If there's one possible way the Sierra's natural beauty can be improved upon, it is with stunning architecture. In designing homes and buildings throughout Northern Nevada and the Tahoe region, Reno-based Frame Architecture seeks to enhance this special landscape rather than impose upon it. Rather than peppering the region with cookie-cutter structures, they focus on creating beautifully distinct homes and buildings.
“We create something different for each client," says Jeff Frame, who founded the company 20 years ago. "We don’t resell our plans."
Frame Architecture’s philosophy is to create contemporary yet timeless spaces to ensure that a residential or commercial structure is always in style. In addition to a critical eye toward aesthetics, the architects are cognizant of the flow and functionality of a space. To achieve that, the architects ask their clients a series of questions to gauge how the home will be used. The architects also work with elements of the landscape. Walking the site with the property owner allows the design team to see the views and propose ideas to incorporate natural aspects like trees and interesting boulders.
Frame's in-house interior designers enable the company to be an integral part of the product. The designers work in tandem with the architect on elements such as lighting, appliances, spacing for furniture and functionality. Rest assured the Frame crew is well-versed in designing homes and buildings that will hold up to the record-setting snowfall this region can endure. It’s not just roofing that is important; from a design standpoint, the team is cognizant of where the emergency exits are and if snow sliding from a roof will block doors.
“When you get multiple feet of snow at a time, the person still wants to get inside their house or commercial structure,” Frame says. “The solutions are design issues.”
While Frame Architecture is based in Reno, its footprint extends to the Lake Tahoe Basin and Truckee areas as well as throughout Washoe County and Carson City. Frame and his staff are accustomed to working with various city and county planning departments including the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency.
Now that California has loosened rules for accessory dwelling units (ADUs), more commonly known as granny units, Frame is designing those as well, helping to solve the housing shortage crisis gripping Truckee and Lake Tahoe. “Those are the unique types of projects we like to do,” Frame says.
Frame Architecture also branches into commercial buildings. If you've been to the new Reno Public Market, which opened in January, you've seen an example of Frame Architecture's capability for commercial retrofitting and reinvention. Frame transformed the dated Shoppers Square strip mall into a community destination that mixes retail with a food hall dominated by food trucks with art mixed in as visual stimuli. The exterior also looks like a work of art.
From single-family homes and ADUs to commercial buildings and beyond, Frame Architecture is a trusted source for buildings that fit just right into the local landscape.
(775) 827-9977
4090 S. McCarran Boulevard, Suite E, Reno, Nevada
framearchitecture.com
About the Author Kathryn Reed
Kathryn Reed is an award-winning journalist who has been visiting or living at Lake Tahoe since she was a child. She loves the outdoors – whether it's hiking, biking, snowshoeing, skiing or playing tennis. She is the author of Sleeping with Strangers: An Airbnb Host's Life in Lake Tahoe and Mexico; The Dirt Around Lake Tahoe: Must-Do Scenic Hikes; Snowshoeing Around Lake Tahoe: Must-Do Scenic Treks; and Lake Tahoe Trails for All Seasons: Must-Do Hiking and Snowshoe Treks.
