Best of 2024And just like that, we have entered 2025! It does feel like the last year flew by—a blink-and-you-miss-it type of moment—although I’m sure we have all said that about some year or another. This issue of Studio Pages has one foot in the present (2025) and the other in the past (2024) and because of this unique midpoint we find ourselves in, it seems only right to turn this article into a recap of the jam-packed year that was 2024. For Studio21 Architects, 2024 was filled to the brim with excitement, intrigue, bittersweet moments, and, of course, busyness. So, please join us on this walk down memory lane… While this wasn’t something that began just last year--we’ve been moving stepwise in this direction over the last handful of years—our OnePoint Design+Build service has become the shining star of 2024, with a booked-out schedule through the rest of this year. I think there is something to be said for this service’s growing popularity, as most of us can assert that going through any kind of home design project is, for lack of a better word, stressful. There are so many questions to ask and answer, so many decisions to make, and so many unknowns to wade through. Going through that process without an expert at your side must feel incredibly unwieldy. Many years ago, our firm decided to establish the OnePoint service to fulfill that common need. As a homeowner, it makes perfect sense to want to put your best foot forward in a design project and, as the experts, the Studio21 Architects team is apt to offer that. The concierge-level service and one singular team devoted to the homeowner above anyone else has proven itself to be an impeccable process for design projects across the board, and we feel so honored to be able to deliver that to you. You’ve read about it, you may have even watched it, and now we’re recapping it: Design+Build Decoded!! Anything Design+Build related seems to have exploded onto the scene in 2024. As it so happens, the very first filming for this series happened on January 1st, 2024, so in some ways we are celebrating the one-year anniversary of our beloved series. I know you have heard me say this before but allow me one last opportunity (it is a recap, after all!): Design+Build Decoded takes you through the process of designing and building a custom home—Bill’s forever home, to be exact—from the very start through to the housewarming party when all is said and done. What feels like a perfect full circle moment, as we celebrate one year of D.B.D., our first upload of 2025 was breaking ground and the start of construction! This series started out of the hope to deliver information and offer insight to those going through a project themselves, no matter what stage they’re in. To all our viewers of this little series of ours, thank you so much for watching, and it’s only going to get crazier from here…I promise. As your friendly neighborhood Studio Pages writer, one of the central aspects of my role at Studio21 Architects is this very newsletter. I write it, photograph it, pack up the letters, and buy the stamps. Arguably the most important, though, are the interviews with clients, past and present, for our Project Spotlight articles. To be perfectly candid, this is one of my favorite aspects of the job. In 2024, I had the opportunity to meet with three different clients of ours, all of whom graciously welcomed me into their homes and told me the stories of how their visions came to fruition. While each story has its own plot and unique elements, I can say that looking back on these interviews, I see some common themes between them all. Each homeowner told me of the importance of being true to yourself and taking the time to clearly understand your needs and goals, so that the home at the finish line is uniquely suited to you. Regarding time, another point made was that giving yourself more time than you think you need does wonders; it’s never a bad idea to have time on your side! Lastly, all three interviewees spoke on the importance of hiring the right team of people. Having a team of experts that you fully trust with your vision can and does take a project to the next level, both in design and the overall process itself. Each of this year’s interviewees picked a different project pathway, wanted different things in their homes, and had different priorities at the top of their respective lists. But each of them found in the Studio21 Architects team a group of people that they could trust to make their dreams a reality, lower the stress through the process, and solve the inevitable problems that popped up along the way. To the Van Prooyens, the Brahmbhatts, and the Carlsons, thank you again for opening your homes to us and sharing your wonderful stories! There is one last thing I want to discuss to round out this year-in-review article, although it doesn’t involve much of me talking. To officially sign off 2024, I am handing the proverbial pen to the rest of the Studio21 Architects team. Each member of this team is so crucial to the success of this company, and I wanted to share in the wealth, so to speak. So, I asked and reminded, and maybe did a bit of bothering for the S21 team to share their most memorable moments from 2024. Let’s hear it from the team! Studio21 Architects Best of 2024Beck, Architectural Drafter In 2024, I started my job as drafter here at Studio21 Architects; in March, it'll be one year since starting! Bill, Architect & President No surprise here—I started designing and building what I hope will be my last home. Documenting the process with the Design+Build Decoded video series is quite a bonus. While I was told to pick just one moment, I do want to add for consideration my trip down under, to New Zealand, last year—a once-in-a-lifetime trip, indeed! Emma, Marketing Manager This August, I married my wonderful now-husband! As I'm sure all weddings are, it was over before we knew it...even though it was four whole days of wedding events! Married life doesn't feel at all different when you've been with your partner for almost seven years, but I am so glad I get to look back on my wedding as a perfect almost-week! Gregg, Architect Believe it or not, last year marked my very first trip to Disneyworld. It was a great family vacation. Karen, Office Manager With a lot of studying and work, I became the Woodharbor Cabinetry specialist for our Design+Build projects! I love working with our clients to design their dream kitchens and fulfill all of their cabinetry needs! Manho, Long-Lost Architectural Designer Well, I moved to the other side of the world, to Hong Kong, in 2024. I've also been getting a lot of traveling in, which has been great. Paige, Construction Manager 2024 has been a whirlwind of a year for me professionally. As the Construction Manager, I have a hand in the entire construction phase for our Design+Build projects, as well as the bidding and pricing that happens before. It's been wonderful having the opportunity to oversee the building of our clients' dreams and visions, and while 2025 is shaping up to be even busier, I'm excited to play my role in making these dreams into realities! Tess, Administrator
My most memorable moment of 2024 was my granddaughter's wedding. It was a very proud moment for me to see this and to see all of my grandchildren standing up in the wedding. It showed family harmony and love! I also have continued to enjoy being a part of this firm, contributing in a small way to the growth of the company and helping keep myself in the workforce part-time by doing the bookkeeping and payroll/taxes for Studio21 Architects. This keeps these old brains in my head working and, for that, I am grateful! I have enjoyed watching how this company has grown in the almost twenty-seven years I have worked with Bill and how he has taken it to a much higher level than when I first started; at that time, it was architectural only, and now it has grown into a design+build company also. I hope 2025 sees continued growth and prosperity for the company and everyone involved that works here in helping achieve that goal.
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