Our Story

Igniting Innovation Through Thoughtful Architecture

We started Blaze for Inthor back in 2011 with a pretty straightforward goal - create buildings that don't just look good but actually work with the environment instead of against it. Vancouver's got this incredible natural setting, and we figured our buildings should respect that, y'know?

How We Got Here

2011

Foundation & Early Days

Started with just three architects and a shared workspace in Gastown. Our first project was a small residential renovation - nothing fancy, but the client wanted passive solar design integrated. That project taught us more than any textbook ever did about real-world sustainable design.

Commercial project
2014

Commercial Breakthrough

Landed our first major commercial project - a mixed-use development in Kitsilano. The developer took a chance on our green building approach, and when it achieved LEED Gold certification while coming in under budget, word spread pretty quick. We went from pitching to get meetings to having clients seek us out.

2017

Expanding Expertise

Added heritage restoration to our services after working on a 1920s warehouse conversion. Honestly, we fell in love with the challenge of honoring historical character while meeting modern efficiency standards. It's like solving a really complex puzzle where you can't just throw money at problems.

2019

Studio Growth

Moved to our current West Georgia location and grew the team to fifteen. Brought on specialists in structural engineering, environmental systems, and interior design. Turns out having everyone under one roof makes collaboration way more organic than endless email chains.

Office workspace
2022

Recognition & Innovation

Won the BC Architecture Award for a net-zero residential project. Started incorporating advanced building modeling and energy simulation into every project from the get-go. Tech's changed a lot since we started - now we can test designs virtually before breaking ground.

Today

Looking Forward

We're working on some pretty exciting stuff - carbon-negative buildings, adaptive reuse projects, and exploring how architecture can actually help with urban biodiversity. Still based in Vancouver, still obsessed with sustainable design, just with a lot more experience under our belts.

What Drives Us

Honest Design

We don't hide what a building is. If it's concrete, let's celebrate that. If it's wood, show it off. Materials should be authentic and do their job without pretending to be something else. Plus, exposed structural elements often end up looking better than covering everything up.

Real Sustainability

Not the greenwashing kind where you slap some solar panels on a poorly designed building. We're talking integrated systems from day one - proper orientation, natural ventilation, thermal mass, daylighting. The stuff that actually reduces energy consumption rather than just offsetting it.

Context Matters

Every site has its own story - the climate, the neighborhood, the views, the challenges. We spend a lot of time just observing before we start sketching. A design that works perfectly in one location might be completely wrong somewhere else.

Collaboration

Our best projects happen when clients, builders, engineers, and our team are all actually talking to each other. Not just formal meetings but real conversations about what's working and what isn't. Problems get solved faster, and the end result's always better.

The Team

Fifteen people with different backgrounds and specialties, all figuring out how to make buildings that don't suck.

Team member
Design Team

Six architects who argue productively about everything from massing to materials. Keeps the ideas sharp.

Team member
Technical Specialists

Structural engineers, environmental consultants, and building systems experts who make sure our ideas actually work.

Team member
Project & Interior Teams

The people who keep everything on track and make sure interiors flow as well as exteriors. Basically, they prevent chaos.

We're always looking for talented folks who care about this stuff as much as we do. If you're into sustainable design and want to work on projects that actually matter, get in touch.

Let's Talk