I like to think that my path to becoming an architect might be part of a very old tradition. A tradition of apprenticeship, where the potential architect learned to make a building from the ground up: To hone, cut and fit timbers, lay stones, feel the weight and texture of the materials, hear the changing sounds as the spaces became enclosed. Through these hands-on experiences one learned to intuitively understand things like structural and acoustic principles, mathematics, and above all the importance of natural light to great architecture.

My mother is an artist, and my father was an athlete and coach. My undergraduate education was at Brandeis University, where I played NCAA basketball and studied politics and philosophy. After that I spent 14 years working as a carpenter, builder and contractor in San Francisco and Vermont. Then, during the winter months, when it was too cold to be out on a scaffold, I studied architecture at Norwich University – where I got my masters degree.

I think that my personal and professional background has helped to give me an understanding of what makes a building extraordinary. A building should do more than satisfy a client’s needs, it should also give joy, and spiritual sustenance. For me, making a building is about going beyond the client’s expectations, and showing them something new.

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