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Our Philosophy


At AKJ Architects, our team understands that residential architecture and design are much more than simply creating a functional space to live in. We believe that your house can be transformed into a home that is unique. As architects and designers, we approach projects by listening, creating, and collaborating in an effort to truly understand you and your personal needs.

We believe that your home is a reflection of you and your lifestyle. We are professionals who will provide you with excellent service, quality documentation, and guidance in navigating the complex process of design and construction.

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Listening


Our relationship will begin with a conversation where you share your ideas, inspirations, and goals. And, then we'll ask you some questions like: How do you live? Tell me more about your family? What do you enjoy about your current home? What do you dislike about your current home? How do you use the spaces in your home? How does your current home make you feel? What are your hobbies? What's your favorite period of art? Do you have many guests? Then we'll listen to you describe how you'd like your new home to feel and what elements reinforce these feelings for you.

Through listening, our goal will be to capture those characteristics in the new design.

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Creating


Creating is when we start to generate ideas that will capture the spirit or feeling you'd like in the completed design. We look for opportunities to emphasize the form, material, texture, color, light, volume, and proportion with respect to the site, building, and interior spaces.

The entire design process is creative; therefore, depending on the phase of work, the design skills employed will vary.

For example, during the schematic design phase, we'll draw preliminary plans showing basic room layouts, create diagrams documenting preferred views, and build models illustrating overall form options - the conceptual aspects of the design. During design development, we'll consult with the structural engineer to synthesize the structure with the building and we'll work on the interior space plans to be sure building systems and furniture arrangements function with the design. As we coordinate all the design ideas during the Construction Documentation phase, materials for each surface in each room will be defined to the best of our ability. Now, does this process cease during construction? No, it just gets one step closer to reality because you'll select the actual materials, textures, and colors of finishes that will be installed in your home.

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Collaborating


Throughout the project, we'll openly work with you to strengthen the overall design idea by reviewing potential options and listening to your responses.

This is your home and projects end when our clients feel that the completed design is a true reflection of their unique personality.

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