Design Approach: New Construction and Additions

New construction in historic areas or additions to existing, successful buildings require a sensitivity to context. Again, an analysis of design alternatives is key. Initially, working with the Owner and community entities having jurisdiction, we will evaluate the most appropriate design response among the following design approaches:

Evolution: This approach matches the existing construction detailing, or takes it to the "next level of development," to create a building that appears to be a natural extension of the original. The result may change the character of the original structure or create a unified overall composition. As such, it will blur the distinction between old and new; therefore, this is not an appropriate solution for buildings of a historic nature.

Counterfoil: This approach uses contemporary detailing and materials to create a clear and obvious contrast to the existing, thereby distinguishing both the old and the new as products of their own eras.

Replication: Some residential subdivisions and districts require that design conform to historic styles. As many of the well known American styles, such as "Colonial", "Georgian", and "Victorian" have returned as "revivals" - historic in their own right - conformance with these restrictions actually provides more design freedom than one might expect. Nevertheless, because this approach blurs the distinction between past and present, this approach is not appropriate in a truly historic context.

Interpretation: Sometimes called 'transitional', this approach uses the existing context as inspiration for contemporary detailing that responds to the existing construction. By adapting historic vocabulary to the contemporary world, this approach conveys a sensitivity to the past without replication.

Working with the Owner and the Community, as a team, we help identify the most appropriate approach. Then we develop a design that meets that criteria while also meeting the over-arching objective of designing and constructing a successful building.

Design Approach: Renovations

Renovations are fundamentally different design problems than new construction. In new construction, there are fewer constraints, construction costs are easier to calculate, and the functional relationship of spaces is easy to optimize. Renovations are more complex. The designer must consider:

• The loss of Owner equity to demolition.
• Trade-offs of functionality to preservation.
• Historic and/or artistic value of the existing structure.

Restoration and Renewal projects require objective analysis of design alternatives. Only by evaluating alternatives properly can you provide meaningful rationale that will lead to optimal solutions. How do we evaluate them? We feel that every project can be measured for excellence on four grounds:

        •Form: aesthetically, how skillfully the building elements are          assembled and articulated.
        •Function: how well the different building elements relate to one          another with respect to use.
        •Economy: how cost effectively the building functions.
        •Logistics: how best to construct the project in terms of safety,          time efficiency, conformance with scheduling needs, and          coordination with ongoing operations.

It is our conviction that the best solution is strong in all four respects... not just one or two. We believe that successful renovations are the result of an approach that can accommodate their interplay.