Design that Works
Every project starts with an idea that needs to be explored and expressed in a manner that everyone can understand. The best way to do this is with concept art. Our favourite method of illustration is to use a pen and ink style drawing, adding enough information to clearly show our ideas while still leaving a little room to further develop the ideas as we finish planning and then build out the projects.
Not all of our concept art makes it past the design stage. Projects are sometimes abandoned for a host of reasons, but not often because it isn’t a good idea. Those ideas are carefully tucked away and live on in our files to hopefully resurface sometime in the future.
We often wonder why retail establishments can’t be more fun and creative. In this day and age of fierce competition from the world of internet shopping we believe the remedy is to offer a shopping experience rather than just the goods.
We imagined this oversized barrel as a wine tasting kiosk in a beautiful vineyard.
There’s a certain magic in an entrance portal to any place. It becomes the divider from the real world. As you cross that line you enter a whole new world, very much apart from whence you came.
We love a tough challenge! Our client requested a movable apple stand for their orchard. Apples would taste better if they were purchased here!
Kids have wonderful imaginations, Anything they see can come to life in an instant. This play tree definitely would give them a head start on fun!
Every project needs special considerations. In this case the sign needed to fit in a small planter and still clear the overhang of the building roof.
Railroads are fun but we aren’t always rivet counters who slave to existing styles of motive power. We love to dream up whimsical modes of transportation.
This was a very fun concept we dreamed up as a tourist attraction. The lower floor was to house a variety of small shops and unique eateries. The upper floors were condominiums or perhaps a deluxe hotel.
The concept above was expanded as we explored what we might do with an even larger plot of land.
Occasionally we are called on to design interior details for existing buildings. These details need to be in character with the larger story being told.
We drew up this concept for a flower grower who wanted to embrace a traditional farming theme but desired a building that would stop traffic on the busy road. The property was long and narrow with a small street frontage.
We’ve done many concepts for the ongoing Hazelnut Inn. This is a quick concept drawing of the kitchenette and eating area of the Under Hill suite.
We did this concept for a lobby piece for a business about a dozen years ago. The client decided to go in a different direction but we loved the idea so much we adopted it for our own logo with some minor modifications.
The ‘final’ renderings for the Hazelnut Inn continued to evolve even after construction began. Those first renderings continue to inspire the final version.
Often the first concepts we dream up for a project don’t hit a bulls eye but they always inspire future iterations that do. Every project needs a starting point to spark discussion and inspire new, original ideas.
We do all kinds of concepts including plan views. These drawings show scaled layout and landscape options.
Wouldn’t it be fun to use a time machine? And if we could build one, what might it look like? This steam powered iteration looks like it might do the job just fine!
One of the things we love to do with our theme park projects is to intertwine multiple attractions within the same theme and themed structure. This concept (never realized) was our first foray into this exciting process.
This idea first surfaced back in 1999. It lives in our ‘ideas not yet used file, waiting for the perfect opportunity.
This little wheeled robot man has been waiting in our unused file for more than a decade. He was designed to act as a rolling sidewalk sign.