I have always been drawn to the poetic function of space, taking basic universal shapes and injecting a form of poetic sensibility.  

For me, this means that it is not just the about the façade — how a project looks from the street – I am interested in how the ‘entire place’ will feel, how it reflects the inhabitant’s needs, movements, and daily rituals. It may be a bit poetic, but it is also deeply rooted in the day to day, in the way we live.

I think there is a bit of a misconception that architects just pop in to make things look great.  But that is like running a race backwards.  People often want to know what something will look like before it is fully understood what it will feel like.  I have to know what I am making from the inside. I start by asking questions. 

I am also actively listening. Maybe for the unasked question, for what my client didn’t know they didn’t know.  Maybe for the things that we thought we knew, but that may shift and transform throughout the process. It is one of the challenges of being an architect, and it is also a very rewarding aspect of the work that architects do.  

I like to think that I offer my clients the ability to elevate their ideas, while at the same time acting as an editor.  It is a very cooperative arrangement – I couldn’t do what I do without my clients participation in helping to define the vision.  At the same time, I bring to the table more than 30 years of experience – understanding the nuance and the unseen aspects of this work, as well as the pitfalls and challenges, so I can steer my clients through the process successfully.