A Stamp of Approval

Led by Berit Bech and Mitch Sauder, Ontario-based architectural firm Stamp & Hammer blends worldly experience with a personal touch. 

By Eve Thomas

Stamp & Hammer’s offices are based just north of Toronto, but the team’s creativity and vision have no borders. They are trusted by clients across Ontario and North America, with projects reaching as far as Denmark and the Bahamas, and when they want to get a little extra inspiration? They explore the world.

CEO Berit Bech and Creative Director Mitch Sauder make a point of taking their team to an off-site location every year, with favourite spots including Quebec and New York. One of their most memorable outings was a place on every design lover’s bucket list: Fogo Island Inn. The striking Newfoundland hotel is the creation of tech entrepreneur Zita Cobb and architect Todd Saunders, and while Stamp & Hammer is responsible for some similarly breathtaking buildings, it was the personal details that really stood out for Bech and Sauder.

“It is so special how they work as a community,” says Bech, recalling a treasured dinner they had with Cobb, where she spoke about how the hotel collaborates with locals and artists on everything from building furniture to giving tours of the tiny island.

It’s the same personal touch and attention to detail that has helped Stamp & Hammer stand out as a full-service agency since 2013. The two business partners estimate they and their team of 10 have about 25 projects on the go currently, at various stages, with work generally split evenly between luxury developments and custom builds (including vacation homes and second or third houses). 

Big or small, each project benefits from the team’s human-centred approach to design. This can look like anything from renderings that consider every inch of a home and how it will be used (no blank spaces here) to client relationships that last long past the point where most firms would have parted ways. 

“Clients will call us up years later and say, ‘We want to change this, do this renovation; what do you think?’” says Bech. She notes that they often skip the standard project checklists to ask the real questions and get to the heart of what clients actually want—even if they don’t know it at first. “Each project is a true reflection of its client,” says Sauder.

"We are helping people build their dreams. We are helping them create their legacies, and it’s so incredible to be a part of that."

Much of Stamp & Hammer’s work has a notable youthful, edgy energy that flows into the firm’s offices and personal style. Sauder says someone recognized their work at a nearby business recently, despite the fact that there were no signs or publicity. But it’s clear their expertise and tastes are always in service of a bigger vision. On their roster right now is a project in North Toronto, a new build that is being constructed to look as if it’s been there for 100 years, a high-end boutique development in Nova Scotia, and four custom homes just north of Dallas.  

Part of their ability to be so flexible may be due to the strengths each partner brings: Bech’s Danish upbringing and refined Scandinavian sensibilities, matched with Sauder’s creativity and artistry, all based in the heart of Toronto’s cultural mosaic. “I always tell people, ‘You’re getting two for one,’” Bech says.

And their international, holistic approach extends to luxury developments with a range of aesthetics, complexity and functions. When people question how working on developments affects their reputation as a boutique agency, Bech points out that they’re not exactly designing basic suburbs; they’re creating entirely new luxury communities. And while the firm has never followed fleeting trends, it’s noticeable that people are seeking out community more than ever. Not just homes (or condos, or townhouses), but places to gather, interact, greet family and explore culture. “We get a seat at the table,” says Bech, about these projects. They are brought in from the beginning to weigh in on not just aesthetics or function, but how people live their lives, their tastes and their needs around wellness and culture. And the team can then take their knowledge, insight and connections into other projects they work on.

Some of their developments include boutique hotels and golf clubs in Florida, a Muskoka waterfront community, European-inspired townhouses in the GTA (complete with cobblestone streets) and a Scandinavian infill project in Richmond Hill. A look at the dizzying array of developments on the company’s website—no two alike, but all stand-out properties—offers insight into Stamp & Hammer’s vision. These aren’t vast, interchangeable spaces; they are full of life, style, refinement and possibility. 

"We are helping people build their dreams,” Sauder says. “We are helping them create their legacies, and it’s so incredible to be a part of that.”