"Architect Jeffrey Charles Williams merges progressive design with a deep appreciation of a home's surroundings."

By Billy Fox

Although Jeffrey Charles Williams speaks in modest terms about his abilities and accomplishments, as you dig deeper you come to realize that he possesses a seriousness of purpose and a refined vision that arises from firm artistic convictions. His conversations and writings about the meaning of architecture, and indeed the actual body of his own work, convey sensitivity that is rare in a trade often defined by pure functionalism. Williams’ designs transcend mere utilitarianism, provoke thought, and ultimately transform the spirit.

The Foundation

Jeff Williams was initially trained in the Pacific Northwest. He received his Bachelor's of Architecture degree from Washington State University in 1980, and subsequently practiced in the Seattle area. His interest in log and timber frame came only after his move in 1986 to Ketchum, Idaho. Situated in the Sun Valley region, about three hours from Boise, this ski and resort area boasts a relatively large concentration of expansive, lodge-style homes. Williams thus found it natural to explore log and timber frame construction, and roughly a third of his projects utilize these methods.

As a result of shrinkage and settlement concerns in larger log homes, national trends seem to be drifting away from structural log and toward hybrids that combine conventional stick-framing with decorative log accents. This is true of most of Williams’ log projects. The majority of his log homes – whether structural or decorative – utilize lodge pole pine, although he has seen a growing interest in Douglas fir.

Because he lives in a resort area, Williams' commissions tend to be high-end homes. While he has done projects as small as 3,500 square feet, he has also designed homes measuring as much as 14,000 square feet.

The Vision

Williams feels that many architects working with log and timber frame automatically restrict their vision, creating rather derivative homes that express nostalgia for some hazily imagined past. But Williams is continually excited to explore contemporary expressions of rustic homes, and he particularly endeavors to perfect a lodge style unique to the Sun Valley region.

Williams sees no reason that a log or timber frame home cannot use traditional components and refer to time-tested symbols of craftsmanship, while also achieving new and innovative forms. He is a devoted modernist who seeks to expand and challenge with his ideas; at the same time, he is never abrasively experimental for the own sake of making a statement. His homes exemplify a balance between his restless desire to bring something new and personal into existence, and respect for the unique characteristics of the land and the tastes of the community.

The deeply introspective Williams likens the process of creating a home to storytelling – the germ of an idea springs from his imagination in response to the client’s desires, develops into guiding design principles, and as a result his homes continually refer back to unifying motifs.

Williams draws parallels between architecture and music, in that he looks for the underlying form of a design, much like a melody or rhythm helps to create a coherent composition. He considers the initial phases of a design especially vital – those moments of introspection and inspiration when the basic concept for a home is born.

While his work embodies the highest levels of craftsmanship, Williams is aware that craft without artistic vision tends to yield vapid structures that, while very often technically impressive, tend to become hopelessly dated to their particular time. Williams feels that past trends in the Sun Valley area, while often displaying a great deal of skill and craft, tended to emulate a generic, regional style deriving from the darker, Western lodges of Wyoming.

In contrast, Williams tries to arrive at a style that is emblematic of his region while also gently pushing against any limitations dictated by time and place. While he is responsive to the requests of individual clients and broader communities, he believes in pushing the envelope to achieve designs that transcend time. Fortunately, he has found a receptive audience.

"In Idaho, cleanliness is in demand," Williams says. "This is the opposite of archaically busy or cluttered designs. Clients often request simple, large beams and trusses, lots of open floor space, and an abundance of glass to allow for the spectacular views found in South Central Idaho."

Despite his remarkable introspection about architecture, he balks at the notion that he has a grand philosophy of design. Indeed, Williams prides himself on his versatility and adaptability. Regardless of the style his clients request – a daringly contemporary structure, a French or English cottage, or a Craftsman-inspired bungalow – Williams strives for authenticity.

He is also a master at reconciling contradictory imperatives – his clients tend to be younger and have money, allowing them to explore innovative designs, whereas many subdivisions maintain deeply cautious and restrictive philosophies about what is aesthetically appropriate for their communities.

Williams has learned to harmonize these competing dynamics in subtle ways, for instance conforming to local restrictions concerning exteriors while experimenting with proportion and scale in interior spaces.

Customer Relations

Of course, no architect could run a successful practice without placing his clients’ needs first. Despite his unapologetic enthusiasm for modernism, he is always keenly aware of his clients’ needs. He is particularly attuned to clients during the early planning and meeting stages.

While he by no means will forge ahead with his agenda or attempt to steer clients’ wishes to suit his personal tastes, he does admit to trying to entice some clients to go a little farther with their plans than they expected. Experience has taught Williams that if he simply gives clients what they ask for, they are often bored with the design that emerges. Williams is thus an ideal partner for clients who desire some help and guidance at arriving at their final vision – particularly those who are willing to entertain unexpected notions about their dream home.

Williams advises clients to be open to the full range of possibilities in a custom design – "to build for your life, not from a kit or a plan book." Williams has observed that some clients conceive their dream home while sitting in a tract house. "As a result, they unconsciously apply the limitations they see around them, and wind up building what is essentially a tract log house."

But imagining a three-dimensional space in your mind is tough, even for a trained architect, so how can clients think creatively? "Even if you see a design that isn’t your cup of tea, try to appreciate the different ways of interacting with space that it might suggest," Williams offers. "Take tours of homes sponsored by local architectural organizations, and imagine yourself living in the spaces you visit."

Because many of Williams’ designs are vacation homes, he has become adept at coordinating projects from a distance. He keeps in constant communication with his clients, using e-mail, telephone, and digital photos to keep them in the loop.

While he doesn’t automatically do three-dimensional, computerized models for every job, he finds such models especially valuable for conveying the nuances of more complex projects. Elevations are particularly difficult to convey via blueprints or sketches, so homes that are built on plots with dramatic variations of slope are particularly suited to three-dimensional representations. Another advantage to using these models is that changes can be made on a daily basis, so clients whose wishes evolve throughout the life of a project find these of particular value.

Arriving Home

Log and time frame might seem the last type of home suited for groundbreaking design ideas, but as Frank Lloyd Wright demonstrated many years ago, a home can harmonize with nature – looking like an organic extension of the land – while at the same time transforming and revolutionizing our notions of what a home can be. Jeffrey Charles Williams admirably falls into this proud lineage of innovation.