Our Story
Started back in 2009 with just a drafting table and way too much coffee. What began as a one-person operation in a converted barn outside Whistler has grown into something we're genuinely proud of - though we still drink too much coffee.
We've always believed that good architecture shouldn't fight with its surroundings. Whether it's a farmhouse tucked into the valley or a modern home perched on a ridgeline, the land tells us what it needs. Our job? Listen carefully and translate that into spaces people actually want to live in.
Over the years, we've worked on everything from small cabin additions to full heritage restorations. Each project taught us something new about materials, about the BC climate, about what makes a house feel like home. These days, we're focused on buildings that'll still make sense fifty years from now - both in how they look and how they treat the environment.
The Folks Behind the Drawings
We're a small team, which means you'll actually get to know us - for better or worse.
Sarah Mackenzie
Principal Architect
Founded the practice after spending too many years in Vancouver high-rises. Grew up on a farm in the Interior, which probably explains the obsession with barns and functional beauty. Licensed architect with a habit of sketching on napkins during site visits. When not at the drafting table, you'll find her hiking the trails around Whistler or tinkering with natural building materials in the studio workshop.
James Kerrigan
Design Director
Joined us in 2014 after a stint doing heritage work in Victoria. Has this uncanny ability to see what a space wants to become - even when it's just a muddy field. Studied environmental design and actually practices what he preaches (his own house is basically a case study in passive solar). Brings the technical rigor when Sarah's getting too romantic about hand-hewn beams. Also makes a mean sourdough.
Elena Rodriguez
Project Coordinator
Keeps everything running while the rest of us get lost in design details. Former landscape architect who understands that the approach to a building matters as much as the building itself. She's the one who'll remember your dog's name and that drainage issue from three meetings ago.
Tom Chen
Technical Designer
Our detail wizard. If there's a tricky connection or an unusual material application, Tom's already figured out three ways to make it work. Background in timber framing gives him an edge when we're working with wood - which is pretty much always.
Maya Thornton
Junior Designer
Fresh out of UBC's architecture program and full of ideas about regenerative design. She's pushing us to think even more carefully about material choices and energy use - and honestly, we need that. Brings a perspective that keeps us from getting stuck in our ways.
What Drives Us
Look, we're not trying to reinvent architecture here. We just think buildings should work with their environment instead of against it, look better as they age, and feel right when you walk through the door.
We've learned that the best projects happen when clients trust us enough to challenge their assumptions, and we listen well enough to understand what they really need - not just what they think they want. It's a conversation, not a presentation.
Our Approach
Every site's different. Every client's different. Cookie-cutter solutions don't work in rural BC where you're dealing with everything from rocky slopes to flood plains to forest interfaces.
We spend a lot of time just being on-site - watching how the light moves, where the wind comes from, what the views really are (not just what the real estate listing said). Then we start sketching, usually by hand, trying to find the building that wants to be there.
The technical stuff - energy modeling, structural calculations, building code compliance - that all comes later. But it comes from a design that already makes sense for the place and the people.
Why Whistler?
People ask us this - why base ourselves in a mountain town instead of Vancouver? Simple: this is where the work we love happens. Out here, you can't fake it. Buildings face real weather, real temperature swings, real wildlife. If your design doesn't respect that, nature'll let you know pretty quick. Plus, we can ski on our lunch break. That doesn't hurt.
Working With Us
Expect honesty. If something's not gonna work, or if there's a better way to spend your budget, we'll tell you straight up. No point in discovering problems after construction starts.
Expect collaboration. You know how you want to live. We know how to build. Together we figure out what that looks like. Some of our best ideas came from casual conversations on-site.
Expect patience. Good design takes time. We don't rush the process because that's when mistakes happen. But we also don't overthink things - there's a point where you just need to commit and build.
Expect follow-through. We stick with projects from first sketch through final inspection. And we check back after you've moved in - buildings reveal themselves over time, and we want to know how ours are performing.