Issued For Construction AD - British Columbia Series: David Arnott - Stark Architecture + Interiors

<p>David Arnott is the founder and principal of Stark Architecture and Interiors, a 24-person studio based in Squamish, BC. Originally from Peebles, a small town south of Edinburgh, Scotland, he grew up immersed in competitive cycling — his father was a Scottish national road racing champion — before discovering architecture through family trips to churches and buildings across mainland Europe. He completed a seven-year architecture program split between Edinburgh College of Art and KTH in Stockholm (via an Erasmus exchange), where he was introduced to parametric design and generative component modeling.</p><p>After graduating in the midst of the 2008 financial crisis, David worked for a small residential firm in Edinburgh, then returned to Canada — first working in Vancouver and Whistler — before going independent as a sole proprietor and eventually incorporating Stark Architecture Limited on December 1, 2016. The firm&#39;s name means &quot;strong&quot; in Swedish, a nod to his time in Stockholm. Early projects were small renovations in Revelstoke and Whistler; a distinctive red-painted house in Revelstoke helped build word-of-mouth that grew into a steady stream of single-family home commissions.</p><p>Stark has built a reputation for technically ambitious, design-forward homes in mountain settings, often on steep or complex sites. The studio is deeply invested in Passive House building science — seven staff hold Passive House certification, and Stark designed North America&#39;s first certified Passive House commercial building (a bike shop in Revelstoke). A recent large residential project in Pemberton -fully net-zero, with dual Tesla battery banks and geothermal heating - became Passive House Premium Certified, a first for a Canadian project, along with recognition from Architizer and Canadian Interiors. The firm also won the AIBC Emerging Architect of the Year award.</p><p>About four years ago, Stark added interior design as a core discipline, now led by partner Josianne and a six-person team; the studio also does original furniture and lighting/product design. Of Stark&#39;s 24 staff, David describes the culture as built around &quot;co-creation&quot; rather than top-down direction, with incredible benefits, balance to the work-life and team trips like cat-skiing and heli-biking.</p><p>Outside Stark, David co-runs Alba Distribution with his brother, importing specialty bike components (Formula Forks, EXT, and similar). He lives in Squamish with his