Canadian West Coast architecture with material depth and civic purpose
Anonymous Architecture holds registration with the Architectural Institute of British Columbia (AIBC) and maintains a Vancouver field office. We bring over a decade of design practice to custom homes, infill, multiplexes, and major renovations across Vancouver's most established and rapidly evolving neighbourhoods.
AIBC Registration
Anonymous Architecture is a registered firm with the Architectural Institute of British Columbia. All Vancouver projects are delivered under full architectural stamp and professional liability coverage, in compliance with the BC Building Code and City of Vancouver development permit requirements.
Vancouver's R1-1 Zone and Multiplexes
Since October 2023, Vancouver's new R1-1 Residential Inclusive Zone permits up to six strata or eight rental units on a single lot across all former RS-zoned land. The City further streamlined multiplex permit approvals in early 2025, cutting processing times by approximately 50 percent. Anonymous Architecture has the design and regulatory knowledge to help owners and developers unlock the full potential of this shift.
Dual Provincial Registration
Registered with both the AAA (Alberta) and AIBC (BC), Anonymous Architecture is one of a smaller group of studios licensed to practise across both provinces. This is particularly valuable for clients with projects in Calgary and Vancouver, or those relocating between markets.
- Custom ResidentialNew homes and replacement dwellings across Vancouver, North Vancouver, West Vancouver, and the Lower Mainland
- Multiplex & Missing MiddleR1-1 multiplexes, duplexes, triplexes, and laneway houses across Vancouver's low-density neighbourhoods
- Infill & Laneway HousesSecondary suites, coach houses, and infill buildings that add density and long-term property value
- Major RenovationsComprehensive renovations to Vancouver's aging residential stock, heritage character homes, and mid-century buildings
- Multi-Family ResidentialLarger multi-family residential design and development feasibility across Metro Vancouver municipalities
- Commercial & Mixed-UseBoutique commercial, hospitality, and mixed-use projects across Vancouver's neighbourhood commercial corridors
Vancouver is one of the most architecturally self-aware cities in Canada. The city's single-family neighbourhoods, largely built between the 1910s and 1960s, are now being transformed by the R1-1 zone, which allows multiplexes on virtually every residential lot. This is the most significant shift in Vancouver's residential land use in decades, and it creates a genuine design opportunity. Done poorly, multiplexes crowd lots and ignore context. Done well, they are some of the most interesting architectural problems in the city: modest footprints, demanding neighbours, complex unit relationships, and sites that often carry character house retention incentives.
Anonymous Architecture approaches Vancouver's missing middle housing the same way we approach every project: with a specific response to the particular site, its street, and the life the occupants will live. We are not a volume producer. We do not have a standard multiplex product. Each project begins with the lot, the zoning, and the client's goals, and the design emerges from those constraints rather than being imposed upon them.
The City of Vancouver's development permit process is among the most layered in Canada. Character house retention, heritage overlays, view cones, the Broadway Plan, and the specific guidelines of the city's RT and RS zones all require careful navigation before a single drawing is issued. The streamlined Development Building Permit pathway introduced in early 2025 has reduced processing times for straightforward R1-1 multiplexes, but complex sites involving character retention, rear infill, or lane dedication still require experienced design guidance.
Vancouver's material culture also distinguishes it from Calgary. Cedar cladding, exposed timber structure, and dark painted wood siding are the dominant languages of the city's residential architecture. Anonymous Architecture works fluidly within these traditions while finding ways to make each project formally and materially specific. We do not default to the same house twice.
East Vancouver
Mount Pleasant, Grandview-Woodland, Hastings Sunrise, Renfrew, and the Commercial Drive corridor. East Van's stock of 1910 to 1940s character houses and deep lots makes it one of the city's richest grounds for R1-1 multiplex and infill work. Many sites qualify for character retention incentives under the City's Multiple Conversion Dwelling guidelines.
West Side
Kitsilano, Point Grey, Dunbar, Kerrisdale, and Shaughnessy. Larger lots, stronger heritage designation patterns, and higher land values define the West Side's design context. New construction here tends toward the high-performance end of the residential market, with clients who value both material quality and long-term durability.
North Shore
North Vancouver and West Vancouver. Steep topography, mature tree canopies, and proximity to Burrard Inlet define the North Shore's residential character. Many sites require geotechnical review, slope stability assessment, and designs that negotiate between view capture and privacy from above and below.
Metro Vancouver
Burnaby, New Westminster, Richmond, Coquitlam, and surrounding municipalities. Each municipality maintains its own zoning framework and design guidelines, separate from the City of Vancouver. Anonymous Architecture is experienced working across Metro Vancouver's varied regulatory environments, from Burnaby's RM zones to New Westminster's heritage-sensitive downtown residential areas.
Working on a project in Vancouver or the Lower Mainland?
Vancouver Field Office
By appointment
info@anonymousarchitecture.ca