People Make Design Happen
For me, architecture is about one big idea: Sustainable Preservation. I find that defining this evolving discipline is exciting, rewarding and ahead of the curve.
Sustainable preservation works on many different levels, not the least of which is architectural practice, the type of work I most like to do. I thrive on projects with challenging constraints, such as an existing building on an urban site, surrounded by neighbors and a neighborhood. It’s exciting to practice sustainable preservation within the context of real buildings in real places, and to address a client’s history as well as its aspirations.
Design is not formulaic: there is no set style or approach, nor is there is even a clearly defined process. It’s much more about the human condition; we bring communities of people together to define project opportunities. Architecture happens as a direct result of the human interaction; it’s people making design happen.
Carl Elefante, FAIA, LEED AP is Quinn Evans Architects’ Director of Sustainable Design and a Principal in the Washington, DC office. He has built an extensive body of work that has defined and shaped the field of sustainable preservation by blending the discipline of historic preservation with sustainable design practices.
