Privacy Policy

When you reach out to us through our contact form or shoot us an email, we'll collect your name, email address, phone number if you share it, and whatever details you include about your project. Pretty standard stuff. We need this info to actually respond to you and understand what you're looking for.

If you become a client, we'll obviously need more - project addresses, billing information, site photos you send over, design preferences, that kind of thing. Can't design your dream space without knowing where it is or what you're into, right?

Our website also picks up some technical data through cookies - your IP address, browser type, pages you visit, how long you hang around. This helps us figure out if our site's actually working properly and what people are interested in.

We're pretty straightforward with what we do with your data. First off, we use it to communicate with you about your project, send proposals, share design updates, and handle all the back-and-forth that comes with creating something amazing together.

Sometimes we'll send newsletters or updates about our work, but only if you've said that's cool with you. You can bail on those emails anytime - there's always an unsubscribe link at the bottom.

We might also use anonymized data to improve our services, understand trends, and make our website better. But when we say anonymized, we mean it - no one's gonna know it came from you specifically.

Here's our philosophy: your info is yours, not ours to sell or trade. We don't sell your personal data to third parties. Period.

That said, we do work with some trusted partners who help us run our business. Think cloud storage providers, email services, project management tools, and our accounting software. These folks only get access to what they need to do their job, and they're contractually required to keep it confidential.

If we're working on your project, we might need to share relevant info with contractors, engineers, or consultants - but only the details necessary for them to do their part. They're professionals bound by their own confidentiality agreements.

We'll also disclose information if legally required to - like if there's a court order or we need to comply with Canadian privacy laws (we're in Vancouver, BC, so PIPEDA applies to us).

We take security seriously, though we won't pretend we're cybersecurity experts. We use industry-standard encryption for data transmission, secure servers, and limit access to personal information to only those team members who actually need it.

Our computers are password-protected, we use secure file sharing services, and we're careful about where sensitive information gets stored. Physical documents with personal info are kept locked up in our office at 1245 Granville Street.

That said, no system is 100% secure. We do our best, but we can't guarantee absolute security. If there's ever a data breach that affects you, we'll let you know right away.

Under Canadian privacy law, you've got some solid rights when it comes to your personal information. You can ask to see what data we have about you, request corrections if something's wrong, or ask us to delete your information (with some exceptions - like if we need it for legal reasons or active projects).

Want to opt out of marketing emails? Just click unsubscribe. Want to know what we've got on file? Send us an email at studio@arcanevalquint.info. We'll get back to you within 30 days, usually way sooner.

You can also control cookies through your browser settings, though some features of our site might not work as smoothly if you disable them completely.

We don't hoard data forever. For general inquiries that don't turn into projects, we typically keep your info for about a year in case you circle back to us.

For actual projects, we're required to keep architectural records for at least 10 years after project completion - that's a legal thing in our industry. After that retention period, we securely delete or anonymize the data.

Financial records stick around for 7 years because tax authorities want it that way. Once those timeframes are up, the data gets purged.

Our website uses cookies - those little files that help websites remember you. We use them for basic stuff like keeping you logged in if you're using any portal features, remembering your preferences, and understanding how people use our site.

We might also use analytics tools like Google Analytics to see which pages are popular, where visitors come from, and how long they stick around. This helps us figure out what's working and what's not.

You can disable cookies in your browser if you want, but it might make some parts of the site a bit clunky to use.

Sometimes we link to other websites - maybe suppliers we work with, sustainable building resources, or our social media profiles. Once you click away from our site, our privacy policy doesn't apply anymore. Those sites have their own privacy policies, which honestly you should probably read too.

Our services aren't directed at kids under 13, and we don't knowingly collect information from children. If you're a parent and think your kid has given us their info, let us know and we'll delete it right away.

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 major changes that significantly affect how we handle your data, we'll let you know directly via email or a prominent notice on our site.

It's probably a good idea to check back here occasionally, though we know you've got better things to do with your time.