CK Architects is a small New England architectural design firm located in Guilford CT. We specialize in well-crafted residential and small institutional projects. Our aim is to improve our clients’ quality of life by guiding them through the process of creating a home, which is a natural extension of themselves. As designers we appreciate our unique ability to contribute to our community and improve the quality of the built environment for ourselves and future generations. We endeavor to do this in a manner which enhances the natural environment. Design Approach: We approach each project at the suggestion of our client and their site. The memories, priorities and particular programmatic needs of our clients establishes the layouts of our projects, while the site context directs the architectural forms. We hold a deep respect for the architectural knowledge of the past, however, we are not intimidated by innovation in form, material and program. A project's relationship to the land is an essential aspect of architecture therefore we include the development of the landscape surrounding our projects from the earliest stages. We push our clients to look for efficiencies in their program and view the condensing of our projects through elimination of redundancies and the design of highly customized spaces as healthy for our clients' budgets and the environment. Design Process: We work hard to help our clients fully participate in the process of realizing their new home. Each client is naturally drawn toward different techniques of representation; therefore we employ words, drawings, models and computer models to develop each project. We see value in the memory of the process of creating a new home. We foster these memories through continuous narration of the process. These memories provide a warmth and history in a new home which cannot be generated any other way. Use of Materials: We typically look to a palette of local materials for our projects, finding they comfortably fit into the surrounding context. Often such local products are cost effective, proven against the weather and are less detrimental to the environment. We have found that creative reuse of salvaged materials can instill a deep character to a project, difficult to achieve through new products alone. We lean toward environmentally sensitive natural finishes, believing they hold a timeless beauty. Our materials and details are designed for longevity, having found the most costly impact on a budget and the environment is unnecessary maintenance. Construction: We highly respect the skill and insight of the team of people who construct our projects. We work very hard to develop a team, which through a feeling of ownership, will construct the project with the utmost care and craftsmanship. We have come to architecture with a strong background in residential construction. We use this knowledge to help us to convey the information necessary to make the project run smoothly. The introduction of a qualified contractor clarifies roles and provides another important layer of insight to our projects.