Richard Beard Architects

Architect Richard Beard’s enduring, light-filled homes are particularly connected to their settings. This is a feature of his firm’s interest in site-specific design and how architecture can integrate with landscape—urban or wild—to achieve a unified whole that is both stylish and sustainable. “Designing a home that could not be translated anywhere else or for any other client is what motivates us,” says Beard. Every project draws from the land as well as the client’s values and aspirations over time, envisioning a home that’s meant to last a generation or two and promote well-being: “If a home is sited and functions well, it brings a sense of peace and contentment,” Brett Moyer notes. The firm is also a believer in right-sizing and making materials king: “Choose them early and let their character lead—they’re integral to the design.”