Architectural firm looks to Waterloo for new office

Philip Jalsevac

Waterloo May 24, 2006
An architectural firm with a strong presence in Western Canada plans to open an office in Waterloo.

Kasian Architecture Interior Design and Planning has agreed to lease about 3,000 square feet in a new building that is being constructed as part of the renovated Waterloo Town Square.

Kasian will be joined by a local affiliated firm, RHL Architects Ltd., in an office that will initially comprise about 15 employees, including four architects and two interior designers.

Local architect Malcolm Lobban, a principal in both RHL and Kasian, is heading up the new office in Waterloo.

Kasian chose the location partly due to the budding relationship with his firm but also because Waterloo Region is one of the fastest-growing areas in the country, Lobban said.

"There is a good solid base of work here," he said.

Kasian has offices in Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver. It provides architectural services to a variety of sectors, including health care, education, transportation, recreation, government, and corporate and retail development.

RHL is focused primarily on architecture in the education field.

Lobban said his staff are excited about the Waterloo Town Square location. "It's great. It's going to be a really nice development and add a lot to downtown Waterloo."

Kasian plans to move into a 72,000-square-foot, three-storey building under construction at 115 King St. S. in the fall.

The building's anchor tenant is the accounting and consulting firm KPMG. Another tenant is the Liquor Control Board of Ontario, which plans to open what will be its largest store in the region, occupying nearly two-thirds of the ground floor.

Meanwhile, construction of a second building is proceeding at 95 King St. S., at King Street and Willis Way. Its main tenant will be RBC Dominion Securities, a brokerage firm that is leasing the top floor of the three-storey, 16,000-square-feet building.