About Us - Onyx Thalquiver Architecture

Our Story Isn't Picture-Perfect

Started back in 2011 in a cramped Toronto loft with more coffee stains than square footage. Three architects who'd gotten fed up with the "build it big, build it fast" mentality decided there had to be a better way.

Fast forward to now - we've grown, sure, but we haven't lost that initial fire. Every project still gets the same obsessive attention we gave to that first residential renovation on Dundas West. Yeah, we've picked up some awards along the way, but honestly? The real win is when a client calls us five years later just to say their space still feels right.

We work with sustainable materials because it makes sense, not because it's trendy. We design contemporary spaces because clean lines and natural light actually improve how people live and work. Call it a philosophy if you want - we just call it doing things properly.

How We Build Different

The Humans Behind The Blueprints

No corporate speak here - just real people who love what they do

Sarah Chen

Principal Architect & Founding Partner

Spent her twenties working on glass towers that all looked the same. Had an epiphany during a hiking trip in Algonquin - why are we building things that fight against their environment instead of working with it?

Now she's the one pushing our team to find that sweet spot between cutting-edge design and genuine sustainability. She's got this uncanny ability to walk into a space and just... know what it needs to be. Doesn't hurt that she's won the Ontario Architecture Award three times.

Specialty: Residential Design, Sustainable Integration

Can't work without: Her vintage drafting compass and way too much matcha

Marcus Oladele

Lead Commercial Architect & Partner

Marcus doesn't do boring office buildings. He physically can't. Tried it for five years at a big firm and almost lost his mind. Joined us because he wanted to prove that commercial spaces could actually have soul.

He's the guy who'll spend three weeks obsessing over how natural light hits a lobby at different times of day. His projects for local businesses have this way of feeling both professional and welcoming - turns out people work better when their environment doesn't feel like a corporate prison.

Specialty: Commercial Architecture, Urban Planning

Known for: Redesigning the Drake Hotel expansion (yeah, that one)

Elena Kowalski

Heritage Restoration Specialist & Partner

Elena's got this rare gift - she can make a 1920s building work for modern life without stripping away what made it special in the first place. Grew up in her family's century home in Cabbagetown, so she gets the whole "old building" thing on a personal level.

She joined us five years ago and basically created our entire heritage restoration practice from scratch. Now she's the one developers call when they've got a historic property and don't want to screw it up. Her Queen West project won the Toronto Urban Design Award last year.

Specialty: Historic Restoration, Adaptive Reuse

Fun fact: Has personally restored 47 buildings across Ontario

James Park

Director of Interior Space Planning

James thinks about spaces differently than most of us. He's constantly asking "but how will people actually USE this?" which sounds obvious until you realize how many beautiful buildings are completely impractical.

He came from a product design background, which explains his obsession with functionality. Every interior he plans feels intuitive - like it was always meant to be that way. Clients love him because he actually listens instead of just imposing his vision.

Specialty: Interior Space Planning, Sustainable Building Consulting

Philosophy: "Good design disappears - you just feel comfortable"

Recognition & Awards

We don't chase awards, but it's nice when people notice

★

Ontario Architecture Award

2023, 2021, 2019

Excellence in Sustainable Residential Design

★

Toronto Urban Design Award

2022

Queen West Heritage Restoration Project

★

Canadian Green Building Award

2023

Net-Zero Commercial Development

★

AZ Awards

2020

Residential Architecture - Single Family

LEED Certified

All our principals hold LEED accreditation. It's not just a certificate on the wall - we actually use these principles every single day.

OAA Members

Proud members of the Ontario Association of Architects. Means we're held to professional standards and stay current with building codes.

Featured Work

Our projects have been featured in Azure Magazine, Canadian Architect, and Dwell. Still feels surreal every time.

How We Actually Work

Look, we could give you some polished spiel about "collaborative process" and "design excellence." But here's the real deal:

We start every project by shutting up and listening. What do YOU need? Not what we think looks cool, not what won an award last year - what's actually going to make your space work better?

Then we obsess over the details. Sarah's probably going to ask you weird questions about how morning light hits your kitchen. Marcus will want to know how foot traffic flows through your lobby. Elena might spend an hour examining original brick mortar. This is normal for us.

We don't do cookie-cutter anything. Your project gets custom solutions because that's literally the only way we know how to work. Takes longer sometimes, costs a bit more occasionally, but the result actually fits your needs instead of being forced into some template.

Want To Work Together?

We're always up for interesting projects and good conversations

Get In Touch See Our Work