Our Approach

Christopher Architecture and Interiors’ approach to design emerged over 30 years ago and has been carefully refined since. Our process begins by acknowledging every project is unique and the design process needs to being with listening to our client’s needs and aspirations.

Following this distillation process, our experience has taught us that the best outcomes are achieved when our team carefully crafts the rest of that process to suit the goals and objectives of each project.

Design Excellence

Our team has been nationally recognized for excellence in design and firmly believes that every project offers unique opportunities to create exceptional creative outcomes.

Client Engagement Releasing Value Through Design

A home’s value is often evaluated by resale potential and not by how a project might unlock latent potential. Homes designed by a team of architects and interior designers can bring up to a 30% greater return on investment upon resale. However, value can mean different things to each person. Homes are where you spend most of your time. They are the place where you build memories, raise a family, laugh, and cry; where you find refuge and solace. Great design can transform, and it can translate value not just into resale, but also into life and family.

We believe the most authentic design outcomes emerge from fostering strong relationships between our clients and design team. Through developing an in-depth understanding, of not just a client’s needs and goals, but how they might live, we can design environments that are responsive to each individual.

Client Inspired Design Focused Quality Driven

Professional Collaboration

Collaboration is the foundation of our process. Our architects and interior designers work closely with one another on all aspects of a project. When necessary, our team has built a network of talented and specialized consultants that can be tapped to provide additional layers of detail and design. We consider these consultants extensions of the design team that provide expertise in areas that enhance and compliment the architecture and interior design of each home. The collaborative nature of the process ensures that all systems and elements are intricately integrated to meet any need, no matter how unique or complex.

Harnessing Technology

Technology has rapidly evolved in recent years and so have our skills. Our approach has been to utilize technology to eliminate mundane tasks which enable our designers to focus on design. Design often is explored through more analog and traditional means, especially in the early stages. Our use of technology compliments this methodology by allowing us to gather information to inform design and subsequently document that design. Our team is equipped to rapidly execute design documentation as well as produce high quality visualizations and simulations.

Iterative Development

We believe that every idea with merit should be explored and evaluated. Our team is well positioned to explore numerous design solutions in a diligent manner. These studies are constantly evaluated, revised, merged and further developed. This ensures that every idea is scrutinized to the same degree, allowing the best option to rise to the top. Ultimately the solution is often an intricately woven representation of the thoughts of the entire design team.

Our Beliefs

It is our mission to inspire, create, nourish and stimulate a broader appreciation for excellence in design and its importance to individuals and societies. We strive to seamlessly blend responsive architecture and thoughtful interiors to create a cohesive environment that complements each client’s specific needs. There are certain beliefs and ideologies that form the foundation of our approach to achieve this mission.

CAI is uncompromising when it comes to these principles. We are committed to design driven projects. Whether it is a tree house, a hotel, or a home, we want to partner on projects where the owner is passionate about creating beautiful design. We are a team of creative people who have been entrusted with specific gifts. We seek to use our gifts to create beautiful structures and spaces.

Timelessness

We believe that there is both an objective and subjective component to design. Architecture and design should appeal to subjective sensibilities without compromising objective beauty. Style and trends can evoke different responses in every person. However, within that subjective frame there are objective qualities which transcend individual preferences. We believe that our designs should be beautiful today and for centuries to come. Because of this we try not to associate a definitive style but rather apply classic and objective principles to inspire a truly pleasing design. Materials should weather beautifully. Elements should contain elegant proportions. Designs should respect their natural environment. Great design will speak to subjective preconceptions and thus become objectively beautiful.

Simplicity

It is said that simplicity is the ultimate form of sophistication. In many respects the most sophisticated designs are created when beautiful materials create a subtle transition of space or when the simplicity of an elegant form responds to the natural contours of a site. The beauty of an organic stone face or the varied characteristics of a wood grain should be able to express themselves without the forced pronouncement of an ill-conceived design. A project’s site demonstrates the innate complexity found in nature and should be complimented by a design that is responsive and deferential. The sophistication inherent in stone, wood and nature allow us to create simple forms that will highlight materials, space, sunlight and the personality of the occupant.

Integration

Simply stated, design must address context. It is imperative to understand and incorporate the contextual vernacular in all our designs. For our team, the topography of a site, adjacent structures, sun angles, climate and other contextual nuances are studied before our first concepts are created. This integration is reflected in all aspects of the design; the interiors, landscape responses and building systems, among others, are all blended with the architecture to create complimenting spaces and holistic design compositions. The success of these compositions is realized by a seamless transition from the natural environment to the created space. We rely on the talent of like-minded designers, both internally and externally, to fully execute this integration.

Elegance

Articulating elegance is as much a challenge in written word as it is in form and composition. A pen in the hand of an artist can manifest a composition that is beautiful in form and appearance. We believe that the motion of design should create a form that silently proclaims elegance. Not easy to define or create, elegance is easily recognizable. The observer may feel compelled to stop in front of a well-designed structure and just look. Every time we put our pen to paper and design, we are pouring our heart and passion into creating a space that will transfix the observer. Elegance is born of the subtle details and nuances that differentiate good design from great design.