About Us - Emberyn Forge Quint Architects | Toronto Architecture Studio

How It All Started

Back in 2009, three architects walked out of a corporate firm with nothing but sketchbooks and a shared frustration with cookie-cutter design. Sarah Emberyn, Marcus Forge, and David Quint had spent years watching buildings go up that looked good on paper but felt... wrong. Soulless, even.

We set up shop in a cramped King West office - back when this area wasn't quite as polished as it is now. The plan? Create spaces that actually connect with the people using 'em. Not just structures that look impressive in architectural magazines.

Fifteen years later, we're still here on King Street (bigger office though). We've grown from three stubborn designers to a team of eighteen equally stubborn ones. The mission hasn't changed much - we're still pushing back against bland, building things that matter.

What Drives Our Work

People throw around words like 'innovative' and 'sustainable' until they mean nothing. Here's what actually guides our decision-making when we're sketching at 2am or arguing over materials with contractors.

Context Matters

A building shouldn't fight with its surroundings. Whether it's a heritage district or a modern development, we're looking at what's already there and finding ways to add something meaningful to the conversation.

Function First

Pretty facades don't mean much if the interior flow makes no sense. We obsess over how people'll actually move through spaces, where natural light hits at different times of day, how rooms connect.

Built to Last

We're not building for Instagram or next year's trend cycle. Materials are chosen because they'll age well, systems are designed for the long haul. Sustainability isn't a buzzword - it's about making smart choices that stick.

The Founders

Still as opinionated as when we started

Sarah Emberyn

Co-Founder & Principal Architect

Sarah's got this knack for seeing potential in impossible sites. Before EFQ, she spent 8 years at a firm that shall remain nameless, designing towers she now refers to as 'glass rectangles with delusions of grandeur.' She leads our residential division and won't shut up about passive solar design - in the best way.

Marcus Forge

Co-Founder & Design Director

Marcus handles the commercial work and urban planning projects. He's probably the most practical one of the three - which isn't saying much. Grew up in Scarborough, studied at Waterloo, spent way too much time in Copenhagen, came back obsessed with public spaces that actually work for everyone.

David Quint

Co-Founder & Heritage Specialist

David's the reason we took on heritage work in the first place. He's got this almost obsessive respect for old buildings and the stories they tell. When he's not arguing with preservation boards, he's researching obscure construction techniques from the 1920s. His office is 60% books about architectural history.

The Wider Team

Beyond the three of us, there's a whole crew that makes this place run. Junior architects who keep us honest about new technology, project managers who somehow keep everything on schedule, interior specialists who've saved countless projects from our questionable furniture choices.

We've got folks who came here straight out of school and others who jumped ship from bigger firms. Some focus on technical drawings, others live in 3D modeling software. A couple are licensed contractors who got tired of just building other people's designs.

What they've all got in common? They care way too much about getting details right. And they're not afraid to tell us when an idea isn't working - which happens more often than we'd like to admit.

See Our Full Studio

How We Actually Work

Every project's different, but there's a rhythm to how we approach things. It starts with listening - and we mean really listening, not just nodding while mentally sketching. What do you need? What drives you nuts about your current space? What's the budget, honestly?

Then comes the messy part - tons of sketches, models, debates, coffee, more sketches. We're bouncing ideas off each other, testing them against site conditions, budget realities, building codes. Some ideas survive, most don't.

Once we've got something solid, it's refinement time. Details, materials, systems. Working with engineers, contractors, suppliers. Keeping you in the loop the whole way because surprises are great for birthdays, terrible for construction.

Want to Work Together?

We're always up for talking about new projects - whether it's a single-family reno or a mixed-use development. First conversation's always free, and there's usually coffee involved.

Get In Touch