This is what architecture is all about. The way the environment is put together is potentially one of our most exciting and widespread pleasure sources. Just as a painter mixes his pigments to create a painting and a writer joins words to make a coherent statement, the architect joins materials together in such a way that the combination is much more meaningful than the sum of the individual parts, and by so doing, he may add more meaning to peoples lives.

Good Architecture is about discovery, seeking to know:

• the environment: where it is; the context, the nature, the land,
• the inhabitant: the wants and needs of who is in it,
• the function: how it all needs to work,
• the image: how it shall be perceived,
• the structure: how it stands,
• the economics: the budget, costs, feasibility, and maintenance.

Good Architecture is about experience:

• It is concerned with sequence: how one moves through its spaces.
• It provides contrast and harmony: through variety and simplicity.
• It creates a sense of "place": which invites activity and facilitates activities.

Just outside the village of Assisi, Italy, there is a small mountain hermitage built by the followers of St. Francis. The stones and earthen tile roof caress the earth with a sense of assurance and respect. It does not dominate the environment, but then nor does the environment dominate the hermitage. There is total harmony. The earth is its brother. In the center of the small complex of buildings is a small terrace which is open to the sunlight and a view of the valley below. One feels at peace there. Life is a joy, not a struggle. The whole place shakes hands with you and all of the trivia regarding who did it and why becomes unimportant. We know who did it, it was someone with a twinkle in his eye.

My professional practice, Eugene A. Silva Architect, has been located  in Healdsburg, California since 1984 and has recently expanded to Alberta, Canada. During this time I have sought to enhance the built environment through the practical application of "good architecture" and by listening to my clients needs and wishes. Each project is approached as a unique problem with a unique set of issues and requirements rather than the application of an architectural "style" or current trend. The growth of my practice is based upon an ever increasing list of clients pleased with my sincere concern, quality design, and competent personal service.


My offices are located within the cities of Healdsburg, California U.S.A. and Stony Plain, Alberta Canada. My practice is computerized, utilizing CADD (Computer Aided Design and Drafting) which enables the use of the internet for communication with consultants and clients.

My e-mail address is eas@eugeneasilva.com.