Custom Residential Design with Wellness and Sustainability at the heart of your project
Find the design package that's right for you!
Designing a home should not be scary
When you have a team working with you to guide you through the process you will...
Save time and Money
You will save time and money when you have a guide and you're fully prepared for your project. Being prepared means you're going to get it right the first time so you don't have to waste time and money trying to fix a bad design or a major building restriction that was overlooked.
Enjoy the process
Your home design project shouldn't be keeping you up at night. When you know the next steps, anticipate the road blocks, and have a team that understands your vision, you'll be able to enjoy the journey.
Feel confident about the design
Renovating or building new is often a once in a lifetime experience. You want to make sure you get it right so you can love the house you created.
About Kate.
I'm a licensed architect and owner of Balanced Architecture.
I'm here to help you create a beautiful home that enhances the health of your family and the planet.
I know how overwhelming the design and construction process can be. There's a lot to it! And you shouldn't have to figure it out on your own. With me as your guide, you'll be able to enjoy the home building journey with confidence and ease.
You deserve to live in a home that keeps your family healthy and happy, and I can help you create it.
Custom Design Packages
There's not just one right way to work with an architect. I can help your project succeed with as much or as little involvement as you'd like. Below are a list of the packages I offer. If you're not seeing what you need, fill out the form and let me know how I can help you.
Full Custom Design of New Home or Major Renovation / Addition
This is a fully custom experience where you get to choose how hands-on you want to be in the design of your home. I will guide you from making the first step in the design process all the way until your home is move-in ready. My custom design services are available for New Englanders and Coloradans!
I take on a limited number of projects per year. Please fill out the form so we can learn if we're a good fit for each other!
Investment: Starting at $38,000
Design Concepts Package
This is a great place to start if you're looking for help with putting your house vision on paper, but aren't ready to fully commit to the entire design process.
Investment: Starting at $6,500
Healthy Building Materials Package
Researching and trying to source healthy, local and sustainable building and finish materials can be daunting and incredibly time consuming. I'll help you research the best healthy and sustainable options for your climate, project type, and location.
Investment: Starting at $1,500
Healthy Home Floor Plan Review Package
If you're designing your own home and want a second set of eyes to review your idea before construction starts, I'm here for you! This can be done any time before submitting for permit, but it's best to do it before construction documents are drawn up. Ideally this happens pretty early in design.
Investment: Starting at $2,000
Sustainability Review Package
I'll review your design ideas and provide suggestions to make your home as sustainable and healthy as possible within your budget. This is best done in the early part of design phase.
Investment: Starting at $2,500
Is custom design not part of your project plan? That's ok! Learn more about my guided DIY courses here.
How to get started
It's easy to get your custom design project started...
Fill out the form to tell me more about your project.
You'll receive an email from me to set up a time for a free consultation call.
If we're a good fit for working together, then it's time to start your project!
WHAT DRIVES My designs
Sustainable design is inherent in everything I do at Balanced Architecture. As the Cradle to Cradle founder William McDonough said “How about designing a building that nourishes and restores living systems”. I strongly believe in this philosophy. Designing with the environment in mind doesn’t have to be painful or mundane, and most of it can easily happen behind the scenes if getting into the nitty gritty of sustainability isn’t your thing. It also doesn’t have to stretch the budget. There are plenty of ways to design a space that maximizes the free heating and cooling components that our earth already supplies us. And as a bonus, your monthly energy bills will likely shrink.
Buildings that are not properly ventilated, that don’t provide access to daylight and natural ventilation, and that provide contaminated drinking water are extremely common. These buildings contribute to respiratory issues, expose us to carcinogens and bacteria, and make us feel run down all the time. Our culture is becoming more and more health and wellness focused. We strive to eat whole foods and make sure we get in 10,000 steps a day, but when the buildings that we spend 90% of our time in are inadvertently causing sickness, then all the work we are putting into our healthy lives is being compromised. My mission is to guide people to make their home environment as healthy as possible and to turn their homes from a noxious environment to a healthful retreat.
Experiential architecture (also known as phenomenological architecture) is about experiencing buildings through all the senses. Often times buildings are designed and built to be enjoyed through a single sense—vision. Because of this, we tend to use buildings without really connecting with them. They are just there as one more object in our busy lives. Experiencing architecture through the senses allows us to slow down and enjoy the moment. This could mean being intrigued to feel the texture of a wall surface, smelling a scent that triggers a memory, or having natural light direct us in a way that makes us aware of space and time.
Balanced Architecture designs fresh, modern structures and spaces that nourish the body, the mind and the earth. My inspiration is derived from the surrounding environment and from the people that will make the structure their home. By focusing on beautiful and functional design that promotes health and longevity, I'm able to bring a little more balance into your life.
Featured Projects
High Performance Family Camp
Mountain Modern Concept Design
A-Frame Addition
Fort Collins Townhome w/ KEPHART
Wellness House
Healthy Home Renovation
Chalet Renovation
Lakehouse Addition
It was a pleasure to work with Kate. We collaborated on a total house remodel. She executed our design ideas into plans that were clear and detailed in a timely manner that were exactly how we envisioned. We recommend her highly.
Kelsey G.
Kate really helped us to see the modern possibilities in a 50 year old mountain chalet. Her focus on healthy living and energy efficiency was also a great fit with our own personal values. We consider ourselves very fortunate to have found her for this project.
Tom B.
Kate is fantastic to work with! She is so sharp and quick and was able to come up with practical and innovative design solutions for our renovation. She is an excellent listener and was able to translate our vision into a plan that solved all the existing issues.
