About Us - Mythrunevale Architecture Studio

Erik Thorvaldsen

Founder & Lead Architect

How This All Started

I'll be honest - I didn't wake up one morning and decide to blend Norse mythology with eco-friendly architecture. It happened over years of working in stuffy corporate firms where everything felt... soulless, y'know? Buildings that looked impressive in renderings but had zero connection to the land they stood on.

Growing up in Vancouver with Norwegian roots, I spent summers in my grandparents' cabin outside Bergen. That place taught me more about architecture than any textbook ever did. The way it sat in the landscape, how natural light moved through the rooms, the honest use of timber - nothing was there just to look fancy. Everything had purpose.

"Buildings should feel like they've grown from the earth, not been dropped onto it by some crane. That's not poetry - it's just common sense we've somehow forgotten."

Started Mythrunevale back in 2018 after walking away from a pretty comfortable gig at a big firm. Crazy? Maybe. But I couldn't keep designing buildings that'd contribute to the mess we're already in. Climate change isn't some abstract concept when you're designing someone's home or workspace - it's right there in your material choices, your site orientation, your water management.

The "Mythrunevale" name gets questions all the time. It's Old Norse-ish for "valley of secret wisdom" - sounds pretentious, I know, but hear me out. Our ancestors built structures that lasted centuries without power tools or CAD software. They understood thermal mass, passive ventilation, natural materials. That's not ancient history - that's knowledge we desperately need right now.

Our Philosophy

We don't follow trends. We create spaces that'll still make sense in fifty years.

2018

The Beginning

Left the corporate world with nothing but a laptop and way too much confidence. First project was a residential renovation in North Van - client took a chance on this nobody with big ideas about passive solar and reclaimed materials. Still proud of that one.

2020

First Commercial Project

Landed a mixed-use development in Gastown. Scared out of my mind, honestly. But we proved you could hit heritage preservation requirements while still pushing sustainability standards. That project put us on the map locally.

2022

LEED Platinum Certification

Our Kitsilano residential project became one of the first LEED Platinum homes in BC. Not gonna lie - the paperwork nearly killed me. But it validated what we'd been saying all along about integrated design and material transparency.

2024

Growing the Team

Finally admitted I couldn't do everything myself. Brought on three talented architects who actually get what we're trying to do here. We're still small, still selective about projects, but we're making bigger waves.

2025

Looking Forward

Working on our most ambitious project yet - a net-zero commercial complex in Surrey. Also started mentoring young architects because this industry needs more people who give a damn about what they're building and why.

What We Actually Believe

No fluff, no corporate speak - just how we approach every single project that comes through our door.

Context is Everything

Your building doesn't exist in a vacuum. The neighborhood, the climate, the light, the prevailing winds - they're all co-designers whether you acknowledge them or not. We'd rather work with 'em than against 'em.

Materials Have Stories

Where something comes from matters. How it's made matters. Local timber, salvaged brick, low-VOC finishes - these aren't optional upgrades, they're baseline requirements. Plus they just look and feel better, no contest.

Less Can Actually Be More

Not every wall needs to be a "statement." Sometimes the best design move is the one you don't make. Clean lines, natural materials, good proportions - that stuff never goes out of style because it was never really "in style" to begin with.

People Live Here

Sounds obvious but you'd be surprised. We're designing for actual humans who'll move through these spaces every day - not for architecture magazine photographers. If it doesn't work for daily life, it doesn't work. Period.

Work With Us

We're not the right fit for everyone, and that's cool. But if you're serious about building something that respects both people and planet, let's talk. We keep our project load intentionally small so we can actually give a damn about each one.

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