Today, we live in an era of infinite complexity – economic, environmental and technological – that presents architects with new challenges, responsibilities and possibilities. Our practice negotiates this terrain, creating opportunities for architecture through a commitment to concepts that engage these complexities.
We believe that every project must be driven by ideas specific to its circumstances. Our process begins with research and often leads to explorations outside of the boundaries of architecture. Approaching each situation without preconceptions, we search for latent opportunities that lead to fresh solutions. We value the idiosyncratic and the unexpected, not merely for their own sake, but because of the potential for broader meanings, richer experiences and expanded relevance. Ideas become instrumental through spatial and material investigation and we iteratively build models and mock-ups to refine our designs. There is a necessary link between concept and construction, idea and form, without which built reality will fail to realize the potential of the idea. We find physical models are a necessary complement to computer modeling in the study of perceptual effects such as how light renders form.
In a time of economic constraints and ecological pressures, the necessity to find new solutions to the issues architects face transcends traditional models based on individual design authorship and conventional disciplinary limits. Our previous experiences at other firms guiding large projects through the processes of design and construction have enabled us to apply multidisciplinary processes to the design of smaller projects.
The work of our firm draws on the diverse backgrounds and interests of its three partners, but is ultimately realized through a process of active engagement with our staff and a broader network of consultants, artists, craftspeople, fabricators and experts. We regularly draw on those experiences and resources both in our practice and through our teaching positions at Yale and Parsons.
Bade Stageberg Cox is a Women Business Enterprise (WBE) certified firm.