What dys architecture does

dys architecture is a privately held architectural and planning firm founded in 1982 and headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, with a secondary office in Victoria. The firm provides professional design services across five practice areas: commercial projects, institutional and healthcare facilities, market-rate residential developments, non-market and Indigenous housing, and master planning for urban villages and transit-oriented communities. Its portfolio includes marquee projects such as the Lions Gate Hospital Acute Care Facility, Vancouver General Hospital Hybrid OR, the 63-storey 1151 West Georgia tower, and numerous Passive House and LEED Gold certified affordable housing developments.

The firm differentiates through deep expertise in high-performance building envelopes (Passive House standards, BC Energy Code Step 3 and Step 4 compliance, LEED Gold certification) and through long-standing collaborative relationships with Indigenous communities on non-market housing across British Columbia. Its revenue model is professional services fees billed against custom-quoted project scopes, with clients spanning enterprise residential developers (Concord Pacific, Polygon, Beedie Living, Holborn Group), healthcare authorities (Vancouver Coastal Health), post-secondary institutions (Simon Fraser University), government housing agencies (BC Housing), and Indigenous nations (Musqueam, Nisga'a).

The firm operates as a partnership, led by founding partner David Simpson alongside six Principals, with offices in Vancouver and Victoria and approximately 66 total employees. Go-to-market is sales-led through established client relationships, project reputation, and recurring collaborations with strategic design partners including Hariri Pontarini Architects, Urban Strategies, PWL Landscape Architects, and Azziza Indigenous Design Group. The firm has pursued a measured geographic expansion within BC — extending from Metro Vancouver into Surrey, Burnaby, Vancouver Island, and Northern BC — while deepening its specialization in healthcare and Indigenous housing.

Name

dys architecture

Legal name

dys architecture

Website

https://dysarchitecture.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

dys architecture is a Vancouver-based architectural and planning firm founded in 1982, serving enterprise developers, healthcare authorities, government, and Indigenous communities across British Columbia with sustainable design expertise in Passive House, LEED Gold, and BC Energy Code-compliant projects.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131), Landscape Architectural Services (541320)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Landscape Architecture & Site Design (BPAHAKAC)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Sustainable building design
• Healthcare facility architecture
• Affordable housing design
• Urban master planning

Headquarters

HQ city

Vancouver

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Architectural Design Services: Professional fees for architectural design, planning, and project management services across commercial, institutional, residential, and mixed-use projects. Revenue generated through design contracts with developers, government, healthcare authorities, and Indigenous organizations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

dys architecture is an architectural and planning firm providing professional design, planning, and project management services across commercial, institutional, healthcare, market residential, non-market residential (affordable/Indigenous housing), and master planning sectors. The firm delivers custom-quoted design contracts for projects ranging from high-rise residential towers and hospitals to Passive House certified affordable housing and transit-oriented master planned communities.

Product overview

dys architecture is an architectural and planning firm (not a software/technology company) providing architectural services since 1982. The firm's portfolio spans five main service categories: Commercial Projects (office, retail, industrial buildings), Institutional Projects (hospitals, surgical centres, care homes), Market Residential Projects (high-rise towers, townhouses, mixed-use), Non-Market Residential Projects (affordable housing, seniors housing, Indigenous housing), and Master Planning (urban villages, transit-oriented developments). Notable individual projects include Lions Gate Hospital Acute Care Facility ($310M), Slate (45-storey residential), Park George (600,000 sf twin towers), The Conservatory (20-storey at UBC), and various Passive House certified affordable housing projects.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Commercial Projects Commercial architectural services including office, retail, and light-industrial building design such as West 5th Ave Office + Industrial (54,000 sf) and 1151 West Georgia hotel/residential tower.
• Institutional Projects Healthcare and institutional architecture services including hospital renovations, surgical centres, and care facilities such as Lions Gate Hospital Acute Care Facility and VGH Hybrid OR.
• Market Residential Projects Market-rate residential development services including high-rise towers, townhouses, and mixed-use developments such as Slate (45-storey), Park George, and Concord Park Boulevard.
• Non-Market Residential Projects Affordable and supportive housing architecture including social housing, seniors housing, and Indigenous housing projects such as Nuutsumuut Lelum Passive House and Tsawaayuus Seniors Housing.
• Master Planning Urban planning and master-planned community design services including transit-oriented developments and neighbourhood planning such as Blake Village (18.8-acre mixed-use) and lelem at University Endowment Lands.

Quantifiable outcome

• 40+ years of continuous operation and growth in BC market
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Hariri Pontarini ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership on large-scale master planned communities including Blake Village and Blake Heights projects in Burnaby, integrating architectural and urban design expertise for transit-oriented developments.
• Urban StrategiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on major urban village master planning projects in Burnaby, contributing urban planning and policy expertise alongside architectural design.
• PWL Landscape ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative landscape architecture integration for large master planned communities, ensuring cohesive public realm and outdoor space design.
• Nigel Baldwin ArchitectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing association on multiple residential and mixed-use projects at UBC Wesbrook Village, including Tapestry, The Conservatory, and Academy developments.
• Rafii Architects Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign architect partnership on Slate tower in Burnaby and Orchid development in Richmond, combining expertise for complex high-rise projects.
• DA ArchitectsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation on SFU Residences + Dining Hall project, an award-winning student housing development.
• Azziza Indigenous Design GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Indigenous housing projects including BC Housing Prince George development, combining expertise in Indigenous design and cultural considerations.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• DIALOG: Canadian design firm with a Vancouver office offering architecture, planning, and interior design across healthcare, residential, and urban sectors. Strong overlap with dys on healthcare facility design and master planning in Western Canada.
• Revery Architecture: Revery Architecture (formerly Bing Thom Architects) is a Vancouver-based architectural firm of comparable scale focusing on civic, cultural, and mixed-use projects across BC. Directly comparable as a BC-rooted mid-sized firm pursuing complex institutional and urban projects.
• Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership (MCMP): Vancouver architecture firm of similar size delivering institutional, residential, and master-planning projects across BC. Comparable in scale, regional focus, and service mix (architecture + urban design).
• HCMA Architecture + Design: Vancouver-based architecture and design firm with comparable size, working across institutional, civic, and residential projects in BC. Comparable profile in mixed-use developments and public-sector work.
• Lemay Architecture: Montreal-based architecture and design firm of similar size and profile, active across institutional, residential, and master-planning sectors in Canada. Comparable as a Canadian multi-office firm serving major institutional clients.
• Francis-Jones Aikenhead (FJA): Toronto-based architectural firm with comparable size, working on multi-family residential and master-planning projects. Comparable as a Canadian mid-sized practice focused on high-density residential design.

Broad incumbents

• Stantec Architecture: Global design and engineering firm with a BC architecture practice serving healthcare, institutional, and residential markets. Competes broadly with dys across multiple project types at greater scale.
• B+H Architects: International architecture firm with Vancouver office serving healthcare, commercial, and residential clients. Comparable in healthcare facility design and large-scale mixed-use development pursuits.
• Perkins&Will: Global architecture firm with strong Vancouver presence, active in healthcare and institutional sectors across BC including Vancouver Coastal Health projects. Competes with dys for major hospital and institutional commissions.
• IBI Group (Architecture): International design and engineering firm with a Vancouver architecture practice delivering residential, healthcare, and institutional projects. Overlaps with dys on multi-family and master planning but operates at significantly larger scale and scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dys-architecture

Compliance9 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 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 dys architecture