Trifos Design Consultants

On the corner of George and Cromarty Street in Sydney stands a striking blue federal-style house, originally built in the 1930s. The small creek in the backyard, with its flock of friendly neighbourhood ducks, and surrounding greenery make it easy to forget how close you are to the downtown core.

The building itself speaks of the local culture and character. It is a beautiful, inviting place. It says “come in, make yourself at home.” In fact, the house is home to Trifos Design Consultants, an architectural and interior design firm with a reputation for originality and excellence. The big blue house on the corner of George and Cromarty is no ordinary office, and Trifos Design is certainly no ordinary operation.

Trifos Design Consultants was established in 1986 because owner and principal architect Spyro Trifos saw the need for a design-oriented architectural firm in Sydney. Having finished his university education and launching his career in Montreal, Spyro then returned to Nova Scotia, wanting to put his experience and expertise to work in his hometown.

“Sydney needed a firm that did interior, as well as building design. I wanted to nurture a studio practice as opposed to ‘box building’, and I also wanted to bring skills back to the area,” he says.

So, he started small, with a staff of three people, and the aim to provide personalized, customized service to clients. Today, Trifos Design Consultants employs the talents of 13 people, including architects, interior designers, technical and administrative personnel, and has handled multi-million dollar contracts across Cape Breton, and elsewhere in Nova Scotia.

Although the scale of Trifos Design Consultants has changed over the years, one thing has remained the same: the desire to give clients what they need, in the way they need it. With a project portfolio including new office and residential buildings, retail spaces, churches, private residences, daycares, and food service, healthcare, education and recreation facilities, Trifos Design Consultants has mastered the art of responding to the needs of a very diverse client base.

Shelley Bennett Trifos, Spyro’s wife and the general manager/specifier at Trifos Design Consultants, explains their philosophy on client service. “We focus on our clients’ needs,” she says. “We are designing for them, not for ourselves.”

In order to do that, Trifos Design Consultants undertakes a client customized process, involving the latest architectural and computer tools and a team of dedicated, creative professionals who see projects all the way through – from conceptual drawings, to construction planning and co-ordination, to the interior design details of the finished space.

The history of the site and surrounding area is often carefully researched, and that information is incorporated into the branding, functional, and design needs of the client and the project.

“Our uniqueness is in our design approach, and in the enhanced stylization,” says Spyro. “We take clues from what was there before, what’s around, and what would fit a Maritime vernacular.”

The Trifos team strives to create spaces that speak to the public, are both attractive and practical, and bridge the gap between the area’s rich history, and modern needs. Whenever possible, the materials used and specified are from local sources, and special consideration is paid to environmental issues and greener, more sustainable practices.

This approach has won Trifos Design Consultants a very loyal clientele in Nova Scotia. As Shelley says, “Our clients keep coming back to us because they like what we do, and how we do it.” Spyro adds that, “Business relationships are more enduring here in Nova Scotia. We’ve developed respect and trust with our clients, our suppliers, and our staff. Those relationships are deep-rooted and genuine.”

The Trifos Design team is a loyal group as well. Many began as Nova Scotia Community College students doing work terms with Trifos, and ultimately decided to stay with the firm because it gave them the perfect opportunity to nurture and develop the skills they’d learned, and to apply their knowledge and expertise in their home province. This, says Shelley, is one of the advantages of living and working in Nova Scotia: “This area has enabled us to grow with the same staff. We have a great synergy here, and lots of loyalty.”

That loyalty can at least partially be attributed to the atmosphere of the Trifos Design Consultants office itself, and the ample opportunity for balance and flexibility when it comes to work and life. At the heart of the marvellously restored house-turned-office, the original kitchen serves as a lunchroom where staff can prepare their meals, and sit down and relax. There is a bathroom with a shower, for those who like to squeeze in a game of tennis at the near by court.

“We’ve tried to create an atmosphere that allows our staff to de-stress,” says Shelley.

This relaxing, home-away-from-home style is present in every detail of the Trifos office, right down to the welcoming bark of Lily, the couple’s Lakeland Terrier-Lhasa Apso mix, whom Spyro refers to as their ‘Chief Security Officer.’

In addition to being dog-friendly, Trifos Design Consultants is also a family-friendly place to work. Flexible work hours, and consideration of the fact that many of the team members have families, allows for a work-life balance that would be hard to come by elsewhere.
“Here, we have a better pace of life,” says Spyro. “We enjoy the professional fulfilment at the level of an urban centre, but without the stressors of a big metropolis. We strive for balance within the workplace. Rather than run out the door at 5 o’clock to go take in the scenery, we are in the scenery.”

The scenic surroundings, and balanced pace of work and life enjoyed by the people at Trifos Design Consultants allows them to focus doing what they do best: providing Nova Scotia with even more beautiful, functional spaces that say ‘Welcome.’