Crisp Architects

There are few words more fitting for the homes of Millbrook-based Crisp Architects than “classic.” From new construction to additions and renovations, the firm’s designs are defined by clean lines, bountiful windows, and more often than not, a graciously sized porch. “I certainly have a love affair with porches,” says the firm’s principal, Jimmy Crisp.

The architect, who lives and works in Dutchess County, originally hails from Texas and Louisiana, where porches were a fixture of daily life. “The back porch on most farmhouses was the place where you sat out and shelled the peas or visited with people who were coming by,” he says. “I spend every day from early spring to late fall on my porch, whether enjoying meals there, sitting on the porch swing, or relaxing and having a glass of wine.”

Crisp’s affinity for the enduring design element was even the subject of his book, On The Porch, which he co-authored with one of his firm’s senior architects, Sandra Mahoney. While porches certainly invoke picturesque memories, according to Crisp, they also play a vital role in protecting the entryways of homes over time.

This type of timeless functionality is at the heart of the firm’s homes, which in addition to upstate New York, can be found in New Jersey, Vermont, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. “My philosophy has always been to respect the vernacular architecture of a region while keeping in mind what our clients are dreaming about,” Crisp says. “Our designs have a respect for older homes while meeting the needs of a modern family.”

Take windows, for example. “Early Colonial architecture often doesn’t have large windows because people couldn’t afford the glass and also wanted to keep heat in as much as possible,” he says. But with advances in technology, came larger styles—resulting in the increasingly prominent role that windows play in contemporary home design. “If our clients want a wall of windows, we’re perfectly happy to do that,” Crisp says.

This kind of flexibility is what lets the firm’s designs navigate the distance between Colonial-style stone houses to modern interpretations of classic farmhouses and rustic mountain lodges. “Over 35 years, we have found that our projects have never become dated,” Crisp says. “We don’t pick up the current fad, and part of that is because we always sweat the details to achieve our clients’ dreams.”      

16 Washington Ave
Millbrook, NY 12545
(845) 677-8256
Crisp@crisparchitects.com
Crisparchitects.com