In 1994, Richard Jaffa and son Scott joined their formidable talents to found the Jaffa Group in Park City with the intent of offering custom-designed homes from conception to completion. With construction, architecture, and interior design under one roof, the Jaffa Group works with clients from site acquisition and land planning to initial job costs, design, building plans, bidding, permitting, construction, move-in, warranty, and maintenance
Full Service
There’s no denying the appeal of a one-stop shop. Not only is there the convenience factor, but a firm with a handle on every aspect of building a dream home is definitely appealing to today’s clients. “Yes, talking to clients, we saw the need for a one-stop firm that could globally handle construction, architecture, and interior design with one point of contact and completely integrated service and responsibility,” recounts Scott Jaffa, AIA. “Out-of-town clients especially want an easy and productive experience with no blame-shifting. We offer that.”
“It’s also attractive to our clients that we have such a broad range of experience building custom and spec homes. It gives us a good sense of the market for what clients are looking to build. In addition, we know what things cost, and consequently we can prepare highly reliable preliminary budgets,” Scott notes.
However, clients can pick and choose the Jaffa Group’s services according to their wants and needs. “Clients can ask for as much or as little as best suits their situation. There are many cases where we only do the design or only the construction. Right now, we are working on a project where we are preparing the architectural design and constructing the home, but the client is opting to work with an outside interior designer with whom they have worked previously. We offer consolidated or individual services,” Scott clarifies.
And what are the advantages of one firm doing the entire project? “Our clients tell us they sense the entire house is one vision that echoes through the architecture, faucets, cabinets, and trim,” Scott answers. “There is a wholeness when design is consistent and well-thought through that clients describe as a great sense of being right and centered.”
Design and Build: Natural Partners
The Jaffa Group has completed approximately 100 new homes and significant remodels during its 20 years through the natural design/build partnership of father and son. Richard Jaffa has been constructing fine homes for an impressive 50 years, and in doing so, he has assembled an ability for getting things done and making things work that only comes through experience. With roots in Park City dating back to 1981, Richard also knows the town and its people. Scott Jaffa, AIA, earned an undergraduate degree in design and a master’s degree in architecture, and he had extensive home design experience before joining the Jaffa Group.Both Richard and Scott hold certifications in green building, and they have been local leaders in Park City’s green-building movement. When asked about questions he gets, Scott responds, “There is a common misperception that a green home has a special look. We can design and build a green home tailored to fit the client with any look they want.”
The Jaffa Group’s commitment to raising the bar on design and construction in Park City has consistently been recognized over the years by their peers and professional associations with extensive awards. In turn, Richard has offered his time and leadership as president of the Park City Home Builders Association.
Many of the Jaffa Group’s clients return for repeat projects. Clients also offer the Jaffa Group testimonials as to their positive experience and pleasing results. “It’s who we are and what we do,” explains Richard. “We do our best, and we design and build seamlessly.”
Advancing Design and Outdoor Living
Experimentation and trying to do things better is part of how the Jaffa Group works. “I have been focusing on designs for how we really live, and to me that means thoughtfully designed spaces where functions aren’t duplicated,” Scott explains. “We go through every detail architecturally and during construction and leave nothing to chance.”
The Jaffa Group’s completed projects cross a range of design, and some recent homes have been highly contemporary. “We have been moving toward cleaner, fresher, and simpler, but the home’s design always depends upon the site and the client.”
Outdoor living is another hallmark of Jaffa’s designs. “Our most recent homes have equivalent space for outdoor living, as well as indoor, and we present detailed drawings for this space in our schematics. We are experimenting with ways to remove the visual barriers between the indoors and outdoors with disappearing lift and slide doors and window walls, as well as uniting the space with continuing architectural elements. We are also innovating with steel and concrete inside and out. More constant temperatures are possible with heaters built into the ceiling and walls, which are augmented by fireplaces and firepits. Outdoor lighting is exceptionally important. It must be bright enough to see but dim enough to appreciate the views. We design outdoor kitchens and are also adding features like pizza ovens.”
Another contemporary home on Park Meadows’ bench demonstrates the Jaffa Group’s emphasis on views. It is sited and angled to maximize the views from every room and the living area is in an open plan so that the views across the space can be enjoyed.
This homeowner recounts the family’s experience. “We gave Scott an extensive list of all the elements we had been thinking about for the past ten years. He and his team listened to everything we said and really designed the perfect home for us. One of our primary goals was to have mountain views wherever possible despite the narrow lot. Scott’s meticulous placement of our home on the lot combined with his careful positioning of expansive windows allowed for stunning mountain views from practically every room in our home.”
In response, Scott adds, “The views are what people want when they move to Park City. We must never forget their importance, nor the importance of rooting the home to the land on the site.”
To learn more about the jaffa group, find them on the web at www.jaffagroup.com, or call 435.615.6873 for a consultation appointment.