The Story Behind the Practice
I didn't start out wanting to be an architect, honestly. Growing up near the Rockies, I spent most weekends hiking with my dad - he was a carpenter who'd point out how old cabins were built to withstand harsh winters, how they sat in the landscape without fighting it. That curiosity stuck with me.
Fast forward through architecture school at UBC, a few years working for big firms in Toronto where everything felt too... corporate, too disconnected from what buildings actually do to people and places. I wanted to get back to something real, y'know? Something that mattered beyond just looking good in photos.
So in 2015, I came back to Vancouver and started this practice. The vision was simple - create spaces that don't just exist in nature, but work with it. Buildings that'll be around for generations, not just decades. Places where people actually want to spend time.
2015
Founded the Practice
Started with a tiny office in Gastown and three residential projects. Spent more time at construction sites than my desk - that's still true, actually. Learned more in that first year than my previous five combined.
2017
First LEED Platinum Project
The Kitsilano residence that changed everything. Client trusted us to push boundaries with passive solar design and reclaimed materials. Won an award, but more importantly, it proved sustainable doesn't mean sacrificing comfort or beauty.
2019
Expanded into Commercial Work
Took on our first office building renovation in Yaletown. Scary jump from residential, but the principles stayed the same - listen to the space, respect what's there, add value that'll last. Team grew to eight people.
2021
Heritage Restoration Certification
Completed specialized training in heritage building restoration. There's something special about breathing new life into structures that've been around for a century - feels like we're adding another chapter to their story.
2023
Zero Carbon Design Initiative
Committed all new projects to net-zero carbon targets. It's ambitious, sometimes frustrating when budgets get tight, but climate change isn't gonna wait for perfect conditions. We figure it out as we go.
2025
Present Day
Ten years in, we've got a team of fifteen talented folks, projects across BC, and we're still learning every day. Still making mistakes, still getting excited about a perfect beam placement or watching a client tear up when they see their finished space.
What Drives Us
Look, I'm not gonna pretend we're saving the world one building at a time. But if we can design spaces that use less energy, create less waste, and make people's lives genuinely better - that counts for something. Every passive heating system we install, every locally-sourced material we spec, every heritage building we help preserve... it adds up.
What gets me out of bed isn't awards or magazine features (though those're nice). It's when a client tells us their heating bills dropped by 60%, or their kids spend more time outside because we designed better flow to the garden, or an old warehouse we converted becomes the heart of a neighborhood again.
Architecture's not about ego or making sculptural statements. It's about listening - to clients, to sites, to the environment - and responding with honesty and craft. Sometimes that means telling clients what they don't wanna hear. But they trust us for that, and we take it seriously.