Ages: 39 (Peill) and 32 (Simony)
Occupations: Co-founders, Shift Projects
Anyone who has ever broken a leg or twisted an ankle knows even a small injury can lead to major mobility challenges. As Josh Peill and Griffon Simony like to remind people, we’ll all be disabled at some point in our lives, so why not build your home with accessibility in mind?
The duo co-founded residential construction company Shift Projects (formerly Shift Accessibility Contractors) in 2019 and initially focused on accessibility-centred renovations like zero-threshold showers (showers without a ledge or sill that need to be stepped over), widened doorways and in-home elevators to help Calgarians move more easily through their homes or age in place.
Today, Shift is a full-service home design, renovation and construction company completing more than 100 projects each year. “We are really focused on providing solutions that don’t compromise on the aesthetic and feel of the home,” says Simony.
Through a partnership with Calgary-based charity Accessibility Renovations for Kids, Peill and Simony have also contributed their accessibility expertise — and more than $150,000 in donated and discounted construction — for families of children with disabilities, allowing them to make accessibility improvements at zero cost.
Peill believes that what sets Shift Projects apart is not necessarily the result, but the process. With a background in commercial construction, “napkin math” and blown budgets are strictly avoided — the pair meticulously plan and schedule each project to ensure the smoothest experience possible for homeowners.
“There’s a bit of a stigma with respect to residential contractors,” says Peill. “We have an opportunity to come into these spaces and create a very positive experience for people as they’re going through a renovation.”
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