Blouin Orzes architectes
Blouin Orzes architectes | Katittavik Multidisciplinary Hall, Northern Village of Kuujjuaraapik, Nunavik, Quebec, Canada. Credit: Courtesy Blouin Orzes architectes.
The Architectural League’s annual Emerging Voices program spotlights North American architects, landscape architects, and urban designers who have significant bodies of realized work and the potential to influence their field.
Blouin Orzes architectes won a 2020 award.
Based in Montreal, Marc Blouin has been building projects in Nunavik, north of the 55th parallel, since 2000. Catherine Orzes joined the firm in 2012 and became a partner in 2018, forming Blouin Orzes architectes.
Beginning with a hotel project in Inukjuak, the firm has designed and built a number of civic projects for the Inuit communities in the region. Its work is attuned to native tradition and environmental issues, deftly adapting to the needs and limitations of the harsh northern climate. The firm’s process, in turn, is rooted in meaningful communication and collaboration with its audiences. “Our work is not just about designing and building. It is about ‘accompanying’ our clients as best we can, from the very beginnings of a project till its final realization,” the principals write.
Projects include:
Marc Blouin has been a member of the Ordre des architectes du Québec since 1983 and was the cofounder of Scheme Consultants. He formerly taught at the École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS) in Montreal.
Catherine Orzes has been a member of the Ordre des architectes du Québec since 2015 and is a graduate of the University of Montréal. She frequently contributes to research-driven projects in Quebec on housing and serves as an advisor on her local urban planning advisory committee.
