About
It's a rare privilege to create tailored spaces that support the well-being of those who spend time in them, one we delight in.
Clay is the embodiment of our friendship, our lifestyle, our design aesthetic, and our joy. We are clay, personified. We seek to share this through our practice and create spaces that spark the intangible feeling of home.
Spaces have stories and get richer over time. The threads that weave the tapestry are the people that spend time in them and the memories they make along the way. Our role as architects is to create the backdrop for these stories, designing spaces that embolden life.
Our design aesthetic is warm and subtly sophisticated, one that takes contemporary inspiration from across eras and ages gracefully, blending nostalgia with innovation to create spaces that are both reflective and visionary. We believe timeless architecture simultaneously reveals its age and remains as compelling and relevant as it was on day one.
We are remarkable listeners. Our approach to design begins by listening to our clients and their sites. This allows us to find unique opportunities specific to each commission and gives us the full confidence of understanding the needs of our clients. We work with a calm and knowledgeable approach and believe the experience of the design process is as important as that of the finished space.
If our partnership was a Venn diagram, our intersection would be larger than our complementing individual sets. This tells us what we already know about ourselves, that our whole is greater than the sum of our parts. First collaborating in architecture school, we have run our lives in tandem ever since.
It's a rare privilege to create tailored spaces that support the well-being of those who spend time in them, one we delight in.
Clay is the embodiment of our relationship, our lifestyle, our design aesthetic, and our joy. We are clay, personified. We seek to share this through our practice and create spaces that spark the intangible feeling of home.
If our partnership was a Venn diagram, our intersection would be larger than our complementing individual sets. This tells us what we already know about ourselves, that our whole is greater than the sum of our parts. First collaborating in architecture school, we have run our lives in tandem ever since. We are remarkable listeners. Our approach to design begins by listening to our clients and their sites. This allows us to find unique opportunities specific to each commission and gives us the full confidence of understanding the needs of our clients. We work with a calm and knowledgeable approach and believe the experience of the design process is as important as that of the finished space. Our design aesthetic is warm and subtly sophisticated, one that takes contemporary inspiration from across eras and ages gracefully, blending nostalgia with innovation to create spaces that are both reflective and visionary. We believe timeless architecture simultaneously reveals its age and remains as compelling and relevant as it was on day one. Spaces have stories and get richer over time. The threads that weave the tapestry are the people that spend time in them and the memories they make along the way. Our role as architects is to create the backdrop for these stories, designing spaces that embolden life.
Vanessa Konn
Principal
Architect AIBC, MArch, BFA
For Vanessa, it's all about the joy of discovery.
Her welcoming and curious nature creates fast and trusted connections with both her clients and collaborators, allowing for a unified path of exploration. Vanessa’s care for personal connections rings true in her work and she considers the impact in architecture to live in the spaces where people come together.
Thriving in the sweet spot of driving an initial concept into a thoughtful and functional design, Vanessa listens closely to understand and define each commission's unique requirements. Her background in the visual arts, combined with a meticulous attention to detail, characterizes her distinctive blend of creativity and logic. Vanessa's professional experience is diverse, spanning from intimate wine bars to community recreation centers. This spectrum of experience allows Vanessa to bring a nuanced perspective to every project, regardless of its scale.
Outside of her work, Vanessa enjoys a solid workout and losing herself in a good book. She can be found as often as possible with her husband and two boys in her happy place, their family cabin on Vancouver Island. It's the feeling she has there that she seeks to bring to others through architecture.
"There is maybe nothing more satisfying than starting to see the bones of a design solution to a complex ask. The moment when architecture begins to provide an interpretation of how an abstract list of needs fits into the world as physical space is pure delight."
Her welcoming and curious nature creates fast and trusted connections with both her clients and collaborators, allowing for a unified path of exploration. Vanessa’s care for personal connections rings true in her work and she considers the impact in architecture to live in the spaces where people come together. Thriving in the sweet spot of driving an initial concept into a thoughtful and functional design, Vanessa listens closely to understand and define each commission's unique requirements. Her background in the visual arts, combined with a meticulous attention to detail, characterizes her distinctive blend of creativity and logic. Vanessa's professional experience is diverse, spanning from intimate wine bars to community recreation centers. This spectrum of experience allows Vanessa to bring a nuanced perspective to every project, regardless of its scale. Outside of her work, Vanessa enjoys a solid workout and losing herself in a good book. She can be found as often as possible with her husband and two boys in her happy place, their family cabin on Vancouver Island. It's the feeling she has there that she seeks to bring to others through architecture.
Evident in her meticulous approach to projects both big and small, each commission brings her a personal sense of fulfillment, knowing that her designs merge functionality with elevated design and are a true reflection of her clients. Her work is people-centric and is characterized by a thoughtful integration of features that ensure longevity and usability for all. Whether designing private residences or public landmarks, this approach creates meaningful connections and lasting impressions for those who inhabit and visit her work. In her personal time, Jessika finds inspiration in the natural beauty of the North Shore, recharging during her runs along the seawall, oftentimes with her two young children in tow. This connection to place informs her design philosophy, where she seeks to create environments that are rooted in their surroundings, offering both comfort and a sense of ownership to their users.
Jessika MacDonald
Principal
Architect AIBC, MArch, BScArch
Jessika loves solving a good problem.
Evident in her meticulous approach to commissions both big and small, each bringing her a personal sense of fulfillment, knowing that her designs merge functionality with elevated design and are a true reflection of her clients.
Her work is people-centric and is characterized by a thoughtful integration of features that ensure longevity and usability for all. Whether designing private residences or public landmarks, this approach creates meaningful connections and lasting impressions for those who inhabit and visit her work.
In her personal time, Jessika finds inspiration in the natural beauty of the North Shore, recharging during her runs along the seawall, oftentimes with her two young children in tow. This connection to place informs her design philosophy, where she seeks to create environments that are rooted in their surroundings, offering both comfort and a sense of ownership to their users.
“The overwhelming joy that hits me when I walk onto a job site and realise ‘this is what I pictured in my head and now it’s a thing, and it’s fabulous.'”
Evident in her meticulous approach to commissions both big and small, each bringing her a personal sense of fulfillment, knowing that her designs merge functionality with elevated design and are a true reflection of her clients. Her work is people-centric and is characterized by a thoughtful integration of features that ensure longevity and usability for all. Whether designing private residences or public landmarks, this approach creates meaningful connections and lasting impressions for those who inhabit and visit her work. In her personal time, Jessika finds inspiration in the natural beauty of the North Shore, recharging during her runs along the seawall, oftentimes with her two young children in tow. This connection to place informs her design philosophy, where she seeks to create environments that are rooted in their surroundings, offering both comfort and a sense of ownership to their users.
About
It's a rare privilege to create tailored spaces that support the well-being of those who spend time in them, one we delight in.
Clay is the embodiment of our friendship, our lifestyle, our design aesthetic, and our joy. We are clay, personified. We seek to share this through our practice and create spaces that spark the intangible feeling of home.
Spaces have stories and get richer over time. The threads that weave the tapestry are the people that spend time in them and the memories they make along the way. Our role as architects is to create the backdrop for these stories, designing spaces that embolden life. Our design aesthetic is warm and subtly sophisticated, one that takes contemporary inspiration from across eras and ages gracefully, blending nostalgia with innovation to create spaces that are both reflective and visionary. We believe timeless architecture simultaneously reveals its age and remains as compelling and relevant as it was on day one. We are remarkable listeners. Our approach to design begins by listening to our clients and their sites. This allows us to find unique opportunities specific to each commission and gives us the full confidence of understanding the needs of our clients. We work with a calm and knowledgeable approach and believe the experience of the design process is as important as that of the finished space.
If our partnership was a Venn diagram, our intersection would be larger than our complementing individual sets. This tells us what we already know about ourselves, that our whole is greater than the sum of our parts. First collaborating in architecture school, we have run our lives in tandem ever since.