On June 8, 2024, we officially launched Ha2 Architecture & Design Inc. at our new headquarters on Preston Street—and what a night it was!
It’s been just over a year since that unforgettable evening, and I’m still overwhelmed by the emotions. We welcomed over 150 of our closest colleagues, clients, consultants, partners, industry peers, and fellow leaders to celebrate what was more than just a new office—it was a major milestone in our journey. A warm, summery Saturday evening, filled with excitement and elegance, set the perfect stage.
While I consider myself a master planner in the world of architecture and design, planning an event of this scale was a brand-new experience. Still, I took on the challenge wholeheartedly—as if my life depended on it! We had been operating from this space for over a year by then, and I wanted this launch to reflect not only the space but the spirit behind Ha2, uniting people we’ve held dear to us over the last 15 years in this city. The result? Far beyond anything I had imagined.
A Space Reimagined
On this night buzzing with glitzy fashion, black, Gold, and Silver shimmering balloons and pouring champagne, laughter and joy reigned supreme. It would have been hard to believe, this new, vibrant hub for creativity was once a dilapidated, industrial building. When I first took on the Form Furniture showroom project from 2020 to 2022, I was drawn to the building’s industrial bones and unique location. Originally, the 700 SF space now housing Ha2 was conceived as a rent-subsidizing commercial unit. But once we peeled back the layers, I saw something more—it became a launchpad for my architectural business to expand.
Today, it stands as a compact, high-impact showroom office, centered around a custom-designed, backlit Ha2 logo desk, a 12-person glass conference table with an integrated presentation system, and a 75” screen TV. A cedar wood bench runs along the window wall, seating up to 20 guests more. Every square inch has been carefully crafted, from the staff workstation at the back, to my own work area on the upper platform.
Celebrating a Vision
Milestones like this matter. This was Ha2’s first street-front presence, and we wanted it to make a statement. A red-carpet welcome set the tone, with guests announced and escorted in—a touch of elegance fitting for the occasion.
The evening wouldn’t have been the same without the support of our community. Tony Zacconi, fellow Preston Street BIA Board member, and his wife Danene Whiting, were among the many who came to celebrate. Their venue, Sala San Marco, provided flawless catering. Lindsay Childerhose, BIA Director, generously arrived early to assist and made sure everything ran smoothly—just as she does during our monthly Zoom meetings.
Given our ambitious guest list and RSVP turnout, it was clear from the onset our modest 700 SF space couldn’t contain the energy nor the head count. So, we opened up the entire building, which made perfect sense—it was our project, after all, and we were thrilled to showcase it all. As far as corporate events go, this one had the monicker of “event of the year” and the feedback was humbling: Just ask John Robinson, President Intega IT, and Elie Labaky, Founder Labaky Law!
One particularly moving moment was the attendance of Rodney Gillard and his wife, senior structural engineer at WSP in Canada, who helped me with my first custom home project back in 2009. His presence was a reminder of how far we’ve come and how meaningful it is to be seen and supported through every stage of growth. In addition, we had engineers; Brian Johnson VP of BPA Engineering, and Gord Bowman who also worked on the structural design for Form.
Powered by Community
This night was made possible by the incredible efforts of friends and collaborators who stepped up in the most generous ways.
Dr. Anmar Salmanbrought in DJ Rob, (Robert Matni) whose blend of Middle Eastern and modern hits kept the energy high all night.
Jean Claude Nasr‘s team from Revelation Marketing captured the evening beautifully through photography.
Bethany Smith, a marketing gem, created a social media buzz that added a perfect touch of FOMO—and was also instrumental in pulling off the high vibe for evening. She also joined in on the decor Dream Team alongside my incredible crew: Rob Murphy (Mortgage Broker), Ria Ferro, and Welwyn Wong (Landscape Designer) as well as my mother Ritza Avedissian. All hands-on deck were required to install the balloons in their carefully curated places, right down to the wire.
The team spirit and camaraderie that went into pulling off the event meant the world to me. I’m so glad I didn’t hand it off to an external event team for this first one—what we built together was far more meaningful.
The room was filled with so many creative minds—photographers, journalists, graphic designers, interior designers, stylists and marketing experts.
Among the most instrumental in my career was Janet Wilson a brilliant journalist now dear friend who has heralded me through her strong journalistic reporting on many occasions. She committed to showing up, regardless of her packed schedule, as did fellow writer and friend Julie Beun.
A special thanks to Lynn Ferron, VP of Interior Design at HOK, who used those skills to design and bake a show-stopping, two-tiered chocolate cake that rivaled wedding centerpieces—made all the more special by the friendship it represented.
Our Form Furniture Showroom construction partners also made the night memorable:
Dan Poulinof Performance Finishing and Fabrication, who provided all the steel fabrication and installation, including the custom perforated metal staircase.
Jasmin and Veronique Péladeau of Glass and Mirror provided all the glass and their installations.
Don Orsini owner of Dream Living Construction, who did the tilework for the multi-functional Dekton entry customer service desk that moonlighted as a DJ booth and bar serving station by night.
Other Construction industry members and certain, future, collaborators were present, like Laura McElligott Director Casa Verde Construction, Christian Campanale founder of Evospace Construction & Developments and Angelo Cinanni, of Cinnani Construction, just to name a few.
Obviously to do so we need bankers, of which we had across the board. We had professionals from Desjardins to Scotiabank, RBC and of course Private equity lenders too. Every entrepreneur requires Lawyers, Accountants, and Mortgage Brokers, together with Real estate brokers, investors and wealth management advisors, luckily, we had a building full to choose from.
We also had the honor of hosting city Icons like Marilyn Wilson CEO Dream Properties—another female powerhouse who’s been a supporter from the start— and John King founder of Engel & Völkers Ottawa, a new connection I’ve come to value deeply upon first introduction. He brought several team members along for the celebration including Tyler Laird one of his top agents.
Special mention to early clients who came out to toast with us—your ongoing support means more than I can say. And I can’t forget Sarwar Qureshi, CPA, CA, LPA, founder of Beyond Networking Ottawa, whose commitment to community-building helped bring so many of us together under one roof.
Aaron McFarlane another community builder, albeit absent on this occasion, also deserves honorable mention creating RÄNDĀ VO͞O Business Network events which forged so many of our alliances today.
Even the Ottawa Business Journal helped mark the occasion with a feature before the event: 🔗 Read the article here
What’s Next
I can’t possibly list every person who made this event so meaningful—because everyone there did. Taking time out of your busy lives to celebrate this chapter with me is a gift I don’t take lightly.
It moved me deeply.
Now that a full year has passed, what remains is the deep gratitude and the unforgettable memories. That appreciation is what fuels me as I lead Ha2 Architecture & Design into its next chapter—bigger projects, exciting commercial spaces, and transformative residential designs of every scale and a growing staff.
We look forward to welcoming you again soon—to show you what’s next, and how we plan to keep building, creating, and enriching our community. We’ve already started planning the next Ha2 Event so get ready… Hey, if Mission Impossible can-do box-office sequels, so can we!
In the meantime, please remember to contact us when starting your next project. We look forward to assisting you. Pss. Pass it on! 😉
With heartfelt thanks, Houry Avedissian Architect Founder, Ha2 Architecture & Design Inc.
Special thanks to Family and friends and peers who came from Montreal and Toronto.
With all my Gratitude for making this evening a magical night…. See you at the next one!
Cheers!
