Gary F Harcourt

Gary F Harcourt, Architect

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Born in San Jose, California, Mr. Harcourt grew up in both the San Jose and Southern California areas. He graduated with honors earning a bachelor's in Architecture from the “second to none” architectural school of its time, California State Polytechnic State University of San Luis Obispo. Gary has had the privilege of working with some of the largest architectural firms along the Central California Coast during and after graduation, including RRM who is now nationwide.
Gary settled in a self-designed & self-built home along the Central Coast with his wife Molly and five children. Gary started his own architectural firm in 1981 during the largest recession of its time and grew from a small two-person office to as many as ten with a variety of work ranging from single-family homes, multi-family developments, banks, commercial developments, and an “Iwerks” large screen format theater at the historic Hearst Castle in San Simeon, California.
Gary contributes much of his success to the expanding economy but also to his desire for creativity and design efforts in a highly competitive marketplace. The environment is much different today, but with the same opportunity for advancing and evolution, motivating us to continuously reach for the next sophisticated design of whatever challenge we face.
Tradition and innovation – two seemingly contradictory influences – often contribute equally to the architecture that shapes our lives. Architecture consistently draws inspiration from the past and modifies the original to express a new aesthetic that reflects current ways of thinking. Some of the influences that have had a great impact upon Mr. Harcourt have been great architects and legends such as Andrea Palladio, Frank Lloyd Wright, Richard Landry, Green & Green, Robert A.M. Stern, Bassenian/Lagoni Architects, and Ken Tate; all contemporaries in their time and even today. Their architecture spans generations, which it should – being playful yet with order; being simplistic and sculptural transcending time and place. With an understanding of their work and utilizing today’s technology and building materials, Mr. Harcourt creates up-to-date- homes and buildings reflective of contemporary lifestyles prevalent today.
Gary brings over 35 years of experience and design elegance for any design commission he is fortunate enough to receive. His experience through the years has brought a design philosophy of both past (historical influences) and prophecy (modernism with new technologies) working within the constraints of the site, needs, time, and costs which work together in concert for a truly artistic adventure from modern to classic, we call architecture.

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gfh Architecture, Planning & Graphics is a Central Coast based architectural design firm providing full architectural design and planning services throughout California since 1981.

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PO Box 1370, Atascadero, CA Phone: (805) 466 7674 Email: gary@gfharchitecture.com Web: www.gfharchitecture.com
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