Forbes Best in State Residential Architects 2025
We’re Honored: Frederick + Frederick Named to Forbes’ Best-in-State Residential Architects 2025
We’re thrilled to announce that Frederick + Frederick Architects is included in Forbes’ Inaugural America’s Best-in-State Residential Architects 2025. It is a curated list recognizing the nation’s top architecture firms shaping the future of home design, state by state.
In the midst of rising construction costs, changing climate conditions, and a digital culture often more influenced by filtered images than real-world experience, Forbes’ new program highlights the firms delivering thoughtful, place-based architecture, grounded in climate responsiveness, material integrity, and site-specific design.
A New Standard for Residential Architecture
In developing the Best-in-State list, the Forbes editorial team evaluated more than 20,000 firms across all 50 states and Washington, D.C., using a rigorous multi-tiered system known as the Forbes Architecture System of Evaluation:
Tier 1: General Professional Evaluation: Including awards, educational background, publication history, and overall online presence.
Tier 2: Exemplary Project Evaluation: Assessing a single house completed after 2018 for stability, utility, and beauty.
Tier 3: Evaluation Against Seven Guiding Principles:
Siting and Local Context
Architecture Form & Detailing
Building Materials & Craft
Spacial Configuration
HVAC & Smart Technology
Physical & Psychological Effects
Environmental Appropriateness to Region & Climate
These categories reflect the belief that great houses aren’t just designed, they’re deeply rooted in the landscape, culture, and climate of the place they inhabit.
Why It Matters
At Frederick + Frederick, our work has always been inspired by the vernacular traditions and environmental conditions of the American South. We believe sustainable homes are not a style, but a set of values: responsiveness to the land, resilience to extreme weather, and a seamless relationship between indoor and outdoor living.
To be recognized on a list that prioritizes design integrity, regional appropriateness, and sustainable excellence is both a tremendous honor and an affirmation of what we’ve believed all along: architecture should belong to its place.
Thank you to our clients, collaborators, and community for making this possible. Special thanks to Forbes Sr. Editor Richard Olsen. We’re honored to represent South Carolina on this national stage. Learn more about the methodology here and see the entire list here.
