STARK Architecture & Interiors

STARK was founded in Vancouver in 2016. In 2019, our founder made a decision to relocate to Squamish to be closer to family and opened an office here. What he didn't anticipate was how much that move would shape who we became as a studio.

Squamish brought people into our orbit who wanted to be part of a community, a team. Ten years in, we're a 21-person studio and still figuring things out as we go. We've gotten things right and other things wrong. We've implemented ideas with the best intentions that completely flopped. But we take accountability, learn from it, and try again and we believe that matters more than getting it right every time.

Culture here isn't something we designed from the top down. The leadership team works hard to keep the business functioning well and create the conditions for people to thrive, but the culture is shaped by the team. People organize their own additional STARK events in and out of the office, where everyone is welcome to participate. We take that seriously. Each year we run an anonymous staff survey to hear honestly where we can improve, and take steps forward to act on what we hear.

We've also put real effort into building systems that support people's growth. We partnered with MyHR, in Squamish to develop a career framework that fits who we are and moves away from rigid job descriptions and rating scales, and instead asks: is this person learning, developing, or succeeding in the areas that matter for their role? We believe growth looks different at different stages of life, and that curiosity and contribution count for a lot. The framework is still developing and always will be as the Company continues to grow.

This year we also worked with Squamish coach Jessica Robson on emotional intelligence; four sessions with the partners, team leads, and the full office focused on how we notice and regulate our own reactions before we communicate, and how to show up more intentionally for each other and our clients.

Our Squamish office was designed by us, for us, and for the people who visit. Every room was considered as both a workspace and an experience, including a sample room where clients can explore materials in person and start to feel what their project could become.

In the community, we show up as best we can year to year. We've been part of Squamish at Dusk by creating light installations and other support as needed. We've participated in Sp'akw'us Feather Shakedown, supported ArtGym as well as SORCA through dig days, event sponsorships, staff memberships, and getting the team out to regular socials.

We're also working on a customer experience framework, not because we think we're doing it wrong, but because we want to be more intentional about what great service looks like at every stage of a project, and give our team the tools to deliver it.