What Cornerstone Architecture does

Cornerstone Architecture is a Vancouver-based architectural firm founded in 1983 by Simon Richards and Scott Kennedy, operating as a privately held professional services practice with a single office at 307-611 Alexander Street, Vancouver, BC. The firm provides a full range of architectural services — feasibility analysis, pre-design planning, master planning, space planning, and interior design — across four service areas: Passive House design, institutional and cultural buildings, residential and mixed-use developments, and hotel/resort and commercial/industrial projects. Cornerstone's core technology is the Passive House (Passivhaus) standard, implemented through an envelope-first approach featuring high levels of insulation, low air infiltration, heat recovery ventilation, and detailed energy modeling; the firm self-describes as Canada's foremost designer of Passive House-compliant multi-unit residential projects.

The firm generates revenue through project-based professional services fees charged to both institutional and private sector clients, delivered via direct consultative engagement rather than a tech-enabled or productized model. Its principal competitive advantages are the dual architect/engineer credentialing of principal Scott Kennedy (P.Eng + B.Arch + LEED), 40+ years of continuous practice, a portfolio including Canada's largest Passive House multi-unit projects at the time of construction (The Heights, 85 units; Spire Landing, 95 units), and affiliation with Passive House Canada, Passive House International, and the North American Passive House Network. The customer base spans educational institutions (BCIT, Crofton House School, Mount Royal University, St. John's School, LaSalle College, Mulgrave School), repeat residential developers (Eighth Avenue Development Group, Spire Development), hospitality operators, and commercial/industrial clients. Business development relies on portfolio reputation, repeat developer relationships, awards (notably two 2018 Wood Design Awards in BC), and earned media coverage.

Name

Cornerstone Architecture

Legal name

Cornerstone Architecture

Website

https://cornerarch.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cornerstone Architecture is a Vancouver-based architectural firm founded in 1983 providing full-range architectural services with a specialization in Passive House multi-unit residential design for institutional, residential developer, hospitality, and commercial clients across British Columbia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131), Interior Design Services (541410)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Urban Planning & Master Planning (BPAHAKAD)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Passive house design
• Residential mixed-use architecture
• Institutional building design
• Sustainable building design

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, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Architectural Services: Full range of architectural services including feasibility analysis, pre-design planning, master planning, space planning, and interior design. Revenue generated through project-based fees for institutional and private sector clients.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Cornerstone Architecture provides a full range of architectural services including feasibility analysis, pre-design planning, master planning, space planning, and interior design. The firm is the foremost Canadian firm designing Passive House (Passivhaus) compliant multi-unit residential projects and delivers institutional, residential/mixed-use, hotel/resort, and commercial/industrial projects on a project-based fee basis.

Product overview

Cornerstone Architecture is a Vancouver-based architectural firm founded in 1983, providing a full range of architectural services including Passive House design, feasibility analysis, master planning, space planning, and interior design. The firm operates across five core service areas: Passive House Design Services (the foremost Canadian firm designing PH-compliant multi-unit residential projects), Institutional & Cultural Architecture (educational facilities, BCIT, Crofton House School), Residential & Mixed-Use Development (including Passive House buildings like The Heights, Spire Landing, Skagen, Little Mountain Cohousing), Hotel & Resort Architecture (Summerland, Pacific Sands, Bear Paw), and Commercial & Industrial Architecture (Bosa Foods, IHI Factory). The firm brings consultative, analytical, and strategic expertise with commitment to sound environmental, technical, and financial understanding across institutional and development sector projects.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Passive House Design Services Rigorous Passive House (Passivhaus) design service for multi-unit residential and mixed-use buildings, applying high levels of insulation, low air infiltration, heat recovery ventilation, and detailed energy modeling to achieve very low energy use. Targeted at developers seeking Passive House certification in Canada.
• Institutional & Cultural Architecture Architectural services for educational institutions, cultural facilities, and public buildings. Past projects include BCIT campus projects, Crofton House School facilities, LaSalle College, St. John's School, Mount Royal University, and Mulgrave School.
• Residential & Mixed-Use Development Architecture Architectural design for residential towers, townhouse developments, mixed-use buildings, cohousing, and affordable housing. Notable Passive House projects include The Heights (85 units), Spire Landing (95 units), Skagen (52 townhomes), Little Mountain Cohousing, Driftwood Village, and Dik Tiy Affordable Housing.
• Hotel & Resort Architecture Architectural services for hotels and resorts including Summerland Waterfront Resort & Spa, Pacific Sands Beach Resort, Bear Paw Resort, Ucluelet Resort Townhouses, and Shuswap Lake Resort.
• Commercial & Industrial Architecture Architectural design for commercial and industrial facilities including Bosa Foods, Mason, Central Agencies Pemberton Office, Westside Village Shopping Centre, Gourmet Warehouse, and IHI Factory.
• Feasibility Analysis Pre-design planning services including site potential evaluation, development options analysis, and pro-forma preparation for institutional and development clients.
• Master Planning Comprehensive master planning services for institutional and development projects.
• Space Planning Interior space optimization and layout planning services supporting architectural projects.
• Interior Design Interior design services complementing architectural work, including projects such as Bosa Foods interior in collaboration with the client's in-house team.

Quantifiable outcome

• Passive House buildings use up to 90% less energy for heating and cooling than conventional buildings
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 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

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Eighth Avenue Development Group Ltd.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary development partner for major Passive House residential projects including The Heights at 388 Skeena and Skagen townhome development in Coquitlam. Ed Kolic is the owner/president of Eighth Avenue Development Group.
• Spire DevelopmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDevelopment partner for Spire Landing at 706 E 57th Ave, Vancouver - Canada's largest multi-unit Passive House with 95 suites.
• Peak ConstructionminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerBuilder/contractor partner for The Heights Passive House project. Doug Wilson is president of Peak Construction.
• Passive House CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliated organization for Passive House standards, courses, events and resources. Cornerstone Architecture is the foremost Canadian firm designing PH-compliant multi-unit residential projects.
• Passive House InternationalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational affiliation for Passive House standards and certification.
• North American Passive House Network (NAPHN)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliated with North American Passive House Network for industry standards and best practices.
• Cornerstone Planning GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRelated firm with principal Simon Richards. Provides comprehensive planning services in addition to architectural services.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Diamond Schmitt Architects: Major Canadian architecture firm with strong institutional and cultural portfolio including educational facilities. Comparable for institutional-sector project experience and Canadian market positioning.
• B+H Architects: Large global architecture firm with significant Canadian presence across institutional, healthcare, and residential sectors. Comparable as a broader incumbent offering overlapping architectural services across Cornerstone's verticals.
• WZMH Architects: Canadian architectural firm with institutional, residential, and commercial portfolio including mixed-use developments. Comparable for building typology overlap and Canadian market focus.
• Perkins&Will: Global architecture firm with extensive sustainable design practice and institutional portfolio. Comparable as a broader incumbent in high-performance and institutional architecture across North America.

Direct peers

• DIALOG: Canadian multi-disciplinary design firm with architecture, engineering, and planning practices. Comparable for integrated design approach, institutional and residential portfolio, and Canadian market presence.
• HBBH Architects: Vancouver architectural firm with institutional and educational project portfolio; Cornerstone has partnered with HBBH on BCIT projects. Comparable for shared market, institutional clients, and association-style project collaboration.
• McFarlane Biggar Architects + Designers: Vancouver-based architectural firm doing multi-unit residential, mixed-use, and institutional projects with sustainability focus. Most directly comparable peer given shared geography, building typologies, and emphasis on high-performance design.

Emerging players

• Onion Flats: US-based architecture and development firm specializing in Passive House and net-zero residential projects. Comparable as a niche high-performance residential architecture peer, though operating in a different geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cornerstone-architecture

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 Cornerstone Architecture