Behind the Build: Cathy Garrido - Altius Architecture

Cathy Garrido is the co-founder of Altius Architecture, recently (since recording) re-named as Sustain Design Architects Inc., alongside fellow Waterloo grad Graham Smith. While there were four partners initially, Cathy and Graham are the two remaining.

Cathy took to architecture as a profession, in some ways, as a part of a destined path.

With building in her blood, both her father and grandfather being builders, she had always been around construction. That formalized into a pathway leading her to study Architecture at University of Waterloo, in Waterloo, Canada - also, her hometown.

With a keen interest in forward thinking when it comes to architecture, she has acquired LEED accreditation and Passive House Canada.

Find out how the practice has right-sized over the years and how they’ve established themselves as one of the long-standing and highly reputable practices in the city both in residential, commercial, prefab and more…