Ottawa’s J.L. Richards building a new home

J.L. Richards existing office in Ottawa.

J.L. Richards & Associates Ltd. (JLR) will be constructing a new building to house its Ottawa office.

The new facility will be designed by the firms team of engineers, architects, and planners, who have already begun the project.

Founded in 1955, JLR began as a company of three engineers who worked out of a small office on MacLaren St. in Ottawa.

Five years later, the firm moved into its current office location at 864 Lady Ellen Place, the headquarters of JLR’s Ottawa operations for the past 59 years.

JLR has since grown to over 300 staff and expanded to six regional offices across Ontario. The firm now offers services in civil, structural, mechanical, electrical, and energy systems engineering, as well as architecture and planning.

“This office has served us well, but it is time for a change” explains JLR President and CEO, Guy Cormier, P.Eng. “We are excited to announce our plan for the new Ottawa office, and for the opportunity to better serve our clients from a new space.”

JLR Associate and Senior Architect, Sébastien Racine, OAA, OAQ, has taken on the role of project manager and lead architect for the project.

Along with a team of experienced JLR staff,Racine has been actively developing a design for the new building that he explains will exemplify the firm’s capacity for collaboration and innovation.

The announcement also coincides with the 30^th anniversary of JLR’s expansion into architecture.

“30 years ago, JLR did not have the capacity in-house to take on a project of this kind,” explains JLR Vice President, Saverio Parrotta, P.Eng. “We are proud that, today, one of our own architects is leading the design of our new Ottawa office.”

Further details about JLR’s new Ottawa office will be released at www.jlrichards.ca/newsroom as the design progresses.

The firm would like to advise its community partners to watch for a formal construction management RFQ, which will become available in the coming weeks.