Firm Profile
Overview • Design Philosophy • Energy Efficiency • IAQ • Durability • Sustainability
Our design based approach allows us to tailor our homes to your specific needs. From unique design features to technical accessibility requirements, we have the ability to create the home you want. While each project is unique, we are guided by a core set of principles that we strive to incorporate into all of our homes.
Quality Trumps Quantity
We strive to deliver a higher level of quality and character
in our homes,rather than building the largest amount of square footage
at the cheapest price. This necessarily results in either a
larger budget, or a smaller but higher quality home.
Fit The Site
Our homes are located on their sites to take advantage of the
solar orientation, which makes the difference between having a brightly
lighted and inviting living space, or a cold and dark
one. They are positioned to take advantage of available views. We tread
as
lightly as we can on the site, disturbing only the area that is
necessary.
Right Size
Build better, not bigger. We advocate a smaller number of
generously proportioned spaces that are actually used, rather than a
larger number of redundant spaces that are infrequently occupied. This
is the primary means we have of providing a higher
quality home at a reasonable price. It also has a very real
and direct impact on the both the environment and the amount of
resources consumed in the construction of a home, and is a primary
factor in green design and sustainability. When specific
requirements result in necessarily larger homes, we still take
advantage of available opportunities to optimize the relative size.
Special Spaces
Creating a memorable and inviting space requires the creative
integration of a room's form with its relationship to adjoining rooms,
the materials and details used to construct it, the natural and
artificial lighting that illuminates it, and the views that it
affords. We strive to develop all rooms into special spaces with
character, from
dramatic living rooms to sheltering secondary bedrooms.
Natural Light
As natural light has a major impact on the spatial quality of
a room, it plays a large part in the design of our homes. This
requires an appropriate amount of glazing, proper placement of
the glazing for light and view, and enhancing the quality of the light
by introducing windows on more than one side of a space. Even
service spaces such as laundry rooms and baths should have a window
when the opportunity is available.