When did you first become interested in architecture? Architecture was wired-in. I remember being interested in buildings when I was a little boy. In fact, I remember being in a room that my parents had added on to our house that I used to play Lincoln Logs and LEGOs in and asking my father what you called someone that would make houses. I remember being specific, that I was interested in the design versus construction—that was when I learned that I wanted to be an architect. We have a lot of musicians and tailors / clothing designers in the family, so perhaps it is that creative gene.

What inspires your design? Right now, the main things that influence my design are phenomena rather than people. Natural and man-made landscapes are the highest on the list. I discovered this years ago when I was doing a residency in Sydney, Australia. Australia is the most weathered continent on the planet and one of the least densely populated. Consequently, there is a huge amount of land to see that is untouched. And, ironically, as repetitive, relentless, and devoid of life as it seemingly is, it is also remarkably beautiful and fragile. Whereas New Zealand is abundant and rich in resources and dramatically beautiful landscapes, it is Australia's very unconventional beauty that I was particularly drawn to. It reminds me of Texas in that way, and has made me that much more attuned to designing buildings that work in concert with their environs, whether out in a rural setting or in a suburban or urban setting. I strive for the work that we do to be extremely bold architecturally, but in a way that you might not notice for the first three or eight times you drive past it because of how well it fits in with its surroundings. I always love when people drive past our projects multiple times and then finally take notice saying, ‘there is something about that place...it is deliberate and different, but it fits.’The highest compliment I have heard was when someone described one of our projects as bold while blending in. It means, ultimately we are adding value to a place by reinforcing what it already is even in an unconventional and strong way. This approach has informed the four points that our work seeks to embody—Functionalism (solving specific problems such as client needs, views, sun-shading, water-protection and harvesting, human perception, natural light, etc.), Regionalism (working with local materials, technologies, techniques), Expressionism (allowing the solutions to drive the shapes of the space and form), and Minimalism (doing all of this in a way that edits out unnecessary embellishments).
 

What are your favorite architectural spots in Austin? Hotel San Jose, Shepherd Mountain with a view down Lake Austin and into downtown, Jester Boulevard (for the same reason), the Hotel St. Cecelia, and the Kimber Modern. UT is always a winner, and I am one of a small minority who likes the City Hall, and I now really like the W going up as well. Everything else I love architecturally depends on what meal I can get there...My favorite buildings are the ones that solve many important problems both for their owners, occupants, and users, and for the greater community as a whole.

What are you currently working on? One of our favorite projects is a garage / guest suite and studio structure for clients who joke about how they only hired us to design garage apartments. But the clients are remarkable people, and consequently it is probably one of the best pieces of architecture we have ever done. Another favorite is working on the Alley Flats Initiative because it will make Austin a more livable, walkable city. The other projects I have really loved are remodels of existing structures, believe it or not. We have some standard suburban homes we have been remodeling and those are exciting because we are reinventing them to such a degree that our clients feel like they are getting a brand new home without having to give up the site, the neighbors, and the location they love. They also are often empowered by remaining fiscally conservative (by reusing the existing structure) and still starting anew. We are doing a similar thing with a marina that we are particularly excited about that starts construction in the fall. Then, there is the top-floor penthouse in a prominent new residential tower that is an unbelievable project.