family residential buildings, which now represent the firm’s primary focus. Coolearth is currently collaborating with SvN Architects on two significant apartment developments – one in York Region and another in Waterloo – totalling hundreds of residential units. These projects reflect a growing demand for buildings that balance affordability, comfort, and long-term operational resilience, without sacrificing architectural quality. At the heart of Coolearth’s approach is a belief that sustainable design does not require compromise. Sheena is outspoken about what she sees as persistent misinformation in the industry – the idea that sustainability must come at the expense of aesthetics or financial viability. In her experience, that trade-off is largely imaginary. “You don’t have to choose sustainability over beauty, or sustainability over profitability,” Sheena explains. “You can do all of it.” The key, she says, lies in understanding buildings as systems and making informed decisions about where investments deliver the greatest value over time. A significant part of that thinking is driving the firm’s transition toward all-electric buildings. Moving forward, Coolearth is prioritising designs that eliminate on-site fossil fuel use, relying instead on electric systems paired with carefully designed building envelopes. For Sheena, this shift is not about chasing trends or adopting untested technologies. It is about using tools that already exist – and using them well. The performance of a building, she notes, is JANUARY 2026
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