The skills and experience that is brought to bear by a community of individuals can have a profound impact on the success of a project. Since its beginnings in 2015, Volansky Studio has been committed to welcoming input from all team members on any design project, and the growing firm has had the opportunity to work with many of the bright lights in design and construction throughout northern New England.

Every Project is Unique

Part of that commitment is recognizing that every project is unique. One of the core beliefs at Volansky Studio is the importance of actively listening to the desires of clients and transforming those desires into physical form. When the project is finished, clients recognize their ideas, personality, and desires within the design.

Vermont Mountain Modern

“Many of our clients are either living here or are coming here from someplace else because of the incredible beauty of Vermont and the lifestyle afforded by the Green Mountains,” says Andrew Volansky, principal architect and founder. “Our designs are informed by the way the buildings are used and the activities that they support, whether it is to ski or ride, trail run, canoe, or mountain bike.” Connecting the indoors to the outdoors is important to those who choose to have a home in Vermont. Vermont Mountain Modern is a design style that uses certain strategies to blur the lines between inside and outside.

Mudrooms, screened porches, and outdoor patios with firepits are all examples of design elements that create that connection between a home’s interior and its exterior. The use of natural materials like stone, wood, and metal in their raw forms lend to that ethos by simply being what they are. Strategic and proportional blending of these elemental materials creates a beauty in the architecture with no need for ornamentation.

Multigenerational Planning

“A significant portion of our projects include multigenerational planning,” says Andrew. “Our clients want their homes to be welcoming and to encourage their families to visit.” This means that homes need to function as well with two occupants as they do with a dozen or more. “Looking for thoughtful ways to create efficient spaces with flexibility and scalability in the dining room, living room, and kitchen, as well as looking for overflow spaces that can accommodate additional guests but be useful during quieter times are key to our design work.”

In Tune with the Vermont Climate

Winters are cold and summer months can be hot in Vermont. Passive solar design, where a building’s design takes climate, location, and materials into account in order to minimize energy use, results in a high-quality, energy-efficient building envelope that both retains heat in the winter and protects the interior environment from the heat of the summer sun. Design of fenestration and roof overhangs play an integral part in creating a comfortable home. “We design our homes to have shading in the summer, cross ventilation for cooling and fresh air, and landscaping that shades the south and west,” explains Andrew.

Finding Possibilities in Renovation

With current building trends leaning towards renovations due to limited land availability, Volansky Studio thoroughly explores any project’s true potential for renovation. “Although it can be challenging at the onset to overcome existing conditions, these projects are also incredibly rewarding,” notes Andrew.

 

Communication is Key

“Helping clients understand the process is an important part of our responsibility,” says Andrew. “Throughout the design process, there are highs and lows of energy that resemble those of music.” Some clients find the volume of decisions required by a building project to be daunting. Volansky Studio takes leadership on guiding clients through the process from beginning to end to maintain the alignment of design intent, scope of work, and budget.

“It’s important to follow the project all the way through construction to assure proper interpretation of the construction drawings into built form,” says Andrew. “From the first day that we welcome them into the studio to the day the contractor hands the keys over, we are there to represent our client’s best interests.”

 

Volansky Studio

1815 Mountain Road

Stowe, VT

(802) 793-4999

volanskystudio.com