design philosophy

"Creating Architecture The Earth Can Afford"

Ecosa Design Studio is committed to architecture and construction that arise from the conscientious use of the Earth's resources. We strive for ecological responsibility in every facet and scale of our projects; believing that an integrated, holistic, evolutionary design and building process -- far beyond just picking "eco-correct" materials or applying 'faux-naturale' styles -- is the most effective means to that end. In this process, we shape a project by responding to and employing the available natural and human-made energies, resources and capabilities of a particular site in harmony with the context, program and budget, always striving "to make the most with the least" in every design move. In this way we minimize the energy, materials and cost impact -- and vastly improve the environmental responsibility of a project -- long before simply including-sometimes costly "green" products or hyper-efficient systems.

At the same time, this process creates a true "architecture of place," consciously but ego-lessly evolved to experientially express the unique qualities of its "environment." Our goal, thereby, is to create projects that have an understandable aesthetic rooted in their ecological soundness, and evoke a rich experience of "rightness" without resorting to the arbitrarily esoteric or stylistic -- much in the way nature's evolution has made a simple flower beautiful, timeless and efficient. In this way, we not only design with the fullest range of environmentally-responsible ideas, strategies, systems, products and materials, but we are also create rich, experiential award-winning architectural design. Furthermore, we are also committed to awareness of not only the design, but the actual construction detailing and costs of alternative and environmental building methods, employing this knowledge throughout the design process. And finally, we are strongly committed to the quality and integrity of the process of architecture, seeing it as our professional responsibility to be honest, prudent and exacting with our clients' resources, as well as those of the planet.

We call this overall approach designing and building with respect for the "four E's"...

"Environment, Experience, Economy, and Ethics."