Building Responsibly, Not Just Building

Look, we've been in this game long enough to know that "sustainable architecture" can sound like marketing fluff. But here's the thing - every decision we make affects real people and the actual environment around us. So yeah, we take this stuff seriously, track our impact, and constantly look for ways to do better.

Our 2025 Impact So Far

Carbon Reduction -847 tonnes CO2
Water Savings 2.4M litres
Materials Diverted 89% from landfill
Sustainable design process
How We Think About It

It's Not About Being Perfect

Honestly? There's no such thing as a "zero impact" building - that's just greenwashing. What we're after is making smarter choices at every stage. Sometimes that means pushing clients a bit (in a good way), sometimes it means finding creative workarounds when budgets are tight.

We've learned that sustainability isn't this big scary checklist - it's usually a bunch of smaller decisions that add up. Use local materials when you can. Design for the climate you're actually in, not some theoretical ideal. Preserve what's already there instead of demolishing everything. Pretty straightforward once you get past the jargon.

The heritage work we do? That's sustainability gold. Keeping a building standing and useful is way better than tearing it down and starting fresh - even if the new one has solar panels.

Real Numbers From Real Projects

We track this stuff because it matters. Here's what we've achieved across our portfolio.

43%

Average energy reduction vs. baseline

38%

Water use reduction through smart fixtures

82%

Construction waste diverted from landfills

67%

Materials sourced within 800km

Energy Performance Tracking

Annual energy intensity across completed projects (kWh/m²/year)

Heritage Restorations 78 kWh/m²
New Commercial 65 kWh/m²
Residential Projects 54 kWh/m²

BC building code baseline: 150 kWh/m²/year. We're consistently beating that by a lot.

Certifications & Standards

LEED Certified Projects

12 projects certified since 2020

12
Passive House Standard

3 certified, 2 in progress

5
Net Zero Ready

Designed for future renewables

8
Built Green Certified

BC's local green building program

18

Projects That Actually Moved the Needle

Here's the breakdown on a few builds where we really nailed the sustainability piece.

Gastown Heritage Restoration
Heritage Restoration

Gastown Warehouse Adaptive Reuse

1912 warehouse that almost got demolished. We convinced the owners to restore instead - turned into mixed-use space with retail below, offices above. The existing structure's embodied carbon? Saved all of it.

342 tonnes

CO2 saved vs. new build

94%

Original timber preserved

LEED Gold

Final certification

-51%

Energy use reduction

Key win: High-performance windows that matched the original look but cut heat loss by 73%. Took us forever to find the right manufacturer, but worth it.

Residential Architecture

Kitsilano Passive House

Client wanted something net-zero but didn't want it to look like a spaceship landed on their lot. Fair enough. We designed a house that fits the neighbourhood but performs like crazy - heating bills are like $180/year. Yeah, per year.

15 kWh/m²

Annual heating demand

8.5 kW

Rooftop solar array

0.48 ACH

Blower door test result

92%

HRV efficiency rating

Key win: Got the whole envelope super-tight without going over budget. Used local suppliers for most materials - kept costs reasonable and carbon footprint down.

Kitsilano Passive House
Commercial Office Building
Commercial Design

Mount Pleasant Office Complex

Four-story office building for a tech company. They wanted LEED Platinum and actually meant it - gave us the budget to do it right. Turns out when you don't cheap out, you can achieve some pretty cool stuff.

62%

Energy cost savings

48%

Water use reduction

100%

Rainwater for irrigation

35 kW

Solar PV installation

Key win: Green roof system that handles stormwater, provides insulation, and creates actual usable space for staff. Plus it looks amazing from the building next door.

The Stuff We Actually Do

No fluff here - just the strategies we use on pretty much every project.

Passive Design First

Orientation, shading, natural ventilation - the basics that don't cost extra but make a huge difference. We design for Vancouver's actual climate, not some textbook example.

Material Intelligence

Local sourcing when possible, recycled content where it makes sense, FSC timber, low-VOC everything. We've got relationships with suppliers who get it.

High-Performance Systems

Heat pumps, HRVs, LED everything, smart controls. Technology's gotten really good - we just need to spec it properly and make sure it's commissioned right.

Water Management

Rainwater capture, greywater systems where codes allow, efficient fixtures. Vancouver gets tons of rain - might as well use it.

Adaptive Reuse

Our specialty. Keeping buildings standing is the greenest thing you can do. Plus old buildings have character you can't fake.

Performance Monitoring

We follow up after occupancy to see if buildings perform as modeled. Sometimes they don't - that's how we learn and do better next time.

Let's Talk About Your Project

Whether you're planning something new or trying to figure out how to breathe life into an existing building