The People Behind the Blueprints

Started restoring Victorian homes in Cabbagetown back in '08, got hooked on the challenge of making old buildings work for modern life. Spent three years in Edinburgh studying conservation techniques that actually respect the original craftsmanship instead of just slapping on a coat of paint.

"Every crack in the plaster, every warped floorboard - that's history talking. Our job isn't to silence it, it's to make sure it keeps speaking for generations."

Education: M.Arch Heritage Conservation, University of Edinburgh | B.Arch, University of Toronto

Got into green building way before it was trendy - built my first net-zero home in 2011 and haven't looked back. I'm obsessed with proving that sustainable doesn't mean boring boxes covered in solar panels. There's an art to balancing energy efficiency with actual livable, beautiful spaces.

"Sustainability's gotta be invisible to work. If people are thinking about your eco-features instead of just living comfortably, you've already lost."

Education: M.Sc Sustainable Building Technology, TU Delft | B.Arch, McGill University

Came up designing retail spaces in Shanghai before moving to Toronto in 2015. What I love about commercial work is the challenge of making spaces that need to perform financially while still feeling human. Too many offices and shops forget people actually spend their lives in these places.

"Good commercial design shouldn't just move product or increase productivity - it should make someone's Tuesday afternoon a little less grey."

Education: M.Arch, Tongji University | Interior Design Certificate, Parsons

Residential's where my heart's at - there's something special about designing spaces where people actually live their lives. Started out doing affordable housing projects, which taught me you can create dignity and beauty at any budget level if you're willing to think creatively about materials and space.

"A house becomes a home when the design gets out of the way and lets life happen. That's harder than it sounds."

Education: M.Arch, University of Waterloo | PMP Certification, PMI

I'm the tech guy who makes sure we're not stuck in the 20th century. Been pushing parametric design and Building Information Modeling since grad school. The cool part is using these tools to solve actual problems - like figuring out how to add an addition to a century home without destroying what makes it special.

"Technology's just another tool in the toolbox. Doesn't matter how fancy your software is if you can't draw a decent section by hand."

Education: M.Arch with Digital Design Focus, University of British Columbia

Cities aren't just buildings - they're people, movements, relationships. Did community planning work in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside before joining the team, which taught me that the folks who live in a neighborhood usually know way more than the planners do. Our job's to listen first, then translate those conversations into actual built form.

"If the community's not at the table from day one, you're not doing urban planning - you're just playing SimCity with real people's lives."

Education: M.U.P, University of British Columbia | B.A. Urban Studies, York University