At Ballard + Mensua, we believe great architecture begins with respect—for the site, for the client, and for the forces, both visible and unseen, that shape how people experience space. We design with intention, creativity, and humility—whether we’re working on a master-planned dream home, a simple bathroom renovation, or a custom bookshelf.
Who Is the Right Client for Us?
We often hear “I thought you only did large projects.” That couldn’t be further from the truth. We welcome projects of all sizes—as long as you understand the value we bring as architects. What we’re looking for isn’t square footage. It's a collaboration.
We want clients who want our help, who welcome our creativity and value our experience. The best projects—regardless of size—come from engaged, curious clients. Clients who bring ideas, images, and questions to the table. Who cares about the details, gives feedback, and stays involved throughout the process.
When that happens, we do our best work. And the result is a portfolio that spans many styles—Colonial, Arts & Crafts, Contemporary, Cottage—and never feels like a one-size-fits-all solution.
Design Is Listening
One of the greatest lessons Seth Ballard learned from his mentor, Douglas Soe Lin, was:
“Be humble and carry a big stick.”
In other words: be confident, but never let ego get in the way of listening.
Too often, architectural ego can block out a client’s input. We strive to keep the lines of communication open and grounded in mutual respect. The most successful designs are the result of a shared creative process.
The Architect as Problem Solver
Architecture is rarely straightforward. Site restrictions, structural challenges, tight budgets—all of these can feel limiting. But we see these constraints not as obstacles, but as opportunities to innovate.
A structural beam becomes a ceiling cove. A drainage problem leads to a footbridge. A budget challenge sparks a smarter layout. With the right mindset and experience, what seems like a limitation often becomes the most celebrated feature of a project.
Our logo reflects this mindset: thinking outside the box—finding the balanced solution to every design problem.
Earth Spirit: A Deeper Connection to Design
Seth Ballard’s architectural philosophy is grounded in something deeper than aesthetics or trends. As part of his master’s thesis at Tulane, he studied the parallels in ancient design systems across cultures—from Chinese Feng Shui and Japanese spatial flow, to Native American and Celtic earth-honoring practices.
What he found is that good design aligns with natural forces—wind, light, topography, and human movement. Some of this is practical (don’t build at the bottom of a valley), but much of it relates to how energy, or chi, flows through space.
If a home is easy to move through—physically and visually—it naturally feels better to live in. These principles inform every project we take on, whether we’re designing a compact urban addition or a sprawling custom home. They make our buildings not only beautiful, but intuitively right.