Accessible Architecture
Many people I speak with - from businesses, to homeowners, to contractors - believe that Architects have largely become clichés, with the reputation of being expensive and unaware. Black clothing, fancy glasses, costly designs, aesthetics first, big words, elitist attitude.
I’m an Architect, and I try to avoid those clichés. In fact, while working on projects, I often don’t even tell people “I’m an Architect”, due to the preconceptions people might carry. Instead, I focus on being helpful. Working as a collaborative partner, by proposing useful solutions and intelligent designs. That way, when people find out more about my credentials, it’s a pleasant contradiction to any negative preconceptions, because we’ve already developed a positive and productive relationship. We’re on the same team.
I call this “Accessible Architecture”, and it’s about answering questions in a way that everyone can easily understand, explaining things in direct and straightforward terms so that everyone’s on the same page, and getting everyone involved in a project on board with the overarching vision.
Are you asking:
Does my business’s space reflect our ambition and help us thrive?
Does my home reflect my lifestyle and needs?
What can I even do with my property?
What would “that” idea look like?
How do we build “this”, how much does it cost, and who needs to be involved?
Finally, how in the world do we make this all happen?
These questions are a starting point. Architects can take things a step further by helping businesses and homeowners in unexpected ways by focusing on how to create a genuinely positive impact - on their clients’ lives, businesses, and on those who interact with a building.
Oftentimes, businesses and homeowners aren’t even aware that these goals are part of “Architecture”, but they are at the core of what I do, and who I work with.
The built environment is the setting for our lives, and Architecture has the remarkable ability to change lives for the better. A home, a business, or whatever it is, the spaces we inhabit have a huge impact on us all, and it’s important that we remember that as we invest our time and money.
My approach to Architecture:
I’m a builder. As a Licensed Architect and registered contractor, my goal is to help realize remarkable buildings, not just draw them - while helping you navigate the life of a project and feel comfortable.
Together, we explore the pure potential of ideas and challenges, and to develop them (through a process of investigation, analysis, and iteration) into solutions that are better than any one of us could imagine at the beginning.
Obstacles are always opportunities, when we cultivate the proper mindset.
Explaining things in direct and straightforward terms helps keep our intentions clear.
The way things look is important, but the reason why they look that way is equally important.
The earlier, the better. My development background has shown me the benefit of being involved in projects sooner rather than later, in order to get analysis and ideas going early on in the process, to look for opportunities and efficiencies that may not be obvious.
I think of the beginning of a project as Stage 1: Project: Launch, where we explore the potential of your ideas and rapidly develop a deeper understanding of your project, by combining;
Expert advice: Architect, developer, and contractor
Investigative analysis: needs, challenges, finances, code, etc.
Immediate visualization: 3d modeling, images, drawings
After Project: Launch, we move into more detail as needed with Stage 2 (Develop), Stage 3 (Document), and Stage 4 (Execute).
Each project is unique, and there is more specific detail related to this process, as well as the business and residential offerings on the Launch page, but our initial goal is to get you moving in the right direction, quickly.
I’m here to help, so please feel free to reach out.
Sincerely,
Chris
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I offer a Project: Launch program to help get things going quickly, if you’re ready to go. If you’re interested in this process, please reach out to talk. I’m always looking to meet good people and learn about interesting businesses.
