What FBM does

FBM Architecture Ltd. is a Halifax-based architecture, interior design, and planning firm founded in 1917, making it one of Atlantic Canada's oldest and most decorated design practices. The firm delivers context-driven design across the full building lifecycle, with core service lines in Architecture, Interior Design, and Planning, supported by specialty practice areas in Healthcare, Education, Hospitality, Residential, Community, and Mixed-Use projects. FBM also operates a distinct mass timber construction capability, evidenced by its own Cunard Street Live/Work/Grow headquarters — the first five-storey mass timber building in Atlantic Canada — and by deep expertise in building science, accessibility, and sustainable design.

The firm's business model is traditional professional services: it generates revenue through project-based architecture and design fees, typically structured as a percentage of construction cost, hourly rates, or fixed fees, and acquires work through direct client engagement rather than intermediaries. FBM serves institutional, government, healthcare, education, hospitality, and corporate clients across Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, and select international projects (including Connecticut, USA). Notable clients include Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia Community College, Nova Scotia Health Authority, Halifax Regional Municipality, Cabot Links Resort, Emera, Deloitte, and CBC/Radio Canada. Major projects span the Halifax Central Library (2015), Bayers Lake Community Outpatient Centre (Nova Scotia's first P3 healthcare project, 2023), and Cabot Cliffs (2024 Governor General's Medal in Architecture).

In March 2025, FBM entered a partnership with Dillon Consulting Limited, a Toronto-based national engineering and environmental consulting firm with 25 offices and 1,100+ employees; FBM continues to operate independently as FBM Architecture Ltd. The firm is employee-owned, led by a partnership of Susan Fitzgerald (Design Director), Craig Davidson (Finance Director), Greg Fry (Senior Architect), and four newer partners across technical, interior design, healthcare, and planning disciplines, supported by an Associate tier created in 2025. The firm employs 55+ full-time professionals and markets primarily through project awards, academic publications, and regional reputation rather than paid advertising.

Name

FBM

Legal name

FBM Architecture Ltd.

Website

https://fbm.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1917

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

FBM Architecture Ltd. is a Halifax-based architecture, interior design, and planning firm founded in 1917, serving institutional, healthcare, education, government, hospitality, and corporate clients across Atlantic Canada with specialty expertise in mass timber construction and sustainable design.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Halifax

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Architecture and Design Services: Professional services revenue generated through architectural design, interior design, and planning fees for institutional, commercial, healthcare, education, and residential projects

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

FBM provides professional architecture, interior design, and planning services across institutional, commercial, healthcare, education, hospitality, residential, and community/civic sectors. The firm delivers context-rich, sustainable, and accessible design solutions across all building scales, supported by specialty practice areas including healthcare, education, hospitality, residential, community, and mixed-use architecture. Revenue is generated through project-based professional service fees structured as a percentage of construction costs, hourly rates, or fixed fees.

Product overview

FBM Architecture Ltd. (FBM) is a Halifax-based architecture, interior design, and planning firm founded in 1917, operating as a partnership with Dillon Consulting Limited as of March 2025. The firm offers three core service lines: Architecture Services, Interior Design Services, and Planning Services, supported by specialty practice areas including Healthcare Architecture, Education Architecture, Hospitality Architecture, Residential Architecture, Community Architecture, and Mixed-Use Architecture. The firm also possesses a distinctive Mass Timber Construction capability and maintains active Research and Academic Partnerships. The product portfolio spans all major building typologies across Nova Scotia and select international projects (including The Lodge at Yale in Connecticut), with a portfolio of completed projects ranging from the early 2000s to the present. Notable projects include Halifax Central Library, Cabot Cliffs (Governor General's Medal in Architecture), Bayers Lake Community Outpatient Centre, Marine Drive Academy, and FBM's own mass timber headquarters at Cunard Street Live/Work/Grow.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architecture Services Full-scope architectural design services for a wide range of building types, including context-rich, responsible, creative, and transformative design across all scales from neighbourhood greenhouses to community hospitals and civic institutions. For institutional, commercial, healthcare, education, and residential clients.
• Interior Design Services Interior design services creating delightful, productive, and elegant interior environments through collaboration and deep understanding of users' requirements for comfort, safety, performance, and well-being. For corporate, government, residential, retail, hospitality, healthcare, and restaurant clients.
• Planning Services Planning services facilitating community engagement, town planning, and market development, responding to the needs and specific conditions for a variety of users, clients, and environments, creating opportunities for social and economic growth. For municipalities, developers, architects, and retailers.
• Hospitality Architecture Specialized hospitality design including resorts, lodges, golf clubhouses, conference facilities, and wellness spaces. Notable projects include Cabot Links, Cabot Cliffs, and Joyce Centre at Fox Harb'r. For hospitality developers and resort operators.
• Healthcare Architecture Dedicated healthcare design team specializing in new and renovated healthcare facilities, including hospitals, outpatient centres, and clinical spaces. For provincial health authorities, hospital corporations, and P3 healthcare delivery consortia.
• Education Architecture Education facility design spanning K-12 schools and post-secondary institutions. Specialty areas include accessible and inclusive design, sustainable building materials, and learning environment planning. For educational institutions including universities, colleges, and K-12 schools.
• Residential Architecture Residential design ranging from single-family houses to multi-unit residential buildings. Notable projects include the May House, House in Scotch Cove, and Prospect House, as well as multi-unit developments like Richmond Yards and NSCC student housing. For residential developers and individual homeowners.
• Community Architecture Community-focused design including civic buildings, libraries, urban farms, and community greenhouses. Notable projects include Halifax Central Library, Hope Blooms Community Greenhouse, and Common Roots Urban Farm. For municipal governments, provincial agencies, and public institutions.
• Mixed-Use Architecture Mixed-use development design combining residential, commercial, and recreational uses. Notable projects include King Street Live/Work/Grow, Cunard Street Live/Work/Grow, and Richmond Yards. For residential developers and mixed-use real estate projects.

Quantifiable outcome

• Governor General's Medal in Architecture for Cabot Cliffs (2024)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Dillon Consulting LimitedcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2025In March 2025, FBM entered into a formal partnership with Dillon Consulting Limited, a national engineering and environmental consulting firm headquartered in Toronto with 25 offices and over 1,100 employees. FBM continues to operate separately under its existing name as FBM Architecture Ltd. The partnership combines nearly two centuries of combined history, with FBM bringing architecture and design expertise to complement Dillon's engineering and environmental consulting capabilities. The combined entity serves clients from coast to coast to coast.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Architecture49: Canadian full-service architecture firm with offices across Canada, offering architecture, interior design, and planning services similar to FBM's three core service lines, including healthcare, education, and civic specializations.
• KPMB Architects: Canadian architecture firm focused on civic, cultural, healthcare, and academic buildings with a multidisciplinary studio model comparable to FBM's integrated architecture, interior design, and planning offering.
• B+H Architects: Global architecture and interior design firm founded in Canada with comparable healthcare, education, and hospitality specializations and multidisciplinary studio delivery model.
• Diamond Schmitt Architects: Toronto-based Canadian architecture firm with comparable practice breadth in healthcare, education, and civic architecture, and a similar award-winning, research-informed design approach.
• Parkin Architects: Canadian architecture firm with strong healthcare and institutional expertise; joint venture partner with FBM on the Bayers Lake Community Outpatient Centre, reflecting direct overlap in healthcare P3 delivery.
• Moriyama & Teshima: Toronto-based Canadian architecture firm with strong civic, healthcare, and education portfolios, comparable studio culture, and a track record of award-winning institutional design.

Broad incumbents

• WSP Global: Global engineering and professional services firm with a substantial Canadian architecture practice across healthcare, education, and transportation; competes with FBM on large multi-disciplinary mandates.
• HOK: Global architecture firm with leading healthcare and education practices; competes with FBM for major institutional commissions across North America and brings deeper bench and global resources.
• Stantec: Global engineering, architecture, and environmental services firm with deep Canadian healthcare and institutional practices; competes on integrated A&E mandates and benefits from greater scale.
• Dillon Consulting Limited: National engineering and environmental consulting firm that acquired FBM in March 2025; parent and partner that complements FBM's architecture and design services with engineering capabilities across 25 Canadian offices.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/11258759/admin/feed/posts
• Instagraminstagram.com/fbm_design
• Xx.com/FBM_Ltd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 FBM