Hi, I’m Paul Reynolds.
I founded Sted out of the desire to help deliver folks with not only beautiful homes but also high-performance homes that focus on health and comfort. Homes at a basic level are simple shelters, but they shouldn’t make us sick or uncomfortable. A healthy and comfortable home is not a luxury - it is the baseline.
Sted comes from middle English, meaning place. Think homestead. We create places that last. Places that provide shelter and comfort, effortlessly. A healthy, comfortable home to protect you and your family for generations.
I am a licensed architect with over a decade of experience in the high-end, single-family residential world, and a decade of experience in construction management in that same high-end, single-family residential world; full understanding of what it takes to design and build high-end homes. I have a strong passion for building science and a curiosity about the built environment that extends throughout my life. I monitor the air quality and utility usage in my home somewhat obsessively, in a quest to keep a healthy and comfortable home, while saving money! I understand not only the science of the systems and components, but I also live with them to understand real world benefits and downsides.
I am a member of American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB). I am a Certified Passive House Builder (CPHB) through Phius, and hold the Build Show BS401 certificate. I’m currently studying to become a Certified Passive House Consultant (CPHC).
The Sted Design Manifesto
These five core principles guide every detail, specification, and assembly we design at Sted Studio.
Expression of Materiality
We prioritize materials expressed as close to their natural state as possible. Unprocessed, durable materials carry lower embodied carbon, age with dignity, and eliminate the synthetic binders that compromise interior environments. We favor lime plaster, solid wood millwork, raw stone masonry, and expressed joinery over composite veneers and synthetic cladding. A home should possess tactile depth and regional identity that is unique to its specific site, not the sterile uniformity of an off-the-shelf catalog.
Carbon Positive Architecture
with zero on-site fossil fuel combustion—eliminating the indoor air contamination, carbon monoxide hazards, and humidity penalties of gas-fired appliances. Furthermore, we prioritize non-petrochemical insulation assemblies like dense-pack cellulose, wood fiber, and mineral wool over standard rigid or spray foams. We design building assemblies that store carbon, while promoting healthy indoor air quality for generations.
Equivalence of Form and Function
Form and function are equal partners; neither is permitted to compromise the other. We reject bloated floor plans and the empty spectacle of cavernous, ill-proportioned rooms that exist merely for square-footage bragging rights. Disproportionate volumes demand excessive operational energy, compromise acoustic comfort, and create dead space. We design proportionally disciplined, highly efficient architecture. True luxury is not gratuitous scale; it is spatial clarity, curated daylighting and views to nature, and exceptional comfort.
Timeless Beauty, Enduring Health
Architecture must outlive the transient whims of aesthetic trends. Chasing disposable interior styles is an irresponsible waste of planetary and personal resources. We engineer structures to endure for centuries, focusing on robust weathering details, low-maintenance materials, and passive resilience. Above all, we refuse to treat occupant health as an afterthought. "Sick building syndrome" is the direct failure of bad building science. We design moisture-safe enclosures and continuously ventilated spaces where wellness is the baseline standard.
Systems as Architecture
Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineering carry equal weight to structural and aesthetic form. In conventional construction, mechanical systems are an afterthought, shoehorned into unconditioned attics or remote corners, causing noisy duct runs, imbalanced airflow, and endless waits for hot water. At Sted Studio, high-performance systems—continuous ERV ventilation, compact high-efficiency heat pumps, and balanced domestic hot water distribution—are planned centrally from the very first schematic sketches. We design the infrastructure to be serviceable, silent, and effortlessly efficient.
