Public Art Projects

MATERIALITY

Architecture is both space and material, working together. The materiality of the building engages our senses. The feel of a smooth handrail on our hands. The smell of a freshly laid wood floor. The sound of our feet walking across that floor. Since we spend so much of our lives in and around architecture, we believe it is important to care about the physical embodied experience of that architecture. We tend towards authentic and understandable materials; both natural and man-made. We believe in durable materials that will withstand the test of time yet also love the patina that comes with age and use. We appreciate both humble and luxurious materials.

MATERIALITY

Architecture is both space and material, working together. The materiality of the building engages our senses. The feel of a smooth handrail on our hands. The smell of a freshly laid wood floor. The sound of our feet walking across that floor. Since we spend so much of our lives in and around architecture, we believe it is important to care about the physical embodied experience of that architecture. We tend towards authentic and understandable materials; both natural and man-made. We believe in durable materials that will withstand the test of time yet also love the patina that comes with age and use. We appreciate both humble and luxurious materials.

LIGHT

A hallmark of our architecture is light, carefully planned and orchestrated throughout the building. Natural light brings a building to life and shadows tell us about the form and nature of space. Sunlight can be harsh too and needs to be tempered at times. The sun tells us about the passage of time and we consider which rooms want morning or afternoon light. We seek to bring light into the core of the building in surprising and inspiring ways, drawn down through stairwells and double-height spaces.

LIGHT

A hallmark of our architecture is light, carefully planned and orchestrated throughout the building. Natural light brings a building to life and shadows tell us about the form and nature of space. Sunlight can be harsh too and needs to be tempered at times. The sun tells us about the passage of time and we consider which rooms want morning or afternoon light. We seek to bring light into the core of the building in surprising and inspiring ways, drawn down through stairwells and double-height spaces.

Water's Edge

Art Ribbon

Community

Sukkah

Dwelling

Red House

PLACE

Architecture is a fundamentally local artform. Every building exists on a site. The site is both literally the ground that is owned as well as the broader context: the street, the hillside, the neighborhood, the climate, the trees and more. This makes architecture a very specific act. A building that is perfect for one site might not work well a mile away. Architecture must respond to the site but also has a way of bringing forth the best qualities of a site, celebrating them and making them more present for the users. When finished, great buildings have a sense of always have been there, just right and intimately connected with the sense of place.

PLACE

Architecture is a fundamentally local artform. Every building exists on a site. The site is both literally the ground that is owned as well as the broader context: the street, the hillside, the neighborhood, the climate, the trees and more. This makes architecture a very specific act. A building that is perfect for one site might not work well a mile away. Architecture must respond to the site but also has a way of bringing forth the best qualities of a site, celebrating them and making them more present for the users. When finished, great buildings have a sense of always have been there, just right and intimately connected with the sense of place.

Light Rays

SFO Airport

Dwelling

Red House

Light Rays

SFO Airport

THE REGULAR AND THE IRREGULAR

Our architecture often seeks a playful dialogue between the regular and the irregular. What is consistent and what is varied? The restful rhythm of a series of horizontal wood slats contrasted with a varied series of windows, each telling the story of a complex interior arrangement. Life is full of repetition and also full of surprise. We believe architecture should be too.

THE REGULAR AND THE IRREGULAR

Our architecture often seeks a playful dialogue between the regular and the irregular. What is consistent and what is varied? The restful rhythm of a series of horizontal wood slats contrasted with a varied series of windows, each telling the story of a complex interior arrangement. Life is full of repetition and also full of surprise. We believe architecture should be too.

Community

Sukkah