Questions and Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

Question and Answer:

Q: How did Ken Pieper get started?

KP: My formal education consisted of two commercial art degrees with the likes of Norman Rockwell and Albert Dorhn, and several years of practical construction practice with my Dad and Uncle that dedicated their entire life to general construction.

Q: What drove you to starting your design firm.

KP: I was asked by one of my illustration clients if I could re-design his product line.  I said “yes I could” and proceeded to deliver an award winning cost effective and saleable series of homes for the builder in 1966.  The rest, so they say is history.

Q: How do you approach the design in any home?

KP: My client first, the land is the next consideration in the development of any good design.  Simply put, I allow the land to define the shape of the home and listen to my client to direct how they want to live in the completed home.  Listening to the client is the most important ingredient to consider.

Q: Who is your preferred client?

KP: The one with many questions.  I welcome the client’s inquiries in the process.  This is not an exact science, rather an art form.  We meet with our client and try to reduce the barriers of apprehension and establish a trust.  They are the most important ingredient to the design process.  Also, we must have fun in the process.  Ben and Jerry’s Motto of, “If it’s not fun, why make it” also prevails in our company. 

Q: How would you describe your designs?

KP: There are many styles in our portfolio, Traditional Mountain Lodge, Old World, Prairie Craftsman, Adirondack, Rustic, and the newest Mountain Fusion.  Our clients drive the bus here.  They set the stage as to what they want. I don’t design homes for myself, as I’m not going to live there.  Again listen to your client and they will direct the style and additionally how they will be living in the home.

Q: Do you consider the budget of the client when you are designing the home?

KP: Always.  The budget is the first item on the agenda that we consider and talk about with our client.  We develop a very extensive cost analysis of the project before we ever start the design process.  Another simple credo that I’ve developed, “don’t design a home that our client can’t afford or doesn’t want to pay for.”  It’s been my experience that this is the most important service that I as the expert in my field can deliver.

Q: Does the cost or size of the budget matter in your final home design?

KP: No!  The size of the home is irrelevant, plain and simple.  I become just as committed to a project of 10,000 sq. ft. as I do for a Habitat for Humanity home.  Each has its own challenges and each home is as important to the people that will be living in the dwelling.  The monies that our client dictates as our budget is very important and even more relevant to me.  I design for my client’s life, not some prescribed notion of what I may have or expect.  I simply put myself into my client’s living environment and respond accordingly.

Q: Does the budget get in the way?

KP: Only if the client’s expectations are unrealistic.  We establish a realistic budget right away.  We talk about the money the client wants or can afford to spend on their home up front.  The expectations of our client should be carefully measured and listened to in order to reach a common ground of expectations for the project.  Unrealistic budgets and miscommunications have been the downfall of many a client when pursuing a truly custom home.  I will not allow our client to proceed beyond the preliminary design process and cost estimations without first understanding the exact matrix of the program and the cost expectations for the home expected.

Q: How is a client to work with Ken Pieper?

KP: First and always, an honest dialogue between my client and my staff must always prevail.  The only prerequisite that I deal with is absolute honesty between all involved.  There are many thresholds and challenges that we as professionals of artistic interpretation to be overcome and without a clear and open dialogue between the parties we will not achieve the best results.  My goal is simply to create an environment of common truths and to deliver the best experience possibly.

Q: What is your favorite style?

KP: I have no favorite.  I have consistently maintained the philosophy that I should never develop a prejudice to what I like, after all my client is who I’m developing the home for, not me.

Q: What separates you from other professional architects or designers?

KP: An individual, licensed architect or professional designer can deliver a very good design to their client.  I have developed a unique approach to involving myself with our clients, their individual needs, and lifestyle.  The God given talent that I possess of designing extraordinary homes is one that I give thanks for each day.  I know from where this great talent comes.  I believe along with this talent, I have also developed a great set of listening skills.  I am still amazed at how close my designs fit our clients’ lifestyle.  The best compliment from one of our past clients came quite unexpectedly.  “You never know how much Ken Pieper listens to you until you live in one of his homes for a year.”  I didn’t think I could ever ask for more.

Q: What should a house be in the final form?

KP: Our home, must serve as the safe harbor from the world, a place of security and peace above all else.  Our home is a sacred place, one of family love and the hope of our future.  When we design, build and live in any environment of less virtues we are lessoning our ability to fulfill our lives that we rightly deserve.

Q: What about the process?

KP: Over the many years of my practice I consistently strived for better communication to our client during the process of design and producing construction documents.  These defined processes extend throughout the construction development.  We watch every aspect of design and building the home.  We have created one of the most innovative concise and communicative processes in the industry, to constantly communicate important issues to our client.  Another of our credos is to “build it first on paper.”

Q: Does the process hamper your creativity?

KP: Heavens no.  The process enhances development of the final design.  Our clients are as involved as they want to be in each project.  Many of our clients simply trust that we can deliver the home that they desire as they have a very busy lifestyle.  Others are deeply involved in the entire process.  An informed client is a welcome addition to the process but they may require guidance in the complete scope of the process and we welcome this opportunity eagerly.  Our continued communication with the client allows them daily detailed language with everyone involved with their home.  The design and build firm that we’ve developed allows the home and our client constant attention to detail and the delivery of a superb home.

Q: What role of responsibility do you undertake?

KP: The purveyor of vision, the steward of the land, and attaining the confidence of our client is my mainstay of responsibility.  We as a company always put our client’s designs and lifestyle comments above all and not allow even the smallest self ego to enter into the equation of service.  While our pride of simple values and commitment to our work must prevail, we will never put our desire for perfection above our client.  We will deliver the home the client has dreamed of, devoted countless hours to and will inhabit for many years.  We are simply a conduit of creativity and purpose for our client and future homeowner.

Q: Why has your company undertaken the task of building the home?

KP: We have designed homes for many years and have had many excellent results with contractors interpreting our designs and delivering the home that our client and our team have designed to total satisfaction.  We want to make sure the design and construction documents meet everyone's expectations. 

The great architects and designers of the past were also classified as Master Builders and delivered to their clients exactly what was agreed upon.  I am simply following the much greater design and build paths of others.  Each component of the construction process should be well thought out and studied.  Our team constantly is improving on the inspired design and in turn delivers a better more detailed home to our client. I believe that each client and their home must be tended to properly and thoroughly in order for the final home to possess all that we set forth in our initial plan.

Q: The final question; why do you do it?

KP: Simple, I love what I do.  My work is my life.  The passion, the commitment to excellence, the personal approach to the client, these are the things that fuel the commitment to my profession.  I will do this as long as I can.  The challenges of the industry are what make the “fire in the belly” keep going.  Everyday there is a new challenge.  Each client brings a new set of issues and parameters from which to learn and deliver to our clients’ the value of extraordinary customer service.