Welcome to Stone Soup 6 Architecture. If you were looking for Beckham Design Group Architects, you've found us. Don't let the new name fool you. We are still the same quality design & service team, we've just scrubbed our faces and are taking the next step. Come on in! Explore Stone Soup 6 Architecture and all we have to offer.
Whole Foods Market - Austin (Bee Caves), Texas
Check out the opening day video over at YouTube!.
For this forty-thousand square foot store our client, Whole Foods Market, wanted to project a strong branding message ... Read More!
Our Philosophy
Stone Soup 6 Architects is a firm built on diverse architectural backgrounds, experience, and creativity with a common goal in mind - to design buildings that move you, not physically, but emotionally. Creating a sense of place based on sound principles(proportions, textures, colors, materials). No artificial ... Read More!
Whole Foods Market
Roseville, California
Stone Soup 6 Architecture designed this Whole Foods Market to be included as a cornerstone and largest tennant for The Fountains development in a suburb of Sacremento.
Both the shell and interior were designed...Read More.
Whole Foods Market
Oakland, California
At approximately 56,000 square feet the Whole Foods Market designed by Stone Soup is a revolution in grocery design.
The new store is located at site of the historic Cox Cadillac building and integrates the original building into the design... Read More.
Whole Foods Market
Reno, Nevada
The design of the Market in Reno was inspired by the peaks of the Sierra Nevada moutains that lie as a backdrop for the store.
With a cooking school, indoor/outdoor fireplace, exterior covered seating and indoor coffee lounge,... Read More.
Whole Foods Market
Austin, Texas
Stone Soup 6 Architecture designed the Corporate Headquarters store for Whole Foods Market in Austin in 2004. The market is located at the base of a 6 story building and includes a stand-alone cooking school with two separate classrooms.
Still the largest Whole Foods Market in the United States at over 80,000 square feet; the store pushed the edge... Read More.
Santa Rosa House
Austin, Texas
The Santa Rosa House was a joint venture between John Beckham and his former employee, Amy Dempsey. The pair each designed a home funded through Austin's low income housing program. Dwell magazine featured...Read More
Whole Foods Market
Chicago, Illinois
Kingsbury Square, a LEED Silver certified market, was openend in May 2009 with a spectacular reception from the public. At 75,000 square feet the store is the third largest store in the chain behind the Austin headquarters and the London store.
Stone Soup 6 Architecture was asked to create an experience never before seen in...Read More
Whole Foods Market
Austin, Texas
Stone Soup 6 Architecture designed the Corporate Headquarters store for Whole Foods Market in Austin in 2004. The market is located at the base of a 6 story building and includes a stand-alone cooking school with two separate classrooms.
Still the largest Whole Foods Market in the United States at over 80,000 square feet; the store pushed the edge of grocery design when it opened. More than just a grocery store we included small cafe's and eating venues around the store to create a shopping experience like no other.
Today the store remains on the leading edge of new ideas as Stone Soup Six continues to try new ideas on small remodels around the store.
Whole Foods Market
Oakland, California
At approximately 56,000 square feet the Whole Foods Market designed by Stone Soup is a revolution in grocery design.
The new store is located at site of the historic Cox Cadillac building and integrates the original building into the design by adding approximately 40,000 square feet of new construction to a the historic structure. A truely unique customer experience has been accomplished by moving the typical perimeter services of a typical market to the center of the store. The design has created a space as interesting as the Architecture of the original historic building.
We encourage you to stop by the store if you're in the area to experience the atmosphere created by this revolutionary design.
Whole Foods Market
Reno, Nevada
The design of the Market in Reno was inspired by the peaks of the Sierra Nevada moutains that lie as a backdrop for the store.
With a cooking school, indoor/outdoor fireplace, exterior covered seating and indoor coffee lounge, the store truly provides a gathering place for the community. At just over 51,000 square feet the market is the largest in the Reno area. The project was constructed by Eric F. Anderson and completed on schedule and budget in 2008 and today remains a sales leader for the company.
Whole Foods Market
Roseville, California
Kingsbury Square, a LEED Silver certified market, was openend in May 2009 with a spectacular reception from the public. At 75,000 square feet the store is the third largest store in the chain behind the Austin headquarters and the London store.
Stone Soup 6 Architecture was asked to create an experience never before seen in Whole Foods by bringing the experiences of many Chicago cultures into the store in celebration of the rich diversity.
We encourage you to stop by and see this wonderful creation on your next Chicago visit
Whole Foods Market
Roseville, California
Stone Soup 6 Architecture designed this Whole Foods Market to be included as a cornerstone and largest tennant for The Fountains development in a suburb of Sacremento.
Both the shell and interior were designed by Stone Soup 6 Architecture. We also followed the design of the 60,000 square foot store with full construction administration services working with general contractor Eric F. Anderson.
The structure was completed on schedule and budget in 2008.
Santa Rosa House
Austin, Texas
The Santa Rosa House was a joint venture between John Beckham and his former employee, Amy Dempsey. The pair each designed a home funded through Austin's low income housing program. Dwell magazine featured the 'blue' house on the cover in March 2007.
Amy has since left the firm and started her own sucessful firm, Studio Robins Dempsey.
Whole Foods Market - Austin (Bee Caves), Texas
Check out the opening day video over at YouTube!.
For this forty-thousand square foot store our client, Whole Foods Market, wanted to project a strong branding message while also remaining a respectful neighbor in the community.
The strict development code of the City of Bee Cave requires articulation (changes in building mass) and variation (changes in finish and materials) to mask the scale of large buildings, yet the client wanted a cohesive building that reflected both the community and their brand. Taking inspiration from Whole Foods frequent use of antique farm trucks in their marketing strategies, our solution was to reference historic Central Texas general store forms that not only evoked the local area, but also provided a ready kit of design elements to satisfy the City's development requirements. The historic detailing also helped the building remain human-scaled; an important consideration because the store is sited in an outdoor lifestyle center with pedestrian traffic on all four sides.
Our Philosophy
Stone Soup 6 Architects is a firm built on diverse architectural backgrounds, experience, and creativity with a common goal in mind - to design buildings that move you, not physically, but emotionally. Creating a sense of place based on sound principles(proportions, textures, colors, materials). No artificial ingredients; pure & natural by design.
Our philosophy goes beyond the simple truth of good design. It embraces an eco-conscience, pedestrian-friendly atmosphere setting the stage for our core values: innovation, creativity, intuition, emotion, & versatility in various building applications. Take for instance grocers, the behavioral pattern for any typical grocer is one of high energy consumption. We at Stone Soup 6 take part in group dialogue to discuss how we can promote & facilitate an innovative approach to offset the energy issue. Thru the use of rainwater cisterns, natural lighting, solar orientation, planting of numerous trees, & the use of natural materials, we can achieve some recognition in regards to providing an eco-friendly environment.
We don't believe in pedigree. We believe in the underlying quality, ability and character of people. In our history we've had ups and downs, and on both ends of the spectrum the quality of our people have pulled us through to the next challenge. All companies are only as good as the talent of those who work there.
Architecture firms are renown for taking talented individuals, sitting them in corners to produce drawings for pennies a sheet. Our philosophy is quite a bit different. Each individual has a hand in every aspect of our projects from its inception, and we expect people to become proficient in all aspects of architectural design and the tools necessary to tell and sell the design.
Every new project creates a spontaneous office meeting where we discuss the project and client and we spend some time imagining what the best possible outcome for both the project and client might be. Then we get to work making it happen.
The heritage of the name of Stone Soup 6 is very dear to us. Mr. Beckham's mother, a wonderful and prolific painter, organized a group of diverse artists that worked together to persue their passions. They called themselves The Stone Soup 6.
It is out of the same passion for creativity and diversity that Stone Soup 6 Architecture has arisen. We eagerly drive forward into a bright future, never forgetting the shoulders upon which we stand on.
An ideal architectural experience tells a story. It can take a person on a journey, express ideas, elicit emotions and reveal knowledge. Here at SS6, we passionately believe this, and as such, it informs everything we do.
Whether it's a campus master plan, a home, or a grocery market, we begin with an analysis of the project context and an immersion into its content. We work with the clients to understand their vision and goals, which inform all decisions from concept to construction.
- + Architecture
- + Interiors
- + Stategic Planning
- + Master Planning
- + Design Consulting
- + Sustainable Design
Building Performance
SS6's architectural design department works integrally with clients and the individual teams during programming, schematic design, and design development.
We believe communication is key in the design process. Each of our projects reflects the unique mission, vision & program of our client.
Building Information Modeling or BIM is, in a root sense, an Architectural database of an entire building. Software platforms such as Revit allow Architects to work in a virtual three dimensional space but using tools that are very natural to our traditional CAD processes. In addition to the three dimensional aspect of the software every element within a drawing contains information about that element. So, if we insert a window into a wall, Revit knows the size, manufacture, price, environmental coefficients or any other parameter you set. The term for this is Parametric Modeling.
Parametric Modeling is the lifeblood of BIM. Architects now have the ability to efficiently analyze the performance of a building from a sustainable viewpoint while comparing the cost between different systems. When our Mechanical and Structural Engineers implement the same BIM software we can now compare similar parameters across the entire building and all of it's functions.
Spaces that our clients rarely even think about typically becomes one of the biggest problems in the actual construction of a building - above the ceiling and in the walls and in the floor. Air conditioning duct work, electrical piping, structural beams create a mind-boggling network of spaghetti that almost always interfere with each other. Your contractor spends time and money trying to work to find solutions with the Architect and Engineers solving these issues. BIM helps to solve this by allowing all disciplines to see each others systems in 3D.
BIM is destined to change the processes of Architecture and Construction in an order of magnitude equal to the introduction of CAD in our industry. Stone Soup 6 Architecture supports the implementation wherever possible to help clients fully understand their buildings even before a contractor is selected. If you'd like to find out more, give us a call or stop by the office.
Sustainable design is more than a process of reducing environmental impact. It is rethinking the relationship between humans and nature. It is a holistic approach that incorporates environmental concerns into the design process from the start. At Stone Soup 6 Architecture, sustainability is an essential part of everything we do. It is our philosophy to design buildings that contribute to human well-being while enhancing the future of our planet. Sustainable design methods benefit society and provide direct financial returns to our clients.
Building Performance
Strategic building orientation and site design, integrated energy system design, careful mechanical system analysis and high performance building envelope design reduces the negative impact of a building on its ecosystem. Sustainably-designed commercial buildings can routinely see a 30-35% reduction in operating costs over buildings designed to minimum code standards.