VIA Architecture is one of the Northwest's leading firms in architecture, urban planning and sustainable community building. Our perspective encompasses the big picture thinking of the master planner and the love of design and detail of the craftsman. Our work shapes the fabric of cities.

With offices in Vancouver BC and Seattle WA, our firm was founded in 1984 upon the idea that design forms a continuum in the everyday world, from the park bench to the city master plan. We see no boundaries to our work, which expands to all scales and to any design problem. Our passion is the creation of "the right building in the right place". This means that architecture must be functional, sustainable, and beautiful, and it must fully ground itself into its urban context. Our years of design leadership in the Pacific Northwest have afforded us a clear and comprehensive understanding of the environment, the culture, and the shared urban vision for the region.

We are particularly known for our inclusive approach to design work and for cultivating the potential of collaborative thought to develop design solutions that are rich and meaningful. We like to play in the sandbox with other architects and planners. Our design process continues a long tradition of collective synergy between architectural firms that is unique to Vancouver. Projects such as Expo 86, Simon Fraser University and False Creek South illustrate the strength of this "best of the best" approach, where architects chosen for their overall ability and sensitivity to the project needs created memorable landmarks that are far greater than the sum of their individual contributions.

We often lead or play a key role on project teams because of our ability to analyze, understand, define, and describe projects in an experiential way. Our visioning processes and communication methods reflect this perspective and are highly valued by clients, team members, and the public. Our understanding of technical issues allows us to collaborate naturally with engineering and specialty consultant teams, while always testing ideas against urban design and livability principles to ensure that our projects work at the most important scale - the human experience.

We also love the design of innovative small buildings that demonstrate our vision for the future of a particular place. As catalysts for future surrounding development, these small interventions provide the spark and spirit that inspire neighborhoods to grow around them. Our primary role is that of placemaker, from the broadest scale to the smallest detail that make urban places memorable and livable.