The High Performance Build Part 2: Building Boldly While Laying Light on the Land
Great architecture doesn't stop at the drawing board. An ambitious design still has to be buildable, work within a client's budget, respond to its surroundings, and stand the test of time.
In Part 2 of our three-part High Performance Build series on the Offsite Dirt Network, host Mark Wille continues his conversation with Kelly Grace of Travis Price Architects. This time, they dive deeper into the projects that have shaped the firm's philosophy—from finding ways to construct designs others considered too complex to preserving historic homes while introducing completely modern additions.
Throughout the conversation, one idea continues to surface: build something extraordinary without losing sight of the people, materials, history, and land that make a project unique.
Turning Ambitious Architecture Into Reality
For Travis Price Architects, designing ambitious buildings eventually created a challenge: finding builders willing and able to construct them without making the projects prohibitively expensive.
Kelly explains that Travis Price was often designing ahead of his time. The ideas were possible, but finding contractors willing to work through unfamiliar details at a reasonable cost wasn't always easy.
That challenge ultimately contributed to the creation of the firm's construction company. Instead of compromising the architecture because something was difficult to build, the team developed the construction knowledge and relationships needed to figure it out. That design-build understanding became a major advantage.
Kelly says the firm prides itself on a high build rate and a "can-do" mentality. When budgets become challenging, the goal isn't automatically to abandon the design. The team looks for another path—whether that's reducing square footage, finding efficiencies, or developing a phased approach that allows clients to maintain the quality and custom elements most important to them.
Extraordinary Results From Ordinary Materials
High-performance architecture doesn't necessarily require exotic materials. Sometimes the innovation comes from how ordinary materials are used.
Kelly points to projects where something as simple as off-the-shelf plywood becomes part of a carefully considered architectural system. Alignment with windows, extrusions, layout, detailing, and craftsmanship transform an ordinary product into something that feels entirely custom.
It's a reminder that thoughtful design isn't always about choosing the most expensive material. It's about understanding what a material can do and finding a better way to use it.
Let the Old Be Old and the New Be New
One of the strongest themes in Part 2 is the relationship between historic preservation and modern architecture. Kelly shares a project outside Washington, D.C., where a traditional Cape Cod home was preserved at the front while a dramatically different multi-story modern addition was created at the rear. The contrast is intentional.
Rather than trying to replicate historic craftsmanship with a modern imitation, Travis Price Architects allows the original architecture to remain authentic while letting the new construction represent its own era.
Kelly explains that this approach has also helped the firm navigate historic approval processes. The team isn't attempting to erase history or pretend a new addition has always been there.
The old remains old.
The new is unapologetically new.
Together, they tell the evolving story of the building.
Designing Around the Trees
The firm's respect for existing sites becomes especially clear when Kelly and Mark discuss mature trees. Rather than seeing trees as obstacles to a design, the team often works around them—and sometimes literally builds around them.
On the historic-home addition, old-growth trees become part of the experience of the new architecture. Floor-to-ceiling glazing makes occupants feel as though they're walking through the forest, while some trees pass directly through deck areas.
Protecting those trees requires careful construction. Kelly explains that the team has developed methods for exposing and aerating root systems during construction before restoring the surrounding ground and minimizing disturbance as much as possible.
The goal isn't to clear the site to make architecture easier. It's to embrace what's already there.
Laying Light on the Land
That philosophy becomes even more apparent in a small mountain retreat near Berkeley Springs, West Virginia. Instead of relying on a traditional basement and heavy foundation system, the structure is lifted and supported on pilings.
Mark describes this approach as "light impact"—minimizing the footprint where the building physically connects to the earth so water, insects, animals, vegetation, and other natural systems can continue moving beneath and around it.
Kelly shares the firm's own phrase for the concept: "Laying light on the land." The building isn't intended to dominate its setting. It floats within it.
The home's glass surrounds existing trees, natural light moves through the building, and the architecture allows its occupants to experience the changing environment throughout the day. The result is a home that becomes part of the landscape rather than simply occupying it.
Creating Continuity Between Inside and Outside
The mountain retreat also demonstrates another principle that appears throughout Travis Price Architects' work: continuity. Materials don't necessarily stop when you reach an exterior wall.
Bluestone flooring continues between interior and exterior spaces. Wood ceilings extend toward protected outdoor areas. Large expanses of glazing visually dissolve the boundary between the home and the forest.
Kelly explains that the firm is constantly trying to "bleed the inside to outside." That continuity can make relatively modest spaces feel larger while strengthening the connection between occupants and the environment surrounding them.
Designing for the Person Who Will Live There
Just as Part 1 explored the role of storytelling in architecture, Part 2 shows how that philosophy takes a different form for every client. For a photographer's property outside Nashville, the architecture draws inspiration from camera apertures, lenses, framed views, and the way a photographer sees the world.
The project includes a home and photography studio carefully positioned among mature trees. Openings and views were first studied through drawings and then verified in the field to make sure the architecture captured the site in the right way.
Again, the building isn't simply placed onto the property. The client's story and the site's existing character help determine what the architecture becomes.
Building With a Local Palette
Across these projects, a recognizable material palette continues to emerge.
Wood.
Bluestone.
Copper.
Aluminum.
Glass.
Pennsylvania stone.
These choices aren't simply aesthetic. Kelly emphasizes the importance of using materials connected to the region rather than automatically sourcing finishes from across the world.
"We really like to build our locale," she explains. That local approach helps the architecture feel connected to where it belongs while supporting another major priority for the firm: durability.
Materials That Are Allowed to Age
Copper is one of the best examples. Rather than fighting the natural aging process, the firm embraces the way copper changes over time.
Kelly and Mark discuss copper as a living metal—one that develops a patina and evolves as it interacts with the environment.
The same philosophy applies to exterior metals more broadly. Kelly sees metal as one of the smartest exterior material choices because it minimizes ongoing maintenance. There's no constant repainting or refinishing required simply to keep the material functioning as intended. The building is allowed to age naturally instead of constantly being forced to look new.
High Performance Is About Finding a Way
Part 2 of The High Performance Build reinforces that high-performance architecture isn't defined by one product, material, or building system.
It's an approach. It's finding a way to build an ambitious design without losing sight of budget.It's preserving history without pretending new construction is old.It's working around mature trees rather than automatically removing them. It's minimizing the building's impact on the earth.
It's choosing materials that belong to the region and allowing those materials to behave authentically. And most importantly, it's designing buildings that respond to the people and places they were created for.
Stay tuned for Part 3 of The High Performance Build as Mark Wille and Kelly Grace continue the conversation and take the series in a new direction.
At the Offsite Dirt Network, we're creating trust, connection, and collaboration across the offsite construction industry by sharing the stories, ideas, and expertise shaping what's next.
FAQs
1. What does “laying light on the land” mean in architecture?
“Laying light on the land” means designing a building to minimize its physical impact on the surrounding environment. This can include using pilings instead of heavy foundation systems and designing around existing trees, vegetation, water, and other natural features.
2. How does Travis Price Architects combine historic and modern architecture?
Rather than trying to make new construction imitate the original building, the firm allows each to represent its own era. Historic elements remain authentic, while new additions are intentionally modern, creating a clear distinction between old and new while allowing them to work together.
3. Why does material selection matter in high-performance architecture?
Materials influence durability, maintenance, appearance, and how a building connects to its surroundings. Travis Price Architects incorporates materials such as wood, bluestone, copper, aluminum, glass, and Pennsylvania stone, allowing many of them to age naturally while prioritizing longevity and reduced maintenance.
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