Inspire — A Clover
Can something unassuming, like a clover be the inspiration for something substantial, like an architectural project? Yes and yes. In fact it has been, is and will be as long as there are architects who are inspired by the wonders around them. read more →
Renewal — Re-Ranch
renovate, remodel, restore, refresh, recondition, refurbish, renewal…re-Ranch. While the definition of most of those words are self-explanatory, the term “Re-Ranch” might make you wonder. Allow me a moment to share the Re-Ranch journey. It begins with a remodel idea that evolved to a rebuild and finally resolved as a different remodel. The Re-Ranch story starts in a small Texas town, with a man named Ray and his wife Becky. read more →
House or Home — Discover the Difference
House or home. Point or counterpoint. A glance into my past reveals a younger and prouder intern-architect passionately argued this comparison with other interns often late at night in the design studio. The revelation it was a passionate discussion suggests mind-loosening libations may have been involved. Facts elude me, but I’m sure I made a well-reasoned argument for my position and defended it convincingly or at the very least, loudly; however, experience and discretion rewarded me with compelling visual tools to illustrate the difference between these seemingly synonymous and often polarizing terms. read more →
Simpler Fi — Always Simple
Back to basics… less is more… write to express not to impress … naturalist thinking … those are all phrases that virtually mean the same thing — keep it simple or as one of my all-time favorite clients so eloquently says, simpler-fi. read more →
Sustainability — My Self Assessment
Sustainability is not new; it’s not different nor is it reinvented. It feels new because it receives top billing at building trade shows, home improvement magazines and do-it-yourself television programs. You could argue that publicity increased awareness, but true sustainability (not to be confused with the marketing hype) is identical in spirit and practice today as it was in early civilization. Sustainable meant providing for your basic necessities (food, clothing, shelter) with the resources available. Most often, economics drove one’s sustainable lifestyle. The major difference today is sustainable living is a choice whereas it used to be the natural way. read more →
Using It — Every Space, Every Day
I have too many things I don’t use. Much of it is my fault. Like many Americans, I’m blessed with all the necessities and an abundance of extras. Those extras include too many music CDs, novelty clothes, trinkets and memorabilia that seemed important at the time, but still remain packed in boxes left over from the move. How important could those extras be if I rarely use them? In contrast, I have a few things that seem important because I use them every single day — my computer, my wedding band and my wallet. My house is also something I use every day thanks to a lifestyle choice I call “every space, every day“. read more →
