Order of Architects of Quebec

What Order of Architects of Quebec does

The Ordre des architectes du Québec (OAQ) is a professional regulatory body established under Quebec's Code des professions and Loi sur les architectes, headquartered in Montreal. Founded in 1890, it is the sole statutory authority empowered to license architects, enforce professional standards, and administer disciplinary processes in the province, with a public-protection mandate rather than a commercial one. The Order operates with 11–50 employees and serves approximately all licensed architects practicing in Quebec, alongside architecture students/trainees, the general public (via credential verification and complaint processes), and municipal/government entities that enforce building code compliance.

The Order delivers its mandate through a portfolio of services: a publicly searchable member directory (Répertoire des architectes), continuing education programs covering building regulations, generative AI, Scan-to-BIM workflows, and heritage restoration, a structured mentorship program, the Esquisses magazine and Bulletin Élévation newsletter, a professional liability insurance fund (Fonds d'assurance responsabilité professionnelle / FARP), admission and examination services including international reciprocity pathways (France, Switzerland), and disciplinary and arbitration functions. Technology infrastructure consists of a WordPress-based public website, a member portal at portail.oaq.com, a dedicated insurance platform at fondsarchitectes.qc.ca, and standard GA4 analytics — not a unified software product.

Revenue is generated from mandatory annual professional membership dues (recurring subscription), continuing education and examination fees, insurance fund contributions managed on behalf of members, and publication subscriptions. The Order is governed by a Conseil d'administration under oversight of the Office des professions du Québec, with a published Strategic Plan 2025-2028 guiding modernization. It is not investor-backed, has no parent company, and does not raise external funding.

Name

Order of Architects of Quebec

Legal name

Ordre des architectes du Québec

Website

https://oaq.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1890

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Ordre des architectes du Québec is the statutory professional order regulating architecture in Quebec, licensing architects, enforcing standards, delivering continuing education, and administering a professional liability insurance fund for its members.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Regulatory Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (541310)

akta.pro primary industry

Architecture, Planning & Surveying (AIA, Planning, Land Surveyor CE) (EDAAALAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Building Codes, Permitting & Inspections (Building Safety) (BPAIANAF)

Keywords

• Architecture professional regulation
• Professional licensing services
• Continuing education programs
• Professional liability insurance
• Architect membership directory

Headquarters

HQ city

Montréal

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Professional Membership Dues (Cotisation professionnelle): Annual professional membership fees charged to architects for the right to practice. Members must pay annual dues to remain on the Order's registry and practice legally.
2. Continuing Education and Training: The Order offers professional development courses including building code regulation (35 hours, $1225 for architects), workshops, webinars, and specialized training. Training is provided both by OAQ instructors and external providers.
3. Professional Liability Insurance Fund: The Order manages a professional liability insurance fund (Fonds d'assurance responsabilité professionnelle) for its members.
4. Publications: Sale of the magazine Esquisses and other professional publications to members and the public.
5. Admission and Examination Fees: Fees for processing license applications, credential evaluations, and admission examinations for architects seeking to practice in Quebec.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Ordre des architectes du Québec regulates the practice of architecture in Quebec by licensing architects, enforcing professional standards, administering a professional liability insurance fund, and delivering mandatory continuing education. It maintains a public member directory, runs a mentorship program for new architects, processes admissions (including international reciprocity agreements), and publishes the Magazine Esquisses and Bulletin Élévation newsletter for members and the public.

Product overview

The Order of Architects of Quebec operates as a professional regulatory body rather than a software product company. Its service portfolio includes a member directory for public verification, continuing education programs (both internal OAQ courses and external training), a mentorship program, the Esquisses magazine publication, the Élévation newsletter, a knowledge resource platform, professional liability insurance administration, and admission/permit processing for architects. These services are delivered through its website portal (portail.oaq.com) and do not constitute a unified software product platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Magazine Esquisses: Magazine published by the Order featuring architecture projects and professional topics
• Bulletin Élévation

Products and services

• Répertoire des architectes (Member Directory)
• Formation continue (Continuing Education)
• Programme de mentorat (Mentorship Program)

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Architecture sans frontières QuébecminorOthersHumanitarian arm of the Order - a non-profit organization related to the Order that carries out humanitarian architectural projects.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB): U.S. organization that facilitates reciprocity and licensure for architects across state boards. Analogous in facilitating cross-jurisdictional recognition, certification, and professional standards comparable to OAQ's reciprocity mandate.
• Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC): National voluntary membership organization representing Canadian architects. Comparable in delivering advocacy, awards, publications, and continuing education, though it does not hold statutory licensing power like the OAQ.
• Ordre des architectes (France) / Conseil national de l'ordre des architectes (CNOA): French national order of architects under reciprocal agreement with OAQ. Operates the same model of statutory licensing, code of ethics enforcement, and member training across France.
• Alberta Association of Architects (AAA): Statutory self-regulatory professional order for architects in Alberta with near-identical functions to OAQ: licensure, conduct regulation, member services, and continuing competence programs.
• Ontario Association of Architects (OAA): Provincial self-regulatory body for architects in Ontario under similar legislation. Operates the same member-directory, licensing, continuing-education, and disciplinary model, making it the closest analogue to the OAQ in scale and function.
• Architectural Institute of British Columbia (AIBC): Provincial regulator of architects in British Columbia with mandate, structure, and member services mirroring the OAQ, including directory, licensing, discipline, and CE.

Broad incumbents

• American Institute of Architects (AIA): Larger U.S. professional organization offering membership services, continuing education, advocacy, and publications for architects. Overlaps with OAQ on CE and member engagement, but unlike OAQ is not a statutory licensing body.
• Ordre professionnel de la physiothérapie du Québec (OPPQ) / Other Quebec professional orders: Other Quebec professional orders operating under the same Code des professions. Highly comparable regulatory model — licensing, inspection, discipline — but in unrelated professional domains (e.g., physiotherapy).
• Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec (OIQ): Quebec's parallel professional order for engineers, operating under the same Code des professions framework. Highly comparable in regulatory structure, member dues model, discipline, and continuing education mandate, though in a different profession.

Regional players

• Schweizerischer Ingenieur- und Architektenverein (SIA): Swiss Society of Engineers and Architects, a counterpart organization in Switzerland that operates under a reciprocal agreement with the OAQ. Comparable in professional standards, publications, and continuing-education offerings, but does not directly compete in Quebec.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Ordre.architectes.Qc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ordre-architectes-qc
• Instagraminstagram.com/ordrearchiqc
• Xx.com/OrdreArchiQc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Order of Architects of Quebec