Houston-based Powers Brown Architecture has opened a Canadian headquarters in Toronto. The move brings the firm’s total number of offices to five, including its first international operation in St. John’s, Newfoundland, along with Washington, D.C., Denver and Houston.

Angelo Rapanos will serve as managing principal for all Canadian operations of Powers Brown, which has produced more than 80 award-winning projects spanning six countries, 20 states and numerous building types, including educational, office, industrial, urban design and multifamily housing.

“I’ve seen several American firms come into Ontario in the past several years but none as culturally well-suited to the market as Powers Brown Architecture,” Rapanos said. “I believe the firm’s approach will be well-received by the client base here. In addition, they have been working in Canada so we have a good running start. I am excited to be leading the way.”

Rapanos will expand on the successful effort of the two-year-old St. John’s office. Led by principal Bruce Walck, the office was design architect for the country’s first zero-net carbon warehouse in Nova Scotia.

“Powers Brown Architecture’s approach to our work and clients is a cultural system we believe in and Angelo believes in as well. We know he will have better success creating our Toronto location on that system rather than having to acquire a firm and work to integrate cultures,” Powers Brown founding principal Jeffrey Brown said.

“Many of the developers we currently do business with in our U.S. offices do business in Canada as well and with the success of our Atlantic Canada office, we determined it was time to expand into Toronto with plans for further expansion into additional Canadian markets.”