ABOUT US

A Passion For Sustainable Building Design

It is this passion that led to the inception of GNAR Inc. a building design firm focused on bringing clients vision to life while also having a positive impact on the environment. The desire became reality in 2016 when the company was established in the mountain town of Whistler, BC. Ongoing education in areas such as Energy Efficiency, Energy Retrofits, Passive House Design, Net Zero, and Energy Positive Building Design has allowed the GNAR Inc. team to become experts in sustainable building design with a desire to see it become the building design standard in the Sea to Sky corridor and beyond.

Our Mission

To Have Every Renovation, Addition, and New Building Design Be a Sustainable One.

Meet The GNAR Team

Edgar Dearden

Founder & CEO
Sustainable Home Designer

Eddie founded GNAR Inc back in 2016, a civil engineer from Australia, Eddie is passionate about the environment and addressing the climate emergency through sustainable building design. In 2016 he switched to Structural Engineering before taking on studies in Architecture and Interior Design. He has extensive experience in steel design, BIM 3D modelling and is a registered Passive House designer. A master of all aspects of design and construction, Eddie oversees all projects undertaken at GNAR Inc and is very hands on and engaging with clients and builders to ensure the projects success. Eddie is also a mean barista and his passion for coffee is right up there with the environment.

GNARchetype – The Hero

Mark Kavanagh

Lead Sustainable Home Designer

Mark, who is our Lead Sustainable Home Designer, hails from Ireland. Having graduated with a Masters in Architecture from the University of Dublin in 2019, he decided to trade in his Gaelic speaking ways and his galoshes for ski boots and started living in the mountains. He found solace in the rainy spring and fall days and called Whistler home. He has since moved back to Ireland due to COVID but will be returning “home” soon. He has a passion for sustainable design practices, the environment and maintaining a low eco-footprint. Mark has the skills to pay the bills with a background of industry know how as well as hands on experience which makes him a builder’s dream designer.

GNARchetype – The Hero

Leona Slivova

Sustainable Home Designer
Energy Advisor

Leona is one of our Sustainable Home Designers with a Masters in Civil Engineering. Originally from the Czech Republic, now residing in Revelstoke, Leona has been with GNAR Inc since 2018. She is a Certified Passive House Consultant and a licensed Energy Advisor. Leona has 5 years work experience as a building designer and is a wizard on Archicad with over 6 years experience and can literally draft anything you can imagine. She is an avid biker and loves to spend time in the backcountry ski touring. Fun fact about Leona is that she has been winter camping since she was 11 years of age.

GNARchetype – The Explorer

Luke O’Neill

Sustainable Home Designer

Meet Luke, he is one of our Sustainable Home Designers that moved here from Ireland back in 2019. With a Masters degree from Ireland’s premier University of Architecture, Luke has the skills to pay the bills. He specializes in BP Permitting, BIM 3D modeling, rendering, drafting and of course designing dream homes for our future clients. Luke believes that good architectural design has the ability to change the world.
“If you can improve just one person’s experience through placemaking and considerate design, they you’ve made the world a better place”. Like most people in Whistler, Luke came for a winter season and has been here ever since. You can say he has really taken to the Whistler lifestyle and on most days you can find him in the bike park or on the slopes.

GNARchetype – The Hero

TARA O’DOHERTY

Operations Manager

Tara, our Operations Manager, came for a 5 day visit from Ontario 19 years ago and never looked back. At GNAR, we’ve got a bit of a soft spot for the Irish, and Tara fits right in. With her Irish roots, she’s tipping the scales in Ireland’s favor among our staff, joining the ranks of Mark and Luke. Tara’s the one who keeps the wheels turning, whether it’s facilitating meetings, sparking dialogue, or wrangling projects. You can find her on the links, a bike or on stage at numerous comedy shows making Whistlerites laugh. With her track record of running companies in the Sea to Sky Corridor, needless to say we’re thrilled to have her aboard!

GNARchetype – The Explorer

Jessica Routhier

Lead Interior Designer

Meet Jess, our Lead Interior Designer hailing from Quebec with over 15 years of experience. Jess approaches projects with a holistic and sustainable mindset creating healthy, modern, living spaces. Drawing from her diverse background working for companies in millwork, sustainable flooring, construction as well as running her own company, Jess has gained invaluable insight into the entire process from architectural creation to completion. Jess’s super power is she’s outstanding with customers and makes sure that the end results exceed expectations. Her passion for creating beautiful, functional spaces is evident in every project she takes on. You can find Jess outside with Billie, her paw baby, hiking, practicing yoga, or spending time near the water. You will however not find her on the mountain or on any bike trails so don’t look there!

GNARchetype – The Magician

courtney foxgord

Sales and Marketing

Courtney is the Director of Sales and Marketing at GNAR Inc. She has a BBA in Marketing and 15+ years of experience in social media, Project Management, content marketing, graphic design and sales. Her extensive sports background and I mean extensive, brought her to Whistler in 2004 and her passion for the environment and protecting winters only grew from there. Her love for sustainability has lead her to GNAR and she is excited to be apart of such a fun, dynamic team.

GNARchetype – The Jester

Billie and Mya

Barketing Assistant
Snacking Specialists

Mya and Billie are the best office dogs a company could ask for. When they are not napping, they are greeting clients or lending a paw during brainstorming sessions. They are both dedicated employees with flawless attendance records. When they are not at work you will find them on the on the trails or playing in the snow. Next time you are in the office, make sure you say hi to Mya and Billie, they are always ready to give you a warm welcome with a slobbery kiss or two!

GNARchetype – The Magician