Hillview Design Collaborative & Building Co.
We make architectural design a team effort.
When Hillview Design Collaborative was founded in 2013, our goal was to create an atmosphere where an architectural design could be realized as a team effort. That teamwork doesn’t end at our door.
We look to you, our client, for feedback from the conceptual stages of design to selection of the final paint colors, and we encourage other professionals to participate in the process as well. If you’ve chosen a builder we are happy to include them in the design process. When it comes time to lay out the structure, plan the HVAC systems or design the thermal envelope, we prefer to bring the right people in early enough in the process so they can have input without moving the design backwards.
Collaboration with your builder can be virtually seamless.
One of the most unique parts of Hillview Design Collaborative is our relationship with the construction side of our business, Hillview Building Company.
We originally branched out as a building company because we found a shortage of local builders willing to take the insulation and thermal envelope of a house to the next level. This also lets us to give our clients a seamless design experience through to the completion of their project. The design doesn’t end when the ink stops flowing. Quite often, the lead contact for your design will also be your contact on the building side. This provides for a continuity of ideas and allows for design opportunities during construction.
Meet the Hillview Team
Ben BushDesigner/Partnerben@hillviewdesign.com
Ben is a Richmond, Vermont native. After studying art and theatre design at Hampshire College in Amherst, MA, he moved to New York City and started a career in theatre scenic and lighting design. In New York, Ben worked on shows on and off Broadway, achieving membership in the United Scenic Artists Union as a set designer as well as teaching design and technical theatre classes as a full time staff/faculty member at Barnard College.
Drawn back to Vermont, Ben changed his focus to the practical art of architectural design and building. In the last 15 years Ben has worked in the field as a design-build carpenter, building several houses with Lee Baughman before joining a local architectural firm as a draftsman and designer in 2006. Since 2007 Ben has worked together with architect Mark Bromley, ultimately co-founding Hillview Design Collaborative in 2013.
John Linn, AIAArchitect/Partnerjohn@hillviewdesign.com
John grew up in Vermont. He studied engineering at the University of Vermont and received a degree in Architecture and Building Engineering Technology from Vermont Technical College. After graduation he spent the next few years in the timber frame industry both as a craftsman and designer.
Following a two-year stint in Alaska, he returned to Vermont where he rejoined the construction industry. He spent a short time as a carpenter before becoming an integral part of an architectural firm. During the next 11+ years he progressed his professional career and completed the architectural licensing process in February 2012. Now he splits his time between the desk and the tool belt.
Lee BaughmanPartnerlee@hillviewdesign.com
Lee grew up in Huntington, Vermont and has spent his entire adult life working on building projects around the area. During those years he amassed a great deal of experience in a variety of areas of the construction business, and gained a keen sense for details and design. His knowledge base and skill set are so broad that he not only does all of our excavation work, he also excels at finish carpentry and cabinet making. His experience is a huge asset to all aspects of the company.
Matt DyerDesignermatt@hillviewdesign.com
Matt graduated from Ohio Wesleyan University in 2002 and spent the next ten years building houses in Massachusetts and Vermont. In 2011 he returned to college, and graduated with a degree in Architectural Drafting and Design from the Community College of Vermont in 2013. He joined the Hillview team that year, and has grown from draftsman to designer and project manager. He brings extensive building knowledge and in-field experience to an already very experienced design group.
Jean LoCiceroOffice Manageraccounting@hillviewdesign.com
Jean joined Hillview in 2016 as bookkeeper and office manager. Her previous work experience in the building industry gives her valuable insight into her work in our office. She is a longtime resident of the Richmond area and a graduate of The University of Vermont.
Carpentry Team
We’ve assembled a close-knit team of carpenters to help realize your new home or renovation dreams. They are a diverse crew of hard-working, experienced folks. Work is hard. We strive to keep it as fun as possible and our light-hearted team does a fantastic job of that.