Terrapin Architecture

Specialties

«Inspiration!» It’s a word that immediately conjures images for each of us, based upon those ideas, people, places, and things that we admire. It’s an important word for us here at Terrapin Architecture, as it forms the basis for all of our design work.

Terrapin Architecture provides Architectural, Planning, and/​or Structural Design services tailored to meet the needs of your specific situation. We specialize in listening carefully to the needs and desires of you, our clients, and delivering a project that meets your expectations, and is also a beautiful, comfortable, well-​built, and energy-​efficient home or workspace. Our areas of special expertise include energy-​efficient construction, historic preservation, and use of timbers as architectural and structural elements.

The underlying idea behind all our design work is that well-​designed buildings can enrich the quality of life of their users. Our goal is to design a building for you that will still delight you years after the excitement of the design and construction process has gone by.

History

Established in 1997.

In 1997, Richard Berg founded Richard Berg Architects in Port Townsend, Washington. After several years of growth, and projects ranging from custom homes to Port of Port Townsend facilities and a new sanctuary for the Quimper Unitarian church, the firm changed its name to Terrapin Architecture, to reflect our affinity with the architectural forms found in the natural world, and to emphasize that we are a team with combined expertise and talent in design, construction knowledge, timber-​framing, historic preservation, and energy-​efficient design.

Meet the Business Owner

Richard B.

Business Owner

Richard Berg received his B.A. in Architecture from the University of Washington in 1979, participating in the university’s Architecture in Rome program.

Following graduation, Richard joined Ibsen Nelsen and Associates in Seattle, where he worked on projects such as the Museum of Flight and the Inn at the Market. In 1986, he completed his Master of Architecture degree with honors from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, while interning at the firm of Imre & Anthony Halasz, Inc. in Boston.

In 1991 he acquired his Washington State Architecture license and accepted a position as Project Architect with Timbercraft Homes, Inc. in Port Townsend. There he was responsible for the design of all timber-​framed projects, which included houses and commercial buildings. In 1997, he founded Richard Berg Architects in Port Townsend, which became Terrapin Architecture in 2010. The firm’s residential and commercial projects are mostly located in Port Townsend and Jefferson County.