Place Precedes Premise

Ever heard the remark, “Context is everything”? The phrase surfaces in commentary about art, theater, literature, society, science, etc.—as a concept, it can apply to all aspects of human existence. Why does the environment around a situation matter? How does context influence outcomes? In some situations, it’s fair to say that context has an inevitable, indelible consequence, in others, accepting or even embracing its influence is a conscious choice.

In architecture, contextual effects can fall into both categories. The context of a building’s local climate necessarily impacts the strategy of its building technology, especially the composition of exterior walls. Conversely, how, and how much, an architectural design should respond to the cultural, historical and societal context of its site has always been an important topic for discussion and debate in architectural critique. Recently, our staff debated the merits of the architectural style of Brutalism (a topic revived by the 2025 Oscar-winning film "The Brutalist") specifically related to its relationship to its urban, campus or rural context and its value to vs. its detraction from its site. And no—we didn’t all agree—so the diversity of perspectives made for a thought-provoking discourse.

What we do collectively agree on is a wholehearted belief in celebrating a project’s context. In fact, we consistently originate our projects’ design concepts in context – such that the building’s form and function are so thoroughly reflective of the client’s mission and its community that it could not reasonably exist on any other site. Illustrating this design approach is the new Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Welcome Center at Niagara Falls State Park, whose built elements frame views of the head of the falls and place the awe-inspiring beauty of the Niagara River Gorge and immense power of the falls at the forefront of the visitor experience. As a new interpretive gateway to this state and national treasure, the center offers direct, restorative and educational route options as visitors move through the various amenities to ultimately reach the falls, enabling each visitor to “choose their own adventure.”