we like to collaborate with intelligent and creative people.
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paul becker PE becker structural engineers, inc. www.beckerstructural.com Paul and I met when we were both young interns not long out of school. He’s since established a very respected structural engineering firm, and I’ve worked with him and his associates together on many, many projects over the years. Paul helps me realize the goal of integrating structure and architecture: we’ve both learned the satisfaction that comes when the structural solution makes the architectural solution even better, and vice versa. Instead of developing an architectural concept and then asking Paul to make it stand up while making no demands on my design, we work together to create something that is beautiful, structurally elegant, and materially efficient. Paul’s work can be seen on many of the projects on this website. |
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michael boucher ASLA michael boucher landscape architecture www.boucherlandscape.com Michael single-handedly taught me that architecture and landscape architecture are each at their best when they’re carefully integrated from the beginning of the process. I’ve been with Michael on an oceanfront site before there was the slightest notion of an architectural concept for the house, and remember how the conversation that happened that day established a direction which can be clearly seen in the completed building. Working with Michael is like playing chess—an exercise in logic and strategy—although it tends to be a lot more fun. He’s established an international reputation and does work all over the world, and wherever he goes, his landscape solution is one that is rigorously rooted to the place. |
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barbara cooper graphic designer Barbara was my first new collaborator as the firm started to take shape in Los Angeles, and we’ve worked together to create the public face of the studio. She’s patiently worked with me as I showed myself to be an alter-ego graphic artist. Through it all, she created a look that incorporates my requirements and desires while making sure it’s consistent and strong. The greatest delight is to be on the receiving end of talented design this time, and to enjoy the pleasure and surprise inherent in that process. |
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barbara hill interior designer www.barbarahilldesign.com www.pulpoetry.com Barbara and I haven’t actually had the opportunity to work together yet, but we’ve become friends, and I’m extremely inspired by her work.“Minimalism” may be her starting point, but she moves beyond that simple classification very quickly. Actually, she moves beyond the label of “interior designer” quickly, too, writing “pulpoetry”, making fabric out of it, and having it upholstered on vintage modern furniture and pillows. Her work is at once calm and humorous, and may I say, sassy. However, make no mistake: these are perfectly composed spaces, and their success is far from accidental. |
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peter knuppel IESNA lighting design Peter is one of those people for whom design permeates every aspect of his life, and that ensures his lighting design is in synch with the architecture, furniture and mood of the space. Born in Germany and having worked across the globe on many scales of projects, he does it all from a tiny studio in rural Maine. He and his dog Otto the Scottie tend to crisscross the Southwest on a regular basis in search of good light, open space, and great Mexican food. Working with him reminds me to clarify the design solution and make sure every move counts, because his lighting design consistently does just that. Oh, and, he reminds me to keep a sense of humor. . . Almost every project you see on my website has his lighting design. |
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daniela kuper firm imaging At the beginning steps of starting a new architecture practice in Los Angeles, Daniela met with me for a productive, exhausting weekend at her studio in Boulder, with the purpose of defining the essence of this new firm. Her first question was: “What do you want a typical day to be like in this new firm?” What a brilliant question. As we dug into it, the answer to that question made everything else fall in place: To be surrounded by smart and interesting people—clients and consultants. To create a welcoming space where people feel comfortable to stop by and talk about design, life, food. To work intimately with just a few clients at a time. Daniela’s process with her clients is luxurious, specific, and penetrating, and her ability to create a literal and psychological environment for creative collaboration is legendary. |
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tobin peacock general contractor www.peacockbuilders.net I’ve been fortunate to work with many talented builders over the years, most of whom I’d be happy to work with again. Tobin, however, is a standout, with a combination of skills that make him one of the rising stars of residential construction. He builds well, he estimates well, he communicates well, and he follows up. For an architect, he’s the ideal builder, because he’s interested in architecture, and sees his role as facilitator. He wants to understand the design concept, and is there to make it happen, offering pragmatic and aesthetic suggestions along the way. Our first project together can be seen under “Projects”, the “House on Punkinville Road”. |
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albert putnam PE structural engineer www.albertputnam.com Al is another structural engineer with whom I’ve collaborated over the past years, and is a growing presence in his field. He has the talent to make everyone on the team feel his confidence: architect, client, and builder. And he backs it up with clean, inventive structural solutions perfectly suited to the project at hand, working with clarity and deliberation from his solo office overlooking the main street of a small town. His work can be seen in the “House on Punkinville Road”. |