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Practicality- Every project from restaurant, hotel, residence, multi-family to retail have certain qualities in common.
The primary quality is the intent of the owner. The architecture must serve the purpose of it's owner, whether it is to provide a
comfortable residence, be the stage for presenting fine food, efficiently caring for travelers, or as is the case for most commercial
projects, making an honorable profit on investment.

Another quality of all architecture is the integration of it's systems. Architecture is more than materials. These materials and the
means of their construction provide systems which serve the occupants, and grace the community. Architecture ideally provides
light, circulation, storage, space, temperature, water where you want it, technology considerations, waste systems, maintenance
planning, site considerations, thought for future change, and emotional expression.

A third quality inherent in all architecture is time. Projects generally have a schedule which enhances it's feasibility. Projects may
be planned carefully to extend their life-span. Projects may also be planned to take into consideration the different conditions as
time passes. As well, it is wise to invest a certain amount of frugality, passion, prudence, ambition, and kindness in the design
and construction phases of a project, that these ingredients will continue in architecture as time moves on.

Practical architecture provides for the owner's pocketbook, comfort, heart, and community. Further, good design makes
allowance for the inevitable changes which occur before, during and after construction. The result is living architecture.

Chris Alley has developed Post Decadent Architecture as a sustainable
resource for the 21 Century builder.
This page shows residences in all climates and genres, from California, Vermont, and
Colorado to Asheville NC. Each project has it's own heart and solution, fresh and unique
to the client. All of the Post Decadent work shares a commitment to efficiency and
comfort, with a respect for the climate and tradition of the site. These buildings are a
tribute to the visions of the owner.

Post Decadent Architecture began using passive solar and thermal mass techniques in the mid 1980's. The cutting edge
of efficiency involves analysis and integration of design/construction process. This technique recognises that effective
architecture includes factors of nature and of human involvement. The result is a building that seems to "grow from" it's
site and reflect the intent of its owner. We build to last. Architecture is not a consumer product, it is sustainable.

Creative planning can significantly reduce project costs, while enhancing
the suitability of a project to it's site. Architecture is not limited to ink on
paper, or pixels on a computer screen. The PROCESS of architecture
begins in the clients mind, develops on the project site, is guided by the
architect's experience, built by the craftsmen, and continues through the
years until the site is bare once again. It is a space for human life,
initiated by human dreams.