Project Case Studies

Cascade Residence

A cliff-side home that basically becomes part of the landscape - took us 18 months of site analysis just to figure out where to put the thing.

The Challenge

Our clients wanted big views but didn't wanna sacrifice privacy or mess with the natural rock formations. Plus, the soil engineers weren't exactly thrilled about building on a 35-degree slope. We had to rethink pretty much everything about traditional foundation work.

Wind exposure was nuts up there - we're talking 80 km/h gusts during storm season. And then there's the whole seismic thing, 'cause y'know, West Coast life.

Our Approach

We anchored the building into the bedrock using a series of concrete piers - kinda like roots growing into the cliff. The main living spaces cantilever out over the slope, supported by steel beams that we honestly spent way too many nights calculating.

Floor-to-ceiling glass on the view side, but we tucked the private spaces into the hillside with planted roofs. Ended up creating these really cool thermal buffers that cut heating costs by about 40% compared to conventional builds.

Evergreen Commons

Mixed-use development that actually lives up to the "community hub" promise - retail, offices, and public space that people genuinely use.

Design Philosophy

The developer wanted maximum leasable space, but the city wanted public amenities. We found this sweet spot by creating a building that wraps around a central courtyard - everyone gets access, nobody loses their view, and the retail actually benefits from the foot traffic.

We played with different heights across the site to match the existing neighborhood rhythm. Nothing feels outta place, even though it's way bigger than surrounding buildings.

Materials & Construction

Cross-laminated timber (CLT) for the main structure - one of the larger CLT commercial builds in Metro Vancouver at the time. Saved about 6 months on construction compared to concrete, and the carbon footprint difference is just massive.

The facade's this combo of wood, glass, and these pre-weathered steel panels that're already developing their patina. Gonna look better in 20 years than it does now, honestly.

Maritime Innovation Hub

Converted warehouse spaces into a tech campus without losing the industrial character that made the area interesting in the first place.

Adaptive Reuse Strategy

Three buildings from the 1940s that were basically falling apart, but the bones were solid and the location was perfect. Instead of demo and rebuild (which was totally on the table), we convinced the developer that keeping the existing structure made way more sense - financially and culturally.

We stripped 'em down to the studs, reinforced everything for current seismic codes, then basically built new buildings inside the old shells. Kept all the original timber post-and-beam work exposed - those Douglas fir columns are like 18 inches thick in spots.

Heritage Block Reimagined

Taking a deteriorating 1912 commercial block and turning it into something that works for 2023 while respecting what came before.

The Heritage Challenge

Working with heritage buildings is always a negotiation between what was and what needs to be. The facade was designated, which meant we couldn't touch the exterior except for restoration work. Inside though? Total disaster - decades of bad renovations, water damage, you name it.

We documented every brick, every window, every bit of decorative ironwork. Then we basically took the whole front facade down, numbered everything, and rebuilt it with modern structural support hidden behind.

Modern Insertions

The back half of the building had zero heritage value, so we replaced it with a contemporary addition that steps back from the street. Glass and steel that clearly reads as "new" - we're not trying to fake old architecture here.

Added two floors on top (set way back so you can't see 'em from street level) to make the project financially viable. Those units have killer views and help subsidize the heritage work below.