Howard J. Backen cautions against believing the stereotype. “It’s a misconception,” he says, “that an architect’s ego should overwhelm the work. In actual practice, a vital part of any successful project is the collaborative architect-client relationship.” Northern California-based Backen Gillam Architects (a 40-person firm he leads with his partner, James Gillam) adheres to a design philosophy based on siting a building in harmony with nature and in accordance with the client’s goals. “I’m interested only in making happen what a particular project wants to happen. I take all the factors involved—the clients’ thoughts and living patterns, site, location, budget—and they tell me what to do. There are no preconceived notions.”

The firm, known for Robert Redford’s Sundance Institute in Utah and Esperanza, a luxury hotel in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, is currently designing wineries in Texas and Canada, each of which will feature a boutique hotel. A spa in Shanghai is also in the works. “I’m not interested in establishing a trend or in following whatever everyone else is doing. But I’m very conscious of the historical and agricultural precedents of a region. If asked to do something that isn’t right for the particular locale—a too-visible white Mediterranean-style house up on the hill in Napa, for instance—I’ll work with the client toward achieving the more appropriate and environmentally correct solution.”

Howard J. Backen

415-289-3860

707-967-1920

www.bgarcom