Written by: Geoff Nudelman
Although Eric Payne and his team move at three, four, even five times the average pace of a similar architecture firm, it would be a mistake to misjudge that pace at the sacrifice of precision. Eric, a co-founder of Payne Cole Designs, always has speed top of mind. When he and architect Nic Cole started the firm in 2023, they knew they had a treasure trove of potential in a shared affinity to integrate technology into parts of the architectural design process that were archaic and slow. They both came from technology backgrounds, so there was a natural progression of using that mindset to supercharge the tradition and the entire journey of luxury of home design.
How Payne Cole Designs goes from idea to breaking ground in record time
Where other architectural firms may take 12 to 18 months to deliver a complete and approved set of construction drawings and mediocre renderings for a luxury home, Payne Cole Designs can create a far more inclusive set of construction drawings combined with a visual package of the project in just five to six months.
“Our ability to be more creative and offer what we do is more of a secret recipe (of existing technology) than anything else,” Eric says. “We also focus on process-driven design with the very best talent in every category.”
“OUR ABILITY TO BE MORE CREATIVE AND OFFER WHAT WE DO IS MORE OF A SECRET RECIPE (OF EXISTING TECHNOLOGY) THAN ANYTHING ELSE.”
A Quick Start Philosophy
When Payne Cole architects meet with clients, they can often begin renderings almost immediately following the first few meetings. They’ll take the impetus of what the client wants and power it to life using structural animations that really bring the living potential of the future home front and center, something that Eric says is a strategic advantage, both for the firm and the homeowner.
“Where the traditional process is somewhat antiquated and relies on tools that are difficult to visualize for the client, we utilize in-house rendering capabilities and animation technology that translates into a much more powerful visual delivery,” Eric explains. “This allows us to speed things up and show the clients how the design can fit their family much sooner in the process.”
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A faster design process serves multiple purposes: contractors can begin reviewing “bid sets” (nearly final designs) and scope out project needs sooner, and the final blueprints often achieve quicker approvals from local municipalities and permitting departments. The latter hurdle is often one of the lengthier obstacles in the homebuilding journey.
Eric says that with faster client approval and a richer, more interactive blueprint, they can get final signoff in weeks rather than months, rapidly speeding up the time it takes to get to first dig.
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Moving with Trends
A faster design process also helps the larger team keep up with changes in taste and trend cycles.
Eric says that he’s noticing clients beginning to move away from modern, “cold” designs in the mountain locales, welcoming back beloved home construction synonymous with the regions.
In Park City, for example, he cites a “real turn in demand” for homes with the classic mountain style stocked with luxury features and open living. Climate-focused features aren’t as popular as they once were, but he says that certain cities are now asking for integrations to make homes more efficient and climate change-ready such as utilizing water runoff.
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“We have systems and teams dialed in to incorporate all of that,” he adds.
Clients are also still looking for wellness features in their mountain homes that rival the spa and fitness facilities they may visit elsewhere: larger pools and full gyms giving way to more open family living areas.
Much of this has come to life through two recent projects.
“WHERE THE TRADITIONAL PROCESS IS SOMEWHAT ANTIQUATED AND RELIES ON TOOLS THAT ARE DIFFICULT TO VISUALIZE FOR THE CLIENT, WE UTILIZE IN HOUSE RENDERING CAPABILITIES AND ANIMATION TECHNOLOGY THAT TRANSLATES INTO A MUCH MORE POWERFUL VISUAL DELIVERY. THIS ALLOWS US TO SPEED THINGS UP AND SHOW THE CLIENTS HOW THE DESIGN CAN FIT THEIR FAMILY MUCH SOONER IN THE PROCESS.“
The first was crafted on what Eric calls “the most exclusive ski lot in the West,” situated near the top of the ski trails in The Colony at White Pine Canyon ski-in, ski-out development. His team had a clean slate to build a large home on a 15-acre ridge nestled within Utah mountain forest among the backdrop of the Wasatch Range. The challenge was that the client needed to break ground within six months, catapulting the pace of a project that would normally take two years before a shovel ever hit earth.
The 37,374-square-foot home is certainly a demonstration of the Payne Cole team’s potential and capacity. The luxury custom project is being built to support all of the future owner’s hobbies and passions. It includes a 9,200-square-foot theater with four rows of seating, a lap pool that follows the curvature of the home’s exterior for more than half its length, dedicated shop and maintenance space separate from a large garage, and a spa and fitness suite complete with a sauna and massage rooms. Plans for the home also include a hotel-like “ski lounge” that brings new meaning to what a “ski room” can be after a day on the slopes.
“Not only did we need to account for the challenging site, at one of the highest residential elevations in Park City, but we needed to design a residence that felt like a ski lodge,” he says. “It had to capitalize on the unequalled ski trail access while making the most of the amazing views from every room.”
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It’s fair to say Eric’s team did just that: the most recent renderings show a residence that rivals the most luxurious of ski lodges with no feature left unrefined and no stone unturned in what will surely be a year-round retreat for its future owners.
Over in Marion, Montana, just west of Kalispell, a northern California client came to Eric Cole with little idea of what they wanted, but with the scope of a large lot with few restrictions. Eric says that through the firm’s design and tech prowess, they were able to have full renderings done and approved after only three meetings, and to launch groundbreaking within five months.
The final product was a 7,050-square-foot home that defines quintessential modern mountain living. The residence uses muted colors and soft woods to blend into its surroundings and creates a refined, elegant sense of family life. Of special note in this residence are all of the windows that let the Flathead light in. The architectural team utilized walls of glass as a design feature that creates as much aesthetic appeal as it does functionality. It includes a large entertaining kitchen, separate guest suites, and a welcoming primary bathroom that feels like a getaway all its own.
“NOT ONLY DID WE NEED TO ACCOUNT FOR THE CHALLENGING SITE, AT ONE OF THE HIGHEST RESIDENTIAL ELEVATIONS IN PARK CITY, BUT WE NEEDED TO DESIGN A RESIDENCE THAT FELT LIKE A SKI LODGE.“
Perhaps the only thing matching the speed at which Payne Cole produces renderings and approvals is the company’s own growth rate. What initially started as a single office in Whitefish now includes an office in Missoula and another in Park City. An increase in demand for Arizona projects has inspired Payne Cole Designs to open its first office outside a mountain town in Paradise Valley, near the high-end hub of Scottsdale. Eric expects that some of the design and style trends he’s seeing in current projects will transfer easily to Scottsdale’s urban footprint. The days of stark, angular modern frameworks are winding down, and clients are refocusing towards softer and more timeless looks that suggest less of a time period and more generational, timeless living. Scottsdale remains a vibrant hub of luxury real estate activity as the larger Phoenix metropolitan area continues to see annual growth, now ranking in the top five of cities by size according to the latest available U.S. Census figures.
Part of Scottsdale’s legacy includes large lots that were originally scoped decades ago and retain desirability with luxury home buyers who want to keep some of the mid-century designs or do a significant renovation.
“Most of the homes we’re working on in Arizona are over 10,000 square feet with lots over an acre,” he says.
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The Southwest is as much a proof of concept as anything for Payne Cole Designs’ ambitious growth plans. According to Eric, the firm has secured more than four dozen projects in Telluride in southwest Colorado yet currently handles most of that work out of the Missoula office. He expects to open a full-time office there soon as well.
More concrete openings on the calendar include outposts in Austin and Fort Worth, Texas, and a foray into South Florida in the next 12 months.
“We work with a number of clients in each of those markets, so it makes sense to open new offices,” Eric says. “We still treat each of these markets like they’re our backyard, and we’re able to serve them individually from Montana, but being on the ground will help us sell ourselves and our product.”
“IT ALL STARTS WITH VISIONARY ARCHITECTURE, BUT FROM THAT INITIAL CONCEPT WE CHANGED HOW YOU EXPERIENCE THE ARCHITECTURAL PROCESS WITH EQUALLY TALENTED TEAM MEMBERS WHO TRANSFORM THE CONCEPT INTO AN AWE INSPIRING VISUAL DELIVERY.”
Payne Cole Designs’ aggressive expansion includes a continued focus on hiring top talent, whether architects, designers, or animators—all equally important to the firm’s process-driven model.
“It all starts with visionary architecture, but from that initial concept we changed how you experience the architectural process with equally talented team members who transform the concept into an awe-inspiring visual delivery,” Eric says.
“The growth has come fast, as we anticipated it would, maybe faster,” he notes. “We embrace it and will continue to grow with the demand as we strive to exceed expectations for every luxury project we create.”
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