Look, we're not your typical architecture firm that just chases trends. Started back in 2008, we've been obsessed with one thing - taking old industrial spaces that most people write off and turning them into something remarkable.
The whole thing began when our founder, Michael Cendral, walked through an abandoned steel forge in Hamilton. Everyone saw rust and decay. He saw bones - good bones. That building's now a mixed-use space that won three design awards, but more importantly, it kept the neighborhood's soul intact.
There's something about standing inside a century-old building with massive steel trusses overhead - you can almost hear the workers, smell the metal, feel the history. Tearing that down? Seems like a waste, honestly.
We've spent fifteen years figuring out how to honor what's already there while making spaces that actually work for today. Sometimes that means exposing original riveted beams. Other times it's about adding contemporary steel elements that dialogue with the old stuff rather than fighting it.
Our team's a mix of structural engineers who geek out over load calculations, historians who know every brick maker in Ontario's history, and designers who can't walk past a salvage yard without stopping. It's a weird combination, but it works.
Founded in a shared office space above a coffee shop. First project was a 1920s machine shop conversion - learned a ton, made some mistakes, but the building's still standing.
The project that put us on the map. 85,000 sq ft of abandoned industrial space transformed into residential lofts and artist studios. Historic designation saved, community happy.
Brought in as consultants for phase two development. Got to work with original Victorian-era structures - those brick vaults are incredible once you clean off 100 years of soot.
National recognition for our work on the Queen Street Foundry. Honestly didn't expect it - we just tried to let the building tell us what it needed.
Partnered with a materials engineering firm to develop new techniques for integrating modern steel with heritage structures. Some of the testing results have been pretty wild.
Our biggest project yet - 12-building complex on the waterfront. Mix of restoration and new builds, all designed to feel like they've been there forever. Still in progress, keeps us up at night.
Before we touch anything, we dig through archives, talk to old-timers who remember the building in its heyday, sometimes even track down original blueprints. You'd be surprised what's hiding in municipal basements.
Sounds weird, but every building tells you what it wants to be. Sometimes our initial designs get completely flipped after we spend time in the space and understand how light moves, where the strong points are.
We work with structural engineers from day one, not as an afterthought. Same with heritage consultants and community stakeholders. More voices early on means fewer headaches later.
Every intervention needs a reason. If we can't explain why we're doing something beyond "it looks cool," we probably shouldn't do it. The best designs are the ones you barely notice.
Cities keep changing, that's just reality. But we think there's a way to grow without erasing what came before. Our goal's pretty simple - keep proving that adaptive reuse isn't just the romantic option, it's often the smartest one.
Got an old building that everyone's telling you to demolish? Let's talk. Maybe they're right, maybe they're not. But at least let's figure out what's actually there before making that call.
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