Growing up in an architect's household, especially at a time when his father's firm was so involved with shaping the cityscape of Montreal, Affleck got an inside look at the practice from a younger age than most.
The firm's design for Les Habitations Joseph-Le-Caron (2009) in Montreal North earned an Outside the Box Award for Innovative Social Housing from Building Magazine.
He developed plans for Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic (2009) and for Square des Frères-Charon (2009) which received the 2009 Canadian Society of Landscape Architects' Award of Excellence.
[12] His interest in the craft-based trades also led to public commissions for the restoration of Bonsecours Market (2012) and Montreal City Hall (2010-17), both National Historic Sites of Canada.
[7] With a belief that well-designed urban space "is simple, flexible and free of physical encumbrances" which enhances "human activity",[19] his redesign of Cabot Square has been described in Canadian Architect as "an inclusive place that multiple communities may call home.
"[20] Also concerned with the integration of contemporary design within historical settings, Affleck wrote in 2004 that Montreal housing "projects show a greater understanding of the following aspects of their architecture: urban design, respect for traditional housing types, insertion into historic contexts, environmental performance and interpretation...."[21] He has also recognized that restoration must take into account traditional craftsmanship, a practice noted in the Brossard City Hall renovation: "Affleck de la Riva's project respectfully restores the building's monumental masonry elevations, conserves existing vegetation, and completes the enclosure of the city hall's new civic plaza.
"[14][5] In 2014 Affleck was elected Fellow of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (FRAIC) for his contribution to design excellence and distinguished service to the profession and community.
[2] Throughout his career he has participated in numerous professional activities including the Technical Review Committee of the Green Municipal Fund, Federation of Canadian Municipalities (Ottawa ON),[1] the Canadian Centre for Architecture/Université de Montréal symposium "Dealing with the 60s: How to intervene in the architecture of the 60s,"[22][23] and the Quebec Order of Architects' lecture series on environmental design, les Mardis verts.