wygwam fix Often clients already have a home site under contract when they first come to us. Our first task is a site visit to assess the application of architecture to land. The site drives the design of the house including the slope to the views to what’s adjacent to the site.

Once those factors are defined, we sit with our clients to review what they want and what the need, their budget and we get deeply into their lifestyle: do they have children, do they work at home, and what size rooms do they prefer? I encourage them to show me what they like—pictures taken from magazines or homes around town.

Then I create sketches and then we massage the drawings, throwing out some elements, adding new ones, working back and forth to develop what they like. Of course, part of my job is to look at the budget and their expectations. There’s always a budget, even when it comes to $11 million houses.

Out of this we come up with a set of refined design build plans. During construction, I make a weekly site visit to ensure that the integrity of the design is upheld and to preempt any issues. Plus, I am always available to answer questions.wygwam fix

- Architect Kirk Stathes