Privacy Policy

Introduction

Look, we get it - privacy policies can be a total slog to read through. But here at Blazeward Realm Architecture, we're pretty serious about respecting your personal info. This isn't just some boilerplate text we copied from somewhere else. We've actually tried to make this straightforward and honest about what we collect, why we need it, and what we do with it.

We're a Canadian architecture firm based in Vancouver, which means we follow all the relevant privacy laws including PIPEDA (Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act). If something here doesn't make sense or you've got questions, just reach out - we're happy to chat about it.

What We Collect

When you reach out to us about a project or browse our site, we might collect a few different types of information. Nothing too invasive, we promise.

Contact Information

Your name, email, phone number, and address when you fill out our contact forms or send us project inquiries. We need this stuff to actually get back to you and understand where your project's located.

Project Details

Information about your property, design preferences, budget ranges, timelines - basically everything that helps us figure out if we're a good fit for your project and how we can help bring your vision to life.

Technical Stuff

Like most websites, we collect some basic technical data - your IP address, browser type, pages you visit, how long you stick around. This helps us keep the site running smoothly and figure out what content actually interests people.

How We Use Your Information

We're not in the business of selling your data or bombarding you with spam. Here's what we actually do with the information you share:

Respond to your inquiries and discuss potential projects. Pretty obvious, right?
Send you project proposals, contracts, and other documentation related to our work together.
Keep you updated on your project's progress if we're working together.
Occasionally share news about our studio or sustainable design insights - but only if you've opted in, and you can unsubscribe anytime.
Improve our website and services based on how people use them.
Comply with legal requirements when necessary (taxes, permits, that sort of thing).

Sharing Your Info

We don't sell or rent your personal information to anyone. Period. But there are a few situations where we might need to share it:

Project Collaborators: If we're working on your project, we'll need to share relevant details with engineers, contractors, consultants, and other professionals who are part of the team. Everyone we work with is bound by confidentiality agreements.

Service Providers: We use some third-party services to run our business - things like email hosting, cloud storage, and project management tools. These providers only get access to the information they need to do their job, and they're contractually obligated to keep it secure.

Legal Requirements: If we're legally required to disclose information (court orders, regulatory requests, etc.), we'll do so. But we'll always notify you first unless we're prohibited from doing so.

Cookies and Tracking

Yeah, we use cookies - not the chocolate chip kind, unfortunately. These are small text files that help our website remember your preferences and understand how you use the site. Most of what we track is pretty basic analytics stuff.

You can disable cookies in your browser settings if you want, though it might make some parts of the site less functional. We don't use any sneaky tracking technologies or third-party advertising cookies that follow you around the internet.

Data Security

We take reasonable precautions to protect your information. Our website uses SSL encryption, our servers are secure, and we limit access to personal data to only those team members who need it. We regularly update our security practices and work with reputable service providers who take security seriously.

That said, no system is 100% foolproof. We can't guarantee absolute security, but we do our best to minimize risks and we'll notify you promptly if there's ever a breach that affects your information.

Your Rights

Under Canadian privacy law, you've got some important rights when it comes to your personal information:

Access: You can ask us what personal information we have about you, and we'll provide it (usually within 30 days).

Correction: If any of your information is wrong or outdated, let us know and we'll fix it.

Deletion: You can request that we delete your personal information. We'll honor this unless we're legally required to keep it.

Opt-out: You can unsubscribe from our emails anytime or ask us to stop contacting you for marketing purposes.

Complaints: If you think we've mishandled your information, you can file a complaint with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada.

Data Retention

We keep your information for as long as it's needed to provide our services or as required by law. For active clients, that means throughout the project and for a period afterward (typically 7 years for financial and project records, which is standard practice in architecture). If you've just inquired but we haven't worked together, we'll usually keep your info for a couple years in case you decide to move forward later. After that, we securely delete or anonymize it.

Third-Party Links

Our website might include links to other sites - manufacturer websites, sustainability resources, project collaborators, that kind of thing. We're not responsible for the privacy practices of those sites. If you click through to another site, make sure to check out their privacy policy too.

Children's Privacy

Our services aren't directed at anyone under 18, and we don't knowingly collect information from kids. If you're a parent and think your child has given us their information, please contact us and we'll delete it right away.

Changes to This Policy

We might update this privacy policy from time to time as our practices evolve or laws change. When we do, we'll update the date at the top of this page. If there are significant changes, we'll make a reasonable effort to notify you - probably via email if we have your address, or with a notice on our website.