At Hyperion Architects, we are fascinated by you and your life. Our philosophy on architecture is focused on your experiences. More than the short time it takes to design your home or building, we are deeply inspired by the lasting memories that will be made in that space. We work tirelessly to create beautiful architecture, utilizing the strategies of scale, light, texture, and views, but most of our work is in shaping the moments you experience. Our architecture becomes the backdrop for deeply meaningful events in your life, whether you are surrounded by friends and family, or by yourself. We take this responsibility seriously and work as anthropologic architects - focusing our attention on how you live and designing a space that celebrates you.
Why “Hyperion”
In ancient Greek mythology, Hyperion was the Titan that brought the sun, moon, and dawn into existence. Just as he brought light into the world, we work to introduce enlightened design into the spaces that you inhabit. Often that light is literal - how we utilize windows and openings to illuminate space. Sometimes that light is figurative - in the way we shape the brilliant experiences that make up your life.
Collaboration
For any successful project, a team needs to be established. Sometimes that team is as small as just you and us, working together to design your space. More often, this team includes a contractor, interior designer, landscape architect, and various engineers. As architects, we act as the leader in the design process, communicating with each of these team members early and often to provide you with the best possible outcome. Through our past projects we have various team members we can recommend as well as work with who you have in mind.
We discard our ego at the beginning of the project. Much of the greatest ideas during the design process comes from unlikely sources. You might get incredible ideas from friends and family, experiences and travels. We shun the idea that the architect is the repository of the greatest ideas and celebrate the creativity of others.
The Craftsmanship Approach
We take a craftsmanship approach to architecture, delighting in providing a high quality of work. We provide a full architectural experience. This means that we do not charge you for changes and iterations to the design. Each project is custom and made especially for you. Because of the unique nature of your project, our process takes time. We recommend beginning the design process early to give you the best opportunity to begin construction exactly when you want to.
Life That Grows Around Architecture
While a young architect was apprenticing in his craft, his mentor often told him of an old master architect who had an incurable disease of the eye:
When the old master felt his vision finally fading, he went to a bench and sat before a majestic library he had designed as a younger man. Each day he went and his world grew smaller and darker, until one day his sight was gone entirely. For years afterward he would go to that bench and sit. In the darkness he could still see the beautiful architecture he had shaped: the columns, the domes, the details. Of all things he wanted to remember, it was the beauty of the architecture.
The young architect’s mentor told him of this old, blind architect to impress the importance of their craft. As the young apprentice grew in his profession, he began to have success. He designed libraries, museums, stadiums, even cities. He was a guest of the powerful and famous. Everywhere he went, fame followed and he was known as a master architect. At the unveiling of his greatest work, however, he felt empty. The crowd exclaimed at the beauty he had designed. He could see the beauty, but he could not feel it.
He remembered the story of the old, blind architect and after many weeks of searching, discovered that the old master still lived. He was near the end of his life, waiting for death to come. The younger architect asked him about the story and the old man laughed.
“I didn’t go for the building.” he said, “I went to feed the pigeons, watch the children play, see the families laugh, and young men flirt with young women.”
He went to see life.
From that moment on, the young architect determined this to be his purpose; to see the life that grows around the dead stone he stacked. What is a building without its audience? What is a city without its people?
