Community

Whether a community decides to renovate or replace a long-standing building, or build new on “vacant” property, disruption is inevitable. Neighborhoods and habitats are changed, and those changes will have a long life of their own.

Part of our charge as architects is to minimize that disruption, preserve and restore what is damaged or neglected, and make sure that what we build improves the public realm.

Creative placemaking is the phrase that ties these priorities together. In this process, we involve all the participants as creative thinkers, as artists. We encourage them to imagine what wild success might look like, and to use their knowledge of what has been in the past to guide the future.

This interaction helps us to build communities that connect people. Engagement creates a sense of pride and ownership and promotes community health and safety. That deep involvement becomes a catalyst for economic stability, environmental stewardship, and delight.

Every time we embark on a new project, our goal is to create positive change for generations. When our work has been done, it is the people and the communities impacted by our work who will make our designs a success. Through creative placemaking, we want to inspire them to take what we have built and make it their own.