Intra Studio

We’re really excited to be making this important step; A strong, thoughtful Heritage Preservation Bylaw helps ensure Charlottetown’s historic buildings and places continue to shape the character, culture, and livability of the city for generations to come. Community voices are essential in getting this right- if you care about heritage, architecture, and the future of our built environment, we encourage you to take part, attend an open house, or share your thoughts through the survey.

The City is completing a comprehensive review and update of the Heritage Preservation Bylaw and we want to hear from you!

Public Open Houses:

Date: Wednesday, Feb. 11
Time: 5 to 7:30 p.m.
Location: Confederation Centre of the Arts Concourse, 145 Richmond St.

Date: Thursday, Feb. 12
Time: 5 to 7:30 p.m.
Location: Hillsborough Park Community Centre, 199 Patterson Dr.

Can't make it in person? Take the online survey before Feb. 25 ➡️www.charlottetownhall.ca/heritage-preservation-bylaw

or email your comments to [email protected]

We’re excited to share that INTRA Studio, in collaboration with our longtime partners Landmarks Planning Strategies Ltd., has been awarded a contract with Halifax Regional Municipality for Suburban Area Culture & Heritage Research and Feature Identification.

This work will support HRM’s Suburban Plan by helping identify, interpret, and protect culturally significant places, bringing together local expertise, heritage planning, and best practices in conservation and policy.

We’re proud to contribute to this important work and look forward to getting started. More soon!

🎬 Why does Nova Scotia appear in so many Christmas movies?
Because our historic streets, coastal towns, and working harbours already tell a story. Holiday films frequently choose Nova Scotia locations because intact heritage architecture creates warmth, continuity, and a sense of “timelessness”, often without heavy set dressing.
These places don’t just look festive… They’ve been shaped by decades (or centuries) of use, adaptation, and care.
It’s a reminder that preserving historic buildings isn’t about freezing the past, it’s about keeping places alive, relevant, and meaningful, on screen and in everyday life.

[slide 1&2: Lunenberg in “Christmas Island”. Slide 3: Brewery Market, Halifax in “The Secret Gift of Christmas”]

CoastalArchitecture IntraStudio

On this day two years ago, November 24, 2023, Église Sainte-Marie was deconsecrated, leaving its future uncertain.
Since then, so much has changed. 🚨 Thanks to the Province of Nova Scotia upholding the church’s heritage designation, and the coordinated efforts of the Association Sainte-Marie Héritage et Développement (ASMHD) and ICOMOS, demolition plans have been halted, and a new chapter is underway.
👏 Intra Studio is proud to continue working alongside ASMHD, supporting heritage architecture planning as the community leads efforts to protect and celebrate this Acadian landmark.
💧 Support ongoing preservation efforts here: www.gofundme.com/f/sainte-marie-heritage
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💪 Proud to be an all-women team, led by a woman founder - shaping heritage with care and contributing to the future of architecture every day.

📚Research is our first tool of design. Before we start drafting policies, we dig deep. As part of our ongoing work reviewing and updating Charlottetown’s Heritage Conservation Bylaw (PH-HP.1), our team has been diving into some essential reads, so right now our desks are stacked with books on Charlottetown’s unique heritage, planning, and place identity. Each book helps us think about how communities can honour their history while planning for what’s next. What are your go-to heritage reads? 🤓

Wonderful to see people standing up for heritage architecture! 👏

📣📣 We are so excited about our upcoming panel, Beyond the Margins: Rural Heritage, Local Agency, and the Challenges of Conservation in Canada’s Communities. The panel will focus on three ongoing projects: Neil’s Harbour Lighthouse, the St. John’s Centre for the Arts in Arichat, and Église Sainte-Marie in Church Point. Attendees will leave with a deeper understanding of how heritage conservation intersects with education, policy, economic development, and social equity, and how cross-sector collaboration can reshape the future of our historic places. See you at the conference this weekend! 🤩

📅 On this day in 1883, Archbishop Cornelius O’Brien laid the cornerstone of Saint Patrick’s Church, and legend has it he visited the site every day to bless the workers as it rose from the ground.
Fast forward to today, this beautiful Halifax landmark is not only a piece of history but also serving as a temporary shelter for unhoused community members thanks to recent emergency conservation work.
We’re proud to be part of preserving this heritage gem, and even prouder of our fearless intern architect Kaitlin (pictured here!) who scaled the heights of the spire to capture every detail. 🧗‍♀️📐💪

🎉 We’re so excited to announce that Natasha Juckes is now a permanent member of the Intra team!

Natasha joins us as an Intern Architect, having just graduated with her Master of Architecture from Dalhousie University. With her earlier training in planning (BCD), she brings a thoughtful and well-rounded approach to design.

Please join us in giving her a warm welcome — we’re lucky to have her!