Designer Profile - Jeffrey Gordon Smith

A few years back I saw Jeffrey Gordon Smith’s Japanese Cottage in Sunset Magazine and I was immediately taken by his ease of marrying form and function in his design.  The other aspect of his work that struck me was his use of the elements water and fire.  I have yet to run across a designer who I think uses fire in their designs as well as Jeffrey does.

The Cal Poly graduate and lecturer is a proponent of regional style which he describes in the firms philosophy as “an exploration of the site and specific geographic location in order to find the genius loci, or the spirit of place.”  The results of his dedication to this philosophy are outdoor spaces that appear to be carved out of the surrounding environment.

Working predominately with gas fire pits allows him to place his fire features in closer proximity to users than the wood burning variety.  By building fire pits into table tops and bench seating users get a more intimate experience with the element.  He also seems to play with the ethereal nature of fire by allowing it to pop-up in unexpected places in his designs.