Who We Actually Are

Not your typical suit-and-tie architecture firm

Our Mission Statement

Look, we're gonna be straight with you. Architecture's been stuck in this weird place where everyone's either chasing the next flashy render or forgetting that buildings actually need to work for real people. We started Pyro Nexus Zone because we got tired of seeing industrial and commercial spaces that ignore sustainability or treat it like an afterthought.

Our approach? Design spaces that connect people to their work environment while actually reducing environmental impact. Not because it's trendy, but because it makes financial sense and, honestly, it's the right thing to do. We've worked on warehouses that cut energy costs by 40%, office buildings where people actually want to spend time, and manufacturing facilities that don't look like concrete boxes.

Based in Toronto since 2018, we've built our reputation on delivering projects that work in the real world, not just in presentations. Every project we take on needs to pass our internal test: Would we want to work or operate a business in this space? If the answer's no, we go back to the drawing board.

Meet the Team

The people who turn ideas into buildings

Sarah Chen

Principal Architect

15 years turning industrial spaces into something people don't hate. Former lead at two major Toronto firms before starting PNZ.

Marcus Rodriguez

Sustainability Director

LEED AP with a background in mechanical engineering. Basically the guy who makes sure our green claims actually hold up.

Priya Desai

Design Lead

8 years making commercial spaces that don't feel corporate. She's got this weird talent for lighting design that actually works.

David Kowalski

Project Manager

The one who keeps everything on schedule and budget. Former construction manager who knows every contractor trick in the book.

Emma Larsson

Urban Planning Specialist

Spent 6 years with Toronto's planning dept before joining us. She knows the permit process like nobody's business.

James Park

Interior Architect

Fresh perspective from UofT grad program. Obsessed with adaptive reuse and making old buildings relevant again.

Our Journey

How we got here (the honest version)

2018

The Beginning

Sarah and Marcus left their corporate gigs and rented a small office on King West. Started with just one client - a warehouse renovation that everyone said couldn't be done sustainably within budget. We proved them wrong.

2019

Growing Pains

Brought Priya on board after she redesigned our office space as a favor. Completed 8 projects that year, mostly through word-of-mouth. Also learned the hard way that not every client's a good fit for our approach.

2020

Pandemic Pivot

COVID hit and we thought we were done. Instead, businesses needed to rethink their spaces completely. We helped 12 companies redesign for better airflow, flexible work arrangements, and actually ended up busier than before.

2021

Recognition

Won our first major award for the Liberty Village manufacturing facility project. David joined to handle the increasing project load. Moved to our current Bay Street office because we'd outgrown King West.

2022

Expanding Expertise

Emma came aboard to handle urban planning side of things. Started working on larger mixed-use projects. Our smallest project that year was still bigger than our biggest one from 2019.

2023

Setting Standards

Three of our projects achieved LEED Platinum. Started mentoring other firms on sustainable commercial design. James joined straight out of grad school and immediately challenged everything we thought we knew about adaptive reuse.

2024

Building Momentum

Completed our largest industrial facility to date - 150,000 sq ft that runs on 60% less energy than code requires. Started getting calls from other provinces. Still weird to think about.

2025

Right Now

Currently working on 14 active projects across Ontario. Still learning, still making mistakes, still figuring out how to balance growth with the quality that got us here. The journey continues.

What We Stand For

Honest Design

No gimmicks, no trends that'll look dated in 5 years. Just buildings that work.

Real Sustainability

We track energy performance post-completion. If it doesn't actually save resources, we don't claim it does.

Human-Centered

Buildings are for people. Sounds obvious, but you'd be surprised how often that gets forgotten.

Ready to Work Together?

We're taking on new projects for Q1 2026. If you've got a commercial or industrial space that needs rethinking, let's talk.

Get In Touch