Why would 15 leading residential architects unite to form a Valley professional group?
Steve Thompson,Thompson Photographic
During a recession, when few clients are building custom homes here and those who are sit atop a buyers’ market, where architect vies with architect, architect with designer and designer with designer?
“We wanted to educate the public on the importance of using a professional registered architect,” says Nick Tsontakis, AIA, a founding member of Arizona Residential Architects and principal of Scottsdale-based Tsontakis Architecture.
“We hope the exposure will promote this concept and also provide a united resource for the top builders, designers, landscape architects and vendors in the Arizona design community,” adds Tsontakis, a native of Crete who has been practicing architecture in Montreal and Arizona since 1981 and 1996, respectively.
He began contacting a short list of top-tier architects in August 2010 to begin the group and to create a semi-annual publication to promote the ARA (Arizona Residential Architects).
“The idea was to bring together the top players in the design community into a large networking group that could support the publication and benefit from meeting and getting to know each other better,” he explains.
Last October, Tsontakis met with each of the other respected Valley architects to found the group specializing in custom home design. The organization is meant to supplement, not supplant, organizations such as the highly respected American Institute of Architects, Lee Hutchison, AIA, emphasizes.
The ARA consists of Valley architects Brissette Architects (Ron Brissette, RA,, and Jeff Kamtz); Mark Candelaria, AIA; Andrew Carson III/Jon Poetzl; Dale Gardon, AIA; James Hann, AIA; Mike Higgins, RA; Lee Hutchison, AIA; Brent Kendle, AIA; Clint Miller, AIA; Gordon Rogers, AIA; Mark Sever, AIA; Swaback Partners (Vernon D. Swaback, FAIA, John E. Sather, AIA, Jon C. Bernhard, AIA); Nick Tsontakis, AIA; Christy Wareing, AIA; and Craig Wickersham, AIA.
“We’re promoting the advantages of hiring registered, licensed architects versus using builders or draftsman to conceive home plans,” says Miller, a California native who moved to Arizona in 1968.
“This new group of licensed architects is known for its residential experience and design contributions, which makes each architect unique. The design process and professionalism may be similar for all of us, while the concepts and ‘home’ essence are different.”
Of course, the recession stimulated its founding. “The current state of the economy is probably the biggest reason we've gotten together now,” says Hann, a Valley resident for about 45 years and practicing custom home design for 30 in six states. “Construction has been hit particularly hard, and one way to help the situation is to unite as a group.”
