During one of the energy crises of the last century I was working with a community-based program designing, building and installing passive solar collectors in the houses of low-income elderly persons. The houses we worked on were usually located in historic neighborhoods that had seen better days. Despite the ravages of time, something of the original design intent was often still intact in most of the houses, profiles and gestures of dignity that remained, regardless of the state of disrepair. It was an opportunity to experience the richness of residential architecture from the long view and to consider the story that a house can tell about its time, its place and the people who live there.  

That story begins with the design process.

Architecture, now more than ever, requires strict attention to the demands of climate and respect for the site. The design dialogue between architect, owner and builder might include cultural, historical and family contexts as well as aesthetic, functional and environmental concerns. After considering all of the factors that go into the design or renovation of a house—hearing all the voices at the table— the solution often reveals itself.