Andrew Ruff

Gray Organschi Architecture

Our work explores the intersection of design and building production. We recognize building as a medium through which architectural ideas are most forcefully explored and unforgivingly expressed; as an undertaking that consumes physical and environmental resources as it irrevocably alters the character and culture of a place. We seek to take the greatest possible advantage of those resources that we claim in the process of design and construction. The work in our studio and fabrication facility is fed by research and analysis of the sites we engage, the programs we shape, and the materials and methods we implement. In delicate coastal and interior wetland and woodland areas, as well as in urban and neighborhood settings, we explore and employ innovative environmental technologies and low impact building practices to reduce energy consumption and maximize the use of renewable materials in our buildings. We maintain, as a fundamental principle of our architecture, that broad-ranging inquiry and excellent planning and design are the most effective means of achieving true sustainability. The ethic of economy, simplicity, and sensitivity that underlies ecological design transcends the practice of architecture. The principles that seek to protect and preserve our natural environment are also those that work to restore and strengthen our cities and towns and provide enduring resources for their citizens. The small size and complementary skills of our team of designers, fabricators, and builders allow us to work closely and intensively with our clients to develop productive strategies for the budgeting, scheduling, and construction of highly refined buildings. Our projects range in scale and scope from the development of hardware, furniture, and building assembly systems to the design of buildings for evolving institutions and for private clients. Our experience with work studied at a small scale and at close range has informed our process and forged our philosophy: that the technical, physical, and economic demands of a project give force and clarity to the language of its architecture. Gray Organschi Architecture is dedicated to the thoughtful conception and careful crafting of buildings and spaces that nurture communities while celebrating the individual experiences that form and enrich them.