Studio North

Studio North is a design + build practice based in Calgary, Canada, established by Matthew Kennedy and Mark Erickson. Studio North is recognized nationally and internationally as an emerging Canadian design practice. Their work has been profiled in numerous publications, such as Canadian Architect Magazine and ArchDaily. Studio North connects design with building and craft, where a relationship is maintained between the architectural idea and the act of making. In working directly with materials, Matthew and Mark are able to respond to the unique qualities they encounter. This ability enhances their projects and their clients’ experiences. By acting as both the designers and the builders, they are able to creatively and meaningfully engage with the client, the site, and the community. Studio North views architecture as a mode of place-making where the regional characteristics of culture and landscape are supported and enhanced through sensitive and well-integrated design interventions. Their strength as designers is founded upon a shared optimism for architecture’s ability to create better living environments that enrich communities and emphasize the beauty of the landscape. Matthew and Mark have been collaborating for the past eight years on architectural projects of a variety of scales, from furniture and art installations to a children's camp and laneway housing. From their time studying architecture together at Dalhousie University in Halifax, they maintain a strong working partnership and a shared philosophy of making that includes a commitment to quality and resourcefulness, united through exceptional design and careful detailing. They believe that small scale and well crafted built interventions can stimulate big changes in thought and ways of being.