About Us - Fable Thorn Quint Architecture

How It All Started

Back in 2012, three of us were sitting in a cramped Vancouver cafe, sketching ideas on napkins. We'd all worked at bigger firms, designed plenty of buildings, but something felt... off. Every project was about maximizing square footage, cutting costs, checking boxes.

Sarah mentioned how her grandmother's old farmhouse in the Fraser Valley stayed cool in summer without AC. James talked about a trip to Scandinavia where he saw timber construction that'd last centuries. And I couldn't stop thinking about all the LEED projects I'd worked on that were "green" on paper but felt cold and disconnected.

That conversation turned into Fable Thorn Quint. The name? A bit whimsical, yeah - but we wanted something that felt like storytelling, something organic. Because that's what we do - we listen to the land, the climate, the people who'll actually live and work in these spaces.

Our Design Philosophy

It's not rocket science, just honest architecture

01

Listen First

We spend more time asking questions than drawing lines. What's the morning light like? How does wind move through the site? What do you actually need versus what you think you need?

02

Material Honesty

Wood should look like wood. Concrete should be concrete. We're not big on hiding things or adding fake finishes. Materials have their own beauty when you let them breathe.

03

Passive First

Before we add fancy mechanical systems, we ask - can orientation, thermal mass, or natural ventilation do the job? Tech's great, but physics is free.

04

Build to Last

The greenest building is one that doesn't need replacing. We design for durability, adaptability, and timelessness - not trends that'll look dated in five years.

Our Journey in Numbers

12+

Years Running

87

Projects Completed

94%

Energy Reduction Avg

23

Design Awards

Meet the Team

Sarah Fable

Principal Architect & Sustainability Lead

Sarah's the one who'll challenge every material choice until we find something better. She grew up on Vancouver Island, which explains her obsession with how buildings interact with rain (lots of it). Got her M.Arch from UBC and spent five years at a firm doing institutional work before joining us.

She handles most of our residential projects and anything involving heritage restoration. Also keeps us honest about actually walking the sustainability talk - no greenwashing on her watch.

James Thorn

Principal Architect & Commercial Projects Director

James is our structural wizard and the guy clients call when they want something ambitious. He's got this background in timber engineering that comes in handy - especially with BC's new mass timber building codes. Studied at Waterloo, worked in Toronto for a while before moving west.

He leads our commercial work and urban planning stuff. Super patient with permit processes and building officials, which honestly is a talent. Also makes terrible coffee but we tolerate it.

Marcus Quint

Principal Architect & Interior Design Specialist

That's me. I handle most of the interior space planning and the overall design direction. My thing is how people actually move through and use spaces - not just how they look in photos. Studied at Pratt Institute in New York, which gave me a good foundation, but honestly learned more from watching how my own kids interact with our home.

I'm usually the one meeting with new clients first, figuring out what they really want. Also do most of our rendering work, though we try not to make things look too polished - real life's messier than that.

Our Collaborative Crew

We've got a tight crew of junior architects, interns, and project coordinators who do the real work. Plus we collaborate with some stellar structural engineers, landscape architects, and energy consultants around Vancouver who share our approach.

Design Team

Four talented designers who turn our sketches into actual buildable documents. They're the ones making sure doors actually open and stairs go to real places.

Project Coordinators

The people who keep everything on track, chase down contractors, and somehow remember every deadline. Honestly don't know how they do it.

Trusted Consultants

Network of engineers, energy modelers, and specialists we've worked with for years. They get what we're trying to do and push us to do it better.

Why We're Based in Vancouver

This city's got everything we need - a temperate climate that's perfect for testing passive design strategies, access to incredible local timber, and a building culture that's increasingly embracing sustainability.

Plus the Coast Mountains are right there, constantly reminding us what good design looks like. Nature figured out efficient structures and beautiful forms millions of years ago - we're just borrowing notes.

We've worked on projects across BC and even a few in Alberta, but Vancouver's home base. The city's density challenges and environmental ambitions keep us sharp.

Work With Us