Philosophy of the firm

“Confluence” is a word that embodies the spirit of our own personal philosophies of architecture. The design process involves the confluence of many skills & disciplines; art & engineering, context & precedence, building & municipal codes, programs & site forces, time & money, etc. all balancing together at one point. That one point is your finished project. It takes planning to be successful, and that’s what we do here.

Mark A. McLain; Architect, RESNET certified home energy rater, BPI certified professional building analyst

I have been practicing architecture in Colorado ever since I graduated from the Fay Jones School of Architecture at the University of Arkansas in 1992. Energy consumption in our built environment has always been of particular interest to me as an architect. These interests in high-performance, low-energy structures lead me to build a strawbale house as an experiment, using the opportunity to experiment with active & passive solar design and to give myself hands-on experience with some of the latest construction techniques. I believe that the best architecture has to be designed from the start with an eye on energy consumption. Which lead me to bolster my education in the latest building science. I now have a hybrid business that offers architectural services as well as building performance consultation services. I feel that I bring a comprehensive, multi-discipline approach to the table.  

Angela Loughry; architect AIA, LEED BD+C

I am a licensed architect that specializes in sustainable design and sustainable consulting in LEED, Passive House, and Living Building.  I acted as the sustainably consultant on a number of projects of note including the Third Street Center in Carbondale CO, Solar Energy International Paonia Campus, as well as a number of innovative residential projects including strawbale, SIPS and high-efficiency structures. In addition, I am an experienced educator.  I have developed and presented courses for architecture and sustainability at Woodbury University, CalPoly Pomona, Pasadena City College and Colorado Mountain College.