Smart Design Studio
ARCHITECTURE + STRATEGIC PLACEMAKING
Vision & Place Strategy
Designing the why & where behind every project
• Facilities Visioning
• Strategic Placemaking
Design & Planning Solutions
Transforming strategic ideas into meaningful spaces
• Site Planning
• Space Planning
Impact & Outcomes Assessment
Demonstrating the value of what you build
• Impact Reports
• Feasibility Reports
Lifting up the arts in our community
We collaborate with arts champions to make our community stronger. Previous experience includes leading a visioning study for the Victoria Conservatory of Music (while working with Cascadia Architects and BoForm) and collaborating on a feasibility and programming study for the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria (while working with Moore Architecture and LWPAC).
Highlighted Project Experience
Designing the why, where, and how, behind impactful, inclusive places.
Big Wheel Burger
As Project Lead, “Kitchen Garden,” was designed as an inclusive, green, public space to reflect the community values that drive this organization. In addition to design, and project management, I assisted with grant application support to realize what is now a beloved space in Cook Street Village. Biophilia Collective collaborated on and implemented this successful public space.
Queenswood Childcare
As Project Architect, while working with Cascadia Architects, we designed and lead a project team through full service project delivery for this award winning facility. In collaboration with UVIC and UVic Properties, a John Di Castro Chapel was revitalized to house two sunlight-filled nature inspired childcare centres. Architect of record: Cascadia Architects. Interiors by Western Design+Build.
Club Kwench
As Client Representative, I led an innovative design discovery process. This creative exploration, space planning and concept design resulted in the renovation of Victoria’s heritage streetcar terminal into a culture club and co-working space. This facility is now a thriving hub that supports community innovation. Interiors by HansenBuilt Design, Architect of record: MJM Architect.
What our clients are saying
Here’s what people are saying about working with Carrie Smart
Tessa McLoughlin
Club Kwench
Carrie is the epitome of professionalism and creativity. Having worked with her on two recent projects I have found her informed and thorough approach to be a huge comfort. Her attention to detail and ability to deliver far surpasses anyone I have ever worked with and her artistic creativity allows her to be continually flexible when faced with unavoidable changes. Would I recommend her? Absolutely!
Kim Ainsworth
University of Victoria
It was an absolute pleasure to collaborate with Carrie on the vision, design and building of our new child care facility. Carrie has an innate ability to listen—to really listen, to her client’s needs and wishes with visioning and space planning, and to grasp what is needed in terms of flow, aesthetics, and function. Throughout our project, Carrie advocated in our best interests to keep the project within budget and ensuring that we received optimal value.
Calen McNeil
Big Wheel Burger
Carrie was integral to the design of our Big Wheel Burger locations and lead the creation of our Kitchen Garden public gathering space in Cook Street Village. She crafted unique design elements with both form and function in mind. She doesn’t just design spaces, she creates opportunities for social connection with long-term impact. I can’t recommend Carrie enough for your next project.
Nathan Medd
Victoria Conservatory of Music
Carrie and her associates have proven to be highly collaborative and imaginative in our work together. We have benefitted immensely from expert design, but the greater value to our discussions may be their civic sense, their keen understanding of neighbourhoods and communities, and their instinct to think even bigger than we might believe is possible.
” Carrie walks the talk; she genuinely cares about bettering her community.
Carrie’s strong connections with local consultants and contractors, and her ability to quickly build productive relationships, helped to ensure that everyone working on the project understood the objectives and vision and were pulling in the same direction.“
– Kim Ainsworth, Director of Childcare Services, UVic
Our approach is experienced, thoughtful, and inspiring
Our projects are sustainable and socially responsible
The result is meaningful and well loved places
Let’s design together: Smart Design Studio is a consulting and capacity building architecture firm led by architect Carrie Smart. With more than two decades of experience in the architectural profession in Victoria, Carrie specializes in helping clients define their long-term goals and assess the viability of their projects. This includes big-picture thinking around facility needs, future growth, and aligning physical spaces with organizational mission and operations.
Carrie’s passion for architecture centres around its ability to make a difference in her community, in creative, beautiful, and engaging ways. Her recent projects in collaboration with Cascadia Architects include over 100 units of rental housing, two childcare facilities and a visioning study for the Conservatory of Music.
Her position as a well-respected professional in this community recently launched her into elected office as a Municipal Councillor for Oak Bay. She is a member of the CRD Arts Commission and is a Board Director for the not-for-profit organization Dance Victoria.
She is passionate about activating public spaces, increasing low carbon transportation solutions and advancing sustainable building practices.
She believes that we need to view all long-term design projects through the lens of sustainability, equity, reconciliation and future generations.
What is your unique definition of success? We will help you to evaluate and communicate how a proposed project will affect its surroundings—environmentally, socially, culturally, economically, and operationally. This helps those impacted to make informed decisions and supports approvals from community members, boards, or regulatory bodies.
Photography Credits: HA Photography (headshot) Brit Kearney (childcare)