INTRODUCTION
If there were but one central element to our team philosophy and approach to design, it is our belief in the primacy of context and culture in establishing the bounds within which design occurs. We believe that the architectural arrangement and form of an institution embody an institution's philosophy, and that giving form to an institution is giving purpose and meaning to its life. We strive to create buildings that are "of their place and the people they serve" and engage ourselves deeply in the human and physical conditions that profoundly influence design. There is evidence of this in the varied appearance of our work.

In this context, we believe each building should be conceived as an integral part of the “neighborhood” to enhance the relationship with adjoining buildings, creating spaces in between which result in beneficial amenities for the client that are compatible in scale, identity and orientation. In this relationship between new and existing should be apparent in scale, architectural language and in the choice of material. Our team has abundant experience in the design on projects of similar circumstances.

While the form of institution and the common ground are important factors of facility planning and design, the plan of a project must acknowledge the nature and character of the land and the dynamics of the urban grid within which it sits. We believe that the plan of a project should respond to the natural conformations of topography, water features and landscaping. The plan should strive to preserve existing trees and respond to existing traffic and circulation patterns and external influences of the redevelopment of retail, commercial and residential spaces.

Most important, a plan must work. It must solve all the functional and practical relationships of a client’s requirements. We are expert at practical planning and at creating reciprocity between buildings and the natural and designed landscape. We believe that attention to all these influences is necessary in order to create a sense of place that is unique, vital and memorable.