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Not Your Everyday Drafter…
What do drafting firms usually offer? Drafting.
They translate ideas into drawings, often by assembling elements from existing floor plans. Frequently—though this is not a criticism of drafters—their role is not rooted in formal design education, and in many cases not in architectural education at all. Their focus is typically on documentation: technical drawings, code compliance, and permit sets. Many drafters develop this expertise while working within architectural or engineering firms and later establish their own practices.
There is nothing wrong with this path. In fact, it is how I began as well. I started my career as a drafter, as most architects do.
Some drafting firms also offer design services; however, these are often elemental and surface-level—not always, but in the majority of cases. As a result, they are able to offer lower fees, faster turnaround times, and a more limited scope of work. I know this firsthand because I have worked within that framework. The outcome is typically a house that moves efficiently through permitting and meets technical requirements—but little beyond that. Another structure is built, yet it often lacks personality, character, and meaning. This is where architecture begins to differ.
What I Do Instead
When I decided to open my own design studio, my intention was never to be “just a drafter,” but to be a designer—and eventually an architect. I intentionally avoid the terms architect and architectural design when describing my services, as I am not yet a licensed architect. I am actively working toward licensure, which is why I refer to myself as a designer rather than an architect. These distinctions matter, both legally and ethically.
What I offer is thoughtful design and creative problem-solving.
My work begins not with drawing, but with understanding: the cultural, social, and historical context of a place, and the lives, values, and experiences of the people who will inhabit it. From there, I guide key design decisions, explore alternatives, test ideas, and shape space intentionally—before anything is committed to paper.
This process is fundamentally different from drafting. Drafting records decisions. Design makes them.
At Anthropos Design Studio, I provide:
Design authorship and conceptual development
Creative problem-solving across spatial, functional, and experiential questions
Thoughtful integration of context, site, and human use
Coordination with licensed consultants
Guidance through permitting with design intent intact
Clear, precise documentation as a result of design, not a substitute for it
The goal is not simply to produce plans, but to carry design responsibility through the process.
Architecture as Experience, Not Output
At its core, Anthropos Design Studio strives to create spaces that feel good to be in—spaces that carry meaning beyond materiality. When design is approached with care and intention, buildings and spaces gain significance beyond their materials alone. They begin to tell a story. That, to me, is what architecture should do.
My practice is minimalist at its core. I believe people benefit deeply from spaces designed to pause, reduce distraction, and foster connection with nature and with one another. While the idea of “timelessness” may be unattainable, I believe architecture should resist short-lived trends in favor of enduring spatial quality.
In a world filled with constant distractions, removing the unnecessary allows what matters to come forward. In my work, I strive to create spaces that are simple, calm, and unburdened—spaces where often-overlooked qualities such as light, proportion, and material presence become perceptible again. These qualities can be achieved through many architectural means and techniques. That is what I offer.
I do not simply draft plans. I do not “do plans.” I design spaces. Those are different worlds.
Why This Matters
People deserve more than efficient layouts alone. Efficiency matters, but I disagree with the idea—popularized by figures such as Le Corbusier—that houses should function as machines or factories for living. Homes should do the opposite. They should help us step away from the pressures of work and productivity.
Where I grew up, there was a saying that translates to “My home is my castle.” The idea was not about grandeur, but protection—physical, emotional, and psychological.
Think about your own home, or a place where you once lived. Perhaps it was an apartment, a single room, or even a corner you tried to make your own. What made that space special? The answer is different for everyone, but it reveals something important: the places we live in are more than spatial layouts alone.
As Peter Zumthor describes, architecture can become a vessel—a place where joys and sorrows, conversations, celebrations, quiet evenings, and everyday rituals unfold. These moments accumulate over time, creating memory and meaning that remain long after trends fade.
Closing
As mentioned earlier, I am not yet a licensed architect. However, I currently occupy a unique position. I have studied architecture for years while simultaneously working in the field, gaining both formal training and practical experience. This combination allows me to offer services that are often difficult for many people to access—particularly given that most homeowners will never work directly with a licensed architect.
I provide services that go well beyond what is typically offered by drafting firms, while remaining more accessible than large architectural practices. My work sits in the space between drafting and architecture: design-led, thoughtful, and intentional. It may be that a drafting service is the right fit for your project. If that is what you need, I am not the right person. However, if you are looking to thoughtfully design a new space—or to give new life and meaning to an existing one—I would welcome the opportunity to work with you.
I hope this clarifies the difference between what people often assume I do and what I actually practice. Clear drafting and technical drawings are essential, but they are tools—means through which design intent is translated into the built realm.
What I aim to create is architecture with meaning: spaces that can be experienced, lived in, and shared with others.