Loving & Campos Architects, Inc.

A Symphony of Design Creates Heirloom Estates

By Deborah Teramis Christian

Loving & Campos Architects, Inc. has been designing custom home properties, as well as commercial projects for more than 30 years. David Bogstad, the firm's president, takes a client's vision and space needs, and translates them into a home that reaches beyond their expectations. "A goal with all my clients," says David, "is to give them something better than what they possibly dreamed of."

Bogstad begins this process with his own passion for classical architecture and an in-depth grounding in design history and traditional styles. Fond of the classic building proportions established by Andrea Palladio in the Renaissance, he has a sharp eye for crafting estates on a human scale, a particular challenge when you are dealing with the large homes of today. If not well-designed, proportions won't come together effectively, and will not be "people-friendly."

One comment David and his talented team of designers hear frequently is that the firm's homes are warm and inviting, precisely what the team is striving for. Achieving livability at a large scale by creating comfort- able human spaces is the team's goal. "If buildings aren't scaled properly, they're just big monsters," David observes. "We've completed 15,000- square-foot homes that are proportionally correct and fit the site. They are good examples of designing with human scale in mind."

Layout and scale alone are not sufficient to achieve this final effect. Just as important is meticulous attention to the details. Properly selecting the materials that are part of a chosen style and/or effectively complement a design adds to the creation of a harmonious whole. At the drawing level, this involves a more thorough treatment of design plans than is common in the industry.

The additional level of design work per- formed by Loving & Campos Architects, Inc. sets them apart from others in their field. "We just draw more than others do," David notes. Where one architect may have three sections cutting through a building in a set of drawings, Bogstad has 15 sections addressing construction details. Active input from the builder on the design team helps unify the design vision and the construction approach. "There are no good surprises in this field," says David. "We don't want to hear, 'Hey, I don't think this works ...."

Beyond the design documents, attention to detail extends into work with a vast and varied palette of materials. Requiring hours of research and the education to use them properly, these are resources often underutilized by architects and builders. Bogstad points to the wealth of materials available today. For example, the firm has recently obtained stonework worn by the passage of human feet over centuries from an ancient village in China (now demolished). Loving & Campos Architects, Inc. researches the world locating obscure and hard to obtain materials and incorporates them into a design. Weathered and richly patinaed 300-year-old roof tiles were taken from a house in Italy and used on a California estate home creating an image of dignified elegance and grace, visible from the road.

The firm's search for details does not always span the globe. Closer to home, Bogstad and his team may simply alter the mood or tone of a room with a well-chosen lighting design. The team may seek out silently functioning and unobtrusive vent and grill mechanics, or place audio-visual equipment in a well-designed wall unit that camouflages its function. Flexibility is incorporated into the design, taking into consideration inevitable changing technology needs in the future.

This attention to detail is typical of Bogstad's approach to every facet of architectural design. His early work in the 1970s was with a master architect trained in the tradition of Ecole des Beaux Arts from the 1930s, building classic, yet opulent, estate homes in Beverly Hills. From his early exposure to the process of hand-drawn, handcrafted architectural details, Bogstad still values the creativity that brings the architect's attention closer to the smallest details of a project.

To pass on this same passion for architecture and attention to detail in its staff, Loving & Campos Architects, Inc. conducts in-house monthly educational (LCA University) programs that address design details and construction elements. These classes allow the firm's more seasoned architects the opportunity to mentor younger staff.

Bogstad has authored a series of "style guides," which explain the essential components in different designs to clients and builders. These guides help our clients make decisions relating to the styles that they like, and help them understand the tradeoffs which may best accommodate budget constraints.

To further develop a theme, and to clearly illustrate a client's vision, Loving & Campos Architects, Inc., has an in-house staff of highly skilled artists who create 3-D computer animations that so closely resemble real life, that it is hard to distinguish where the animation ends and reality begins. A valuable tool used to help a designer and client take another look at what details might be improved upon or replaced altogether, animation can also be used to help a project achieve city/county approvals. Used as a sun glare study, animation helps determine how time of day will affect window reflections relating to heating and cooling systems.

Pulling together the management of a myriad of details, a complex palette of materials and the demands of creativity at a large scale presents a challenge. Meeting the challenge relies on a collaborative process involving highly skilled, seasoned design team members with a strong leader, all of whom are dedicated to the project. With the firm for 16 years, Project Manager/Architect Ron Puangpinij plays an integral role in overseeing the design development and production of detailed drawings, coordinates with engineers, consultants and builders on the firm's custom home projects.

David becomes the symphony conductor for the project, after a unifying theme has been chosen. The music is the program we get from our client. David takes that, adds 25 years of experience and orchestrates the moves forward through design and construction.

With strict attention to detail, Loving & Campos Architects, Inc.'s experienced, dedicated design team work toward harmonious solutions, creating homes with more lasting appeal than those built to a lesser standard. When properly designed, constructed and maintained, these homes will stand the test of time. "Sure, this costs a little more," says Bogstad, "but we're not just building houses. We are building grand residences that you can pass down to your grandchildren, like the great estate homes of the past."

Loving & Campos Architects, Inc. is located at 245 Ygnacio Valley Road, Walnut Creek, CA; phone: 925-944-1626; Web: loving-campos.com

June 2005 Builder Architect Edition Issue

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