In the spirit of the New Year and continued professional reflection, today we want to share some perspectives on a particularly significant aspect of our business. One of the important things we have learned over the years is this: architecture may be our profession, but we are really in the relationship-building business.

There are many components to building client relationships and the process can vary project to project. Over time, however, we’ve discovered there are certain cornerstones to relationship building that have helped define our architecture brand.

Communication is Key

First and foremost is timely communication. We are in a service business, so whether it’s during the interview process (when both the client and firm are assessing the “fit”), or halfway into a significant program, being responsive to our client is paramount. It demonstrates that we value and respect their time and questions, and signifies that we are a conscientious and reliable partner.

“Being accessible is key, and I understand the importance of getting back to people. At the end of each day, I try and return every single email and phone call I’ve received. It’s my responsibility.” – Patrick Ahearn

Be the Good Listener

High-end residential architecture, in particular, is very personal and requires that we genuinely get to know our clients. This means not only recognizing the goals and objectives of their project but also understanding how they live day-to-day. This process involves asking a lot of questions and being the good listener. A skilled listener can successfully translate a client’s ideas into an architecture that works for their life.

This all rings so true. Patrick designed our “city” house just over 20 years ago. In the process he learned a lot about our family, our friends, and how we live. This involved many conversations that drove design decisions. We live with those decisions every day. As a result, while we may not have been in close contact with Patrick through those years, we often felt his presence in our home. So, when we recently decided we wanted to build a new summer home we knew that Patrick would be a perfect choice. Once again we have gone through a wonderful design process with Patrick. But now it feels like we are doing it with an old friend! – Homeowner

Common Bonds

Talking openly about one’s personal space and living needs requires a level of trust and confidence, which we often establish by finding a common bond with our clients. Whether it’s a shared interest (cars, marketing) or history (growing up in New York, living on Martha’s Vineyard), learning about our clients and finding commonality helps develop an important level of trust – which ultimately allows us to design a house that meets and exceeds their private needs.

Research and Prepare

Once we start a client’s project, our goal is to create a collaborative story together. We often refer to this as “scripting the novel of their home.” Creating a home is an emotional, personal journey, and we want to make the process as rewarding and as seamless as possible. To do so, we incorporate our design philosophy – the greater good theory – into the practice.

While we always strive to give our clients the home of their dreams, we also believe the house should fit the scale and enhance the tone of its surrounding community – thereby contributing to the greater good. That means, as the architect, we understand not only the neighborhood aesthetic but also its zoning regulations and historical parameters. Being mindful of the greater good means overly preparing for a project, building consensus with the client (and their neighbors) and ensuring the novel of their home unfolds smoothly.

Patrick and I have been friends now for almost 20 years and he has done several projects for my wife and me. We continue to work with him because he brings a timeless sense of New England style to all of his work. – Homeowner

In residential architecture, it is crucial to cultivate relationships with a strong level of trust and communication. The wonderful bonus in those relationships is that many clients become lifelong friends. We appreciate and take those friendships very seriously – and remain passionate about creating architecture and relationships that reflect and define our brand.

With the New Year – and decade – upon us, we’ve been reflecting professionally on past work with notable personal meaning. There are many projects near and dear to our heart, but some stand out because of the professional lessons they taught us, and for the contributions we believe they made in their communities.

While the firm today is best known for our residential homes, in the 1980s and ’90s much of our work focused on urban restoration and design in Boston. One project with particular meaning is The Columbia Building on Church Street in Boston’s Bay Village.

A corner building designed in the Art Moderne style, 45 Church Street was built in the early 1950s as Columbia Pictures’ Boston headquarters. (At the time, Bay Village was a hotbed for independent films and movie production.) In the early 1990s, our client acquired what was then an empty building and its raw aluminum window frames and curvilinear shape made it aesthetically unique and interesting. The goal was to convert the building to residential condominiums and bring a historically meaningful building back to life.

To pay homage to the building’s history, we restored the original Art Moderne façade, maintained the raw aluminum window trim details, and named the restored architecture The Columbia. Inside, we added a floor to the building, created loft-like modern 50s interiors, and upon completion, added a backlit, individually lettered neon sign to the building (a nod to the popularity of neon in the ‘50s) which, when set against the curvilinear façade and recessed entryway, set the building apart.

Fun Fact: Recognizing this was a tight, urban setting (we designed parking in the building’s rear), the developers offered the first buyers a brand new Mini Cooper. Like The Columbia – Mini Cooper was an iconic brand with a distinct design and proved to be an excellent branding partner for the project.

This restoration project provided myriad lessons – most importantly, it reminded us of the importance of respecting a community’s history and the value of looking to and learning from the past when designing for the future. These are invaluable lessons that continue to guide our architecture decades later.

Another project we often reflect on is 54 Commonwealth Avenue in Boston’s Back Bay. Once the premier neighborhood of Boston’s wealthy land barons, the 1970s and 80s saw much of Back Bay in disrepair – even abandoned. At the time, this site was an empty parking lot, and we were able to design the first new townhouse built in Back Bay in over a century. We developed the architecture with a New York entryway, which steps down into the ground to a wonderful lobby, allowing us to add a floor to the building (and making the economics of the design more viable). The front façade was a cast stone to simulate limestone with rusticated blocking detail and the structure was designed with concrete, which made it notably quiet and highly desirable.

A memorable part of this design journey was having the Back Bay Architectural Commission approve the project in one hearing. This experience – along with over 400 Back Bay projects – taught us how critical it is to have sound design ideas, how to present those ideas in a meaningful way, and the value of overly preparing for presentations. Additionally, and more importantly, these projects taught us the rewards of bringing life back into historic communities. The chance to reinvigorate a neighborhood, to bring back its original character and desirability, taught us the importance of the greater good theory, which guides all of our work today. Creating architecture is not about that single project; it is about how that architecture works within a neighborhood context to positively affect the community as a whole.

We look forward to an exciting year ahead where we will continue to reference these career lessons and learn from the past to create for the future.

Happy New Year to all!

The holidays are nearly here, and for many homeowners that means the pleasure of welcoming family and friends for extended visits. When hosting, we want to provide our guests with an environment that feels both welcoming and serene. And, during the hectic holiday season, it is especially important for guests – and hosts – to have private areas to relax and retreat between planned celebrations.

When designing homes for our clients (particularly those who regularly entertain), we are frequently asked to create separate guest quarters for visitors within the property. This affords both the homeowner and their guests with a desirable level of privacy throughout the visit, ensuring that all parties feel together – but comfortably independent throughout the stay.

Many of the homes we design include a carriage house, which today connotes a romantic image that belies its modest beginnings. In fact, the carriage house was originally the outbuilding that stored horse-drawn carriages and saddles down below, with second-floor living space to house hired groomsmen or property help above. Sometimes, the carriage house also served as shelter for the homeowner’s animals.

Carriage houses today typically house our current mode of transportation: automobiles. The second-floor area offers a wonderful opportunity for guest space that is entirely separate from the main household. With its own entrance, bath, and laundry facilities, a carriage house offers guests an environment that feels cozy and private and accommodates the needs of twenty-first-century living.

While separate guesthouses are certainly desirable, guest quarters attached to the main house can also feel wonderfully independent. Often, we attach these spaces or wings to the primary building through a one-story connector, like a mudroom, and include a separate outdoor entrance. This enables family and friends to feel close to the home’s epicenter while still providing the desired level of privacy for all.

 

When hosting family and friends, we want them to feel as comfortable as possible throughout their stay. Offering guests a private, welcoming space – either separate or attached to the main house – ensures they have a cozy place to call “home” for the holidays.

One of New England’s great pleasures is cozying up to a fire on a chilly winter night. While many of us cherish this comfort in our living rooms and dens, the fireside experience need not be limited to those spaces.

Some high-end restaurants tout fireside dining as a unique and desirable reason to visit. But, the truth is, it does not have to be a dining-out novelty. Incorporating (or designing) a fireplace within a home’s dining room is a wonderful way to add warmth and ambiance to the at-home dining experience.

Dining by a fire was once the standard before boilers and furnaces warmed our homes. Today, while not a heating necessity, many of our clients appreciate the romance a fireplace adds to their dining room area. There is something marvelously appealing about lingering over dessert beside a fire’s warm glow. And, what better way to add a magical feel to a holiday dinner celebration?

From a design perspective, adding a fireplace to the dining room provides an instant focal point for the room. When designing a fireplace for our clients, we first consider the home’s character and what sort of statement it should make. As a decorative element, the fireplace often adds symmetry to a room and provides an opportunity to create a wall of millwork that supports the fit and finish of the house.

Another important consideration is whether a gas or wood-burning fireplace is most appropriate for dining. While some homeowners still prefer the sensory experience of a wood fire, many of our clients choose the ease of gas. Because gas offers the flexibility to turn the fire on and off as needed, requires no stoking during dinner, and no “post-fire” cleanup, it is the favored design option for many dining rooms.

Today, when designing a home, the fireplace is no longer viewed as a statement piece relegated to a home’s lounging areas. Including a fireplace within a home’s dining room adds character to the space, warms the atmosphere on cold nights, and encourages guests to linger over holiday meals.

Cheers to fireside dining!

Decorating for the holidays is a timeless tradition we anticipate and embrace each December. This week – with fresh snow blanketing New England – our attention quickly turns from this year’s late Thanksgiving to the magical season ahead. If you haven’t decorated yet, you’re among many who are feeling a little behind this year, so we gathered a few tips on where you should focus your holiday curb appeal.

A festive and elegant holiday home begins with the exterior. When designing our houses, we carefully choreograph the arrival sequence from the street up to the front door. This sequence draws one into the property and creates anticipation for what lies ahead. During the holidays, we have the chance to accentuate that sense of arrival with layers of decorations that welcome guests with seasonal cheer.

When decorating the exterior of a home, we consider ways to highlight different architectural features in meaningful combinations. The journey begins at the property’s edge, where seasonal garland strung from a fence helps define the property – and sets a festive tone. Similarly, adorning a post light or mailbox with small lights warmly marks the entrance and creates a beautiful, welcoming glow.

Including layers of light throughout the property introduces dimension and romance to the holiday experience. For instance, adding strings of white lights around larger trees helps create warmth to evening arrivals. If the trees are too tall to safely light alone, consider hiring a truck with a boom to help light them as a signature piece to the property. Likewise, trees framing smaller outbuildings can be lit to highlight charming moments along the arrival.

If the home does not have “Christmas-like” trees, introducing seasonal, potted trees (which can be used elsewhere on the property come spring), is a wonderful alternative. These trees, when softly lit, can help can define a walkway or entryway with warmth and charm. We also like adding smaller, seasonal trees and greenery to a home’s window boxes. Including lights will help further animate the arrangement with a festive, three-dimensional quality.

When we imagine a holiday arrival sequence, we always consider ways to accentuate a home’s architectural moments. We want the approach to resolve itself in a warm and welcoming manner. Soft up-lighting of primary features – or hanging a large holiday wreath – are wonderful ways to highlight meaningful focal points. Wrapping porch columns in garland and displaying a beautifully lit wreath on the entry door sets a spirited and welcoming tone. Lastly, a Christmas tree visible in the window offers a warm glimpse into the home’s interior – a final touch for the arrival sequence.

Dressing up your home’s exterior spreads holiday cheer to your guests – and those just passing by. So if you, like many, were caught off guard by this season’s late Thanksgiving, we hope you find these ideas helpful. And for those who are local to Boston, the annual Lighting of the Commonwealth Avenue Mall occurs tonight from 8 – 9 PM. Enjoy this beautiful season and happy decorating!

Today is Thanksgiving, a time we unite with friends and family to recognize a day rich in American history. While we welcome this time to give thanks and celebrate with loved ones, we also reflect on a holiday steeped in symbolism – harkening back to our country’s first Thanksgiving in 1621 when Colonists shared the original fall “feast” with members of the Wampanoag tribe in Plymouth, Massachusetts.

Thanksgiving – which many consider the unofficial start of the holiday season – still celebrates that original fall harvest with a grand meal and communal gathering. While it is widely believed that the first Thanksgiving was celebrated as an “outdoor festival,” most of us now gather in the comforts of our indoor dining areas.

Formal dining rooms were once an architectural staple in many homes, but that standard has evolved over generations. Today, we create dining rooms in varying styles and spaces to enhance the way our clients want to live and entertain – on Thanksgiving and every day.

 

Many of our clients prefer to integrate their dining room within the homes’ overall living space. This style of blending creates a desirable harmony and flow within the home – which works particularly well when entertaining. The open integration easily connects guests with adjacent seating areas and also provides convenient access to the home’s kitchen and bar space.

Another option is to create a dining area within a home’s transitional space. This design alternative offers homeowners several advantages. Fully integrating the room within the home’s circulation space – perhaps in the breezeway or within the “spine” of the house – creates a natural flow and offers the flexibility to create a formal or informal tone. For example, the character of the space can remain open and casual, or the aesthetic can be instantly elevated by including a built-in china cabinet and detailed finishes.

While there are many creative options, some of our clients still favor having a separate, traditional dining room in their home. Typically, this clearly delineated space serves a distinct dining (non-circulating) function and is designed with a formality in mind – including highly detailed walls and ceilings. For these homeowners, having a separate dining room encourages a true “dining” experience, where celebratory meals served on formal china over lingering conversation makes a holiday special.

Today, as we gather to give thanks, we wish you all a happy and bountiful Thanksgiving in your special dining spaces. Enjoy the celebration!