About Us - Mystral & Forge Quintessential Architecture

How It All Started

Look, we're not gonna feed you the usual corporate nonsense about "envisioning the future" or whatever. Mystral & Forge came together back in 2012 when two stubborn architects realized they were tired of seeing Vancouver's beautiful old buildings get torn down and replaced with soulless glass boxes.

Sarah Mystral had spent years working on heritage projects across Europe, while Marcus Forge was doing sustainable commercial builds in the Pacific Northwest. We met at a city council meeting - both arguing for the same condemned heritage building from opposite angles. Figured we'd be stronger combining forces than fighting each other.

Turns out, you CAN have modern sustainable design that respects where we've been. Who knew?

What We Actually Believe In

Real Sustainability

Not just slapping solar panels on things and calling it green. We're talking about buildings that'll last generations, use materials that make sense, and don't trash the environment getting built.

History Matters

Vancouver's got some incredible architectural heritage, and we're not letting it disappear. Restoration isn't about turning buildings into museums - it's about making them work for today while respecting yesterday.

People First

Buildings exist for humans, not the other way around. We spend time understanding how people actually use spaces - not how we think they should use 'em.

Meet the Folks Behind the Blueprints

Sarah Mystral

Co-Founder & Heritage Lead

Spent 8 years restoring medieval structures in Scotland before coming back home. Still thinks old growth timber framing is the best construction method ever invented.

Marcus Forge

Co-Founder & Sustainable Design

Former structural engineer who got frustrated with wasteful building practices. Now obsessed with passive heating systems and reclaimed materials. Annoyingly right most of the time.

Jennifer Wu

Senior Architect

Residential specialist who somehow makes building codes sound interesting. Three-time winner of local design awards, but she'll never mention it herself.

David Kowalski

Urban Planning Consultant

Former city planner who jumped ship to work on projects that actually get built. Knows every zoning regulation in Metro Vancouver by heart.

Our Approach (Without the Jargon)

Here's the thing - every project's different. We're not gonna cookie-cutter your commercial building the same way we'd handle a 1920s heritage home. That'd be stupid.

We start by actually listening. Weird concept, right? But you'd be surprised how many architects just wanna impose their vision without understanding what you need or what the building's telling us.

Then we dig into the details - site conditions, local history, materials that make sense for Vancouver's climate, how natural light moves through spaces. We've got software and modeling tools, sure, but we also just... spend time with the space.

And yeah, we'll push back if you want something that's gonna be a maintenance nightmare in five years or doesn't work with the building's bones. That's literally our job.

See What We've Built

Why Vancouver?

This city's at a weird crossroads. We've got stunning natural surroundings, a growing population, heritage buildings that need saving, and pressure to build sustainable infrastructure. It's complicated, messy, and honestly? That's what makes it interesting.

We're not trying to turn Vancouver into some sterile modern utopia or preserve it in amber like it's 1950. Good architecture finds the balance - keeping what works, fixing what doesn't, and building new stuff that future generations won't curse us for.

87+

Projects Completed

12

Years in Business

23

Heritage Restorations

Let's Talk About Your Project

Whether you're looking to restore a heritage building, design something new, or figure out how to make an existing space work better - we're here to help. No project's too weird.

Get In Touch

Who We Are