About Us | Gildar Valquinth Architecture

Our Story

Started back in 2009 in a cramped Vancouver office that barely fit two desks and a coffee maker. We've grown since then, but honestly? We still obsess over the same stuff - making buildings that don't suck for the planet and actually work for the folks living in 'em.

Look, architecture school teaches you all these fancy theories, but real life's messier. We learned that sustainable doesn't mean you gotta sacrifice style, and modern doesn't mean cold and boring. Most of our best ideas came from listening - like really listening - to what people need when they come home after a rough day.

Vancouver's been our playground and our teacher. This city's got character, y'know? Mix of old heritage homes and new glass towers, mountains meeting the ocean. That contrast? It's exactly what we try to capture in our work.

How We Actually Work

No corporate mumbo-jumbo, just our honest approach

Listen First, Draw Later

We're not here to push some signature style on you. Every project starts with coffee and conversation - understanding your life, your quirks, what drives you nuts about where you live now.

Sustainability That Makes Sense

Yeah, we're all about green building, but it's gotta work for your budget and lifestyle. Solar panels are cool, but so is proper insulation and smart window placement. Sometimes the simple stuff matters most.

Straight Talk, No BS

Construction's complicated enough without us talking in riddles. We'll tell you what's doable, what's gonna cost extra, and when your Pinterest inspiration might not work with physics. Honesty builds better buildings.

The Crew

Meet the people behind the blueprints

Gildar Valquinth

Principal Architect & Founder

Twenty-plus years doing this and I'm still sketching ideas on napkins. Got my start in commercial builds but found my groove in residential - there's something about designing where people raise their kids that hits different. Outside work? You'll find me hiking the North Shore or arguing about building codes over beers.

Sarah Chen

Lead Sustainable Design

I joined the team five years ago after getting fed up with firms that treated sustainability like a checkbox. Here, it's baked into everything. My engineering background means I'm the numbers person - calculating thermal performance while everyone else is choosing paint colors. Coffee snob, cyclist, plant hoarder.

Marcus Thompson

Commercial Projects Lead

Handles our bigger builds and somehow keeps contractors on schedule - which is basically wizardry. Former rugby player who treats deadlines like scrums. He's the guy who'll find solutions when everyone else says it can't be done.

Elena Rodriguez

Interior Space Specialist

The detail person who notices things the rest of us miss. Trained in interior design and architecture, so she bridges both worlds. Obsessed with lighting and flow - claims you can feel when a room's proportions are off by three inches.

Jamie Park

Junior Architect & Tech Guru

Fresh perspective meets new tech. Jamie's all about VR walkthroughs and parametric design - stuff that would've blown our minds ten years ago. Keeps us from getting stuck in our ways and brings energy that's honestly infectious.

What Drives Us

It's pretty simple, really. We wanna leave Vancouver better than we found it.

Every building we design is gonna be around longer than we will. That's a weird responsibility when you think about it. So we try to make spaces that'll age well, adapt to changing needs, and not trash the environment in the process.

We're not saving the world or anything dramatic like that. But if we can help a family build their dream home that's energy-efficient, or design an office where people don't dread Monday mornings? That's a good day's work.

By The Numbers

147+

Projects Completed

15

Years in Business

89%

Clients Who Come Back

12

Team Members

Why Work With Us?

Honestly? We're not the cheapest option, and we're not the fastest. But we'll stick with you from those first sketches to the day you get your keys.

We don't ghost you when problems come up - and trust me, they always do. That's construction. Instead, we figure it out together. You'll have our personal cell numbers, not some general inquiry line.

Plus, we actually care about this stuff. Sounds cheesy, but it's true. We've turned down projects that didn't feel right, and we've fought city hall for designs we believed in. Your project becomes our project.

Let's Talk About Your Project