Drawn by desire… for comfort, security, home…

Great Blue Heron Studio Architects Our design objectives seek to promote the health and comfort of homes occupants, reduce negative impacts on the environment, and thereby improve building performance. The basic objectives are to reduce the consumption of non-renewable resources, minimize waste, and create healthy, productive environments.

Sustainable design principles include the ability to:

• Optimize site potential.

• Minimize non-renewable energy consumption.

• Use environmentally preferable products.

• Protect and conserve water.

• Enhance indoor environmental quality.

• Optimize operational and maintenance practices.

• Maximize the use of local materials.

We focus on a "Pretty Good House" design philosophy that encourages decisions at each phase of the design process that will reduce negative impacts on the environment and the health of the occupants, without compromising the bottom line. It is an integrated, holistic approach that encourages compromise and tradeoffs. Such an integrated approach positively impacts all phases of a building's life cycle, including design, construction, operation, and decommissioning.

“I still tell everyone, Jay, that the work you did was the best money we spent.” Eric

“Hey Jay— I finally got to spend a week in the finished upstairs renovation. I love it! Great job, it’s brilliant.” Ron

HIGH-PERFORMANCE homes & BUILDINGS

How do you get the house that you want? We are here to help you design high-performance buildings, meaning buildings that are designed for safety, health, comfort, and durability with a by-product of being energy efficient.  In our experience, an initial email is the best way to find these things out and fully understand what you are looking for.

Our approach

What kinds of things are important when hiring an architect? Quality design is about more than materials and elevations; it is also about strong business practices. The better we are at internal operations, managing teams, and streamlining processes, the more efficiently your project will be run.