francois levy | architect

I am committed to community-based, humane architecture. I design buildings which reflect their cultural and geographical context, and intend for my clients' projects to be accessible and comprehensible to the user, relevant to their surroundings, and contribute to a sense of place rather than obeying a preconceived architectural agenda. Ultimately, my purpose is to facilitate living the best life possible. My goal is not only to create buildings with which my clients are thrilled, but also to involve my clients in the process of creation. I am therefore especially interested in designing projects which represent a profound union between the client and the site.

'The listening process takes time,' Lévy says. 'It comes from trust between designers and clients, rather than showing the architect a picture in a magazine and saying. 'I want it to look just like that.'

--Austin American-Statesman

My work's heavily site-specific orientation engages issues of environmentalism, energy-efficiency, and good stewardship of the land. In designing for a given site, topography, vegetation, solar orientation, prevailing winds, land forms, water, and desirable views are all carefully considered. In applying those considerations to a design, it is inevitable that issues such as 'green' building materials, small footprint design (the popularized 'not so big house'), and passive cooling and heating be considered. I apply these design principles to all my work, and this design approach is the foundation of my book, BIM in Small-Scale Sustainable Design.

If François Lévy knows anything, it's how to adapt. Take the home he designed: praised, approved, revised, and altered enough times that, for a lesser talent, there might be little of the original design remaining.

—Austin American-Statesman

For more information on my background, teaching, and publications, please read my résumé (PDF)