About Us - Drift Vale Quinor Architecture

How We Got Here

Look, we didn't start out thinking we'd become coastal architecture specialists. It kinda just happened when we realized that Vancouver's shoreline deserved better than cookie-cutter condos and generic waterfront developments.

Back in 2011, three of us were sitting in a cramped Gastown office, frustrated with how most firms were treating coastal projects - like the ocean was just a nice backdrop instead of something you actually design WITH. We figured we could do it differently, maybe even better.

Fast forward to today, and we've got a team of 18 people who genuinely get excited about tide patterns and salt-air corrosion (yeah, we're that kind of nerdy). Our studio's become a place where structural engineers argue with marine biologists over lunch, and everyone's got sand in their boots from site visits.

Where innovation meets the horizon isn't just our tagline - it's literally what we see from our office windows every morning.

Our Journey So Far

2011

The Beginning

Started with three architects, one dream, and way too much caffeine. Our first project was a small beach house renovation in Tofino that taught us everything about salt damage the hard way.

2014

Finding Our Voice

Won our first major commercial project - a waterfront community center in West Van. That's when we realized sustainable coastal design wasn't just possible, it was necessary. Started bringing marine consultants into the early design phases instead of treating them as an afterthought.

2017

Growing Pains

Moved to our current office on West Georgia. Team grew to 12 people. Started doing heritage restorations along the coast and discovered we're apparently good at making old buildings work with modern environmental standards without losing their soul.

2021

Climate Reality Check

The heat dome and atmospheric rivers hit BC hard. Changed how we think about every single project. Now we design assuming the worst-case scenarios for sea-level rise and extreme weather - because hoping for the best isn't architecture, it's gambling.

2024

Where We Are Now

18 team members, projects from Haida Gwaii to the Gulf Islands, and we're still learning something new on every build. Recently started a mentorship program with UBC's architecture school because this stuff's too important to keep to ourselves.

The Team

We're not gonna pretend everyone here loves long walks on the beach, but we do all care about building things that'll still be standing (and beautiful) in 50 years.

Helena Chen

Principal Architect

Started the firm after getting fed up with mainland developers treating our coastline like it was disposable. Has an unhealthy obsession with timber joinery and spends way too much time arguing about fenestration details. M.Arch from UBC, 15+ years of telling clients that no, you can't have floor-to-ceiling glass facing northwest without consequences.

Marcus Oduya

Lead Structural Engineer

The guy who figures out how to make Helena's wild ideas actually stand up. Grew up in Kitsilano watching old buildings fall apart from poor waterproofing, now he's basically a forensic detective for moisture problems. Can tell you exactly why your deck is failing just by looking at the fastener pattern. P.Eng with zero patience for shortcuts.

Sarah Blackwood

Sustainability Director

Used to work for a big commercial firm doing LEED certifications, got tired of greenwashing. Now she makes sure every material we spec can actually justify its existence. Knows more about embodied carbon than anyone should. Will absolutely grill suppliers about their supply chains. LEED AP BD+C and not afraid to use it.

David Park

Interior Architecture Lead

Believes that interior spaces should feel like they belong to the place, not like they were copy-pasted from a magazine. Spent five years restoring heritage interiors before joining us. Has strong opinions about millwork and isn't shy about sharing them. ARIDO certified and always sketching something.

Priya Sandhu

Senior Project Manager

The person who keeps everything from descending into chaos. Worked on major coastal developments in Victoria before moving to Vancouver. Has a gift for translating architect-speak into contractor-speak and back again. Can smell a budget overrun three months out. PMP certified problem-solver.

Jamie Kowalski

Design Technologist

Fresh out of school but already making the rest of us look like dinosaurs with their parametric modeling skills. Uses computational design to optimize everything from solar angles to wind flow patterns. Still idealistic enough to believe architecture can save the world, which honestly we need more of around here.

How We Actually Work

Forget the fancy process diagrams. Here's the truth: we start every project by visiting the site at different times of day and in different weather. You can't design for a place you haven't experienced.

We bring in the weird specialists early - marine biologists, climate scientists, heritage consultants - whoever needs to be at the table. Yeah, it makes early meetings crowded and occasionally contentious, but it beats discovering problems when you're already in construction.

Our design process is messy. Lots of sketches, lots of arguments, lots of "what if we tried..." conversations. We use fancy software but we also build physical models because sometimes you need to hold something to understand it.

And we're honest about limitations - budget, site constraints, physics. Magic isn't real, but good design that works with reality? That's achievable.

What We Stand For

Honest Materials

We don't hide what things are made of. If it's wood, let it look like wood. If it's concrete, own it. Authenticity beats fakery every time, and it ages better too.

Context Matters

Every site has a story - geological, cultural, ecological. Our job isn't to ignore that story, it's to add a good chapter to it. Ego-driven architecture that screams "look at me" isn't our thing.

Future-Focused

Climate change isn't coming, it's here. We design for the coastline as it will be, not as it was. That means hard conversations about resilience, adaptation, and sometimes walking away from vulnerable sites.

Want to Work With Us?

We're always up for interesting projects and good conversations. Fair warning though - we'll probably challenge some of your assumptions. That's kind of our thing.

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