Architect

My Roots
My roots in the profession grew deep early in my life. My father was a builder and developer and my mother a talented interior designer. They ran a mom-and-pop operation from our kitchen table in Huntsville, Ala., designing and building homes that reflected their values: honest, sturdy, true. I grew up in the family business, and it was from my mother and father that I learned the basics of my craft. I was drawing modest home designs for my dad by age 14. An innate knack for illustration blossomed in high school mechanical drawing classes, under the encouragement of a teacher named John Dudley. I knew I had found my life's work.

I studied at Auburn University's highly regarded College of Architecture, Design and Construction. This was just before the onset of computer design, so my classmates and I were fortunate enough to enjoy classical architectural training, comparable to that of our "sister schools" in Europe, including the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in France. After school I set out on a series of visits to the meccas of architectural design: Chicago, New York, London, Paris. I found inspiration in any number of buidlings, including the Flatiron, Chrysler Building and Guggenheim Museum in New York.

But is was on a mountaintop in France that I was moved as never before by a mere building. It was the great Le Corbusier's Notre Dame du Haut at Ronchamp, the sweeping structure of white concrete the renowned architect designed on the site of a former pilgrimmage chapel of the Virgin Mary that was destroyed by bombing in World War II. In seeing Corbusier's creation in person, I was overcome by a sense of freedom. I understood that, in architecture, anything is possible. Inspiration comes from 10,000 sources, of course, but the Ronchamp chapel has stayed with me over the years.

My Work
I have had a role in some 800 projects--from office towers to golf courses to marinas to restaurants to schools. Since 1987, my firm has specialized in residential design and resort master planning. Much of our work has been done along the booming Gulf Coast. We are proud of our big projects, including our work on Ono Island, the Palms of Perdido, Banana Bay, Heritage Shores and Perdido Grande. But my father taught me that a true craftsman takes great care in small jobs, as well. So while they may not be significant to a wide audience, some of our favorite jobs have been modest in scope: small-scale historical restorations, single-family homes and even simple kitchen remodels.

My Credentials

• Auburn University, Bachelor's Degree in Architecture, Building Science and Environmental Design, with post-graduate studies in Regional Planning & Urban Design
• Accredited by the National Creditation & Architectural Review Board
• Registered with the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards and registered in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida and Georgia 
• Public Service has included the Orange Beach (Ala.) Planning Commission, Construction & Appeals Board, Industrial Development Board, Architectural Appeals & Adjustment Board and Museum Board