DRACO design + construction
Simplicity | Eccentricity | Finish
projects by DRACO
design Philosophy
Simplicity | Eccentricity | Finish
What do I mean by those three words? To begin with they are the ideal against which I measure everything I design. I have been designing for almost 40 years now. In the beginning I was building from the designs of other people. Some of them trained architects, others were “building designers”. Some were homeowners or business owners who knew what they wanted clearly enough to give a builder a starting point. In almost every instance, I was unable to resist tweaking the designs as I built them. In part this has been a result of my lifelong interest in design. It has created an inability to look at a design without wondering what would happen if we just…
Simplicity
To me, simplicity implies that there are no unnecessary design elements cluttering up a space. I like the clarity of natural materials. I use stone/slate a lot in my work. It is easy to care for, difficult to damage, and very natural. I can use it inside, outside, on the floors, walls, etc.
Eccentricity
I dislike what I refer to as “visually demanding” architecture. I prefer that the design is something which effects a viewer below the level of the first impression. This leads to the second word, eccentricity. I enjoy playing a few visual games with the design. The floating benches which I use often…
“I don’t play golf, I don’t fish. I design.”
Finish
The final design parameter, Finish, is sometimes the most difficult to achieve. There is a saying in construction that it is easy to get to 95% complete, it is the final 5% which is the struggle. To make every detail complete and polished. It has to be accepted that in the real world 100% is nearly impossible.
design Influences
No one working in the MCM style can escape the influence of Frank Lloyd Wright, so that is a given. Also, Mies, Schindler, Neutra. I am what I refer to as a “conflicted minimalist” or a “warm minimilast”. I love the clarity of Neutra’s Kaufman house in Palm Springs, but I love the warmth and organic feel of FLW’s Kaufman house (Fallingwater). I ache for the open, sparse, simplicity of a minimalist interior but I don’t want it to appear cold, as they too often do. All monochrome walls and stainless steel. I want to have art on the walls, shelves of books, comfortable furniture. So, I am conflicted. 40 French Creek or 15 Burgoyne are close to my ideal as a balance between the clarity of minimalism and the warmth of a living space.
“There are times when, looking through a magazine, I will see a window detail, a roof line, or an entryway which stops me cold. ”
about DRACO
Nicholas Severais
As a boy I wanted to be an architect. My mother can be blamed for this. She was an artist and a teacher. I remember when we’d be driving home from school or the store, if she saw a house under construction she’d pull over, stop, and we would get out and ramble around the site. There were always a lot of books in our house and among them I remember some on Frank Lloyd Wright and on Architecture in general.
contact DRACO
Getting in touch
contact DRACO
Getting in touch
2023 Eichler Home Tour
Highlands Home Tour Edition
Event Dates
October 14 & 15, 2023
View the details of this year's tour and DRACO homes that were featured in 2023.
