Warm Modern Design: Hearth Home and the Poetry of Architecture
We discussed the idea of “Warm Modern” architecture in our last blog post and how well-suited it is to Tennessee’s climate and national cultural trends. In this post, we’ll look more closely at modern design. We’ll discuss architecture’s underlying poetry and language and how a disciplined approach to design and intentional decision-making creates an architecture […]
What is Warm Modern Architecture?
A few years ago, I wrote a blog post exploring the nuances of modern architecture. The term “modern” is so broad and multifaceted that it can be unclear when used to describe a home design. It’s commonly associated with concepts like innovation, pushing boundaries, and embracing the cutting edge. Yet, paradoxically, it can quickly slip […]
Construction Costs VS Your Dream Home
When I take on a new project, I envision designs that go beyond client expectations. I’m deeply passionate about my work, but early in my career, that passion often clashed with the realities of construction costs—a challenge many architects face. Over time, I’ve developed a more effective approach: designing with realism in mind. This requires […]
The Architect’s Construction Drawing Guide
Construction drawing can be complex, often consisting of hundreds of pages of drawings and specifications. A construction drawing is a detailed visual document that communicates how a project should be built, including dimensions, materials, assemblies, systems, and coordination requirements. I have found over the years in my practice that there are a lot of folks […]
Pre-Design Architecture – Why Is It Important?
The first phase in home design is not actually a design phase at all but rather a series of planning exercises to prepare you for the design. We call this phase “pre-design.” Pre-design is sometimes confused with “pre-designed” plans, but in custom architecture, pre-design refers to the early research, planning, and discovery work completed before […]
Sustainable Design and Green Building Practices
There is something romantic about creating an architecture integral to nature. An architecture that is sustainable and carefully uses green building practices to share with nature rather than dominate it. Sustainable building practices take time and energy to be done correctly. What is Green Building? Green building is the design and construction method that […]
Pros and Cons of Flat Roofs & Roof Decks
At our firm, we focus on creating high-end modern homes often pushing the boundaries of form and material. One of the signature forms found in many modern projects is the flat roof. In today’s blog, we look at how flat roofs work and what you should know when considering one for your next […]
Why Spray Foam?
Many of us know that insulation is a major component for keeping your building cool during the summer and warm during the winter. There are many different types of insulation but why is spray foam the preferred? Batt Insulation – is probably the most common and most familiar to most people. Batt insulation is […]
Using Floor Trusses in Modern Design
Most buildings built in the United States these days are built from wood. Wood is in fact a renewable resource, affordable, easy to work with, and provides enough strength for most projects. Wood products range from commodity lumber (2x4s, 2x6s, etc.), engineered lumber, (LVLs, Plywood, etc.), and pre-fab trusses. In today’s blog, we discuss floor […]
Best Approaches to Basement Waterproofing
The dreaded flooding basement is a real pain. Basements, as we all know, are notorious for being damp and having water issues. This is primarily because water moves in all directions underground, sometimes even straight up. Not to mention soil weights a lot more when wet placing lots of stress on basement walls leading to […]