To respond to the unique opportunities of each client and site, Bates Masi + Architects has developed an approach, rather than a devotion to a particular style. Careful study of the needs of the site and owners uncovers a guiding concept particular to each project. It may be derived from the owner s interests, the site's parameters, or the character of the place. That concept is distilled to its essence, just a few words, such that it can inform the design at all scales, from massing, to materials, to details. The consistency of the concept is evident in the finished product. It imbues even small details and simple materials with meaning, thus making the mundane memorable. The result is an architecture that is cohesive, innovative, contextual, and full of details that delight.

To respond to the unique opportunities of each client and site, Bates Masi + Architects has developed an approach rather than a devotion to a particular style. Careful study of the needs of the site and owners uncovers a guiding concept particular to each project. That concept is distilled to its essence so that it can inform the design at all scales, from massing to materials to details. The consistency of the concept is evident in the finished product. The result is an architecture that is cohesive, innovative, contextual, and full of details that delight. Architecture of Place is the follow up to Bespoke Home, the first comprehensive survey of Bates Masi’s fifty-plus years of work published in 2016. It focuses on the firm’s recent residential portfolio. Using each house as a case study, the book documents Bates Masi’s design process with concept images, diagrams, architectural models, and narratives for each project. This book demonstrates how influences of the physical and historical context, as well as the client, are distilled into a guiding concept for each project. With over 200 pages of photos and drawings of extraordinary second homes, Architecture of Place will appeal to architects and design devotees alike.