PHILOSOPHY

 

It is our belief that the art of designing and building homes has gone astray in our culture.  In our world of efficiency and specialization, some humanness or spirit has been lost in the art of building.  We aim to bring some of this back to life.

 

With our lives and our culture so busy and complicated, the human need for sanctuary, a place to be and feel nurtured and to help us re-cooperate is essential. We hope to imbue the spaces we create with a sense of spirit and joy that subtlely makes us all feel more grounded.

 

The spaces we inhabit have a life of there own – an energy. They affect our moods and our outlook on life.  In the same way that a beautiful spring day can dramatically improve our perspective, the environments that surround us in our homes can nurture and soothe us. Unfortunately, in most construction today there seems to be little incentive to build unique and inspiring spaces with care and attention to detail.

 

To create spaces that have the power to affect those dwelling within takes time and attention not available in a typical homeowner/architect/contractor arrangement.  The typical building process builds houses very efficiently, but what is sacrificed is the crucial part that can make your home beautiful.  It is inevitable that as your project evolves, you, a carpenter, the contractor, the architect, your neighbor will notice opportunities to do something special; but the typical arrangement involves costly change orders discouraging you from making modifications that now seem obvious.  In a usual scenario your house is designed in a remote location then bid on.  Once construction is underway changes are cumbersome.  The contractor has to make a change order and documents have to be signed for approval by the contactor, architect, homeowner and bank.  Not only are the prices inflated just because of the changes from the original bid, the project also gets delayed.  Our process which weaves the design process through the building project and trusting and inspiring our own carpenters and craftspeople to their best work produces cohesive beautiful and superior results at a cost which is equivalent to a typical architect/contractor scenario.

 

At Thorne Design & Build we do things differently. The way we go about this is a little unusual and harkens back to a day when the artisan and craftsman were one in the same. The difference is undeniable.