Reviews of Kariouk Architects (Architect)

Patrick Stacey

We have completed two homes with Kariouk Architects, one in the Cayman Islands and the other in Caledon, Ontario. Our family first hired Kariouk to design a new home for us on Grand Cayman Island, which was not a beach home but rather a year-round canal-front home that is for full-time use by us and our three young children. They hit it out of the park, so we had them design our second home in Caledon. Building in Cayman is somewhat complicated even for a standard run-of-the-mill house, but we expected to multiply this by factors to successfully build a bespoke masterpiece that comes with the designs Chris and Paul come up with. Nearly everything needed to be shipped in, from the structure, to the complicated roof design, to the finishes. Further to that, usually decisions are made on the spot in person during the construction phase, but here not only did they have to perfectly time the shipment of materials from various overseas locations but also had to make construction decisions at a distance of almost 2,000 km away. All of this went off without a hitch. It speaks to Chris, Paul, and Adam going above and beyond in the projects they choose to participate in. Here we are now, about 2 months away from occupancy permit in our second Kariouk-designed home, and it's during this COVID pandemic. Yet again, they still managed to hit it out of the park but with even more challenges such as managing pandemic restrictions. Previous to this, they managed the nuance of building in the Caribbean from a distance and accomplished it without a hitch, and now they are somehow managing the final most complicated stage of design during a world wide pandemic. They've provided us with equally, stunningly rich design for both our homes while maintaining our family design requirements and space needs. A real testament to the architects’ design skill and their commitment to originality. Given the amount of time we've worked together in these two projects, we've become friends through the process and even occasionally play some strategy games online together. That's special.

Yves Prevost

The Kariouk team (KT)worked w us over 2 years to get final plans. They listened to our desires and made it happen. Getting a great plan is time -consuming & demands some work. KT walks w you so you don't get lost. Lots of decisions. KT provided many adjustments to initial plans to fine tune the result as you think over your ideas. The adjustments were always timely & we got the exact changes we asked for. You don't get that w most architects. KT also leads the way in getting the plans implemented. Help w engineers, air quality experts & getting the right contractor & finally submitting plans for inspection. Plans passed in 2 weeks w no amendments. Apart from the plans these are important services. KT did regular inspections of the project as it was advancing. If things were not right KT worked w the contractor to correct the issues. Project was completed in a little over a year. Everything went well when there were so many opportunities for things to go wrong. That only happens with great communication & knowing the ropes. We are pleased w our home & have received many positive comments. Highly recommend Kariouk' s Team for your building project.

Handwerk Interiors

I am the owner of Handwerk Interiors, a cabinet and woodworking company dedicated to high-end custom work. I have worked with Kariouk Architects for ten years on many different large scale projects, and I know them to be absolutely devoted to their craft and to our shared clients. Kariouk and his team always pursue work that involves refined detail, and it’s a pleasure to work with architects with their standards. We have worked and collaborated with Kariouk Architects on successful projects in Ottawa, Toronto and overseas. In every case they are as involved with each step of a construction and finishing as they are with projects here at home in Ottawa.

Ingrid Feininger

We had a great experience working with Paul and Chris. They transformed our house into something that went beyond our expectations. Would highly recommend.

Dana Dragunoiu

As we discovered from first-hand experience, building your dream home is not for the faint of heart. It is stressful, expensive, and unpredictable. But what a rewarding experience once the process is complete! The absolute best decision we made when building our family home was to hire Kariouk Architects. From our very first meeting with Paul to the moment we moved into our new home, our experience was nothing short of the best. Paul is a man of extraordinary architectural vision, inventiveness, and integrity, and his team members—Chris and Adam—are equally gifted. Together, they are models of hard work, conscientiousness, and attention to detail. We certainly couldn’t have done it without them and they earned our trust every step of the way. Today, we live in a house that brings us constant joy and is admired by every passerby. We feel that we live in a work of art that is at the same time extremely practical and suited to family life. Though our house is not large by today’s building standards, every space is so creatively designed as to maximize light, usefulness, and pleasure. Paul made several key suggestions from the get-go which would have never occurred to us and which had enormous benefits over the long term. We were very wise to trust him! At the same time, Paul takes very seriously his clients’ wishes and designs everything with these wishes in mind. Chris is also a master architect whose input at several stages of the design led to a dreamy living-dining space with minimal sacrifice from other spaces. Additionally, Chris is the go-to man when it comes to all matters logistical and administrative: his knowledge of the Building Code is unrivalled and the confidence he inspires in everyone is richly deserved. Adam brings a razor-sharp precision to everything that he does; nothing escapes him and he leaves nothing to chance. In short, we can’t say enough positive things about Kariouk Architects. This is a team of architectural visionaries and gentlemen of total moral integrity.

Wendy Myers

So very creative and patient: Paul and his team were very kind and patient with us as we struggled to figure out exactly what we wanted. They developed many options with enough detail that even I could imagine what they were proposing. They were always professional and listened carefully. The timing could not have been worse--the stock market crashed so we did not proceed with the project. They were completely understanding.

Jay Baltz

They designed our complete replacement of our old ingested attic with a completely new 3rd floor. Clean modern lines and lots of light, but entirely compatible with our 100+ year-old house. Highly recommend. Construction crew was excellent too!

Charles-André M

After hearing about Paul from my cousin, we chose Paul Kariouk and his team to conceive, design and project manage the creation of our Chelsea House in the Trees. My partner and I thoroughly enjoyed the entire design and selection process working closely as a team with Paul and Chris. They were professional and knowledgeable, conscious of our budget, needs and tastes as well as our timeline. The perfect marriage between design and function was evident from the moment we moved in to now, 12 years later and has helped retain the timeless beauty of our home. There isn’t a day that goes by that we don’t gaze out the large industrial windows and tell ourselves how lucky we are to live here and how fortunate we were in making the right choice when we decided to collaborate with Paul. We highly recommend Kariouk Architects to anyone looking to create their dream home. Hélène and Charles

Ross Noble

Kariouk Architects - Paul and his dedicated team - are consummate professionals . They are passionate about turning vision into reality ensuring that the process of engaging their clients is both iterative and consultative. Our project involved transforming an old style unit in a classic 1930's building in centre town (condominium) into a unique and vibrant open concept living space. During the design and building processes Kariouk Architects maintained constant and thorough communications with us and paid attention to every detail in achieving the very successful end result. Their approach to architectural design is imaginative and they demonstrate appreciable problem solving abilities when required during construction. Their knowledge of Ottawa's contractor and building supplies landscapes is a valuable asset in assisting with sourcing dependable services and high quality materials . We were extremely pleased with the relationship we formed with Paul and his team, which guided our joint efforts to realize our vision. On a number of occasions they went the extra mile in achieving milestones along the way to project completion. Overall it was a very satisfying experience with excellent results.

Rosalie McConnell

Working with Paul and his team is always a delightful experience. Creative ideas abound to give us results that consistently exceed our expectations. We especially appreciate his enthusiasm when taking on a project and his commitment to deliver quality, both of which contribute significantly to client satisfaction.

Anne Maheux

How lucky we were to find Paul and his team: professionals who are nice, smart and honest, with a sense of humour and love of animals—what more could one ask for when embarking on the design and birthing of a precious project? Paul was thoroughly invested in our plan to build the perfect little cottage on a modest budget. We worked together through many concepts and iterations, using drawings as well as models to develop what turned out to be a unique solution to our list of “must-haves”- especially a loft for our daughter. Chris Davis, one of the firm’s greatest assets, brought a welcome pragmatism to the table by helping to channel ideas into viable options with his easy, personable way. Building projects are rarely problem free and ours was no exception. Paul skillfully guided us over some challenging hurdles. We did not end up with the cottage we had envisioned, but with a superior jewel that speaks to the imagination, effort and energy of Paul and his team.

Mike M

Paul is amazing and we are lucky that he was our architect, and now our friend. It was serendipity that brought my husband and I together with Paul; we live in Manhattan and found him in by searching for leading architects in Ottawa, which is close to our place in cottage country in the province of Quebec (see the "cross laminated timber (CLT) cottage") on Paul's website). From day one we just all understood each other. His design sensibility is incredible, and he personally took us through various design iterations before we settled on our chosen one. Given our back and forth life between NYC and Canada, Paul was always available, day and night, for us to ask questions, propose new innovations, and deal with inevitabilities that come up after construction started. He found us an amazing GC and Paul stayed with the project to the very end to make sure everything was perfect. The consummate psychologist, Paul's honesty, candor and creativity led us to a very happy place. We love our CLT summer home and are so pleased with the material due to it's sustainability, it's amazing R factor (perfect temps in heat and cold because the house is so well sealed) and it's design. I can't speak highly enough of Paul and his team and for the vision that created our forever summer home.

Sanchez Homes

We are a professional Project Management firm that builds custom homes in Ottawa. We had the pleasure of working with Kariouk Architects and enjoyed the experience immensely. From the very beginning we were impressed with their high level of professionalism, knowledge, creativity, attention to detail and the level of pride they have in their work. Kariouk Architects’ cooperation, availability and communication made the building process from zoning/permit drawings to completion a fluid exercise for our team. Paul is a kind and intelligent architect, his innovative and unique architectural designs are impressive to say the least. Chris is an amazing problem solver with a unique set of design ideas. Their entire team has a broad sense of knowledge, experience, excellent communication skills and customer service to offer their clientele. They are honest, hardworking, supportive, and consistently on time. If you are looking for an architect to design your dream home, we would highly recommend Kariouk Architects.

William Miller

We designed and built a chalet in cottage country with Paul and Chris. The process of design was complex, as we worked through many ideas and iterations. They are very creative, with many interesting, and some wild and crazy ideas. But all these helped us arrive at a concept we love. They built many models fro us to contemplate and were happy to rebuild and rebuild as necessary until we were all happy with the plan. They supported us through the building process, despite some contractor issues, a small legal battle with the original contractor, and helped us find the contractor who eventually built our home. We would highly recommend this firm.

jeff d

When I approached Kariouk Architects about creating a home for me in the Niagara area, I thought it was a long shot given they were in Ottawa. It turns out that was not a challenge at all and, further, I found out really fast, as they got me to think beyond “starter home” thinking, that Kariouk Architects thrive on challenges. There were many issues that they had to deal with as we moved from design to construction, such as dealing with local zoning bylaws and the fact that Bower House (their own playful name for the design we developed) didn’t exactly fit into those local codes (or match much else in my area ????). But every architectural and construction issue was handled extremely professionally and with a great attitude. The guys of this office are as smart as they are sincere, and they are just nice guys, which all counts for a lot when you’re building a home and making such a big personal and emotional investment. Thanks Kariouk Architects! Jeff

Francoise Chanteloup

We retained Kariouk Architects to work with us to renovate our 100-year old home. While our initial thoughts were to build an addition, Paul and Chris encouraged us to first consider how we used the existing space. Through a series of conversations with them we decided that a reconfiguration of the existing footprint would be a better option to achieve our goals. With their collaborative approach we arrived at a plan to expand the usable space and add modern design elements while respecting the traditional characteristics of the house. The contractor they used- GPL Construction- was excellent. They were skilled, communicative, and completed the work according to our limited budget and timeline. We are very happy with our decision to use Kariouk Architects and would do so again if the opportunity presents.

Kate Billingsley

I first worked with Paul and crew when we wanted to knock down our small 1920s home and rebuild a few years ago. I'm from New Zealand and trained as a builder there and we wanted a house with a modern kiwi aesthetic. Lots of natural light, underfloor heat, concrete floors, and materials I was familiar with so I could do all the construction from footings to finish. We had a small city lot and a limited budget, yet Paul came up with a striking design that we really liked and suited our family. He and his team (Chris and Adam) were great to work with. They listened and were always helpful, even stood up to a bit of kiwi banter too! They were so good to work with, I’ve done another project with them where I was the builder. We love living in our house, and continue to get heaps of compliments on it from friends, neighbours, and everyone walking by! ‘Kiwi’ Mike Leach

Gilbert Freynet

We've had the opportunity to work with Paul and Chris on two projects, and we wholeheartedly give our two thumbs up for them! The first was a modernization project to update the exterior of our condo corporation dating from the 80s, that transformed the rather dowdy exterior into a smart, contemporary and fabulous looking one. The whole experience of working on this extensive project with the Kariouk team was a great experience. From the initial consultations with the stakeholders, to the completion of the wonderful transformation, we were impressed with their professionalism and their ability to work with the different groups of people involved and all the challenges that this presents. Responding to questions and concerns with sure handed competence, using excellent visual back-up, working together as a team with the engineers, the board and owners, they managed to get all of the stakeholders on board and itching to set sail. The second project was to follow a few years after our Condo modernization. We hired Paul and Chris for a more modest, but equally impressive interior transformation of our condo. We added a washroom and renovated the other, and reconfigured the top floor where the bedrooms are situated. Again, Kariouk, together with their excellent contractor, worked their magic, making what at first seemed unlikely into reality...with style! Paul's generous spirit and creative energy made the experience a satisfying and collaborative one. Most of the pressure and stress was lifted away from us, as he was able to help us focus and to choose the various components that can often be overwhelming in these projects. We love our home now...Inside and out! Marwan and Gilbert

lucy chapman

I am a professional cabinetmaker as well as a home owner and have had to opportunity to work with Kariouk both as a client of mine, and in their capacity as architects. when they were my client, they were responsive and clear in their communication of their needs. they also paid their bill on time and without fuss, which is always appreciated! in 2014 i built a modest 2 story addition onto my small century home in Little Italy. Kariouk happily handles the drafting and submitting of my plans, despite the small scope of the project. they listened to and respected my ideas. when i had questions, they responded right away and helped me with answers. my experience with them was good and i would recommend them!

Amelie Zinzius

Choosing Kariouk Architects was the best decision I ever made. At the time, I was in the middle of a renovation project. I had become disheartened, to say the least, with the contractor on the project. I knew I had to find an alternative: This is when I found Paul, the owner of Kariouk Architects. I first saw Paul’s work on a number of online architect and design publications. I was extremely impressed by the uniqueness, quality and warmth of his work (much like the architect himself). I noted the versatility of his style, superbly executed in a variety of environments. My project seemed small compared to his usual work, which I feared may be a concern. It was not (I discovered that the team at Kariouk Architects is focussed on the connection with the client, first and foremost, regardless of the size of the endeavor). Paul met with me in person, at my house, examined the space, listened attentively, in earnest, and helped me expand on my ideas and desires for my home - the exact opposite of the other professionals I had worked with. His approach was sincere, engaging, creative and practical. Moreover, he and his team remained professional throughout, respecting timelines, being responsive to questions - even on Sunday’s -, showing flexibility and liaising with the various contractors to ensure perfect execution and complete satisfaction. Needless to say, this approach nurtured a constructive and easy collaboration. In terms of process, Paul and his team came back to me with multiple plans and variations so as to enable me to really see the broadest range of ways to move forward. From there we started to narrow the field of options. As a result, Paul continuously elevated the initial concept, while still respecting everything I wanted: Maximum natural light, clean lines, plenty of storage (despite my small space), and some unique architectural features. By simply asking key questions, listening and getting to know me, Paul was able to capture not only the look but also the ‘feel’ I was searching for. Two years later, I and so many others (family, friends and even neighbors) are amazed with the result. Thanks to Paul, his team and his long standing collaboration with an outstanding contractor and meticulous carpenter, I live in a beautifully transformed space that I am proud to call my home.