Over 30 years in the Architectural Design business, Chuck Mills President of Chuck Mills Residential Design & Development Inc., has won numerous achievement awards locally, provincially and nationally and has spent 15 years successfully running his own innovative residential design firm in Ottawa, Ontario. He has become well known in Ottawa for his ability to take client’s design dreams, making them a reality. 

Mills graduated from Mohawk College’s Architectural Technology program in 1979 and is proudly celebrating his 30-year reunion! For Mr. Mills, he enjoyed the “overall experience” of college. One thing he notes about his education is that, “I am a firm believer that a co-op education is crucial.” For him the co-op program and experience Mohawk provided, “helped me decide what specific field I wanted to specialize in (residential) 

within the broader field of Architecture.” When asked what advice he would give to students, Mills responded, “be fully engaged in the educational process and utilize your professors …they have a great wealth of experience.” But most importantly he suggests that “if you don’t wake up every day and love what you do, you’re in the wrong profession. I can honestly say after 30 years in this business, I still love what I do!” 

Mr. Mills’ began his professional career working with an Architect in Niagara Falls, then onto homebuilders & developers in Calgary, Alberta working on a vast array of large and smaller scale projects. In 1984, he decided to move back to Ontario and ended up in our nation’s capital, Ottawa. He spent many years working for several “track builders,” mastering his trade before he made the biggest decision of his career, to start his own firm. The reason for this leap, “I was tired of working for companies which in my opinion were not working in the best interest of the client. Long story short, I knew I could do it better on my own…my way!” said Mills. 

In 1994, after 15 years in the Architectural Design business, Chuck Mills Residential Design & Development Inc. was created, designing custom homes and renovations. Mr. Mills’ main business focus is to, “listen to our clients, understand their lives and dreams, and to interpret them.” Mills prides himself on his attention to detail and personalized client-based service. This philosophy has proved to be successful, as he has received countless awards but his two favorites are: his very first, Ontario Home Builders Award (OHBA) of Distinction for “Most Outstanding Renovation” and his first Canadian Home Builders Award (CHBA) SAM award, both of which are huge achievements for Mr. Mills. Along with these prestigious awards, Mills’s work has been featured in an array of the country’s leading building trade publications, as well as the Ottawa Citizen newspaper. 

Mills attributes his leap to freelance work as one of his greatest career accomplishments. “Striking out on my own was a tough decision…but I have been successful and now have a 98 percent referral rate.” He goes on to state that the hardest part about “making that leap is you don’t know where your money is coming from.” However, he finishes with, “I could never have been successful in my profession, especially since going out on my own, without the constant support from my family.” 

Mills’ unique attention to detail, perseverance, creativity and personalized customer care has made, Chuck Mills Residential Design & Development Inc., a successful and innovative business that will continue to make positive strides in the Architectural Design field. 

By: Kristy Ryerson

This story was originally published in Spring 2009 of the Mohawk Alumni In Touch magazine.