Privacy Policy

Celvarith Quintho Architecture | Vancouver, BC

Last updated: January 2024

Introduction

Look, we get it - privacy policies can be a slog to read through. But here at Celvarith Quintho Architecture, we're pretty serious about respecting your personal info and keeping things transparent about what we do with it.

This policy lays out how we collect, use, and protect your data when you're interacting with our studio - whether that's through our website, emails, or in-person consultations. We've tried to keep the legalese to a minimum and just tell it like it is.

By using our services or website, you're agreeing to this policy. If something doesn't sit right with you, we'd love to chat about it before you hand over any personal details.

Information We Collect

We're not out here hoarding data for the sake of it. Here's what we actually collect and why:

Personal Contact Info

When you reach out for a consultation or fill out a contact form, we'll collect basics like your name, email, phone number, and project address. Pretty standard stuff - we need this to actually get back to you and understand where your project's gonna be.

Project Details

If we're working together, we'll need info about your property, design preferences, budget ranges, timelines, and any sustainability goals you've got. This helps us create spaces that actually work for you instead of just looking pretty in our portfolio.

Technical Data

Our website collects some behind-the-scenes stuff like your IP address, browser type, pages you visit, and how long you hang around. Nothing creepy - just helps us understand if our site's actually working properly and what content folks find useful.

Financial Information

For billing and contracts, we'll need payment details. We don't store credit card numbers on our servers though - that goes through secure third-party processors who know what they're doing.

How We Use Your Data

We're not selling your info to random companies or bombarding you with spam. Here's what we actually do with it:

  • Respond to your inquiries and set up consultations - kinda the whole point, right?
  • Develop architectural designs and provide the services you've hired us for
  • Send project updates, appointment reminders, and important contract stuff
  • Process payments and maintain financial records (gotta keep the accountants happy)
  • Improve our website and services based on how people actually use them
  • Occasionally send newsletters about our work or sustainability in architecture - but only if you've said that's cool
  • Comply with legal requirements like building codes and professional regulations

Who We Share Information With

We keep your info pretty close to the chest, but there are some situations where we need to share it:

Project Collaborators

Sometimes we work with structural engineers, contractors, landscape architects, or LEED consultants on projects. We'll share relevant project details with them, but only what's needed to get the job done right.

Service Providers

We use third-party tools for stuff like email hosting, cloud storage, accounting software, and website analytics. These companies have access to some of your data but are contractually required to keep it secure and not use it for their own purposes.

Legal Requirements

If we're legally obligated to share info - like for building permits, regulatory compliance, or if there's a court order - we'll do that. But we're not gonna volunteer your info unnecessarily.

Portfolio Use

We love showcasing our work, but we always ask permission before using project photos or details in our portfolio, website, or marketing materials. Your home or business won't end up on our Instagram without your say-so.

Cookies & Tracking Technologies

Yeah, we use cookies - not the chocolate chip kind, unfortunately. These are small files that help our website remember your preferences and track how it's being used.

Most of what we use is pretty basic: remembering if you've accepted our cookie notice, keeping track of your session so you don't have to re-enter info, and understanding which pages people actually look at versus which ones just sit there ignored.

You can disable cookies in your browser settings if you want, though some parts of the site might not work as smoothly. Your call.

Your Privacy Rights

Under Canadian privacy laws (PIPEDA and all that), you've got some solid rights when it comes to your personal info:

  • Access: You can ask to see what personal info we've got on file about you
  • Correction: If something's wrong or outdated, let us know and we'll fix it
  • Deletion: Want us to delete your data? We'll do that, unless we're legally required to keep it
  • Objection: You can object to certain uses of your data, like marketing emails
  • Portability: Need your data in a portable format? We can arrange that
  • Withdrawal: Change your mind about consent you've given? Just say the word

To exercise any of these rights, just shoot us an email at studio@celvarithquintho.info. We'll get back to you within 30 days - that's the legal requirement, though we usually respond way faster.

How We Keep Your Data Secure

We take security seriously - probably more than we need to for an architecture firm, but hey, better safe than sorry. Our measures include encrypted connections (that's the little lock in your browser), secure servers, password-protected systems, and limited access to sensitive data within our team.

Physical documents with personal info get stored in locked cabinets in our office, and we shred stuff when we're done with it. Very old-school, but it works.

That said, no system's 100% bulletproof. We do our best, but if there's ever a data breach, we'll let you know ASAP and tell you what happened and what we're doing about it.

How Long We Keep Your Data

We don't hang onto your info forever. Here's roughly how long we keep different types of data:

  • General inquiries that don't turn into projects: About 2 years, then we clear them out
  • Active project files: Duration of the project plus 7 years (professional liability insurance requirement)
  • Financial records: 7 years minimum - tax authorities are pretty strict about this
  • Marketing consent: Until you tell us to stop or we notice you haven't engaged in over 3 years
  • Website analytics: Aggregated data indefinitely, but specific user data gets anonymized after 26 months

Once the retention period's up, we securely delete or anonymize the data. No sense keeping it around if we don't need it.

Questions or Concerns?

If you've got questions about this privacy policy or how we handle your data, don't hesitate to reach out. We'd rather you ask than worry about it.

Get in Touch

Email: studio@celvarithquintho.info

Phone: (604) 555-0127

Address: 1250 Granville Street, Suite 402, Vancouver, BC V6Z 1M9

If you're not satisfied with how we've handled a privacy concern, you can also file a complaint with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada. But honestly, we'd love a chance to make it right first.