SAS Architecture is renowned for its unique and original modern designs. They are a highly reputable firm with a strong track record of delivering quality architectural services focused on creating a better environment for future generations.

The company was founded as a design firm by managing Principal Architect Sherri Shorten in 2000. The firm operates in Edmonton, Canada’s fifth largest city, and specializes in a wide array of architectural services.  

This award-winning firm has contributed to numerous significant projects, including, Canada’s National Housing Strategy; Peter Hemmingway building upgrades; Grant MacEwan’s Allard Hall, building envelope, working with Reimagine; and Millenium Park Shumka Stage, detailed design for Doug Carlyle Landscape Architect.  

The firm emphasizes good working relationships with clients, builders, engineers, and stakeholders. Shorten achieves success in virtual project delivery by using many talented staff who bring diverse local and international perspectives together to increase expertise in the firm. The influence of global partners at SAS Architecture emphasizes the firm’s priority to practice and deliver sustainable goals: https://sdgs.un.org/goals

Architectural interns who work at SAS Architecture go on to succeed in their careers. Shorten understands the importance of mentoring young professionals to create a better future for everyone. SAS Architecture and her team add value to the design of building projects because they are passionate about their professional obligations beyond the firm. 

Their passion, combined with a committed, talented team to deliver sustainable and innovative practices, makes them Clever Canadian 2024-2025 and, therefore, a valuable partner on any building project.  

In 1997, Reimagine Architects was founded to provide Edmonton with sustainable options when building new properties. It has now grown to four locations, with one in Romania!

One of the things we like is the firm has won several awards, with some exclusively for sustainability. One of its projects even won the Best Sustainable Building by VUE Weekly, Best of Edmonton Awards.

One of Reimagine’s architects is Carey van der Zalm, who earned her Master of Architecture from the University of British Columbia.

It’s worth highlighting that her thesis won the Abraham Rogatnick book prize, which we think many clients will admire.

She’s registered with the Alberta Association of Architects, ensuring she’s legally allowed to practice architecture.

On top of that, she’s the Creative Director of The Site Magazine – a contemporary architecture journal – adding to her expertise.

Additionally, she specialises in healing architecture, creating space to promote healthy mental and emotional well-being. This is worth admiring because it fosters a healing environment and can help reduce stress.

Another thing we appreciate is that Reimagine Architects offers various services. Besides designing and building new projects, they can also handle renovations.

We also think you’ll like this firm if you prefer contemporary designs. You can quickly check their portfolio on their website to get a better idea.

However, we noticed that they focus only on bigger projects, like health centres and campus buildings. And while they do build housing, they don’t concentrate on single-family homes.

Another downside is we heard complaints about difficulty in getting appointments. Given the longevity of Reimagine Architects, we were a bit disappointed about this issue since this has caused delay in some of the clients’ plans.

If you want an architectural firm that has been around for a long time, you can check out ACI Architecture Inc. You see, it’s impressive it has been in the industry for over 30 years.

We appreciate its diverse  team of architects, interior designers, and contract administrators. With these people in the group, we think you can experience the complete services they offer, from design to the completed build.

They’ve even completed projects with a construction value of up to $40 million. From our viewpoint, this high level of experience can help earn the trust of potential clients.

Moreover, they’ve expanded to handling projects in British Columbia and Saskatchewan. Because of this, we believe they can reach a larger client base.

Their Principal and architect, Eddo Cancian, has been in his profession for over 30 years. This long years of experience is something we admire because of the skills and knowledge he’s learned over the years.

Another thing that impressed us is learning that he has an integral role in designing sports and recreation facilities, especially since these are the majority of the projects the firm handles.

His portfolio is also quickly viewable on the website, which we think is incredibly helpful. You’ll find that many of his projects are schools, which impressed us because it needs thorough planning for kids’ safety.

But our main concern is that ACI Architecture seems quite selective with its clients. But we think it’s because its team doesn’t specialise in residential buildings.

So, if you’re looking for an architect in Edmonton to build your dream home, you may need to find a different firm.

What we like about City Architecture Inc. is its specialisation in small and large-scale projects. In addition, its team members are able to take on different sectors, including commercial, residential, and industrial.

It’s also impressive that they have a wide range of clientele. Moreover, they accept various projects from Alberta and British Columbia.

We also appreciate their standards when it comes to thorough service. Upon seeing their projects, we noticed that its team ensures that every aspect of the project is documented, which is great for the client’s convenience.

Furthermore, their wide range of services is something we appreciate since it includes analysis, bidding, and negotiations.

We were also impressed with the firm’s Principal and architect, Nabil Habashy. He’s had over 20 years of experience in the field.

Notably, he’s worked in architectural and interior design in different countries, from Canada to the UAE. This amount of experience greatly impressed us because of the different varieties of projects he’s worked on.

On top of those, he’s a registered architect in Alberta and British Columbia. So, you can work with him even if you live outside of Edmonton.

There’s also a vast online portfolio you can check, from residential to industrial facilities. 

We’re pleased about their service, based on the praises we heard from past clients who commended the team’s professionalism and knowledge. 

The people we spoke with also mentioned that they admired the team’s patience and honesty, no matter the type of project they handled.

However, we’re a bit of a letdown that there aren’t many architects employed in the firm. This can, unfortunately, cause some difficulty when booking a project if there’s a specific architect you want.

For an architectural firm that designs and builds luxury homes, we think you can check out DRAW Designs Ltd. It focuses on residential homes, helping families bring their dream home vision to life. 

Their specialisation is actually what got our attention. If you check their online portfolio, we think you’ll be impressed with their posh designs.

In addition, you can expect different styles, including contemporary and modern architectural designs. We think it’s worth noting that the physical aspects of their projects have a well-designed flow, especially with the paint colours.

Another thing we appreciate is the comprehensive meeting with their clients. Each person has a different view of luxury, and that’s why we were glad to know they customize each home design depending on the client.

We also noted that even after the meetings, its team continues to closely monitor the project in case of design changes. We highly appreciate this because it shows commitment and dedication.

Depending on your preferences, you can schedule an in-person or virtual meeting. This can go for up to 60 minutes, which is quite a lot of time for an initial consultation.

The firm’s founder and senior architectural consultant, Dan Wildeboer, has had a tonne of experience designing homes in Edmonton and overseas. His vast background is essential for clients needing help with their dream homes, in our opinion.

In fact, the clients we talked with loved their homes. They said the whole process was smooth sailing, which is remarkable since home builds can get stressful.

All seems good so far, but we did find some downsides. Some clients experienced late responses, which is understandably bothersome.

On a good note, we found that these kinds of situations don’t happen often. We’re glad to learn from many other previous clients that the design team’s usually responsive on top of being accommodating.

Lastly, we should mention that DRAW Designs only handles residential projects. If you’re looking for an architect for planning business facilities, you may need to search elsewhere.

DIALOG is an architectural firm with studios in Canada and the United States. Besides its various locations, it also offers a wide variety of services, including engineering and urban planning.

One of the things that got our attention is the team’s focus on sustainability. If you want an efficient building, this will definitely get your attention.

Additionally, the team continuously expands their knowledge to achieve a zero-carbon future. Since new homes and facilities build a carbon footprint, their dedication is admirable.

Moreover, DIALOG has a Sustainability Action Plan for every project. With this, its clients’ new homes will continue to be sustainable in the long run.

Going back to its vast services, it has a team that can also do landscape architecture. The good thing about this is you can have a functional space in addition to having a creative and spectacular landscape.

To boot, it has earned multiple awards in design and sustainability. From our perspective, the numerous recognition can impress clients looking for architects in Edmonton.

We want to highlight Magdalena Warshawski, who joined DIALOG in 2014, but quickly moved up and became a Partner in just five years. Impressively, she’s now the Chair of the Edmonton studio.

Further, she has over 15 years of experience in progressive design and handles different types of projects, big or small.

Although they do residential projects, we’re a bit letdown that they don’t focus on individual homes. Another drawback we found is they don’t usually do small projects.