Philosophy of Design

We believe that every person has a right to a healthy, safe and sustainable environment and that the quality of one’s surroundings directly influences quality of life. We do not believe that quality necessarily means higher cost; rather, we believe that quality reflects value – the wise and appropriate investment of scarce resources toward a higher purpose.

We believe in stewardship. For many projects, the cost of construction often represents sacrificial giving on the part of the owner. We take our role as keepers of your funds very seriously. We strive to be mindful of the cost implications of every idea we generate, and after careful consideration, promote ideas that are most appropriate to the project’s budget and character. As design progresses, we present alternative materials and systems along with recommendations regarding the most cost-effective, efficient, and durable solution. We provide increasingly detailed budget estimates at the end of each phase of design work, monitor the design’s adherence to the budget and, if necessary, modify the design to align with the budget while maintaining overall quality.

We believe in innovation, and promote creative uses of ordinary materials, avoiding redundant materials and finishes and contributing to a lower-cost project while enhancing design integrity, quality and durability. We delight in creating design solutions using off-the-shelf and common materials in inventive ways. These ordinary materials can be a rich design vocabulary when handled deftly. Even so, we consider both first cost and life-cycle cost information along with associated factors such as maintenance, sustainability and ease of replacement.

We believe that imagination is a resource – a rare and special one - and creativity is a tangible asset. Like concrete, steel and wood, imagination and creativity are essential ingredients in architecture. When the commonplace is elevated in the light of vision, wonderful things can happen…

…the very embodiment of Dignifying the Ordinary.