Our Philosophy is simple: "The user is the enactor of the aesthetic event."

The artist/ architect may bring intention and intuition to every opportunity, but it is the user who determines what significance and/ or meaning is experienced. Thus the design professional has the obligation to exercise his/ her skills in the cultural and experiential context of the client. Results must be responsible and relevant to the clientﾕs program, site, resources and values. We believe that the purpose of the built environment is threefold:

1. Shelter: The first and foremost purpose of the built environment is to make life secure and enduring.

2. Order: The built environment must provide a framework for activities. A successful environment provides a setting that facilitates intended activities and experiences. It does not just tolerate them. A successful environment is crafted, shaped, illuminated, and equipped to encourage the intended activities and experiences.

3. Symbol: The highest purpose of the built environment is to function as a symbol that represents us and our values as a society. It contains attributes, materials, icons, metaphors and/or forms that reflect beliefs and values of the constituents/ users. Because we believe that the user is the enactor of the aesthetic event, the user’s experience of the built environment is of paramount importance. While the Architect/ Designer may have intentions, those intentions are only relevant in an academic realm. The experience of users is the litmus test for successful design.

Number 3 is where the serious fun begins.