Very shortly after and with guests at hand, smoke began to billow from the oven as smoke alarms “chimed”. Fortunately, the exhaust hood was capable of about 900 cubic feet / minute draw so the room was evacuated of smoke — and guests — in seconds.

Being an Architect has many satisfying aspects, but one of my favorites is being able to see your vision for a space become real before your eyes. On a recent trip to Boston, I had the chance to see the very first house I designed: a custom residence for my Mom. Completed over 20 years earlier, Mom and her husband still love living in the spaces we crafted together.

After many years of careful planning and hard work, the Hillside House has taken its place as one of the most seismically advanced houses in the country.

...this project’s goal of “Earthquake Safety” took us further than ever before into the realm of the “well-made”. The technological advances required to meet this goal ultimately expanded our team to include: a military grade hardware supplier, a Ph.D. in earthquake Geotechnical Engineering, Finite Element Analysis software and the World Leader in Earthquake Monitoring.

Building science and technology available today can not only prevent death and injury but, can also prevent destruction and minimize damage to the places where we live, work and play.

One of our major observations was that the house didn’t take full benefit of its beautiful surroundings as the major spaces were focused inward, creating a dark, cocoon-like environment.

Every project we undertake follows a familiar path that includes active listening, careful observation, detailed development, refinement and thorough execution.