Welcome.

Many firms focus on the ‘what’ of design. We are equally interested in the who, why, and how. That’s why we built our practice around new ways to engage clients in the fun and creativity of the design process. Through collaboration, design becomes meaningful, and the experience rewarding.

Client Inspired Design

Not sure how to communicate your needs, wants, and vision for what’s next? We’ll help bring your ideas to light. We start by getting to know clients through a series of simple, fun exercises. From there, we work side-by-side to develop a design that’s just right for you.

“I loved this exercise! It helped me crystalize my hopes and dreams.”

—Penny F.

Hands-on Design

Our studios in Seattle and Tahoe are brimming with models, materials, people, and ideas. Prepare to get a little sawdust or cardboard on your hands! Through model workshops, mock-ups, and VR walk-throughs, we make it easy to share the design process.

“Stacking and rearranging blocks helped us envision and understand the complex spatial relationships. It was inclusive, hands-on fun–introspective, inventive and addictive.”

—Penny and Paul F.

3D Visualization

The best way to envision your project is to experience it firsthand. In addition to traditional technical drawings, we use 3D and VR models extensively throughout the design process. Our tools range from low-tech to high, from moving blocks around on a site model to walking through your finished project with a VR headset. This helps clients make more informed decisions. It’s more fun, intuitive, and helps us design better.

“That was SO MUCH FUN doing the VR to go through the house design. What an incredibly practical and fun tool to get a feeling for the designed spaces. And the option to set the time of the sun was over the top. Brad and I both so enjoyed being able to see the house this way. We told our kids about it and all they could say was ‘when do we get to come do that?!’”

—Linda A.

It Takes a Team

Successful projects start—and finish—with strong teams. Contractors and consultants provide valuable input throughout the design and construction process, so it’s important that we work well together. We’ll help assemble and lead the team that’s the best fit for you and your project.

“The entire team has worked well together and whenever a challenge presented itself the team collaborated to resolve the issues in a positive and constructive way. The entire process has been so much fun.”

—Brad and Erika M.

Seeing the Whole Picture

We love sharing the fun and creativity of design, but that’s not the only key to a successful project. We start with the big picture, working with you to align scope, schedule, and budget with your goals. Once we are underway, we check back regularly to make sure we are on course.

"On a practical level, DA was meticulous - both in planning and executing to meet our timeline and budget, and in preparing the architectural drawings, which our builders told us were extraordinarily high quality and enabled construction to occur without any delays or hitches."

—David M.