About Me

Hey there!  I'm Sean, and I'm an architect.  (No, really).  I am also a husband, and a dad.  I am married to an architect, and she teaches full time, too.  We have a precocious 6 year old who loves to read and draw.  We live and work in the Raleigh-Durham area of North Carolina, and have been here for 4 years.

Prior to that, we've lived in the mid-west, in New York, Connecticut, Savannah, Georgia, and Albuquerque, New Mexico.  Its been a fun experience.

I have my own firm (residential, commercial, and municipal work primarily), I teach, I give public presentations and lectures, and I consult on sustainability and administrative & management operations for architects.

About me professionally:
I have worked for large firms, small firms, husband-and-wife firms, multi-discipline firms.  I have consulted for other architects.  I have worked on projects ranging from Habitat for Humanity to multi-million dollar residences, government & military buildings, education buildings, and others.  The most satisfying are those that have engaged users.  That is probably why I like working on residential architecture so much.

I have an undergraduate degree in architecture and history of art; I almost majored in archaeology and graphic design.  I received a graduate degree from the University of Notre Dame, spending a semester in Rome, Italy.  The program focused on traditional architecture and urbanism.  Why I chose the program will probably be a blog post some day.

I have often balanced my professional obligations with teaching, which I love.  I also typically serve on various committees for the AIA and the USGBC.  I have been a presenter for The International Living Future Institute for the last 3 years as well.  I believe that architecture may be a drain on resources, AND I believe that regenerative buildings will be an inspiration for the future way of designing and building.  I want to leave the world a better place than when I came into it, and I want my daughter, and her children to have healthy environments in which to live and thrive.

I am a licensed (or registered) Architect in 10 states currently, and I hold a certification from NCARB, I am a LEED Accredited Professional + BD&C, a Green Globes Professional (GGP), among other things.

About the other side of my life:
I was diagnosed with multiple chronic illnesses, some of them immuno-related, in 2013.  It has been a bumpy ride trying to evaluate the diseases, balance medicine and supplements, trying to deal with stress (including the stress of starting my own firm), and balancing life, work, family, and the impact these diseases have on all of that.  To put it mildly, it has not been easy.

I remain optimistic, though, and I know that I can continue to succeed over time.  It just gets easier to deal with as things become habitual.


About other things:
I love my family.
I love to read.
I love fountain pens.
I love to learn.
I love to teach and share things I know or have learned - formally and informally.
I love architecture.
I am passionate about sustainability, in all its various forms.
I love Living Buildings, and hope that I will design one that gets built one day.
I like to sketch and draw (but even after decades, I can still be intimidated by the blank page, which is what keeps me from 'loving it').
I want to love technology, but I really have a love-hate relationship with it.
I love fresh food.
I love that my wife keeps our gardens and trees healthy and productive, and that our daughter knows where food comes from.
I support local businesses.
I love living in a place where there are THREE farm tours each year, and too many farmers markets to count.
I make lists, incessantly.
I am color blind.