Our Work Speaks Volumes

Project Overview

This was our first full passive house certification in Toronto's core, and honestly? It pushed us in all the right ways. The clients came to us wanting something that looked modern but didn't scream "eco-house" from the street - they wanted it to fit in with the neighborhood's character.

The biggest challenge wasn't the passive house standard itself - we'd done plenty of research - it was adapting those principles to a narrow urban lot with heritage guidelines breathing down our necks. Every detail had to earn its place.

What We Did

Started with orientation and massing. We positioned the main living spaces south-facing to grab all that free solar heat in winter. The triple-glazed windows aren't cheap, but they're game-changers for both comfort and energy performance.

The envelope is airtight - we're talking 0.4 ACH50, which is pretty tight. Combined with 14 inches of cellulose insulation in the walls and a heat recovery ventilator that captures 92% of outgoing heat, the place basically heats itself most of the year.

Finished with local white oak flooring, low-VOC everything, and a green roof that handles stormwater while keeping the third floor cooler in summer.

Project Overview

An old garment factory turned into 12,000 square feet of flexible workspace. The building had great bones - exposed brick, heavy timber beams, huge windows - so our job was to respect that while making it functional for today's work styles.

The client wanted something that could adapt as their business grew. Sometimes they need quiet focus spaces, other times they're hosting 50-person workshops. We designed it so walls could move and furniture could shift without everything falling apart.

Design Approach

We kept the industrial feel but warmed it up. Left the brick and beams exposed, added acoustic panels that look like art installations, and brought in tons of plants to soften things up.

Created three distinct zones: quiet work areas with sound-dampening partitions, collaborative spaces with movable furniture, and social areas where people can actually relax. The kitchen's big enough to handle lunch rushes without turning into a bottleneck.

Lighting was crucial - we supplemented the natural light with adjustable LED fixtures that change color temperature throughout the day. Sounds gimmicky but people notice the difference.

Project Overview

Building on a 16-foot-wide lot between two existing houses is... well, it's an exercise in creativity. The clients wanted three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a workspace - all without feeling cramped. No pressure, right?

The neighborhood's got this eclectic mix of old and new, so we went contemporary but not aggressively modern. Wanted it to hold its own without being the weird house on the block.

Design Solutions

Vertical living was the answer. We stacked the program across three floors, putting social spaces at grade with the kitchen opening to a small rear yard. Bedrooms went upstairs where they're quieter, and the top floor became a flex space with skylights that make it feel way bigger than it is.

The narrow width actually worked in our favor - made it easier to get light from both ends. We added a double-height space at the stair to pull light deep into the plan and create some visual drama.

Materials are simple: brick on the street facade to match the neighbors, fiber cement panels on the upper floors to keep it light, and lots of glass where privacy isn't an issue.

Project Overview

Heritage buildings are a different beast. This 1890s warehouse had been sitting empty for years, and the new owner wanted to turn it into retail space that could attract high-end brands while keeping the historical integrity intact.

Working with the heritage committee meant documenting everything, proposing interventions that were reversible, and proving every decision wouldn't harm the building's character. It's a process, but there's something satisfying about bringing old buildings back to life.

Heritage Meets Modern

We kept the brick walls, timber posts, and original wood floors - they'd been buried under decades of modifications. Restored them where we could, replicated them where we couldn't.

The new stuff is clearly new but doesn't compete. Steel and glass insertions for the storefront systems, modern mechanical and electrical runs exposed but organized, LED lighting that highlights the architecture without overwhelming it.

Added a green roof that's invisible from the street but cuts cooling costs and handles stormwater. Sometimes the best sustainable moves are the ones you don't see.

Project Overview

Family of five needed more space but loved their neighborhood. Tearing down and rebuilding made more sense than adding on - the old house had been modified so many times there wasn't much original left anyway.

The brief was straightforward: modern but timeless, open but not echoey, durable enough for three kids and a dog. They'd lived through one renovation already and knew exactly what they didn't want.

Design Approach

Clean lines, quality materials