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Why Barley|Pfeiffer Is Austin's Go-To Firm for Sustainable Architecture: 35+ Years of High-Performance Design

Wed, 02 Sep 2026 20:04:10 GMT

Most firms that claim 'sustainable architecture' today are responding to a market trend. Barley|Pfeiffer was designing climate-responsive buildings in Austin before the term 'green building' appeared on a marketing brochure. That 35+ year head start matters because Austin's climate — 100°F+ summers, Gulf-driven humidity, rocky Hill Country terrain — punishes generic design in ways a newcomer firm simply hasn't encountered enough times to solve well.

Does Austin's Climate Require a Different Approach to Sustainable Design?

Yes — Austin's combination of extreme heat, high summer humidity, and intense solar radiation makes passive design strategies far more impactful here than in milder climates.

Standard green building is often product-based: install efficient fixtures, add solar panels, earn a certification. That approach compensates for a building that still fights its environment. In Austin, where a poorly oriented home can easily face 70+ days per year above 100°F, that fight shows up directly on your energy bill and inside your comfort levels.

Climate-responsive design is process-based. It starts with the specific site — solar path, prevailing wind, topography, existing shade trees — before a single product is specified. The result is a building envelope that does more of the thermal work, so mechanical systems handle less. A well-designed Austin home needs a smaller HVAC system precisely because the building itself reduces the load.

What Does Barley | Pfeiffer Actually Mean by High-Performance Design?

High-performance building design, in this firm's methodology, means three interconnected strategies — passive climatizing, natural ventilation, and sunlight orientation; working together from the earliest design decisions.

Passive climatizing uses building form to reduce mechanical load rather than compensate for it. Deep overhangs block high summer sun. Thermal mass absorbs daytime heat and releases it slowly overnight. Building orientation is set before walls are drawn. These are not add-ons, they are the foundation of how the design begins.

Natural ventilation places operable windows to capture Austin's prevailing breezes and uses stack-effect principles so warm air rises and exits while cooler air enters low. During Austin's long shoulder seasons, spring and fall, a well-designed home can go significant stretches without running the HVAC at all. That also means fresher interior air with lower particulate buildup compared to sealed mechanical systems.

Sunlight orientation takes advantage of Austin's latitude (roughly 30°N). Deep south-facing overhangs block the high summer sun angle while letting low winter sun penetrate for passive heating. This reduces energy demand on both the cooling and heating sides of the annual cycle,a double benefit that a misoriented building simply cannot recover through equipment upgrades alone.

Projects like the Lost Creek Modern show how these strategies combine with a clean modern aesthetic — proving that high-performance envelope design and strong architecture are not in conflict.

Seeing the Methodology in Completed Austin Projects

The Net-Zero Retreat demonstrates what integrated execution actually produces: a building that achieves net-zero energy performance in Austin's demanding climate. Net-zero is only possible when passive climatizing, natural ventilation, and solar orientation are coordinated from day one, not layered on at the end. This project is proof that the methodology delivers measurable outcomes, not just design intentions.

The Hidden Trails project illustrates site-responsive design at a practical level. By reading the hidden natural systems of the site; drainage patterns, existing shade canopy, wind corridors; the design works with terrain rather than overriding it. That responsiveness produces both better building performance and architecture that belongs to its place.

For urban and commercial scope, Central City Elegance reflects how the same climate-responsive principles translate into the city context, where solar shading, ventilation strategy, and envelope performance matter just as much as in a Hill Country residence.

How Does Austin's Seasonal Reality Affect the Design Timeline?

Austin's climate calendar shapes when and how design decisions get made; site orientation is locked in early because reversing it later is costly, not just inconvenient.

A net-zero or high-performance custom home design typically runs 12–18 months from programming through construction documents. The sustainable methodology does not add significant time because the climate analysis and passive strategy decisions happen at the same stage as standard massing and programming work, they are integrated, not a separate green layer appended afterward.

Hill Country sites add specificity: caliche and clay soils, rocky outcroppings, and live oak canopy all inform foundation strategy and drainage design. Rainwater harvesting integration, relevant in a region facing persistent drought conditions, fits naturally into a site-responsive process that is already reading water flow across the land.

Building a Track Record That Certifications Alone Cannot Replace

When evaluating a sustainable architecture firm, the most reliable signals are: years of local practice in your specific climate, a named passive design methodology, (not just product specifications), and completed projects with real performance outcomes. Certifications like LEED are useful reference points, but they are not substitutes for a demonstrated body of work in Austin's heat and humidity.

Over 35 years of continuous Austin practice means the firm has observed how buildings age, how envelopes perform after a decade of Texas summers, and how early design decisions play out in actual utility costs and comfort. That feedback loop is what turns methodology into expertise.

High-performance design in Austin rewards an envelope-first mindset: insulation, air sealing, shading, and orientation are sized correctly before mechanical systems are even specified. The building does more of the work. The mechanical systems do less. That relationship, building over equipment, is the core discipline that separates climate-responsive architecture from trend-following green building.

A firm with this depth of Austin practice can also serve in a consulting role, reviewing projects mid-design or advising developers on performance strategies without requiring a full commission, making that expertise accessible at multiple points in a project's life.

Sustained, place-specific practice produces buildings that perform in the climate where they actually stand — not in a standardized test condition.

Schedule a conversation with Barley|Pfeiffer to explore how climate-responsive design can work for your Austin site.

Achieving the Art of Living Well in Pflugerville, TX Through Refined Design

Fri, 07 Aug 2026 16:36:24 GMT

Achieving the Art of Living Well in Pflugerville, TX Through Refined Design

Achieving the art of living well requires homes that support your daily life through refined design, where every space, material, and system is chosen to enhance comfort, efficiency, and personal expression. In Pflugerville, TX, this philosophy guides the creation of residences that feel both inspiring and effortlessly functional.

How Does Refined Design Differ from Conventional Approaches?

Refined design differs from conventional approaches by prioritizing the integration of aesthetics, performance, and user experience from the earliest planning stages.

Barley|Pfeiffer Architecture's refined design process begins with understanding how you live and what you value most in a home. Rather than applying a one-size-fits-all template, the team develops custom solutions that reflect your unique lifestyle, whether that means creating a dedicated space for remote work, designing a kitchen that accommodates serious cooking, or incorporating outdoor living areas that extend usable square footage. This client-centered approach ensures that the final design feels personal and purposeful, not generic.

Refined design also means paying attention to details that conventional approaches often overlook. Transitions between spaces are carefully considered to create natural flow, material selections balance durability with tactile appeal, and lighting is layered to support different activities and moods. These elements combine to create an environment that feels cohesive and thoughtfully composed, elevating everyday experiences and making your home a true reflection of your aspirations.

What Are the Benefits of Early-Stage Decision-Making?

Early-stage decision-making benefits projects by aligning design intent with technical requirements before construction begins, reducing costly changes and ensuring cohesive outcomes.

At Barley|Pfeiffer Architecture, early-stage decision-making involves setting clear goals for aesthetics, performance, and budget during the initial consultation and schematic design phases. By addressing questions about layout, materials, and building systems upfront, the team avoids conflicts that can arise when these decisions are deferred. For example, choosing high-performance windows early allows the design to optimize their placement for views and daylighting, while also accounting for their impact on energy use and structural loads.

This proactive approach also streamlines collaboration with builders and consultants. When everyone works from a well-defined plan that integrates architectural and technical considerations, construction proceeds more smoothly, with fewer surprises and delays. Homeowners benefit from a predictable process that delivers the home they envisioned, on schedule and within budget, without the stress of last-minute compromises.

Can Design Enhance Daily Routines?

Design can enhance daily routines by creating spaces that anticipate your needs, reduce friction, and support the activities that matter most to you.

Barley|Pfeiffer Architecture designs homes where circulation patterns feel intuitive, storage is abundant and accessible, and rooms are sized appropriately for their intended use. A well-designed mudroom with built-in cubbies and a bench simplifies arrivals and departures, while a thoughtfully planned laundry room with ample counter space and natural light makes chores less tedious. Kitchens are laid out to minimize steps between key work zones, and living areas are configured to accommodate both large gatherings and quiet evenings at home.

These design decisions may seem small individually, but collectively they shape how you experience your home every day. By reducing inefficiencies and creating spaces that support your routines, refined design makes daily life more enjoyable and less stressful, allowing you to focus on what truly matters.

Do Pflugerville's Neighborhoods Influence Design Choices?

Pflugerville's diverse neighborhoods, ranging from established communities to new developments, influence design choices by shaping context, setbacks, and architectural character.

In established neighborhoods with mature trees and varied home styles, refined design respects the existing character while introducing contemporary elements that reflect current performance standards and lifestyle preferences. New developments offer more flexibility but may have homeowners' association guidelines that affect exterior materials, colors, and massing. Barley|Pfeiffer Architecture navigates these constraints by developing designs that meet regulatory requirements while maintaining the aesthetic and functional qualities that define the art of living well.

Site-specific factors such as lot orientation, views, and adjacency to parks or schools also inform design decisions. Homes are oriented to capture prevailing breezes and minimize afternoon sun exposure, while window placement balances privacy with natural light. These considerations ensure that your home feels connected to its surroundings and takes full advantage of the site's unique opportunities.

The art of living well is about creating spaces that feel as refined as they are functional, supporting your unique lifestyle while respecting the environment. Barley|Pfeiffer Architecture's methodology ensures that aesthetics never come at the expense of performance or comfort, delivering homes that exceed expectations in both form and function.

Connect with our Austin studio at to begin your residential architecture project in Pflugerville and experience how proprietary design steps lead to a superior high-performance reality tailored to your vision.

See how integrating building science with sophisticated design from day one ensures your project is as enduring as it is beautiful, and request a design consultation in Pflugerville to explore your options and start planning your dream home.

On the Pursuit of Perfection

Wed, 27 May 2026 20:14:57 GMT

I am an active creative. I actively demonstrate that by bearing new fruit daily. I don’t go to a dusty jar sitting on a shelf and pull out decades old preserved fruit. I actively produce daily the fruit of my creativity. It isn’t a choice, it is the thing that demonstrates who I am. One of the fruits I bear is that of being a musician. It’s the fruit I’ve been producing the longest. It’s taught me I can speak effectively through my hands, not with words but with musical notes. I can tell stories and convey emotion that way. Another is through Architecture. As I began my architectural journey, I realized I also speak through my hands, using drawings and sketches. It’s another form of communication, just without words. It’s how I’m made. I can no more do one without the other. I know that because I’ve tried.

This journey has taught me that I’m not a prodigy (and I’ve known a few in both areas) but if I practice enough at what I want to do, with discipline and consistency, I eventually become a prodigy at what I am practicing. When I get to that place, I move from the mechanics of how to get to the solution, to demonstrating the solutions. We sometimes forget that we all are on the journey of being perfected, spending a lifetime pursuing it, but yet, never reaching it. It’s why you never stop practicing your craft beause it challenges you to be better tomorrow than you are today. The longer you pursue it, the more you understand how much there is still to learn.

I say a prayer daily in my morning devotion- I ask God to give me eyes that see, ears that hear, and to have a willing heart, and to always have a teachable spirit. You want to develop a teachable spirit because as soon as you think you know it all, there will be someone you come across that’s further down the path of perfection than you are. Interestingly, they will feel just as you do- there’s always something yet to be learned for them too, and there is always someone further down the path than they are.

We seek to be masters at what we do, yet there are no masters, only students, at different points along the journey. Once you understand that you never need incentives to get better at what you do. Once you think you’ve mastered something, you realize there are many more levels still to go. You spend your lifetime pursuing perfection ultimately understanding you’ll never fully reach it….in this life. But it becomes your daily work that gives you purpose and incentive. That realization becomes wisdom. It identifies and forces you to accept your mortality because you soon begin to realize there is not enough time to do it all. All that’s left to do is to keep reaching higher and never stop believing you can be better tomorrow than you are today. It’s more than enough to keep you occupied for a lifetime. And that is the journey.

This Sensory-Driven Home Suits a Family of Four’s Needs – Austin Monthly Feature

Wed, 08 Apr 2026 14:33:53 GMT

The five-bedroom Steiner Ranch house features everything from a hair-washing station to a theatre room.

BY MAURI ELBEL at Austin Monthly

When Kim and Tom Hartman moved to Austin almost a decade ago, they found plenty of houses they liked, but not a single home that would suit their family.

“We have two children who have autism, and their needs are very different,” says Kim of their son, now 17, and daughter, now 19. “We ultimately determined that we needed to build a sensory-driven home because we couldn’t find anything that could meet all of our needs.”

After an extensive interview process with multiple builders, the Hartmans found Kelly Wunsch of Capital Construction Company, who helped them build a home that improved the way they lived and provided them with a newfound sense of freedom. “When it came to finding a builder, trust was the No. 1 priority for us because we were going to ask for some unconventional things,” Kim says. “We knew he would bring our vision to life to create our destination home, knowing that our children may be living with us for many years to come.”

Throughout the building process of their five-bedroom, four-and-a-half-bathroom house, which is a four-star- rated green home designed by Barley Pfeiffer Architecture, Wunsch not only understood the concepts that the Hartmans brought forth, but he was able to elaborate on them.

In the laundry room, the builder had the idea of converting a typical utility sink into a hair-washing station complete with a reclining chair to accommodate sensory head massages and grooming. For the Hartmans’ son, who can have difficulties at traditional movie theatres, there’s an indoor theatre room. Their daughter, who loves to be outside but can’t always tolerate direct sunlight, enjoys sitting out on the screened porch or adjacent covered porch.

Prior to moving to Austin, the Hartmans lived in Washington, D.C., and Michigan, so they wanted their new home to have a combination of the best features from each house. Wunsch was able to replicate everything from the ebony-stained white oak hardwood floors and dark wood ceiling beams to the wainscoting on the walls and handcrafted wood features found in the older homes, which helped ease the transition of another move for the kids.

Acoustics and light throughout the home are sensory-driven, preventing noise from traveling from one space to the next and filling the home with natural light without any direct beams or glare. Everything about the design—from the open-concept pantry in the kitchen that accommodates grab-and-go food for the children to the large swimming pool and spa where they can swim freely in the privacy of their own home—has made life more comfortable for the Hartmans.

“It’s not so much that each individual space is all that unique, but together, it really does check all the boxes for the kids,” Wunsch says.

The children have full reign of the upstairs with their own individual full bedroom suites while the flow of the downstairs allows Kim and Tom to be readily available to the kids while creating private sensory destinations for them.

“I’ve never lived in a house where I’ve been able to stand in the kitchen and see every single room in the downstairs,” Kim says, “This house will always be a part of our family’s fabric.”

Barley|Pfeiffer Architecture Receives One of AIA Austin’s Highest Honors

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 14:21:02 GMT

Noted architecture firm wins the 2026 AIA Austin Firm Achievement Award for its innovative climate-responsive approach to design.

Austin, Texas, April 20th, 2026 — Barley|Pfeiffer Architecture has been awarded one of the highest honors the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Austin bestows. The Firm Achievement Award recognizes firms for distinguished service, outstanding contributions, and lasting influence on the local architecture profession & community.

Since its founding in 1987, Barley|Pfeiffer Architecture, the firm, and its team have continually looked for new ways to expand the traditional norms of architecture. As pioneers in the industry for over 35 years, across over 1,100 projects, the firm is leading by example. They have advanced a design philosophy that both innovates and endures, inspiring the next generation to keep these practices alive.

The firm’s founders, Peter Pfeiffer, FAIA (Fellow of the American Institute of Architecture), and Alan Barley, AIA (American Institute of Architecture), have created a process based on each of their unique perspectives.

Peter leverages his “left-brained” building science strategies and expertise to create structures that function exceptionally in their climate and environment, making them not just more comfortable but also more cost-effective to own and maintain.

Alan brings a creative, “right-brained” imagination and talent for on-the-spot ideation and sketching that make for wholly unique, elegant designs with a high level of client collaboration.

That same balance of science and creativity defines every project they approach. For the firm Barley|Pfeiffer Architecture, sustainable design isn’t a buzzword; it’s an innovative process that rejects favoring green gadgets over designing for the climate. They embrace the idea that 90% of a building's success is determined in the first 10% of the design process. Before mechanical systems are even considered, they study sun paths, prevailing breezes, and site topography to work with the climate to create buildings that remain naturally comfortable year-round.

At Barley|Pfeiffer Architecture, its founders and team are deeply involved in bettering the community, elevating their peers, and educating the next generation. They do this not because they want the recognition but because they fully believe that a rising tide lifts all boats. To have a real impact, it must be genuine.

“For over 35 years, we’ve led by example—freely sharing our climate-responsive design methods and better building science strategies with our community. We’re responding to climate change by designing healthier, more resilient structures with a smaller carbon footprint. Climate-responsive design is a luxury worth pursuing.” — Peter Pfeiffer and Alan Barley, Founders, Barley|Pfeiffer Architecture

Their commitment extends to every client relationship, beginning with hand-drawn sketches done in real time, concepts revised until the client feels truly heard. This level of collaborative dedication sets the foundation for relationships that last for decades.

As Barley|Pfeiffer Architecture accepts the AIA Austin Firm Achievement Award, they remain committed to advancing climate-responsive design, investing in the next generation of architects and builders, and sharing what they’ve learned across Austin, across the country, and across the globe.

Photo Credit: CQ MEDIA

Rise and Fall of the Green Building Movement

Wed, 11 Feb 2026 18:21:55 GMT

Join Peter as he discusses the Rise and Fall of the Green Building movement:

“Isn’t what we’re trying to achieve is to make our buildings, homes and communities simply perform better? What about a different approach – that of “Green” or “High Performance” building – BY DESIGN?”

Video courtesy of AIA Houston

Tagged AIA, AIA Houston, Austin Architects, austin architecture, Austin Green Architecture, Austin Solar Panels, Barley and Pfeiffer Architectes, Barley and Pfeiffer Architects projects

Happy Clients make us Happy!

Mon, 05 Jan 2026 14:34:08 GMT

Engaging Barley|Pfeiffer to design our retirement home was one of the smartest things we’ve ever done. The build of our house is far superior to typical construction in our area. More important, though, this house fits us like a glove. Their comprehensive design process incorporated not just our taste, but how we live, from the room flow to the allocation of HVAC components, etc. Living and building four hours from their Austin office was a bit of a challenge, but we coordinated well and they were on site at all critical junctures. The level of detail in the plans and specifications far exceeded what one typically gets, even in a full custom build. This was critical to ensuring the energy efficiency of our home. We’ve been in the home for two years and continue to be impressed with how little we spend to heat and cool it. We highly recommend the team at Barley|Pfeiffer Architecture.

— Debbie Wolf

A Look Back At a 25 Year Old BPA Design

Mon, 15 Dec 2025 18:21:53 GMT

Barley|Pfeiffer Architecture’s core strength is designing high-performance homes and buildings that are beautiful and timeless. Recognized for their attractive design, integrity, and ability to stand up to the elements – they are less expensive to own, operate, and maintain, are healthier to occupy, and are more comfortable to live and to work in.

Our “Comprehensive Design” approach means we engage in all aspects of a project from thoughtful initial project programming and site-planning, to award-winning interior design and kitchens, green building strategies and analysis, mechanical systems design, dramatic lighting design that doesn’t sacrifice practicality and comfort, as well as full construction administrative services. Our scope of work can be tailored to fit the budget, schedule, and specific needs of our clients and their projects. We listen and are flexible.

While we do not have a set style, our projects are designed to “live” particularly well with their site, paying close attention to the site’s micro-climate and setting – all while blending cohesively with our client’s tastes, goals and aspirations. Comprehensive Design blended seamlessly with Innovative Building Science!

Build Small, Live Large: Building less costs less but doesn’t sacrifice comfort

Wed, 12 Nov 2025 17:20:54 GMT

Written by: Alan K. Barley, AIA for the September issue of The Solar Reflector, Texas Solar Energy Society Newsletter

With more than 30 years’ experience, we at Barley Pfeiffer Architecture have been involved in almost every type of residential project imaginable. Designing high-performance homes and remodels is our specialty. To date, we’ve completed more than 450 one-off custom homes and another 250 remodels. We continually look for new challenges and solutions to help people live better, more comfortable lives.

One of the more recent residential building types to emerge is the Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU). Essentially a small house that can be built in your backyard, ADU’s add more accessible housing and increase neighborhood density. ADU’s usually have strict local requirements, so check with your local design professional before starting one of these projects. The effort may be worth it as we have found these small structures to be beneficial to the owner and exciting to design.

Why would a homeowner want to build an ADU?

It can generate additional income. More flexibility can be achieved by using ADU’s for temporary rental space, generating additional income without having to commit to a full-time tenant. Others use the extra space as a home office or overflow living/sleeping space. For our older clients who want to comfortably “age in place,” the ADU will be housing for a caregiver.

For these microcosms of larger homes, we design ADU’s to build small but live large. As architects, we add many features of a regular-sized home into the structure of up to 1,100 square feet, the typical maximum allowable interior livable square footage. Building small means building less and for less cost. But even with these size limitations, there are several design considerations that make these units live large.

One of the most important organizing ideas is to leave as much open space as possible and cluster bedrooms and bathrooms around it. Combining living, dining and kitchen into one space means a smaller footprint for these functions. And because the spaces open up to each other, they feel and live bigger. A full-size sofa, easy chair, end tables, a coffee table and wall space for a TV can be positioned for comfortable living while leaving enough room for a full-size contemporary kitchen with a freestanding island and eating bar.

This open living space, also known as the great room, allows for two full-size bedrooms with wall closets around it and each bedroom having its own adjacent hall-accessed bathroom. This layout makes for the perfect “roommate” unit, beneficial for those homeowners who live in college towns like Austin, Texas. In a current project, we’re building an ADU alongside new home construction to provide the owners with all the advantages stated above. In fact, this client has discussed building the ADU to live in while their new home is being built.

Another aspect of our build small, live large idea is enhanced energy efficiency.

ADU’s numerous benefits would be ineffectual if they consumed inordinate amounts of energy. We strive to make every Barley Pfeiffer Architecture design – big or small, intricate or modest – be highly energy efficient. We believe a home should first be comfortable to live in without using heating and air conditioning. If we achieve that, then the mechanical systems can be smaller due to reduced energy loads. Over its lifespan, right-sized mechanical systems will be more efficient, extending their life and saving money. The homeowner realizes lower initial installation costs and reduced maintenance costs over the lifespan of the ADU.

Most people frequently consider only the initial costs when building a home. At Barley Pfeiffer, we look not only at the initial costs, but also the costs to maintain and operate the house over its lifespan. These costs can be significant, so the more efficient we can be with the design and performance of an ADU, the more money our clients save over time.

Barley Pfeiffer Architecture pioneered several passive cooling techniques to deal with designing projects in our harsh Central Texas climate. We look for cues from homes that were built before the introduction of artificial cooling and heating systems and apply modern technologies to achieve better results. Our Central Texas summers can have several 100+ degree days extending from May through October. How do you stay cool in that extreme heat? Simple: get in the shade!

The homeowners of the 1800s and early 1900s knew this simple concept and built their homes with deep porches and broad overhangs. They strategically placed their bedrooms to allow prevailing breezes to move through, keeping them cooler and comfortable. We do the same thing. Our projects feature roof systems that act as shading umbrellas for the interior, keeping the heat out. Using these fundamental techniques, combined with common sense orientation, specific window placement and tried and true shading overhangs over all windows keeps direct sunlight out. These time-honored passive design techniques keep the inside cool, resulting in greater comfort.

We believe that if you build something, you can build it well even with modest budgets. Designing ADU’s that build small and live large, incorporating region-specific passive cooling techniques that utilize cost-efficient durable materials, yields all the elements for an ADU to live large, be comfortable and maximize the unit’s efficiency for the homeowner.

Article was written and appears on Texas Solar Energy Society.

Some Things Should Never Change Written By Alan Barley, AIA

Thu, 02 Oct 2025 17:17:04 GMT

Written by: Alan K. Barley, AIA

My relationship with drawing and design with has been in me my since my grade school years. I spent a lot of time with my maternal grandparents during that time spending several weeks with them during the summers. My grandmother, Florinda Gallo, was in her own way a gifted artist, working simply in ceramics. She had a kiln in a little shed adjacent to their garage in the back yard. She would craft plates, flowers, and exquisite dolls, and enter them into local craft competitions, and won many first place ribbons for her work. I would accompany her as she picked up supplies. I was always fascinated by the intricate work this self-taught artist would do at a time when you didn’t see many Hispanic women working in the local San Antonio arts and crafts world. But she was an independent lady, did all the driving in the family, and had a tremendous influence on me. I think it was her where I largely inherited my abilities to draw and design.

I also had parents who encouraged me to develop my skills at drawing, and it was something I liked to do. It seemed easy to me. So when moving from Graebner Elementary in San Antonio Texas to 7th grade at Lowell Junior High one of the things I did was enrolled in drafting classes. Mind you, this was 1969, the pre-digital age, drafting was considered a craft that could be applied to many different professions. We started by learning about the drawing tools- pencils, lead holders, sharpeners, scales (a fancy name for a ruler), triangles, drawing brushes, and paper. I had a drafting box with my first set of drawing tools that I was proud of, and we began to learn how to do the most rudimentary things like how to draw lines, measure correctly, and print. We began to learn to draw very simple equipment parts that could be sent off to a machine shop to be fabricated. Things like isometric views, axonometric views, and constructing perspective views fascinated me because there was a very orderly process one could go through to end up with 3-dimensional views of the part on paper, a process which still fascinates me today.

Those were the days of the office supply stores, and I used to love to ride the bus into downtown San Antonio and go to the Paul Anderson Company, the biggest office supply store in town and gaze at the large assemblage of drafting supply equipment. Names of companies like Koh-i- Noor, Keuffel & Esser, Dietgzen, Post, and others, all had their equipment displayed on the racks, pencils, lead pointers, mechanical pencil lead, plastic triangles always seemed to catch my interest. I was particularly fascinated by the 6 inch architectural scales by the century-old K & E (Keuffel and Esser) Company. K&E manufactured some of the best products for architectural, engineering, civil, and surveying disciplines. White plastic with engraved markings, set in a boxwood core, with a cool leather holder, was on the top of my need to acquire list. I finally did get one, but it was decades later when I started to buy them used off of Ebay, unused and abandoned by professions that are all digital now. In fact, the Keuffel and Esser Company went out of business as things went digital in the 1990’s, ending 100 years of providing fine equipment to the industry.

I now have a large collection of “vintage drafting” equipment that I have picked up through Ebay, buying all the pieces that fascinated me in junior high and high school, but could never then afford, now picking them up for pennies on the dollar. I buy them because I still use a lot of those tools today in my work as an architect. In the pre-digital age drafting was a craft, a profession, and you could tell who drew what because one’s signature was their drawing style. The way a person drew their lines, the flourishes, the lettering, all was as distinct as one’s personality. I buy these long-forgotten relics of the pre-digital age to relive the fascination I had with the profession at that time. I still appreciate the “hands on” nature those tools represent, a quality I still want to use in my own work as an architect designing houses and buildings in the 21st century. I think it’s similar to the music on vinyl versus digital, or even more removed from the analog age, streaming, as even CDs are becoming the relics of the 90’s.

I still design by hand, using Keuffel and Esser scales and triangles, handheld electric erasers, horsehair drafting brushes, drafting tape, and sketch on rolls of yellow butter paper. In fact, our firm is one of the few firms in Austin Texas still buying boxes of butter paper rolls because it is the primary medium I design on, and I do it because the “hands on” nature of the process is one I feel makes my design work better. It’s not a computer printing out images that were configured on a screen, but images formed in my mind, sent to my hands that draw the lines on paper that forming the sketches that would become the houses I design today. It’s immediate, and a stream of consciousness, and I think my work is better because I still do it this way.

Its quickly becoming a lost art in this digital age but I’ll still use the process and I’m actively working to make sure it carries on in the younger designers that work under me. It’s the difference between analog and digital and its easy to create digitally extruded forms and shapes through various types of software, bringing up photorealistic images of structures. However realistic it seems, it’s still missing the warmth and soul that results from the immediacy of the mind/hand connection drawing with a fountain pen on yellow tracing paper. Some things should never change.

Alan and Peter at the 2021 International Builder Show

Tue, 09 Sep 2025 17:17:03 GMT

Alan and Peter have been selected to speak at the 2021 International Builder Show about upcoming Design Trends while still maintaining High-Performance building strategies.

“Current Custom Home Design Trends Blended with High Performance Building Strategies” walks attendees thru upcoming trends and energy efficient building strategies.

IBSx Virtual Experience will run from February 9-12, 2021 . Find additional information on registration and times here .

Barley|Pfeiffer Architecture Featured at the 2021 Modern Homes Tour!

Mon, 11 Aug 2025 17:20:53 GMT

Alan and Peter will be discussing ‘Modern Design Trends’ at the 13th Annual Austin Modern Home Tour. This virtual experience will take place on Saturday, February 27th.

Additional information on the tour can be found here!

Use Code BFA2021 for a $5 discount on tickets.

See ya there!

The Origin of Energy Efficiency and Green for Buildings Written By Peter Pfeiffer, FAIA

Mon, 07 Jul 2025 17:20:52 GMT

Written by: Peter Pfeiffer, FAIA

It was the early 1980’s when a group of UT Architecture and Engineering grads challenged Austin Energy on their assertions that the citizens of Austin needed to fund the building of a new power plant to meet anticipated growth and demand. Austin Energy had proposed participation for Austin in a regional Nuclear Power Plant. The group of graduates from UT’s Architecture School – Energy Studies program floated the concept of the “Conservation Power Plant” to the Austin City Council. The idea was picked up and supported by Councilman Roger Duncan. It is hard to get back to a clear version of the truth and some say that Roger was the “author” of the concept and encouraged the young students to “go for it”.

So, “Austin Energy Star” was created to push through enough energy conservation codes and incentives to negate the need for participating in the nuclear power plant Houston and San Antonio were building in South Texas. The program was named after Austin being the capitol of the Lone Star Republic. This concept of “demand side management” became a wild success. Managing consumption of electricity and gas was a new concept that made business and economic sense. This concept was expanded and later applied to Austin’s water issues.

The ideas were flexible and powerful. Bulk waste was choking the City of Austin landfills. Research showed that almost half of the bulk trash came from the tearing down and re-building of houses and buildings. To get the building community to close ranks and adopt additional approaches, the concepts were expanded yet again and applied to the need for minimizing construction / renovation waste. This was a new concept in the early 1990’s. As a result, the Austin Energy Star Program was renamed after the emerging concept of “green” and became the Austin Green Building Program.

This is the story of the beginnings of what set the stage for an international movement that exploded worldwide. Years later, Austin Green Building was duly recognized for this at the 1988 International Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. As Austin’s Energy Star program’s success was catching on, those in Washington at the Department of Energy, negotiated with Austin to use the program’s name – hence the term “Energy Star” went national. The City of Austin never charged for that name transfer. The City of Austin’s program has had incredible impact nationally and worldwide – and these early roots of energy efficiency and green are important to remember.

My point of writing this is to share this good story because many don’t know it – AND MORE IMPORTANTLY – to encourage the mentorship of the next generation of energy and better-building leaders, to pick up as many of us are now retiring. Let us keep this legacy going and growing! I hope to see you soon at International Builders Show, at the national AIA convention, and/or at Ron and Sara’s next Green Building summit.

Barley|Pfeiffer Architecture featured in Fine Homebuilding Magazine! (August-September 2021)

Tue, 03 Jun 2025 16:22:40 GMT

Our Comprehensive Design and Innovative High-Performance Strategies are highlighted in the new issue of Fine Homebuilding Magazine! Check out the article “Energy-Smart by Design” featuring a dynamic Barley|Pfeiffer Architecture residential project. The article reveals the keys to energy efficiency in a hot and humid climate, including building orientation, passive solar design, and a well-thought-out roof system.

Call us today at 512-476-8580 to start your dream project!

“While we hope you enjoy the images you see of this home we did in central Austin, I also hope you notice that we decided to “go public” with the Barley Pfeiffer shading umbrella roof design. We decided NOT to attempt to put a patent on this unique roof system because, at this point in our careers, Alan and I have decided it’s quite fulfilling to “spread the knowledge” around to our building colleagues to improve the North American home.” – Peter Pfeiffer