design lab. Expertise is honed, theories articulated and the consequences of one’s imposed design decisions are quickly felt. Our clients’ limited budgets—they are ALWAYS limited—have to be taken seriously. It is this monetary respect and the highest of self-imposed standards which motivates us to pursue the most elusive and therefore, most valuable of all design skills… restraint. I have spent forty five
The house is an architect’s playground and design lab. Expertise is honed, theories articulated and the consequences of one’s imposed design decisions are quickly felt.
years learning restraint. What to leave; what to leave out; when to insist; when to let go. These lessons are the result of longevity, experience and maturity. You may find this surprising but I think being an old architect is a lot more fun than being a new architect. The accumulation of experience can, in itself, create opportunities to practice beyond one’s local community. Of course, any opportunity close to home allows the reexamination of familiar criteria and new interpretation. Home is the ultimate comfort zone, sufficient to inspire but also reason enough to leave. It's not easy. One only has to understand the climactic differences between, say, Arizona and Michigan. The range of knowledge necessary to excel in different climate zones is hard earned and requires patience. Factoring in local history, culture, density, demographics, ethnicity and topography further complicates the challenge of designing in a wide variety of environments. But these factors are essential to make elevated design decisions. Each community, each client, each site deserves a specific architectural response. Those responses are as varied as the weather. We should expect architects to invent an architecture appropriate for each situation, relying on an integrity of materials, structure and an inherent sensitivity to nature. Bad buildings often lead to intellectual and emotional silence. In contrast, architecture encourages discussion, imagination and wonder. Meeting the commonplace requirements is not enough. Architects do more. Design matters and desire is essential for a building team to be clearly aligned and soar beyond convention. I have heard many people, including friends, express a desire to have a home representative of their values and individualism. They are often quite passionate and have incredible ideas for bringing their vision to life. However, they assume they can't afford it. I will ask, what is the basis of this assumption? Frequently, the answer is an impression only rich people hire architects. Certainly, wealthy home buyers have the resources to hire us. However, many, if not most, will bypass a good architect and, taking the advice of a realtor, go directly to a builder… not unlike lower-income buyers. The results: an assemblage of mediocrity and conformity distinguished only by scale. Sound harsh? It is. I would like to believe it is not my nature to be negative especially when I’m writing about my favorite subject. But, do I have your attention? The longer I practice, and the more I teach, I realize good architects are a building project’s best investment. Why use an architect? Would you enjoy an inspired environment that changes with earth's orbit? In addition, houses are expensive. Considering the number of dollars, could your personal investment benefit from having an experienced advocate? Would you like to have an ally, committed to more than simple profit, independent of all the other required entities standing to profit? More than once, I have informed potential home buyers their most appropriate design (some say style) has not yet been built. It is the family’s originality of lifestyle combined with budget, and their site’s determinants of solar orientation, views, access, privacy, topography and size that creates the architectural idea. Could your home investment be based on a clear IDEA larger than you? What are your priorities? Architects are a community asset. We are in a unique position to influence public policy, shape history and promote health, safety, and magic. We want to make a better world through architecture. That makes us pretty cool.
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