Privacy Policy

How We Handle Your Info

Look, we're architects, not data miners. When you reach out to us about a project or just browse around our site, we're gonna collect some basic stuff - but only what's actually useful for getting the work done. Think of it like a first client meeting: we need to know who you are and how to follow up, but we're not gonna dig through your entire life story.

We take this seriously because trust matters in our line of work. If you can't trust us with your contact details, how're you gonna trust us to design your building, right?

What We Actually Collect

Here's the deal - we gather different types of info depending on how you interact with us:

• Your name, email, and phone number when you fill out our contact form or send us a message
• Project details and site info if you're inquiring about our services
• Company name and mailing address if we're doing business together
• Basic browsing data like IP addresses and what pages you check out (standard website stuff)
• Cookies to keep the site running smoothly and remember your preferences

That's pretty much it. We're not tracking your social media or anything creepy like that.

Why We Need This Stuff

We're not collecting data just to have it sitting around. Everything we gather serves a purpose:

• Getting back to you about project inquiries and consultations
• Sending proposals, contracts, and project updates to current clients
• Managing ongoing projects and keeping communication flowing
• Improving our website so it actually works well for visitors
• Occasional newsletters about our new projects or sustainability tips (you can opt out anytime)
• Meeting legal requirements for business records and contracts

Who Gets to See Your Data

We're pretty protective of client info. Your personal details stay in-house with our team at Gildareth Venquinth. That said, sometimes we gotta share stuff with:

• Engineering consultants and contractors when they're part of your project team
• Our hosting provider and email service (they keep things running but don't use your data)
• Legal or financial advisors if a project requires it
• Government agencies when building permits and regulations demand it

We'll never sell your info to marketing companies or random third parties. That's just not how we operate.

Cookies and Website Tracking

Yeah, we use cookies - the digital kind, not the ones with chocolate chips. They help us understand how people use the site and what content actually matters to visitors. Most are just functional (keeping you logged in, remembering language preferences), but some help us see which portfolio projects get the most attention or which service pages people read.

You can disable cookies in your browser settings if you want, though it might make some parts of the site a bit wonky.

How Long We Keep Your Info

We're not digital hoarders. Client project files stick around for about seven years after completion because that's what professional standards and legal requirements dictate in architecture. General inquiry emails and contact form submissions? We'll typically clean those out after a couple years if nothing came of them.

Active client data stays as long as we're working together, plus the retention period after. Makes sense, right?

Your Rights and Control

This is your data, so you've got some say in what happens with it:

• Ask to see what info we have about you anytime
• Request corrections if something's wrong or outdated
• Tell us to delete your data (unless we legally need to keep it for contracts or records)
• Opt out of marketing emails with one click
• Withdraw consent for data processing where it applies

Just shoot us an email and we'll sort it out. No runaround, no hassle.

Security Measures

We use industry-standard security to protect your data - encrypted connections, secure servers, password-protected systems, the works. Our team's trained on data protection, and we limit access to only the folks who actually need it for their work.

That said, nothing's 100% bulletproof on the internet. We do our best, but if you're sending super sensitive info, maybe give us a call instead of emailing.

Changes to This Policy

We might update this privacy policy now and then - usually if laws change or we add new services. When we do, we'll update the date at the top and post the new version here. For big changes, we'll probably send existing clients a heads-up email.