Who We Are

Crafting Tomorrow's Spaces Today

Our Story

We started Obsidrax back in 2014 when a few of us got tired of seeing the same cookie-cutter buildings popping up everywhere. The idea was simple – what if we could design spaces that actually respond to how people live today, not how they lived fifty years ago?

Based in Toronto's King West, we've spent over a decade working on projects that push boundaries without forgetting the basics. Our team's grown from three passionate architects to a collective of designers, engineers, and thinkers who all share one thing: we genuinely care about making buildings that'll matter twenty years from now.

What Drives Us

Honestly? We're not here to win awards or show off fancy renderings. We design because there's something deeply satisfying about solving real problems through architecture. Every building we touch needs to earn its place – both in the landscape and in people's daily lives. Sustainability isn't a buzzword for us, it's literally how we approach every single project from day one.

The Journey So Far

2014

Foundation

Three architects left their corporate jobs and rented a small loft space on King Street. We had more ambition than clients, but we knew what kind of studio we wanted to build – one that didn't compromise on environmental standards.

2016

First Major Break

Landed our first commercial project – a mixed-use development that let us experiment with passive heating and green roofs. It took twice as long as we quoted (learned that lesson fast), but it put us on the map for sustainable design in the GTA.

2019

Studio Expansion

Moved into Suite 302 and doubled our team. Started taking on more residential work, which was actually refreshing – there's something intimate about designing someone's home that keeps you grounded when you're also working on larger commercial stuff.

2022

Sustainability Certification

Got certified as a Net Zero design studio. The whole team went through intensive training on carbon-neutral construction methods. It wasn't cheap or easy, but it aligned our credentials with what we'd been preaching all along.

2025

Present Day

We're now a team of fifteen working on everything from single-family homes to urban planning consultations. Still in the same neighborhood, still obsessed with doing things right rather than fast. The work's gotten more complex, but our philosophy hasn't changed much since day one.

How We Work

Listen First, Design Second

We spend way more time in the discovery phase than most firms. Clients sometimes get impatient, but you can't design properly without understanding the real needs – not just what someone says they want, but what'll actually serve them long-term.

Context Matters

Every site has a story – the way light hits it, how neighbors interact with the street, what the area might look like in fifteen years. We dig into all of that before we even sketch a concept. Buildings don't exist in isolation, no matter what some architects think.

Material Honesty

We're big believers in letting materials be themselves. Concrete looks like concrete, wood looks like wood. There's enough fakery in the world without adding faux finishes to architecture. Plus, authentic materials age way better.

Built-In Flexibility

Life changes, families grow, businesses evolve. We try to design spaces that can adapt without major renovations. It's about thinking ahead to how a building might need to transform over decades, not just months.

The Team

We've built a team that brings different perspectives to every project. Some of us came from big corporate firms, others from boutique studios. We've got folks who love getting into the technical weeds of building codes and others who think primarily in spatial relationships and natural light.

What binds us together? Nobody here is just punching a clock. Everyone's genuinely invested in creating work that pushes contemporary design forward while respecting environmental limits. We argue a lot in the best way – challenging each other's assumptions until we land on something better than any of us could've designed solo.

Get In Touch

Let's Build Something Meaningful

Whether you're thinking about a new build, renovation, or just exploring possibilities, we'd love to hear what you're working on. No project's too early-stage for a conversation.

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