On December 1, at the AIA Bucks County Chapter’s annual meeting at the Plumsteadville Inn, Raphael Architects was honored to receive two design awards.

The firm was presented with the 2022 Small Project Award, with Project Manager Peg MacDonald accepting the award from AIA Bucks County President, Mairi Schuler. This Newtown, PA project included an addition and a transformation of unused attic space into a home office and outdoor living space.

When Ictinus designed the Parthenon in 447 BC, as chief builder or “architekton” in Greek, he sculpted full-size prototypes for the building components that would then be copied by masons to fabricate and assemble of the building. During the Renaissance, architects made great strides in developing accurate scale drawings of plans, elevations, perspectives, and scale wooden models.

On Thursday, December 2, 2021 The AIA Bucks County Chapter held their annual awards celebration at the Ram in Perkasie, PA. Raphael Architects’ Creekside Confluence received the AIA Bucks County 2021 Award of Excellence. When announcing the award, Joel Levinson, Philadelphia Architect and Author who served as juror, described the project as “a sophisticated, well thought-out addition to a lovely, late-18th century stone farmhouse.

Your home should accommodate the ebb and flow of your family’s growth. Planning for future changes in your life can be a critical component in your ability to remain in and enjoy your family home. As your family enlarges, you can add to your home in harmony with your existing house and lifestyle.

For many of us, remote working has replaced commuting to an office. Some may never return to the office, while others may split time between home and office once COVID-19 restrictions ease. Either way, at-home work and study are here to stay. You may be considering renovations and additions to your home to accommodate more family members living and working together for many more hours each week.

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.

Moving On by Michael Raphael, AIA, LEED AP Raphael Architects – The climate has changed dramatically in the past four years for all product and

Building Green Energy crisis notwithstanding, environmentally friendly building design has been a hot topic in many areas of the country for decades. Texas, California and