Michael  Harris

My Professional Convictions

The process of creating personalized homes is too often derailed by the loss of design control, unexpected delays, and insurmountable budget overruns. Too often design flexibility and predictability are at odds with each other – seemingly irreconcilable differences.

The disciplined use of refined building systems like the legendary Lindal post and beam building system offer the flexibility required for true personalization and the ability to predict and control cost.  The best building systems offer process, material, and assembly efficiency that enable quality that exceeds cost. When flexibility and efficiency become reconcilable differences, the results are personalized homes that are a joy to live in.

An architect by training and a leader in the manufactured housing industry for forty years, I have dedicated my career to innovating methods to assist aspiring homeowners fashion their living environments to accommodate the details of their lifestyles, simplify the mundane, and inspire reflection and growth. Homes that are flexible and evolve with changing lifestyles and exist in harmony with natural environments they occupy.

Working directly with clients collaboratively and creating homes that celebrate their lifestyles and their natural settings validate my career -long dedication to innovating systems building.  Successfully guiding clients through a challenging process to a joyful conclusion is what I love.

 

 

 

My Experience

Learning

  • Master of Architecture, MIT (1975)
  • Bachelor of Science: Architecture, MIT (1973)

Leading

  •  Lindal Cedar Homes; President and CEO (2007-2010)
  • Deck House, Inc. and Acorn Structures (1973-2006); President (from 1984); CEO (from 1991)

Consulting

  • Connect Homes (2013)
  • MiniHome by Altius Architecture (2012-2013)
  • Blu Homes (2010-2011): Consultant, member of Board of Advisors
  • Lindal Cedar Homes: Developed strategic plan with key managers, staff, and dealers (2006)

Collaborations

  • Independent Dealer: Lindal Cedar Homes (2011-present)
  • The Lindal Architects Collaborative (2010); A collaboration between Lindal Cedar homes and eight renowned regional architectural firms. (creator)
  • Dwell Media: 
    The Turkel Design Lindals for the Dwell Homes Collection (2009)
    The Dwell Homes by Empyrean (2005)

Sharing

  • Host of monthly online prospect webinars (2010-present)
    Lindal Elements and the Lindal Architects Collaborative   
  • Speaker: Dwell on Design  (2012)
  • Author: The Green Guide to Prefab (series of 7 full-length articles) Inhabiat.com (2008-2009)
    Warm/Modern; The Lindal Experience (2011);
    Award for Best Brochure by the Building Systems Council of the National Association of Homebuilders
  • Guest juror and speaker:
    Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture (2009)
    MIT School of Architecture and Planning (2005-2006)

Words I work by:   

“Always conduct your business in such a manner that you never feel compelled to cross the street to avoid an approaching customer”

(Advice from my father, a hardworking small town businessman of few words and many qualities)