Architecture Soup is a design tool created with XYC Design to enhance and preserve neighbourhood character when introducing new developments into established communities. It was developed for a project in an established inner-city community with diverse architectural expressions. The goal was to maintain the community's unique look and feel, shaped by the residents themselves, the actual characters of the neighbourhood.

To thoughtfully integrate our new development into the existing community, we began by documenting existing character elements such as roof type, cladding, window type, porch design, wall-to-roof ratio, coplanar material changes, and chimneys. We identified common features among houses and developments, or “character staples,” such as hip roofs and dormers, and rarer “character anomalies,” such as intricate porch details and one-off window designs.