What DIALOG does

DIALOG is a privately held, multi-disciplinary design firm headquartered in Calgary, Canada, that has operated continuously since 1960 under various predecessor brands (Cohos Delesalle, Cohos Evamy, Hotson Bakker) before consolidating under the DIALOG name in 2010. The firm delivers integrated architecture, structural, mechanical, and electrical engineering, interior design, landscape architecture, urban planning, and sustainability consulting through six studios across North America (San Francisco, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto, and a forthcoming Ottawa location). Its 618+ professionals serve institutional, government, healthcare, higher education, and corporate clients across Canada and the US, with marquee projects including The Hive (a 10-storey seismic-resistant mass timber office building in Vancouver), the Calgary Central Library, Vancouver House, and the Arthur J.E. Child Comprehensive Cancer Centre.

The firm's underlying technical capabilities center on integrated design delivery under a single P&L, combined with proprietary R&D in mass timber and seismic engineering. Notable proprietary systems include the Mass Timber Seismic Design System (used in The Hive, North America's tallest seismic-force-resisting timber building, sequestering 4,403 metric tons of CO2), the Hybrid Timber Floor System for tall timber construction, and the Zero Carbon Hybrid Timber Supertall Prototype. Sustainability credentials include 100 LEED-certified buildings completed and 128 LEED-accredited professionals. The Community Wellbeing Framework, co-developed with The Conference Board of Canada, provides evidence-based design metrics that differentiate the firm in public-sector pursuits.

DIALOG generates revenue through project-based professional services fees under multi-year contracts, acquired primarily via competitive public tendering (RFPs for civic, healthcare, and infrastructure work) and direct commissions with repeat institutional clients. The firm has no disclosed parent company or external institutional investors and has grown organically and through six acquisitions since 2012 (Carlyle + Associates, Jones Kwong Kishi Engineering, newstudio architecture, Byrens Kim Design Works, NXL Architects, and RPK Architects). It is led by a partner governance model with Chair Antonio Gómez-Palacio and multiple Fellow-designated partners across architecture, engineering, and landscape architecture disciplines.

Name

DIALOG

Legal name

DIALOG

Website

https://dialogdesign.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

DIALOG is a privately held Canadian multi-disciplinary design firm delivering integrated architecture, structural/mechanical/electrical engineering, interior design, landscape architecture, urban planning, and sustainability consulting across six North American studios to institutional, healthcare, education, civic, and corporate clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural and Engineering Design Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131), Architectural Services (541310)

SIC

Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373), Services-Management Services (8741), Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

Building Information Modeling (BIM) & Digital Design Services (BPAHAKAK)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Structural engineering consulting
• Interior design services
• Landscape architecture
• Urban planning services

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Architecture and Design Services: Professional fees for architectural design, interior design, landscape architecture, and structural/mechanical/electrical engineering services on a project-by-project basis. Revenue is generated through design contracts with institutional, commercial, and government clients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

DIALOG is a fully integrated multi-disciplinary design firm providing architecture, structural engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, interior design, landscape architecture, and urban planning services. The firm delivers design solutions for civic, healthcare, higher education, office, transit, and mixed-use projects on a project-by-project contractual basis.

Product overview

DIALOG is a multi-disciplinary architecture and design firm offering integrated services across architecture, structural/mechanical/electrical engineering, interior design, landscape architecture, urban planning, and sustainability consulting. The firm's portfolio includes signature projects such as The Hive (a 10-storey mass timber office building with advanced seismic design), Calgary Central Library, Vancouver House, and the Arthur J.E. Child Comprehensive Cancer Centre. DIALOG also operates employee development programs including Integrateducation and the Iris Prize, and has developed proprietary research frameworks like the Community Wellbeing Framework. The firm maintains studios in six locations across North America (San Francisco, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto, Ottawa) and serves diverse project sectors including civic/cultural, healthcare, higher education, hospitality, mixed-use, office, retail, sports/recreation, transit/aviation, and urbanism.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architecture Services Full-service architectural design covering residential, commercial, institutional, and mixed-use projects across multiple building types and scales, delivered to institutional, commercial, and government clients.
• Structural Engineering Structural engineering services for buildings and infrastructure, including seismic design and innovative mass timber construction systems, delivered as part of integrated design teams.
• Mechanical Engineering Mechanical engineering design services for building systems including HVAC, plumbing, and fire protection.
• Electrical Engineering Electrical engineering services for power distribution, lighting, and building electrical systems.
• Interior Design Interior design services for commercial, institutional, hospitality, and residential spaces.
• Landscape Architecture Landscape architecture services for parks, public spaces, urban environments, and ecological design.
• Planning and Urban Design Urban planning and design services including master planning, policy development, and community engagement.
• Sustainability and Building Performance Consulting Sustainability consulting and building performance analysis including LEED certification support, carbon footprint tracking, and zero-carbon design strategies.
• Laboratory Design Specialized laboratory design for research facilities, healthcare labs, and scientific environments.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100 LEED certified buildings completed
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• ArupminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 March 2025Referenced as a company cited alongside DIALOG in a World Economic Forum article on regenerative design, profiling development projects in Calgary including University District, MacKimmie Tower deep retrofit, and Arthur J.E. Child Comprehensive Cancer Centre.
• HolcimminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 March 2025Referenced as a company cited alongside DIALOG in a World Economic Forum article on regenerative urban design.
• The Conference Board of CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2018Research partnership to develop evidence-based Community Wellbeing Framework quantifying the link between design and community wellbeing. Joint research report released in July 2018 titled 'Community Wellbeing: A Framework for the Design Professions'.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves13 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Stantec: Canadian-headquartered multi-disciplinary engineering, architecture, and design firm with similar institutional and infrastructure clients. Stantec co-designed the Arthur J.E. Child Comprehensive Cancer Centre alongside DIALOG, making it the most directly comparable peer in scale and service mix.
• Diamond Schmitt Architects: Toronto-based Canadian architecture firm with a comparable institutional focus (libraries, healthcare, higher education, civic). Similar scale and project profile, including award-winning cultural and academic buildings that compete with DIALOG for the same institutional RFPs.
• NORR: Canadian architecture and engineering firm of comparable scale, offering integrated multi-disciplinary services across healthcare, education, aviation, and civic sectors. Direct competitor for similar institutional and infrastructure mandates in Canada.
• B+H Architects: Toronto-headquartered architecture and design firm of similar size and service breadth, with healthcare, higher education, and mixed-use practices. Now part of SLR Consulting, but historically a close Canadian peer to DIALOG for institutional work.
• WZMH Architects: Canadian architecture firm with comparable institutional, civic, and healthcare focus. Smaller than DIALOG, but competes for similar public sector and commercial mandates in the Canadian market.
• Perkins&Will: Global architecture firm (now part of Sidara) with strong healthcare and higher education practices that closely overlap with DIALOG's core segments. Competes for the same institutional clients and pursues similar sustainability leadership positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Arup: Global engineering and design consultancy. Co-cited with DIALOG in a World Economic Forum article on regenerative urban design, indicating overlapping pursuits in integrated, high-performance building design at larger scale and broader geographic reach.
• HOK: Global architecture firm with multi-disciplinary practice covering healthcare, education, aviation, and workplace. Larger and more internationally diversified than DIALOG, but competes for the same large institutional commissions.
• Gensler: World's largest architecture and design firm with significant workplace, healthcare, and civic practices. Substantially larger scale than DIALOG, but competes for major office and institutional projects at the upper end of the market.
• AECOM: Global infrastructure consulting firm with substantial architecture, engineering, and planning practices. Operates at far greater scale and geographic breadth than DIALOG, but overlaps meaningfully on transit, civic, and institutional mandates in Canada.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/StartDIALOG
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/1233090
• Instagraminstagram.com/dialogdesign
• Xx.com/janeswalk

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about DIALOG