February marked 20 years since Stephen Barnecut, Paul Shannon, and Trent Letwiniuk started Inertia Residential Design.
What began in 2006 as a small studio focused primarily on speculative semi-detached houses has changed and adapted in more ways than we anticipated. In the early years, Inertia built its reputation helping small builders create housing in Calgary's inner city and estate neighbourhoods. We also worked directly with homeowners to creating their dream homes. All the while, we were navigating architectural controls, neighbourhood context, and the details that turn a design into reality. Our process was hands-on, technical, and collaborative. Working in Revit long before it became standard practice allowed our clients to truly visualize their projects long before a shovel went into the ground. It also allowed three mid-career designers to be far more productive than they could have otherwise.
As Calgary evolved, so did we! Over the past two decades, housing needs have shifted, land values increased, and neighbourhoods have matured. This created more conversations around density and sustainability. The city’s focus turned toward missing middle housing to provide more established area housing options. As our city grew into that space, and so did Inertia! Today, much of Inertia's work is middle housing and other small-scale multi-residential projects. We collaborate with builders and developers to design higher density, efficient, and livable spaces that contribute positively to their neighbourhoods.
Inertia also played a pivotal role in the formation of Gravity Architecture Corporation. Originally established to provide architectural services to Inertia’s clients, Gravity has since grown into a full-service architecture firm serving both the Alberta and BC markets. While Gravity has expanded into larger and more complex developments, Inertia continues to focus on smaller residential projects that don't require professional involvement.
Twenty years in, our core philosophy remains unchanged: we design stylish and buildable housing that adds value to our clients, the city and the folks who will live in them for years to come! We’re very proud of where we started and remain energized in our goal to quietly but effectively contribute to Calgary’s evolving residential landscape!
Inertia thanks all the clients who have trusted us with their projects along the way.
Here’s to 20 years of Inertia Residential!