Though grounded in history, the residences designed by Shope Reno Wharton aren't bound by it. "The way people live today is very different from the way they lived 100 years ago, and architecture has become much more inviting to that lifestyle," says Bernard Wharton (center, with partners Arthur Hanlon, right, and Jerry Hupy). "We like houses that reflect a sense of casualness in an ordered way, that have a formality when it's needed." Thus, even many of the Shingle Style residences that have become a hallmark of the 18-person firm feature open floor plans.

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"We like the idea of coming into one of our houses and being able to look through the space to the view beyond so that the house becomes a series of experiences—a progression that draws you in and then through the house to nature beyond," explains Wharton. The interplay between the natural and the built environments is essential to the Connecticut-based firm's designs, from both an aesthetic and an ethical perspective. That means not only making use of recycled materials but also taking into account the way a structure is oriented to its landscape. Whether building in a waterfront, mountain or rural setting, the firm pays close attention to light, vegetation and scale. The architects want their creations to take advantage of what's going on beyond their walls, says Wharton, "in the most grand or the most private ways—whether it's a tiny glimpse or a great panorama."