What Makes JSA Different - the Office Manifesto

• QUALITY ABOVE ALL - Quality is satisfaction; for me, for the client, for the users of the space.  If you are looking for someone who wants a quality project as much as you do, this is the place.  If you are interested in cheaply made, quick-buck junk, there are plenty of others willing to provide that.
• STATE OF THE ART PRODUCTION - Projects benefit from the advantages of CAD and 3D modeling.
• EXPERTISE - All work is performed entirely by me, a licensed architect  - not a draftsman working under me.
• LOW OVERHEAD - I have no employees or office rent to pay, and I am frugal with expenditures made on the clients' behalf.  I pass these savings directly to my clients.
• DESIGN APPROPRIATE FOR THE PROJECT - I have an open mind to any appropriate style that works with the site, the programmatic requirements, the climate, and the budget.  The main elements of my philosophy regarding design & style are:

  •    Each piece of the design solution should satisfy more than one of three requirements: structure, function, and aesthetics.  All three elements are necessary to the whole, and aesthetics is not a reason on its own for an element to be present in the design solution.

  •    Regional styles are often the most appropriate.  These styles come from historically appropriate responses to the shelter problem, and usually have evolved that way because they are elegant solutions.

  •    An expensive building is not necessarily a good building.  Many good designs are a result of an open mind on the part of the architect, client, and builder to more utilitarian materials used in a well thought out manner.  Rational organization of structure and major building elements alone often provides cost savings that eclipse the design fee.

  •    Aesthetic decoration or ornament solely for decorative purposes is to be avoided. This is not honest and adds cost to the structure.

  •    Our environmental footprint is a part of the design solution.  “Green” building involves more than advertising buzz words and greenwashing.  Being environmentally responsible is not a new trend but rather it is just good design, whether that includes passive solar, active solar, recyclable and re-used materials, using site features to reduce energy usage, or simply utilizing more efficient light sources.  I am equipped and committed to work with each owner to provide as many environmentally friendly solutions in the project as the owner wishes to include and do it within the project budget.

  •    Good design is not a luxury.  Well designed buildings are often less expensive to construct, and are more cost effective to maintain and operate.  More importantly, a well designed building provides great emotional satisfaction, makes living enjoyable, and at resale will bring a higher return on investment.