Our Practice

Early on we decided that having designers own the practice was important to us. We want everyone here to act like an owner: making decisions with the long-term outcome in mind. Every project team includes at least one owner and at least one licensed architect. We directly empower the good people here through small project teams, transparent communication, and as little hierarchy as possible.

We believe that the integrity of this social fabric is relevant to the quality of our buildings. A democratic culture and a broad-based ownership model make us distinct among architecture firms, but it’s our thoughtful, invested people who make us truly memorable.

Guided by trust, collaboration, and accountability, we’re a team of experienced architects who serve a longstanding client community.

 

Three Ideals That Inform Our Work

Trust

Transparency is a prerequisite for sincere relationships and better buildings.

We earn clients’ trust by advising candidly and working in their best interest. Internally, we practice what we preach: everyone on staff has a valued seat at the table and exceptional visibility into the business. In our experience, this transparency leads to a culture of honesty in every conversation; essential for projects that last years, and relationships that last even longer.

Accountability

Personal ownership leads to better work.

We’re employee-owned, with over half of our staff owning a stake in the firm. All of our shareholders are licensed in-house architects; we want the decision-making in our business to be rooted in on-the-ground thinking. But our work is personally-owned, too. Our architects are involved from beginning to end on their projects. This un-siloed approach to individual ownership results in stronger client relationships, better documentation, and a firm-wide ethos of long-term thinking. With every project team including at least one Encore owner, we can confidently say that we treat your business as our own.

Collaboration

WE INVEST IN TEAMWORK, NOT IN HIERARCHY.

Our horizontal structure means that we share responsibility within project teams, rather than relying on a formal hierarchy to make decisions. We keep project teams small to assure more one on one relationships, both with client-partners and with each other.

These decisions are intentional: we want our teams to be a place for individuals to speak up, to question, to shape our growth, and to influence our work. The result is a fundamentally cooperative, non-hierarchical working style that celebrates nimbleness and efficient communication.