Powerhouse Design Architects and Engineers, Ltd. was founded on three core principles - Leadership, Integrity, and Craftsmanship. We utilize these principles to provide our clients and the building community with the highest level of Architectural and Engineering services. We believe in Leadership and the spirit of teamwork when engaging with others. We value Integrity as the basis for sound decision making and look to Craftsmanship as the ongoing commitment to bettering our skills and abilities. Powerhouse Design is dedicated to being a positive contribution to any project and the project team as a whole.
There is a difference between building and architecture.
We at Powerhouse Design strive to create the latter by utilizing our core principles of Leadership, Integrity, and Craftsmanship, to implement our design philosophy. Our philosophy is based on the three criteria of Architecture established by the Roman Architect, Vitruvius….. “Firmness, Commodity and Delight.” Firmness represents the structural quality of a building, does it stand up? Commodity represents the functionality of the building, does it do what it is supposed to do? Delight represents the visual beauty of the building, does it look good? Obviously we design buildings to stand up and look good, but the commodity is where we stand out. Instead of just meeting the program requirements, we feel that in today’s market, commodity extends well beyond this, and ultimately consists of the following:
- Commodity of Function – As Vitruvius stated, the building must function properly for its intended use. By going through a detailed programming process, we assure that the project will meet its functional goals.
- Commodity of Systems – Full system integration where the Architecture informs the Engineering and vice-versa and creates efficient, healthy, productive and pleasant environments.
- Commodity of Materials – By researching the full palette of materials available to us, we mold the use of these materials to not only satisfy the function, but also satisfy the budget, and the location.
- Commodity of Aesthetics – Ornament should not be something that is merely applied to a project. It should be integral to the functions, systems, or materiality. Boiled down, the ornament should come from the other facets of the building and serve dual purposes. If you took it away, something else would suffer.
By implementing these characteristics and theories, we engage the owner and building solution to create a truly individual piece of architecture.
|
