Who We Are
Look, we're not gonna feed you the usual corporate stuff. We started this practice because we got tired of seeing beautiful mountain sites ruined by cookie-cutter designs that didn't respect the land.
Every ridge, every slope, every view corridor tells us something different. We've spent years hiking these mountains, skiing these runs, understanding how light moves across the peaks at different times of day. That's not something you learn from a textbook - you gotta live it.
Our approach? Listen more than we talk. The site knows what it wants. The client knows how they live. Our job's putting those two things together in a way that feels inevitable, like the building was always meant to be there.
Based in West Vancouver, working across BC's most challenging terrain
What Drives Us
These aren't mission statements we workshopped in some boardroom. They're lessons we've learned the hard way, project after project.
Respect the Site
You don't fight a mountain - you work with it. We've turned what others called 'unbuildable lots' into some of our best projects. It's about seeing possibilities, not problems.
Light & Shadow
That's literally in our name for a reason. Mountain light's different - it changes dramatically with elevation and season. We design around those patterns, not against them.
Build Sustainably
Not because it's trendy but because we're building in ecosystems that matter. Local materials, minimal site disturbance, energy systems that make sense for alpine environments.
Real Collaboration
You're not hiring us to impose our vision. You're hiring us to help realize yours. We're gonna challenge you sometimes, but it's always in service of making your home better.
How We Got Here
2012 - The Beginning
Started with a single residential project in Whistler. Client took a chance on us for a tricky sloped lot. That project taught us more than architecture school ever did.
2015 - Finding Our Voice
Completed our first award-winning design. Realized we'd accidentally developed a signature approach - buildings that kinda disappear into the landscape until you're right on them.
2018 - Expanding the Team
Brought on specialists in sustainable systems and structural engineering for complex sites. Game changer for what we could take on.
2021 - New Studio
Moved to our current West Vancouver location. Needed more space for the models and site analysis work we do. Plus, being closer to the projects helps.
2025 - Today
Working on twelve active projects ranging from compact mountain retreats to substantial hillside estates. Still learning something new from every site.
Our Process (The Real One)
Forget the flowcharts. Here's what actually happens:
We'll meet you at the site - not in an office. Bring good boots. We'll walk it, talk about how you actually live (not how you think you should live), and start sketching ideas right there. Then comes the hard part: we disappear for a bit and work through the puzzle of your needs, the site's constraints, and what the regulations allow.
You'll see rough concepts first - we're not precious about early ideas. Some will be terrible. That's the point. We're testing boundaries. Once we've got a direction that clicks, we get detailed. Really detailed. Because mountain construction doesn't forgive vague specifications.
During construction, we're around - probably more than you want. But we've seen too many beautiful designs get value-engineered into mediocrity. We stay involved to keep the vision intact.
Let's Talk About Your Project
Got a challenging site? Good. That's what we're here for.
Get In Touch