gregws.ca is the portfolio of Canadian architecture student and designer Greg Whistance-Smith. [and is currently in the process of being refurbished...sorry for the mess...]

I was born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta, and the unique context and consciousness of my city has deeply informed my perspective of design. Edmonton is sliced diagonally by the North Saskatchewan River Valley, and in contrast to most river cities, our valley is almost entirely urban wilderness. My time spent in this duality of city and anti-city has shaped my equally juxtaposed interests of the primitive and modern. How mankind once lived, and how we desire to live now and in the future. The dialogue between these extremes, and the fundamental question of how to live “the good life,” remain a steady influence on my design process.

My passion for architecture stems from a belief that people are profoundly affected by the spaces they inhabit, and that good architecture improves the quality of life of those who live with it. Designs that exhibit honesty and humility quietly argue for those virtues in a society, and designs of that character interest me the most. Good architecture should not be a luxury, and a pragmatic practice of architecture searches for solutions and designs that don’t require a luxury budget to create an excellent building.

I am very interested in Design generally, and its importance in our built and social environments. I don’t believe Design is problem solving, but instead defining the “problem” to be solved. The definition colours the situation, and invariably implies a solution.

I can be reached at gwhistancesmith [at] gmail [dot] com.