About Us | Ember Quintharis Architects

Our Story (The Real Version)

Started in 2009 when three architecture grads realized they were tired of designing cookie-cutter condos. We wanted to create spaces that actually meant something - buildings that respect where they came from while pushing forward.

Honestly? Those first few years were rough. We worked out of a cramped office above a laundromat on Queen West, living on coffee and the occasional ramen budget splurge. But we stuck to our guns - every project had to balance modern needs with environmental responsibility. No greenwashing, no shortcuts.

How We Got Here

2009

The Beginning

Three friends, one vision, and way too much student debt. We opened shop with our first client - a heritage home restoration that taught us more than four years of school ever did.

2012

First Big Break

Won a competition to redesign a 1920s warehouse into mixed-use space. That project put us on the map and showed us we could actually pull off the whole "modern meets heritage" thing.

2015

Going Green

Got our LEED certification and started focusing hard on sustainable design. Not just slapping solar panels on roofs - we're talking passive heating, reclaimed materials, the works.

2018

Team Expansion

Moved to our King Street location and brought on specialists in urban planning and interior architecture. Suddenly we weren't just three people anymore - we were a proper studio.

2021

Heritage Recognition

Received the Ontario Heritage Trust Award for restoring a Victorian-era building downtown. That one still makes us proud - saved a piece of Toronto's history from becoming another parking lot.

2024

Today

Fifteen years in, we're still learning and still pushing boundaries. Over 100 projects completed, but we approach each new one like it's our first.

What Drives Us

These aren't corporate values we printed on a poster - this is what actually gets us out of bed

Respect the Past

Old buildings have stories. We don't bulldoze history - we bring it forward. Every brick, every beam tells you something if you're willing to listen.

Build for Tomorrow

Climate change isn't coming - it's here. We design buildings that work with nature, not against it. Passive cooling, solar orientation, materials that'll last generations.

No BS Approach

We'll tell you if your idea won't work. We'll explain why. Then we'll figure out something better together. Honesty saves everyone time and money.

Function First

Pretty buildings that don't work are just expensive sculptures. We start with how you'll actually use the space, then make it beautiful. In that order.

Community Matters

Buildings don't exist in a vacuum. We think about neighbors, streetscapes, how a project fits into its surroundings. Architecture shapes communities.

Always Learning

Every project teaches us something. New materials, better methods, lessons from mistakes. We're fifteen years in and still feel like students sometimes.

Meet the Team

The people who make it happen

Ember Quintharis

Co-Founder & Lead Architect

Started sketching buildings at age 7 and never stopped. Specializes in heritage restoration and has an unhealthy obsession with Victorian-era craftsmanship. Drinks way too much espresso.

Marcus Chen

Co-Founder & Sustainable Design Director

The environmental conscience of the firm. If it's not green, Marcus won't touch it. Got into architecture after building solar-powered treehouses as a kid. Still kind of doing the same thing.

Sarah Okonkwo

Co-Founder & Urban Planning Lead

Thinks about cities the way chess players think about boards - always three moves ahead. Grew up in Lagos, studied in Montreal, brings perspectives that keep us honest about density and community.

Alex Petrov

Senior Project Architect

The detail guy. If there's a technical challenge, Alex finds a way through it. Former structural engineer who switched to architecture because "buildings should be more than just stable."

Jamie Rodriguez

Interior Architecture Lead

Makes spaces feel right. Background in psychology shows - Jamie designs interiors based on how people actually move and live, not just what looks good in magazines.

Priya Sharma

Heritage Specialist

Our newest partner, and already invaluable. Studied heritage conservation in Edinburgh, can date a building by looking at the mortar. Keeps us grounded when we get too modern.

Want to Work Together?

We're always up for interesting projects - whether it's restoring a century home or designing a net-zero office building

Let's Talk

Who We Really Are