DESIGN APPROACH
Architecture is unique as a fine art guided by practical concerns and dependent on teamwork. Our practice is distinguished by carefully listening to clients and contractors, creatively exploring multiple alternatives and incorporating the best ideas. The firm includes three architects plus an informal partnership with specific landscape architects, trade craftsmen and artisans, and builders. Our designs respond to the context, creating architecture that reflects the region and site. This approach has lead us to design buildings in a variety of styles that incorporate sustainable design and energy considerations, expressive use of materials, and strong connections between inside and out. We bring an exceptional understanding of building technologies due to extensive professional work analyzing building failures on modern as well as historic buildings. The firm has a special attraction to working on historic properties as they connect us to our place and past, as well offer opportunities for creative design.
PRINCIPAL’S PROFILE
Mr. Kariel has extensive experience as an architect on new construction as well as renovation and adaptive reuse projects. Since 1988 he has run his own architectural practice, providing designs and then construction management for commercial buildings, church additions and residences. Many of the design projects have involved structures listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Mr. Kariel has also worked on a contract basis to local architectural firms, providing designs and construction drawings for custom homes, multi-family housing, office buildings, public housing and golf club buildings. Prior to moving to Charlottesville, Virginia he worked in architectural firms in Oregon, Massachusetts, Hawaii and California. Responsibilities there included the production of design and construction documents for custom homes, religious buildings, condominiums, renovations of historic commercial and government buildings. Mr. Kariel had earlier experience doing construction work in Honolulu, Portland, Oregon and Chicago. Mr. Kariel also has a long history of providing professional inspections of buildings prior to their renovation or purchase, for facility management purposes and to develop management plans for historic museum parks.