WHO WE ARE
DAE – Design Architecture Everyday Inc. is a dynamic, full-service architecture practice based in Vancouver, BC. We design spaces that positively impact the day-to-day lives of the people that use them, regardless of the scale or type of project.
Founding principal, David Long, brings 13 years of experience navigating the complexities of project management and design in the building industry, from rezoning and permit applications through construction. Thinking both creatively and realistically, our mandate is to deliver exceptional architecture within your schedule and budget.
WHAT WE DO
We are a boutique firm offering a comprehensive architecture and design skill set. We focus on small and mid-sized projects where we can offer our complete attention, providing tailored solutions to our clients. We love a good challenge and even more, finding a great solution!
Your vision guides our design. We listen first so we can clearly identify and understand your important needs, goals, and vision before crafting a solution. We then take a rigorous, organized, and communicative approach to the design and construction process, careful to stay within your budget and timeline.
OUR EXPERIENCE
Our expertise lies in:
Multi-family housing
be it town house developments or mid-rise apartment buildings and condos
Multiplex Housing
Missing middle housing refers to multiplex, townhouse buildings, or multiple conversion dwellings on a single lot. Vancouver multiplex developments are now permitted.
Single-family housing
such as additions, renovations, interior design and new builds
Senior’s housing
renovations, additions, and new buildings
Commercial and industrial buildings
Cafes and restaurants, office spaces and tenant fit-outs
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We acknowledge that we live and work on unceded Coast Salish territory, including the territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), səlil̓ilw̓ətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), and Skwxwú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish) peoples.
OUR TEAM
David Long, Architect AIBC, OAA, Principal
David is a licensed Architect, registered with the Architectural Institute of British Columbia. Having contributed to a diverse range of projects, he brings his many years of experience at Gair Williamson Architects leading projects through the rezoning and development permit process on complex sites. David has been closely engaged in the design, production, and approval processes for mixed use multifamily residential projects from pre-design through to project completion.
David has successfully delivered several Mixed Use and Residential buildings, and has led successful rezonings acting as Project Architect. He is known for his ability to lead projects and the teams through the concept, permitting, and construction phases of a project. Having extensive knowledge in construction documentation phases of a project he understands that schematic design should always be rooted in local construction materials and methods.
Shirley Liu, Architect AIBC
Shirley is a licensed Architect, registered with Architectural Institute of British Columbia. She has project experiences in Ontario and British Columbia ranging from mixed-use residential buildings, community facilities to master planning. Having lived in many parts of the world, Shirley takes inspiration from diverse cultural backgrounds to find unique solutions to each project.
Shirley has experience in small to large scale projects, ranging from residential to community facilities, leading the design process from feasibility study all the way to construction completion. She worked for several years at Gair Williamson Architects.
Her experience in working with the public has equipped her with active and meaningful engagement with client throughout the design process. Having worked on diverse building types, Shirley has gained a library of design approaches guided by the core principle of finding clean and clear solutions.
Shirley believes good design means a simple over-arching concept reflected in the macro form to detailing, and is reinforced by quality material and great craftsmanship.
Tom F. Caminha, Architect, CAU/RJ
Tom is a Brazilian licensed Architect, registered with the Architecture and Urbanism Council of Rio de Janeiro. Having worked since 2007 at several architectural design and construction management firms, both in Brazil and in Canada, he has experience with many different building scales and typologies. From furniture and interior design, through single-family houses to residential high-rises, hotels and social housing complexes; from schools, to museums, to parks and medium scale urban design.
Tom has also been involved in academia since his undergraduate days and is currently a professor at the Serra dos Órgãos University´s architecture and urbanism program (UNIFESO).
Throughout the years, Tom has come to understand architectural design as a dialectic process at the junction between artistic and scientific thought. In its several (and sometimes conflicting) needs, aspirations, potentialities and limitations are analyzed and managed in search of a harmonious solution to a given set of problems.
Nanxi Liu, Intern Architect AIBC
Nanxi is an Intern Architect, registered with Architectural Institute of British Columbia. She has 7 years of project experiences in British Columbia and Nova Scotia ranging from mixed-use residential buildings to commercial buildings. Her passion and creativity toward architecture drives her to constantly refining the design to better serve the clients as well as the public. She previously worked at Gair Williamson Architects.
Most of Nanxi’s working experience is focused on mixed-use residential from small to large scales. Her experience of working with high rises and large consultant teams equips her with the skillset in finding solutions within complexity of a large project.
Nanxi draws her inspiration from Japanese modern architecture which merges culture and craft seamlessly with minimalism. She believes great architecture succeeds in its longevity that is not only reflected in the durability but also in how its aesthetic carries through time. She trusts investment in quality and simplicity throughout the design process is paramount to achieve success in each project.