About Us

Since 2003, Gardner Architects LLC has been dedicated to creating resilient, artfully crafted residential spaces. From innovative net-zero communities to private homes and custom renovations, our practice spans the Mid-Atlantic region—including Washington, DC, Baltimore, and Annapolis—and extends beyond.

We do not believe in imposing a "signature style." Instead, we view architecture as a tailored, specific response to a client's vision and the unique places they call home. Our goal is to design spaces and structures that belong to their surroundings and enhance the daily lives of the people who inhabit them.  Our work has garnered over 50 local, regional, and national awards, and we were named to the Forbes 2025 America’s Top 200 Residential Architects and Forbes 2025 America’s Best in State Residential Architects.  

A Holistic Process

We believe the best architecture is holistic, merging technical performance with modern design. To achieve this, we don’t follow a traditional, linear design process. Instead, we assemble a collaborative team—including energy modelers, structural engineers, landscape architects, and builders—from day one.

By analyzing the building envelope, orientation, and mechanical systems concurrently, we make smart, integrated choices before ground is ever broken, helping us achieve our goal that every home we design operates as a system, delivering durability, comfort, and resource efficiency.

Environmental Stewardship

True sustainability requires looking beyond the surface.  Whether targeting specific HERS ratings, building envelope performance, or working toward fully all-electric, net-zero energy independence, we treat energy efficiency as an essential design parameter rather than an afterthought. Our homes are designed to be healthy, low-impact places that respect both global climate goals and local ecosystems.

Integrating Architecture and Place

Our work is shaped by the unique, often sensitive environments of the Mid-Atlantic, from urban context to delicate watersheds. We treat the boundary between architecture and nature as a place of transition rather than a hard boundary. Our designs often look outward, utilizing concepts like the Japanese engawa—a traditional edge space that bridges the interior and exterior—to foster a continuous connection with the changing seasons.

Whether we are designing a project integrated with a native forest conservation area, a chemical-free biopool, or a reconstructed living shoreline within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, our aim is that the built environment actively supports and honors the living landscape around it.

The result is an innovative, high-performance home that is considerate of its environmental footprint, artfully detailed, and designed to endure.