The projects on this website push architecture’s limited ability to give commentary on complex social and political aspects of our culture.

Architecture has to exist on many levels. It must, first and foremost, be smart—it has to function. Functionality does not equal sterility or preclude imagination. Some of the best buildings in terms of function turn conventional wisdom on its head and create space that redefines the notions of the program. Function also means function for all people, not just the able-bodied. Beauty is a prerequisite. People dislike nothing more than a pretentiously ugly building in their community. The parameters of beauty change site by site. The beauty of an architectural solution in one site does not necessarily translate into beauty in another site.

A deeper exploration of a piece of architecture should yield a metaphor. In a place like Atlanta, race is a permeating issue, and these tensions can be implied in the architecture. This particular metaphor can manifest in various ways, from pushing boundaries of public space and social etiquette to working the idea of marching as a form of protest into the design.

The complete architectural solution does not lie in the site; the solution comes from the design process — the models, sketches, and architectural drawings produced from programmatic requirements and the designer’s intuition. When this intuition elegantly meets the opportunities of program and site, smart and beautiful architecture ensues.