Here's the thing - architecture isn't just about pretty renderings and fancy materials. It's about understanding how folks actually live and work. Our team's spent years in the trenches, making mistakes, learning from them, and figuring out what genuinely makes a building come alive.
Elena Ravencrest
M.Arch, AIBC, LEED AP
Started sketching floor plans on napkins at age twelve, which probably explains a lot. Elena's been leading the charge here for 18 years, specializing in residential projects that don't sacrifice character for function. She's got this knack for reading a site and just knowing what belongs there - comes from growing up around construction sites with her contractor dad.
When she's not arguing with engineers about load-bearing walls, you'll find her restoring her 1920s Craftsman or hiking the North Shore trails.
Marcus Quinth
M.Arch, AIBC, MRAIC
Marcus handles our commercial projects and honestly, he's probably the reason half our clients don't go over budget. Fifteen years in, and he's still the guy who gets excited about parking layouts and mechanical systems - yeah, he's that person. But that attention to the boring stuff is exactly why his buildings actually work long-term.
Former civil engineer who switched sides because, in his words, "buildings are more interesting than bridges." We're not sure we agree, but we're glad he's here. Spends weekends rebuilding vintage motorcycles and complaining about Vancouver traffic.
Sophia Chen
M.Arch, AIBC, LEED Green Associate
Sophia's our sustainability guru, though she'll roll her eyes if you call her that. She's been with us for eight years and knows more about passive house standards than anyone should. Gets genuinely annoyed when clients want features that'll cost them thousands in heating bills down the road.
Specializes in interior space planning and somehow manages to make small footprints feel massive. Also runs our heritage restoration projects - turns out old buildings and green design aren't opposites. Who knew? Originally from Toronto, still hasn't adjusted to Vancouver winters being "mild."
David Kowalski
B.Arch, Project Management Professional
Dave keeps the trains running on time around here. Six years managing our construction administration and he's basically fluent in contractor-speak at this point. If there's a scheduling conflict or a permit holdup, he's the one sorting it out before you even know there's a problem.
Started out framing houses in his twenties, went back to school, and now bridges that gap between design dreams and construction reality. The contractors actually like him, which is saying something. Probably because he doesn't design impossible details. Lives in New West with his partner and way too many houseplants.
The Rest of the Crew
We've also got three junior architects who keep us from getting too set in our ways, a technical designer who catches all our dumb mistakes before they become expensive problems, and an office manager who somehow keeps this whole circus organized. Plus our intern, who makes better coffee than anyone else and probably knows Revit better than all of us combined at this point.