Meet the Architects Designing Custom Homes in Beaufort, SC for the Lowcountry Climate

We found Beaufort by accident in 1989. One stop was all it took. We fell in love with the architecture, the landscape, the easy rhythm of life, and went home to Alexandria, Virginia, sold the house, sold the business, and moved three months later.

For over 35 years, Frederick + Frederick Architects has designed custom homes for the Lowcountry's hot, humid climate; homes that stay cool through the peak of summer, stand up to storms, and use a fraction of the energy a typical house does.

It starts with a conversation. You tell us how you live, what you need, what you've dreamed of. Maybe it's a porch where you watch the marsh wake up. Maybe it's a kitchen built for a house full of people. Maybe you're stepping into retirement and finally building the home you've been picturing for years.

We don't design for the climate and call it done. We design for you. Your story shapes every detail, and what you get at the end isn't just a house that performs well in this climate; it's one that feels like it always belonged to you..

Let’s start the conversation.

Who Do We Work With

We work with clients building custom homes in Beaufort County, the South Carolina Lowcountry, coastal Georgia, and Northeast Florida. Many are executives and professionals relocating from the Northeast or Midwest to build their retirement home in one of the South's most beautiful coastal regions. If that's you, you're in good company; it's a large part of what we do.

Most of our clients haven't built in a hot, humid coastal climate before, and many haven't gone through the custom home process at all. We walk them through the decisions that determine how a house performs, how long it lasts, and how well it fits the place it's built.

Building, or finally tackling that renovation, is exciting and a little daunting at once. Where do you start? How do you pull it all together? From the moment you reach out, we're in it with you, and you don't have to be local to get started. We guide out-of-state clients through every step remotely, with 3D modeling, virtual reality walkthroughs, and regular site updates with photos and notes, so you watch your home take shape in real time from anywhere.

We listen to what matters to you, then design the whole home, inside and out. Our basic services cover everything built in or attached: cabinetry, lighting, plumbing fixtures, tile. If you'd like us to go further, we also offer interior design, guiding your choices in furniture, drapes, rugs, and art so the finished home feels complete.

Behind the scenes, we handle the coordination: design review board submittals, consultant collaboration, presentation drawings. That's our job, so building your retirement home can stay about the big picture, not the paperwork.

We don't just design buildings. We design homes with soul, drawing on the region's vernacular traditions while building for the future. Our approach is laid out in full in our book, Contemporary Southern Vernacular: Creating Sustainable Houses for Hot, Humid Climates — the same thinking we bring to every project we take on.

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Group of five diverse people sitting at a wooden table during a discussion, with papers and documents in front of them, and a large window with greenery in the background.

Recognized for Sustainable, Climate-Responsive Design

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Our Team

Jane and Michael roll up their sleeves and dive into every project, leading our small, expert team with heart and vision. We make the design process feel less like a chore and more like a creative adventure, always grounded in sustainability and smart design that works with the land, not against it.

  • An older woman with short gray hair, glasses, and earrings, wearing a white shirt and black blazer, standing in front of a gold-colored, mountain landscape painting.

    Jane Frederick, FAIA, LEED AP

    Managing Principal

    Jane is dedicated to close collaboration, ensuring that every home meets its owners' highest aspirations.

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  • A smiling man with glasses, gray hair, wearing a black blazer and gray shirt, standing in front of a gold-colored background with a mountain and tree design.

    Michael Frederick, AIA, LEED AP

    Design Principal

    Michael’s true passion centers on creating sustainable architecture that connects people to their natural environment.

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  • A man with brown hair and green eyes sitting at a wooden table, smiling, with a golden Japanese-style painted screen featuring mountains and trees in the background.

    Tom Rhodes, AIA, LEED AP

    Project Architect

    Tom is a hands-on guy who has always been interested in how things work, and his design-build background makes him invaluable in determining the constructability of our projects.

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  • A man with glasses and long black hair standing in front of a traditional Japanese gold leaf painting of mountains and trees, smiling with one hand in his pocket.

    Benjie Morillo, AIA

    Project Architect

    Benjie strives to push design boundaries when facing program and spatial challenges.

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  • A woman with long brown wavy hair, smiling, wearing a beige blazer and brown shirt, sitting at a wooden table with her hands folded, in front of a yellow and black Asian-inspired mural with mountains and trees.

    Jessica Maffett

    Office Manager

    With an uncanny ability to anticipate and facilitate, Jessica keeps everyone on the same page.

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