Privacy Policy

When you reach out to us about a project or just wanna chat about sustainable design, here's what we typically gather:

• Contact stuff: Your name, email, phone number – the usual suspects so we can actually respond to you.
• Project details: Whatever you share about your vision, site location, budget range, timeline. The more context the better, honestly.
• Technical bits: IP address, browser type, device info. Standard website analytics that help us know if our site's working properly.
• Correspondence: Emails, messages, uploaded files or photos you send during consultation. We keep these in our project management system.

That's pretty much it. We're not interested in tracking your shopping habits or building a profile on you. We're architects, not marketers.

We're pretty boring when it comes to data use, in a good way:

• Project work: To understand your needs, prepare proposals, develop designs, and deliver the architectural services you hired us for.
• Communication: Responding to inquiries, scheduling site visits, sending project updates, sharing design iterations.
• Legal compliance: Meeting professional liability requirements, building code documentation, contract obligations.
• Improvement: Understanding how people use our website so we can make it less clunky.
• Occasional updates: If you've worked with us before, we might send you our quarterly newsletter about recent projects or new services. You can opt out anytime.

We don't sell your data. Period. That's not our business model and frankly, it never will be.

Your information stays pretty close to home. Here's the short list:

• Our team: The architects and designers working on your project. Everyone at Grimthornia signs confidentiality agreements.
• Project partners: Sometimes we work with structural engineers, landscape architects, or specialized consultants. They only get what's relevant to their part.
• Service providers: Our email hosting, cloud storage, and project management platforms. We use reputable Canadian and EU-based services with solid security.
• Legal requirements: If we're legally obligated – court orders, regulatory compliance, that sort of thing. Hasn't happened yet in our 8 years, but gotta mention it.

We don't share client information with marketing companies, data brokers, or anyone else looking to monetize it. Your project details are yours.

Security's kinda like good foundation work – you don't see it, but it matters a lot:

• Encrypted connections: Our website uses SSL/TLS encryption. That little padlock in your browser? Yeah, that matters.
• Secure storage: Client data lives on encrypted cloud servers with regular backups. We use multi-factor authentication for access.
• Limited access: Only team members who need specific information get it. Not everyone can see everything.
• Regular updates: We keep our systems patched and up-to-date. Boring but necessary.
• Physical security: Our office has controlled access, and we don't leave sensitive documents lying around.

No system's perfect, but we take reasonable precautions and stay current with best practices. If there's ever a breach, we'll let you know immediately.

We're pretty minimal with cookies. Here's what we use:

• Essential cookies: Stuff that makes the site work – remembering your language preference, keeping forms functional.
• Analytics: We use a privacy-focused analytics tool to understand site traffic. It's anonymized and doesn't track you across the web.
• No ad tracking: We don't use Facebook Pixel, Google Ads tracking, or any retargeting nonsense. You won't see our ads following you around.

Most browsers let you control cookies through settings. Blocking them might make some features wonky, but you're free to do it.

Under Canadian privacy law (PIPEDA), you've got some solid rights:

• Access: You can request a copy of what information we have about you. Just shoot us an email.
• Correction: If something's wrong or outdated, let us know and we'll fix it.
• Deletion: Want us to delete your data? We can do that, unless we're legally required to keep it (like for tax purposes or active contracts).
• Opt-out: Don't wanna receive our newsletter? There's an unsubscribe link in every email, or just tell us.
• Portability: Need your project data in a different format? We'll work with you on that.
• Complaints: If you think we're handling your data improperly, you can file a complaint with the Privacy Commissioner of Canada.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at studio@grimthornia.info or call (604) 892-3847.

We don't hoard data forever, but professional requirements mean we can't delete everything immediately:

• Active projects: Throughout the project duration and warranty period (typically 1-2 years post-completion).
• Project archives: Architectural drawings and major project documentation for 10 years, as required by professional liability insurance and Canadian building regulations.
• Inquiries: If you contacted us but didn't proceed, we'll keep your info for about a year, then delete it.
• Financial records: Tax law requires 7 years for invoices and contracts.
• Marketing contacts: Until you unsubscribe or we haven't heard from you in 3 years.

After these periods, we securely delete or anonymize the data. Some stuff gets archived offline for reference but stripped of personal identifiers.

Sometimes we link to supplier websites, building product manufacturers, or sustainable material databases. Once you click through to their sites, you're under their privacy policies, not ours.

We try to only link to reputable sources, but we can't control what they do with your data. If you're concerned, check their policies before sharing any information.

Privacy laws evolve, our practices might improve, and occasionally we'll need to update this policy. When we make significant changes, we'll:

• Update the "Last updated" date at the top
• Post a notice on our homepage for at least 30 days
• Email active clients if the changes affect existing projects

For minor tweaks like fixing typos or clarifying language, we'll just update the date. Worth checking back occasionally if you're curious.

Look, if you've actually read this far, you're probably one of the 0.01% who cares about privacy (respect). If anything's unclear or you've got concerns, just reach out:

We're a small team, so you'll probably talk directly to one of the principals. We'll get back to you within a couple business days, usually faster.