p o l i f i l o
our work is process-oriented and imbued with a genuine love for making things. our intention to produce simple, well-made, compelling design work is a sincere practice: again and again we invest time and care in cultivating a skillful response to the individual needs and wants that each client and project presents. our design decisions stem from the distinctive place of each project as well as creative exploration, receptive collaboration, and our embodied experience and reverence for material nature, seasonal time, and natural light. our small studio environment allows us to be hands-on and personally invested in the quality and detail of every project from conception to completion.
our interests and expertise span architecture, urbanism, interiors, furniture, and product design. opportunities to develop and refine ideas fuel us to generate buildings, spaces and objects that are palpable, effective, and beautiful.
Patrick Avice du Buisson
Patrick Avice du Buisson has been practicing architecture and design for over 30 years, with highly focused work ranging from custom residential design to restaurant and hospitality projects to Buddhist temples. Recognition of his work includes the Urban Land Institute Design Award of Excellence in 2012, Builder Magazine Merit Award in 2003, and the Nashville Beautification Award in 2000 and 2002. He holds a Bachelor of Architecture degree from University of Natal in Durban, South Africa and received the Corobrick Award while there. Prior to studying architecture, he studied and worked in reinforced concrete design.
the name p o l i f i l o was discovered within a 16c myth called hypnerotomachia poliphili. its presumed author, francesco colonna, was a venetian priest and monk with an obsessive interest in architecture, landscape, and costume. the myth’s protagonist, polyphilo, was a man who, while searching for his lover, polia, in the dark forest, became distracted by images of art and architecture. his fascination with the inherent beauty of objects competed with his search for polia, and as he began to realize how easily he seemed to be swayed from his path by the beauty he saw around him, he felt dejected. he collapsed in concession, convinced that his love for polia was simply not strong enough to unite him with his lover. in his moment of despair, polia appeared to poliphilo and revealed that his diversions were in fact correlative; the allure that seemed to pull him astray was the same allure that drew him to her. polyphilo could then see the truth of his journey as the search for beauty in all things.