“I was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, and I feel a deep sense of commitment and connection to this place that I call home. That core-concept of home is what has guided me on my professional journey as an architectural designer; I believe that a well-designed and well-crafted home can serve as the vessel for a life well-lived. Whether you’re creating your dream home from the ground up, or remodeling an existing home to fit your lifestyle, the design phase is when you have the opportunity to shape the daily patterns of your life for many years to come.

I love the process of design. Architecture is the integration of right-brained creativity and left-brained technicality, and every project presents unique challenges and opportunities. I consider it an honor to be entrusted by my clients to help them develop the vision and plans for their homes, and strive to bring enthusiasm and excellence to every project that I work on. 

My design education has been unconventional, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I was raised by a master-carpenter father and a silversmith mother in a gem of a home that they designed and built, and they guided me along a path of applied creativity from the beginning. After graduating with a degree in Environmental Analysis from Pomona College, I spent two years working with Amory Lovins at Rocky Mountain Institute, one of the world’s leading practitioners in energy-efficient design strategy. From RMI, I made my way to Yestermorrow Design/Build School, where I completed an intensive internship, took a huge variety of design and construction coursework, and soon began teaching. As I was in the process of applying to pursue a Masters in Architecture, I was invited to co-design and build my first custom home in Montpelier, VT. This was serendipitous timing, and solidified my path of hands-on education in place of a formal architecture degree. I continued to work as a designer and carpenter in Vermont for a few years under the guidance of a master craftsman, and then moved back to Bellingham, where I spent three years working as the lead design technician for architect Sean Hegstad. In 2014, I transitioned to running Westgate Designworks as a full-time business, and haven’t looked back since. As of 2023, I’ve designed or co-designed well over 100 homes, and still feel genuinely excited about the process.

Outside of my professional work, I’m busy raising my two small children with my beautiful wife and managing our 1-acre urban homestead in Bellingham. In rare moments of freedom, I can be found adventuring in the wild places of Cascadia, making sawdust in the woodshop, or playing music in our home recording studio.”