Celeste Robbins

Architect of the Month

Illinois, USA

Illinois based practice, Robbins Architecture, was established by Celeste Robbins in 1995. Celeste and her team work by the clearly defined design philosophy – to shape a home stems from the integral and timeless design principles of proportion, light and materiality.

For Celeste, lying at the design’s essence is establishing how a client imagines their ideal home and likes to live, then unfolding how it should function and feel. A long ‘wish list’ transitions into a composition of spaces given undivided consideration of all design principles. Her resulting designs radiate warmth, elegance and livability.

Including nature into the design process also lies at the core of Celeste’s fundamental design philosophy. Blurring the boundaries between inside and outside, serenity and beauty evolves. ‘Less is More’ wins through as each design is revised until the solution is meaningful and peaceful.

We posed a number of questions to Celeste to uncover her design process and impressive design achievements, and the success behind her strong relationship history with her clients.

Tell us about your practice.

Established since 1995, we are located in Winnetka, Illinois, a suburb about 20 miles north of Chicago on the lake. Currently we are a team of seven full-time architects and our work is primarily residential and boutique office spaces. We are an open office that collaborates, supports, shares and inspires collectively, and each project has a team of one or two people following the design from conception through to punch list.

What type of projects do you tend to work on and where are they generally located?

We have been fortunate to undertake the design and build of a number of second homes for clients. These homes tend to be destination locations with great views and surroundings. Architecture never starts with a blank slate because the site is there to inspire and inform the design. Whether the site is vast mountain ranges, lakefronts or city moments, we create our homes to have an intimate and sympathetic dialog with its context.

Tell us about your design aesthetic and principles. Do you have a signature design?

While our work does not adhere to a specific style, there is a warm and cohesive aesthetic that can be found in each of our homes. Relying on timeless design principles of proportion, light, scale and materiality to guide us, we edit each design until the solution is strong and meaningful.

How do you embrace the individuality of each project?

I believe a project is richer when you absorb the ideas and wishes of each site and client. You need to have confidence in your design ability to accept a direction that is not yours and adjust to design accordingly until it works.

How important is nature and environment in the design process?

Fundamentally important. Nature does not get it wrong. Bring nature into the space, capture its views and blur the boundary between inside and outside and the home will have the serenity, drama and beauty of its context.

How important to you is the relationship between architecture, interior design and interactivity, in creating a unified project?

Critical. It’s one space, one design. The furniture and materials all need to be in sync with the architecture and vice versa. On some projects we’re involved in the interior design, and on others we’ve teamed up with talented interior designers who understand the architecture and have elevated the design with their layer.

Do you think spaces influence how we live, work and play?

A well-designed space can lift your spirit, calm your mind or energize you. This ties back to our goal to connect with nature.

What daily challenges to you and your team face in your Architectural practice?

We are passionate about what we do. We can’t stop until it’s right. The right design, the right detail, the right budget and on schedule. To achieve all of that takes time and energy; so balancing the process of creating and the process of a business takes a conscious effort.

What projects are you currently working on?

We have two new homes in schematic design stage. I love the process of taking a complex list of ‘wishes and wants’ and marrying it with site constraints, weaving it all together, and creating something that looks effortless.

Are you active users of social media in your practice? How do you see social media influencing the design industry?

We use Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest. Social media allows more talented people to be exposed and express themselves. It’s wonderful to have beautiful inspiration at your fingertips.

What is your favourite building?

Bareclona Pavillion by Mies Van Der Rohe, to my eye, is timeless and close to perfection. The complex overlap of spaces is loosely defined yet it never feels chaotic. I also love how the richness of the natural stone patterns celebrates nature’s intrinsic beauty within the modern glass and metal backdrop.

What is the best advice you’ve ever been given?

Trust that you did the best you could, with the information you had at the time.

Can you tell us something about yourself that people would find interesting?

I do have one quirky trait; when composing a shelf with books and pottery I will often throw in an element from the outdoors, like a bird’s nest, a rock, or a dried dragonfly. I like for people to stop and see the natural beauty we have in our daily life. I think when taken out of its context and placed on a composed shelf one is more likely to stop and appreciate the effort a little bird made to pack mud and grass into the shape.

What do you like best about running a small firm?

I want to be on the ground and in the trenches enough to be engaged with each project. I have a talented and passionate team of people who care as much about the project as I do. Architecture is more than design. People are trusting us with a large investment and as a small firm, we can give them the care and attention required. By the end of the project, a home has not only been created but friends have also been made. They know we care as much about their home as they do.

What is your process for truly understanding your client’s vision?

From the initial brief and discussions I try to not get too distracted by specifics and instead understand their vision more broadly. I think the real understanding comes when we present a design. You learn so much putting something on paper that the client can respond to. It’s a process and you certainly don’t expect to nail a design on first pass. I like to think we have the design confidence to adapt the design to any challenge, and the result is usually richer because of it. If you truly believe this, you stay more open to adjust the design. In the end the client feels heard and walks away feeling they have the dream home they envisioned.