On Building Slowly

Why we take on a small number of houses each year, and what that patience buys.

There is a version of this business built on volume. Acquire widely, build quickly, sell, repeat. It produces many houses and very few homes.

We chose the other version. A small number of projects each year, each one studied long before it is drawn. The site is walked in every season. The plan is tested against the way a family actually lives, through mornings, guests and quiet Tuesdays, before a single line is finalized.

Slowness is not hesitation. It is where the quality comes from. Most mistakes in a house are made in the first weeks of planning, and they are almost impossible to fix with money later.

So we take the time early. We would rather finish four houses we are proud of than twelve we have to explain.

The result is a short portfolio. We are comfortable with that. Every entry in it was given the time it deserved.

Filed under: process, philosophy