Privacy Policy

Hey, Let's Talk Privacy

Look, we get it - nobody actually enjoys reading privacy policies. But here at Gildara Tonquinthos Architecture, we figured you deserve to know exactly what happens with your info when you work with us or visit our site.

We've been designing spaces in Toronto for years, and just like we're transparent with our clients about every design decision, we're gonna be straight with you about data. No legal mumbo-jumbo where we can avoid it - just honest talk about what we do, why we do it, and how we keep your information safe.

This policy covers our website, our studio operations, and any interactions you have with us - whether that's inquiring about a residential project or discussing a commercial build.

What Information We Collect

When you reach out to us or use our website, we might collect a few different types of info. Here's the breakdown:

Personal Details

Your name, email, phone number, mailing address - basically the stuff you give us when filling out contact forms or starting a project. We need this to actually, y'know, get back to you and work together.

Project Information

Property details, design preferences, budget ranges, project timelines. This helps us understand what you're looking for and whether we're the right fit for your vision.

Usage Data

How you navigate our site, which pages you visit, how long you stick around. Standard website analytics stuff that helps us make the site better and understand what people are actually interested in.

Technical Info

IP address, browser type, device info - the behind-the-scenes technical bits that help us keep the site running smoothly and secure.

How We Actually Use Your Information

We're not collecting data just for kicks. Everything we gather has a purpose:

Providing Our Services: Can't design your dream space if we don't know what you're after, right? We use your info to understand your needs, prepare proposals, manage projects, and deliver the architectural services you hired us for.
Communication: Responding to inquiries, sending project updates, sharing relevant info about our services. We won't spam you - just the good stuff that matters to your project or interests.
Improving Our Work: Understanding what types of projects people are looking for helps us refine our services and maybe even develop new offerings that better serve the Toronto community.
Legal Stuff: Sometimes we gotta keep records for regulatory compliance, contracts, or professional requirements. It's part of running a legit architectural practice in Ontario.
Website Optimization: Making sure our site works well, loads fast, and gives you the info you need without frustration.

Who We Share Your Data With

We're pretty protective of your information, but there are times when we need to share it:

Project Collaborators

Engineers, contractors, consultants - the team we bring in to make your project happen. They only get what they need to do their part, and they're bound by their own professional confidentiality requirements.

Service Providers

Our hosting company, email service, cloud storage - the tech providers that help us run our business. They're contractually obligated to keep your data secure.

Legal Requirements

If we're legally required to disclose information - court orders, regulatory requests, that sort of thing - we'll comply. But we'll let you know unless we're prohibited from doing so.

What we DON'T do: We don't sell your data to marketers, we don't share your info with random third parties, and we don't use your project details for anything beyond your actual project without your permission.

Cookies & Tracking

Yeah, we use cookies - not the chocolate chip kind, unfortunately. These are small files that help our website remember you and work better.

Essential Cookies

These keep the site functioning. Can't really turn these off if you want the site to work properly.

Analytics Cookies

Help us understand how people use the site so we can make it better. You can opt out of these if you want.

Preference Cookies

Remember your choices so you don't have to keep telling us the same things every visit.

Most browsers let you control cookies through their settings. Just know that blocking certain cookies might make parts of our site wonky or not work at all.

Keeping Your Information Secure

We take data security seriously - like, really seriously. Here's what we do to protect your info:

Encryption

Data transmission is encrypted using industry-standard SSL/TLS protocols. Your information is scrambled when it travels over the internet.

Secure Storage

We use password-protected systems and secure servers. Access to client data is limited to team members who actually need it for their work.

Regular Updates

We keep our systems patched and updated to protect against new security vulnerabilities. It's boring but necessary work.

Staff Training

Our team knows how to handle sensitive information properly. We're all trained on privacy best practices and data security.

Real talk though: No system is 100% bulletproof. We do everything we reasonably can to protect your data, but we can't guarantee absolute security. If we ever have a data breach, we'll let you know ASAP and tell you what happened and what we're doing about it.

Your Rights & Choices

It's your data, and you've got rights when it comes to how we handle it. Under Canadian privacy laws (PIPEDA, specifically), here's what you can do:

You can ask us what personal information we have about you. We'll provide a copy within a reasonable timeframe, usually within 30 days. There might be some exceptions for legally privileged info or if it involves someone else's privacy.

If something's wrong or outdated, let us know and we'll fix it. Accurate info is important for both of us - especially when we're working on building projects where details matter.

Want us to delete your data? In many cases, we can do that. But heads up - we might need to keep certain records for legal or regulatory reasons, especially if we've worked on an actual project together. We'll explain what we can and can't delete.

Don't wanna hear from us anymore? Fair enough. You can unsubscribe from marketing emails anytime - there's an unsubscribe link at the bottom of every email we send. Note that if we're in the middle of a project, we'll still need to contact you about that.

Need your data in a format you can use elsewhere? We can provide that in most cases - usually as a PDF or structured data file that you can take with you.

To exercise any of these rights, just reach out to us at info@gildaratonquinthos.info or call (416) 555-0187. We'll verify your identity (gotta make sure we're actually talking to you) and then take it from there.

How Long We Keep Your Info

We don't keep your data forever - that'd be creepy and unnecessary. Here's our general approach:

Inquiry Information: If you reach out but we don't end up working together, we'll typically keep your info for about 2 years. This way if you circle back later, we have context.
Project Records: For completed projects, we keep documentation for 7-10 years minimum. This is partly professional requirement, partly just good practice in case questions come up down the road.
Financial Records: Tax and accounting stuff stays around for at least 7 years - that's what the CRA wants.
Marketing Lists: If you've opted in to our newsletter or updates, we'll keep you on the list until you tell us to stop.

When we do delete data, we make sure it's actually gone - not just sitting in some backup somewhere waiting to resurface.

Children's Privacy

Our services aren't directed at kids under 13, and we don't knowingly collect information from children. If you're a parent and you think your kid has given us their info somehow, let us know and we'll delete it right away.

International Data Transfers

We're based in Toronto and mainly serve Canadian clients. That said, some of our service providers (like web hosting or cloud storage) might have servers in other countries, including the US. When your data crosses borders, it's subject to the laws of those countries.

We only work with providers who have solid security practices and who'll treat your data with the same care we do. But you should know that if your data ends up on a US server, for example, it could potentially be accessed by US authorities under their laws.

Changes to This Policy

We might update this privacy policy from time to time - usually when we add new services or when privacy laws change. When we make significant changes, we'll let you know by posting a notice on our site or sending you an email if we have your address.

The "Last Updated" date at the top of this page will always show you when the most recent changes were made. We'd encourage you to check back occasionally, especially if it's been a while.

Questions? Concerns? Let's Chat

If you've got questions about this privacy policy, concerns about how we're handling your data, or you just wanna talk about what we do with your information, we're here.

Get in Touch

We're pretty responsive during business hours and we'll actually talk to you like a human being.

Phone: (416) 555-0187

Email: info@gildaratonquinthos.info

Visit Our Studio

Prefer to discuss privacy concerns in person? Drop by our office - we're usually around.

Address:
142 Queen Street West, Suite 800
Toronto, ON M5H 3M2
Canada

Still Have Concerns?

If you're not satisfied with how we've addressed your privacy concerns, you have the right to file a complaint with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada. We'd prefer to work it out with you directly, but you've got options.

Quick Navigation