HOW WE WORK
Client Driven Multidisciplinary Teams
Our team is made up of Bill Hutchins, Principal Architect, and a group of collaborators who are experts in their fields. We form flexible design and construction teams uniquely suited to each project based on project scope and client needs. It is this customized approach and collaborative process that becomes one of our greatest assets as all aspects of the project are thoughtfully considered with a multidisciplinary team. As a client, you can choose amongst our collaborators or are welcome to bring in other professionals of your choice. We are open to new collaborations and crafting a team of specialists that work for you and your project.
Please scroll down the page to learn more about us and the people who make up the collaborative. For more information, be sure to click on our Services to see how we can help you today.
We are always open to new collaborations within our growing community. If you would like to work with us or attend one of our workshops or monthly 'Beer Talks', get in touch with bill@heliconworks.com.
THE COLLABORATIVE
Get to Know Us
OUR APPROACH
A co-creative and client centered approach, built on the principles of ecological design & wellness.
CLIENT CENTERED
Since 1989 we have helped clients create homes, build additions and remodel. We strive to create homes that are a reflection of our clients and who they are, to deepen their sense of place and nurture intimate relationships with the world we live in and those we share it with. Through a series of creative and meditative exercises, our clients reveal the impulses guiding them to initiate this process and what they seek in a home. Our task is to identify that which resonates and embody this through poetic and compelling spaces. The client centered approach and co-creative process guided through a series of design sessions, results in a unique style and highly customized solution for each client.
Our clients greatly value these initial sessions as they allow for the exploration of multiple ideas, ecological practices and materials. Clients can explore these topics through the initial design sessions, without having to engage with the creative and meditative exercises – we equally welcome this approach as we meet our clients where they are, interested in what serves them.
Bill, with his experience and sensibility, gently guides the design process into a coherent whole with playful touches, simplicity and thoughtfulness. The strong bond generated at the initial design sessions between Bill and his clients forms a solid foundation that reverberates throughout all aspects of the design and construction phases.
ECOLOGICAL DESIGN
Ecology is the interconnected web of life within which we help our clients weave their home and lives. Helicon Works Architects accomplishes this by applying a set of standard Ecological Building Practices to every project.
Ecologically Responsive Design
The house and land woven together into a coherent whole; passive solar and storm water management plans integrated with beautiful landscaping.
Healthy Home
Breathable wall assemblies, enlivening spaces, connection to nature, and materials and finishes with no or very low VOCs and toxins.
Advanced Energy Efficient Technology
Solar PV (for electricity), solar hot water, geothermal, highly-effective heating/ cooling/ ventilating systems, high performance wall systems and windows, highly-efficient appliances and lighting, water-conserving fixtures, and living roofs.
Sustainable Materials
Locally sourced, salvaged and/ or recycled materials and products, and FSC certified wood.
Natural Building Techniques
Straw bale walls, cob or earthen walls, and natural finishes such as earthen plaster and local woods.
WELLNESS DWELLING
The homes we help our clients create are centered on the idea that these are unique spaces with dynamic spiritual dimensions – this is the third component of our approach. Our homes and sense of place affect our state of mind and well being. Poetic spaces inspire you to live and provide sanctuaries where you can explore and give expression to your self – dreams, memories, beliefs and ancestry which provide nurturing, refuge and a sense of who you are at heart.
Helicon Works Architects seeks to create homes where you can live intentionally and consciously with nature and those that surround you. In line with this principle, Bill has written a book called Dwelling: A Poetic Exploration of Home. It holds a series of poems and meditative exercises that explore the relationship between these ideas. The book is available at Politics & Prose.
Bill also holds regular Dwelling workshops, book reading experiences and in-home consultations throughout the year open to all who wish to explore the connection between self and home. For more information visit the Exploring Dwelling website or get in touch with bill@heliconworks.com.