Our Philosophy

Designing for Life and Legacy
At TAG, we believe great design begins with listening — to our clients, to the land, and to the spirit of the place. Every project is a collaboration, transforming a client’s dream into a stunning custom design that reflects their individuality and how they wish to live.
Tropical Architect Group
  • Harmony with nature — designs that flow seamlessly between indoors and out.
  • Low maintenance living — so beauty feels effortless.
  • Quality and integrity — from materials to relationships.
  • Innovation and creativity — fresh perspectives for each project, continually evolving.
  • Sustainability — to protect our future generations
  • Joy in the process — because creating your dream home should be as fun and inspiring as living in it.
For us, architecture goes beyond creating structures — it’s about the art of living well in the tropics, leaving a legacy for families that are special and unique for each client to enjoy for generations.

Our Story

From Inspiration to Creation

Our story began with a love for Kauai — its lush landscapes, natural rhythms, and effortless beauty. In 2003, we came here looking for a vacation home that reflected an indoor-outdoor lifestyle and the island’s spirit. What we found instead were houses that could have been anywhere in the U.S. — not tropical and missing the essence and sense of place of Kauai.
Nature Project
In 2004, we fell in love with a secluded 3.5-acre lakefront property on the North Shore, and, despite our roots and family being in Santa Barbara, we decided to move to Kauai, design our own home, and raise our twin boys, who were then only one year old.
We created our dream, blending indoor-outdoor living with tropical modern design — wide open spaces, water features and Zen gardens, outdoor pavilions, and Balinese woods — that celebrated “barefoot living” with the island’s warm, gentle breeze.
The ‘Bali Lani’ was designed unlike anything else that existed at the time and quickly caught attention. Word spread through the “coconut wireless,” and soon our work was featured on local and national luxury magazine cover stories, attracting design inquiries from across Hawaii and tropical islands worldwide. What began as a personal project became the birth of Tropical Architecture Group, Inc. (TAG), a firm rooted in island living, sustainability, and the art of creating spaces that truly belong in their surroundings.

Our Evolution

Designing Paradise, Mindfully

Our Evolution

As our reputation expanded across the Hawaiian Islands and into tropical destinations around the world, our team grew and our travel increased. The work was rewarding, but the pace was demanding. We had moved to Kauai to build a life — to raise our children close to nature and to enjoy the island we loved. We realized that constant travel and long hours were not signs of success, no matter what the revenue.

So, we refocused our practice on Kauai, easing away from projects abroad and on the outer islands. This allowed us to give each client our full attention and stay true to the lifestyle that first inspired our work.

Today, our designs range from Pacific Tropical and Island Contemporary to Plantation and Asian-inspired architecture — always personalized and always in dialogue with the land. Our twin sons, now grown, are studying architecture and business, preparing to carry Tropical Architecture Group, Inc., into its next generation.