About

Hello, and welcome. My name is Phil Davis, and I am the architect here at CRAFT DESIGN | WORKSHOP llc. I have operated in many capacities over my 30+ year career, from providing drafting services for national house plan providers and builders, to working as an on-staff architect for a high-end custom home builder. In addition, I have purchased, repaired, and resold a few houses along the way.

CRAFT DESIGN | WORKSHOP llc is a custom residential architecture firm offering concept-to-completion design services. Through collaboration with your interior design professional as well as your builder, we strive to elevate the design-build experience. We are a small firm focusing on personal service, timeless design and building science.

Last year, my wife and I celebrated our thirtieth wedding anniversary, and are the proud parents of two amazing girls. We enjoy travelling, experiencing our great national parks and enjoying the sights along the way. We have managed to do something together as a family in forty-nine of the fifty states and are hoping to visit Alaska sometime soon.

PHILOSOPHIES

CRAFTSMANSHIP: When creating a truly memorable home, it is important that all involved parties view their role as more than a task in the process. Each participant must be a craftsperson in their role. In other words, the trim carpenter should not be the first craftsperson involved, it should start at the first meeting between the owner and the architect and include everyone along the path to taking possession of your new home/newly renovated home.

DESIGN-BUILD: CRAFT DESIGN | WORKSHOP llc suggests a design-build relationship that is provided through multiple entities. An Owner-Architect/Interior Designer/Builder relationship should be developed as early in the process as is practical.

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT: Each project should be at least a little better than the last (communication, design quality, contract execution, presentation standards, etc.) and that will continue to be the goal throughout CRAFT’s existence.

BUILDING SCIENCE

an approach to building (in order of priority) that addresses the passage of each of the following at each detail related to the foundation, perimeter floor connections, exterior wall assemblies, and at the roof:

  1. bulk water management – continuously move water down and out.

  2. air – a house needs to breathe, but it needs to be controlled breathing, not through random openings.

  3. vapor – when 1 and 2 are properly addressed, vapor is generally managed.

  4. thermal – controlled by minimizing thermal bridging and maximizing perimeter insulation.

When properly executed, the result is a healthier, more comfortable home. Energy efficiency is a bonus. Continuity is king when it comes to control layers…

DEFINITION

craft: /kraft/     skill in planning, making, or executing. [Merriam-Webster]

The root word for “craftsmanship”.

Founded in 2025, CRAFT DESIGN | WORKSHOP llc is a re-brand of PLDesign Studio, Inc. which was established in 1995. PLDesign Studio was initially created as an architecture firm, but over time evolved primarily into an architectural drafting service.

CRAFT DESIGN | WORKSHOP llc is a full-service custom residential architecture firm dedicated to designing custom, durable, energy-efficient homes. Contracting directly with homeowners in northeast Ohio, and collaborating with builders and interior designers throughout the region. Custom designs are created in the Owner’s preferred style, considering classical proportioning and the latest in building science technologies.