Ben Dozier Of Building Roots Reveals How He Gets His Creativity Flowing

Ben Dozier takes a holistic approach to his designs, making sure he understands every aspect of the project — the homeowners, the layout of their property, their lifestyles, and their planned activities for their homes — before he starts thinking about specific design features. "We meet with coffee and we [try to] understand their whole scope: What do they need, [and] how many people are coming to this space? Some are family camps, some are maybe a retirement home for a smaller couple," he explained. "We talk about those high-level needs and desires and goals and dreams. Then, we'll visit the property and walk through that and learn about the surrounding area."

After his initial client meeting and fact-finding, he sets to work trying to envision the ideal design for the project. But it's not a predictable process. "Some nights, I'll spend all night in the barn designing, because I got to get this idea out of my head," he said. But sometimes, just the opposite happens. "It may take me weeks to come up with an idea and my client's like, 'Hey, you got anything yet?' I'm like, 'Nope, don't have anything yet. Wait until it hits, inspires.'"