Our Story
Our practice is named after Baseline Road, a landmark near our home that marks the earth's 40th parallel north. We took inspiration from this line of latitude for how rooted in place and foundational it is.
We met at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design (GSD) in 2006. In the decade after earning our Master of Architecture degrees, we moved to California, got married, forged our architectural careers, and had our first daughter. After our second daughter was born, we moved to Colorado to be near family, find our forever home, and raise our girls against the backdrop of the Rockies.
We have similar values and different modes of implementing ideas, making for a great partnership in life and work. We serve as sounding boards and counterpoints for each other's ideas. We find that our natural mode of dialogue is what good design thrives on - while we each start with a straightforward design process, we rely on different perspectives, iterations, and a willingness to humor ideas and to trust. This collaborative dialogue extends beyond us - the clients' perspectives and the site's constraints create the best outcomes. Above all, we love the process of design and believe strongly in the power of architecture to engage and challenge, to calm and delight, and to heighten experiences.
We focus on creating a sense of place on any project and designing resilient spaces. We want you to feel that your space is rooted and has a distinct and fitting identity while adapting to your evolving needs. Whatever the project, we are passionate about designing spaces that people love.
Place
Having a unique identity and sense of place means something different for every client. It can be a connection to a site, a spatial or material vocabulary, or a particular take on the functions within. Good design highlights what is essential to create a unique and fitting identity.
We grew up in very different settings, have made numerous places over the years into our homes, and watched as the pandemic made so many take a deep look at their homes and surroundings. Distilling and creating a sense of place collaboratively with clients are among the most rewarding aspects of any project.
Resilience
Along with evoking a sense of place, it is equally important to us that architecture be resilient. Lives, landscapes, and perspectives change; architecture is a dynamic discipline that can accommodate and celebrate change.
We have seen our needs naturally evolve, recessions alter our industry, and climate change affects our hometowns. We formed Baseline Design from a new home amid the pandemic, five years after Juta recovered from a medical condition - changes that made us refocus on what we are passionate about. Our practice is born of a spirit of resilience. We work hard to get to know and understand our clients and put design's resilience at the heart of every project.
