About Ruhl Builds
The Intersection of Engineering and Artistry.
The most successful buildings are born from the tension between technical logic and artistic vision. At Ruhl Builds, we bridge the gap between the lab and the lake, pairing Professional Engineering (P.Eng) with formal Design (B.Des) to create high-performance homes with a heritage soul.
The Partnership
David Ruhl, P. Eng.
Principal & Technical Consultant
David is a U of T engineer with a background in building science consulting and building craft. He brings practical building science to the residential landscape. As a Professional Engineer and Certified Passive House Designer, his focus is on the "Invisible Luxury" of the home: thermodynamics, envelope integrity, and long-term durability. He ensures every project is a high-performance machine designed for a 100-year horizon.
Design Director
Lee Vosburgh, B. Des.
Lee is an OCAD designer and leads the aesthetic and spatial narrative of our projects. She focuses on the human experience of the building, navigating the nuances of light, volume, texture, and heritage styling. She ensures that even the most technically advanced structures remain warm, intuitive, and deeply connected to their environment. Lee’s work is deeply inspired by natural materials, textures and palettes, which result in spaces that evoke comfort and ease.
Our Core Pillars
Engineering Accountability
As a Professional Engineering firm, we are governed by a code of ethics and a standard of professional responsibility. We don’t guess at structural viability or moisture management; we calculate it. This provides our clients with a level of risk mitigation and technical clarity that is rare in residential construction.
Informed By Craft
Having personally constructed the complex assemblies we draw, we possess a rare intuition for how materials behave and how trades operate. This hands-on experience allows us to develop buildable, real-world solutions that eliminate site-level friction, reducing both schedule and cost.
Heritage
Minded
A building must perform, but it must also have a "soul." We draw on the timeless qualities of traditional cottage architecture; honest materials, careful proportions, and a sense of place to ensure that our design projects feel like they have always belonged to the landscape.
Why Our Approach Works
Most building projects suffer from a "handoff" problem: an architect’s vision is lost in the contractor’s execution, or an engineer’s solution compromises the design.
By integrating the P.Eng and B.Des perspectives from day one, we eliminate that friction. We provide a singular thread of accountability that ensures your investment is technically sound, architecturally significant, and built to last for generations.
Our background includes years of hands-on experience with building retrofits, renovations, and new construction. That experience now informs our design and advisory work, allowing us to identify risks early, evaluate options realistically, and guide decisions with an understanding of how buildings are actually assembled and maintained over time.
Rather than offering prescriptive solutions, we focus on helping clients understand trade-offs, priorities, and long-term implications so decisions are made with confidence.
Experience That Informs Judgement
How We Work With Clients
We take a measured, collaborative approach to each project. Some clients engage us for full design services, others for consulting or owner representation during construction. In every case, our goal is the same: to bring clarity, structure, and calm leadership to a process that can otherwise feel fragmented or overwhelming.
We work best with clients who see their project as a long-term investment and value thoughtful decision-making over speed or trend-driven outcomes.
Next Steps
If you’re planning a new build or major renovation and are looking for experienced design and advisory support, we invite you to start a conversation.