| 1. They tell a good story. Our memories of places are inherently linked to stories. A home that tells the story of a specific... |
| The narrative can flow from something specific — say, a beloved tree to preserve — or something more general, such as, “All... |
| 2. They take risks. Taking risks to do something out of the ordinary is part of any creative field. Rethink, reimagine, retool... |
| Here’s one of my favorite designer hacks for being bold: the 8-foot door. Standard doors are 6 feet, 8 inches tall and 3... |
| 3. They sweat the details. At its heart architecture seeks to solve problems, but it’s the way we’re able to solve those... |
| Creating what architects call “a family of details” unifies a project. The horizontal patterning of the wood-clad wall here... |
| 4. They simplify. “The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak,” said painter... |
| Here are a few areas where simplifying can make the design stronger: *Simple shapes: They usually cost less, are easier to... |
| 5. They establish order. Designers prefer applying ordering principles to everything, at every level. Naturally, the need... |
| Before deciding what a building will look like (the form), we have to think about and order the spaces on the site, from... |
| 6. They repeat, repeat, repeat. Repetition is a good thing in architecture. Common thematic elements repeated again and again... |
| 7. They break the rules. The prerequisite to this is the previous habit. Once we have an established repeating pattern, we... |
| This stair illustrates the power of breaking rules. Look at the restraint exercised in the surrounding space. Traditionally,... |
