MoTiS

In 2020-2021, in the midst of the pandemic we were still marching on and completing a few projects in the office. This one exemplified the kind of project that had come to define a lot of the work coming out of the office - quirky little projects that gave us the chance to create unique experiences for our clients. In this case we were commissioned to design a small house (800sf) in the Mosaic Ridge neighborhood near Allied Drive. A neighborhood full of quite nice, modest little bungalows that were designed to be affordable and easy to build. We took the same palette of materials that these bungalows were using and recombined them into a creative, stand-alone one bedroom cottage with a detached garage. It was a chance to show of our philosophy of “doing more with the same.”

Located in Lake Edge Shopping Mall on Madison’s East side (essentially next to Monona) the Muskellounge and Sporting Club was the third collaboration with Chad Vogel and Sean Pharr. Inspired by the namesake fish and classic traditions of up north cabin life, the Muskie has become a neighborhood staple. The standout feature of the design are the fins over the bar seating - inspired by the hull framing of boats, as well as the organic contours of the waves - each fin is a unique shape, but together they create a continuous flow from the front of the bar to the rear. Cozy wood paneling and slightly kitschy but homey stone walls give it the lived in feel of a cabin on a lake.

Amongst all the busy commercial projects, we found time to do a project for ourselves. In my time as a residential architect I’d done a huge number of custom kitchens - from projects at Bob Stern’s office to helping my friends with their new kitchens, but this was the first time that we were able to do one for ourselves (that was bigger than 6’ long). Designed in 2018, built in 2019 and finished just before we all got to spend a year or so staying at home in our bubbles - this kitchen was a blend of personal flair mixed with elements that would help it blend in with our 1913 craftsman house.

Another project located in the Monroe Street Building we partnered with Potter Lawson on - Garth’s Brew Bar was a fun neighborhood bar. Garth was a huge fan of American beers and it was his dream to open a bar where he could share his passion. Like all good projects, it was defined by a personal drive to realize a dream. Garth’s opened just before the pandemic hit us in 2020 - but he pulled through and continues to be a cherished neighborhood meeting spot.

Established in the late ‘90’s - Monroe Street Arts Center has become an institution on Madison’s near west side. Starting in 2017 (and stretching all the way into 2020) MSAC began the process of moving from their first home near the intersection of Monroe and Commonwealth to the new building we had just finished with Potter Lawson further up Monroe St. near Spooner and Grant St. its new location gave it expanded facilities for art classes - with a variety of classroom sizes and finishes. It also gave it better rooms for music instruction (better soundproofing!) and more of them so more kids could get this kind of education that is getting harder and harder to find. Combined with the work of other local artists and interior designers when it came to furniture and wall decorations - the new MSAC is a bright and cheery place built for kids, and built to last for generations to come.

This was the third of the “three house series”. This one is a vacation home on a small lake. Like the others, it shares a simple openness - both in plan and in its relationship between the indoors and outside. Like any good Wisconsin cabin its rich in the natural materials of its surroundings. This project also marked the end of my time as a sole practitioner - after nine years the projects were getting bigger, more complex and coming more often than ever. The next step was to embark on the partnership with Matt Tills that would become MoTiS.

2017 was a busy year - and it included what would become a milestone project (though no one realized it at the time). Mint Mark started as a partnership of 4 - and over time that partnership had changed slightly, but at it’s core has always been Chad Vogel and Sean Pharr. It’s impossible to describe how friendships can drive a project, can allow you do things you can’t with other clients - but at the end of the day, when it’s all done, you can look to the thing you made together. We all learned a lot from this project, and would go on to use those lessons again and again together in future projects. The original Mint Mark is gone, replaced by its larger successor. But this little gem was a neighborhood favorite. It also had what I think is the smallest god damn kitchen in all of Madison.

In the late 20-teens things were getting busier and busier. And this project was the first partnership between myself and Potter Lawson - a partnership that would continue to grow over the years. Located on Madison’s Monroe Street, the building’s design takes cues from the surrounding historic context. Fitting into the neighborhood without become a pastiche. The interiors followed the concept of a classic apartment building with a slightly more modern club room on the top floor.

2026 IIDA Awards…this year; “Residential First Place”!!

The second of three thematically related houses. In this case the client found a rare undeveloped lot in an old neighborhood on the near west side. Tucked into a fairly narrow space this house stretches out from front to back with the kitchen centered between the dining room and living room - creating a flowing space designed for entertaining. At the same time a large open stair connects all the floors from basement to second floor in a wide open space, letting air and light filter down from the large second floor windows down into the spaces below.