Design Philosophy

Living in rural, northern New Mexico has informed the way I look at the built environment.  I grew to appreciate the simple yet strong forms the adobe and stone buildings possessed. 

I saw how the deep set windows that let in light during the winter also kept the sun out in the summer. On the exterior, I saw how sunlight cast shadows which sculpted the form and mass of the buildings into abstract shapes.

I saw the play of light and shadow from a small skylight as the sun marched across the stone walls documenting the passing of time while also sculpting the space to give form to the interior.

What I strive to create is space and form which is at once poetic and functional. I would like to believe that my architecture has a quality of strength and beauty through its simplicity of forms and materials. I was taught by an important professor in graduate school to understand that great architecture is about Nature, Mysticism, Woman and Man, and that without these qualities you merely have empty buildings.

Approach to Design

When we start the design process, we visit the site and collect data from what we observe. We talk to our clients, ask questions and listen. We try to understand our client’s personal taste and lifestyle so we can capture that and reflect it in our design. The result is a synergistic architecture that is rich with the client’s spirit and our design vision.

The first and perhaps the most important decision in architecture is the siting of the building. How it faces the sun, welcomes a cooling breeze in the summer and relates to the native plants and trees are simple yet important aspects of good design. We begin the site investigation by creating a “View Clock”. Using a special viewing compass, we calculate 360 degree sightlines from the center of the building area to all major views. This information guides the preliminary layout of rooms, windows, fireplaces and portals.

A building shouldn’t just sit on the land – it should be an extension of it. The relationship between new construction and nature should be symbiotic. The two should reinforce each other, playing off each other’s strengths. A building should have a sense that it has always been there – that it belongs there and nowhere else.

Architecture is about space and light, proportion and balance.  It’s about how you would feel after all the furniture and fancy finishes are removed from the room. If you still feel good in the space after all the furnishings are removed – it’s good architecture.

It’s not the size of the room, but the proportion of the room that’s important. It’s not just the materials, but how the materials are used. It’s not just about how the rooms are arranged, but how the spaces transition from one to another.

I find joy in creating architecture that allows people to keep discovering subtle, new things about the space long after they’ve moved in. I want to create homes that people look forward to coming home to everyday.