What HCMA does

HCMA Architecture + Design is a Canadian architecture and design firm headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, with offices in Victoria, Calgary, and Edmonton. The firm provides professional architecture and design services for community recreation centres, aquatic centres, libraries, schools, fire halls, student housing, Indigenous cultural facilities, and public spaces. HCMA's client base is concentrated in the public sector — municipal governments, park boards, school boards, universities, and Indigenous nations — primarily across Western Canada, with growing presence in Ontario.

The firm's core offerings are anchored by its proprietary "Include Enable Connect" social impact framework, which provides a structured methodology for measuring social performance across three scales of impact: Include (individual-level accessibility), Enable (group-level development), and Connect (community-level cohesion). HCMA has built differentiated expertise in Passive House and net-zero energy design, with reference projects including Canada's first Passive House certified Multi-Family development (North Park Passive House in Victoria) and təməsew̓txʷ Aquatic and Community Centre — Canada's first completed Zero Carbon Building-Design Certified aquatic centre, certified by CaGBC in 2024. The firm also holds a B Corp certification (achieved September 2022) and has developed an in-house First Peoples design team led by a Coast Salish architect.

HCMA generates revenue through professional service fees on commissioned projects, acquired primarily through competitive public-sector procurement (RFP/RFQ) processes and direct commissions from repeat clients. Project fees are negotiated on a per-project basis and are not publicly disclosed. The firm operates as a privately held partnership owned and managed by approximately 10 Principals and multiple Associate Principals, with no evidence of institutional outside investment. Distribution is direct-to-client with no resellers or marketplace channels.

Name

HCMA

Legal name

HCMA Architecture + Design

Website

https://hcma.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

HCMA Architecture + Design is a Canadian architecture firm with offices in Vancouver, Victoria, Calgary, and Edmonton, providing community-focused design services for municipal governments, school boards, universities, and Indigenous nations across Western Canada.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Services

NAICS

Interior Design Services (541410)

SIC

Services-Management Services (8741)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Engagement & Participatory Planning (BPAHAKAO)

Keywords

• Architecture services
• Community facility design
• Public sector design
• Indigenous design
• Sustainable building design

Headquarters

HQ city

Vancouver

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

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: HCMA generates revenue through professional architecture and design service fees on commissioned projects. Revenue is project-based and derived from municipal, institutional, Indigenous, and private sector clients via competitive procurement and direct commissions. Projects span community recreation centres, aquatic centres, libraries, schools, fire halls, student housing, Indigenous cultural facilities, and public spaces.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

HCMA is an architecture and design practice that designs community-oriented buildings and places for public-sector and institutional clients across Western Canada. Its core work is full architectural and planning services for recreation centres, libraries, K-12 and higher-education facilities, fire halls, Indigenous cultural facilities, and brand identity / wayfinding projects, delivered through a community-engagement methodology.

Product overview

HCMA is an architecture and design firm operating as a multi-office practice across Vancouver, Victoria, Calgary, and Edmonton in Canada. The firm offers a portfolio of interconnected services organized around community-focused design: architecture and design of community recreation facilities, aquatic centres, libraries, schools, fire halls, student housing, and Indigenous community projects. The core offering is anchored by the proprietary 'Include Enable Connect' social impact framework, which guides all projects through three scales of impact. Specialized services include Passive House design, accessibility consulting (RHFAC), brand identity, wayfinding, and place planning. The practice holds B Corp certification and has completed Canada's first Passive House multi-family development and first Zero Carbon Building certified aquatic centre.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Include Enable Connect: HCMA's framework for maximizing social impact through design, published as a book and available for download.
• Include Enable Connect Framework
• TILT
• Artist in Residence

Products and services

• Community Recreation Facility Design

Quantifiable outcome

• HCMA's təməsew̓txʷ Aquatic and Community Centre achieved Zero Carbon Building - Design Certification from CaGBC, making it Canada's first completed zero-carbon aquatic centre.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• HerebyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2024HCMA partnered with Hereby on the Walden Fire Station and Library project in Calgary.
• Hindle ArchitectsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2024HCMA partnered with Hindle Architects on the Armour Block Integrated Facility project in Calgary.
• Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association (Downtown Van)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 July 2024HCMA and Downtown Van collaborated on 'Vancouver's Awesome Alleys,' a five-year strategy to transform downtown laneways into vibrant public spaces, building on the success of previous laneway activations Alley Oop and Ackery's Alley.
• Dub ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHCMA entered a joint venture with Dub Architects for the design of Coronation Park Sports and Recreation Centre in Edmonton, combining local and international expertise for the innovative velodrome and community recreation facility.
• FaulknerBrownscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFaulknerBrowns collaborated with HCMA and Dub Architects on the Coronation Park Sports and Recreation Centre project, contributing international expertise in sports facility design.
• Tangible InteractionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHCMA partnered with Tangible Interaction, a Vancouver-based studio, to create 'FIELD' — an interactive light and sound installation in Ackery's Alley in Vancouver's entertainment district — sharing a belief that interactive public spaces ignite human connection.
• Resource Planning GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrior to the design of Coronation Park Sports and Recreation Centre, HCMA and Resource Planning Group developed the comprehensive functional program for the centre.
• High Level Line SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHCMA Associate Principal Michael Rivest is a co-founder of the High Level Line Society, a not-for-profit initiative that aims to repurpose 4.3 km of under-utilized Edmonton infrastructure as a linear park and multimodal network.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• DIALOG: Canadian multi-disciplinary design firm with strong civic and community recreation portfolio. Comparable in mixed-use of architecture and interior design services for public-sector clients, and a direct competitor on aquatic and community centre RFPs.
• KPMB Architects: Canadian architecture firm focused on cultural, civic, and institutional projects. Comparable in scale and design-led positioning, with overlapping client base in universities and public-sector institutions.
• Diamond Schmitt Architects: Toronto-based Canadian architecture firm with similar practice scope across civic, cultural, and institutional buildings. Highly comparable in client type and project scale, though Diamond Schmitt has stronger national reach and a broader cultural-institution portfolio.
• Revery Architecture: Vancouver-based architecture firm succeeding Bing Thom Architects. Comparable in scale, BC-centric community and cultural portfolio, and design-led practice model — a direct regional peer.
• Hindle Architects: Calgary-based architecture firm collaborating with HCMA on the Armour Block Integrated Facility project. Comparable in scale and Western Canadian civic/institutional practice.
• MCM Architects: BC-based architecture firm specializing in recreation, aquatic, and community facilities. Direct peer on the core community recreation centre RFP market that HCMA anchors.

Broad incumbents

• Architecture49: Large Canadian architecture firm with national reach and a strong public-sector portfolio. Comparable on civic, recreation, and Indigenous community projects but at significantly larger scale.
• Perkins&Will: Global architecture firm with significant Vancouver and Toronto presence. Overlaps on civic, education, and sustainable building projects; competes on larger institutional RFPs but has a much broader geographic footprint.
• Stantec Architecture: Global design and engineering firm with significant Canadian architecture practice. Competes on integrated design-build public-sector RFPs where bundled services advantage larger incumbents.
• WSP Canada (Architecture): Global professional services firm with a Canadian architecture practice. Competes with HCMA on municipal and institutional projects where full-service delivery is valued.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/hcma
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@hcma-architecture-design
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hcmaarchitecture-design
• Instagraminstagram.com/hcma.ca

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 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 HCMA