Our design philosophy at Diederich & Kim Architects is to design on site with the client to produce a building, which will harmonize with the site and fulfill the needs of the client. By designing on site we are able to more fully understand the nuances of the site. We can incorporate the effects of the topography, vegetation, views, and microclimate in our design. By taking all of these things into account we are able to produce a building, which compliments and is at ease with the site, thereby creating a comfortable design for the client.
Once the preliminary design has been done on site, we then refine the design through the use of a 3-D CAD model. By using a 3-D CAD model we can look at the design from an unlimited number of different perspectives. We can explore the effects of different materials and colors through the use of photo realistic renderings and Pan views. We are able to see the effects of both natural and artificial lighting on the design. This allows us to fine tune the roof overhangs and other shading devices to control the natural lighting as we desire. The 3-D computer model is then used to produce the contract documents from which the building is built. This ensures that any changes to the design will be reflected throughout the drawings producing more accurate drawings.
Hermann Diederich received his B. S. with a major in Architecture from U.C. Berkeley in 1975, where he took a design / build class taught by Tony Ward. He did multiple design build projects before continuing on to graduate school to study under Christopher Alexander, famous for his book “A Pattern Language” www.PatternLanguage.com. He received his Masters of Architecture in 1980 from U.C. Berkeley.
Hermann Diederich has been licensed to practice architecture in the state of California since 1984.