop Associates, Architects and Planners in 1970.

Major projects

Projects undertaken by Arcop ranged from

Queen Elizabeth Theatre The Queen Elizabeth Theatre is a performing arts venue in downtown Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Along with the Orpheum, Vancouver Playhouse, and thAnnex it is one of four facilities operated by the Vancouver Civic Theatres on behalf o ...

, Vancouver (1955) to St John's (Newfoundland) Arts and Cultural Centre (1967). These projects helped to establish Affleck as an influential architect.Raymond Affleck fonds, 1956-1977
Canadian Architectural Archives, University of Calgary (2014), retrieved 6 August 2014 Between 1964 and 1968 Affleck was mainly engaged on the

Place Bonaventure Place Bonaventure is an office, exhibition, and hotel complex in Downtown Montreal, Quebec, Canada, adjacent to the city's Central Station. At in size, Place Bonaventure was the second largest commercial building in the world at the time of its ...

complex in central Montreal, which has been described as "a somewhat forbidding example of Brutalism". Other prominent projects included

Place Ville Marie Place Ville Marie (PVM for short) is a large office and shopping complex skyscraper in Downtown Montreal, Quebec, Canada, comprising four office buildings and an underground shopping plaza. It serves as the main and official headquarters for Ro ...

(1956-1965) and

Maison Alcan Maison Alcan (English: Alcan House) is a building complex located on Sherbrooke Street in the Golden Square Mile district of Montreal, Canada. The complex was used to house the world headquarters for Alcan, now part of Rio Tinto Alcan, until 2015. ...

(1983) in Montreal.

Other projects

Place des Arts Place may refer to: Geography * Place (United States Census Bureau), defined as any concentration of population ** Census-designated place, a populated area lacking its own municipal government * "Place", a type of street or road name ** Often ...

(Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier), Montreal (1963) * University Centre, McGill University, Montreal (1965) * Stephen Leacock Building, McGill University, Montreal (1965) * Life Sciences Centre, Dalhousie University, Halifax (Nova Scotia) (1971) * Mughal Sheraton Hotel,

Agra Agra (, ) is a city on the banks of the Yamuna river in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, about south-east of the national capital New Delhi and 330 km west of the state capital Lucknow. With a population of roughly 1.6 million, Agra i ...

(1978) * Place Air Canada, Montreal (1983) * Post Office,

Mont-Royal Mount Royal (french: Mont-Royal, officially Town of Mount Royal, french: Ville de Mont-Royal, abbreviated TMR, french: VMR) is an affluent on-island suburban town located on the northwest side of the eponymous Mount Royal, northwest of Downtown ...

* Number One Wood Avenue, Montreal

Architectural thinking

In projects such as Place Bonaventure, Affleck sought to include indoor pedestrian routes and atria, design features suited to a cold climate. The aim was an integrated architectural plan encompassing buildings, streets and main highways. At Maison Alcan, a restored historic hotel and greystone houses on

Sherbrooke Street Sherbrooke Street (officially in french: rue Sherbrooke) is a major east–west artery and at in length, is the second longest street on the Island of Montreal. The street begins in the town of Montreal West and ends on the extreme tip of ...

are joined to the modern glass and aluminum-clad structure behind by means of a glazed atrium. Market Square ( Saint John, 1983) is another important conservation and infill project that demonstrates the application of Affleck's urban theories.

Personal life

Affleck married Betty Ann Henley in 1950. They had five children, including animator

Neil Affleck Neil Affleck is a Canadian animator, director, and actor. He has worked as an animator on ''The Simpsons'' and '' Family Guy''. As an actor, he appeared in the 1981 film ''Scanners'' and had a leading role in the 1981 film '' My Bloody Valentine ...

and architect

Gavin Affleck Gavin Affleck (born October 11, 1958), FRAIC, is a Canadian architect known for the design of cultural institutions and public spaces. He is the founding partner of the Montreal firm Affleck de la Riva alongside Richard de la Riva, and is the son ...

Awards

Massey Medal The Royal Canadian Geographical Society (RCGS) awards the Massey Medal annually to recognize outstanding personal achievement in the exploration, development or description of the geography of Canada. The award was established in 1959, by the Ma ...

- 1961, 1964, 1967, 1970 *

Canadian Centennial Medal The Canadian Centennial Medal (french: Médaille du centenaire du Canada) is a commemorative medal struck by the Royal Canadian Mint in 1967 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Canadian Confederation and was awarded to Canadians who were ...

- 1967 * Award of excellence, Canadian Architectural Yearbook, 1968 * Aga Khan Award for Islamic Architectural Design, 1980"ARCOP"
The Canadian Encyclopedia. Accessed January 25, 2010. * ''Prix d'excellence'',

Ordre des architectes du Québec The Ordre des architectes du Québec is a professional association representing architects in the Canadian province of Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name i ...

, 1984"Honorary Degree Citation - Raymond Affleck"
Concordia University, June 1988, retrieved 8 October 2014 *

(RAIC) Gold Medal (posthumously) - 1989

References

External links

* Finding aid for th
Ray Affleck fonds

Canadian Centre for Architecture The Canadian Centre for Architecture (CCA; french: Centre Canadien d'Architecture) is a museum of architecture and research centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is located at 1920, rue Baile (1920, Baile Street), between rue Fort (Fort Street ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Affleck, Raymond 1922 births 1989 deaths Modernist architecture in Canada People from Penticton Canadian company founders 20th-century Canadian architects Architects from Montreal McGill School of Architecture alumni Canadian expatriates in the United States