Aptly named, this house for a landscape photographer and outdoor enthusiast challenged DA to make the most of its setting with a minimum of means. In this post, we share some of the high and low-tech tools we used to realize this vision.
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When designing a home for snow country, it's crucial to understand where snow comes from, how it collects on your site, and anticipate its moving, melting, and freezing. Asking the right questions can help avoid damage and danger.
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DA hosts workshops with activities that inspire attendees to explore new ways of living, working, and playing - values that would ultimately shape the built project.
Our clients often have questions about residential solar arrays. Since installing panels on my own house last year, I have a few insights to share.
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Over the years, we’ve helped hundreds of clients navigate the custom home design and construction process. Along the way, we’ve compiled some helpful tips and time-tested advice in a two-part handbook titled ‘Getting Started: An Informal Insider’s Guide to the Design and Construction Process’.
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Early in my career, a friend asked me: "Don't all architects want to design skyscrapers?" The implication was that designing anything else wasn’t challenging, exciting, or important enough to be worthy.
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Many clients are building in small towns and rural areas where design-oriented firms are scarce and/or overbooked. Now they see that they can choose the architect that is just right for them, regardless of location.
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Designing for flexibility has always played a part in our design process. Over the years, we have developed ways of accommodating extended family, friends, and corporate gatherings of all sizes.. Here are some examples.
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Architect - “Do you know how to build a pyramid?” Contractor - “Well, err yeah, up to a point.”
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“Workiretirecation”, Anyone?--Ok, we’ll leave the branding to the pros, but we’ve observed a significant shift in how people are thinking about “home” in the last two years.
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Part of the fun of being an architect is the wide variety of tools we use, from pencil sketches and cardboard models, to computer renderings that are so detailed they can be mistaken for a finished building.
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Right now seems like a perfect time to think about vacation. As luck would have it, it is always “right now!” In case you’ve been dreaming of your perfect vacation home, we’ve got some ideas and inspiration to share from our North Lake Wenatchee project.
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Some of you may have followed our long-term collaboration with James Duncan, a golf course architect with a vision of a walking golf course in the English heathland tradition. Work is under way on the 600-acre site just north of the Napa Valley.
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This DeForest Architects post features 12 upcoming posts that will literally HAVE to see to believe!
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In architecture school, I remember a fellow student telling me he had his design figured out “all in his head.” At the time, I was impressed...and a little envious. Since then, I’ve realized that design needs to take place in more than one mind’s eye.
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The first question to pop up after the idea for a building project strikes is “what should we build?” Aligning your program with what is most important to you will help ensure that what you build lives up to the expectation that inspired it.
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In celebration of Valentine’s Day this year, we asked our family, friends, colleagues and significant others to give us their top reasons to love the Architect in their lives.
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An intriguing article in which noted golf writer, Tom Dunne, draws parallels between our creative process and the “hacker’s garage”. Below are a few excerpts and behind-the-scenes photos of “Brambles” and the process behind it.
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Nothing sparks the imagination quite like a hidden door or a secret room. For adults and children alike, these clever design tricks can be both joyful AND practical.
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You’ve probably heard stories from friends and colleagues. Here are some common expectations that don’t align with the reality of a well-run custom home project.
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