About

Studio Balcaen Kwan Architecture and Design was founded in 2018 by partners Bettina Balcaen and Tillie Kwan.  Friends and colleagues for over 12 years, Bettina and Tillie have extensive experience working in design oriented architectural firms in both Canada and Germany.

The decision to establish a practice together was based on a shared love for modern design and the desire to see its influence in a wide range of project types, in particular small and medium scale residential and commercial building, and interiors.

Bettina and Tillie value the shift towards built environments with significant energy demand reductions including the adoption of Passive House design principles. Both partners also believe strongly in contributing to the greater community and are actively involved in volunteer positions including the mentoring of graduate students enrolled at the UBC School of Architecture.

We value positive, long-term relationships and want to make each project a rewarding experience for all parties involved, as well as the wider community as a whole. With every project we explore opportunities to create healthy living environments that benefit each end user’s physical and psychological well-being.  This approach can be achieved through thoughtful contemporary architectural design by considering user needs, spatial organization, indoor-outdoor connections, material choices, human scales, sound control, thermal comfort, air quality, community, wayfinding strategies, and financial resources.  Our design approach incorporates and looks beyond basic sustainable architecture and planning in order to respect each individual’s contextual and environmental health.