Who We Really Are

We're not your typical architecture firm - we're kinda obsessed with how light plays through crystals and wanted to bring that magic into buildings

How This Whole Thing Started

Look, it's 2015, and I'm staring at this quartz crystal on my desk - the way afternoon sun hit it just created this wild light show on my drafting table. That's when it clicked. Why aren't we designing spaces that do this naturally?

Started tinkering with angles, playing with glass, basically driving my partner nuts with "what if we tried THIS?" every five minutes. Fast forward to today, and we've got a team of folks who get just as excited about refraction indexes as they do about load-bearing walls.

We're based up here in Toronto, where honestly the winters make you really appreciate good light. Our studio's on University Avenue, and yeah, we practice what we preach - the place is basically a prism when the sun's right.

The People Making It Happen

We're a mix of dreamers and detail-freaks, which somehow works perfectly

Team Lead

Marcus Chen

Lead Architect & Founder

Design Director

Sarah Kowalski

Design Director

Structural Lead

Raj Patel

Structural Engineering Lead

Interior Specialist

Elena Volkov

Interior Space Specialist

Green Building

David Osei

Sustainability Consultant

Visualization

Mia Rodriguez

3D Visualization Expert

Restoration

James MacDonald

Heritage Restoration

What We Actually Stand For

Not the corporate mission statement BS - this is what gets us out of bed

Light First

Every design starts with how natural light moves through the day. Sounds simple, but you'd be surprised how many places ignore this.

Honest Materials

We're not hiding concrete behind fake finishes. If it's steel, let it be steel. If it's glass, let it shine.

Actually Sustainable

Not just slapping solar panels on stuff. We're talking passive cooling, smart orientation, materials that'll outlast the mortgage.

Real Collaboration

You're not just hiring us to draw what you dreamed up. We're gonna push back, suggest wild ideas, and hopefully make something neither of us expected.

How We Got Here

The scenic route through architecture

2015 - The Lightbulb Moment

Started experimenting with crystal-inspired designs in a cramped studio apartment. The neighbors thought we were weird.

2017 - First Real Project

Landed a residential renovation that let us try out our light refraction theories. Client took a chance on us - still grateful for that.

2019 - Studio Expansion

Moved to University Avenue. Hired Sarah and Raj. Started taking on commercial projects. Things got real pretty fast.

2021 - Award Recognition

Won some awards we didn't expect. More importantly, got to work on a heritage restoration that taught us a ton about respecting what came before.

2024 - Today

Seven-person team, projects across Canada, and still getting excited about how light hits a wall at 3pm on a Tuesday.

Our Studio

Come Visit The Studio

We're always up for coffee and talking about your project - or honestly just nerding out about architecture.

Find us at:

425 University Avenue, Suite 1200
Toronto, ON M5G 1T6, Canada

Call: (416) 555-0147

Email: info@crystalforgequint.info

Get In Touch