ZARATE + LAVIGNE ARCHITECTS was founded in 1979 in Longueuil (Quebec) Canada, by Eduardo Zarate, architect. After his architectural studies in Colombia, Venezuela, Italy and France, Eduardo holds a Master’s degree in architecture (McGill University). He had a distinguished career in Colombia before coming to Canada and some of his projects have been published in international magazines, notably “Progressive Architecture” and “L'Architecture d'aujourd'hui”. He has been architectural project leader for a number of major commercial and industrial projects for which total construction costs have been in excess of $150 million. Several of these projects necessitated a high degree of technical ability, since they included specialised facilities such as laboratories, sterile control rooms, computer rooms, or major renovations. In consideration of his vast experience, M. Zarate is the designer and head of the firm.
In 1985, Jean-François Lavigne joined the group, becoming an associate of the firm in 1989. Jean-François holds a master degree in architectural design from McGill University. His speciality is person-environment relations and he has vast working experience with users’ committees in the institutional domain. Since his arrival, the firm has enlarged its institutional sector. We are accentuating the study of satisfaction of users’ needs.
The associates of the firm have acquired some of their experience in a number of different countries, which accords them a unique capacity to act with an international or global perspective, which has permitted them to acquire a great experience in planning, design, co-ordination and construction of large complexes.