Privacy Policy

Monica E. Kuhn, Architect Inc. is committed to protecting the confidentiality of your personal information, as required under the Federal Privacy Act (The Personal Information Protection and Electronics Privacy Act / PIPEDA), which came into effect on January 1, 2004.  (Please note that “business information” is not covered under this act)

As an architectural firm that specializes in private residential work, it is crucial for us to discover who you are and how you live to better enable us to come up with a design solution which will meet your specific needs.  The personal information we may ask you for or have access to during the normal course of a project could include:

  • the names of you and members of your family
  • your home address, home phone and fax numbers, and email addresses
  • your opinions, physical limitations (i.e. ability to climb stairs, etc.), family status, project budget, activities, and future plans
  • records of your “property”, in the form of photographs and digital images
  • financial institutions and account numbers (as noted on cheques)

Personal information may also be contained in documents you provide us with, such as:

  • agreements of purchase or sale for your property
  • deeds and surveys of your property
  • property assessments or home inspection reports

Be assured that we would only disclose relative personal information in the following situations:

  • correspondence and communication between this office and other consultants or contractors working with us on your project
  • contracts between you (the Client) and this office, or other consultants, or contractors, for your project
  • applications for approvals required by the City / Municipality for your project (preliminary zoning by-law reviews, committee of adjustment applications, permits)

The Federal Privacy Act recommends that a Client’s personal information be isolated in the office for security purposes.  The nature of our work makes this impossible.  Personal information can be found throughout your project files (paper and computer), in the form of memos, meeting minutes, and drawings, and in our office and financial records.   However, the only people having direct access to your personal information are the people working in the office, who have all signed a “confidentiality agreement” (attached).  Papers and drawings that are no longer required are either shredded or have the personal information removed prior to recycling.  Once your project has been completed, paper files and records are boxed and stored on site, accessible only by me; electronic files are archived.  If you have any concerns regarding personal information we may have, or its safety and storage, please feel free to contact me.  Under the act, you may request access to this information at any time for review, confirmation of accuracy, and / or removal.

Please note that in the case of another Client or potential Client requesting references or a portfolio of past work, OR in the case of an organization requesting information, images, or drawings for the publication of your project, we will be asking you for your specific consent, prior to the release of any personal information.

Monica Kuhn                                                               January 2004; updated December 1, 2015