I believe that architecture has the power to change our lives. Our world is undergoing monumental shifts in climate due to natural evolution as well as the impact of human activity.
“Architecture is the backdrop to life” - Robert Riley
There are maxims which help guide us. Two that guide my approach to architecture are William Morris’s advice to “Have nothing in your home that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful”; and my former University of Illinois professor Robert Riley’s proclamation that, “Architecture is the backdrop to life.”
I have long been drawn to the beauty and challenge of small homes and commercial buildings. My early experiences in residential design taught me that by strategically economizing space, the result is more interesting, more unique, and more in tune with human scale. There is little waste, and the clean, straightforward lines that come from this approach form a simple beauty that is often lost on grander scales. From a purely practical standpoint, designing buildings in this spatially economic manner provides a larger portion of the budget for the special details that personalize the space, and for quality materials that create enduring beauty and grace.
My early approach to design could best be described as a study in psychology: helping my clients identify the patterns and nuances of their lives, in order to create for them a harmonious backdrop.
Over time I’ve come to realize that once internal harmony is attained, it is equally important to focus on the external. In 1992 I had my first opportunity to work with a mixed-discipline team of design professionals to create a sustainable neighborhood. From that beginning, my desire to develop buildings that are in harmony with the environment has grown.