Look, we've been doing this sustainable architecture thing since way before it was trendy. It's not just about slapping some solar panels on a roof and calling it a day - it's about rethinking how buildings actually work with their environment instead of against it.
Honestly? Because the old way of building doesn't make sense anymore. We've watched Toronto grow like crazy over the past decade, and if we don't design smarter now, we're leaving our kids with a mess. Every project we take on has to answer one question: how can this building give more than it takes?
Average energy reduction in our residential projects compared to conventional builds
Projects with LEED or equivalent green certifications completed since 2018
Kilograms of CO2 offset annually through our completed sustainable projects
Construction waste diverted from landfills through our material recovery strategies
We've gotten pretty good at navigating the certification maze. Here's what we typically work with:
We've got four LEED APs on staff who've certified projects from Silver all the way to Platinum. The system's not perfect, but it's a solid framework that keeps everyone honest about hitting real targets.
Okay, so Passive House is tough - like really tough. But when you nail it, you end up with buildings that barely need heating or cooling. We've done twelve certified Passive House projects, and they're some of our proudest work.
This one's all about the people inside the building - air quality, light, water. It's a newer certification but honestly? It addresses stuff that LEED sometimes misses about actual human comfort and health.
This is the Mount Everest of green building. We're currently working on our third LBC project. It's ambitious, sometimes frustrating, but it pushes you to think about buildings in completely new ways.
Forget the corporate jargon - here's what sustainable design looks like in practice
We start with passive strategies - orientation, insulation, natural ventilation - because that stuff is free once it's built. Then we layer in the active systems: geothermal, solar arrays, high-efficiency HVAC. Last year, one of our commercial projects actually generated more energy than it used over a full year.
Toronto gets plenty of rain, so why not use it? We design rainwater harvesting systems, greywater recycling, and green roofs that manage stormwater runoff. One residential project we did reduced municipal water consumption by 68% - the clients were shocked when they got their first utility bill.
We're kinda picky about materials. Local sourcing when possible, reclaimed where it makes sense, low-VOC everything. There's this salvage yard we work with that's got incredible reclaimed timber - some of it's over 100 years old and it's way better quality than new lumber you can buy today.
Green roofs, living walls, native landscaping - this stuff isn't just pretty, it actually works. Plants cool buildings, filter air, manage water, and honestly, people just feel better around them. We've measured temperature differences of up to 8 degrees between conventional roofs and green roofs on the same street.
We track everything because if you can't measure it, you can't improve it. Here's what our projects have achieved cumulatively over the past five years:
Based on our average sustainable building compared to conventional construction:
Real feedback from people living and working in our sustainable buildings
"Our heating bills dropped by almost 60% in the first year. I was skeptical about some of the design choices at first, but now I'm a total convert. The house basically takes care of itself."
"Employee satisfaction went up noticeably after we moved into the new building. Better air, better light, and people actually enjoy coming to work. It's been a huge recruitment advantage."
"The green roof was the best decision we made. It's become a community gathering space, and our building stays so much cooler in summer. Worth every penny."
The goalposts keep moving, which is actually a good thing. We're currently diving deep into mass timber construction, carbon-negative materials, and net-zero retrofits for heritage buildings - which is way harder than it sounds, but super interesting.
Climate change is real and it's happening now. Every building we design is a chance to either be part of the problem or part of the solution. We're betting everything on being part of the solution, and we're bringing our clients along for the ride.
Wanna talk about what sustainable design could look like for your project? We're always up for that conversation.
Let's Talk Sustainability