Talk To The Client First


Then learn the site, then the idea will come. This was a study for a project that needed equal emphasis on the approach and the lakeshore. 

The goal of my work is to unite the QUALITIES OF THE site with my client's needs and aspirations.

successfully done, architectural design works as a two way mirror. we build in a way that reflects our values and who we are, but the act of building further develops our values and changes who we are.

"a house should sit on its site as a cat lying on a stone wall."

                                                                  - Frank Lloyd Wright

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A Brief History

I have been lucky enough to have had a diverse educational experience, culminating in a Masters degree from the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture in 2002.  Before that there were eight years with the nuns of St Benedict, public high school, vocational school, and a BS in Construction Technology from the University of Wisconsin.  The mix of public and private, of academic and skill-focused work, has been the basis for placing equal value on the conceptual phase of a project and the saws-and-nailguns of onsite construction work.


The architecture program at Taliesin was an experience of immersion in the work and life of Frank Lloyd Wright, and it was a real eye-opener. I quickly learned that  "Why?" was the most important question to ask and the most important question to answer. And "because I like it" is really not an answer.

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​After earning my degree, I returned to the residential work in Minnesota, but with a new focus and purpose. My operation quickly evolved to the Design-Build model which involves building the project mentally, then physically. It's been said that the most important element of the term is the hyphen between the words.

And Real Carpenters Make Things


My Vocational School teacher was  a guy who was able to convey that the carpenter’s trade was a door to understanding a good deal more about about the world than one might think.  From him I learned to design and create things that had beauty and function; also that a well-made tool felt good in my hand, and that dedication to developing my skills would earn respect.  

Building Models For Post-Katrina Work In Mississippi


My friends at Taliesin were usually quite a bit younger, but our different skillsets complemented one another to our mutual benefit. They appreciated that I knew how to make things.