Page 102 - SOM Summer 2017

w elCo m e h o m e | build

A REFINED NICHE

C a rlo s D elg a D o b len D s s u s ta i na b i li t y, b a la n C e, a n D relat i o n s h i p s

Photo by Jared Cruce
by Paula Bandy

rawn to the Pacific Northwest’s aesthetic aspects of warm all about the process of getting where and what they want and hav-
woods and sleek modern styling, for Carlos Delgado the ing a good time doing it.” Delgado affectionately jokes that he and
Dinterplay of balance, sustainability, and relationships is what Tom Sager, Senior Designer & Project Captain with the firm since
brought him to the Rogue Valley. 2003, are “playing off each other sorta like Click and Clack. Carlos is
the gas and Tom is the brake.” Together, they constitute a grounded
A native of the Bay Area, he found the “Rogue Valley has a good value creative core. They agree the core is “that you come back to what
of life, family, and outdoors. Underneath all is a common value sys- works—what makes practical sense.”
tem.” He feels it is more relationship oriented than the Bay area.
“The relationships have been a lot more fun and there is more respect Delgado is clear on this when he reiterates about his time in Costa
for things other than just work. People here are advocates for good Rica. “To use what you have. I love this way of thinking about our
projects and having a good life while you’re doing it. It’s more about own designs because we hardly introduce new things to clients;
the whole picture and what is beyond the work.” we just use what we know works and lasts. It comes back to do we
continuously jump onto the ‘new thing’ bandwagon or sit back and
After college in Pennsylvania, where he relished in the centuries observe how it goes. Sometimes we do need to think of things in a
worth of design and architecture, Delgado returned to the Bay area. new way. It’s a creative process, but when we really know something
He spent time travelling as an interior designer for retail spaces in is working we choose to perfect this piece before we go on to some-
malls before he found himself working on a remote B & B in Costa thing else.”
Rica. This he says is where he found much inspiration for his pro-
fession and personal life. “I’ve always loved being informed by the These elements came together in the Upper Oak residence of Rob
natural messengers,” says Delgado. “Our palette, materials, and Sweeney and Shannon Clery. Although early on there was deep
methods were so limited. We used the tools available and didn’t look attachment to a very contemporary design, Delgado says, “Sometimes

100 www.southernoregonmagazine.com | summer 2017