Shortlisted competition entry, The Meditation cabin acts as a space for “bathing in nature” while receiving a list of treatments from acupuncture to massage and meditation. The Vale de Moses Yoga Retreat receives hundreds of annual guests from around the world, who visit in search of a meditative and natural experience in the mountainous pine and eucalyptus forests of central Portugal.

The cabins are made of a simple and beautiful structure with strong horizontal elements that soar out into the surrounding hillsides. Inside, a series of glazed or insulated panels are arranged to offer privacy from nearby cabins and amazing un-interrupted views out into nature. The interior is sized to comfortably house one guest and one therapist. The cabins have a minimal impact on the earth below, disturbing as little of the site as possible. A green roof above surrounded by a ring of solar panels, gifts fertile land to the site, blurring the lines between building and nature.

Based on the Japanese concept of Wabi (beauty in simplicity) this patio celebrates the details. Although it is made of common building materials, this patio is more than the sum of it’s parts, and will last for generations to come with little maintenance.

Winner of the 2019 Celebration of Architecture Competition The Phipps Park Band shell Completes the circle left by the horseshoe shaped landscape this band shell creates a valley stage as the seating cascades up the hillside. The structure aims to be as transparent as possible. Thin metal contours become almost invisible at eye level allowing light to filter in from all directions. Concrete spacers becomes denser toward the center of the bandshell to project sound out towards the audience. The form of the bandshell is meant to be as structurally and acoustically efficient as possible. Together it creates an abstract topography of the surrounding landscape, providing shelter from rain and prevailing winds from the west.

Made of Plywood Steel and Concrete, this kitchen renovation proves that you don't need expensive materials or elaborate trim to achieve beauty. The cabinet structure is made from laminating scrap pieces of plywood on top of one another until the desired height was achieved, then doweling through to attach the top and bottom.  The concrete island floats on a reclaimed 4x4 post and turns down to the floor to demarcate the beginning of the living room. Cabinet doors pivot on skateboard wheel bearings doweled into the surrounding plywood. 

Located in Bigfork MT where the forest meets the meadow is a small log homestead. The client wanted a second house on the property that would complement the exiting log homestead without changing the feel of site and the feel of the existing house.  The new building rests on the far eastern edge of the property line to take up as little of the site as possible, its elongated eastern edge exposes every part of the project to the beautiful mountain ranges and open meadows to the east. The majority of the house is recessed into the landscape to not block the exiting homesteads view of the mountains and also immerse the inhabitant in the large grasses the grow in the adjacent meadow, the client commented that sitting in the living room would remind him of playing in the same grass fields as a child. “When the sun shines in the winter here it is a gift like no the other.”  The louvered roof opens up to the southern winter sun to expose the whole house to the low winter sun angles. The underside of each louver is a dark slab of concrete to soak up the suns heat and project it on to the inhabitants below.  In the summer the louvers act as a venting mechanism that allows the cool air from the meadow to flush throughout the project. The two houses sit on the site in appreciation of the place they lay. One built from the trees cut within a hundred yard radius and the other responding directly to the physical and emotional quality of its surroundings.

This project is a great step in my understanding of architecture and in some ways remains the core of my architectural process. Reject form, Reject style, Reject designing only the visible portion, reject arrogance and embrace structure, embrace function, embrace humility, embrace craft and ritual. Understand that constraints are to only strengthen the project (such as a sloping site).  The tea room is a ritual space clearly separated from harsh reality. It was precisely its structural separation from the ordinary world that allowed tea to function in a society as a ritual of social peace and harmony. 

An evolution of the Traditional Japanese Tea House project, the modern tea house focuses on expressing the traditional parti with modern day construction methods and materials. The entire structure of the Tea House is made from Glue Laminated Beams. Ceiling and floor systems are created by layering the wood beams in a three way system. Through bolted at every connection the beams form a Modified Vierendeel Truss, which offers great strength in both directions, allowing for minimal use of vertical members and an open floor plan. The columns are moved to the center of each side, to not bound the building to a square but rather to reach out to its surroundings.

The final evolution of the tea house series, the Now House is the culmination. Reject form, reject style, reject designing only the visible portion, reject arrogance and Embrace structure, embrace function, embrace humility, embrace craft and ritual. Understand that constraints are to only strengthen the project. A purely non thermal broken enclosure sandwiched between a beautiful steel lattice floor and ceiling systems.  All of the walls in the project are structural concrete and project into the landscape to offer privacy when needed and frame the surrounding landscape. The singular interior partition acts as the only wet wall, with a kitchen on one side and a shower, bath and water closet on the other, separating the bed from the dining and living areas.   

Placed on a 20 acre environmentally sensitive site in Sea Ranch California, these prefabricated residences offer 57 affordable living units while staying true to Sea Ranch’s original vision. Using a three tier prefabricated system of structure, partitions, and shading, the multifamily units frame the sites beautiful meadows. The project is a mix of 700, 1,000, 1,500 sq.ft. units per building and the height of each structure corresponds to the trees at the edge of each meadow. Every structure is aligned for maximum winter sun exposure and to shelter the exterior spaces from the ocean winds, while maximizing the views across sea ranches beautiful meadows out to the Pacific Ocean.   

A local’s ski mountain on the verge of becoming a destination resort is Bridger bowl outside of Bozeman MT.  This lodge concept minimizes impact on the land by consolidating, lodging, lifts, parking and après ski into one mid mountain lodge.  Located between advanced and intermediate skiing all lifts depart and all runs return to one point on the mountain offering a great social experience for all skiing abilities.  Car parking is hidden underneath the center lodge that aims to be a passive element in the landscape, letting the surrounding mountains and valleys to be the focal element. 

Collection of various renderings done for friends and clients who want to have their ideas come to life.