Samsel Architects is now Altura Architects
It is with great excitement that we announce Samsel Architects is now Altura Architects. We chose the name Altura for several reasons. The word means height or altitude, and serves as a tribute to our mountain home. It symbolizes our desire to provide a high level of service and inspired design. It also signifies our studio’s commitment to a higher purpose of creating buildings that improve the lives of our clients, our community, and our planet.
Our Values: Family
Our studio has a set of 12 values that are the foundation of our work. Continuing with our blog series that highlights each of the values, today we will focus on Family. “We work in a place where trust and communication create meaningful human relationships. We support each other, we laugh and cry together, we enjoy the challenges of our work together and we appreciate each other. We believe in supporting each other as we grow as humans and as architects.” Each member of our team brings unique strengths and personalities to our studio. It’s important to us that we take the
Our Values: Civic Responsibility
We are continuing our blog series on our studio’s core values. Today we focus on Civic Responsibility. “We stay informed of local, regional and global issues and make time for service to these issues and our community. We are advocates for society’s shared success and believe that one person can make a difference.” 2020 has brought many changes to our studio: we celebrated our 35th anniversary, we transitioned our team to working remotely, and supported our clients in adapting to a pandemic. On November 3th we all have the opportunity to create change in our community by using our vote to
Our Values: Evolution
Continuing with our blog series that highlights each of our studio's core values, today we will focus on Evolution. At Samsel Architects, we thrive on evolution. We spend time during the design process in each project to explore new ideas and push our design, building on our past to push us towards our future. As individuals and as a firm, we value learning in every way. We are most satisfied when we challenge the status quo in our design and in our own lives. We move the bar, play with the existing paradigm, and are unafraid to let go of what
Through the Years: Preservation Projects
2020 marks thirty-five years for our firm. Since our founding, we have worked on hundreds of projects of all kinds throughout the Southern Appalachian region. In honor of the anniversary, we are reviewing the evolution of our projects since opening our doors in 1985. Today we take a glimpse at a handful of our historic preservation projects in downtown Asheville. You can see the previous 35th Anniversary posts here: Hospitality & Education Commercial Residences 1 Residences 2
Our Commitment to Building Community
We know this is the first step of many to come and the conversation cannot end here. We challenge all of our friends and partners to reflect on the power you have to change our world and commit to giving to organizations that are making a difference.
Through the Years: Residential Projects 2
2020 marks thirty-five years for our firm and we have decades of past work that won’t fit on our website. This summer we are digging through our archives and looking back at the evolution of our work since opening our doors in 1985. This is the second installment of our past residential projects. You can see the first installment here. Check back soon for the next installment.
Through the Years: Residential Projects 1
2020 marks thirty-five years for our firm and we have decades of past work that won’t fit on our website. So, this summer, we are digging through our archives and looking back at the evolution of our work since opening our doors in 1985. Today we take a glimpse at some of our past residential projects. Check back soon for even more of our project archives.
Our Values: Discovery
Our studio has a set of 12 values that are the foundation of our work. Continuing with our blog series that highlights each of the values, today we will focus on Discovery. “We love the NEW. New people, new projects, new ideas and processes. Central to our joy are the possibilities we discover every day as we seek out new opportunities to create, invent and innovate.” With each project comes an opportunity to meet new people, explore new ideas and solve new challenges. Every project has a unique set of challenges and deserves unique and customized solutions born through a comprehensive discovery
35th Anniversary: Hospitality Projects Through the Years
2020 marks thirty-five years for our firm. Since our founding, we have worked on hundreds of projects of many types throughout the Southern Appalachian region. This summer, we are reviewing the evolution of our projects since opening our doors in 1985. Today we take a glimpse at a handful of our hospitality and educational projects, from the EcoDorm - the US’s first LEED Platinum certified dormitory building, to a luxe resort in Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains.