Who We Really Are

Not your typical suit-and-tie firm. We're the folks who sketch on napkins and obsess over every detail.

Our Story

Look, we started this thing back in 2011 because we were tired of seeing buildings go up that just... didn't care. Didn't care about the environment, didn't care about the people inside 'em, didn't care about anything except looking flashy in some magazine spread.

Toronto's got enough of that already, right? So we figured - why not do something different?

What started as three architects sharing a cramped office on Queen Street has grown into something we're genuinely proud of. We've done residential projects where families actually want to spend time together. Commercial spaces that employees don't dread walking into Monday morning.

Every project teaches us something new, and honestly, that's what keeps us going. We're still learning, still pushing ourselves, still wondering if there's a better way to do things.

What Drives Us

We're not gonna feed you lines about "revolutionizing the industry" or whatever. Truth is, we just believe buildings should work harder for the people in them and the planet around them. Is that too much to ask? Apparently it is sometimes, but we keep pushing anyway.

The People Behind the Projects

We're a mixed bag - and that's exactly how we like it.

Marina Chen

Principal Architect & Founder

Marina's the one who got this whole thing rolling. Studied at Waterloo, spent five years at a big corporate firm, hated almost every minute of it. She'd probably describe herself as "annoyingly detail-oriented" but we just call it perfectionism. When she's not redlining drawings, she's probably at the climbing gym or arguing about material choices over coffee.

Raj Patel

Senior Design Architect

Raj joined us in 2014 after doing residential work in Vancouver. He's got this thing where he can visualize spatial relationships in his head that the rest of us need software for. It's honestly a bit annoying. He's also our go-to person for sustainable systems integration - if there's a way to make a building more efficient, he'll find it. Runs marathons for fun, which tells you something about his personality.

Sophie Lavoie

Interior Design Director

Sophie came from Montreal about three years ago and brought this incredible eye for how spaces actually feel - not just how they look in renderings. She fights us constantly on material selections, lighting schemes, all of it. And you know what? She's usually right. Before architecture, she studied psychology, which makes total sense when you see how she thinks about human behavior in spaces.

David Okonkwo

Construction Project Manager

David's the guy who makes sure our fancy designs actually get built the way we drew them. He's got fifteen years in construction management and honestly, he's saved our butts more times than we can count. When contractors say something's impossible, David finds a way. He's also weirdly good at predicting exactly how long things will take, which is basically a superpower in this industry.

Plus About 12 More Talented People

We've got junior architects who are way smarter than we were at their age, CAD technicians who can draft circles around anyone, admin staff who somehow keep this circus organized, and a rotation of interns who keep us on our toes with fresh perspectives. Everybody here actually matters - there's no hierarchy BS where only the principals get to have ideas.

Work With Us

How We Work

We're big on collaboration - and not in that fake corporate way where someone says "let's collaborate" but really means "do what I say." We actually listen to clients, contractors, engineers, even the folks who'll be cleaning the buildings. Everyone's got something to add.

Our Process

It's pretty straightforward - we listen more than we talk in the beginning, sketch a lot, argue about stuff internally so you don't have to deal with that drama, then present options that actually make sense for your budget and timeline. No surprises, no runarounds.

Why Toronto

This city's going through massive changes - not all of them good, honestly. But we're here trying to make sure that growth happens thoughtfully. Every project's a chance to add something worthwhile to the neighbourhoods we love.