Sharma Office of Design + Architecture Inc.

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Sharma Office of Design + Architecture Inc.

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08/27/2026

Nearly 75% of Canadian construction projects go over budget.

In Toronto, renovations regularly rise 20 to 50% once construction begins.

The cause almost never gets talked about honestly: incomplete drawings at tender. When a contractor prices a job from drawings that still have unresolved details, they fill the gaps with assumptions. When those assumptions change on site, the contract price changes with them.

The fix isn’t a lower budget — it’s a better drawing set. Complete, coordinated documentation before you tender is the single most effective protection against construction surprises.

That’s what architects do. Not just design — document. So the number on your contract reflects reality.

Full breakdown at the link in bio.

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08/26/2026

That creek at the back of your property isn’t just a view. It’s a jurisdiction.

In southern Ontario, a significant number of sites trigger regulatory authority beyond a standard building permit. The Niagara Escarpment Commission. Conservation Halton. The Hamilton Conservation Authority. The NPCA. Heritage designation. Archaeological assessment requirements. Floodplain mapping.
Each one is a separate process, a separate timeline, and a separate ability to stop your project if it isn’t handled correctly from the start.

This is the work we do before design begins — because designing something you can’t build is the most expensive mistake in construction.
Full breakdown of every authority and what triggers it at the link in bio.

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08/24/2026

The answer nobody wants to hear — and everyone needs to know.

A residential renovation in Toronto: 4 to 7 months before construction starts. A custom new build: 7 to 12 months. A commercial project: 8 to 14 months or more. That’s design, documentation, and permit review combined — before anyone picks up a tool.

The permit review alone in Toronto is 6 to 12 weeks for a clean submission. Add a zoning variance and you add 3 to 4 months. Add a conservation authority review and add more.

None of this is a failure of the system. It’s what a properly permitted, well-designed project actually looks like. The clients who understand this plan better, stress less, and get better results.

Full timeline breakdown at the link in bio.

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08/22/2026

Two phases. Two very different timelines.

One thing most clients don’t know going in.

The design phase is something you and your architect control together. You make decisions, we translate them into drawings. The timeline is a function of how quickly decisions get made and how complex the design is.

The permit phase is controlled by the municipality. Once the drawings are submitted, the clock belongs to the city. 6 to 12 weeks for a clean residential submission in Toronto. Longer if there are zoning issues, outside agency reviews, or heritage considerations.

Understanding which phase you’re in — and who controls it — changes how you plan, where you direct your energy, and how much you stress about things that aren’t in your hands.

Full explanation at the link in bio.

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08/20/2026

Honest answer — sometimes no.

A BCIN-registered designer can legally prepare permit drawings for most simple residential projects in Ontario. A contractor can build what others design. For a straightforward renovation or modest addition, you may not need a licensed architect.

But here’s what changes when you do: legal accountability. An OAA architect carries mandatory professional liability insurance and is legally responsible for the safety and code compliance of the buildings they stamp. A designer isn’t required to carry that insurance. A contractor isn’t either.

If your project involves any commercial use, structural complexity, multi-unit configuration, a difficult site, or anything that matters deeply to you — the protection that comes with a licensed architect isn’t optional. It’s the point.

Full breakdown at the link in bio.

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08/17/2026

Stone. Steel. Rain.

The Tiffany Falls Residence is a 4,000 sf custom bungalow in Ancaster — a full demolition and new build on one of the area’s most established streets, minutes from the conservation area it takes its name from.

The entire structure is cold form steel, clad in Arriscraft Cambridge Renaissance stone. We are currently coordinating mechanical, structural, and cold form steel packages before permit submission to the City of Hamilton.

Architecture, structure, mechanical, visualization — one team, one point of accountability.

→ sodainc.ca

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08/14/2026

Before you order, you can see everything.

Nüde Bowl is a Mediterranean build-your-own bowl concept we’re proposing for Toronto — 1,150 sf, 28 seats, counter service, designed around one idea: the ingredients are the décor.

Cream terrazzo. Bleached oak soffit. Sage green banquette. Limewash plaster. The room earns its place on your morning feed before the food arrives.

Early concept and proposal phase. Toronto.

Architect: SODA
Interiors: SODA

→ sodainc.ca

08/07/2026

Most people planning a renovation or commercial project ask the same question: do I need an architect, an interior designer, or both?

The answer is more specific than most people realize. In Ontario, both titles are protected by law — and the scope of what each professional is actually permitted to do is clearly defined.

Here’s what separates them:
An architect is licensed by the OAA and takes full legal responsibility for a building’s design, permits, and code compliance. For any commercial space, restaurant, office, or daycare — a licensed architect is required by law.
A registered interior designer holds ARIDO membership and specialises in the interior environment — space planning, finishes, FF&E, and the experience of a space from the inside out.

They’re different disciplines with different scopes. On larger projects, they work together. On smaller residential work, you may only need one.
We just published a full breakdown on the SODA blog — what each professional actually does, where the legal line is drawn, and the two questions you should ask before signing any design contract.

Link in bio → sodainc.ca/inside-soda

07/09/2026

Two professions. Two fees. One conversation nobody has honestly.
Real estate agents have built something remarkable — an entire culture around a fee that everyone accepts without question. Four to six percent on a million dollar home is $40,000–$60,000, and it’s baked into every transaction. That’s a communication achievement worth respecting.

Architects charge 8–12% to design, coordinate, and take legal responsibility for building that same million dollars. And that number — somehow — needs defending every time.

The difference isn’t value. It’s visibility. The commission disappears into a transaction. Our fee is a line item you have to approve. One feels abstract. The other feels like a decision.

But here’s what the fee actually buys: every conflict resolved on paper, every permit navigated, every change order that never happened. Swipe to see the math.

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Address

Wilson Street West
Ancaster, ON
L9G3K9

Telephone

+19057452287

Website

http://www.sodainc.ca/

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