William Maclay Architects and Planners

William Maclay has been involved in environmental design, planning and construction since 1971. He has lectured or taught at many colleges and universities. He holds a B.A. from Williams College and a Master of Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania. He is registered in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts, and is certified by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB). He served as the President of the VT Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) in 1994-95. He serves on the board of the VT Businesses for Social Responsibility.

William Maclay Architects and Planners, P.C. is an architecture and planning firm specializing in the design of buildings incorporating energy and resource conservation, optimal indoor air quality, healthy building design technologies, and environmentally responsive land use planning. The firm has received numerous awards for excellence in design and environmental innovation. It is a professional corporation offering feasibility and planning studies, environmental impact and site assessments and permit consulting in addition to standard architectural services. They are located in Warren, Vermont and are experienced in commercial, multifamily and single family residential projects, providing professional services throughout New England since 1981.

Representative projects incorporating environmental design strategies include: interior office designs for an engineering firm in Norwich, VT and in an aquaculture facility near Greenfield Massachusetts; feasibility studies for manufacturing facilities in Bristol and Middlebury; environmental consulting on a school in Salisbury, VT and a mixed use project in Burlington, VT; retail in the historic centers of Hardwick and Manchester, VT; a community health care facility in West Virginia, including community center, planning, landscaping, and garden design; affordable housing and renovation projects in St. Albans, Morrisville, Hardwick, and Wells River, VT; a 103-room resort hotel at Killington Ski Area; and uniquely designed individual residences throughout New England.

Here is a quotation from their web site. We hope you will take a look at the site itself, but these statements of belief illustrate why we felt Bill Maclay and his firm are a good fit for our project.

Our mission is to improve the world we live in. When we build we affect the environment, other people and ourselves.

Design professionals, experts and methodologies have often discouraged a connection to the environment, and participation by average people. This isolated design process has increased the problems, rather than leading to effective solutions.

We are committed to furthering people's ability to affect their environment - to encourage appreciation of what exists and to enhance the environment when new building occurs. Our goal in working with others is to make people more aware of their surroundings, to increase others' capacity to participate in designing the environment around them, and to enrich the environment surrounding us all when we build.

We believe that the following elements are critical to responsible design:

		Environmentally Responsive Land Use: Integrated building design and surrounding land use are fundamental to maintaining a sustainable planet. We can preserve agricultural land, wildlife habitat, and unique areas while maintaining our current quality of life.
		Community Design: Design for social interaction and involvement of interested and affected people in the design and planning process is essential to creating an environment which nurtures people's lives.
		Interactive Design: Client participation, teamwork and careful consideration in all aspects of the design process are fundamental to designing livable and meaningful places appropriate for building occupants.
		Energy and Resource Efficiency: Energy and resource efficiency is conserves natural resources, minimizes cost and provides optimal comfort for present and future generations.
		Healthy Buildings: Sick buildings, inadequate air quality and environmental illnesses are critically increasing problems. Using building materials and mechanical systems which reduce toxic chemicals and are healthy to live and work in is now technically and financially achievable.
		Building Durability: Energy conservation and our northern climate contribute to complex moisture problems causing building deterioration and health issues. Careful moisture detailing is critical to the design of long lasting buildings.