The Studio
Experience the art of holistic design & project management —Altius stands apart through a fully integrated, end-to-end approach, under one roof.
Altius: The Team Approach
For more than thirty years, Altius has quietly redefined homes and cottages for discerning clientele. Through a fully integrated practice, we guide each project from first concept to final execution—one team, one vision, one point of accountability, offering a seamless, personalized experience that delivers clarity, confidence and control at every stage.
Rooted in place and shaped by purpose, our work unites architecture and craft to create timeless homes and cottages that compliment their surroundings and age gracefully over time.
Altius: The Team Approach
For more than thirty years, Altius has quietly redefined homes and cottages for discerning clientele. Through a fully integrated practice, we guide each project from first concept to final execution—one team, one vision, one point of accountability, offering a seamless, personalized experience that delivers clarity, confidence and control at every stage.
Rooted in place and shaped by purpose, our work unites architecture and craft to create timeless homes and cottages that compliment their surroundings and age gracefully over time.
Consulting - Property & Approvals
Every property carries its own unique regulatory landscape and possibilities. Backed by decades of experience, Altius expertly navigates zoning, permits, code requirements and applicable law, revealing opportunities and charting a path that is both ambitious and achievable.
Altius works closely with consultants and realtors to navigate the municipal and provincial approvals that can often shape a project. Altius conducts disciplined due diligence to ensures each property is fully aligned with the client’s objectives before design begins.
Architecture
Architecture is our prime discipline, rooted in the tradition of the Master Builder, where design and execution are inseparable. Experience brings technical judgment, and technical judgment allows structure, site, program, and material to resolve into a coherent architectural whole.
High-end residential projects are among the most complex forms of architecture, demanding precise coordination, foresight, and technical fluency. At Altius, our design process is comprehensive and deeply considered—shaping homes from the inside out, informed by structure, systems, circulation, and site conditions. The result is architecture that is rigorously planned, carefully detailed, and purpose-built to perform beautifully over time.
Sustainability, Efficiency & Comfort
These are not competing goals—they are interdependent.
True sustainability begins with intelligent design: optimizing solar orientation and natural ventilation; reducing unnecessary complexity; and choosing durable materials. These decisions lower the footprint while enhancing the architecture.
Efficiency is the technical expression of that intent. A properly sized mechanical system is there to supplement what a well designed building envelop does on its own, working together to minimize energy demand. When efficiency is addressed at the architectural level—not added later—it allows systems to be smaller, quieter, and more reliable.
Comfort is the lived result. Stable interior temperatures, consistent air quality, balanced humidity, and abundant natural light create spaces that feel calm, healthy, and effortless to inhabit.
In a well-designed modern home the architecture quietly does the work. Sustainability informs efficiency, efficiency enables comfort, and comfort is the measure of success.
Interior Design
With in-house professional interior design, Altius ensures that beauty is not layered on top of architecture, but embedded within it—resulting in interiors that are cohesive, technically sound, and deeply aligned with the architecture and the client’s lifestyle.
Designers work in close coordination with the architects, construction managers and the client to shape spaces at the planning stage rather than after the fact. Their expertise extends to spatial planning, millwork and custom detailing, material performance, lighting design, and integration with mechanical and multiple other systems. Altius’ designers are incredibly resourceful and work within a broad range of budgets.
When executed well, interior design is inseparable from the architecture.
Landscape Design
For a cottage Altius aims to do as little landscape design as possible and in the City we aim to design landscapes that make you feel like your at the cottage.
Architecture must be rooted in the landscape and often the architecture extends into, and becomes part the landscape. Architectures relationship with landscape is about blurring the distinction between inside and out, expanding our daily lived experience with a constant awareness of our greater surroundings.
Outside, Altius strives to create year-round opportunities to enjoy, relax, socialize, participate and experience outdoor living. Whatever you can dream up, we’ve likely done it.
Construction Management
High-end residential construction benefits most when the client, architect, and construction manager operate as a single, aligned team. In an integrated model, intent is preserved, decisions are informed, and communication is direct—eliminating the inefficiencies and mistakes that often arise when consultants, contractors, and trades work in isolation. Rather than a fragmented, sequential process, construction becomes a coordinated extension of design, allowing issues to be resolved proactively, quality to be controlled rigorously, and the client to remain fully informed at every stage. The result is a calmer, more transparent experience—and a home delivered with greater precision, accountability, budget control and confidence.
With Construction Managers in both the GTA and Muskoka, Altius can provide unparalleled experience and control of your project.
Consulting - Property & Approvals
Every property carries its own unique regulatory landscape and possibilities. Backed by decades of experience, Altius expertly navigates zoning, permits, code requirements and applicable law, revealing opportunities and charting a path that is both ambitious and achievable.
Altius works closely with consultants and realtors to navigate the municipal and provincial approvals that can often shape a project. Altius conducts disciplined due diligence to ensures each property is fully aligned with the client’s objectives before design begins.
Architecture
Architecture is our prime discipline, rooted in the tradition of the Master Builder, where design and execution are inseparable. Experience brings technical judgment, and technical judgment allows structure, site, program, and material to resolve into a coherent architectural whole.
High-end residential projects are among the most complex forms of architecture, demanding precise coordination, foresight, and technical fluency. At Altius, our design process is comprehensive and deeply considered—shaping homes from the inside out, informed by structure, systems, circulation, and site conditions. The result is architecture that is rigorously planned, carefully detailed, and purpose-built to perform beautifully over time.
Sustainability, Efficiency & Comfort
These are not competing goals—they are interdependent.
True sustainability begins with intelligent design: optimizing solar orientation and natural ventilation; reducing unnecessary complexity; and choosing durable materials. These decisions lower the footprint while enhancing the architecture.
Efficiency is the technical expression of that intent. A properly sized mechanical system is there to supplement what a well designed building envelop does on its own, working together to minimize energy demand. When efficiency is addressed at the architectural level—not added later—it allows systems to be smaller, quieter, and more reliable.
Comfort is the lived result. Stable interior temperatures, consistent air quality, balanced humidity, and abundant natural light create spaces that feel calm, healthy, and effortless to inhabit.
In a well-designed modern home the architecture quietly does the work. Sustainability informs efficiency, efficiency enables comfort, and comfort is the measure of success.
Interior Design
With in-house professional interior design, Altius ensures that beauty is not layered on top of architecture, but embedded within it—resulting in interiors that are cohesive, technically sound, and deeply aligned with the architecture and the client’s lifestyle.
Designers work in close coordination with the architects, construction managers and the client to shape spaces at the planning stage rather than after the fact. Their expertise extends to spatial planning, millwork and custom detailing, material performance, lighting design, and integration with mechanical and multiple other systems. Altius’ designers are incredibly resourceful and work within a broad range of budgets.
When executed well, interior design is inseparable from the architecture.
Landscape Design
For a cottage Altius aims to do as little landscape design as possible and in the City we aim to design landscapes that make you feel like your at the cottage.
Architecture must be rooted in the landscape and often the architecture extends into, and becomes part the landscape. Architectures relationship with landscape is about blurring the distinction between inside and out, expanding our daily lived experience with a constant awareness of our greater surroundings.
Outside, Altius strives to create year-round opportunities to enjoy, relax, socialize, participate and experience outdoor living. Whatever you can dream up, we’ve likely done it.
Construction Management
High-end residential construction benefits most when the client, architect, and construction manager operate as a single, aligned team. In an integrated model, intent is preserved, decisions are informed, and communication is direct—eliminating the inefficiencies and mistakes that often arise when consultants, contractors, and trades work in isolation. Rather than a fragmented, sequential process, construction becomes a coordinated extension of design, allowing issues to be resolved proactively, quality to be controlled rigorously, and the client to remain fully informed at every stage. The result is a calmer, more transparent experience—and a home delivered with greater precision, accountability, budget control and confidence.
With Construction Managers in both the GTA and Muskoka, Altius can provide unparalleled experience and control of your project.
From Vision to Reality: Design Development & Construction
Altius refines every detail—from materials and systems to budgets and solutions—ensuring your project proceeds with precision and transparency. Our detailed construction documents guarantee regulatory compliance and guide top-tier trades to bring your vision to life.
As Prime Consultant, we lead every build with the master builder’s expertise, working directly with contractors, suppliers, and specialized trades. Whether managing projects turn-key or collaborating with other builders, Altius guarantees unparalleled execution and transformative results.
From Vision to Reality: Design Development & Construction
Altius refines every detail—from materials and systems to budgets and solutions—ensuring your project proceeds with precision and transparency. Our detailed construction documents guarantee regulatory compliance and guide top-tier trades to bring your vision to life.
As Prime Consultant, we lead every build with the master builder’s expertise, working directly with contractors, suppliers, and specialized trades. Whether managing projects turn-key or collaborating with other builders, Altius guarantees unparalleled execution and transformative results.
The Altius Team
Cathy Garrido
Managing Principal
BES, B.Arch, OAA, ARIDO, MRAIC, LEED AP
Graham Smith
Managing Principal
BFA, B.Arch, OAA, LEED AP
Danya Sturgess
Mike Letros
Intern Architect
Sheyla Tsaitlin
Michelle Caruana
Geoff Bowman
Ewa Kopec
Andrew Jarvis
Craig Downes
Angela Stojanovic
Michael Velickovic
Dave Dyer
The Altius Team
Cathy Garrido
Managing Principal
BES, B.Arch, OAA, ARIDO, MRAIC, LEED AP
Graham Smith
Managing Principal
BFA, B.Arch, OAA, LEED AP
Danya Sturgess
Mike Letros
Sheyla Tsaitlin
Michelle Caruana
Ewa Kopec
Geoff Bowman
Andrew Jarvis
Craig Downes
Angela Stojanovic
Michael Velickovic