We're Not Your Typical Architecture Firm
And honestly? That's exactly how we like it.
Buildings shouldn't just exist - they should breathe, adapt, and tell stories that matter.
Look, we've seen too many projects where sustainability gets tacked on as an afterthought or heritage buildings get gutted beyond recognition. That's not our vibe.
We started Krythveil Forge because we wanted to prove something: you can create spaces that honor the past while pushing toward a smarter future. No compromises, no half-measures.
Every project we touch gets the same obsessive attention - whether it's a century-old heritage site or a brand-new commercial build. We're here to forge spaces that'll matter fifty years from now, not just next season.
Started this whole thing back in 2012 from a cramped office in Gastown with more ambition than clients, honestly.
Spent my early years bouncing between restoration projects in Europe and green building initiatives across BC. Somewhere along the way, I realized these two worlds didn't have to be separate - they actually complement each other beautifully when you stop treating them like opposites.
Graduated from UBC's School of Architecture, did my time at a couple of the big firms downtown, but kept feeling like something was missing. Turns out what was missing was the freedom to actually care about what we were building.
These days you'll find me either sketching details at 2am (bad habit, can't break it), visiting salvage yards for that perfect reclaimed beam, or arguing passionately about thermal bridging at site meetings.
My philosophy's pretty straightforward: every building has a story, and our job is to make sure that story's worth telling.
No corporate hierarchy nonsense here - just talented folks who care way too much about details.
Senior Project Architect
The guy who somehow keeps our most complex builds on track. Former structural engineer who switched sides, which explains why our designs actually stand up.
Heritage Specialist
Trained in heritage conservation in London, returned home to save Vancouver's architectural soul one building at a time. Gets genuinely emotional about original crown molding.
Sustainability Director
LEED AP who actually walks the talk. Bikes to work year-round and won't shut up about passive house standards (we love him for it).
Lead Interior Architect
Believes that interiors should flow naturally from the architecture, not fight against it. Has an uncanny ability to find the perfect fixture for any space.
Project Manager
Twenty years in construction means he knows every trick contractors try to pull. Keeps us honest and on budget.
The highlights reel, minus the boring parts.
Founded with one employee (Elena), two clients who took a chance, and an old drafting table bought off Craigslist. First project was a residential addition in Kitsilano that's still one of our favorites.
Landed the restoration of the Granville Theatre building. Spent 18 months painstakingly bringing it back to life while integrating modern systems. Won our first heritage conservation award and realized we'd found our calling.
Completed our first net-zero commercial build in Richmond. Proved to ourselves (and skeptical contractors) that aggressive sustainability targets weren't just theoretical. Team grew to eight people.
Featured in Azure Magazine for the False Creek mixed-use development. Started getting calls from across the province. Moved to our current Granville Street studio because we literally ran out of desk space.
Like everyone else, we figured out Zoom real quick. But also used the slowdown to develop better sustainable design protocols and deepen our material research. Came out stronger, honestly.
Completed the adaptive reuse of the old Pacific Mills warehouse - our biggest project to date. Mixed commercial and residential, full heritage restoration, LEED Platinum. Everything we'd been working toward in one building.
Fifteen people on the team, projects across BC, and still obsessing over the details like we did on day one. Working on three heritage restorations, two net-zero builds, and one project we can't talk about yet but are incredibly excited about.
We could list a bunch of corporate values here, but let's be real about what actually matters to us day-to-day:
If something won't work, we'll tell you straight up. If there's a better way to spend your budget, you'll hear about it. No BS, no upselling.
The difference between good and great is in the stuff most people never notice. We're the ones who notice. Sometimes to an annoying degree.
We design for decades, not trends. What looks cool now better still make sense in twenty years, or we're not doing our job right.
Best ideas come from conversations, not lectures. We listen to contractors, we listen to clients, we even listen to the buildings themselves.
Whether it's heritage restoration, sustainable new build, or something in between - let's talk about what's actually possible.
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