Christopher Simmonds – Principal
B.E.S., B.Arch, OAA, MRAIC, LEED®AP
Chris is the owner and Principal of Simmonds Architecture Inc. He founded the firm in 1996 as Christopher Simmonds Architect Inc., which evolved into Simmonds Architecture Inc. in 2021. Born and raised in rural England, he moved to Canada and received a Bachelor of Environmental Studies from the University of Waterloo (Ontario) in 1978 and a Bachelor of Architecture from Carleton University in Ottawa in 1982. Chris is an accredited LEED® professional which he received in 2007. Widely recognized for his custom home design, Chris has an extensive background in all types of projects, including educational, commercial, and public buildings. His areas of expertise also include sustainable design and healthy buildings.
Chris is a leader in the field of ‘green building’ projects and was awarded a Canada Green Building Council Leadership Award in 2008. Numerous projects throughout the firm’s history have achieved a high sustainable standard. One of the firm’s projects, the Rideau Valley Conservation Centre in Manotick, was the first building in eastern Ontario to achieve LEED® Gold certification.
Chris is a great believer in integrating the home or building with its natural and urban context, in other words taking a holistic approach to the entire project. His leadership and extraordinary sense of design have resulted in an award-winning firm that prides itself on strong innovative architecture that is respectful and reflective of the client’s needs and core vision.
“Being an architect affords me the privilege of creating spaces that affirm human connections, inspire awe of nature, and help rather than harm the planet.”
In his spare time, Chris is a certified teacher of meditation and yoga and practices both on a regular basis.