Berkus' custom residences bring to life the personalities and programmes of their clients. Rather than reiterating a signature style, Berkus approaches the design of a home as a collaborative process. Together the client and architect explore the needs, desires and wishes that compose the clients' ideas of home. The design develops from the inside out, as the external form of the building follows the ideal plan of interior spaces, while negotiating issues of site and community. The resulting form becomes a portrait of the individuals involved. Barry A. Berkus, American Institute of Architects, has been at the forefront of housing design in the United States and internationally for nearly forty years. Among his many accolades Architectural Digest named him one of the world's top architects; Professional Builder honoured him as the most innovative architect in the area of housing in the United States; Builder magazine counted Berkus as one of the 100 most influential individuals in the past