The making of place, path and shelter is rooted in the spirit of humans, and is the basis for architecture. Thorbeck Architects believe architecture is more than building and focuses on the making of places, through a participatory process that helps people connect with their environment. It is the strength of these connections – natural, cultural and historical – that measures the success of the architecture. 

To Dewey Thorbeck, the spirit of a place exists in the feelings that people generate about it. Without people there would be no architecture. A beautiful building can evoke an emotional response, but a beautiful building that is part of nature is poetic.