Early concepts
Sketches and layouts that make the possibilities visible.
Savoie Studios / Schematic design & project development
See the solution early.
Give the project direction.
See what’s possible before committing to a direction.
For owners and project teams evaluating possibilities, scope, and direction.
Turn an ambition or a practical problem into concepts and schematic layouts you can evaluate.
Steven Savoie · NCARB · LEED AP · DBIA Professional Meet your advisor ↗
What you receive
Turn possibilities into a direction you can evaluate.
Options to compare
Design approaches with clear benefits and tradeoffs.
Practical direction
Scope and budget considerations to guide the next step.
Deliverables are tailored to the agreed scope.
Concept Design & Project Development
See what early design can help you decide.
Watch Steven explain how concepts and a clear brief help you compare possibilities before making major commitments.
Watch · 1 min 15 sec
See selected examplesWhat can you test before committing?
Bring a difficult space, an ambitious goal, or a property with potential. We turn that starting point into concepts you can evaluate.
Compare layouts, spatial studies, and alternatives against your priorities, budget assumptions, and existing conditions.
Choose a focused concept study or broader project development, with a scope tailored to the decisions ahead.
A collaborator’s perspective / Creativity grounded in your priorities
“He brings exceptional creativity and practical problem-solving to complex design challenges, grounded in the client’s vision, priorities, and budget.”
Reflecting on collaboration with Steven across projects prior to Savoie Studios.
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Creative thinking · Collaborative leadership
I’ve collaborated with Steve Savoie on numerous projects, and what consistently stands out is his ability to see possibilities where others see constraints. He brings exceptional creativity and practical problem-solving to complex design challenges, grounded in the client’s vision, priorities, and budget.
Steve’s greatest strength is his leadership. He brings architects, engineers, and specialty consultants together as one team, united around a clear purpose: accomplishing the client’s goals. He listens carefully, draws on each discipline’s expertise, and guides the team toward an integrated solution that balances design ambition, operational needs, and the available budget.
As a foodservice design consultant, I especially appreciate his ability to connect our specialized knowledge to the broader architectural vision. He creates an environment where partners contribute openly, challenges are resolved collaboratively, and decisions remain focused on what matters most to the client.
Steve makes the entire team better. He is an architect and design leader I trust to turn a client’s vision into a creative, coordinated, and achievable solution.
— Scott ReitanoPrincipal
Reitano Design Group
Reitano Design Group
Reflecting on collaboration with Steven across projects prior to Savoie Studios.
Selected Examples / Prior Experience
From Early Vision to Built Reality
These two projects offer a glimpse into Steven’s broader experience—showing how clear early concepts can guide a team toward a distinctive completed design.
The early contribution: Steven explored learning stairs, a collaborative technology wall, and integrated lighting as part of Performance Services’ design team.
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Prior experience at Performance Services. Steven Savoie: early concept lead designer. Architect of record, project delivery & photography: Performance Services. Not a Savoie Studios commission.
A collaborator’s perspective / From concept to completion
“What impresses me most is how often I can recognize those early ideas in the completed building. His concepts have the depth and conviction to guide a project forward while allowing others to contribute their expertise.”
“What impresses me most is how often I can recognize those early ideas in the completed building.”
Reflecting on decades of collaboration with Steven across projects prior to Savoie Studios.
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Architectural vision · From concept to completion
Working with architects internationally, I see a wide range of design approaches and building types. Over decades of collaborating with Steve Savoie, what has consistently stood out is how much thoughtful architectural thinking is already present in his earliest concepts.
As a visualization specialist, I begin with the architect’s sketches, ideas, and design information. Steve brings a clear sense of proportion, character, and place—along with an instinct for finding a compelling solution to a complicated challenge. Even his first sketches often communicate the idea that will give the project its identity.
That clarity makes our collaboration productive. We can explore the architecture, refine the details, and create images that help clients understand the possibilities and make informed decisions. Steve welcomes that exchange while keeping the team focused on the client’s vision and priorities.
What impresses me most is how often I can recognize those early ideas in the completed building. His concepts have the depth and conviction to guide a project forward while allowing others to contribute their expertise.
Steve has an exceptional design sensibility, but his greatest value is making a strong architectural vision understandable and actionable. He helps the client see the opportunity and gives the team confidence to move toward it together.
— Hans C. JohansenFounder, ONEVIEW CG
Architectural Visualization
Architectural Visualization
Reflecting on decades of collaboration with Steven across projects prior to Savoie Studios.
An industry partner’s perspective / Avon Middle School West
“Steve has a talent for seeing how sophisticated materials can be used creatively to deliver a strong architectural result without losing sight of cost.”
Project credit: Prior experience at Performance Services: Steven Savoie served as lead designer for early concept development as part of the firm’s project team. Architect of record and project delivery: Performance Services. These projects were not commissioned through Savoie Studios.
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Avon Middle School West
Creativity grounded in the owner’s priorities
When Steve was developing the early concepts for Avon Middle School West, our conversations started with what the school needed to accomplish. He brought exciting ideas, but he also understood that every design decision had to earn its place within the district’s priorities and budget.
Steve has a talent for seeing how sophisticated materials can be used creatively to deliver a strong architectural result without losing sight of cost. He invites input, challenges assumptions thoughtfully, and brings consultants and builders into the conversation so the solution benefits from everyone’s expertise.
What I appreciate most is that his creativity serves a purpose. He helps the team turn the owner’s vision into something practical, distinctive, and achievable.
— Eric SpohnView Avon Middle School West project & professional photography
Project credit: Steven Savoie served as lead designer for early concept development while at Performance Services. Architect of record: Performance Services.
Existing conditions / Early vision / Built reality
A New Front Door for Warsaw High School.
The challenge: give the existing entrance a clearer identity and arrival experience. At Performance Services, Steven developed early entrance concepts that the broader project team refined into the completed design.
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Prior experience at Performance Services. Steven Savoie: early concept lead designer. Architect of record, project delivery & photography: Performance Services. Not a Savoie Studios commission.
A strong vision deserves a thorough test.
The aim is to preserve what makes the idea worthwhile while understanding the space, resources, timing, and delivery conditions it requires.
Find new possibilities in existing facilities.
Renovations demand careful early judgment. Test existing conditions, preserve meaningful character, and explore interventions that support a new purpose within the owner’s resources.
Explore the project through six lenses.
Explore service deliverables
Vision & programming
Define the purpose, users, space needs, and operational priorities.
Schematic design & problem-solving
Compare layouts and concepts against your goals, budget, and project criteria.
Scope & resources
Identify existing conditions, project boundaries, and questions needing investigation.
Estimating & budget
Test design options against the target budget and identify key cost assumptions.
Schedule & market
Map decisions, approvals, market constraints, and important lead times.
Delivery & procurement
Compare delivery approaches against your capacity, timing, and desired involvement.
An engineer’s perspective / Integrated early design
“Steve is able to consider how architectural decisions interweave with structural, mechanical, and electrical systems, impact constructability & costs, and ultimately meet the owner’s goals.”
Reflecting on collaboration with Steven across projects prior to Savoie Studios.
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Early concepts · Coordinated solutions
I have had the opportunity to work alongside Steve. He has the ability to understand the clients’ needs, wants, and wishes and lead the design team from ideas into design concepts. Steve understands concepts need to work for the entire project team.
Steve is able to consider how architectural decisions interweave with structural, mechanical, and electrical systems, impact constructability & costs, and ultimately meet the owner’s goals. His collaborative design approach creates early cohesion between disciplines allowing the design team to work together toward the owner’s goal.
This early collaboration is rare. Steve thinks more holistically. He understands that the best early design solutions are the ones that give every discipline a strong foundation to build upon. His ability to lead that process, communicate across disciplines, and develop concepts that can actually be carried forward by the entire team is one of his greatest strengths.
— Mike Billig, P.E.Principal
Advanced Engineering Consultants
Advanced Engineering Consultants
Reflecting on collaboration with Steven across projects prior to Savoie Studios.
Experience that shapes the first decisions
What will you have to work with?
Studies you can discuss with stakeholders, compare against your priorities, and use to plan the next step.
From the agreed study
- A clear brief: purpose, priorities, and preliminary space needs.
- Ideas you can evaluate: schematic layouts and concept alternatives.
- A practical test: budget assumptions, constraints, and investigations needed.
- A path forward: decision milestones, delivery options, and recommended next steps.
The agreed scope defines the studies, estimating, and specialist input your project needs.
You can start before the route is decided.
Bring your ambition, what you know, and the questions holding you back. We’ll identify what to test first and shape a project delivery strategy around the findings.
The values behind the work
A personal commitment to thoughtful design.
Steven’s family legacy shapes his respect for craftsmanship, careful decisions, and the people a place serves.
Meet Steven and explore the studio’s storyAn owner’s perspective / Rushville City Center
Design that builds understanding
“Steve Savoie was instrumental in bringing the Rushville City Center from an ambitious vision to a successful completed project. As the Architect of Record, Steve brought an exceptional combination of creativity, leadership, and an ability to truly understand what we wanted this project to accomplish for Rushville.”
“Steve Savoie was instrumental in bringing the Rushville City Center from an ambitious vision to a successful completed project.”
“Steve has a unique ability to communicate design. He could take complex ideas and make them understandable, helping us evaluate options, build consensus, and make decisions while keeping the larger vision intact. Just as importantly, he understood the realities of delivering a significant public project and worked collaboratively with our team throughout the process.”
“He could take complex ideas and make them understandable, helping us evaluate options, build consensus, and make decisions while keeping the larger vision intact.”
Reflecting on Steven Savoie’s work as Architect of Record for Rushville City Center.
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An owner’s perspective / K–12 education
Clear direction, grounded in the budget
“Steve listens carefully to district leaders and stakeholders, understands what matters most to them, and finds practical solutions to complicated challenges. He has a gift for turning broad goals into a clear project direction while keeping the district’s budget and long-term needs in focus. His creativity, judgment, and ability to guide important early decisions make him a valuable partner in project development.”
“Steve listens carefully to district leaders and stakeholders, understands what matters most to them, and finds practical solutions to complicated challenges.”
How we begin
Start with a focused conversation.
Before an RFP, before committing to a design direction, or when scope and budget need alignment—let’s clarify your next step.
Work directly with Steven—from the first conversation through the agreed engagement.
Let’s talk about your project
Have an idea, an existing facility, or a project that needs direction? Let’s discuss where to begin.