Architecture Building Culture

We always thought there was something special about our mid-century modern home, but it was starting to look tired and causing us to feel much the same way. Rather than propose a wholesale change to the floorplan, as a designer had suggested, Mark and his team were able to hone in on the key features that created a sense of "calmness", which we loved so much about the house but weren't able to articulate. Mark advocated for a comprehensive strategy that respected the original architect's vision, while providing us with the kind of state of the art, modern home we were looking for. If not for Mark and his team, we would have an updated home, but, no doubt, a much more generic one. Throughout the process, Mark was able to balance design rigour with practicality, and nothing got past Oliver's watchful eye in ensuring we stayed true to the plan, despite us sometimes unknowingly seeking to introduce complexity (while saying we wanted simplicity). They were both consummate professionals. The only regret we have is that we didn't lean more on ABC for their project management expertise. If we ever do something like this again (and Mark and Oliver have got us thinking we might have one new build in us), we would absolutely take their lead on that front from the get-go. We recommend ABC, Mark and Oliver without hesitation or reservation. They went above and beyond in all respects, and we can't thank them enough. As I say, we always thought there was something special about our home, but the number of folks who now seem to go out of their way to tell us, from the Amazon guy to our dog walker, is almost unsettling. Thanks guys!

Mark and the team at ABC were fantastic to work with. They designed a lovely space and were always available to consult and update.

The measure for our reno is the how we would feel passing through the spaces of our house. Coming home lifts our spirits. We got it right. We, includes ABC Inc., architect Mark Ritchie and team - a perfect match and an inspiring collaboration. Our vision was a unified open plan approach with modern fixtures and warm materials to create a comfortable space for our family. ABC provided outstanding architectural and design concepts and confident counsel. They strike the right balance between creative flare and grounded business and management know how. We wouldn’t hesitate to refer ABC Inc. for your next project.

ABC was terrific to work with. They provided us with inspired options and were responsive to our comments and how we live in and around our home. The interior structural renovation and the addition were so good we invited them back to consider another addition - this time another floor to our home to take advantage of some nice views. I recommend ABC to anyone considering a renovation, addition, or new build ... especially if they’re interested in designs that combine elegance, livability, and reduced environmental footprints.

We used ABC as our architect for a custom higher end residence on the UEL property near UBC. The UEL has its own mandate under the BC province and is not part of the City of Vancouver.. The Principle on our Project was Mark Ritchie and he governed most of the design, in latter stages, his associate Sam Orr was heavily involved as well. We ran into some challenges in designs as tends to happen in custom homes but Mark was always up to the challenge with innovative solutions. Dealing with UEL and some neighbor was not a delight either but Mark and Sam managed our way through it. Mark was always attentive to our concerns and co-operative in conveying points of views to complete a utilitarian and unique design. He was easy to work with and readily available for communication and concerns.

We are working with ABC on a challenging project to convert a property owned by our family into multi-generational housing this year - essentially, this has equated to a major renovation and a new house built on the same property! ABC are consummate professionals: fantastic at communication, coordination between everyone involved and always responsive. They have often surprised us by their innovative and creative solutions to some unique challenges we are facing as well as ensuring that we meet our budget while still meeting our priorities. Now that we are in the building stage, they are with us every step of the way. Without hesitation, I would strongly recommend working with ABC!

Architecture Building Culture has been an extraordinarily wonderful firm to work with. The quality and creativity of the team is striking. Mark Ritchie's training from renowned architect, Kerry Hill, and his creativity and extreme diligence has made our project a delight from all perspectives. ABC has been so much more than an architectural firm driving staying within cost, quality, and timeline with the project. we cannot recommend them more highly!

I worked over a two-year period with Mark Richie in relation to the construction of my home in 2000 / 2001. Mark was the Architect in charge of this project (Ogilvie House at Sunshine Beach, Australia), and I can recommend him unequivocally for any project that requires excellent design, meticulous supervision and wonderful relationship and communication skills. Since this time, I have retained Mark to design another house (which has not yet been built) and attend to extensive renovation plans, all of which have been prepared with the same degree of sensitivity and professionalism as the initial project. I have absolutely no hesitation in recommending Mark. Should you require further information, please do not hesitate to contact me at office@ogilviegroup.com

Mark and his team did a wonderful job on our home. We have had incredible reviews of our home and it has been in two home tours. Mark understood what were hoping to achieve and worked with us to not only bring us what we thought we wanted but also guided us to avoid some mistakes that we would have made without him. They were very accommodating, very fair and wonderful to work with.

Architecture Building Culture is the best kept secret in Vancouver architecture. We hired them to design and build a home for us in West Vancouver, and we completed the project in early 2019. The quality of their designs was topped only by the great experience of working with their team. Throughout the entire process, they allowed themselves to be challenged by opposing ideas; they were conscientious of practical considerations including budget; and they collaborated well with the general contractor in a mutually respectful manner - so much so that both parties are already starting another project together! This is a rare level of humility and conscientiousness among architects. In the end, Mark and ABC designed for us a home that (unexpectedly) won multiple international design awards and was published in Dwell! It also causes literal jaws to drop from passers by. I cannot recommend highly enough working with Mark and Architecture Building Culture!