‘Sustainable’ characterizes the relationship that architect Paul Dowsett and his team develop with their clients. To this Client's delight, they adopt responsibility for a project from concept through execution, working effectively with the contractor and trades, sourcing specialized expertise where required, and co-ordinating those picky ‘missing pieces’ that make the difference between ‘good’ and ‘amazing’. Paul makes sure you get what you’re looking for. His creative approach marries design with function and execution, a surprisingly rare attribute among his peers. Beyond that, Paul and his team are simply a real pleasure to work with. They are professional and down-to-earth, and they bring thoughtful, solution-oriented confidence to what can sometimes be a challenging experience for a home-owner doing renovations. Maura Lendon President, Aurah Advisory Services Inc.

Company Response:

Dear Maura: We are delighted to see you settling into your renovated home. The beauty, care, quality and craftsmanship that have been realized are all signs of your unerringly good taste. It was our pleasure to work with you and your contractor throughout the process. We hope that you enjoy your 'new' home for many years to come. Paul

We had a small, energy-inefficient room that was falling off our 1930s North Toronto home. Our son, Donald, works as an architectural technologist with Paul Dowsett, and we decided to give Paul - and thus our son - the chance to come up a design for a light-filled, energy-efficient larger room. Right from the beginning, we were extremely impressed with Paul's professionalism and friendliness, and this continued throughout the entire job. Every workman who crossed our doorstep was pleasant ,hard-working, and respectful. We have ended up with a really lovely room completed in the short space of time it was promised. We couldn't possibly be happier, and our son Donald has put his stamp on the childhhod home in which he grew up!

Company Response:

Dear Ruth: We are so pleased that you are happy with the result and that the process was minimally disruptive to your ongoing enjoyment of your home. Thank you so much for the referral. Paul

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.

Company Response:

Dear Lynn & Graham: We are so pleased that we were able to help you to create your dream home from your original bungalow. It was truly a team effort, which we thoroughly enjoyed on our end. Thank you ! Paul

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.

Company Response:

Dear Laura: Thank you for your candid feedback. This is how we improve our services. As the construction is underway now, we are looking forward to seeing the finished project, and hope that it will be all that you hoped for ... and more. Best Regards, Paul

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.

Company Response:

Thanks Anne !! The pleasure was all ours ! We do love a challenge. Basements are like three-dimensional Tetris ... you've got limited space to fit in all sorts of components. Good thing that we love Tetris !! Looking forward to the second floor challenges ... and opportunities ! Paul

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.

Company Response:

Thanks Brad & Julie: It was our pleasure working with you and the rest of the team. We hope that you and your family are happy in your new home for many years to come !! All the best, Paul

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.

Company Response:

Dear A & G It has been an absolute pleasure working with both of you. As I repeatedly say in another aspect of my life, "we are nothing if not adaptable." Seems that this may be starting to apply in the world of residential design and project planning too ! All the best ! Paul

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)

Company Response:

Dear Jacquie & Mike: The pleasure has been all mine. Your enthusiasm for this project has been truly infectious. I'll bet that I'm looking forward to the finished product almost as much as you and your family !! Paul

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.

Company Response:

Thank you Adriana It has been a pleasure working with you and your family many times over the past few years. I look forward to each and every opportunity. It is clients like you who make my job an absolute pleasure. Looking forward to the next installment ... Paul@sustainable.to

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!

Company Response:

Thank you Adriana You and your team made the entire project a pleasure for our team. We are so pleased that you are happy with the results and hope that you enjoy the space for many years to come. Best Regards Paul@sustainable.to