Philosophy

No two of my houses are alike, just as no two clients are alike. Each home I design is created to address your particular needs, desires, and dreams. My role is to educate, enlighten, and enable — to show you how sensitive design can enhance the act of living.

The site of your home is of special consideration. It informs all subsequent design decisions. Your home should feel like it belongs to its site — that it could not have been built anywhere else.

Process

I learn as much as possible about how my clients live now in order to design a home that will enhance their lives in the future.

My clients get several homework assignments designed to get them to think in new ways about the rituals of their lives, to open up new possibilities, to get them to think about how the architecture of their surroundings can affect how they feel and respond, and therefore, how they live. This exploration has nothing to do with style. In fact, I ask my clients to leave the pictures they’ve cut out of magazines at home. Style should come as a natural outgrowth of the process.

Green Building

Green building is not new to me. I’ve been designing site specific, energy efficient homes for over 20 years. Green building should be the natural consequence of a conscious response to site conditions and the demands of climate. To that basic design response, energy efficient systems and products can be added. Whether a client wants a more traditional home designed for maximum energy efficiency or wants to explore the latest sustainable technologies, I can bring a wealth of experience to the project.

My Practice

After working for many years in Texas and the Southwest, I began “migrating” to Maine in 2004 and built my own home on Casco Bay in 2005. I now live in Maine year round and work with clients throughout New England, while continuing to work on selected projects in the Southwest. I provide prospective clients with a free two-hour initial consultation and site visit.

Lou Kimball