Book excerpt: This book introduces a series of design stories with provocative story lines around some of the firm's most prominent projects. Each of the stories reveals the search that is inherent in the architectural design effort to evoke the spirit of each place by noting the unique circumstances for each client and property. The stories delve into planning and design aspects that reveal how spirit of place contributes to design meaning, and how creative expression can be discovered in pragmatic problem-solving. Within the stories, we uncover comparisons to older or ancient work in Hawaii, Indonesia, Mexico, and other locales, to underscore the significance of timeless principles in creating a harmonic living environment. "Spirit" is the intangible yet significant and even experientially transformative quality behind what endears one to a place or building. This book reveals the design philosophy of de Reus Architects: searching for design innovation by embracing tradition and timelessness, while applying modern and sustainable sensibilities.