“Architecture is about designing CONNECTION.”
OUR DESIGN PHILOSOPHY
Connection to the local culture and the community at large, the connection of the building to its context, the connection of the exterior to the interior, the connection of the interior spaces and the connection of the building materials from which all the other connections emerge.
Good design is an elegant solution. It should not be willful, self-conscious or gratuitous. Like all material arts it should inspire the beholder, but unlike others arts, it must also serve.
Group 1.6 Architects, LLC believes that all the parties who participate in a building project should benefit from the endeavor, the building’s owner, the user, the designer, the contractor and the community. While we maintain the traditional position that an architect is the advocate of the building owner, experience has shown that projects are the most successful when all the parties are invited to participate early in the design process, each helping to shape an excellent product by sharing knowledge from their area of expertise. We place all the constraints “on the table” early, including such things as owner’s preferences, site, cost and code, and glean design opportunities from them. Communicating early and often between all the stake holders contributes to a smooth project delivery and contented participants.
OUR VALUES
Listen
This is the key to the entire design process. We do not impose preconceived ideas on the client. We offer our design expertise as a tool to shape our client’s vision into a tangible reality.
Intregration
In the early phases of every project we thoughtfully consider the aesthetic and functional aspects of a project. We believe it is crucial to design with the details in mind from the beginning.
Collaboration
We work with experienced consultants. We communicate early and often. Together, with the client, we formulate the problem matrix from which we produce a cost/effective design solution.
Value
We appreciate the financial investment our client is making. We strive to be good stewards of the client’s money by making design decisions that yield the most cost/effective outcomes.
Environment
As designers we recognize that each site is a unique location with specific parameters. We assess the impact of the project on the environment and proceed to design sustainably so both the environment and the client benefit.
Lead Architect
DAVID NOCELLA, AIA
After earning a Bachelor of Science in Psychology at St. Joseph’s University, a liberal arts university, and acquiring a solid foundation in the social sciences and the humanities, Dave decided that his intellectual curiosity and creativity would be best served in the practice of architecture.
He began graduate studies at the University of Pennsylvania and completed the Masters of Architecture program at Clemson University. Prior to founding Group 1.6, Dave was employed by some of the premiere architecture firms in South Carolina through which he acquired a depth and range of project experience including industrial, health care, commercial and residential.
Dave’s experience has taught him that the built environment is influenced by many dynamics: aesthetic, economic, scientific, ecological, sociological and psychological. It is precisely the multi-faceted nature of the design process that he finds so rewarding.