GREAT LAKE STUDIO
Great Lake Studio is a Toronto based Architecture and Interior Design practice founded by Rick Galezowski.
Whether building in the City or at the edge of the Wilderness, our primary focus is exploring strategies for enhancing family life and intimate connections with the natural world. Inspiration is drawn from the specific features of a building's environment, with special attention given to framing views, dissolving or fortifying spatial boundaries, responding to terrain, and the poetic use of daylight.
Our process is collaborative and communicative, ensuring our client's most detailed needs and ambitions are clearly understood and met through every phase of a project. The results are buildings of exceptional quality and value, highly functional, uniquely personal, and a joy to inhabit.
Rick Galezowski (OAA, MRAIC) is an architect with more than 25 years of experience in the design and delivery of exceptional Residential, Civic, Institutional, and Transit buildings. Throughout his career, Rick has built a reputation for providing excellent service to clients through his congenial and collaborative approach, clarity of vision, and project management skills. His design work has received awards from the Ontario Association of Architects, the City of Toronto, and the Museum of Modern Art.
Rick has a lifelong affinity for the natural world which strongly influences his design work. Between 1998 and 2005, Rick spent 4 years exploring remote landscapes of the world on a bicycle, living out of a tent and sleeping under the stars. More recently, he and his young family spend their free time exploring the Great Lakes region by canoe (link for more)
Testimonials
“We have been living in the custom home Rick designed for us for four years and we love it now more than ever.
Rick not only captured our aesthetic vision, but also meticulously accommodated our family’s detailed habits and lifestyle. He worked closely with us throughout the entire process, presenting options for every aspect of the design, clearly and carefully explaining the implications of each, and always responding to our questions in a timely manner. Moreover, he was honest when he disagreed with our choices, yet diligent in providing alternatives that we sometimes never would have imagined, but which ultimately worked very well for us functionally, aesthetically, and financially.
There isn’t a single decision or design choice anywhere in our home that we regret. People who visit for the first time are always full of compliments. One individual who does personal renovations noted various features throughout our home and remarked on the "giftedness" of the architect. We highly recommend Rick for his exceptional design skill, friendly manner, and professionalism.”
- Wedgewood Park Clients
"We had a wonderful experience working with Rick. He designed and managed the modernisation to our 1890 home that had a garish 1980s reno and we could not be happier with the results.
We decided to work with Rick as we really admired the style of his past projects and he is instantly likeable. From the first meeting he was patient and listened to what we were trying to achieve even though we were unsure of what we even wanted. He ultimately pushed us to a new design level far beyond what we had imagined.
Once the design was decided upon, he was part of the build process from start to finish. He guided us through the permit process and helped us choose a contractor. His materials choices were spot on. As issues arose, he was right there working them through and despite this project being built during lockdown we didn’t feel any anxiety. Everything came together as promised.
We still get people stopping in front of the house, pointing and discussing and any of our friends or family that see it in person for the first time are, “wow, we love this!” As do we. Rick is a true professional and we highly recommend him, he will surpass your expectations."
- Gladstone Residence Clients
“Rick picked up where other architects had failed us. We were looking to extend a century-old home, now housing three generations and in need of more space and light.
Rick was an exceptionally good listener - perceptive, patient and attentive. He worked with us over months to come up with a design that we loved. He was always quick to respond and worked hard to accommodate our (sometimes contradictory and changing) requests.
During construction, we were contending with both the pandemic and a difficult general contractor. Rick remained supportive and solution oriented. He connected us to excellent suppliers of materials, appliances, hardware and fixtures.
We are delighted with the result, which is open and light and makes excellent use of our space. Visitors often ask who our architect was and I can recommend Rick without reservation.”
- Davisville Residence Clients
"If you are looking for someone to help design your dream home, stop scrolling and just call Rick. We couldn’t have asked for a better partner. Before starting out, we had no idea how to translate our ideas into reality. Rick didn't just meet our expectations; he elevated them in ways we could not have imagined.
Rick’s architectural skills are truly superior. He has a gift for clean lines and bringing light into every single corner of the house - even spaces where you’d swear the sun couldn't reach. The end result is a calm, bright, sophisticated, home that feels like a work of art.
What sets Rick apart is his meticulous attention to detail. He doesn’t miss a thing. He took the time to understand exactly which elements would make this house uniquely ours, thinking deeply about how our family life would look like day-to-day. As a fellow dog lover, he even made sure the layout accommodated our four-legged senior family member.
If you want a home that is stunning to live in, flooded with light, and designed by someone who truly cares about how you live in it, we cannot recommend Rick highly enough."
- Bickford Park Clients
“Rick at Great Lake Studio was an exceptional partner throughout our first major renovation, which involved a complete gut of a 19th-century home.
From the outset, he skillfully guided us through what could have been an overwhelming process, providing clarity, structure, and confidence at every stage. Rick struck an excellent balance between offering thoughtful, creative design solutions and carefully incorporating our family’s practical needs and priorities. He worked collaboratively and effectively with our contractor to ensure the design was implemented as intended and that the project stayed on track with the timeline.
The final result is a home that makes outstanding use of space and natural light, while remaining flexible and responsive to the evolving needs of our family. We would highly recommend Rick and Great Lake Studio to anyone undertaking a renovation or new build”
- MacKenzie Residence Clients