At Coates Design, our responsible design philosophy is simple: We believe that better design leads to better quality of life.
The projects we undertake vary, but the overarching goal is always to bring our expertise in sustainability to all that we do, while never compromising our attention to great design. Our projects look beautiful and integrate seamlessly with the way our clients live, work and function in the spaces we create for them. To us, balancing beauty with sustainability is never a challenge, it’s an opportunity that inspires us to design with intention, purpose and imagination. At Coates Design, we strive to create buildings and homes that have a net positive impact on the environment outside and the people within.
This commitment to responsible architecture doesn’t simply manifest in a LEED certification here or the use of regenerative design there. We don’t just shoehorn in eco-friendly or energy-efficient design features where they’ll fit; our ethos informs everything we do from the ground up. Our mission is to breathe life into buildings that are not only beautiful, intentional and functional, but that will also nourish people’s mind, body and souls, while simultaneously preserving and nurturing the environment.
We are crafting a legacy of energy-efficient, low-impact design that future generations will draw from, build upon and benefit from.
We view the concept of responsible design holistically and strategically in that we constantly look for ways to employ principles that will save our clients operational cost while also providing exceptional comfort. In addition, we seek out and take on pro-bono projects that contribute to the greater good of our local and international communities, and bring to these projects the same level of modern and elegant responsible design that benefits others. A recent example of this is our ReHome Project for Friends of the Farm, an affordable housing project using 100 percent recycled and reclaimed materials. The project uses responsible design to address two issues: the lack of affordable housing on Bainbridge Island and the vast amount of waste produced during construction. Responsible architecture is not just our design philosophy; it’s an entirely new way of thinking and living—and it’s woven throughout our DNA.
Can elegant design combined with sustainable building practices and responsible architecture make the world a better place? We believe it can, and we are putting that belief into practice one project at a time.
Conscious Creativity: Responsible Design at Work
Some might think that design that honors the Earth, protects the environment and contributes to the overall health of our bodies could involve a surplus of strict rules and boundaries.
That’s just not how we work.
For us, the mission of employing energy-efficient design principles in the service of creating stunning, life-enhancing and responsible architecture is one that expands, rather than limits, our creative vision. Regenerative design, energy-efficient architecture and solutions that benefit the environment are engines that drive our creativity, stoking our vision and inspiring us to think outside the four walls of the proverbial box. When we eliminate the need to do things as they’ve always been done in favor of a brighter future and a better way, it allows us to say yes to buildings that save or even generate their own energy, save or recycle water, prevent heat loss from building envelopes, incorporate bio landscapes that produce food, or utilize other principles of regenerative design that help the ecosystem and fight pollution. It enables us to see sustainability as a jumping-off point to an energy-efficient design, providing solutions that benefit our planet as well as our wallets, without sacrificing the nourishing delights of breathtaking design.
At Coates, our mandate of combining sustainable building practices with elegant responsible design means facing the future fearlessly, with intention, ingenuity and inspiration.
How Responsible Design Benefits You
While we all benefit from design that places less stress upon the environment and planet, responsible architecture also has some direct benefits for people who live and work in the buildings and homes we create.
As previously mentioned, when the design process is decoupled from some of its more traditional principles, unfettered, emboldened creativity is often the result. Meaning that if your dream has always been to live in a home that blurs the lines between the indoor and outdoor spaces, we can make that happen. Perhaps you’ve purchased a stunning plot of land for your building and would like the architectural design of it to meld with the land and contribute to its natural beauty—we are skilled at bringing that type of project to life in stunningly beautiful fashion. Maybe you need for your home to be a calming, minimalist space that is intuitive, user-friendly and free of obtrusive design elements—our portfolio contains examples of several such projects.
Of course, some of the benefits of responsible design are purely practical. Given that we live during a time of energy insecurity, energy-efficient architecture can increase both your savings potential and your feelings of security. Incorporating features of regenerative design can yield long-range financial dividends as well. And using reclaimed or cutting-edge sustainable building materials and utilizing better building practices are up-front investments that have real, measurable environmental benefits. We specialize in creating spaces that are as forward-thinking as they are beautiful and have a legacy that will positively impact the planet and its people for generations to come.
At Coates Design, responsible architecture isn’t what we do—it’s who we are. It’s the principle upon which we were founded and it’s the one that continues to define us. Our homes and buildings are not just beautiful, they’re better by design.