Vessel Architecture

04/24/2026

The origins of the name Vessel Architecture:

“Hmmm, ‘Vessel’– do you design boats?”

Well, maybe- do you need a boat? And can you pay your bills?

The name of our firm has several roots of origin, ironically having little or nothing to do with seafaring construction.

“Vessel” is a container, or space that contains. Architecture is the creation of space. The word captures both the functional aspect of space and the sculptural aspect of form that we associate with a beautiful piece of pottery.

“Vessel” is an acronym, sort of, from the founding partners' names: Van Winkle and Schwartz. Can you imagine asking some poor receptionist to answer the phone and spit out those names 50 times daily? “Vessel” saves time!

“Vessel” is mentioned in the Bible. We believe that God has sculpted each of our lives in unique ways. Often those of us with the most holes are the most fulfilled. And we do well to remember that none of us succeeds alone.

“Vessel” is a boat. While we prefer to avoid nautical puns, we also understand that one of our most vital jobs is that of helping our clients navigate through the waters of the building process. For many of our clients it is the first time they have been “in this boat”, and we take seriously our responsibility to navigate a safe passage.

04/23/2026

What makes a community space work for everyone?

It’s not about adding more rooms or programs—it’s about designing spaces that feel intuitive, flexible, and welcoming for all ages and abilities.

From better entry experiences to thoughtful seating and flexible gathering spaces, the details matter more than you think.

Curious how it all comes together?
Read the full article in the link below.

Designing community spaces for all ages is often described as a programming goal, but it’s really a design responsibility. It means creating places where a kid, a teenager, a parent with a stroller, and an older adult can all arrive, move through the space, find comfort, and participate, without n...

04/23/2026

Happy Earth Day!
At Vessel, we believe good design and responsible design are the same thing.
We're currently working on a new Assisted Living and Memory Care community in Potomac, Maryland with Harbert South Bay and this project is a great example of how sustainability in architecture is quietly becoming the norm.
Montgomery County, Maryland has some of the most progressive building codes in the country. To meet them, our Potomac project will perform at a level roughly equivalent to LEED Silver not because we're pursuing certification, but simply because the code requires it.
That's a shift worth celebrating.
Energy-efficient envelopes, high-performance mechanical systems, and thoughtful daylighting strategies are no longer "green building extras." They're just good design. And increasingly, they're the baseline.
We create places where people flourish and that means thinking about the long-term health of the people inside our buildings and the world outside them.
Here's to a future where every building raises the bar. Happy Earth Day from the Vessel team!


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04/21/2026

Greater Goods is one of those projects that reminds us why adaptive reuse matters.

Originally built in 1911 as the Laclede Gas Light Company Pumping Station G, this century-old industrial building had serious history and serious potential. Our work with Greater Goods was about giving that legacy a next chapter: transforming a historic structure into a modern, functional headquarters while respecting what made the building special in the first place.

Projects like this take more than good design. They take patience, technical rigor, and the right team especially when you’re navigating historic tax credits and brownfield credits and working within the constraints (and opportunities) of an existing structure.

The best part? When it’s done well, the building doesn’t feel frozen in time, it feels alive again, ready to serve people today while carrying its story forward.

04/17/2026

Day 5: The Finished Building ✨

We’re wrapping up Architecture Week with the final result.

After months of planning, coordination, detailing, and collaboration—the building is real. This is the part people see, but it’s built on everything that came before: the early ideas, the iterations, the documentation, and the teamwork.

Happy Architecture Week. We’re proud of the process—and the people who make it happen.

04/16/2026

Day 4: Construction Administration ✨

For Day 4 of Architecture Week, we’re out in the field.

Construction Administration is where the vision meets reality. Today’s behind-the-scenes moment: a site visit—walking the project, reviewing progress, answering questions, and making sure the work aligns with the drawings and design intent.

We see CA as a true partnership with the contractor, serving the client together.

Clear communication and quick problem-solving here protect quality at the finish line.

04/15/2026

Day 3: Construction Documents ✨

Day 3 of Architecture Week takes us into Construction Documents—the phase that turns design into something buildable.

This is where drawings become detailed and dimensioned. Materials, assemblies, code requirements, and coordination all come together so the contractor can price, permit, and build accurately.

It’s not the flashy part of architecture—but it’s one of the most critical.

04/14/2026

Day 2: Design Development ✨

Now, for Day 2 of Architecture Week, where ideas start getting real.

This is Design Development—walls go in, rooms take shape, and circulation becomes intentional. We’re testing flow, refining program, and coordinating with key partners to ensure the design supports how the building will actually be used.

Schematic Design asks, “What could this be?”
Design Development starts answering, “How will it work?”

04/13/2026

Architecture Week Kick-Off: Where It All Begins ✨

It’s Architecture Week—a time to celebrate the ideas, process, and people behind the built environment.

We’re kicking things off at the very beginning.

This is a schematic bubble diagram—a quick, early study that helps us define relationships before we draw walls. What needs to be next to what? Where are the key adjacencies? How should people move through the space?

It’s not about perfection. It’s about setting the right foundation for everything that comes next.

04/11/2026

Happy National Pet Day 🐾
Today we’re celebrating the Vessel team’s favorite work-from-home coworkers, the ones who keep us company, insist on breaks, and make the day a little better. Swipe to meet the pets of Vessel. Drop your pet in the comment we would love to meet your coworkers as well.

04/10/2026

One of the most important parts of our job is also the part clients rarely see: code reviews.
A beautiful building is great, but a safe, compliant, approvable building is what protects the people inside it and keeps a project moving forward. Code review is where we verify the fundamentals: life safety, egress, accessibility, occupancy, fire protection coordination, and the countless requirements that quietly shape a building behind the scenes.
This is also what separates an architect from I know a guy that can draw that for me.
Anyone can draft something that looks like a building. But doing the work to ensure it functions safely, meets code, supports the intended use, and can actually be permitted and built, that takes experience, diligence, and responsibility.
The irony is that when code work is done well, it’s almost invisible. No one walks into a finished space and says, “Wow, great egress calculations.” And that’s the point. The best life safety planning is the kind you don’t notice because it simply works.
At Vessel, we treat code review as a core part of serving our clients. It’s not a box to check. It’s one of the most valuable ways we protect the project, the budget, the schedule and the people who will use the building every day.