Insights + Inspiration

5 Reasons to Pick a Contractor

 … and low bid isn’t one of them!

We’ve also come to realize that selecting the right builder for your project may be one of the most important decisions you make. 

Fitting In

How should a modernist live in a traditional town? In an area abundant with beautiful older homes, a more modern residence can often look out of place.

The Value of Time

Over the years we have learned that the lifespan of a project is a black box to most people. While they may have a basic understanding of what it takes to build a house, they are unaware of all the steps and details required for turning their list of desires into a finished set of permitted construction drawings. 

Modern-V-Traditional

I have come to believe that everyone has their own personal style. For me, I realized long ago that I was a modernist at heart. There is something about the volumetric treatment of a building’s form and its clean, simple detailing that makes me feel content.

Building in Bethesda / Chevy Chase

For those who live in the Bethesda or Chevy Chase areas, we’ve created a special, free guide for you!

The True Cost of Construction

When planning a project, it’s important to be aware that there is more to a comprehensive budget than simply the final construction costs. 

Variation on a Theme

Each year, Gabriela and I try to escape for a long weekend in Cape May, a beach town at the southern tip of New Jersey.  For a change, one year we thought we would see what an autumn visit would be like . . . desolate.

Dreaming of a Spring Start

When the temperatures begin to fall, most of us become consumed by the upcoming holidays, various school activities, and winter weather plans.

Small Towns, Hidden Gems

I grew up in a small town in southern Illinois. With a population of only 1,800 residents, everyone seemed to know everyone else. 

The Keys to Starting a Project

Are you ready to get going? If so, the next few months hold both excitement and plenty of tasks to keep you busy.

Beautiful Ruins

There is something about the remnants of a decaying structure struggling to hang onto the thread of modern life that attracts my avid interest.

Sticker Shock

Every project begins with high hopes and anxious excitement. As the design is developed, homeowners begin to understand how their needs and desires fit together into a beautiful vision of what is possible.

Surveying Salk

Great buildings are hard to read at first. They have an order and rhythm distinctly their own. The Salk Institute of Biological Studies, designed by Louis Kahn, is such a building.

Pricing the Unknown

While working through a project, it is important to keep your budget front and center. A great way to do this is by requesting construction estimates from contractors early in the process.

Model Homes Through History

Homeownership has long been a key part of the American Dream and, as such, is integral to our identity as Americans. With this consideration, what do our homes say about us as individuals and as a society?