Ply Studios Architecture

What Ply Studios Architecture does

Ply Studios Architecture (legal entity: Ply Architecture Inc.) is a Vancouver-based architecture and interior design firm founded by Casey Burgess in 2013. The firm operates as a full-service studio delivering design services across three primary verticals: food and beverage/hospitality (Barbara, Juke Fried Chicken, Joe Pizza, Pacific Poke, Verdura, Buckets Ice Cream, Shaketown Brewing), fitness and wellness (Lagree West across six locations, Tight Club/Field House, Jaybird), and residential architecture (the signature Subtract House series, Flying Leap Studio). Project portfolio spans Vancouver, Toronto, and the Okanagan Valley.

The studio's core technical differentiation rests on a "subtractive design process" — an inversion of conventional additive residential design that begins with the maximum buildable envelope under Vancouver land use bylaws and subtracts volume to sculpt distinctive architectural forms. In commercial work, the firm has developed novel fabrication techniques, notably origami-inspired modular metal triangle installations demonstrated in the German Design Award-winning Pacific Poke project. There is no proprietary software platform; the firm's "technology" is its design methodology, craft, and collaborator network rather than digital IP.

The firm operates on a project-based professional services revenue model with quote-based fees that are not publicly disclosed. Go-to-market is relationship-driven: direct client engagement, referrals from a network of photographers (Andrew Latreille, Krista Jahnke), branding agencies (Glasfurd & Walker, Very Polite Agency), and contractors (Pacific Solutions, Harmony Pacific, Milltown Contracting), supplemented by visibility earned through design awards and industry publications. Notable client outcomes include a Michelin-starred restaurant (Barbara), a German Design Award winner (Pacific Poke, 2018), and a Restaurant + Bar Design Awards 2017 shortlist alongside internationally recognized designers.

Name

Ply Studios Architecture

Legal name

Ply Architecture Inc.

Website

https://plyarchitecture.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Ply Studios Architecture is a Vancouver-based architecture and interior design firm founded in 2013, serving food and beverage, fitness and wellness, and residential clients across Canada with a signature subtractive design methodology and award-winning commercial interiors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Vancouver

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Architecture and Design Services: Full-service architecture and interior design firm providing design services for commercial (restaurants, retail, fitness studios) and residential projects. Revenue generated through project-based design fees.
2. Multi-Location Design Partnerships: Ongoing design partnerships with clients operating multiple locations (e.g., Lagree West - six locations), providing repeat design services as clients expand.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Ply Architecture is a Vancouver-based architecture and interior design studio that delivers design services for commercial establishments (restaurants, breweries, fitness studios, retail) and residential projects. The firm is known for its distinctive "subtractive design process" methodology, which inverts traditional additive residential design by starting with the maximum buildable envelope and sculpting form to meet program requirements. Services are delivered as project-based engagements with clients across Canada, primarily in British Columbia.

Product overview

Ply Studios Architecture is a Vancouver-based architecture and interior design firm offering design services across residential and commercial sectors. The firm's portfolio comprises named project sub-brands spanning restaurants (Juke, Barbara, Joe Pizza, Pacific Poke, Verdura), fitness studios (Lagree West, Tight Club | Field House, Jaybird), hospitality venues (Shaketown Brewing, Buckets Ice Cream), and residential projects (Subtract House series, Flying Leap). The firm is recognized for its innovative subtractive design process methodology and has received international design awards including the German Design Award 2018.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Commercial Interior Design Services Full-service interior design for commercial clients including restaurants, breweries, fitness studios, and retail spaces, with focus on cohesive, transparent, and connected spatial experiences.
• Residential Architecture Services Architecture services for single-family homes and residential projects, leveraging the firm's subtractive design process to create expressive urban forms within regulatory constraints.
• Multi-Location Design Partnership Services Repeat design engagements for clients operating or expanding across multiple locations, providing design consistency and brand-aligned spatial evolution across geographies.

Quantifiable outcome

• Barbara restaurant named among top 9 Michelin-starred restaurants in Vancouver
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Andrew LatreillecoreOthersPrimary photographer for many Ply Architecture projects including Juke, Subtract House series, and Flying Leap. Andrew Latreille's photography documented in project pages and book features (Reside).
• Krista JahnkecoreOthersPhotography partner for Joe Pizza and Jaybird projects, capturing interior and architectural details.
• Glasfurd & WalkercoreTechnology or IntegrationBranding agency collaboration for Juke Fried Chicken project. Contributed to cohesive brand identity integration with interior design.
• Pacific SolutionscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerContractor for Juke Fried Chicken project. Ensures design implementation and construction quality.
• Harmony PacificcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerContractor for Pacific Poke project. Executed origami-inspired metal fabrication and installation.
• Milltown ContractingcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerContractor for Lagree West project. Executed precise, efficient layout and construction across multiple fitness studio locations.
• Sarah DelaneyminorOthersMural artist collaboration for Barbara restaurant - created graphic mural as contrast to stainless steel open kitchen.
• Union Wood CominorOthersMillwork provider for Barbara restaurant project, contributing custom wood elements to warm interior palette.
• Jeremy SegalminorOthersPhotography partner for Buckets Ice Cream project.
• Liz RosaminorOthersArt and photography collaboration for Jaybird movement and meditation studio.
• Hana by CelsiaminorOthersFloral design collaboration for Jaybird studio, contributing to serene atmosphere.
• Figure 1 PublishingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublisher of Reside: Contemporary West Coast Houses featuring Ply Architecture's Subtract House project. Contributed to industry recognition and credibility.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Olson Kundig: Larger Seattle-based architecture and design firm with award-winning residential and hospitality work. A broader incumbent that competes for premium West Coast hospitality and custom-residential commissions Ply also targets.
• Cecconi Simone: Toronto-based interior design and architecture firm with a much larger headcount but overlapping expertise in hospitality, multi-unit residential, and branded commercial interiors.

Direct peers

• Measured Architecture: Vancouver architecture firm with a portfolio covering custom residential, restaurants, and commercial projects of similar scale. Shares Ply's emphasis on contemporary West Coast design and craft-driven outcomes.
• Atelier Barda: Montreal-based architecture and design studio with a hospitality, restaurant, and retail portfolio of comparable boutique scale and international press profile.
• Mcfarlane Biggar Architects + Interiors: Vancouver-based boutique architecture and interior design firm with a similar project scale and a portfolio spanning hospitality, retail, and residential. Most directly comparable to Ply in geography, size, and client mix.
• Ste. Marie Art + Design: Vancouver-based design practice working across interiors, retail, and hospitality with an established award-winning profile. Comparable to Ply in project type, scale, and brand-led approach to commercial interiors.
• Studio Four: Vancouver architecture and interior design practice with similar size, client mix in hospitality and residential, and a contemporary design-led positioning.
• DesignAgency: Toronto-based multidisciplinary design firm spanning hospitality, restaurant, and hotel interiors. Comparable to Ply in commercial hospitality design and brand-integrated project delivery.
• Falken Reynolds: Vancouver architecture and interior design studio with a comparable boutique footprint, contemporary West Coast sensibility, and overlap in custom residential and small commercial work.
• BattersbyHowat: Vancouver-based architecture and interior design firm with comparable boutique scale and a strong residential and hospitality portfolio. Operates in the same local competitive set as Ply.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/_ply_
• Facebookfacebook.com/PLYarchitecture
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ply-architecture-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ply Studios Architecture