The bucolic rolling hills of Pennsylvania, dotted with dairy farms and occasional large custom homes, served as the backdrop for Michael Raphael’s adolescent upbringing. The contrast between his humble childhood Sears house and the purposeful barns and new unique homes sparked an interest in learning how to build and design these intentional homes.

I imagine myself as a whaler in the early nineteenth century. The rhythm of planning, searching, waiting, pursuing, and catching all seem very familiar to me. I also can imagine the exhilaration of the Nantucket sleigh ride.