425
Harpole Architects
WASHINGTON, DC
A passion for architecture and interior design has always driven Jerry
Harpole to produce work that provides a context-derived and special place
for each of his clients. To that end, he founded Harpole Architects in 1987
and has been focusing on custom, high-end residential projects ever since.
He believes that architecture and interior design are inextricably linked,
so he does both—and well. That's just one of the reasons his clients keep
returning to him for second, maybe even third or fourth, homes.
Whether it's an 18th century Georgian design or a 21st-century modern,
Jerry adapts an appropriate style that's desirable to the homeowner and
responsive to the environment. Indeed, it's the variety that really keeps him
interested with inspiration coming from just about everywhere, including
travel and the time he spent studying at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris,
France.
When it comes to his design process, though, he will admit to being more
traditional; a "little bit of a dinosaur." But, in this case, that's a very good
thing—meaning, he creates compelling design sketches by hand for each of
his projects. "Hand drawings give a mood; they seduce the client," he says.
"It's a different experience than what CAD provides; sometimes computers
just don't cut it."
Drawings aside, for Jerry, the most important element of a distinctive and
exceptional design is not so much the style, but how a home and each of its
rooms makes someone feel.
