Our Story
We've been shaping Vancouver's skyline and neighborhoods for over two decades, and honestly? We're just getting started.
Back in 2001, Marcus Quintharos started this whole thing in a cramped basement office with nothing but a drafting table, a beat-up coffee maker, and way too much ambition. He'd just wrapped up a restoration project for a century-old theatre in Gastown, and people started calling. Turns out there was real hunger for architects who actually gave a damn about preserving character while pushing toward the future.
We didn't set out to build some corporate empire. Marcus brought on Elena Voss in '04 - she'd been doing incredible work with passive solar design - and things just clicked. By 2008, we had a team of twelve and had moved into our West Pender space. That's when we really started defining what would become our signature approach: buildings that breathe, spaces that actually work for real people, and a stubborn refusal to sacrifice sustainability for style.
These days, we're a crew of 24 architects, designers, and project managers. We've done everything from 40-story residential towers to intimate heritage restorations. But the core philosophy? Still the same as day one - create spaces that'll matter in fifty years, not just at the ribbon-cutting.
Since 2001 | Vancouver, BC
No corporate speak, no cookie-cutter solutions. Just honest design that serves people first.
We've learned that the best buildings come from shutting up and actually hearing what clients need - not what we think they should want. Every project starts with conversations, site walks, and understanding how spaces will be lived in. The fancy sketches come after we've done our homework.
Too many architects design for their portfolio. We design for Tuesday mornings and Saturday afternoons - the real moments that make up a life in a space.
Yeah, we're hardcore about green building - Elena won't let us be anything else. But we don't do it to win awards or check boxes. Buildings account for nearly 40% of global carbon emissions. That's on us to fix, and we take it seriously.
Passive design, material lifecycle planning, energy modeling - this stuff's baked into every project from the first concept sketch. It's not an add-on, it's how we work.
We obsess over the small stuff - where morning light hits the kitchen counter, how sounds move through a hallway, the exact height of a window sill for leaning against with your coffee. These tiny decisions compound into spaces that feel right even if you can't articulate why.
Our team includes craftspeople who've worked in construction, which keeps us honest. We don't draw things that can't be built, and we show up on site to make sure intent translates to reality.
A mix of dreamers, pragmatists, and the occasional perfectionist who won't let a beam placement slide.
Founding Principal
Started this thing in a basement. Still gets unreasonably excited about load-bearing walls. Believes every building should tell a story, preferably a good one. When he's not sketching, he's restoring his 1967 Mustang with the same attention to detail he brings to heritage projects.
Principal, Sustainability Director
The reason we're actually good at green design instead of just talking about it. Elena ran energy models before it was cool and has forgotten more about passive solar than most architects ever learn. She's intense about data but somehow makes sustainability feel exciting rather than preachy.
Senior Design Architect
Joined us in 2012 after stints in Tokyo and Copenhagen. James brings a minimalist sensibility that somehow never feels cold. He's the one who'll spend three days getting a staircase proportion perfect. His residential projects have this quiet elegance that clients only fully appreciate after living in them for a year.
Project Management Lead
The person who makes sure our grand visions actually get built on time and budget. Sophia's got fifteen years in construction management and doesn't take crap from contractors trying to cut corners. She's saved more projects from disaster than she'll ever admit, always with a smile and a frighteningly detailed spreadsheet.
Interior Architecture Specialist
Former furniture maker who understands materials at a molecular level. David's interiors feel like they've always existed in a space. He's obsessed with how people actually move through rooms and has strong opinions about door handles. His material libraries are legendary - and slightly terrifying in their completeness.
Visualization & Modeling Director
Turns our napkin sketches into photorealistic renders that make clients weep. Priya's got an architecture degree but found her calling in visualization. She understands light and materiality better than our cameras do. Her virtual walkthroughs have saved countless hours of "wait, I thought the window was bigger" conversations.
Plus another 18 talented architects, designers, technicians, and support staff who make the magic happen daily.
After twenty-plus years, you'd think we'd be jaded or coasting. Opposite's true, actually. Every project still feels like a chance to get something right - to create a space that'll make someone's life genuinely better.
Vancouver's changing fast, and we're right in the middle of it. The housing crisis, climate targets, heritage preservation - these aren't abstract problems. They're showing up in every proposal we write and every building we design. The pressure's real, but so's the opportunity.
We've got young architects on our team who grew up with climate anxiety, working alongside veterans who remember when green building was fringe. That tension, that mix of experience and fresh perspective - that's what keeps us sharp.
Let's Talk About Your Project
We don't chase awards, but we won't lie - it's nice when people notice.
Architectural Institute of British Columbia - All principals are registered members
Multiple team members with accreditation, over 30 certified projects completed
Recognized for excellence in heritage building restoration and adaptive reuse
Canada Green Building Council - Active members since 2006