Building Tomorrow, Responsibly

Look, we're not gonna sugarcoat it - the construction industry has a massive carbon footprint. But here's what we're actually doing about it, with real numbers and honest talk.

Sustainable building design

Why We're Obsessed With This Stuff

After working on 87 projects across Vancouver and the lower mainland, I've seen firsthand how buildings can either work with nature or fight against it. And honestly? Fighting nature is expensive, short-sighted, and just plain stupid.

Every building we design now operates on a simple principle - what if this structure had to exist for 200 years? Would we still make the same material choices? Would the heating system still make sense? That question alone has changed how we approach everything.

Our Track Record (The Real Numbers)

These aren't projections or estimates - this is what we've actually achieved.

73%

Average Energy Reduction

vs. conventional builds
92%

Construction Waste Diverted

from landfills since 2021
38

LEED Certifications

Gold or higher
$2.8M

Client Savings

annual energy costs reduced

Certifications We Actually Care About

LEED Accredited

All our senior designers hold LEED AP credentials. Not because it looks good on paper, but because the framework actually helps us think through problems we might've missed.

38 Gold+ projects

Passive House Institute

Yeah, it's strict. And yeah, clients sometimes push back on the upfront costs. But when their heating bills are 80% lower? They get it real quick.

12 certified projects

Living Building Challenge

This one's brutal, honestly. We've got two projects pursuing full certification right now. It's the kind of standard that keeps you up at night but also makes you a better architect.

2 in progress

Material Choices That Matter

We've mapped the embodied carbon of pretty much every material you can think of. Here's what actually moves the needle:

Mass Timber vs. Concrete -45% carbon
Recycled Steel Framing -58% carbon
Triple-Glazed Windows -62% heat loss
Local Sourcing (within 500km) -34% transport emissions
Sustainable building materials

Water Management

Vancouver gets enough rain to make this almost too easy, but we're capturing and reusing greywater in 85% of our commercial projects now.

  • Rainwater harvesting for irrigation
  • Low-flow fixtures (standard now)
  • Greywater recycling systems
  • Native landscaping (zero irrigation needed)
Average reduction: 41% less potable water

Energy Systems

We're not huge fans of the 'slap solar panels on it and call it green' approach. Real efficiency starts with insulation and orientation.

  • Passive solar design (costs nothing!)
  • Heat recovery ventilation
  • Geothermal when it makes sense
  • Solar PV (after we've minimized demand)
Typical performance: 68% below code baseline

The Honest Cost Conversation

Let's talk money because everyone's thinking about it anyway. Yes, sustainable design can cost more upfront. But here's the thing...

Initial Investment

+8-15%

Average premium for high-performance buildings. Yeah, it's real. But keep reading...

Payback Period

5-8 years

Through energy savings alone. Add in increased property value and it's even better.

Lifetime Savings

$450K+

Average 30-year savings for a mid-size commercial building. That's conservative.

Plus there's grants, tax incentives, and utility rebates we help clients access. BC Hydro alone offers up to $100K for qualifying projects.

Urban sustainability

Beyond The Building Itself

A building doesn't exist in a vacuum, right? We're looking at the whole ecosystem - how people get there, what happens to the site ecology, how it fits into the urban fabric.

Transit-Oriented Design

Every project within 400m of transit when possible. Reduced parking, increased bike infrastructure.

Biodiversity Planning

Native plantings, green roofs, bird-safe glass. We've increased on-site species diversity by an average of 340% compared to conventional development.

Community Integration

Public spaces, pedestrian connections, ground-floor activation. Buildings should give back to their neighborhoods.

What We're Working On Next

Because standing still isn't an option when the climate's changing this fast.

Carbon-Negative Materials

Testing bio-based materials that actually sequester more carbon than they emit. Early results are wild.

AI-Driven Energy Modeling

Real-time optimization that learns from building performance. It's like having a smart building that keeps getting smarter.

Circular Economy Design

Buildings designed for disassembly. Every component tracked and reusable. Zero waste isn't impossible.

Climate Adaptation

Designing for 2050's climate, not today's. Heat waves, flooding, wildfires - we're planning for all of it.

Wanna See How We Actually Do This?

We're pretty transparent about our process, our failures, and what's actually working. Happy to walk through any of our projects or share the detailed performance data.

Check Out Our Projects Let's Talk Sustainability