Your style, not mine
Some architects have a signature style that can be seen in all their work. In contrast, there is a wide variety of styles in my portfolio, reflecting the diverse tastes of my clients. I am wedded to no particular style and certainly don’t want draw my version of the ideal house again and again. I want to design your unique house. I want to make your ideas and inspiration come to life. At the end of the project, it is you that must be satisfied when you walk through the front door, not me.
How I design….
I believe that good planning takes time and happens through the accumulation of good individual ideas. An engaged and involved conversation with the client is the best way to ensure a successful project: The better I understand your needs and means, the better a finished product I can provide. I am wedded to no particular architectural style, instead allowing the client, program and budget to lead towards an appropriate visual form. I strive to bring practicality, creativity, and a dash of character to every project I work on.
A team of one
I have worked in large offices, where projects are landed by a principal, handed to the project architect, farmed out to a job captain, and then pieced up and parceled out to drafters. It makes sense from a purely business standpoint, but the designs produced would lack cohesiveness and character. In my solo work, I strive to create a strong working relationship with the both the client and their project. That one on one attention is what separates my solo practice from a corporate office. By working together throughout the visualization, design, and documentation processes, we will create a project that uniquely responds to your particular needs.
The primacy of place
Of utmost importance is correctly placing your building and improvements with care and respect on the chosen site. A successful site plan will incorporate not only the natural forms and forces present, but utilities, access to the buildings, their scale and massing, and the views to and from them as well. One of my greatest strengths is this appropriate balancing of natural opportunity, present-day means, and future aspirations. By approaching each site with an open and inquiring mind, we can strengthen the natural character of the site and gracefully accommodate your building requirements.
The importance of a program
An architectural program is a written description of the functions and spaces of a new building project. I am a firm believer in the need for a well thought-out program. By putting down on paper the character, sizes, and adjacencies desired, we can approach the subsequent design work with clear goals and fresh insights. Programming is the phase where we work out the proper architectural fit for your needs. By pulling together and prioritizing all the elements of the new work, we can keep out later efforts focused and informed.
On buildablity
I worked for a design/build firm for five years, directing projects from initial client meetings into architectural design, through bidding and construction, and on into occupancy. If what I drew wasn’t build-able, I heard about it from my superintendent and sub-contractors. Above all, architecture must be a realistic and functional art. That being said, modern construction allows for plentiful character and visual interest at any price level. Creative detailing of common materials is a growing theme in my work. I seek to assemble the elements of a building in expressive, thoughtful ways that are functional, build-able and beautiful simultaneously.