With design, we often start the conversation around the decor details that we can touch and interchange.
However, the true beginning of any successful design is the structure and bones of the space, the visions of the creative minds of architects, who have created some of the most stunning spaces in the city.
This week we are shining the spotlight on some of Vancouver鈥檚 top architecture and design firms; often out of the public eye, yet responsible for so much of our city鈥檚 stunning urban landscape, these four design 鈥渄ream teams鈥� are creating work that is beautifully impacting the aesthetic of Vancouver.
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Since 2000, Evoke's interdisciplinary approach to design has made it one of the most sought-after firms in the city.
The company, founded by Robert Edmonds and David Nicolay, brings perspective from a multitude of design principles to its work and offers not only house design expertise, but also spatial, interior and graphic design. It is the marriage of these elements that gives their clients an encapsulating experience.
Outside of an impressive client roster for design that includes , the听听North American offices and stores, 听at the 听and 听Evoke is also responsible for conceiving and opening some of our city鈥檚 best neighbourhood haunts, like 听(my personal fave), 听and , to name a few.
The signature style of Evoke remains clean: modern interiors and custom-designed furniture combined with simple, vibrant graphics.
鈥淲e approach design from a collaborative point of view and align ourselves with clients that share our modern aesthetic values and creative process,鈥� the team says. 鈥淭he resulting project should be a well integrated design that doesn鈥檛 rely on overly trendy concepts: It is about composition and the combination of form, function and innovation to achieve the client-unique design objective.鈥�
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The husband-and-wife duo behind the Scott & Scott architecture and design firm run their practice out of perhaps one of the most recognizable studios in the city, and by far one of my favourite spaces to pass by.
David and Susan Scott reinvented their home 鈥� a former old grocery store just off Main Street 鈥� to accommodate a street-level studio for its firm to operate. The ingenious redesign includes a workshop for the completion of industrial design, prototyping and material research.
With a notable history with various prominent Canadian firms, the couple branched out on their own in 2012 and have since become an award-winning boutique firm. In 2014 they were awarded an Architizer A+ award for the design and construction of their Alpine Cabin project; in and the Restaurant and Design Award for Best Americas Restaurant for ; and in spring 2017 they were selected to present their work as a recipient of the Architectural League of New York鈥檚 Emerging Voices Award.
Their breadth of work 鈥� which includes commercial, mixed use, restaurants, residential spaces in both urban and remote environments and also agricultural projects 鈥� has been widely recognized by worldwide design publications, including recent releases from renowned publishers , 听and Phaidon.听
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This Calgary-based boutique architecture and design firm recently opened
an impressive new office in Vancouver. McKinley Burkart has established itself as an industry leader, with a self-professed 鈥減assion for contextual architecture, visionary design and immersive brand strategy.鈥�
The move into 麻豆传媒映画was a natural progression for the company, as both founding partners Walker McKinley and Mark Burkart have ties to our city and their client roster is well-rooted in here. It includes many of Vancouver鈥檚 big names, such as , Stanley Park and the team behind .
鈥淥ur vision for the 麻豆传媒映画studio was to create a space that not only spoke to the McKinley Burkart identity but also embraced the essence of West Coast design, such as abstractions of coastal driftwood and metaphoric elements of the sea and coastline. Maintaining the history of the building was also key for us,鈥� said Burkart.
The firm supported its interest in making the new 麻豆传媒映画office an integral part of the city鈥檚 creative community by including artwork from notable local artists such as and .
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Spearheaded by the vibrant and effervescent architect, Marianne Amodio, this boutique firm plants itself comfortably in the realm between structure and playful creativity.
Known for innovative designs, MAAStudio is pushing the boundaries of how we approach dwelling spaces and (co)habitation in Vancouver. With a unique perspective on multi-resident spaces, the firm鈥檚 residential design centres on multi-family residential buildings, micro co-housing and custom multi-family homes.
鈥淎rchitecture isn鈥檛 just for the elite,鈥� says Amodio. 鈥淚t can live in the mid-range zone.鈥� Looking to that concept, MAAStudio is forward thinking with its fundamental principles: the belief that modern design should speak to more than just aesthetic, but also to the social, environmental and affordability issues facing our community.
Marianne has been described by a client as possessing the ability to 鈥渕agically transform ordinary spaces and humble materials into places of poetic beauty.鈥澨�
