Functional Beauty

Beautiful Homes Built Better 

 “Home, where my thought’s escapin’, home, where my music’s playin’, where my love lies waitin’, silently for me.”

Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel sang a well-constructed platonic definition of beauty, because beauty to Plato, in not so many words, is comfort. A comfort like the union of two halves of one whole that have been separated and reunited as described in Plato’s “The Symposium.” Beauty is timeless and unwavering. 

A beautiful home inspires people, adapts to inhabitants’ lifestyle, works with its environment, and lasts for generations. When designing yours, we balance form and function, making choices that favor longevity and usability, beauty and comfort. This might manifest in the geometry of the structure, its materials, how the building is positioned relative to the sun’s path or how it relates to surrounding elements and community.

Every A1 home is a reflection of this community at an individual level. Each is designed for context, performance and lifestyle, built with the hands of local wood workers, tile setters, concrete artists and glaziers. We help people access the talent that creates a beautiful home designed for our environment, time, and place — as well as your tastes.

As a design/build company, we view quality materials as foundational: they are imbued with superior strength and durability and integral to making a building beautiful. Natural materials crafted with precision are the ones humans notice most — materials we feel without having to touch. The warmth of wood, the weight of stone, the richness of natural fibers and color-drenched plaster are experienced on an emotional level that translates to mental and physical well-being, and prompts care and stewardship.

It is no small thing to be a part of a process that considers factors ranging from heat gain and air quality to color preferences; listening and collaboration is as essential as technical expertise and aesthetic sensitivity as we work with clients and artisans to create a home as enduring and inspired as the music of Simon and Garfunkel.