a home

This home was designed in keeping with the craftsman-style tradition. The tension in the design process for this project was most felt between the client’s aspirations (a “forever home” and all that entailed) and budget constraints. We identified this tension in the predesign phase (Predesign) by analyzing and evaluating their ‘wish list’ in comparison to their budget. To reconcile differences, the ‘wish list’ was refined with my guidance, giving the client an increased ability to explore and discover opportunities for design synergy. As a result, we accomplished a coherent and affordable arrangement of building and programmatic elements.

In other words, the clients got more of what they wanted and less of what they didn’t want, in a coherent design and construction solution that stayed within their budget.

Predesign was crucial for this project to achieve its potential. Although the back-and-forth nature of Predesign was emotional at times, paying the cost early by intentionally leaning into Predesign resulted in a return of dividends throughout the project’s design, construction, and dwelling experience.