A Great Home is Like a Sculpture
Updated: Jun 27, 2023
A home is a collaborative work of art. The success of a home design is determined by how closely it aligns with and supports the life a family hopes to create within the space. When an architect captures a family's essence in a home design, the home becomes a bridge that allows their dreams to cross into the physical world.
A Home is Like a Sculpture
Michelangelo said, "The sculpture is already complete within the marble block before I start my work. It is already there. I just have to chisel away the superfluous material."
Our residential design process is similar. An outstanding home design isn't an architect's creation on a blank canvas. It's a collaborative creative process that brings forth something already existing within the family and the land where their home will be built.
Architects can't create this kind of home when they disappear to create the design after a brief conversation or ask the family to fill out a checklist. Just as Michelangelo followed a process to reveal the sculpture hidden within the stone, the best architects follow a process to express things that already exist within the family.
A Creative Collaboration
Very few home designs are truly creative. If you visit 10 houses designed by an individual, you will likely find that each relies on the same cookie-cutter approaches. But both the architect and the homeowner find creative expression in a successful home design process. The architect gets to know the family and their dreams and tastes. They study the physical space where the home will be built. Then, they strip away everything extraneous to reveal a home that fits within the landscape to represent the family.
Don't Worry About Weird
Some families find mainstream architects appealing because they don't want to be seen as weird. They worry that an artistic approach to home design would make their home stand out like a sore thumb.
The opposite is true. An artistic approach to architecture creates homes that fit their surroundings and the families that inhabit them. The creative collaboration between the family and the architect ensures that the home design will never be too "weird." The design emerges naturally from the family and represents them in a way that aligns with their taste, vision, and values.
The Story In Stone
An artistic approach to home design isn't about weird artistic flourishes. It's about storytelling. Just as Michelangelo's David uses stone to tell the story of a young man about to do battle with a giant, an artistic home design uses materials and design elements to tell a family's story.
To tell a family's story, we get to know a family and explore their family lore. Then we incorporate materials and design touches that represent their stories. One family's mantle might incorporate wood from a beloved grandparent's home. Another family's home could use river stones to express their love of water.
When these families walk through their homes, they smile as they think about the grandmother they love so much or their memories at the river. They smile because their home fits them. It tells stories about where their family came from and serves as the perfect space for future memories that will become lore for generations to come.
Create Your Family's Work of Art
Will your family's home become a work of art that represents your values? Contact bDot Architecture to schedule a conversation about how your family can find expression in your perfect home.
