For Les Klein, it wasn’t always about devoting his life to urban development, much less in the City of Toronto. In fact, when he first arrived at the famed Massachusetts Institute of Technology it was to study as a theoretical mathematician. Before long, with a little help from an introduction to architecture class, it became clear that a career in architecture and urban development was more suited to the professed lover of cities.

From a young age, Les was fascinated by the makeup of different cities. Growing up in a family that moved around a great deal, he would pore over maps of their next destination to really learn about the place that would become his new home. Clearly, even as a young child, Les was extremely spatially oriented.

Les arrived in Toronto a year after completing his Master’s degree and found himself in what he calls “a city that was really a city.” It met all of his criteria for a great place to live and work. “I could live downtown. I didn’t have to own a car. I didn’t feel like I had to separate my work life from my live life, from my family life, from my entertainment, from where I went to learn things, from where I went to play sports,” he says. Having previously spent a year in suburban Detroit, the lifestyle offered by Toronto was a welcome change, both personally and professionally.

Through a series of fortunate events upon arriving in Toronto, Les teamed up with Brian Curtner to form Quadrangle Architects, now over 30 years ago. From the get-go, Les and his team at Quadrangle took a different approach to the office culture they created and urban development issues they tackled.

The Quadrangle headquarters, on King West, is a sprawling, open space with a quiet buzz that gives the impression that important and exciting projects are underway. The open layout of the space is no accident and is in many ways indicative of how Quadrangle approaches its business. Les is quick to point out his office, or lack thereof. Rather than a spacious corner office with views overlooking the city, Les saddles up to a desk mixed in among his team of employees and colleagues. Creating an environment in which employees, both new and seasoned, can approach his desk with questions and to share ideas is central to Quadrangle’s long lasting success. As Les points out, “I always tell new employees that my door is always open…because I don’t have one.” The result is a firm that focuses on collaboration and learning as a team, which in turn results in projects that have helped shape our beloved city into what it is today.

Also central to Quadrangle’s success is its focus on the business of architecture. This strong business orientation is one of the elements that Les believes helps separate Quadrangle from its competitors. “We like to combine design excellence with business acumen,” he says. This approach to business excellence and customer relations has resulted in repeat business from clients, some of whom have worked with the firm since its inception.

Les also points to the systems that have been put in place over the years that contribute to Quadrangle’s successful operations. When Les and his firm were struck by tragedy last year with the passing of Brian Curtner, his business partner of 29 years, the firm was able to survive because of the systems that he and Brian had worked so hard to put in place. The experience, though incredibly challenging both personally and professionally for Les, showed him how unbelievably resilient the firm was. “Brian passed away and yet the structures that we had built carried on,” he says. “We obviously miss his presence and his influence and his networks and all of those things that he was so good at, but the systems that we built which were always kind of part of the thinking of the office, continued.”

While systems and planning have been so important to Quadrangle’s resiliency, Les recognizes none of it would be possible without his incredible, young and energetic team. “You know a Quadrangle person when you meet them,” says Les. “They’re curious, they’re clearly eager to learn, they understand the notion of collaboration. We don’t necessarily want them to have every skill; we want them to be eager to learn. We want them to speak passionately about the work that they do and we want them to become future leaders.” Central to Quadrangle’s recruitment process is finding people who fit within their culture, and those that do tend to thrive.

Despite what has already been a long successful career, and with many exciting projects underway and on the horizon, Les remains filled with humility. In fact, as he describes, the name Quadrangle was chosen because of its anonymity. They wanted a name that reflected the firm rather than the individuals behind it. Les is also eager to list off some his most influential mentors from over the years. Aside from the teachers and colleagues one might expect, Les includes significant clients who have helped shape his career. Counting a client as a mentor is not something everyone would consider and this demonstrates the quality of customer relationships Les and his team have been able to cultivate over the years. “I have been incredibly fortunate to have true mentors — people who have influenced my life and people who I still quote every day,” he says. “Probably a big part of my success is having people who believed in me and gave up their time.”

Les also credits landing in Toronto in 1975 as a fortunate turn of events in his career. Not only has he been able to grab the reins, or at least suggest the direction of certain developments, but also, in his view, the city gets better every single day. “I walk through the city. I bike through the city. I drive through the city. And I say to myself ‘how in the world did I get so lucky?’ because Toronto doesn’t even know how great it is.”

Looking forward, Les has trouble picking just one or two projects to get excited about because he feels all of the work Quadrangle has underway is exciting. Whether it is spearheading the province’s adoption of wood construction, developments supporting local arts and culture initiatives, or simply continuing to leave his mark on a city constantly in the conversation of world’s best, Les Klein and the City of Toronto have had a lasting influence on one another.

Les is thankful for ULI “because they bring together the broader range of players in the development industry.”

“That’s important,” he says, “because they are focused not on advocating for one particular segment of the industry and its agenda, they are able to act as a forum for the free exchange of ideas and positions in a constructive and meaningful way.” Furthermore, according to Les, “the people that ULI attracts are some of the best minds and catalysts for thoughtful change in the urban environment, and Toronto, being a poster child in North America for vibrant growth, benefits from the input and influence of its ULI members.”