Brendel Architects
Finding Strength Through DIversity With constant attention to the personality and taste of the client, Brendel Architects is perfectly suited to provide your dreams the way you want them.
ARCHITECTURE LEADERS TODAY
T H E M A G A Z I N E F O R C A P TA I N S O F I N D U S T RY www.architectureleaderstoday.com
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Brendel Architects, LLC.
A small and attentive staff delivers design based on you by Joel Cornell ABOVE: Highland Country Club. New Country Club OPPOSITE ABOVE & BELOW: Pacatte. New custom home and back patio. New stone fire pit with built-in seating and a Outdoor kitchen. Photos by Brendel Architects, LLC
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Custom residential architecture requires a certain breed of interpersonal thinking that can be hard to find. In larger corporate firms, plans can lose the personal touch when they are passed from one department to another. Working with a staff of four, Jeannette Brendel, of Brendel Architects, LLC, is positioned to provide clients with services that can actualize their dreams. Brendel acquired a Bachelor’s of Architectural Technology from Washington University in St. Louis, Mo. in 1992. Four years later, Brendel Architects, LLC was founded. “I started the firm alone, just working out of my home,” Brendel said. “The business began to take off immediately and I was quickly in need of more help. My husband, Bill, and I own a piece of commercial property that wasn’t completely occupied, so we decided to expand to the new location. Since then, we’ve done nothing but grow.” The staff has remained small and close-knit throughout the history of the firm. The homes are designed by Brendel herself, with two professional CAD operators working to bring those plans to fruition. The personnel and business are optimized with the help of an office manager. Brendel’s daughter and protégé, Brandy Pingsterhaus, graduated from Washington University in St. Louis magna cum laude in 2008 and has been an intern architect with the firm since 2000. A large majority of the design work completed by Brendel Architects, LLC is located in the Missouri/ Illinois area, within a 100 mile radius surrounding St. Louis. With such proximity to the New Madrid Fault Line, environment is a big consideration for every
project. Seismic considerations are required in every project and the bitter winters and blistering summers are a constant design dichotomy. “For the most part, clients tend to come to us with simple ideas of their dream or vision,” Brendel said. “Occasionally, they’re mindful of the style they want, but every client is different. This is where our more personal size and style come in handy. Additionally, some clients come to us just for construction documents, others for a landscape and pool design, and others still for full project management from start to finish. Usually, initial discussion topics with the client focus on their daily routine and lifestyle. From there, I sketch preliminary plans and have them ‘live in it’ for a while. I suggest they take some time and go though their plans while they go through their day to day life. I’ve found that to be the best method to really show clients what works and what doesn’t - what’s necessary and what’s entirely superfluous.” Even though certain Brendel staff members may be tasked to one or more different projects, Brendel makes quite sure that every step of every project passes through her before finalization. Brendel’s expertise with a variety of sustainable energy systems is also a key factor in her designs. While many architects know the ‘what’ and ‘where’ of geothermal or solar energy systems, or rain water harvesting systems, Brendel’s background and training gives her the knowledge and perspective concerning the ‘why’ and ‘how’, which allows for more unique and integrated design opportunities. One of Brendel’s many personal touches that set the
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firm apart is their up-and-coming cabinetry business, Architecturally Designed Cabinetry Inc. “We can design a kitchen or bathroom that embodies a certain style or mode, but the entire aesthetic can veer off course when the furnishings seem odd or out of place. Through designing the cabinetry for a space, we are even more capable of delivering the client’s vision.” Brendel Architects also has plans to take their firm online. “We have a large collection of homes that we’ve designed over the past 14 years. We’re starting to go through them and choose those we think will appeal the general public with some tweaking. With all of the personal touches that we incorporate into each design, the usual result isn’t necessarily something what would be well suited for a spec house or generic floor plan. We’re aiming to offer those generic plans combined with our specialty design services by working in person or online with the client to establish their vision. Our goal is to make our custom services available to anyone around the world, allowing them to have quality, custom architectural design with the same personal touch.” ALT
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117 Commercial St. P.O. Box 47 Albers, Il 62215 618.248.5687 www.brendelarchitects.com info@brendelarchitects.com