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We believe design is a collaborative process in which the client is central. We have no prescribed style; the particulars of the site and user needs and desires are the guideposts of the design process. It can be great fun! While the design process of each project will follow its own path, we have a basic design method. After defining a program (room sizes, relationships, views, light, etc.) and assessing the site conditions (topography, vegetation, climate, context, local traditions and available resources, etc.), we generate two or three schematic design options. We evaluate each option to identify the positive and negative qualities. From this exercise a final schematic evolves. Typically a working model is built and tested, frequently including solar gain analysis on the Heliodon table at PG&E’s Energy Center. We stake and tape the building on site to verify and tune the design to its setting. Design Review documents and construction documents are then prepared, tuning the design as we go. We recommend consulting with likely contractors early in the design development, as they can offer beneficial ideas and a measure of cost control. Winner of the Acterra Business Award for the Sustainable Built Environment, a AIA/COTE Top Ten Green Project Award, and numerous design awards, our work has been published nationally and internationally for excellence in design and sustainability. With electric and biodiesel cars and solar electricity, waste reduction begins in our own office.
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