What We Do Best

Six core services that cover pretty much everything you'd need to turn a vision into something real. We've spent years figuring out what works, and honestly, we're still learning with every project.

Each service is built around collaboration. We're not the type to disappear for weeks and show up with something you didn't ask for. This is your project, and we're here to make sure it actually reflects what you want - not just what looks good in a magazine.

Residential Architecture

Homes that actually feel like yours. We start by listening to how you live - not just what you think you want, but what your day-to-day looks like. Then we design around that.

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How We Work
  • Discovery: Coffee, site visits, lots of questions about your daily routine
  • Concept Phase: Rough sketches and mood boards - nothing too polished yet
  • Design Development: Getting into the details, materials, systems
  • Documentation: Full construction drawings, permits, the boring but necessary stuff
  • Construction Support: We stick around to make sure it's built right

Recent Win: Designed a compact laneway house in Leslieville where the clients swore they'd never fit a home office and guest room. Turns out, with some creative spatial planning and a few unexpected angles, they got both - plus a rooftop deck they didn't even ask for.

Commercial Building Design

Businesses need spaces that work hard. We've done offices, retail, mixed-use - places where people spend 8+ hours a day, so yeah, the design better support what actually happens there.

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Our Approach
  • Feasibility Studies: Is this project gonna work financially and physically?
  • Zoning Navigation: We handle the city bureaucracy so you don't have to
  • Space Programming: Figuring out who needs what and where
  • Brand Integration: Your building should say something about your business
  • Future-Proofing: Designing for flexibility because businesses change

Reality Check: A tech startup once wanted an "open concept everything" office. After talking about their actual workflow - lots of video calls, focus time, and client meetings - we carved out acoustic pods and quiet zones. They thanked us six months in when productivity didn't tank.

Sustainable Construction Planning

This isn't just slapping solar panels on a roof. We're talking about materials, energy systems, water management - the stuff that makes a building actually sustainable, not just greenwashed.

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What's Included
  • Energy Modeling: Running the numbers before you commit
  • Material Selection: Finding stuff that's durable AND has a decent carbon footprint
  • Passive Design Strategies: Using orientation and form to do the heavy lifting
  • System Integration: HVAC, solar, rainwater - making it all play nice together
  • Certification Support: LEED, Passive House, whatever makes sense for your goals

Honest Talk: Sustainable design costs more upfront sometimes. But we had a client who offset their increased build cost within 4 years just through energy savings. Plus their house stays comfortable without cranking the AC all summer, which... you can't really put a price on that.

Interior Space Optimization

Sometimes you don't need a whole new building - you just need to make what you've got work better. We're pretty good at finding space you didn't know you had.

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The Process
  • Space Audit: We measure, observe, and figure out what's not working
  • Flow Analysis: How do people actually move through the space?
  • Reconfiguration Options: Multiple schemes - there's never just one answer
  • Built-In Solutions: Custom millwork and storage that earns its keep
  • Lighting & Atmosphere: Because good spaces feel right, not just look right

Case in Point: Helped a family in Riverdale who'd outgrown their Victorian semi. Instead of moving, we reorganized their main floor, added a bump-out, and suddenly they had a functional mudroom and breakfast nook. Saved them from Toronto's housing market for at least another decade.

Urban Development Consulting

Big picture stuff. Working with developers and municipalities to shape neighborhoods in ways that actually benefit the people who'll live there. It's complicated, and it matters.

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What We Bring
  • Master Planning: Looking at sites from 30,000 feet before getting into details
  • Density Studies: How much can fit without making it feel overcrowded?
  • Community Engagement: Actually talking to people who live nearby
  • Mixed-Use Strategy: Combining residential, retail, office in smart ways
  • Infrastructure Coordination: Transit, parking, utilities - the unglamorous essentials

Real World: Consulted on a mid-rise project near Junction Triangle where neighbors were understandably worried about shadows and traffic. We reworked the massing, added ground-floor retail they'd actually use, and preserved sightlines. Still got built, but now people don't hate it.

Heritage Building Restoration

Old buildings have stories, and honestly, they're often built better than new ones. We work to keep that character intact while making them functional for today's needs. It's a balance.

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Our Methodology
  • Historical Research: Understanding what you're working with
  • Condition Assessment: What's salvageable, what's gotta go
  • Sensitive Interventions: New additions that respect the original
  • Modern Systems Integration: Hiding mechanicals and tech without destroying heritage features
  • Compliance Navigation: Heritage permits are their own special headache

Favorite Project: Restored a 1920s warehouse in Liberty Village - kept the original timber beams and brick, added modern insulation and mechanicals, converted it to live-work lofts. The client cried when they saw the original maple floors refinished. That's the kinda response you hope for.

Not Sure Which Service You Need?

That's totally normal. Most projects touch on multiple areas anyway. Give us a call or swing by - we can usually figure it out in a 30-minute conversation. No charge for that initial chat, and we'll be straight with you about whether we're the right fit.

How We Actually Work Together

01
Initial Consult

We listen more than we talk. You tell us what's working, what's driving you nuts, and what you're dreaming about. Sometimes we sketch on napkins.

02
Proposal & Agreement

We outline the scope, timeline, and fees in plain language. If something doesn't make sense, ask - we'd rather clarify now than deal with confusion later.

03
Design & Collaboration

This is the fun part. Regular check-ins, evolving designs, material samples spread across your kitchen table. We iterate until it feels right.

04
Documentation

The technical stuff - drawings, specifications, permits. Less exciting but absolutely necessary. We handle the details so contractors know exactly what to build.

05
Construction Phase

Site visits, answering contractor questions, handling the inevitable surprises that come up when you open walls. We're your advocate on site.

06
Completion & Beyond

Final walkthrough, punch list items, and making sure everything works as designed. We don't disappear once the keys are handed over.

Frequently Asked Questions

Honestly, it depends. Residential projects usually run 10-15% of construction costs. Commercial work varies more widely based on complexity. We can give you a ballpark after understanding what you're trying to do - that initial conversation is free.

Design phase for a house might be 3-6 months. Add another few months for permits (welcome to Toronto). Construction's another story - 6-12 months for major residential work. Commercial and heritage projects usually take longer. We'll give you realistic timelines upfront.

Yep, we prepare the drawings and submissions. Whether we handle the actual filing depends on the project - sometimes it makes more sense for your contractor to pull permits. Either way, we make sure everything's code-compliant and ready to go.

Absolutely. If you've got someone you trust, we're happy to collaborate. We'll provide the drawings and specs, answer their questions during construction, and do site reviews. If you need contractor recommendations, we've got a list of folks we've worked with successfully.