Affleck, Raymond Tait, 1922-1989

Raymond Tait (Ray) Affleck was born on November 20, 1922, in Penticton, British Columbia. He was a Canadian architect. He attended McGill University, receiving a Bachelor of Architecture degree in 1947, and in 1948, he undertook postgraduate studies at the Federal Technical Institute in Zurich. He later taught at prominent universities including Harvard University, University of Manitoba, University of Toronto, and Technical University of Nova Scotia. In 1965, he was a Fellow in the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada and in 1967, an Academician in the Royal Academy of Arts. In 1952, he opened the R.T. Affleck independent architectural practice and in 1955, he participated in the creation of an architecture firm together with Guy Desbarats, Dimitri Dimakopoulos, Fred Lebensold, and Hazen Sise. This firm changed its name to Arcop Associates, Architects, and Planners in 1970.

Projects undertaken by Arcop ranged from Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Vancouver (1955) to St John's (Newfoundland) Arts and Cultural Centre (1967). These projects helped to establish Affleck as an influential architect. Between 1964 and 1968 he was mainly engaged on the Place Bonaventure complex project in central Montreal. Other prominent projects included Place Ville Marie (1956-1965); Maison Alcan (1983) in Montreal; University Centre, McGill University, Montreal (1965); Stephen Leacock Building, McGill University, Montreal (1965); Life Sciences Centre, Dalhousie University, Halifax (Nova Scotia) (1971); Place Air Canada, Montreal (1983); Post Office, Mont-Royal and Number One Wood Avenue, Montreal.

In projects such as Place Bonaventure, Affleck sought to include indoor pedestrian routes and atria, design features suited to a cold climate. The aim was an integrated architectural plan encompassing buildings, streets, and main highways.

In 1950, he married Betty Ann Henley. They had five children, including animator Neil Affleck and architect Gavin Affleck. He died on March 16, 1989, in Montreal, Quebec.