Privacy Policy

Look, We Get It

Nobody actually reads these things, but we're gonna be straight with you anyway. At Embercrest Architectural Studio, we're not in the business of selling your info or doing anything sketchy with your data. We're architects - we design buildings, not complicated data schemes.

This policy explains what we collect when you reach out to us or browse our site, and honestly, it's pretty minimal stuff.

What We Actually Collect

When you contact us about a project or just wanna chat about design ideas, we'll ask for:

• Your name (obviously - can't call you "hey you")
• Email address and phone number so we can get back to you
• Project details you share with us - lot dimensions, budget ranges, that kinda thing
• Your address if we're actually working on a project together

Our website also picks up some technical stuff automatically - IP addresses, browser type, what pages you looked at. Pretty standard web stuff that helps us keep the site running smooth.

How We Use Your Info

We're not rocket scientists about this. Your info helps us:

• Respond to your inquiries (that's the main one)
• Put together proposals and design concepts for your project
• Send you project updates and construction docs
• Handle billing and contracts - nobody works for free, right?
• Improve our website so it doesn't look like it's from 2005
• Stay compliant with legal requirements - permits, contracts, all that fun paperwork

We might occasionally send you updates about our work or design trends we think you'd dig, but you can opt out anytime. No hard feelings.

Who We Share It With

Short answer: almost nobody. We're not selling lists or anything shady like that.

The only folks who might see your info are:

• Engineers and consultants we partner with on your project - they need to know what we're building
• Contractors during construction phase - can't build your place without 'em
• Municipal authorities when we submit permits (they're kinda nosy but it's required)
• Our cloud storage provider - gotta keep those drawings somewhere secure
• Legal or financial advisors if something goes sideways (knock on wood)

Everyone we work with is bound by confidentiality agreements. We take this stuff seriously.

Cookies & Tracking Stuff

Yeah, we use cookies. Not the chocolate chip kind, unfortunately. These are just small files that remember if you've visited before and help the site work better. You can disable them in your browser settings if they bug you, but some features might not work as smoothly.

We use Google Analytics to see how people use our site - what pages get viewed, where visitors come from, that sorta thing. It's aggregated data, so we're not tracking you specifically around the internet or anything creepy.

Your Rights & Control

This is your data, not ours. You can:

• Ask to see what info we've got on file about you
• Request corrections if something's wrong
• Tell us to delete everything (though we might need to keep some stuff for legal reasons)
• Opt out of marketing emails - there's an unsubscribe link in every message
• Ask us to stop processing your data for certain purposes

Just shoot us an email at studio@embercrestx.info and we'll sort it out. Usually takes us a few days to process these requests.

How We Protect Your Data

We use industry-standard security measures - encrypted connections, secure servers, password protection, the whole nine yards. Our project files are backed up regularly and stored on secure cloud servers with restricted access.

That said, nothing online is 100% bulletproof. We do our best, but we can't guarantee absolute security. If there's ever a breach, we'll let you know ASAP.

How Long We Keep Stuff

Project files and communications? We typically hang onto those for seven years after project completion - that's standard practice in architecture for liability and reference purposes.

General inquiries and correspondence get kept for about two years, then archived or deleted.

Website analytics data is anonymous and gets cycled through Google's retention settings.

Third-Party Links

Sometimes we link to manufacturer sites, material suppliers, or other resources. Once you click away from our site, their privacy policies take over. We don't control what they do, so give their policies a look if you're concerned.

Kids & Privacy

Our services aren't directed at anyone under 18. If you're a minor interested in architecture, that's awesome - but talk to your parents first. We don't knowingly collect info from kids.

Changes to This Policy

We might update this from time to time - new laws, new practices, whatever. When we do, we'll update the date at the top and post the new version here. If it's a major change, we'll send out an email heads-up to active clients.

Canadian Privacy Laws

We're based in Toronto, so we follow Canadian privacy legislation including PIPEDA (Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act). You've got rights under these laws, and we respect 'em.

Questions or Concerns?

If something here doesn't make sense or you've got questions about how we handle your info, just reach out. We're real people, not robots, and we're happy to chat.

Thanks for taking the time to read through this. Seriously - most people don't. We appreciate your trust in us, whether you're just browsing or we're designing your dream space together.