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Team Spotlight: Steve Herlong

Steve Herlong knew he wanted to be an architect when he was 6 years old, and he says he remembers the specific incident that turned him on that path.

Architect Steve HerlongHe was riding around Greenville, SC on his bike and happened to see a house hidden away in the trees. By 1970s standards, it looked incredibly natural and organic to him, with wood exteriors and – the kicker – a creek that seemed to actually be running under the house. When he went home and told his mom about it, she said that the home belonged to an architect who had designed and built it for himself.

Steve was hooked for life, graduating with a BA in Architecture from Clemson University in 1979 and eventually opening Herlong & Associates, where he serves as one of the company principals and is lucky enough to work with a number of talented architects on staff.

Sea Island Builders has been fortunate to work with Steve on a number of projects, starting with a house overlooking the Waterway on the Isle of Palms. That was where Steve and Sam Fowler learned how well they worked together--their collaboration of design ideas to the interior spaces really made the finished project stand out.

The house not only received rave reviews from our client, but clearly stuck with Steve as well. It was the first time he was able to witness Sea Island Builders complete the interior finishes that we designed together, and he was really pleased with both the way the house turned out and the process itself.

Of course, getting rave reviews is par for the course for Steve – clients always love the work he does for them. Part of that is clearly due to Steve’s talent, but it can also be attributed to how much he genuinely enjoys his work. He’s truly a people person who loves sitting down with clients and learning exactly what they are looking for so that he and his team can use that information to create something that exceeds their expectations, while also doing what is best for the property itself.

That, Steve says, is probably the biggest misconception about what he does. Many people mistakenly think that he only designs cottage-style homes, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Far from having a specific design aesthetic, Steve ascribes to the belief that if you just listen to what your clients want and try to give them that, you’ll end up with a better house – and happier occupants!

Sometimes this can mean quite a bit of work, but as Steve says, “Seeing the delight on people’s faces when they have the first chance to walk through a framed house… when they first see the spaces that we have created together is something that will never get old.”

That being said, he does admit that there are specific challenges inherent when designing and building coastal homes. “I enjoy the challenge of addressing the various codes and guidelines that go into designing on the coast. [They need] to have very high performance qualities in order to withstand the potential elements at play.”

When Steve isn’t working, he loves to travel – especially taking his boat, Rise, out with his wife and exploring. Most recently they sailed down to the Bahamas and back, and he plans to make his way back to the islands every chance he can get.

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