Sustainable

The challenge we presented to sustainable.to was to create space for a larger kitchen, increase the natural light in our north facing bungalow, and add a master suite above an existing addition. Sustainable challenged us to think bigger - since we were already going up, why not create a whole new second floor and double our space? That's what we did - and sustainable listened to our feedback, and made all the necessary revisions to the plans until it was right. In the end, we have our dream house - a place we want to live in for the rest of our lives.

Doing a major renovation and hired sustainable.TO to do our architecture drawings. We expected more creative ideas from the architect but we haven't done this before so perhaps that was wishful thinking. Costs were generally in line with the estimate and competitors quotes, although we did have to keep an eye on the invoices to validate them. All in all the people assigned to our project were quite knowledgeable and very well versed with the current and proposed future bylaws. Generally quite satisfied with work, but would need more to rate them as 5 stars.

In the fall of 2009 we hired Paul and his team to turn the cramped cellar of our 1922 home into usable space. We also installed new heating and hot water systems. Paul was very creative in finding ways to get the most from the limited space. He listened to what we wanted and found ways to fit it all into the fairly limited space. He was insistent when he needed to be and as a result we have spaces we love and that work for us. His whole team was very professional. Special thanks are due to John Andrews who oversaw the whole project and was terrific to work with. In fact, it was such a positive experience we are now beginning to think about how to redesign the second floor of our house and we will be hiring sustainable.to for that work as well.

We were faced with a major challenge in constructing the house of our dreams amidst four walls of an old triplex in The Beach.
Sustainable worked with us in coming up with just the right design, that helped maintain the character of the home -- but give us the modern, open feel we craved.
We could not be happier with the result.

We tripped into Paul via a glowing Globe & Mail profile of his work and home in the sustainable space. Plus, he lived in our neighborhood. We just had to meet him. We did. And, we've been happy ever since. Paul is practical, principled, precise and perfectly happy to work within your budget and ever-changing lives. Our project benefited from Paul's insights and innovation. Bet yours would as well.

Re: Paul Dowsett - Architect

Paul was highly recommended to us by a close friend of who had worked with him on a previous project. That was a sustainable and substantial renovation to an Art Deco masterpiece. While our similar buff brick home in South Rosedale was no Art Deco masterpiece, we thought that with the right touch, it could become a home showcasing our mid-century modern sensibilities.

We interviewed many architects, but Paul was the first to immediately understand what we were after: simple, sensible and sustainable ... with a nod to Mondrian. That was the easy part.

As the project began, Paul continued to impress us with his experience and ability to work with everyone from the Zoning Department, to the Heritage Preservation Services, to the Toronto & Region Conservation Authority, to the Committee of Adjustment, to the Building Department, to our Contractor and to various outside Suppliers. Throughout, he continued to provide the guiding hand that kept the project moving forward ... and without once losing his cool!

We are now part-way through the construction process, and are awaiting “final & binding approval” from the Committee of Adjustment for a minor addition. That addition will bring together the entire project vision. We could not be more pleased.

Throughout the process, Paul has remained very conscious of our overall budget. The importance of that cannot be overstated.

We have no hesitation in recommending Paul. His plain-spoken and straightforward manner is a pleasure to deal with. And he is no longer just our architect. He has now also become a friend !

Mike & Jacquie Green
(in South Rosedale)

Mr. Paul Dowsett of SustainABLE was the Architect for the addition to our 110 year old Victorian farm house. The addition increased our living space by about 1,500 square feet. . We have since re-engaged Mr. Dowsett to design our new garage building and our kitchen & conservatory renovations. Each time our experience has been wonderful. We enjoy working with Mr. Dowsett, and without question would engage him in any future design requirements. Mr. Dowsett's professionalism, integrity, and sense of humour make him a pleasure to work with and we hope to do it again soon. HIGHLY RECOMMEDED.

Paul Dowsett of SustainABLE was amazing. I was in charge of a Corporate head office remodel in Toronto... Mr. Dowsett was engaged and our deadlines were tight. He was instrumental in coordinating excellent engineering consultants, finishes, construction trades and furniture suppliers. Our head office was completed on time, on budget and the results were beyond my expectations. We are extremely pleased with the final results. I would highly recommend SustainABLE, Paul Dowsett and all members of his team. Truly a firm with class!

while our contractor left much to be desired, Paul did a great job with the design - the home looks like its been in the neighbourhood for 100 years, but the interior is modern, open and welcoming. It was a challenging project, lots of various levels of approval such as greenbelt, historical society, OMB, etc., Paul kept focused on what was needed to get approved with a design that met our somewhat divergent tastes. My wife and I both love the end result, and it truly feels like home.

I am an Engineer by trade. Engineers don't often get along with architects. We usually like things very functional. Form comes secondary, if at all. Luckily, for me, my spouse is not an engineer. I knew how I wanted our addition (with our circa 1860's cottage) to function, my wife knew how she wanted it to look. Paul was the bridge between us. Often a thin line he walked, but he walked it well. Paul delivered form and function and it's not clear which came first. This is the mark of a good architect. With much thanks from our entire family.