Brian Morris Architect

We hired Brian less than an hour after first meeting him through FaceTime. We immediately knew that it was the right fit, and we couldn’t have made a better decision. Brian took the time to learn how we actually live and took every detail into consideration to create a home that works for us. He truly listens to his clients and their needs. There are so many decisions to be made when you build a custom house, and we learned that when in doubt, always trust Brian! He was a wonderful guide through the process and we collaborated on certain aspects of interior design. Again, his input was insightful and invaluable. On another note, he has the most wonderful sense of humor, making the site meetings a pleasure. We learned so much throughout this project, and we would be delighted to work with Brian again, but we love our home too much!

We gave Brian the challenge of designing a kitchen extension for our 1942 home with no end of items on our wish list, including the absolute need to fit in an 11-foot antique harvest table. He succeeded by creating a space that has hugely enriched our overall quality of life. Light-filled and highly functional, the area enhances our ability to cook, to entertain, to relax, and to access and enjoy our garden. We can’t say enough about Brian’s thoughtful creativity, his professionalism, his personal nature and sense of humour, and his never-ending patience. We are very grateful.

We knew we picked the right architect and partner in Brian for our new house from the beginning. He put the fun in what can otherwise be a stressful process by keeping a “firm hand on the tiller” but still employing a pleasant sense of humor. What you learn in a house build is that you need to make the right decisions at the right times, and you need your architect to guide you through this. Brian does that the right way with much encouragement and little stress. We challenged Brian with creating the house in Victoria that we wanted, but to work with us at a long distance (we were in Denver). It worked seamlessly. His process is well-structured and thorough and begins with an analysis of your planned lifestyle in the house in order to get both you and he thinking of the right things from the beginning. What we thought would be difficult actually became pretty easy. Throughout the design and build process, Brian anticipated many issues beforehand and brought them forward for timely resolution. This included ways to reduce cost. It also included helping us select our builder the Derby Brothers (Daryl and Dean). They were incredibly good as Brian had said, which will be another testimonial. Oh, and by the way, Brian does all his drawings by hand. They are works of art and a few will find themselves framed and on our walls soon. We are very happy with the house Brian helped us create and would highly recommend him for your project. Tom and Karen Kerr

Brian was our partner in creating our home. I use the word partner as this was how we felt throughout the process from our initial meeting to the completion of building our home. From the early extensive interviews that he used to determine who we were and how we lived, to encouraging us to follow our dreams, or helping in selecting high quality craftsmen, Brian listened and was always our representative in all aspects of the project. We have lived in the home for 8 years now and not only do we continue to have strangers knock on our door asking questions about the house, but it also 'works' as we envisioned in those early conversations. We would highly recommend Brian as a partner in the design and creation of your home.

Brain Morris designed a house for my wife and I in 2006. The end product was a beautifully placed house on a challenging lot that satisfied all our needs. Sadly, we have had to downsize and sell the property. However, looking back on the process with which we shared with Brian, we realize now how invaluable the process of deciding what is really needed in a house. Brain challenged our ideas until we realized that what we wanted and what was needed were quite different. We ended up with a house that was not only pleasing but practical. All too often, contractors build to impress but do not consider how people really live. It costs more to retain an architect but you end up with a much better home.

Brian is probably one of the most conscientious people we have ever met and that is a great thing when one is planning your house! He took time to interview us about our lives to make sure the house fit our needs. He did a superb job of all the plans (and there were a lot) that it took to build our fantastic house. Plus the contractors he recommended were second to none. It is a stunning craftsman home, and feels like a new "old house". Love it.

Brian designed a waterfront retirement home for us in a quiet seaside community. We wanted a house that blended with the established character of the neighbourhood and included open and modern interior spaces. We spent many hours in discussion with Brian as he made detailed notes about our lifestyle and the kinds of spaces we required. Brian paid the strictest attention to every detail from coffered ceilings to hidden blinds and a kitchen that is the envy of everyone who comes by. Our home is a beach-style shingle house, perfectly suited to its environs. It has been featured in local magazines and Brian was awarded a prize for design excellence by our local government council. Brian is a pleasure to work with. He is patient, creative, innovative and entirely reliable. He is a master at maximizing the use of natural light and he has a tremendous talent for transforming vague notions about space and finishings into a truly livable and very comfortable home. At the beginning of our collaboration, we were living in a different city. Brian attended to some local issues on our behalf, not as architect, but as our agent and advocate. He was extremely accommodating in arranging meetings to fit our busy schedules. I would highly recommend Brian to people who want to build a home that expresses their own dreams and lifestyle!!!

We hired Brian as our architect for a new house project in 2007. We had demolished our old house rather than renovate, the first piece of good advice Brian gave us. From there we were able to work with Brian to build the house we really wanted. Since we all have different personal goals and tastes, we were impressed with how Brian truly listened to what we wanted, as well as directed us to what was "needed" to achieve the result. Throughout the project, he realistically respected our budget. We could not have been happier with the final project. Brian has an excellent eye for aesthetics and function, and was able to blend both into what we hoped for. We were keen on hiring an architect for this reason. He has a keen eye for the use of natural light and functional space. He has a "soft touch" approach to getting clients to understand his vision while appreciating theirs. He was never too busy to discuss and address our questions or ideas. When choosing our builders, Brian was also instrumental in our final decision. He recommended talented builders who specialize in custom homes, and who were also a pleasure to work with. We had expected the construction of our new home (which also involved some significant structural landscaping, to be a stressful experience, but Brian and Darryl (our builder) worked so well as a team that the project was enjoyable. We love our home, and still see different lines and effects from the work he envisioned, whether it be the woodwork, the stonework, lighting, etc. We would highly recommend Brian Morris (architect) to anyone planning their dream home. He delivered to us, hands down! K&G

BTW Morris is a very calm, methodical, experienced architect that listens patiently to his clients needs and wants. He very diplomatically manages to interact with all parties involved in the complex construction process whilst keeping a rational eye on budget . We are extremely happy with the custom home he designed for us after a thorough information gathering process. We can honestly say we have absolutely no regrets, and can highly recommend him.