our mission

healthy. conscious. durable.

a/A is a metaphor. It is an expression of value. It is less over more, quality over quantity, rightsizing over upsizing. It is acknowledging that not all spaces are designed and built to be equal and that there is an inherent value in investing in quality space first, before investing in increasing it.

In this metaphor, ‘A’ represents standard building practice, where space itself is valued over the qualities of that space. In our effort to promote and create spaces that are healthy, conscious, and durable, we place a higher value on the lowercase ‘a’ – high-performance construction, where materials can be vetted for harmful chemicals, where cultural and ecosystem impacts from construction are weighed, and where robust and tested enclosure systems provide occupant comfort and building longevity.

The act of creating is the act of impacting. Our interior environment can promote physical and mental health. Resources used in building can play an important role in combating climate change through sequestering carbon. Construction practices and methods can produce intergenerational buildings that outlast their creators. However, in most modern buildings, that impact has been a consumeristic relationship disconnected from natural systems, devoid of place, and in denial of human needs.

This is neither how it must be, nor how it has always been. All around us are the important beginnings of a cultural paradigm shift to value the quality of a space over its size. Where we return to a building culture focused on delivering the conditions beneficial to individuals, communities, and the natural world. Where maximized space isn’t elevated over physical and ecological impacts.

Where occupant, fabricator, and installer health matter.
Where sourcing of materials is considered.
Where craft is again appreciated.
Where we value ’a’ over ‘A’.