Glazed building entrance at dusk beneath a broad timber roof, with warm interior lighting.

Our practice

Places for people.
Ideas with reach.

Rooted in Ontario, with a broad reach across Canada and internationally.

+VG Architects is a full-service practice working at the meeting point of people, culture and the built environment. From our studios in Toronto, Brantford and Ottawa, we bring the perspective of a connected practice to the particular needs of each client and community.

Since 1972, our work has brought new buildings to life and given existing places a renewed purpose. Civic buildings, schools, cultural destinations and homes share a common ambition: architecture that is welcoming, useful and enduring.

How we work

Start with people.
Understand the place.

A successful project begins with listening. We work with clients, building users and project partners to understand what a place needs to do, who it serves and how it can evolve. These conversations inform the design, from the overall plan to the details people encounter every day.

Our architects, designers, engineers and project leaders bring complementary experience to that process. Design thinking, technical coordination and a practical understanding of construction help carry an idea from its first sketch through to a building in use.

Build on what matters.

Heritage conservation and adaptive reuse are central to our practice. We look for the potential within existing buildings, preserving their character while making room for contemporary uses.

Make room for everyone.

Daylight, clear circulation and accessibility shape our approach to welcoming spaces. We consider how people arrive, move, gather and feel at home in a building.

Design for a long life.

We value durable materials, adaptable spaces and thoughtful environmental performance. New construction, additions and renewals are opportunities to make buildings work better for the people who use them.

Three studios. One practice.

Ontario. Canada.
And beyond.

Our reach spans Ontario, Canada and international contexts. Wherever we work, we bring curiosity about local identity and a commitment to understanding the people, landscape and culture that make each place distinct.

Toronto
Brantford
Ottawa

Continuity and change

A new chapter
for familiar places.

At New Tecumseth Town Hall, a former school becomes a place for municipal services and civic life. Its gymnasium is reimagined as a council chamber, joined by a welcoming timber-and-glass public gallery.

At Goodes Hall, a historic schoolhouse and contemporary additions come together as a home for the Smith School of Business at Queen’s University. These projects reflect an approach that connects a building’s history with the needs of its next generation.

Students on the broad steps of Goodes Commons beside the heritage brick facade and glazed addition.
Goodes Hall, Queen’s University Image: Smith School of Business, Queen’s University

What we bring

Broad experience.
Connected expertise.

Our work spans civic and justice facilities, education, culture and recreation, healthcare, heritage places, and private homes and cottages.

Architecture & interiors

New buildings, additions, renovations and retrofits; interior design and structural engineering.

Planning & advice

Master planning, site planning, urban design, feasibility studies, cost planning and project management.

Heritage & building renewal

Conservation and adaptive reuse, heritage impact assessments, historic research, building condition assessments and accessibility audits.

In print

A published perspective.

Award magazine featured +VG on its December 2022 cover, highlighting the practice’s work in adaptive reuse. More recently, New Tecumseth Municipal Offices received a 2024 Ontario WoodWorks Award, featured in Wood Design & Building’s 2025 awards issue.