Our Journey From Architect to Architect as Developer
In the chaos and suffering of 2020 the things that truly matter rose to the top.
The ‘Great Pause’ that came in March of 2020 with the coronavirus pandemic brought normal life to a standstill. All non-essential businesses were forced to close, and non-essential construction projects were shut down. In Massachusetts, housing was considered essential, but we didn’t think expensive single-family homes really fell under that heading. What had been gnawing at us for a while then became crystal clear – we have to realign our work with our closely held values. Having already grown from an architecture firm to design-build a few years prior, in 2020 we began our journey toward architect-as-developer to have a greater impact, serve a larger segment of the community, and develop multifamily housing.
The ‘Great Pause’ gave us the time and space to set our new course, but the murder of George Floyd reignited a fire for social justice. This injustice cemented our decision to use our talent and skills for the greater good in line with the tenets of the Slow Space Movement. Because every person has the right to a home that is good, clean, and fair our vision for Aamodt / Plumb also now includes affordable housing.
Although challenging in so many ways, 2020 was the crucible that helped us to refine our company’s purpose and clarify our goals. And we are excited about the future. With the Slow Space Movement, we are building a community of like-minded architects, designers, builders, and artisans who together will create buildings of all types that are good, clean, and fair. In the role of architect-as-developer, we are setting a triple bottom line of social, economic, and environmental sustainability for our projects and hope to inspire others to do the same. Follow the progress of our first multifamily development, Slow Homes on Willow.