About Us - Frosthaven Quinthos Architectural Studio

How We Got Started

Back in 2005, two architects met at a brutally cold construction site in Yellowknife. Marcus Frosthaven was there inspecting a community center that'd been designed by someone who clearly never experienced -40°C winters. Elena Quinthos was the frustrated project manager trying to fix everything that was going wrong.

That disaster became our founding story. We figured if buildings were gonna work in places where your coffee freezes between the truck and the trailer, somebody better start designing with actual northern experience instead of just tweaking southern templates.

Twenty years later, we've built over 200 projects across Canada's north and we're still learning something new on every job. The climate doesn't forgive shortcuts, and honestly, that's what keeps this work interesting.

Our Journey

Key moments that shaped who we are

2005

The Beginning

Founded in Vancouver with just two drafting tables and way too much confidence. First project was a residential addition in Whitehorse that taught us everything we didn't know.

2011

Growing Pains

Expanded to a team of eight and opened satellite office in Iqaluit. Learned the hard way that video calls freeze at -35°C and that relationships matter more than contracts up north.

2017

Recognition

Won the Canadian Green Building Award for our community center in Inuvik. Finally felt like people were getting what we've been saying about climate-specific design all along.

2025

Today

Team of 24 passionate folks working on projects from coastal BC to Nunavut. Still solving problems nobody's written textbooks about yet.

What We Actually Believe

No fluff - just the principles we use on every project

Climate First, Always

You can't fight the weather in northern Canada - you design around it. We've seen too many beautiful renders turn into frozen nightmares because someone forgot that -40 exists. Every single decision starts with "how will this perform in extreme conditions?"

Community Knowledge

Local folks know things we'll never find in engineering manuals. When elders tell us the snow drifts a certain way or the permafrost has shifted, we listen. Best designs happen when we combine our training with their lived experience.

Build To Last

Shipping materials to remote sites is expensive and brutal on the environment. We design stuff that'll be standing strong for generations, not falling apart in fifteen years. That means overbuilt? Sometimes. But it also means responsible.

No Cookie Cutters Here

Every site's different - soil conditions, wind patterns, sun angles, cultural needs. We're not stamping out the same plan over and over. Sure, we've got systems that work, but each project gets custom solutions based on what actually matters for that specific place.

Honest About Limits

We'll tell you when something won't work. If your budget can't handle what the climate demands, we'll say so upfront. If a timeline's unrealistic for shipping windows, we're not gonna pretend otherwise. Better tough conversations early than disasters later.

Meet The Team

The people making it happen

Marcus Frosthaven

Co-Founder & Principal Architect

Spent fifteen winters on northern job sites before co-founding the studio. Still gets more excited about thermal bridges than anyone should.

Elena Quinthos

Co-Founder & Design Director

Background in environmental engineering means she's always three steps ahead on sustainability. Won't sign off on anything that doesn't make practical sense.

Sarah Chen

Senior Project Architect

Joined us in 2013 after getting frustrated with firms that treated northern projects as afterthoughts. Now leads our commercial division and mentors junior staff.

James Kuptana

Cultural Integration Specialist

Grew up in Tuktoyaktuk, became an architect to help his community build better. Keeps us grounded when we're getting too caught up in theory.

"We've also got sixteen other talented folks - drafters, engineers, project coordinators, and our office manager who somehow keeps all this chaos organized. Everyone here's chosen this work because they care about it, not because it's easy."

- The entire studio, probably

Why Work With Us?

Look, we're not gonna be the cheapest option out there. Proper northern design takes time, specialized knowledge, and honestly, a lot of trial and error over the years.

What you're paying for is twenty years of mistakes we've already made and learned from. You're getting designs that actually work when the power goes out at -35, when the permafrost shifts, when supply chains break down.

We've spent two decades building relationships with northern communities, understanding their needs beyond what's written in project briefs. That's not something you can fake or rush.

Let's Talk About Your Project