Located in Asheville, NC, Carleton Collins Architecture (CCA) works with a variety of public and private clientele to explore how architecture enriches and sustains community life. We seek meaningful answers to important questions and start by focusing on how design should respond to People, Purpose, and Place.
With expertise in master planning and building design, CCA uses the ‘three Ps’ to provide inspired, thoughtful design solutions that benefit both our clients and their contexts, an important part of the foundation of THOUGHTFUL COMMUNITY DESIGN.
Owners. Users. Residents. The public at large. All of us are a part of community regardless of the setting. Understanding what we value, how we work, how we live, how we play, and how we can connect is the foundation of a successful design process. Asking the right questions and ultimately gaining the right answers informs how we can authentically be woven into the fabric of our context.
Understanding a project’s purpose first starts with the client’s goals and vision. Meeting the basics of creating functional, thoughtful, sustainable, and cost effective environments is the next step. To take these to a deeper level, we work to creatively link the above to the project’s surroundings. Purposeful design takes an intentional approach of moving beyond the basics to something more aspirational, looking for opportunities to build environments that help us succeed and become enriched.
Our understanding of a place whether man-made or natural is born out of the impression it makes, positively or negatively. When seeking to create a place it is important to think holistically about how the building, and the spaces within, commune with its setting. What cues do the surroundings give us? How does the project fit, and more importantly, what kind of memorable experience does it support? We seek to answer these questions.