Welcome To

3 Foreword W elcome to the wonderful world of Camens Architectural Group. I've had the privilege to see up close the development of Marc Camens, from a raw talent as a college freshman to one of the premier residential architects. The ability to create great architecture is truly a God-given talent. It also requires a massive amount of hard work, blood, sweat, and tears. Marc has that gift and a commitment to excellence for his clients. This book is a collection of some of the most spectacular residences in the Lowcountry of South Carolina and the north country of the Adirondacks. Marc and I both attended Kent State University and, beginning in 1969, shared an apartment/work studio for three years. After both of us relinquished athletic careers, we focused 100% of our energy on architecture. We spent thousands of hours together learning the basics of design. We developed, refined, and shared our principles of design many times through the wee hours of the morning. We worked to collaborate on projects, producing endless sketches and numerous models until we were able to produce the ultimate design (at least, what we thought, at the moment, was great design). Another significant influence we shared was spending a semester in Florence, Italy. We studied some of the most renowned architects and many of Europe's finest architecture: St. Peter's Square (Rome), The Duomo (Florence), Notre Dame (Paris), Olympic Village (Munich) and centuries-old cities including Zurich, Paris, Florence, Positano, and numerous others. They all impacted our architectural learning experience. After college we both started architectural firms, Marc in Malone, New York, and I in Dayton, Ohio. We continued to collaborate by helping each other when one of us had an overwhelming workload. Over the last 50 years, we have shared the heartburn that comes with business, the joys of well received projects, the personal triumph and defeats that life presents, and a love of golf having played hundreds of rounds together. Marc's current design philosophy has been a culmination of education, collaboration, and 50 years of striving for continuous improvement. This formed Marc's design philosophy: • Design should embrace the clients' vision and lifestyle. • All designs begin with spatial flow—both horizontal and vertical. • Buildings should be integrated with the site and responsive to sun, wind, and vistas. • Materials, texture, and color provide energy within space. The question I have been asked is, "What makes Marc's designs special?" It is loyalty to his design principles, commitment to the client's vision, and creating a unique home for each and every client. Marc listens to the client's dreams, interprets the dream into architecture, and has that sixth sense of knowing what they want but did not express. The design then is responsive to their lifestyle and personal preferences—this provides the individual WOW factor. It has been my honor to introduce you to Marc Camens and his architecture. My hope is that each and every one of you enjoy this inspirational book as much as I have. Mark R. aes Mark R. aes Mark R Graeser, A.I.A.

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