Raymond Tait Affleck

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Raymond Tait Affleck, architect (b at Penticton, BC 20 Nov 1922; d at Montréal 16 Mar 1989). Educated at McGill and in Zurich, Switzerland, he began independent practice in 1953 and in 1955 joined in forming the firm of Affleck, Desbarats, Dimakopoulos, Michaud, Lebensold, Sise, from 1958-70 Affleck, Desbarats, Dimakopoulis, Lebensold, Sise, and from 1970 called Arcop Associates, Architects and Planners.

While his firm participated in many important projects from St John's (Arts and Culture Centre, 1967) to Vancouver (Queen Elizabeth Theatre, 1955) Affleck is particularly associated with the Montréal developments Place Bonaventure (1964-68), Plave Ville-Marie (1956-65), and the Maison Alcan (1983, awarded the Prix d'excellence in 1984);

Affleck's concern for the quality of life in a northern climate is expressed in Place Bonaventure and other projects that interweave many different strands of urban activity with indoor pedestrian streets and atria. The Maison Alcan joins a restored historic hotel and greystone houses on Sherbrooke St to the reticent but entirely modern glass and aluminum-clad headquarters behind by means of a glazed atrium. Market Square (Saint John, 1983) is another important architectural conservation and infill project, and provides further evidence of Affleck's urban sympathies.