Drawings that survive the plan examiner and the framing crew

ADH Canada Inc. prepares architectural drawings for residential and commercial projects across the Greater Toronto Area, from an addition on an existing house to a full custom build. The drawing set is not a formality — it is what the municipality reviews, what the trades build from, and what the inspector checks against. We work from the site and the zoning by-law outward, so the design that gets drawn is a design that can actually be approved and built.

Zoning, setbacks and what the lot will allow

Before anything is designed, the constraints get established. Lot coverage, floor space index, height limits, front and rear yard setbacks and the permitted building envelope vary by municipality and often by neighbourhood within the same city. Establishing this first tells you whether the project fits as of right or whether it needs relief through the committee of adjustment, which is a decision worth making early rather than after a design is finished.

• Survey review and confirmation of the property boundaries and existing structures
• Zoning analysis against the applicable municipal by-law
• Site plan showing grading, drainage, driveway, and distances to the property lines
• Floor plans, elevations, sections and wall assembly details
• Ontario Building Code notes covering egress, spatial separation, insulation and ventilation
• Coordination with a structural engineer where beams, foundations or removals require sealed drawings

Working with engineers and consultants

Many projects need more than one professional. Removing a bearing wall, adding a second storey to an existing foundation, or spanning a wide opening usually calls for a structural engineer’s sealed drawings, and the architectural set has to carry those loads and dimensions correctly. On larger or commercial work there may also be mechanical, electrical, grading or arborist input. We coordinate those inputs into one set rather than handing you a folder of unrelated PDFs, so the permit submission goes in complete and the review comments come back manageable.

Design decisions are also cost decisions. A cantilever, a long clear span, a flat roof over conditioned space or a relocated stair all carry real construction consequences, and it is cheaper to test them on paper. Because we build as well as draw, we can tell you what a choice will mean once it reaches the site.

Request a quote or contact us to review your lot’s zoning and scope out a permit drawing set.