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A lifetime experience to treasure

A lifetime experience 
to treasure

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Fellowship produces the best collaborators

OUR VALUES

Fellowship produces the best collaborators
 
Fellowship
“In our lives and in business the underlying goal should be fellowship.”


Be your best self, encourage those around you to do and be their best —this will always lead to fellowship in which we value each other and naturally make life better for all those around us.”
 
Integrity
Trust, Honor, Prudence — Relentlessly pursuing these core values with integrity is how we and our project–team partners deliver our bespoke service and ultimately our client’s dream home.
 
Balance
AOME balances creativity and pragmatism, budget and schedule, utility and delight to create the fresh ideas that we make into the luxurious homes that bring daily joy to our clients.


“We are curious, perceptive dreamers. We are visionary pragmatists who love to create and make. We are careful listeners and clear communicators that excel at problem solving.  We love what we do.”

 

Making
“We make things for people we know”


Our passion for the making of beautiful, functional, luxurious environments for our clients is what drives everything we do. Fundamentally, architecture is about making homes for people.

 

Value
Our four core values create a byproduct of monetary value. By creating value for our clients, we in turn generate new wealth in our community that benefits a host of others who are paid for their own contributions to that value. New value that wouldn’t exist without the spark of creativity that AOME generates to start the whole process off. 

Frequently asked questions

GETTING STARTED

These are some of the questions that often come up in our conversations with clients — along with our answers, based on real conversations we've had with them before starting off a project. We’re sharing them because we believe they can be helpful as you start thinking about your project.

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EDUCATION & PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND

AOME Architects PS
1992 - present / Full Principal (upon licensure)

1988 - 1992 / Full-time Associate

1986 - 1988 — Co-founder (part-time while moonlighting)

 

NCARB National License in Architecture
2013 - Present (facilitates reciprocal licensing in all 50 states, Canada, Australia and New Zealand)

 

Licensed Architect, Washington
1992 - Present

Able to work in all 50 states, British Columbia and Great Britain
 

Licensed Architect, Montana
2014-present

 

Master of Architecture
University of Washington 1983 - 1988

 

Certificate of Historic Preservation
University of Washington - 1985

 

Bachelor of Environmental Design
University of Washington 1979 - 1983

 

Contact :
MarkE@AOMEarchitects.com

Mark Elster

Managing Director, Co-founder

It is all the layers of little things and the numerous details that distinguish the best designs and often present the bigger challenges…

Philosophy:
There is no doubt that the most important home in the world is yours. Elster relishes the challenge of designing to that high ideal and the very personal journey that client and architect embark on together. On the way, Elster carefully probes the client’s requirements, wants, and needs and those aspects that separate their current and their preferred lifestyle. It is through that journey and the incorporation of these elements that he makes the home truly become yours. With his refined detailed approach, designing your own custom home should be one of the most positive experiences of your life.

Process:
Elster finds that it is relatively easy to satisfy the typical short list of big ideas every client presents — it is all the layers of little things and the numerous details that distinguish the best designs and often present the bigger challenges — solving both simultaneously is what leads to the homes his clients cherish.

Professional Development:
From the beginning, Elster vision has led the firm to achieve ever higher standards of design, both technically and aesthetically, while simultaneously fostering ever better communication with our consultants, clients and the contractors we collaborate with. By setting an ever-higher bar for himself and his colleagues, AOME has earned a reputation for relentlessly striving for excellence. Over time Elster’s role in the firm has emerged as its managing director, leading the firm toward future expansion and growing prominence in the design community.

Personal:
Ultimately, Elster simply enjoys applying his artful eye and inquisitive mind to the creative process and the discoveries that come with each unique project and client. Producing pleasant surprises, uncovering opportunities, solving problems, reassuring and guiding his clients through the potentially intimidating process of designing and building a custom home, while inspiring all the myriad people who will collaborate with him to do better than they’ve done before — all of these aspects and more continue to stir his passion for residential design. When not working, Elster enjoys spending time with family and friends, actively volunteering in the community, and doing things for others. He has numerous hobbies and interests including photography, book making, woodworking, painting and sketching, model ship building, railroad modeling, mineralogy, gardening, mountain climbing, biking, history, movie making, magic performance and teaching, and — very occasionally — sitting around and doing nothing! He takes time each day to celebrate the moments that happen while pursuing all of the above with family, friends and peers alike.

Interesting Personal Projects:
Elster occasionally engages in interesting design and construction projects outside of his professional life, both large and small scale. For example, he built a timber framed roof for his brother, and also works on an on-going kinetic architecture project involving a secret compartment within a fireplace mantle in their home.

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EDUCATION & PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND

AOME Chief Designer -Production

1990 - Present / multiple roles


Bachelor of Architecture

California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California
 

Contact :

WillB@AOMEarchitects.com

Will Beilharz

Title

Quote

Will has been a part of the AOME Architecture team since 1990 and has over 33 years of experience working as a professional architect in multifamily and single family residences.

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EDUCATION & PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND

AOME Project Manager

2022- Present

Licensed Architect, Washington

2004 - Present

NCARB National License in Architecture

2004-Present

Bachelor of Architecture

Washington State University in Pullman, WA

Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies

Washington State University in Pullman, WA
 

Contact:

MichaelK@AOMEarchitects.com

Michael Krause

Project Manager

Quote

Michael joined the AOME Architecture team in 2022 and he has over 30 years of experience working professionally in residential and commercial architecture.

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EDUCATION & PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND

AOME Project Architect

2024-Present
 

Licensed Architect, Washington

2021-Present
 

NCARB National License in Architecture

2021-Present
 

Masters of Architecture

Andrews University in Berrien Springs, MI
 

Bachelors of Science in Architecture

Andrews University in Berrien Springs, MI


Contact:

JoeyO@AOMEarchitects.com

Joey Osborne

Project Architect

Quote

Joey joined the AOME Architecture team in 2024 with nearly 10 years of experience working professionally in high-end residential architecture. 

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EDUCATION & PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND

AOME Admin Assistant

2023- Present

Bachelor of Science

University of Washington, Seattle, WA

 

Contact:

MandeepB@AOMEarchitects.com

Mandeep Bhumber

Admin Assistant

I am passionate about helping others and it's a joy to work with the AOME Team! 

Mandeep is currently on maternity leave with her second child…

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EDUCATION & PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND

AOME Marketing Assistant

2023-Present
 

Bachelor in Communication Science

UBA - University of Buenos Aires
 

Contact

NoeliaP@AOMEarchitects.com

Noelia Pirsic

Marketing Assistant

I'm passionate about communication in all its forms, always looking for ways to promote understanding among people.

Bio Goes here.

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It's essential that your architect truly hears you and resolves issues constructively. Early friction often escalates, so prioritize strong chemistry. The client-designer dynamic is often the deciding factor in a project's triumph.

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