Our philosophy.

We believe that informed design begins at the intersection of body, mind and built environment. Much of our understanding and perception of the external world is encoded in neuronal signals or spikes that our brain interprets, like language. It is our aim to integrate a multidisciplinary approach to today’s traditional architectural process by drawing from evidence based research in neuroscience, phenomenology and psychology.

Our approach to architecture is an active process, a verb, that centres our fully embodied selves in space. One that moves us beyond visual consumption, and towards a complete sensorial approach that shapes, moulds, informs and reforms itself. Perception becomes an oscillating dance between passive and active sensorial inputs that alter how we move through and are in turn moved by the built environment.

At SPIKE we create spaces that inspire, enhance well-being and support an emotional connection. Specializing in residential, commercial, and wellness environments, we craft interiors that engage the senses and positively influence mood, cognition, and overall health.

Science-Backed Design – Every project is informed by neuroarchitectural principles to enhance emotional well-being and cognitive function.

Sustainable & Sensory Design – We prioritize natural elements, carefully tuned acoustics, clean air quality, and circadian lighting to create deeply nurturing environments.

Customized Experiences – Each project is tailored to support specific behaviours, whether it's enhancing focus, fostering tranquility, or encouraging social interaction. We customize design decisions to reflect your needs, brand identity, or personal style.

Our focus.

  • We design homes that are tailored for your lifestyle. Through space planning and flow optimization, we thoughtfully arrange spaces to improve movement and functionality. The mindful selection of finishes, integration of natural materials, and leveraging the placement of natural light, we create spaces that promote relaxation, enhance well being and blend aesthetics with purpose.

  • From workplaces and retail spaces to hospitality, we design dynamic environments that boost focus, creativity, and engagement through collaborative layout placement, sound and lighting control and ergonomic design.

  • True healing spaces allow the nervous system to rest. We create experiences, supported by the principles of neuroarchitecture, that promote overall harmony and balance both spatially and within body.

Our services.

  • From concept to completion, we provide full service architectural design and project management. Whether designing a new single family home, multi-unit residential, commercial space, or renovating an existing space, we ensure every detail provides value and enhances your design goals.

  • We offer complete interior design services at all project scales from initial concept design through construction. Services include finish selection, plumbing and hardware packages, lighting selection and specification and custom millwork design.

  • We curate the selection of interior furnishings whether sourced or custom designed for your new or existing space.

WORK.

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ABOUT.

est. 2021

SPIKE studio was founded as a multidisciplinary practice dedicated to craft, distinct storytelling, and wellbeing in the design of places where memory meets present. The studio is ran by Sally Vandrish, a professional architect, artist and designer working in Canada. Following a desire to deepen one’s understanding of how the built environment interfaces with our innate biological and physiological responses, Sally set off on her own to found SPIKE studio. Through SPIKE, she hopes to bridge the gap between neuro-architectural research, education and professional practice. Only through this science supported, multidisciplinary approach to design, she argues, can we begin to centre the user in space and more accurately understand how our environments are serving us. Striving for evidenced-based design eliminates subjectivity in the design process and ensures our role as informed designers and place-makers. Sally recently completed the Neuroscience Applied to Architectural Design (NAAD) masters program at the Iuav University in Venice.

I am so grateful that you took on my dream home project. You worked tirelessly to achieve the finished product and anyone would be lucky to have you do the same for them!

Moira Gilchrist-Tait

We started working with SPIKE on our commercial building floorplans and liked working with them so much we went ahead and designed our new dream home with them. Easy seamless communication, they understood our needs and helped us distill our wild concepts into reality. Highly recommend!

Jesse Delgrosse