KPMB Architects is one of Canada’s most prestigious and influential architecture firms, known for its innovative, sustainable, and contextually sensitive designs. Founded in 1987 and based in Toronto, the firm has built a reputation for excellence across a diverse range of projects, including cultural institutions, academic campuses, civic spaces, and commercial developments.
KPMB has played a significant role in shaping Canada’s architectural landscape, with landmark projects such as the Canadian Museum of Nature in Ottawa, the Gardiner Museum in Toronto, and the Remai Modern in Saskatoon. The firm is also renowned for its work on major academic and civic buildings, including Toronto Metropolitan University’s Student Learning Centre and the revitalization of the National Arts Centre in Ottawa.
Deeply committed to sustainability and design excellence, KPMB integrates cutting-edge green building practices into its projects, reinforcing its leadership in contemporary architecture. With numerous national and international awards, including Governor General’s Medals in Architecture, KPMB continues to define Canadian architecture, blending modernist principles with a deep respect for cultural and historical context.
KPMB has been an early client of Workorb AI. In this article, we hear from Phyllis Crawford, KPMB's Managing Partner, on the benefits of using Workorb AI for marketing, proposals, and strategic, data-driven decision-making.
AI is rapidly becoming a game-changer for architectural firms, especially in streamlining business development and project management initiatives. Traditionally, these areas have been incredibly time-consuming, often requiring significant manual effort to qualify leads, filter and tailor data, and develop proposal drafts.
At KPMB, by utilizing WorkOrb AI, we have successfully managed to automate many of these tasks—enabling our BD team to respond quickly to opportunities and optimize their business development strategies. For example, Workorb AI can assist in qualifying proposals based on past data using a defined criteria and automating responses, all of which frees up time for architects to focus on the creative and strategic aspects of their work.
The benefits are easily identifiable; the efficiency allows the team to qualify more opportunities and focus on the creative and strategic response, resulting in better outcomes.
Architectural firms generate a vast amount of data across their projects, including design documents, contracts, communications, financial records, and more. The challenge is not just in storing this information but in making it accessible and useful when decisions need to be made. AI-driven data organization allows firms to quickly sort, retrieve, and analyze past project data, which can significantly improve decision-making.
For example, by examining past project performance, Workorb AI can highlight patterns and trends that might otherwise be overlooked, helping firm leaders make informed decisions about future projects. This type of data intelligence enables more strategic planning, more accurate cost forecasting, and a deeper understanding of what works—and what doesn’t—in your business.
Qualifying leads and developing pursuit responses are typically manual and sometimes plagued by inconsistent processes. AI can support a more disciplined approach to both by analyzing historical data to automatically qualify new opportunities and generate initial proposal drafts that are aligned with the firm's capabilities and past successes.
By leveraging Workorb AI to automate this process, firms can save time and reduce efforts that would otherwise be spent on repetitive tasks. The potential ROI comes in the form of faster turnaround times, improved proposal quality, and, ultimately, a higher win rate in competitive bidding. Moreover, Workorb AI supports consistency in deploying brand differentiation in the firm’s pursuit responses. This leads to both increased efficiency and a cohesive client experience.
Contract review can be one of the most tedious, expensive and high-stakes tasks for a firm’s leadership. AI can transform this process by automatically flagging key clauses, highlighting inconsistencies. We recently used WorkOrb to do a comparison of contracts across the same client and identify any variances. WorkOrb delivered on the task efficiently and in a language that was accessible to the designers. For firm principals and managing directors, this means reducing the time spent on reviewing lengthy contracts and mitigating the risk of overlooking critical terms.
Workorb AI's ability to quickly provide insights allows decision-makers to focus on the strategic implications of the contract, rather than getting bogged down in the fine print. This not only reduces legal risks but also enables a faster, more informed decision-making process, making it easier for firms to move forward with confidence.
In the next five to ten years, AI will undoubtedly become an integral part of how architectural firms operate. From streamlining project management and proposal development to enhancing data-driven design decisions, AI will continue to evolve to handle more complex tasks with greater precision. For firms looking to integrate AI today, my advice would be to start with small, manageable steps. Begin by automating areas that are repetitive or time-consuming—like proposal creation, contract review, or project tracking—and gradually expand to other areas as you see the tangible benefits.
The key is not just adopting technology for the sake of it, but identifying where AI can directly improve your firm’s efficiency, accuracy, and overall client service. Those who embrace AI now will be ahead of the curve, as it’s becoming clear that firms that leverage AI effectively will have a significant competitive advantage in the near future.
If your firm is looking for an industry-specific solution, please connect with our team.
